"Dave's secret is not mine to tell," Lalonde says, before Karkat so much as opens his mouth.
He harrumphs. "I'm not here to ask about Dave."
"Oh?" She raises a brow.
"Egbert called himself stupid. And implied he wasn't a good friend." Karkat crosses his arms. "What's up with that?"
Lalonde tilts her head. "I thought John was a pain in the—"
Karkat flushes. "You going to answer my question or what, Lalonde?"
She sighs. "It's not complicated, really. He takes pride in being a good friend and helping his friends with their troubles. So their getting hurt on his watch deals him a great blow. He needs to accept that he has done all he could, considering how young he was—still is, really." She gazes off into the distant twilight. "Despite what John thinks, what he has done for us isn't nothing. I'm sure Dave agrees. Sometimes, I wonder if John has some connection, however weak, to the Ocean. As free-spirited as he is, he forges such deep bonds..."
Karkat wonders...then returns to the present and nods. As he walks away, Lalonde calls after him.
"You probably think Dave's appearance is a front or disguise that hides the real Dave underneath. And you are hardly alone. No one believes or would like to believe that more than Dave himself." She gestures to herself. "Take it from an expert on appearances and reality: what you see is the real Dave. It is just as real as the Dave without all that regalia, so to speak. Consider that he spends most of the day bundled up like that with his shades on and has done so for most of his life at this point. It reveals far more than it hides—his insecurities and fears, his fierce desire to pretend he has left those behind." She shakes her head. "He's too earnest for illusions, concealment, and controlling his appearance."
Karkat gives a wry smile. "He wishes he were like you, huh?"
Lalonde returns it. "I'm glad he's not. And Karkat?" The smile reaches her lavender eyes. "We'll make a Moon mage of you yet."