[the absconding begins, with Rin becoming incrementally more relaxed with each successive turn away from the sharks. he may look like one of them, but he's as warm blooded as any other human]
[sadly, when they get to the kelp forest, it's stalker feeding time. The beasts are hunting the smaller fish darting in and out of the kelp, making it difficult to count how many there are]
[ karkat looks over them all, also more relaxed. stalkers can be tricky to deal with, but they're also not giant fucking sharks? the only problem is how many there are; if they get swarmed then it'd get tricky.
karkat tosses one of his sickles to his other hand, grabs rin's arm again with his now free one and, this time, doesn't let go when he starts moving. he's not moving as fast as he was before as to not draw the stalkers attention.
he also wants to keep rin actually close this time. ]
[Rin has to admit, he feels -- a lot safer, swimming closer to Karkat, rather than leading. it's a strange, uncomfortable sensation, as Rin has considered himself a lone entity for many years, and only recently come back to the fold of actually having friends. relying on them is still something he's working on, and this kind of relying -- so much more serious than letting Sousuke direct practice while he tends to a family thing, or even counting on Haru to do his best at training to give Rin himself more purpose -- is a little raw]
[(he wonders if this is what his dad felt like, with his crew; he wonders who he stayed near, when water pressed in)]
[these thoughts are way too grim for the already anxiety-inducing swarm of sharks around them; Rin shifts close, and swims just as slow, even though his legs want to kick off the nearest shark and swim back towards the base at top speeds]
[ karkat is just relieved that rin is actually following along with this; he had been a little worried that he might swim off again in his haste to get away from the danger. ]
It'll probably help. I know we have a lot of spare weapons at the base.
[Rin's pretty individualistic and self-driven, but he knows how to work in a team, too. it's probably one the things in life he looks most forward to, honestly]
I'd probably cut off my own hand, but just this once, alright. Thanks.
[swimswim, swimswim. the stalkers haven't noticed anything yet. or at least, they don't until the force from their legs knocks into a kelp clump, sending shivers up along it. what's that over there...? there's no rush, just stalkers slowly circling a ring or two closer, even as Rin and Karkat keep moving]
I can't believe I thought nationals were stressful.
[ honestly, karkat would prefer not to kill any stalkers because dave likes them and karkat is very #whipped. but rin's life is more important than dave's weird habit of adopting alien fish so. what he doesn't know won't hurt him, probably.
he just keeps staring straight ahead, not wanting to get too distracted by the approaching threat. if he thinks too much about it he might end up freaking himself out, which is a bad habit of his. ]
[Rin is absolutely getting distracted by the slowly approaching threat, casting glances back over his shoulder every few moments. intuition surges up in his gut; there's a decision coming up on them, fast]
Karkat...?
[one hand tightens on the weapon he doesn't know how to use, and his forearm tenses under the grip Karkat's still got on him. tell him what to do]
[ he can tell rin is just getting more nervous. if rin panics again, they may be fucked since it's hard to predict what someone would do when they're that revved up. and karkat doesn't know rin well enough to have a good understanding of what the other teen is like under a lot of stress.
there are a few options here. they can swim away, but karkat is the slower of the two and he's pretty sure that rin is the kind of person who would slow himself down for karkat's sake. like, he didn't have to intervene like he did in that wreck, he could have just let the actual experienced fighter take care of it, but he felt the need to help. and karkat doesn't want rin to do some type of self-sacrifice bullshit for him? that's a no.
they could attempt to fight off the stalkers, which is also a bad idea. rin may have a weapon now but he obviously does not know how to fucking use it. he might be able to injure a few creatures that get too close, but that's more ideally in an escape scenario rather than a battle one. there is no way he'll be able to do anything if they're legit taking the stalkers on?
so. ]
Do you see that big rock all the way over there? I want you to swim there, as fast as you can, and just fucking wait, okay? I'll meet you there in a few minutes. And before you ask, yes, I'm going to be bait. And no, this is non-negotiable and if I don't see you moving in the next ten seconds then I will feed you to the goddamn stalkers myself.
[did you say non-negotiable? because he's negotiating in those ten seconds he's given, with short, clipped thoughts. he may be getting nervous, but it hasn't affected his judgement yet --he already wants to make up for the shitshow back at the wreck, where he froze up and didn't know what to do (not helping had never been an option)]
I know being bait's your favourite thing, but why don't you just hold onto me while I swim to that rock? I train with drag suits, it's the same principal. You're not that heavy.
