crabbycustomer: a floating chat bubble that shows the Cancer symbol/Karkat's sign (DEVICE)
Karkat Vantas ([personal profile] crabbycustomer) wrote in [community profile] ways_back_room 2012-05-02 12:33 pm (UTC)

This is a good one!

1) Karkat is an alien, from a culture that is not at all afraid of conflict. He is capable of tact when he feels like it's called for, but most of the time he just says what he thinks. If you upset him, you'll know; if he upsets you, he doesn't care. But the thing is, he doesn't expect you to care either. And he doesn't feel like just because two people don't get along, they aren't friends. Trolls can fail to get along in a constructive, enjoyable way. Most of Karkat's friends irritate the hell out of him. So just because a conversation gets angry, doesn't mean Karkat doesn't think your character is his friend.

If Karkat really doesn't want to interact with you, he will just... not interact with you. The bare minimum necessary to get out of the conversation without being rude enough to be mistaken for provocation of an argument, which would just mean more conversation.

2. Karkat is thirteen in human terms. This is in his description, and in narration when I can remember it, but I feel like people treat him like an adult a lot. Which he is fine with, and in many respects he has been living independently for a long time and acts/talks like an adult, but he does look like a kid, and it's good to keep in mind. If he is acting irrational or throwing a hysterical tantrum, it's probably because he's a teenager.

3. Karkat has seen some shit. If he was human, he would probably be PTSD past the point of functioning; trolls can take more punishment, but they are all enormously dysfunctional, and so is he. He is not comfortable with sympathy or comfort, especially from adults. It freaks him out, and he will lash out.

(Your character may well take this personally, but hopefully OOCly we can all agree that when someone is being triggered and they don't react the way you expect to your attempt to help, it isn't their fault for being an asshole...)

4. Karkat doesn't have an internal monologue. Well, very rarely. Most of what goes through his head comes out of his mouth.

and 5) Karkat is not always yelling! His text represents a voice that is loud but hoarse, but he is not actually screaming everything. He's just... eminently audible.


Post a comment in response:

This account has disabled anonymous posting.
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting