Four sweeps ago, you played a game. Four sweeps ago, the world as you knew it ended. Four sweeps ago, you died.

Three sweeps ago, the remaining players in your game won. Three sweeps ago, the world reset. Three sweeps ago, you came back to life.

Two sweeps ago, you ascended to power. Two sweeps ago, you became a naval captain. Two sweeps ago, you started buying slaves.

One sweep ago, you found him. One sweep ago, you bought him. One sweep ago, he became your slave. One sweep ago, you set out on another naval mission.

Two days ago, you came home.

Today, you went looking for him.

You went looking for him, but of course, nothing is ever that easy. Eventually you got fed up and summoned him to your personal chambers.

"Kar?" you ask. The troll before you does not look like the Karkat Vantas you remember. Your Karkat was loud and vulgar and short and stocky. This troll is quiet, thin, and staring at the floor.

"Hello master," he mumbles. "Is there anything you wanted?"

"How did this happen to you?" you wonder out loud.

"I am a lowblood to serve you, you bought me," he replies mechanically.

"You know Kar," you muse, "I've changed. The hemospectrum is bullshit. Why should it matter what color we bleed?"

"That is not within reason at the moment," he replies dully.

"I don't want you to be a slave. I care about you." You trail off.

"Master, even if the hemospectrum didn't exist, I would still serve you."

"Because I bought you?"

"Yes. And because I was beaten into submission." He ducks his head as if expecting a blow."

"You were beaten? By who?"

"Highbloods. You don't need to know the backstory of your slaves. It's a waste of your time."

"I shoulda known. And I don't care if I need to know or not, I'd like to know your story."

"I was taken away from my Lusus and I always treated poorly by my previous masters. They beat me every time I even looked them in the eye. I wouldn't dare make a mistake with you. I will serve you, even if it kills me."

You are horrified. This is Karkat. You still remember the days when he hid his blood color, hoping it would keep him safe.

"Oh cod Kar, I'm not gonna hurt you! I promise!"

"I won't be rude to you, I wouldn't even dare," he says in response.

"Karkat, look at me," you demand as gently as you can.

He hesitates, but obediently looks up, eyes filled with fear.

You stare into his eyes, trying to make him understand. "I may have screwed up royally in the past, but I never truly forgot about you Kar, I bought you so I can help you. OK? Can you trust me?"

He stares at his feet again. "Yes, I can trust you master."

Hearing Karkat, your Karkat, call you master in that broken voice breaks your heart. "Don't all me master."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you to. I don't want to be your master, I want to be your friend."

"I'm not worthy to be your friend," he protests.

"WHAT?" you exclaim.

"I'm only worthy to be a servant, nothing higher."

You can't believe how much they brainwashed him.

"Karkat, no, you're worth so much more than that!"

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are!"

You're almost yelling at him by this point.

"Don't pity me!" he cries.

You're shocked. He remembers? You confessed your flushed feelings to him right after the Game reset Alternia.

"Why not? What if I want to pity you?"

"It will make you weak." There's almost no inflection in his voice. Karkat used to be so expressive; you can't believe what's happened to him.

"What are you talkin about?" you ask as calmly as you can.

"I'm saying you must beat me. I must be punished for making you pity me so."

"NO! Karkat, oh cod, Karkat!"

Without thinking, you reach out, dragging him into a hug. He's short enough that his hair brushes your chin. He stiffens, crying out, "NO! PLEASE!"

Realizing how upsetting that probably was, you release him. "Are you ok?"

"No. my master now pities me, I must be killed."

"NO!" you shout. Quieter you say, "I won't let that happen. Ever."

"No ma—" he stops for a moment. "I can't let you stop me, you pity me too much, I can't let you get weak."

"Karkat, shut up. I do pity you, and you can't change it. That doesn't me weak."

"If I die you can't pity me," he muses.

"If you die, that will make me weak, because I will miss you." You're trying not to cry now.

"Then I will leave."

"NO!"

He starts crying, red tears dripping off his nose. You blink, trying to regain your composure. You did this to him.

"Karkat, why are you crying?"

"There is no reason." He swipes at his face, but the tear tracks stay."

"Why won't you just let me pity you?"

"Because!" he shouts. "Pity is a weakness!"

You wonder if pity is the reason he's in this situation, passed from master to master, enslaved, beaten.

"So what?" you protest. "I can take care of myself. Like it or not, I am near the top of the hemospectrum. Who is there to contradict me?"

"No, I will serve you now." He protests.

You don't really want to do this, but if it will work you will. "What if I order you to let me pity you?"

"Th-then I would let you." He mutters. He's scared, you can tell.

"Well then, I order you to let me pity you." It hurts, ordering him, but hopefully you won't have to for much longer.

He holds his chin up a little. "Yes sir."

"Karkat please, I don't want to be your master. I just want to be us. Karkat and Eridan, nothing more."

He swallows hard. "Alright… Eridan."

"Good. Can I have a hug?" you ask this time.

"Yes you may," he says a little more confidently.

You pull him into a tight hug, resting your chin on his head, between his horns.

"Thank you."

He closes his eyes and presses against you, his arms finally coming up around your back. You tighten your grip on him and speak into his hair.

"I missed you Kar. I always pitied you, then I lost you. Then I found you again. You were hurt, and it hurt me. But now you're here. You're safe. And I'm never letting you go."

"Yes." He mumbles into your chest."

"Yes." You repeat.

"Go get your stuff," you tell him. "You're moving in here with me."