LIL HAL: [The light seems to clear up into darkness, but the fuzziness takes a little longer. Slowly, you all begin to come to your senses. At first, all you can hear are voices, and you come to realize they sound... surprised? Panicked, or joyous. At last you manage to open your eyes, and you all find yourselves lying on separate beds in a large room -- the palace nurses darting around tip you off that is the infirmary. All your friends are here, but only the few of you are awake, and anyone who received injuries are completely intact now.]
JADE: *jade slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment before jolting upright with a loud gasp*
JADE: *it takes a moment for her to realize where she is as she looks around to see literally everyone else. had it all just been a dream* what the....
LIL HAL: [A nurse runs over to Jade's side, one who appears to be an olive blood, to ask if she's all right.]
JADE: *she nods slowly, a little shaken and a bit disoriented*
DIRK: *when he wakes up, he refuses to open his eyes for the first few seconds before cracking just one of them open to observe his surroundings*
KARKAT: *his eyes practically burst open. seeing is something he won't be taking advantage of anymore, and he just stares at the ceiling with wide eyes for a while*
RUFIOH: *Comes to gradually, and assuambly face-f1rst 1n the p1llow because there's l1kely no other way the nurses could have gotten h1m onto a hosp1tal bed. there's th1ngs happen1ng around h1m, but he doesn't qu1te trust 1t yet.*
JADE: uhm *gets the nurses attention* what....what happened..? *she wasnt sure if that was a dumb question or not*
LIL HAL: [The nurse begins to explain that everyone mysteriously went into comatose-like states and began sleepwalking and sleeptalking. They've had to keep everyone rounded up as well as they can.]
DIRK: *groans and refuses to get up, not recognizing everyone else besides the original group of prisoners in this land yet*
ERIDAN: *stares up at the ceiling, not really looking around yet, not sure what to make of his current position. figures something must have happened after he passed out, but his head is really throbbing, he feels sick to his stomach and... he looks down and sees there's zero injury on his person.*
JADE: *she blinks for a moment, looking around the room at everyone and the few that were stirring. it takes her a moment but she feels an overwhelming sense of relief flood over her which turn into a quiet laugh, and gradually gets louder. though then it turns into crying. she cant help but feel so relieved that it was over*
KURLOZ: *He gasps slightly through his nose as he feels himself awakening on a completely foreign sort of surface, and holds his breath as he realizes that he'd heard himself inhale among the chatter around him. His eyes dart around for a moment, and he vaguely catches the far-away explanation as his hands move to examine his own head and neck for the injuries he could have sworn he had sustained.*
DIRK: *turns over to onto his stomach and holds the pillow over his head. He's way too tired for this*
KARKAT: *sits up slowly, remembering the ache from the sight of the grub. he's about to close his eyes and flop back onto his pillow, but then something- someone catches his eye*
RUFIOH: *st1ll ly1ng there l1sten1ng, and at the sound of almost hyster1cal laughter he rubs at h1s face w1th h1s hands... hold on a t1ck* *manly yell of surpr1se*
CURRENT gynecicArbitrator [CGA] RIGHT NOW responded to memo.
PORRIM: *she sits up, staring down at her stomach just to make sure she really was alright, and letting out a long sigh of relief at the affirmation that she was indeed fine.*
KARKAT: *he's out of bed in half a beat, heading straight for that bed. hello, sleeping nepeta. he smiles involuntarily as he stands over her. she looks okay.*
DIRK: *muffled groaning because he's still too tired for Rufioh's yelling*
JADE: *After collecting herself a bit, still a few laughs now and then mixed with some sobs she looks at the others who seem to have woken up and gives them all a huge grin* i think...i think we did it!!!
DIRK: *pokes his head out from underneath the pillow to look over at Jade* What.
