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

[selfhatred]

[When she gets there, he'll be standing away from the adults, letting the three Vantases talk. His eyes are trained on the older man in military uniform, his face pulled into a worried look, hands in the pocket of his hoodie and bookbag over his shoulder.]

[moirailcompass]

[Nepeta looked towards the Uncle she had never gotten to meet. Up until recently she had never gotten to meet either of her uncles--at least not to her recollection. She forced herself to look away and she went over to Karkat and she lifted a sleeve-covered hand to rest at his arm.]

[selfhatred]

[When he looks at her out the corner of his eye, it's pretty clear that his father's presence is disturbing him. The look on his face was something like what you'd see on a kid after waking from a bad dream, and he closed his eyes, a small noise leaving him.]

What do I do?

[moirailcompass]

[Nepeta didn't want to squash some of Karkat's potential happiness, but at the same time she'd equally hate to see him get excited over what could only be an illusion or trick of sorts. The school was always doing strange things. Admittedly bringing the dead back to life was its most amazing feat to date but. But there were just so little that was known.]

I think. I mean you know how the school is. It seems to throw these random tantrums where weird crap just starts happening and then usually it blows over? I don't know. Maybe he's back for good. Maybe he isn't. I guess the best way to go about it is to enjoy him while he is here, catch up but. [But what? Telling him to be prepared for disappointment might make any potential interactions with his father impossible.]

But I guess we should ask around. See if this has happened with anyone else and...you know. Treat carefully.

[selfhatred]

[He sighs. He hadn't really gotten his hopes up about any of this. Looking back through the journal, there'd been several comments about strange things happening, but he couldn't imagine how this could transpire.]

I know...I know he mightn't be around for much longer. I just don't know what to...say or do. [He bit his bottom lip.] Last time I saw him before Parent's Day was at the airport.

[moirailcompass]

[For Nepeta that was much easier to handle. She looked at her brother and gave his shoulder a small squeeze]

There is no roadmap for how you should act, Karkat. You don't need to fulfill any obligation, don't need to do anything other than what you feel most comfortable with. If you can't think of anything to say? That's ok. I'm sure your father is probably facing similar questions but you two just need to be there for each other. Maybe something will come, maybe something won't--honestly I think that is kind of a Vantas thing. [She gave him a small smile]

Just remember that he came here for you, that he loves you, and that he'll understand that you need to take thing at your own pace.