#or maaybe she destroyed herself by caring too much

[a-panda-reads-act-omega]

ACT OMEGA PART 12

THE 02/11/16 UPDATE

Sooo... Funny story, I already worked on this part, then I got LOGGED OUT for some reason, and lost everything I wrote. I got up to page 79. And because I’m a lazy bastard, I’m really gonna half-ass my recreation of what I wrote. So yeah, please forgive me for that. Once I get to page 79, I’ll probably start trying again.

KARKAT: (BUT STILL, THAT’S NOT OUR ONLY PROBLEM.) DAVE: (order now and youll get another mental breakdown absolutely free) DAVE: (two disasters for the low low price of one) DAVE: (what a steal) KARKAT: (DON'T GIVE ME YOUR SASS. I DIDN'T GET THESE DEBACLES FROM THE DOLLAR STORE, YOU KNOW.) KARKAT: (THIS IS SOME LEGITIMATELY TROUBLING SHIT, OKAY?) DAVE: (got it) DAVE: (im not even gonna continue that metaphor im putting on my serious face) DAVE: (youve got waldo the juaggalo on your mind what else) KARKAT: (WELL...) KARKAT: (I'M WORRIED ABOUT VRISKA, I GUESS.) DAVE: (vriska?) KARKAT: (I KNOW. CALL ME CRAZY, BUT MY AGGRAVATION SPONGE HAS BEEN TINGLING WITH GOOD REASON FOR VRISKA FUCKING SERKET.) DAVE: (ok) DAVE: (so whats the problem then) KARKAT: (SHOULD WE WAIT FOR HER TO GET BACK BEFORE WE CLAIM THE REWARD?) KARKAT: (WILL SHE EVEN *BE* COMING BACK?)

She BETTER be coming back, because she’s the greatest. I mean, I hope she will at least. LE’s probably gonna be a pain wrapping up, but now that he’s weakened I think it might be possible. She just needs to get a good roll..

DAVE: (uh) DAVE: (why wouldnt she) KARKAT: (LOOK, I DON’T KNOW ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT THE BYZANTINE CHARADES SHE’S ALWAYS FLAUNTING? I KNOW SHE HAS TO FEEL LIKE THE MOST COMPETENT PERSON IN THE ROOM AT ALL TIMES, BUT) KARKAT: (IT’S ALL KIND OF PAPER THIN FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.) KARKAT: (I SPENT AN EMBARRASSING AMOUNT OF TIME TRYING TO CHASE THAT SAME FANTASY, AND I CAN TELL SHE’S STILL DANGEROUSLY CAUGHT UP IN IT.) KARKAT: (IT JUST SO HAPPENS SHE IS WAY BETTER AT CRAFTING SHAMELESS MACHIAVELLIAN SCHEMES THAN I EVER WAS.) KARKAT: (I DIDN’T CARE ENOUGH TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT THOUGH, SEEING AS IT WAS WORKING OUT BETTER FOR HER THAN IT EVER HAD FOR ME. OR IT WAS AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, ANYWAY.) KARKAT: (IN FACT, I WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO DROP THAT FARCE ALTOGETHER AND ALLOW HER TO PICK UP THE SLACK AS SHE SEEMED SO EAGER TO DO.) KARKAT: (APPARENTLY THAT ONLY BECAME OFFICIAL AS OF A FEW HOURS AGO, BUT WHATEVER.) KARKAT: (THE POINT IS) KARKAT: (NOBODY IS EVEN CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY THAT VRISKA MIGHT) KARKAT: (*MIGHT*) KARKAT: (NOT ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT SHE’S DOING.) KARKAT: (BEYOND WHATEVER MASTER PLAN SHE COBBLED TOGETHER BASED ON WHAT COULD, FOR ALL WE KNOW, BE ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT, WHAT IS SHE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO?)

He has a point. I mean, her entire plan was basically “fuck the LE up, use the Juju.” but that didn’t work out for her! She clearly overestimated her plan here, against an unkillable god.

DAVE: (i dunno) DAVE: (what she usually does?) KARKAT: (BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BEFORE THROWING MYSELF INTO THE FRAY EARLIER I MANAGED TO SNEAK IN A SHORT NAP.) DAVE: (really) KARKAT: (YES REALLY. DON’T ASK ABOUT IT.) KARKAT: (BUT I GOT TO SEE WITH MY OWN GANDER BULBS HOW FAIRLY FUCK DEEP SHE’S BURIED HERSELF INTO THE FURTHEST RING’S SMORGASBORD OF REALITY-SHATTERING FUCKERY.) KARKAT: (SHE ACTS LIKE IT'S JUST AN EVENING STROLL THROUGH THE VOID, BUT LO AND BEHOLD! WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT, SHE'LL BE BACK, HAULING IN HER FIRED IRONS LIKE WEEKLY GROCERIES.) KARKAT: (BUT HEY, IT’S NO BIG DEAL! NOTHING WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT, NO WORRIES.) KARKAT: (BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? MAYBE SOME WORRIES!)

