KARKAT: OK SO LIKE I WAS SAYING, I GET YOU ON THE FIRST PART.

KARKAT: IT'S NOT LIKE I'M NEW TO THE PARTICULAR MOOBEAST WRANGLING EVENT OF SOMEONE I PREVIOUSLY LOVED BRUTALLY TURNING ON ME AND LEAVING ME TO TRY AND CRAM MY FEELINGS ABOUT THE SITUATION BACK TOGETHER ALL ON MY OWN.

KARKAT: THAT IS UNEQUIVOCALLY A FUCKED UP AND COMPLICATED EMOTIONAL PLACE TO FIND YOURSELF IN, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO BE OVER THERE MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT BY BLAMING YOURSELF FOR THE FACT THAT THE EMOTIONS THEMSELVES ARE HARD TO PIN DOWN.

KARKAT: I'M NOT SAYING WE HANDLED EVERYTHING--OR REALLY EVEN MOST THINGS--ON EARTH C PERFECTLY, BUT ALSO YOU DID NOT SINGLEHANDEDLY PUT DIRK'S POOFY SHORTS'D ASS ON THAT SHIP.

KARKAT: HE DID THAT ON HIS OWN. AND WE MADE THE CHOICE TO GO AFTER HIM ON OUR OWN.

KARKAT: OK NOW ON TO THE PART I TAKE SOME MAJOR FUCKING OFFENSE TO.

KARKAT: I WAS FOLLOWING YOUR LITTLE TRAIL OF COOKIE CRUMB FEARS UNTIL IT LEAD TO THE BIG SNACK FINALE OF WORRY ABOUT MY FRAGILE MORTAL MEATSACK.

KARKAT: IF I HAVE SOMEHOW NOT BEEN CLEAR ABOUT THIS WITH YOU YET, LET ME GO AHEAD AND RECTIFY THE SITUATION RIGHT THE FUCK NOW.

KARKAT: HANGING OUT WITH YOU ON THIS LONG TRIP TO WHO THE SHITTING FUCK KNOWS WHERE IS QUITE LITERALLY THE HAPPIEST I HAVE EVER BEEN IN MY ENTIRE MEAGER EXISTENCE.

KARKAT: I'M SO ABSOLUTELY BLISSED THE FUCK OUT OF MY MIND TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT YOUR STUPID IMMORTALLY SMOOTH HUMAN FACE SKIN EVERY DAY AND NOT HAVE A COMPLEX ABOUT IT.

KARKAT: LOOK AT ME, DAVE. I'M SAFE.

KARKAT: AND YEAH OKAY, IT'S NOWHERE NEAR PERFECT, YOU'RE RIGHT.

KARKAT: AND I'LL BE STRAIGHT WITH YOU. IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVEN'T BEEN EXPERIENCING SOME COMPLICATED GUILT, MYSELF.

KARKAT: THE FACT THAT I'M HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE JUST FUCKING CHILLAXING AND BEING IN LOVE IN SPACE IS A CLEARLY INCONGRUOUS WITH THE REASON I'M ACTUALLY HERE CHILLAXING TO BEGIN WITH, AND I'M NOT LETTING MYSELF FORGET THAT, EITHER.

KARKAT: BUT I RESENT THE IMPLICATION THAT MY HAPPINESS IS REGISTERING FOR YOU AS YOU HAVING TO JUST "SIT AROUND AND WATCH ME GET OLD," BECAUSE I KNOW YOU KNOW IT'S MORE THAN THAT.

KARKAT: LIKE, JESUS, DAVE. YOU KNOW I'M AFRAID FOR YOU, TOO, RIGHT?

KARKAT: OR DID YOU FORGET THE WHOLE HEROIC DEATH THING?

KARKAT: I WORRY ABOUT LOSING YOU FAIRLY FUCKING REGULARLY.

KARKAT: SO I’M NOT SAYING STOP BEING AFRAID, BECAUSE CLEARLY THIS IS A SITUATION THAT NECESSITATES A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF FEAR. BUT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE NEEDING TO BE FUCKING WORRIED ABOUT, HERE.

KARKAT: IT'S LIKE THIS:

KARKAT: ONE: WE'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH HELLACIOUS PANWARPING TRAUMA THAT I REFUSE TO NOT ENJOY THIS SHIT WHEN I FINALLY FUCKING GET IT, NO MATTER HOW LONG IT MAY OR MAY NOT LAST.

KARKAT: TWO: IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE DOING NOTHING. WE’RE MOVING. WE’RE WORKING. WE’RE HEADED SPECIFICALLY TO A PLACE WHERE WE WILL UNDOUBTLEDLY ENDURE YET MORE FUCKING HELLACIOUS PANWARPING TRAUMA.

KARKAT: AND THREE: WE'RE DOING THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE FRIENDS WHO WE CARE ABOUT THAT NEED US. THAT IS OUR FOCUS, HERE. NOT OUR FEAR. IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE WE HAVE TO SAVE.

KARKAT: SO DON'T FUCKING WORRY ABOUT ME, DAVE. I'M FINE.