KARKAT: *completely ignores everyone else and kneels behind nep's bed*
KARKAT: *next to wtf**
LIL HAL: [WHAT A CREEP]
KARKAT: *gonna surprise you when you wake up gurl watch out*
RUFIOH: *pushes h1mself upr1ght, 1nterlock1ng h1s f1ngers 1n front of h1s face 1n del1ght before turn1ng to sm1le back at jade, tak1ng stock of who's all here* 1 dunno what we d1d excatly... but yeah!
PORRIM: *manages a smile at Jade, but quickly she remembers something that needs confirmation. She gets out of the bed, nearly falling out of it because her legs are weak, and searches for Jane*
LIL HAL: [Jane is indeed in a bed.]
JADE: we're here...we're back...everyones alive!!! *she nearly hops out of bed, also stumbing a little cause of weak legs*
DIRK: *reluctantly drags himself out of bed, stretching and blinking a few times as he looks around to see that everyone is in fact...in bed*
DIRK: *scans the room for anyone he would recognize immediately*
LIL HAL: [Except for the glasses on Dirk's nightstand. They don't get their own bed.]
DIRK: *picks up his shades and replaces them on his face*
KARKAT: *you guys have fun i'm gonna sit here holding nepeta's hand*
LIL HAL: [Jake, Roxy, and Jane are all in their own beds asleep, too.]
LIL HAL: [Everyone's just getting their nap on. A few of them are mumbling, as the nurse indicated.]
DIRK: *OH HEY ROLAL I'M GONNA SIDLE UP TO YOUR BED AND PAP YOUR FACE*
DIRK: *I mean*
LIL HAL: [They have varied expressions.]
DIRK: *calmly walks over to her*
LIL HAL: [Roxy looks very bothered by something, with brows pinched and a frown.]
ERIDAN: *slowly sits up in bed finally, silently looking at everyone else* *feels like he shouldn't really be around anyone, despite all those horrible things apparently being gone*
JADE: *skips on over to johns bed and cant help but pap him cause she can hardly believe hes there, not even injured*
DIRK: *frowns back*
DIRK: Rox.
DIRK: Roxy.
DIRK: *poke poke*
LIL HAL: [She doesn't seem to respond to the prompting.]
KURLOZ: *He sees the familiar faces and counts them, but the sight of someone totally irrelevant in the bed nearest to him that he couldn't recall being in the same place with them makes him think, and he shoots up to start a search of his own. Upon locating this person, his own aching knees give out just before he reaches his bedside and he manages to scoot just near enough to hook his elbows on the edge and reach for his arm, his own voice quiet and hardly firm* ...MITUNA?
LIL HAL: [John is asleep, too, and looks bothered, but more in a frustrated sort of way.]
PORRIM: *again, she sighs with relief and places a hand over Jane's. She glances at the others who had awakened and those who were still sleeping. Her next concern was to check on Kankri, who she tries a little harder to rouse. They left each other on a bad note, after all.* Kankri... *shakes his shoulder*
JADE: *paps him a few times again* john!! youve got this!! you can do this!!
RUFIOH: *sees porr1m on the move and absently watches her pass, about to turn back when he catches s1ght of her dest1nat1on. s1lently sl1d1ng out of the blankets or whatever else m1ght be there he hurr1es after her, and when she turns to check on kankr1 he takes up the empty spot*
DIRK: *mutters under his breath* Sorry in advance.
DIRK: *friendly face bapping*
LIL HAL: [No response.]
DIRK: *loud frowning*
DIRK: *wet willy time*
LIL HAL: [OH HELL NAW Roxy would have said.]
LIL HAL: [But Roxy isn't here.]
LIL HAL: [Conscious.]
ERIDAN: *is about to get out of bed to check on vriska, but he has a wave of nausea and pauses on the edge of the bed. He doesn't understand what's going on but if they really were comatose for who knows how long, he probably feels so nauseated because it's been so long since he's had an actual drink. decides to bite it back for now and searches around for vriska*
JADE: *more happy cheering for john before she turns to wherever dave is to go cheer him on, and after that rose*
KARKAT: *finally karkat stands up again, less easily than before but whatever. he squeezes his matesprit's hand.* it's okay, nepeta. you're gonna wake up any minute now.