[the thing is, he may be out of his depth, but Karkat's right -- he's just not the kind of person that could let someone stay behind for his sake. it's for the team, or it's for nothing]
[ first of all... karkat is stubborn and he fucking refuses to hold onto rin as he swims to that rock? that's embarrassing and karkat has been in enough life or death situations at this point that he is pretty sure he would rather get eaten by the stalkers. ]
First of all, fuck you. Second, no. They're just going to follow us. Go to that rock or else I am going to do something really goddamn stupid, got it?
[and their ten seconds are up; Rin has to decide whether to listen to Karkat or make the decision for both of them what's going to happen next]
[the choice is easy. Rin may be used to being the leader, but he's not the guy who knows what to do in situations like these. Karkat's that guy, and Rin already didn't listen to his advice once, and nearly paid the price]
If you get eaten, I'm going to punch the stalker until it spits you out and I can kick what's left of your ass. Ready?
[Rin lets go of Karkat, body tensing as he prepares to follow orders]
If I die you can have the cool medal that Dirk gave me. But only if I die.
[ rin is like the third person that karkat just put on his will in the last week... he can't die now he doesn't want to actually give any of his shit away??
karkat glances from rin to the approaching stalkers, trying to time it right. his immediate thought is that dave would know the exact nanosecond that would be best to do this, but he isn't here. he should probably stop comparing himself to dave? that's probably not healthy. ]
[Rin shoots off through the water on Karkat's mark, as promptly as if a whistle had blown and he'd launched himself from the starting block. The movement immediately draws the attention of the stalkers, although Rin doesn't see this as he's putting his all into a front crawl that could literally save his life]
[And it kills him a bit, his heart pounding, that he can't look back to see what the hell Karkat is doing. He's got to get to that rock]
[ karkat immediately goes to attack the stalkers that look like they're about to go after rin. he still doesn't actually want to hurt them? since, again, his dumb boysprit loves stalkers and there is actually a way to tame them, you just need bait.
right now he's the bait.
what makes distracting the stalkers long enough for rin to get away annoying is the fact that karkat also has to keep an actual eye on in during it. he has to make sure none sneak away, or that some other creature doesn't suddenly appear after him. it does make him slip a few times and get bitten, but he slashes at the offending fish to get it off of him.
he counts to thirty. after figuring that's enough time for someone as fast as rin, karkat very suddenly bolts from his spot, surprising the stalkers who had gotten used to him attacking them. ]
I swear to fuck if you are not at that rock I am going to shove this sickle up your ass.
[sharp red flashes over the rock, and luckily this time the peering, creepy eyes belong to your predatory friend instead of a predatory foe. thirty seconds was more than enough to cover that distance, for Rin, and he's waiting for Karkat's next move]
Please. You'd probably end up cutting off your arm before you manage to stick that up any orifice.
[ boys pls. you both just had a serious life or death moment don't discuss sticking things up booty holes.
he doesn't answer rin's question about being hurt or not (that's not important?) and instead grabs his arm again and starts swimming back to base. at this far of a distance karkat doubts the entire herd would follow them, and it should be simple enough to get rid of any strays.
[just as Karkat imagined, the speed Rin exhibited on the way here and just a few moments ago is absent -- so that he doesn't leave Karkat to be bait again. The journey back through the water is punctuated excitingly by stray stalkers, which Karkat fends off while Rin swims ahead. Because Karkat can't catch a break, this happens repeatedly,and Rin begins to suspect blood in the water marking them out. All the while, the drone continues to be confused about how to follow two swimmers that keep separating, going back and forth between them as shit goes down above]
[Rin diverts them from going straight back to base, and instead they emerge up on the beach of the shallows. Rin pulls his dive helmet off, looking over at Karkat with an odd expression on his face, somewhere between admiration and concern]
[ karkat scowls at rin's order. he was really hoping that he'd be too preoccupied with escaping to actually notice anything? he considers lying, since there's really only two people on base who are really good at reading through karkat's various tantrums and insults.
and then he considers what they just went through together, and karkat takes his helmet off as well. ]
Okay but it was more like a nibble?
