You Bleed Like Me (Karkat/Dave)

Karkat jerked away with a growl, almost off balancing himself. He glared at the doorway after Dave had gone before finally hurrying out and to the elevators. His next class would end at a little before noon, when he would meet Sollux, or possibly Tavros for lunch.

Dave decided he would mess with the troll one more time before he went off to his class. Instead of taking the stairs, he stood in the elevator, holding the Open button for the Cancer. He had his other hand in his pocket, leaning back against the wall in the stereotypical cool guy position.

Karkat stepped into the elevator with a small glare at Dave. He stood as far away from him as he could in the tiny space, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the floor.

"Still have a stick up your ass, huh?" he asked, releasing the button to allow the doors to close. He hit the first floor, the elevator making its way down. All the while, he stared at the troll, doing his best to unnerve him. "According to Lalonde, I'm required to ask: how are you doing?"

"Do I know you or something?" Karkat snapped. "I mean, I seriously doubt it because I don't usually talk to humans, and you don't look familiar, but you're grating on my nerves like you know exactly what buttons to fucking push."

"And here I thought I left an impression on you those years ago, Karkles." He shook his head. "I guess you don't remember. Either way, answer the question. Are you living well among us humans?" He honestly didn't care (or so he would claim), but apparently it was his job. John, Jade, and Rose were apparently doing the same thing with the trolls near their area; only difference was, they were more open than the young Strider.

Karkat shrugged. He didn't like talking about his home life even though he would go back to his hive on the weekends. He didn't like to be very open with people either, even his friends had to practically drag things from him.

"Look man, all I need is a yes or no to get Little Miss Brain Probe off of my ass." He really didn't want to deal with Rose, who would most likely accuse him of not even trying rather than not getting an answer. He thought of hitting the emergency button which would trap them in here, but then he would be stuck in a closed space with one of the more hot headed trolls; not a good idea.

"well enough" Karkat snapped. "Why the fuck do you care?" He growled softly, wanting to get out of there as fast as possible.

Dave just stared at him, leaving them in silence for a moment before he frowned. "You would think you would be a little more fucking grateful, Vantas. We could have left your asses on the Veil to die." The elevator doors opened and Dave stepped out. "Well whatever, fuck you too." He said before walking towards the building where his next class was.

The angry comment from Dave had more memories rising to the front of Karkat's mind, as he stepped off the elevator. Suddenly, he had a horrible headache and he wanted nothing more to than to go back to his dorm and curl up in his recooperacoon. He did the next best thing and made his way back to the student commons.

His phone made its way back to his hands and he started texting any friends that he could think of, explaining his problem, waiting until one of them could make their way to him for lunch.

Dave walked with his head down and his hands in his pockets. Stupid fucking troll. How could he not remember when the humans did? He sighed and made his way to the building, heading inside towards his mixed media class. Kicking some beats would help him calm down.

Predictably, Sollux was the first to join Karkat, but Tavros wasn't long after. Not many of their group of 12 went to the same collage, so it was up to the two of them to explain to Karkat about memories of the game and how the human kids retained their memories much better since they had returned to their world, while the troll's world changed so that they could join the humans.

Karkat was one of the few who rarely went outside, so he never got the stimulation the other trolls got that helped them remember more about the game. It also helped that his Trollian usually blocked any conversations started by someone not on his friend roster, without the time function, he had never trolled John, so by the time John thought to look for him, Karkat had changed his trollian settings so that he couldn't be anonymously contacted. John was the reason he talked to the other humans, and he had never talked to John which ment that in this 'life' he had never met any of the kids.

Sollux and Tavros on the other hand both talked to the humans on a semi regular basis and remembered them quite well.

Dave stepped into the classroom, instantly greeted by his classmates. He was well known throughout the campus as the most talented student with magical musical fingers. He was ahead in this class, so he usually assisted the teacher in several demonstrations involving music. He set his bag aside and sat in his chair, waiting for the lesson to begin so he could help out. And possibly blow off some steam.

While Sollux was calming Karkat down a few pegs, he motioned to Tavros to get out his phone, who of course did, and used his psyonics to pull up Dave's number.

Tavros nodded in understanding and sent the human a text message inquiring about lunch in the commons if he had any time after his class.

Dave felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, which he pulled out. A message from Tavbro, huh? He opened it up, reading the message over. He typed in a response, saying he'd see if he could make it but he would most likely be able to.

Tavros grinned at Sollux and nodded, discreetly telling him it was a go.

Sollux nodded in response and turned his conversation with Karkat to a topic that could usually last him for hours, and would hopefully last him to the end of Dave's class: Tavros's less than onesided kismesitude with Vriska.

Tavros was less than amused.

After a lesson on pitch and tone created digitally, Dave helping of course, he was out the door. He headed down to the outside of the building, walking towards the student commons.

Karkat was still mid rant, Tavros having already gone from annoyed to vaguely amused since Karkat began comparing his self-proclaimed kismesis to his matesprit, was actually trying to point out things that made them good for their respective quadrants.

Sollux kept his eyes on the door, keeping a lookout for Dave.

DDave was just approaching the student commons. He was curious as to why the Taurus asked if he could come. He knew he had night classes.

Finally Karkat stopped and stood. "Alright, I say we get some lunch before its all gone." he stated.

Tavros nodded. "Um, you go first, Then I'll go after" he smiled. "I, um, need to talk to someone real quick."

Karkat nodded and headed towards the short like at the counter.

Just as the Cancer disappeared, Dave approached the table, greeting Tavros with a customary broshake before sitting down. "Sup bro?"

"Oh, um, not much" Tavros admitted with a small smile.

"Exthept we heard you finally met KK today" Sollux added from across the table. "Thaid thith guy in hith creative writing clathh dethided it wath hith perthonal mithon to pith him off today, and you fit the dethcription nithely."

"Um, yeah, and that" Tavros's smile turned into sort of a grimace. "You made him start to remember sgrub"

Dave raised a brow. "Remember?" He repeated. "So he really did forget." Dave sat back, crossing his arms. "All I did was ask how he was faring. You two know how Lalonde gets up my ass if I don't check in every other week." He paused for a moment. "...wait, is that bad? Should he not remember?"

"Betht we can figure ith we don't remember ath much thinthe thith wathn't our thethon to begin with. You and the other three remember everything fine thinthe you tharted out in thith world while we trollth had to deal with a major change to our pathtth tho we get our memorieth back with thertain triggerth." Sollux paused for a breath and Tavros picked up where he had left off.

"So, um, because of Karkat's different blood color, he always stayed inside, away from all the other trolls and, um, stuff because he was still considered a freak. Uh, did you know he was home school-fed all his life? He, um, met all of us through, um, different websites, and uh, by accident, but he never met John or you or Rose or Jade, um, because his trollian blocks unknown accounts, that's why you could never talk to him." Tavros's face flushed slightly as he stumbled over his words.

"Tho bathically, KK never got any of thothe triggerth I wath talking about, until thomeone dethided to harath him in an elevator. We're pretty thure motht of hith memorieth will come back if he meetth John though." Sollux finished. "He hated him pretty badly back then."