DIRK: *suspiciously peers down at her*
KARKAT: sooner would be a lot better than later, though. let's be fucking honest. *he'll go back to yelling soon. he's just so used to talking quietly right now*
DIRK: *leans in real close to her ear* I'll bet you five bucks that everyone thinks I'm more fabulous than you.
KURLOZ: *After a while of no response to hand squeezing and arm shaking and face paps and desperate quiet pleas, he lowers his own head and he's certain that for the first time in a very long time, he began to pray.*
LIL HAL: [She might have whapped him. But alas.]
RUFIOH: *can sense her Breath but checks her pulse at her wr1st anyway, because he needs to be sure. when her l1fey status 1s conf1rmed he l1nks h1s newly returned smallest f1nger w1th her's.* jane?
KARKAT: *frowns* no, really. sooner is a lot better than later.
DIRK: *flicks her forehead*
DIRK: Roxy, get up.
LIL HAL: [Roxy does not get up.]
DIRK: *takes a sharpie out of his sylladex*
DIRK: ...
ERIDAN: *looks over at dirk finally* theres no fuckin point in doin all that nonsense wwho evven fuckin knowws wwhen theyll be up
DIRK: *looks over at Eridan* Well excuse the fuck out of me for trying to keep my friends alive.
JADE: *looks up from whoever shes cheering on right now* hey but the fact is theyre alive!!
ERIDAN: howw the fuck is flickin foreheads an drawin dicks on their faces gunna keep em alivve *raises an eyebrow before taking a seat at vriska's bed*
DIRK: *narrows his eyes at him* For your information, it wasn't going to be a dick.
DIRK: It was going to be a cat.
DIRK: And it was going on her hand, dipshit.
DIRK: If and when she wakes up, I want her waking up to something worth smiling about.
DIRK: God knows whatever she's been through.
JADE: HEY. stop it you two >:(
ERIDAN: .... *that really stings, and rather than retaliate with more words, he keeps silent for now, and looks away*
DIRK: *puts the sharpie away and moves on to Jake*
KARKAT: *time to try that thing from the wizzley movie. he sighs and leans down to give her their first real kiss*
DIRK: *shakes his shoulder gently*
DIRK: Hey bro. Get up.
LIL HAL: [Jake is just as unresponsive.]
PORRIM: *it looks like kankles isnt waking up any time soon... maybe thats a good thing. she still needs to gather herself before she can confront him. Next it's time to visit Damara.*
DIRK: *boops his nose*
LIL HAL: [That was so anime.]
ERIDAN: *finally gets up again and tries to leave the room, kind of stumbling as he goes*
DIRK: *Hell yeah it was*
LIL HAL: [Is what Hal's thinking right now.]
LIL HAL: [There's a nurse trying to assist Eridan.]
KARKAT: *when she still doesn't stir, he sighs again* i'll be back. i promise. *and he goes to find sollux*
ERIDAN: *tries to push the nurse off of him*
LIL HAL: [D:]
JADE: ((is hal actually here in the room?))
LIL HAL: [On Dirk's face.]
JADE: ((Snorts ok cool))
DIRK: *baps his cheek too* Hey Jake.
DIRK: Wake up.
DIRK: Wakey wakey, eggs and Jakey.
DIRK: *he said all of that in a completely serious tone*
JADE: *actually snorting at dirks words while papping rose*
DIRK: *kiss kiss fall in love*
RUFIOH: *there's no response (obv1ously), so after one last touch to her wr1st he leans 1nto speak a few words under h1s breath, then goes to make sure of a few other th1ngs that are we1gh1ng on h1m badly* mata ne?
LIL HAL: [Sollux and Aradia aren't here, actually.]
KARKAT: *fuck*
JADE: *are they the only two?*
LIL HAL: [Yes.]
