07

[i_bullieve_i_can_fly]

eVERYONE, uH, nEEDS TO STOP FIGHTING,
iT IS MAYBE, kIND OF RIDICULOUS, iF YOU DON'T MIND ME SAYING,
aND UNTIL YOU ALL DO, i AM JUST GOING TO, uH, sTAY OUT OF IT,
fAR, fAR AWAY AND OUT OF IT,
tHAT IS, uH, aLL i HAVE TO SAY, oN THAT PARTICULAR MATTER,

iN OTHER NEWS, aND A LOT MORE CHEERFUL,
i AM REALLY EXCITED FOR SUMMER,
i THINK THAT, iT'S GOING TO BE AWESOME!

i ALSO GOT A NEW, cARD GAME FOR MY BIRTHDAY,
dOES ANYONE, uH, mAYBE WANT TO PLAY WITH ME, bEFORE WE ALL LEAVE FOR THE SUMMER?
i DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO PLAY IT, bUT, i HAVE THE RULE BOOK,
aND PLENTY OF, uH, cARDS TO GO AROUND,
i THINK WE COULD, fIGURE IT OUT, }:)
iT WOULD BE FUN, i THINK,

Comments

[i_bullieve_i_can_fly]

i COULD DEFINITELY, uH, tEACH YOU!
wHAT ABOUT THIS SATURDAY, uH, oUTSIDE ON THE GROUNDS,
tHAT WAY THERE IS, pLENTY OF ROOM TO SPREAD OUT THE, uH, cARDS,
eVEN THOUGH, i GUESS WE DON'T NEED THAT MUCH ROOM,
uHH, i MOSTLY JUST LIKE THE GROUNDS, i GUESS,


[filtered to Karkat, unhackable]

dO YOU, uH, mAYBE WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT?
eVEN THOUGH i SAID THAT, i WOULD STAY OUT OF IT,
i DON'T MIND, uH, lISTENING AND TRYING TO, hELP IF i CAN,
bUT IN A NEUTRAL, sORT OF WAY,

[selfhatred]

SURE. SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
IT FEELS TOO COOPED UP IN HERE SOMETIMES.

[filtered to Tavros, unhackable]

THERE'S NOTHING TO REALLY TALK ABOUT.
...
I COULD DO WITH THE COMPANY THOUGH.

[i_bullieve_i_can_fly]

i THINK i'M GETTING USED TO, uH, fEELING COOPED UP,
iT'S HARD TO NAVIGATE THE GROUNDS, wHEN YOU'RE IN A WHEELCHAIR,
sO i AVOID IT, aS BEST i CAN,
bUT i HAVE A DUEL DISC AND, i DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD WORK SO WELL INSIDE,

[Filtered/Unhackable]

aRE YOU OKAY, kARKAT?
i DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW, mANY OF THE DETAILS,
sINCE i DIDN'T THINK IT WAS ANY OF, uH, mY BUSINESS,
bUT i DID SEE YOU, uM, yELLING AT THE STRIDERS,
uHH, ANYWAY,
yOU SAID THERE WASN'T MUCH TO, sAY ABOUT IT,

bASICALLY i GUESS,
wOULD YOU RATHER NOT WAIT UNTIL SATURDAY?

[selfhatred]

WHAT THE FUCK IS A DUEL DISC?

[filtered/unhackable]

I WAS STUPID AND I ALREADY APOLOGIZED.
THERE'S NOT MUCH ELSE TO SAY ABOUT IT.
BUT IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU THEN
I GUESS I'D LIKE THAT.

[i_bullieve_i_can_fly]

iT'S, uMMM, a THING, fROM THE CARDGAME THAT i GOT,

[filtered/unhackable]

yOU'RE NOT STUPID,
bUT, iT IS GOOD YOU APOLOGIZED,
bECAUSE, uH, yOU DID SAY A FEW MEAN THINGS THAT,
mAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE,
i'M JUST GLAD THAT YOU MADE THINGS RIGHT!
aND IT'S STILL EARLY, sO, dO YOU WANT TO MEET, uH,
oUTSIDE IN THE COURTYARD?
yOU CAN BRING YOUR EGG, aND i CAN BRING MINE,
i DON'T THINK THEY'VE MET YET!