Yup, I love this line. I’m gonna use this somehow someday. “No worries! But you know what? Maybe some worries!”

DAVE: (i guess you have a point) DAVE: (but i dont really see what we can do about it) DAVE: (unless you want to put things on hold and look for her?) KARKAT: (NO! FUCK THAT!) KARKAT: (I’M DONE. I JUST WANT THIS TO BE OVER WITH. WHATEVER SHE’S GOTTEN HERSELF INTO, SHE’LL JUST HAVE TO GET HERSELF OUT OF IT.) KARKAT: (IT’S NOT LIKE I’D EVEN BE MUCH HELP.) KARKAT: (IN FACT, THE IDEA THAT I COULD EVER CONCEIVABLY BE OF ANY USE TO HER IS SO LAUGHABLE I MIGHT JUST PISS MYSELF.) KARKAT: (I MEAN, WHERE IS THIS EVEN COMING FROM? WHY AM I WORRIED ABOUT *VRISKA*, OF ALL PEOPLE?) KARKAT: (IF SHE COULD HEAR MY THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW, NO DOUBT SHE WOULD BE GIVING ME AN UNENDING SUPPLY OF SHIT FOR EVER DOUBTING HER.) KARKAT: (HELL, SHE PROBABLY ALREADY HAS. I CAN ALREADY SMELL THE SHIT ROCKETING ITS WAY THROUGH SPACETIME, READY TO BURY ME IN SASS.) DAVE: (i dunno man) DAVE: (like sure) DAVE: (any plan to bail out vriska is about as well founded as the dark carnival) DAVE: (which is not at all) DAVE: (because its pretty much the fakest thing to never ever be real ever) KARKAT: (I’M NOT REALLY IN THE MOOD TO JOKE ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW.) KARKAT: (YEAH, LET'S JUST PUT EVERYTHING ON HOLD FOR A SECOND SO WE CAN HAVE A GOOD CHUCKLE ABOUT HOW FAKE MIRTHFUL MESSIAHS ARE.) KARKAT: (HARDY HAR HAR.) KARKAT: (WE NOW RETURN TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BROODING.) DAVE: (you really are far gone) DAVE: (look) DAVE: (sure she makes it kind of impossible to care about her) DAVE: (and i wouldnt be surprised if shes perfectly fine) DAVE: (just off doing her own thing) DAVE: (but the fact that you care anyways) DAVE: (is kind of cool imo) KARKAT: (WHAT.) DAVE: (you actually give a shit about people) DAVE: (even people that probably dont deserve it) DAVE: (ngl vriska is kind of a huge bitch and you would probably be happier if you wrote her off) DAVE: (maybe thats the case for some other people too but not gonna name names)

WELL DAVE, I CARE ABOUT HER. ANd also, who is Dave talking about when he says “other people?” Nobody really comes to mind besides maaybe Gamzee.

Daw, he’s all concerned and shit. That’s kinda cute. Though it’s still odd he’s not teasing Karkat about this. I guess he knows how to show some maturity when it’s needed.

KARKAT: (DAVE...) DAVE: (ok fine) DAVE: (im just trying to say that) DAVE: (from experience) DAVE: (putting aside bitchiness or what anyone might deserve) DAVE: (having people around that actually care about you makes a big difference) DAVE: (and the idea that not caring about anything or anyone is somehow the most ideal way to be is garbage) DAVE: (so instead of beating yourself up about caring too much) DAVE: (do yourself a favor and just focus on whats bothering you)

Yup, that’s some good advice. I hate when people are too busy stressing about other people that they just let themselves fall apart. I wonder how Karkat will take it!

Skepticist Karkat is best Karkat.

KARKAT: (... OK, SURE.)

yay.

KARKAT: (... OK, SURE.) DAVE: (i get that you think vriska might fuck up and get herself killed somehow) DAVE: (but i also get the feeling theres more to it than that) KARKAT: (YEAH. THERE IS.) KARKAT: (WE HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF SHE DOES FUCK UP.) KARKAT: (AND, DAMMIT, TEREZI IS PROBABLY GOING TO TIE HERSELF INTO A FUCKING PRETZEL ABOUT IT TOO.) KARKAT: (WHICH I'M SURE SHE REALLY DOESN’T NEED RIGHT NOW.) KARKAT: (AND NOW *I'M* ALL TWISTED UP WONDERING IF WHATEVER VRISKA IS DOING OUT THERE CAN STILL FUCK US OVER SOMEHOW.)