JADE: *kk*
ERIDAN: *doesn't go very far outside the nurses station before just sliding down on a wall and sitting on the floor, regardless of whether the nurse continued trying to help him or not*
KARKAT: *looks around the beds, trying to spot who he's looking for. but he doesn't see him. he starts going up and down the rows. still not there. he goes around again, walking at a frantic pace, until he stops a nurse* THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE MISSING.
DIRK: *looks up at Karkat* Who's not here?
LIL HAL: [The nurse seems perplexed.]
KARKAT: WHERE ARE THEY?
PORRIM: *looks up from petting Damara's hair, whoops*
KURLOZ: *He remains where he is, ignoring the chatter now in favor of his own mantra, and doesn't plan on moving any time soon.*
KARKAT: WHERE ARE ARADIA AND SOLLUX?
JADE: *looks up* o.o wait what
JADE: woah...youre right
RUFIOH: *makes h1s way around the room, awkwardly s1destepp1ng nurses to conf1rm the presence of the two he spent the most t1me dead w1th before stopp1ng at the foot of meul1n's bed. well, at least they're here.*
JADE: wait...hold on a second....
JADE: *walks back over to daves bed* if we're all up.....why isnt dave..?
DIRK: *squeezes Jake's hand before joining Jade at Dave's bed* That's a good question.
LIL HAL: [There's the brief glow of red in Dirk's shades before Hal speaks up to him.] GPS says those two are somewhere else on Alternus.
DIRK: *blinks at his shades* Excuse you.
KARKAT: ANSWER ME.
KARKAT: *this poor nurse*
DIRK: Who gave you the abilitiy to vocalize your godawful thoughts?
LIL HAL: [The nurse has no idea.]
DIRK: *looks really stupid talking to his shades that are still on his face*
JADE: *looks at dirk with a weird face*
LIL HAL: You did.
JADE: are your shades talking?
LIL HAL: Are you going to let him keep flipping his shit or give him an answer?
ERIDAN: *starts boozing it up in the hallway, not caring anymore if anyone comes out and sees him being bad. he fed up with this wuuurld*
DIRK: *grumble grumble* Should have punched past me in the face.
KARKAT: *about ready to storm out and look for them himself*
KARKAT: *in fact he's stomping toward the door*
JADE: *shakes head * but seriously....dave was with us right? im not the only one who saw him
DIRK: *thinking aloud* Apparently "I" was with Ampora, though.
DIRK: So the Dave you were with could have been someone, or something, else entirely.
LIL HAL: I was with Eridan, so if you're using me to draw a comparison, that theory's a bust.
KARKAT: *and out the door he goes, stopping when he sees eridan. at the sight of the bottle, is rage is renewed.* ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?
JADE: *erk*
JADE: i..dont like that sound of that
ERIDAN: *almost chokes as he looks at karkat* ... wwhat
DIRK: *rolls his eyes* Care to explain why you were impersonating me in the first place, then?
KARKAT: *snatches the bottle out of his hand and throws it down the hall for it to shatter* YOUR MOIRAIL. IS MISSING.
KARKAT: AND YOU'RE JUST DRINKING.
LIL HAL: I wasn't impersonating you. I am you.
ERIDAN: *watches the bottle fly through the hair and just sorta bounce on the ground, and spilling* ... wwait wwhat *looks back at karkat* aras missin
KARKAT: YES. SHE AND SOLLUX ARE NOT IN THERE, SINCE APPARENTLY YOU DIDN'T EVEN FUCKING BOTHER TO CHECK FOR HER.
DIRK: Like hell you are.
KARKAT: NOW ARE YOU GOING TO COME WITH ME TO LOOK FOR THEM OR BE A USELESS SACK OF SHIT LIKE I WAS WHEN I WAS BLIND?
LIL HAL: You're missin' the point, bro.
DIRK: *eye twitch*
JADE: *eye twitching at all the arguments happening already*
ERIDAN: *ouch, that stings even more* ... *stands up slowly* do wwe havve evven a hint a wwhere they are
KARKAT: DOES IT MATTER?