[selfhatred]

...I DON'T SEE HOW SOMETHING RELATED TO CARD GAMES IS CALLED A DUEL DISC.

[filtered/unhackable]

YEAH, I REALIZED THAT.
I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE EITHER.
I'LL JUST GO GRAB ARIEL AND BE DOWN THERE SOON, OKAY?

[i_bullieve_i_can_fly]

i THINK IT WILL MAKE MORE SENSE WHEN YOU SEE IT,
bECAUSE i ADMIT THE, uH, iDEA OF IT DOES SOUND CONFUSING,
bUT WHEN YOU SEE IT, iT DEFINITELY MAKES SENSE!

[Filtered/Unhackable]

oKAY,
i WILL SEE YOU IN THE COURTYARD,
i, uH, aLREADY HAVE THEODORE, sO i MIGHT BE THERE BEFORE YOU,
bUT SEE YOU SOON,

[selfhatred]

[filtered/unhackable]

YEAH SURE.


[It took Karkat little more than an hour to pry Ariel from Maka again, but he got to the courtyard before stopping at the entrance. Giving a small sigh, he curved his hands a little tighter, a little warmer, around the egg before stepping into view.]

Hey.

[i_bullieve_i_can_fly]

[As Karkat can see, Tavros is currently wearing this badass device on his arm and looking about ten times cooler than normal. Which is 0 x 10 = 0.

He looks up at Karkat with a smile. There's an empty duel disk in Tav's lap which looks the same, and it's most definitely for Karkat. Tavros has his egg held in his hands. Overall, there's a lot going on and he kind of has his hands full, but he doesn't mind.]

Hey, Karkat!

[selfhatred]

[He kind of raises his eyebrow at the thing on Tavros's arm but that's pretty much all he does. He doesn't say anything about how stupid it looks or about how stupid this whole thing is. Karkat is kind of holding his own egg close to him, reminding himself that they were taking this slow and he tilted his head, wondering what to talk about first with a small smile of his own.]

So...that's a...whatever you called it?

[i_bullieve_i_can_fly]

[Tavros doesn't notice the way that Karkat raises his eyebrow. Or if he does, he just thinks Karkat is possibly just interested! And not... judging. Because of course Karkat wouldn't judge him. Right Karkat? Right. He shifts the duel disk so it's in better view.]

It's, uh, a duel disk! And yes, this is what it looks like. This one is yours! Uh, well, I mean. It's mine, but you can use it.

[selfhatred]

[Karkat takes a step forward to examine the thing, tilting his head to look down as he hugged the dragon egg to his chest. It looked weird. He didn't even know how you played card games on something like that. Weren't card games supposed to be played on tables or floors? He straightened himself, adjusting his grip on Ariel as he held his hand out for it.]

How do...what the hell does that have to do with card games?

[i_bullieve_i_can_fly]

[He hands Karkat the duel disk when he reaches for it.]

Oh, uh... well, I don't actually have the answer to that question. [Because he has... still not figured out how this works. At all.]

But I think that the, uh, cards go in these slots?

[selfhatred]

[He paused a little in taking the disk (it wasn't even round, how could it be called a disk?) before turning it over in his hand, holding both it and his egg a little awkwardly.]

When the fuck did playing card games on a table go out of fashion?

[i_bullieve_i_can_fly]

Uhh... Well, I mean. We could maybe, play on the ground, if you want? Because I think that's, uh... possible.

[selfhatred]

[Oh. Crap.

Karkat closes his mouth and manages to make himself look apologetic. That, and he felt a bit guilty because he wasn't sure if he'd be able to help Tavros out of his chair. He wasn't exactly strong.]

I was just saying. Besides, if this is the proper way shouldn't we learn this way rather than screw it up to start with?