"YEAH, THAT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN IN A MILLION SWEEPS."

"bUT KARKAT,"

"I SAID NO."

Vriska and Tavros had explained to Karkat their ambition to get off the ship alive, and their need for his extensive knowledge of the ship's interior.

"wHY NOT?"

Karkat pointed to Vriska.

"Oh, really? Just 8ecause of me?"

"YOU'D PROBABLY TRY TO SAW OFF ANOTHER SET OF SOMEONE'S APPENDAGES IF WE TOOK YOU."

"kARKAT, iT'S REALLY NOT LIKE THAT,"

"WHY IN ALTERNIA ARE YOU DEFENDING HER? SHE SICKLED YOUR LEGS OFF IN YOUR SLEEP!"

"I just did it so he could walk again. 8esides, it was your sickle, you can't deny that!"

"STAY OUT OF THIS, VRISKA."

She looked up at Karkat, who was staring at her with condescension. This was how most trolls looked at her. She was notorious for leaving a bad impression on an individual that almost never dissipated. This was the first time that it started to actually bother her, though.

"kARKAT, yOU SHOULD AT LEAST GIVE HER A CHANCE,"

"A CHANCE TO WHAT? KILL US IN OUR SLEEP?"

"wE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS MORE, lATER, iF THAT WOULD BE BEST, bUT WE REALLY NEED TO GET BACK TO THE RESPITEBLOCK, iT'S ALMOST TIME TO GO TO SLEEP,"

"WELL, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS ANYMORE. I DON'T WANT HER GOING WITH US, PERIOD."

"kARKAT, pLEASE JUST CONSIDER IT BEFORE WE TALK AGAIN,"

"I'M GOING TO HAVE THE SAME VIEW ON THIS WHETHER OR NOT WE TALK AGAIN, SO SHUT UP AND LEAVE THE BITCH BEHIND."

"sTOP THAT, yOU'RE REALLY RUDE TODAY,"

"He's always rude!"

"SHUT UP VRISKA."

"Let's just head 8ack, okay? I'm tired of fighting right now."

The three of them quietly staggered back to the respiteblock, and were greeted by four sleepy trolls. Nepeta jumped in joy at the sight at the three of them, Terezi sank into her recoopracoon contently, and Sollux gave a sleepy nod. Aradia didn't even turn her head toward Karkat, who remembered the apology he had to give. He cautiously wandered toward the troll and tried to sit down next to her. She resisted and scooted over a few spots away.

"ARADIA, I'M SO SORRY."

"and? y0u expect me t0 believe y0u?"

"NOT REALLY."

"that's the w0rst answer i've ever heard. y0u said y0u th0ught ign0ring us was a g00d idea. y0u must have s0mething m0re t0 say than 'i'm s0 s0rry.'"

Terezi jumped out of her recoopracoon. "H3 S41D WH4T?"

"he said that ditching us was the best decisi0n he ever made since the time he decided t0 st0p messaging us." Everybody looked sharply at Karkat.

"LOOK, I REALLY DIDN'T MEAN IT-"

"WHY WOULD YOU S4Y SOM3TH1NG L1K3 TH4T?"

"And I thought I was the resident 8itch here."

"oh, just purrfect, efurrybody is going to start fighting again!"

"he 0nly cares ab0ut himself! everything he d0es has t0 be in his fav0r!"

"WHERE DID YOU GET THAT STUPID IDEA?"

"by 0bserving y0ur acti0ns and listening t0 y0ur w0rds."

"…I KNEW COMING BACK HERE WASN'T GOING TO WORK." Karkat pushed Tavros and Vriska aside, and headed toward the door again.

"wAIT, wE HAVE TO THINK OF A PLAN TOGETH-"

"SCREW THE PLANS, TAVROS. WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE ANYWAY."

"wELL, wITH THAT ATTITUDE, yOU WILL DIE,"

"ATTITUDE DOESN'T MATTER, TAVROS. WE WON'T SURVIVE ONE SECOND OUT THERE WITHOUT GETTING CULLED. SEE THESE WEIRD TATTOOS THEY GAVE US? THAT'S OUR DEATH CERTIFICATE. BETTER WRITE A WILL BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!" Karkat slammed the door closed.

"What a coward! He left!"

"and a g00d riddance! did y0u see h0w rude he was acting?"

"iN HIS DEFENCE, yOU WERE ACTING PRETTY RUDE TOO, aRADIA,,,"

"n0 i wasn't!"

"yOU DIDN'T EVEN GIVE HIM MUCH OF A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF,"

"n0, he was being the jerk! y0u all agree, right?"

Silence.

"well, he was the one that came to you and apologized, so you should show some respect fur him, maybe?"

"respect? he d0esn't even sh0w respect f0r us!"

"but he was the one that was so worried about sollux he had nightmares."

"he diid what? ha, that'2 pretty 2hiitty and hiilariiou2, not gonna liie there."

"and aradia, remember he and terezi were the ones that got all protective ofur tavros when his legs were cut off!"

"but he's d0ne s0 much m0re wr0ng! y0u agree with me, right terezi?"

"4CTU4LLY, 1 DON'T."

"what?"

"4R4D14, YOU'R3 TH3 ON3 TH4T N33DS TO 4POLOG1S3. SUR3, H3 W4S B31NG 4 COMPL3T3 DOUCH3B4G, BUT YOU'R3 4LSO NOT TH3 ON3 TH4T M1GHT D13 TH3 MOM3NT YOU W4LK OFF TH3 SH1P. FR4NKLY, 1'M SUPR1S3D TH4T T4VROS 4ND VR1SK4 H4V3N'T SN4PP3D TOO."

"that's n0t an excuse, th0ugh!"

"aa, you need two go out there riight now and talk two hiim."

"but it's alm0st lights out!"

"YOU OW3 H1M. NOW, GO."

Aradia scoffed, and against her wishes, she left the respiteblock. Moments later, the lights shut off.