[ just because he's admitting to it doesn't mean he still won't be difficult about it. ]
[Rin's expression is deadpan and sharp, but he doesn't push Karkat further as he undoes the top of his dive suit, which feels heavy and constricting now that they're back on land. He was relatively certain if he let Karkat back on base, he'd scurry away before Rin could bully him into any talk of bites]
I'm used to seeing "nibbling," I'm from a fishing town. Everybody's got a story.
[something the ocean gave them -- a scar, a fear, a bite -- or something it took away]
[ rin was right, karkat would have immediately bolted and locked himself inside his room if they went to the base first. although his reason for doing so is kind of varied. he didn't want rin to know he got hurt because that isn't important to karkat? karkat is the guy who was completely cool getting stabbed multiple times because it was his friend doing it, so. getting bitten by some alien fish to save rin isn't a big deal?
it's not a big deal. rin might make it a big deal.
he also doesn't want rin to see his blood. at this point, karkat is well aware that humans all have red blood, just like him. he just. karkat still doesn't want to deal with that, so it'd be easier if rin saw nothing. ]
[Rin is trying hard, very hard, to make it Not A Big Deal, with a flat face, sharp teeth just barely pricking his bottom lip as he holds back his own expression]
Obviously. You're still standing, with all your limbs. I know a guy who lost three of his fingers at sea. Do you need help out of your dive suit?
[where you're hiding all those bites from me, that you got for my sake, he doesn't add, those little points rending a little harder on his lip]
[ there is a very clear and obvious hesitation at the offer. karkat tries to remind himself that he is over the whole blood color thing, multiple people know now, rin isn't even aware of the hemospectrum, alternia isn't a thing anymore.
ten seconds pass. fifteen. ]
I can take it off by myself, dumbass. all these limbs I didn't lose means I can still do shit like that.
[probably to continue trying to stop himself from making it a Big Deal, rin continues undoing his own suit, pushing it down past his hips and leaning against a nearby rock to yank one foot after the other out of the constricting material]
[ he stalls for another couple of seconds. he's grateful that rin is probably under the impression that karkat is only being stubborn about this because he doesn't want to admit that it was more than a nibble.
with a very exaggerated groan, he starts to remove the dive suit. everything is fine until he gets it down to his waist area where there is a very large and gross bite mark. he stops there. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[sadly, when they get to the kelp forest, it's stalker feeding time. The beasts are hunting the smaller fish darting in and out of the kelp, making it difficult to count how many there are]
Any ideas?
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karkat tosses one of his sickles to his other hand, grabs rin's arm again with his now free one and, this time, doesn't let go when he starts moving. he's not moving as fast as he was before as to not draw the stalkers attention.
he also wants to keep rin actually close this time. ]
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[(he wonders if this is what his dad felt like, with his crew; he wonders who he stayed near, when water pressed in)]
[these thoughts are way too grim for the already anxiety-inducing swarm of sharks around them; Rin shifts close, and swims just as slow, even though his legs want to kick off the nearest shark and swim back towards the base at top speeds]
I should bring something sharp next time, huh...
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It'll probably help. I know we have a lot of spare weapons at the base.
[ oh, wait, he just got an idea. ]
Unless you want to borrow a sickle from me?
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I'd probably cut off my own hand, but just this once, alright. Thanks.
[swimswim, swimswim. the stalkers haven't noticed anything yet. or at least, they don't until the force from their legs knocks into a kelp clump, sending shivers up along it. what's that over there...? there's no rush, just stalkers slowly circling a ring or two closer, even as Rin and Karkat keep moving]
I can't believe I thought nationals were stressful.
[Rin takes the sickle]
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he just keeps staring straight ahead, not wanting to get too distracted by the approaching threat. if he thinks too much about it he might end up freaking himself out, which is a bad habit of his. ]
What the hell are nationals?
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[Rin is absolutely getting distracted by the slowly approaching threat, casting glances back over his shoulder every few moments. intuition surges up in his gut; there's a decision coming up on them, fast]
Karkat...?
[one hand tightens on the weapon he doesn't know how to use, and his forearm tenses under the grip Karkat's still got on him. tell him what to do]
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there are a few options here. they can swim away, but karkat is the slower of the two and he's pretty sure that rin is the kind of person who would slow himself down for karkat's sake. like, he didn't have to intervene like he did in that wreck, he could have just let the actual experienced fighter take care of it, but he felt the need to help. and karkat doesn't want rin to do some type of self-sacrifice bullshit for him? that's a no.
they could attempt to fight off the stalkers, which is also a bad idea. rin may have a weapon now but he obviously does not know how to fucking use it. he might be able to injure a few creatures that get too close, but that's more ideally in an escape scenario rather than a battle one. there is no way he'll be able to do anything if they're legit taking the stalkers on?
so. ]
Do you see that big rock all the way over there? I want you to swim there, as fast as you can, and just fucking wait, okay? I'll meet you there in a few minutes. And before you ask, yes, I'm going to be bait. And no, this is non-negotiable and if I don't see you moving in the next ten seconds then I will feed you to the goddamn stalkers myself.
