Chapter 7

Psiioniic lead Karkat back to the main road, and Karkat breathed a sigh of relief as he made his way out of the shady neighborhood. Thank fuck that's over. Signless, Dolaroa, and Disciple were all standing in a worried group, and they all flocked over to him when he came walking over. "Oh thank goodness, you had us all worried." Rosa said as Dis nodded eagerly. "We turned around and couldn't find you, and we didn't know where you could have pawssibly gone!" Signless let out a deep breath, as if he was releasing his contained tension. "I'm glad to see you're alright. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you." Karkat nodded, a little surprised that a group a trolls he had only just met had been this worried about him. "I'm fine, really." He glanced at Psiioniic out of the corner of his eye. "Though I would've been worse off if Psii hadn't shown up." The group turned to Psii in slight surprise and confusion. He shrugged his shoulders, looking away. "It wath juth thome douchebag with a knife. Not a big deal." Signless blinked in astonishment. "Wait- a knife? Someone tried to attack you?" He looked to Karkat with new concern, making him feel slightly unnerved. "Yeah.. b-but I'm not hurt, really! He didn't even get a chance to touch me." Signless nodded, although still concerned. He looked back to Psiioniic. "Thank you for keeping him safe, my friend." Psii just shrugged again, not responding. Karkat looked at the trolls around him in confused wonderment. "Where you really that worried about me?" They looked to him as if he had just asked the most outrageous question on the planet. "Of course we were. We don't want you harmed or lost." Rosa answered. "But... why? You barely know who I am. Why should you care?" Karkat shuffled, downcast. Disciple blinked her olive green eyes happily. "Because you're our furiend silly!" Karkat looked at her in astonishment. "What?" Signless kneeled down in front of him, diverting his attention. He placed a hand on his shoulder and looked right into his eyes, bright red meeting gray. "Karkat, there's something you must understand about us." He spoke, his tone serious but kind. "We aren't like other trolls. We don't sniff and turn away from someone who needs our help, stranger or not. We know you well enough to say that we trust you and we're willing to help you in any way we can. That makes you our friend, and if our friend gets lost, then we're going to worry. Do you see that?" Karkat stood silently for a moment, processing what he had just heard. They trust me? After knowing me for less than a day, they already consider me a friend? Are they crazy or... are they just good people? He looked into the burning red eyes of his anscestor, which still sent chills down his spine. "Yeah I... I guess that makes sense." Signless smiled lightly and stood, looking to the horizon. "Good. Now I think it's about time we start heading back home. Looks like the sun will be up soon." Karkat looked off to the distance. The dark sky was beginning to brighten softly behind the shadowy mountains. The idea of sleep sounded great to Karkat right now, this had been a long, stressful, and confusing day that he just wanted to get over with. He followed the others back a bit more closely this time, so as to avoid losing them a second time. Yet the whole way back, he kept repeating what Signless had said. He claimed to know enough about Karkat to trust him. But would he still feel the same way if he knew everything? Karkat honestly didn't know if he wanted the answer to that question.