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Your name is Karkat Vantas and you are currently picking up your ancestor (Dancestor? Both are technically right at this point) from therapy. Well, that’s technically a half-truth; you’re not meeting him at the therapist’s office since Kankri tends to wander after his sessions but luckily for you, he always ends up in the same place. You sink slightly into the white sand as you make your way to him, sitting at the water’s edge with his skirt pulled up slightly and feet in the surf just like always.
“Why am I here?”
His voice cuts through the white noise of the waves and you blink in confusion.
“Uh, you walked here after your appointment like you always do?”
He turns his head to you, a brow raised and lips pursed.
“That’s n9t what I meant and y9u kn9w it.”
Oh. He means in that way. You chew your lip as you sit next to him, legs tucked under you despite the slight urge to get in the water. You’ve been so busy making sure everything’s running smoothly that you haven’t really had time to just dive in and let yourself drift for a while like you used to.
“Because we figured everyone deserved a second chance.”
“‘We’ 9r just y9u?”
“Why the fuck are you interrogating me all of a sudden?!”
“6ecause y9u kn9w just as well as I d9 that n9 9ne wants me here.”
The words get caught in your throat, form a lump you can’t quite swallow as he stares you down.
“That’s not true..,” it’s weak, even to your own ears, “Cronus-”
“-Isn’t sure if he even wants t9 6e here and can 6arely l99k me in the eyes 9n a g99d day.”
You fist your hands in your sweats, can feel your claws pierce the fabric and scrape at your skin. He’s not looking at you anymore, instead staring back out at the ocean. Honestly, you wouldn’t be surprised if one of these days he just waded in and never came landside again. He looks so tired, so defeated and it pisses you off so much.
“Well he needs a little help just like you; you just gotta give it time. As for everyone else they don’t fucking matter. Like, I get it, I do, you did some pretty awful shit; both versions of you! But like-you just-... You’re fucking trying! You’ve apologized and you’ve let them say their piece without making excuses for yourself and still , still they ride your bulge till it’s fucking bloody and chafing about it despite none of them being perfect, either!”
You’re working yourself up into a frenzy now, face a deep fuchsia and fins pinned back as your lips curl over your fangs with every word.
“Do you know how fucking tired I am of watching everyone hem and haw about their fucking ancestors but the moment anyone brings you up its always, always with disdain and then they look at me like they expect me to bend over backward and kiss their nooks while I plead for forgiveness on both our behalfs?! Meenah and Mituna were the two biggest troublemakers of your game and Mituna fucking murdered Cronus but it doesn’t matter because you made Meenah a Helmsman and fucked with Mituna’s head! Porrim gets treated like a martyr for having to ‘put up’ with you but she’s equally at fault for all the bad things that happened on Alternia; she could have at least tried to stop you but she didn’t but where’s her shit?! At what point does it stop being airing grievances and start becoming some sick form of public humiliation!? Here, let’s just prostrate ourselves in front of the crowd, maybe let them chop our fins off and throw us into the water for the animals…”
You’re panting, eyes stinging and cheeks wet and puffy. He gently puts a hand on your shoulder and you startle.
“Y9u can’t make them f9rgive me.”
“Yeah but the least they could do is leave you the fuck alone…”
You both sit on the beach for a little while longer before Kankri finally stands and dusts the sand off his skirt the best he can with you following suit.
“Thank y9u, Karkat.”
You raise a brow at him and he smiles tiredly.
“F9r caring.”