Oh Karkat, I assure you. Anything anybody does is guaranteed to have the potential to fuck everything over. In this case, she’s supposed to kill a universe destroying god. I think there’s a chance she can fuck you over with that.

DAVE: (hmmm) DAVE: (well) DAVE: (i cant help you with terezi) DAVE: (shes just going to have to work on that) DAVE: (but as far as the the blue winged butterfly effect goes...) DAVE: (im the timeline guy right) KARKAT: (I GUESS??) DAVE: (you guessed correctly) DAVE: (and right now nothing feels off to me) DAVE: (theres been enough outside intervention to convince me that this is the way shit is supposed to go) DAVE: (if somebody from an alternate reality bothers to travel back and give the timeline a thorough heimlich maneuver like im assuming john and roxy did) DAVE: (which causes all the potential roadblocks to fling themselves out of our way and allow the right events to start slotting into place) DAVE: (thats generally a good sign that everything that can go wrong already has) DAVE: (so its pretty much smooth sailing from here) DAVE: (... hopefully)

Dave, you are absolutely talking out of your ass right now. Do you even have the ability to “feel” if something’s wrong? I don’t think that’s a thing.

KARKAT: (DID YOU REALLY NEED TO TACK THAT ON THE END THERE?) DAVE: (just covering my bases) KARKAT: (YOU KNOW, IF THAT WAS YOUR IDEA OF A PEP TALK, I THINK I MIGHT AS WELL FLING MYSELF OFF THIS MISERABLE VICTORY PLATTER AND PERFORM A SUPERSONIC HONKBIRD DIVE INTO SKAIA.) KARKAT: (*HOPEFULLY* I CAN DROWN IN CELESTIAL OOZE AND LAY MYSELF TO REST AGAINST THE BOSOM OF A LITERAL FUCKING UNIVERSE.) KARKAT: (THAT WOULD ALMOST DEFINITELY BE MORE COMFORTING THAN “HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE I THINK”.)

Calm down Karkat, that’s just assurance that everything is in no way fine and you’re all going to fuckING DIE UNLESS JOHN OPENS THAT DOOR RIGHT NOW.

Pft, this panel is weird looking.

DAVE: (jesus) DAVE: (alright you got me maybe im talking out of my ass) DAVE: (this whole alpha timeline thing is really something you gotta play by ear and i cant predict whats going to happen) DAVE: (but it just sucks to see you so stressed out) DAVE: (i was kind of hoping we could put all of that crap behind us) DAVE: (at least for a little while) DAVE: (those are really pretty decent things to be worrying about but the crux of the matter is theres just nothing we can actually do) DAVE: (at least not that i can figure out) DAVE: (thats more roses thing and she seems to think everythings fine) DAVE: (and even if something does happen youll probably be in better shape to deal with it if you dont get yourself so worked up) KARKAT: (... YEAH.) KARKAT: (I GUESS YOU’RE RIGHT.) KARKAT: (I THINK I TEND TO LET MYSELF HYPER FOCUS ON ONE POSSIBILITY AND STRESS OVER WHAT USUALLY AMOUNTS TO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.) KARKAT: (SO I NEED TO TRY AND NOT DO THAT MAYBE.) DAVE: (awesome) DAVE: (think about troll dane cooks unironically hilarious stand up routine or something) DAVE: (and chill out) KARKAT: (I AM. I’M CHILLING.) KARKAT: (THIS IS ME CHILLING. THIS IS MY CHILL FACE.) DAVE: (funny) DAVE: (looks a lot like that face you were making a minute ago) DAVE: (when you were decidedly not chilling)

This is a nice pesterlog right here. And cOME ON karkat, chill out man.

Oh my god karkat stop you weren’t meant to smile

KARKAT: (HOW'S THISH THEN.) DAVE: (pffffft) DAVE: (hahahahahaha) KARKAT: (heh) DAVE: (yeah sure) DAVE: (that works)

No it doesnt Dave stop its horrible.

Alright well, Dave and Karkat have sorta calmed each other down and spooked each other up. [fun fact, every time i type each other i type it as eachother and have to retype it because i forgot that isn’t a fucking word. Why isnt that a fuckING WORD]

And that’s all for this update! So I think I’ll go ahead and make the next post now.