RUFIOH: *tucks the end of a blue ta1l back under the covers before cross1ng back to hang uneas1ly at the fr1nge of the str1der centr1c conversat1on* so 1s robo dude 1n the shades now... or what?
LIL HAL: He's not waking up. Neither is Jane, and she was there, too. Maybe others if anybody saw them.
ERIDAN: wwell yeah i mean itd make findin them a wwhole fuckin lot easier
JADE: thats...true too...crap i really dont like the sound of that
LIL HAL: .
KARKAT: HOW ARE YOU SO CALM ABOUT THIS? DON'T YOU WANT TO FIND HER?
ERIDAN: *really does feel like he's going to snap at karkat, which is really rare for him* *grits his teeth and stares him down* a course i wwant to find her i nevver said i DIDNT
DIRK: *more frowning* Do you have anything useful to say?
DIRK: Or are you just going to tell me all of the bad news here?
KARKAT: THEN ACT LIKE IT, BULGEBAG. *starts down the hall to look anywhere and everywhere*
LIL HAL: Wasn't disagreeing with your idea, just sayin'. Needs more evidence before we can subject it to the madrigogs.
DIRK: What about Meulin.
RUFIOH: *w1nces*
KURLOZ: *Hears her name just barely, and tenses, but doesn't move.*
KURLOZ: *What the motherfuck is this about Meulin now.*
ERIDAN: ... *follows along behind karkat, quickly picking the bottle back up as they pass by, mostly not wanting to leave trash laying around like that. most of the contents is all over the floor so keeping it is pointless anyway* kar i dont think theyre at the fuckin palace if theyre not in the infirmary i think we gotta go elsewwhere
JADE: yeah you mentioned she was there or something?
DIRK: Nitram saw her.
JADE: *looks over at rufioh*
JADE: heck...john was there too what even?
KURLOZ: *Tenses a little more, hand curling a little tighter around Mituna's sheets. He peeks barely over his own arm.*
RUFIOH: *shr1nks 1n on h1mself, seem1ngly very unw1ll1ng to speak*
JADE: the only thing they seem to have in common is they....*squeaks a little* ..died
KARKAT: THEN WE'LL GO ELSEWHERE.
JADE: though we didnt know if dave did or not....but i guess maybe that means he did..?
ERIDAN: do you think theyre in the same place i guess itd make sense for them to be *ponders this* ara wwouldnt be at her old hivve she an eq split an shit
DIRK: *glances down at Dave* It's possible.
LIL HAL: .
JADE: hrm....
KARKAT: THEY COULD BE. ARADIA'S FIRST HIVE GOT TURNED INTO SOME CRAZY HEADQUARTERS. SHE WOULDN'T BE AT EQUIUS' HIVE. LET'S START WITH CAPTOR, THEN.
ERIDAN: .... *SIGHS HEAVILY* i guess but only for aras sake *starts heading for the entrance of the palace* *wonders if he's really up to flying over there right now*
JADE: i guess all we can do is hope they wake up soon...maybe theyre delayed?
JADE: or maybe....*covers her mouth for a moment* ..no i dont want to believe that yet.
KURLOZ: *His narrowed eyes fall upon his kismesis upon the announcement of common deaths.*
DIRK: *nods stiffly* Yeah.
DIRK: Let's just...
DIRK: *goes over to Jane*
KURLOZ: *Ruf probably can't see it though it's just a thing that's happening past the 'fro.*
RUFIOH: *does 1ndeed m1ss the ev1l eye as he s1nks down to s1t on the end of whoever's bed 1s nearest 1t's not l1ke they'll care.*
KURLOZ: *He can't even sustain the evil eye for very long, burying his face in Mituna's sheets again and muttering almost silently to himself. Or him. Maybe both.*
JADE: yeah im sure itll be fine *nervouse laughter and turns to look watch dave sleeping*
DIRK: *doesn't think it'll work but paps the Jane anyways*
LIL HAL: [Jane is adorably sleeping.]
DIRK: *What a cutie*












