FIFTEEN ♋

[selfhatred]

I'M NOT GOING TO THE REST OF MY CLASSES TODAY.
COULD SOMEONE PICK UP THE HOMEWORK FOR ME AND HAND IT TO ME LATER?

[Filtered to other Vantas-Leijons]

i don't know

it's

Uncle Sal, Aunt Di...dad's here.

Comments

[kardad]

_{[He isn't responding right away. He's still trying to take this in, but it's completely overwhelming. He knows he's not supposed to be here. That Kankri isn't supposed to be here--but where has he even been?
And yet here he is. He still can't wrap his head around it. It's a bit disorienting.]}

I suppose it would also be redundant to ask how I even got here.

_{[His lips twitch. He's trying to find a way to say what he's trying to, but... He doesn't know where to begin. This isn't exactly his forte.]}

I'd be more interested in finding out how all of you have been. _{[And then his hand clasps on Karkat's shoulder. It's brief, but's there. Squeeze and all.]}

You've grown.

[accioleggings]

There've been a lot of strange things happening since last night. Kankri having a pulse again and you being here are just a few of them.

[A smile twitches at the corner of his mouth.] It has been four years since you've really seen him if you don't count Parents' Day.

[insuffera6les9n9rus]

They're strange by magical standards. Impossible, even. Whatever is causing this particular rash of incidents is more powerful than the magic of any witch or wizard.

[He makes note to mention this quickly, lest Armand begin to believe that being dragged back from the hereafter is a common occurrence.]

[selfhatred]

[Feeling the hand on his shoulder and the squeeze made Karkat stiffen up before glancing away from where he was looking at his uncles. It felt different to how it had when he was a kid, just ten years old at the airport and being seen off to England. He shifted his grip on his book bag before looking up at his father. Even though he had a bit of height on Kankri, he was still barely up to the center of his dad's chest.]

I'm fourteen now, dad.

[kardad]

<sub>[The significance of everything he's been told is crippling. It's hard for him to wrap his head around, especially considering he didn't know anything about magic. He knew just enough from his brothers.

And then Karkat spoke and it was like his blood ran cold and he goes rigid.]</sub>

Fourteen. _{[He's missed out on so much and it's a horrible feeling. At the same time, he can't help but be proud of his boy.]} You're becoming a fine young man.

[accioleggings]

He's been doing very well here at school. Excellent marks in most of his classes. [Sal gives Kankri's hand a small warning squeeze. He can't just stand here anymore, he's going for it and taking Kan with him. He grips his twin's hand tighter and takes a few quick strides toward Armand to wrap his free arm around him and drag him into a hug.]

#keywords accurate #so, so accurate

[insuffera6les9n9rus]

[The warning squeeze makes Kankri look up at Sal, and damned if he doesn't know his twin well enough to read him after all this time. There was a storm brewing.

And by a storm, I mean a hug.

Kankri could slip his hand out - deity of your personal preference knows nerves have made it slick enough - but instead his smaller fingers curl around Sal's and he jogs the first step before matching him, letting himself be dragged into a hug. It takes him a minute before he responds. He's so small compared to the three of them - especially Armand - that he doesn't really know what to do with his free hand: the one, still, never lets go of Sal's.]

[selfhatred]

[Karkat really know how to respond to that. He really didn't. The first time he sees his father in four years (hush, parents day doesn't count since he never approached him), and the first things he hears are "You've grown" and "You're becoming a fine young man". His dad had always been like that though, and things had always been kind of awkward between them.

He shifted awkwardly when he saw his uncle go for a hug, wondering if he should just leave for now and let them catch up. Then again who knew how long this would last? Still, he glanced away as though he was walking in on something private, biting his bottom lip as he wondered what to do or say.]