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I know being bait's your favourite thing, but why don't you just hold onto me while I swim to that rock? I train with drag suits, it's the same principal. You're not that heavy.
[the thing is, he may be out of his depth, but Karkat's right -- he's just not the kind of person that could let someone stay behind for his sake. it's for the team, or it's for nothing]
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First of all, fuck you. Second, no. They're just going to follow us. Go to that rock or else I am going to do something really goddamn stupid, got it?
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[the choice is easy. Rin may be used to being the leader, but he's not the guy who knows what to do in situations like these. Karkat's that guy, and Rin already didn't listen to his advice once, and nearly paid the price]
If you get eaten, I'm going to punch the stalker until it spits you out and I can kick what's left of your ass. Ready?
[Rin lets go of Karkat, body tensing as he prepares to follow orders]
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[ rin is like the third person that karkat just put on his will in the last week... he can't die now he doesn't want to actually give any of his shit away??
karkat glances from rin to the approaching stalkers, trying to time it right. his immediate thought is that dave would know the exact nanosecond that would be best to do this, but he isn't here. he should probably stop comparing himself to dave? that's probably not healthy. ]
Go!
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[And it kills him a bit, his heart pounding, that he can't look back to see what the hell Karkat is doing. He's got to get to that rock]
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right now he's the bait.
what makes distracting the stalkers long enough for rin to get away annoying is the fact that karkat also has to keep an actual eye on in during it. he has to make sure none sneak away, or that some other creature doesn't suddenly appear after him. it does make him slip a few times and get bitten, but he slashes at the offending fish to get it off of him.
he counts to thirty. after figuring that's enough time for someone as fast as rin, karkat very suddenly bolts from his spot, surprising the stalkers who had gotten used to him attacking them. ]
I swear to fuck if you are not at that rock I am going to shove this sickle up your ass.
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I made it, are you hurt?
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[ahah... we have fun here]
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[ boys pls. you both just had a serious life or death moment don't discuss sticking things up booty holes.
he doesn't answer rin's question about being hurt or not (that's not important?) and instead grabs his arm again and starts swimming back to base. at this far of a distance karkat doubts the entire herd would follow them, and it should be simple enough to get rid of any strays.
boy this was a Trip. ]
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[Rin diverts them from going straight back to base, and instead they emerge up on the beach of the shallows. Rin pulls his dive helmet off, looking over at Karkat with an odd expression on his face, somewhere between admiration and concern]
Let me see where you got bit, oi.
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and then he considers what they just went through together, and karkat takes his helmet off as well. ]
Okay but it was more like a nibble?
[ just because he's admitting to it doesn't mean he still won't be difficult about it. ]
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I'm used to seeing "nibbling," I'm from a fishing town. Everybody's got a story.
[something the ocean gave them -- a scar, a fear, a bite -- or something it took away]
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it's not a big deal. rin might make it a big deal.
he also doesn't want rin to see his blood. at this point, karkat is well aware that humans all have red blood, just like him. he just. karkat still doesn't want to deal with that, so it'd be easier if rin saw nothing. ]
I'll just put a bandaid on it and it'll be fine.
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Obviously. You're still standing, with all your limbs. I know a guy who lost three of his fingers at sea. Do you need help out of your dive suit?
[where you're hiding all those bites from me, that you got for my sake, he doesn't add, those little points rending a little harder on his lip]
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ten seconds pass. fifteen. ]
I can take it off by myself, dumbass. all these limbs I didn't lose means I can still do shit like that.
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[probably to continue trying to stop himself from making it a Big Deal, rin continues undoing his own suit, pushing it down past his hips and leaning against a nearby rock to yank one foot after the other out of the constricting material]
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with a very exaggerated groan, he starts to remove the dive suit. everything is fine until he gets it down to his waist area where there is a very large and gross bite mark. he stops there. ]
Okay so, two nibbles.
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