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KARKAT: AS IF WE DIDN'T SPEND JUST OVER A SWEEP NAPPING? WASTING FUCKING TIME ON SOME BIG ROCK?

KARKAT: WELL WE CAN'T ALL BE AS GOOD AT SLEEPING AS YOU ARE.

KARKAT: BEFORE WE LEFT, ECHIDNA WANTED TO SEE ME.

KARKAT: SHE WANTED TO SEE KANAYA, TOO.

KARKAT: BUT SHE WANTED TO SEE ME, WITH HER, TO "EVALUATE" US OR WHAT THE FUCK EVER.

KARKAT: AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND A DAMN WORD SHE SAID. BUT SHE BELIEVED IN ME, AND MY CAPACITY TO NOT FUCK UP.

KARKAT: BUT THE ONE IDEA I HAD TO HOLD ON TO. MAYBE ONE DAY BEING A THRESHECUTIONER. WAS, DELICATELY SPEAKING.

KARKAT: A LOAD OF STEAMING, RANCID MUSCLEBEAST SHIT, FROM THE FOREST-ROAMING BREEDS THAT EAT EXCLUSIVELY THINGS THAT MAKE THE MOST RANCID EXCREMENT.

KARKAT: TURNS OUT, FIGHTING ON THE FRONT LINES MEANS YOU'RE THE FIRST ONE DOWN. AND THEN YOU'RE RELEGATED TO YOUR OWN PERSONAL HELL WHEN YOU'RE DOWNED.

KARKAT: A FIERY PIT OR BEING PRODDED WITH GAY PORNOGRAPHY BY DEVILS OR BEING FORCED TO FIGHT SOME GREEN DIPSHIT WHO KEEPS HITTING ON YOU.

KARKAT: AND THE PERSON LEADING THAT ARMY. JUST DOESN'T GIVE A SHIT. NO MATTER HOW SPECIAL YOU THINK YOU ARE. YOU'RE A SINGLE FUCKING UNIT IN WHATEVER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT GAME THEY'RE PLAYING IN THEIR HEAD.

KARKAT: IT'S ALL HELLISH. AND IT'S FUCKING EMBARRASSING TOO.

KARKAT: LICK THE RIGHT BOOTS TO GET THERE AND FOR WHAT.

KARKAT: LIKE, REMEMBER MEENAH?

KARKAT: YEAH. THE REBELLIOUS FISH PRINCESS.

KARKAT: IT'S FUCKING EMBARRASSING. I TOLD HER I RESPECTED THE EMPRESS. FOR NOT TAKING SHIT.

KARKAT: I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I BOTHERED.

KARKAT: SHE DOESN'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN HERSELF, AND HERSELF BEING A WINNER.

KARKAT: BUT. IT MADE ME THINK.

KARKAT: WHAT COMPELLED ME TO SAY THAT SPECIFIC THING?

KARKAT: SHE COULDN'T EVEN CULL ME, AND NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED TO KEEP THE THING THAT WOULD GET ME CULLED A SECRET.

KARKAT: IT WAS HARDLY EVEN A SECRET AT ALL.

KARKAT: MAYBE SHE JUST COULDN'T. MAYBE SHE KNEW SHE'D DOOM THE TIMELINE BY TRYING TO KILL ME.

KARKAT: WHATEVER.

KARKAT: THE POINT IS, NOBODY WANTS ANOTHER UNIVERSE FULL OF LOST TROLLS.

KARKAT: AND BETWEEN THE MAYOR, MY ASSISTANT, AND ME. WE SHOULD BE PRIMED TO BE THE BEST AT MAKING SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.

KARKAT: I DIDN'T THINK I NEEDED TO.

KARKAT: HE SHOULD BE RIGHT OUT HERE...