Terezi seemed to be thinking about it. "In theory," she said pensively, "I take you into custody, and you'll almost certainly be culled as soon as all of the relevant paperwork has been submitted and approved. But I don't know, Karkles…lately, I've started to wonder…"
Karkat was almost too busy marveling at how she'd been able to go back to referring to him as that after so many sweeps like it was nothing and like she wasn't going to send him to his death to realize that she was still talking.
"…so I don't think I will." Terezi gave her old friend a conspiratorial wink, then laughed again.
Karkat was pretty sure he knew what she was referring to, but… "How do I know you're not just fucking with me?"
"Were you even listening?" Terezi laughed yet again, good-naturedly as far as he could tell. "I pretty much did everything short of proposing a matespritship…you really weren't listening, were you, when I detailed my reasons for deciding to spare your life?"
Karkat blinked. Matespritship? He realized just then how lucky he'd been to escape being found by imperial drones. And, come to think of it, if he was being honest with himself, Terezi was prettier than he'd ever imagined her being, and she'd always been the only one he felt could actually genuinely stand him…
"And not even a 'hello' for your wigglerhood friend? Oh, Karkles, you're just as rude as ever." She smiled pleasantly. "But in the end, it really all comes down to whether or not you think you can trust me…and whether you're truly innocent, as you say you are."
Karkat didn't like the look on her face when she said that. It was…unnerving. But this really was his only chance, and frankly he was glad it was Terezi standing in front of him offering him the possibility of survival, and not any of those other nooksniffers he'd grown up with.
"So…what do you say, Karkat? Are you in? Do you think you can trust me? Do you want to live?"
"Of course I want to fucking live. Now, you'd better have a goddamned plan."