❄ third reminder

[echidna]

[ phone ]

[ Jade places this call only a few minutes after drinking the morning's milk delivery. She sounds exactly like she feels: shitty. ]

Um, hi, Mayfield. I know things have been pretty bad recently, but I hope everyone's doing okay. I'm sorry I haven't been checking in on anyone!

[ Any cheeriness she had fostering fades as she continues. ]

With the way death is in this place, I guess I shouldn't be scared of it, but I still sort of am. Especially when I've already done it once. Hehe, um, at least this time I don't think it's going to hurt so badly.

So I guess I'll be able to talk to everyone tomorrow! I wonder if my police chief application had been better, maybe this wouldn't have happened. ...oh well.

Stay safe everyone! Bye.

Comments

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

[Hears this shit and comes running.]

Harley!

[echidna]

[ Jade jumps a little, getting up from where she's been sitting and offering some sort of awkward smile. ]

Oh, hi Karkat. Are you feeling better today?

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

Look, I've been thinking.

[He doesn't bother to answer her question, just goes straight into his own thoughts.]

The first night when I drank it and I got so sick. What if that was the same stuff you drank on the second day? You died and I never have, and what if it's just that I digest this stuff differently not being human?

You don't need to die. It just makes sense for me to drink it.

[echidna]

That does sort of make sense. [ But she shakes her head, the smile fading. ] I still wouldn't want you to drink it. You've already been through a lot! And I kind of...

Well, I'll be okay.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

I haven't been through anything.

I've just sat on my ass and scratched my globes while I watched you and Gamzee die. Fuck. Don't say I've been through a lot.

[echidna]

You got sick, too! And watching it happen is just as bad, maybe it's worse, I don't know.

It was my turn anyway.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

Maybe it is worse. I mean, I don't have a death wish. But I just hate feeling like I let you and him down.

You already drank it, though. Didn't you.

[echidna]

You definitely haven't let us down, don't worry.

[ Her words are accompanied by a small smile, but she can't look at him when she speaks again. ]

Yeah, I did. It's okay though.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

Are you feeling okay?

[echidna]

Not really, but it doesn't hurt as much as it did before. I think it will be over pretty quick this time.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

That makes me feel a lot better.

This is really fucking stupid.

[echidna]

Tell me about it. I-

[ She breaks off abruptly, hunches over the table and whimpers. Oh. Ow. It won't be much longer. ]

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

Anything I can help with?

[Just watching her, trying not to let this hurt because he's done with hurting for right now.]

[echidna]

[ Jade shakes her head at first, but seems to reconsider his offer as she slowly straightens up in her seat. ]

Stay with me?

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Of course.

/casually jacks....

[miraculls.livejournal.com]

[Gamzee had left Jade temporarily for whatever reason, but he wanders back into the kitchen just in time to hear this. He doesn't say anything, just takes a seat next to Jade and wraps one arm around her waist, burying his head into her shoulder.]

bueno

[echidna]

Thanks.

[ She's happy for Gamzee's return, leans against him and sighs gently. It's really scary, knowing what's coming, even with both of them here. She wants something to hold onto, something that means she won't have to die, even if she'll be back tomorrow. ]

I wonder how long this is going to last.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

[He's not going to join the hug pile, but it's probably a good thing Gamzee came in to be the one who isn't awkward about this. For his part he's just going to sit and wait.]

I don't know.

It's not like last time?

[miraculls.livejournal.com]

[Sorry, best friend, but you're not getting out of this one that easily. Without raising his head, Gamzee gropes around the table until he finds Karkat's hand and grips it tightly.]

Maybe you done gotten it wrong and nothing ain't gonna motherfuckin' happen. We just gotta hope for a miracle.

[echidna]

[ Jade lets Gamzee take the reigns in roping Karkat into the hug pile. ]

Yeah, it's different. I don't really know how to explain it but- [ Another sudden stop, she gasps and hisses in pain. Before where it was slow and agonizing, this is sharp and sudden. ] It's different.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

[Okay, fine, holding hands with Gamzee is something he can do here.]

Maybe you should lie down. We don't know that you're not--

[He was going to say that she might just be sick. It's certainly possible. But he changes his mind and doesn't say it because he needs to be the pessimistic one right now. If certain stupid people he knows are too convinced she won't die, it will be a mess, and it's probably not what Jade wants to hear either.]

We don't know that this won't take a long time.

[miraculls.livejournal.com]

[That's okay, Gamzee has more than enough hope for the both of them.]

But if it's different, that's good, yeah? Means it ain't the same shit what you choked down last time.

[echidna]

Heh, give me a break Karkat. I'm fine right here.

[ There's no point in moving, because with the way she's feeling right now it can't be much longer till she- dies. Again.

Speaking of dying, things are starting to feel really weird on her end, the pain dulls but becomes hot and spreads through her, numbing her skin and making her pulse pound in her ears. ]

Oh, [ She groans, sinks against Gamzee and tries to hold onto something. In this case it's Karkat's shirt that she latches onto, fingers curling tightly into the fabric as she tries to steady herself against a sudden onslaught of disorientation. ] oh no.

[crusthatecean.livejournal.com]

[Oh, okay, well, as long as she's doing that, he'll hold her upright so she doesn't fall. She's not heavy and he can easily support her weight like this.]

Gamzee, shut up.

[This definitely isn't the same thing he drank.]

[miraculls.livejournal.com]

[He tightens his grip on Jade instinctively, swallowing hard. It might not be as bad it looks, there might still be a miracle that'll save her at the last second...but Karkat told him to shut up, so he keeps silent.

He wishes he could do something to help, but the only thing he can think of right now is to pray that this will be over soon and hold Jade tighter. If she is going to die, at least she won't do it alone.]