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Karkat shifted nervously from foot to foot, a microphone that Dave had alchemized clenched in his clammy hands. Said blonde was in the corner of the living area setting up some speakers and shit.
He could feel his gut twist as his eyes darted from Dave to the others in the room. Rose and Kanaya sat on the plush red couch, Rose was talking adamantly in a hushed tone while her matesprite toyed with her fingers absentmindedly. The mayor rested on the other end of the couch, looking adorable as ever. Vriska was lounging in the adjacent arm chair, her long legs thrown over the arm of the chair. Her head was tilted back over the other arm, she had smile on her lips while listening to Terezi explain her instrument for the eightieth time.
Karkat hates his boyfriend at this moment.
After a little over half a sweep on a barren rock soaring light years through space things get boring. Who the fuck is he kidding? This rock has been boring since day two after the humans showed up.
Sure, he and Dave has begun bonding and became fast bros. He had helped the mayor build can town and played wiggles games with both him and Dave. He and his buldgefucker of a boyfriend had their movie nights (where Dave gives his mediocre and totally not funny commentary. )
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t bored. Karkat wanted to do something. During the beginning of the session he had been running around like a cluckbeast that had its think pan brutally decapitated, but at least he wasn’t sitting on his ass with his fucking sickles shoved up his nook waiting to be killed by a demon bird dog hell bent on destruction.
Did he accidentally give the universe cancer? Maybe. Did he fuck everything up so royally that half his friends died? Dave says no but the jury is still out.
That was how this brilliant idea came to light. Dave suggested he pick up a hobby, like his turntables. Rose and Kanaya had tried to teach him to knit, but he was deemed “too violent” and “not patient enough”.
Which, fair honestly.
He refused to spend one second around Vriska and Terezi when they role played. He had been dragged into enough court sessions and treasure hunts just while walking around the meteor.
It was Rose who suggested singing, saying, “with your spitfire temper and voice modulation issues, you would be a perfect match for a metal indie band.”
Dave had skyrocketed to his feet, slapping his hands on the kitchen table. He stared at Rose for a few moments, having one of their bullshit sibling silent conversations. Dave then turned to him with an unabashed smile and carted him out of the room.
And now, two months later, somehow he, Terezi, and Gamzee of all fucking people had begun a band.
Karkat was startled from his thoughts when a flash of red caught his eye. Dave gave him a thumbs up from the back of the room, a small reassuring smile on his lips. Karkat returned the gesture with a middle finger and a scowl causing his matesprite to chuckle.
Terezi bounded up next to him, her shark grin bright and excited. She held the miniature guitar in her left hand, placing her other on his shoulder.
“Ready Karkles?”
“As I’ll fucking ever be I guess,” she gave his shoulder a squeeze before walking behind him to tap to the air vents.
Gamzee had become an impromptu part of the band, suddenly deciding to play the fucking trumpet one day while he and Terezi had been practicing. It was the most contact they had with the violet blood nearly the whole trip. He stayed in his vents, but was surprisingly open to criticism.
And soon they had actually formed a cohesive sound that wasn’t too terrible.
The metallic clang of the vents alerted their audience that the show was beginning. The four other residents sat alert and with their full attention on Karkat and Terezi.
Karkat cleared his throat, “So before I sing this shit, I want you to know that if you go deaf it is 100% Dave and Rose’s fault for inspiring this shit show,”
Dave had better been fucking right about gettin a hobby.
Karkat turned to Terezi and gave a count to get the tempo. And with a soft count to five she began to play.
She strummed the ukulele with a chaotic rhythm with Gamzee joining in with the accompanying trumpet harmony. Karkat counted one his head for his cue to sing. When he reached five he took a deep breath and then began to sing.
“She smiled and she said
On days like this, it seems like it never rains
But without the rain, we'd starve
I can't escape the fly and the skull
So I'm beginning to lull myself into a false security
'Cause it's easier to lie to yourself than to face reality
So bittersweet”
His voice was a raspy tenor and he was more screaming the words than singing, but the adrenaline of performing was coursing through his cherry red veins. Occasionally he heard Terezi’s melodic alto singing backup, evening out the harshness of his voice.
Karkat felt a smile stretch across his face as he began to loosen up. He moved to dance a little with Terezi while she strummed the instrumental break. She grinned and wiggles back all the while keeping the fast paced tempo.
“Cause life's a game, life's a joke
Fuck it, why not go for broke?
Trade in all your chips and learn how to be free
Why abstain? Why jump in line?
We're all living on borrowed time
So do what you like
And we'll like what you do when you do it
And if they don't that's fine
Fuck 'em!”
Karkat broke his gaze from Terezi once they’d finished the harmony to look at Dave. He hasn’t really shared what they were working on, wanting it to be a surprise. Dave’s face was shielded by his douche glasses, but think blonde brows were raised in surprise and a bright grin lit up his face.
He looked to the side of Dave to see Rose spinning Kanaya around the room. The two laughed jovially while dancing to the music. Rose spun Kanaya into a dip causing an emerald blush to color her face.
Karkat couldn’t help his smile as he watched his moiraill.
“So let's pretend all of the ones we love won't die
Sweep their skeletons off to the side
I'm oh so sorry swear I tried to
See over the wall I've built up
In my head of guilt and fuckups
Maybe I'm just thinkin' much too hard”
Rose and Kanaya were still dancing around the room, but now in a more jumpy fashion. Dave and Vriska has gotten up to dance as well. Vriska stood in front of Terezi and danced with her as she began the chorus.
Dave had picked up the mayor and was dancing, but it was more like wiggling, with the small derseite on his shoulders. The mayor looked positively ecstatic as he waved his little arms in the air.
“'Cause life's a game, life's a joke
Fuck it, why not go for broke?
Trade in all your chips and learn how to be free
Why abstain? Why jump in line?
We're all living on borrowed time
So do what you like
And we'll like what you do when you do it
And if they don't that's fine
Fuck 'em!”
As the last of the notes faded in the room the noise was replaced by the chatter and praise of his friends. Karkat’s chest heaved as he caught his breath, a broad smile on his face.
Yeah, Dave had been right about getting a hobby.