towerofanimus | (no subject)

Characters: Terezi and you!
Setting: Dorm corridors?
Format: I'll match!
Summary: Terezi revives and finds herself in her room, then goes searching for Vriska.
Warnings: Angst!

[Terezi wakes up on her bed, and when she finds she can't move, she isn't quite as surprised as she was the first time it happened.

But this time, it lasts longer. Much longer, in fact. And just when she feels uneasy begin to gnaw at her, she hears a stomach turningly familiar crackle of energy at the foot of her bed. She can't see, of course, or turn her head, but she smells the sharp scent of limes and canine and oil that is so uniquely Jack, and she knows.

Uneasy turns to full on panic, and she struggles to move, but she can't even twitch a finger. She senses him regarding her coldly as he raises his sword, and in a way she can't understand, she knows he's not going to just kill her. He's going to play with her before she dies, he's going to make her suffer, and there's absolutely nothing she can do. She's going to die again, ten times more pathetically this time, and all she can do is close her eyes and focus on the sound of blood roaring in her ears.

And then suddenly the paralysis breaks and she can move again. Terezi scrambles up, pressing herself against the headboard and reaching for a sword that isn't there, only to find that Jack is gone. She freezes for a moment, gulping in deep breaths, but she can't smell him anymore. It's like he was never there at all.

She practically vaults off the bed in her desperation to get to the door and slams it shut behind her, struggling to catch her breath as she leans against it.]

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[She notices that grunt and her anger ebbs a little, replaced by the guilt nagging in the pit of her stomach.]

Right, just ignore all of your failures. Pretend you haven't done anything wrong. That's a great way to live!

I'm here because I feel like it, and I'm not leaving.

Fucking STOP.

[His forehead simply rests against Terezi's spine, since he's considerably fearful of trying to move himself again. He's certain he's moved something he shouldn't have and he'd rather not find out what it was just yet.]

Nobody has to go anywhere, but I'm not really in a condition to stop you stupid fucks from ripping each other's throats out! So fucking cool it, will you?

[She scowls, shooting Vriska one last glare before turning away from her.]

Fine. I will just pretend she isn't here!

[Rolling her eyes and stretching out in the chair, rubbing her palms over the deep crescent marks she left in the armrests.]

Whatever. Shouldn't you go find Vantas or something? Keep it up and he's going to start feeling like you're replacing him. Which you basically are, right?

Oh wait, I forgot you were pretending I'm not here. My bad!

[Karkat actually freezes for a second when he hears Vriska, silently thankful that his look of realization and horror was hidden behind the other female. Wow, below the belt. And not just for Terezi either. This had suddenly gotten much more personal, and not in a way that he wanted.

There's a brief struggle as Karkat tries to sit back again, releasing Terezi to instead feebly grab the empty glass on the nightstand beside him, lobbing it at Vriska with as much might as he can manage...which isn't much, considering his one arm is broken, and the ribs on the side of his good arm are still broken.

The whole motion causes another sharp gasp of pain to come from him, but he doesn't care.]

Are you fucking deaf, Serket? Shut your fucking chute and quit being such a cold-hearted bitch for a change. Or have you used up your quota for the next few sweeps?

[His voice cracks in pain at several points of his angry spat in the other cerulean's direction.]

[This time, Terezi keeps relatively calm. She actually laughs at Vriska's comment, though she stops immediately when she hears how much pain Karkat is in.]

Jegus. No one is getting replaced.

[She rolls her eyes, turning to lay a hand on Karkat's arm.]

None of this is any of your business anyway, Vriska.

[She watches the glass fall short and shatter across the tiles under her chair. Rolling her eyes and shrugging her shoulders unaffectedly.]

Yeah, yeah. Whatever.

[Vriska doesn't believe it for a second that people aren't being replaced here, but it's no use trying to rile anymore. She's pushing the wrong person's buttons and she already feels shitty enough about the wounds she'd given to Karkat.]

Just calling it how I see it, buuuuuuuut again, whatever!

[Karkat doesn't have the energy to fight Terezi's gesture, so he simply rests his head back against the pillow and pants, trying to catch his breath again after wasting it on...well, essentially nothing.

His muscles tense nervously, as he really doesn't like the feeling of being unable to catch his breath.]

[Terezi ignores Vriska, turning to Karkat instead. The way he's breathing is making her pretty nervous, to be honest.]

What's wrong? Are you okay?

[She huddles back down into her chair, dead-eyeing the scene in front of her. She feels like she's intruding on something she should respect and leave alone.

But that would require her to be a good person. And guess who isn't.]