It was like... two gigantic red light bulbs with small specks of deep purple in the middle were peering down at him. The giant mass of messy hair was filled with more blood, bones, and body parts that ever. The traditional white juggalo paint that decorated The Purple Blood's face was smeared and mixed with a rainbow of blood. His clothes were ripped and stained with even more blood. He was gigantic himself. Karkat expected no less from the hemospectrum's designated killing machine but seven feet was a bit too tall for him being this young.

All of this was intimidating of course but the thing that really scared Karkat was the weapon. It was a giant blood splattered club with broken pieces of swords imitating spikes sticking out of it. It was big and it could rip Karkat in half if it hit him at just the right angle. The good thing was that since it appeared to be heavy, big lump of violence in front of him would move a hell of  a lot slower.

Getting killed was not a concern at the moment. No, the concern right now was the cerulean blood who barely hit six foot two with her signature red high heeled boots on. She was the real threat. Though she didn't have her own sword at hand her mind was her real weapon. Karkat was at her command if he failed to block her persuading grip. If he let his mind get distracted he would be marching up to Her Imperial Radiance and slicing her head off and no one would be able to stop him.

"Relax Peacekeeper." Her voice was sickly sweet, almost sounding like a mother's voice when her wriggler bumps its head on furniture. "We have not come to do harm, have we sweetheart?" The seven foot  troll shook his head. She chuckled and took a step forward. "Forgive us for intruding on your walk home, but my dear matesprit and I have only come to deliver a message to you."

"No thanks. I don't want any message you have to deliver me bitch." The Purple Blood growled and raised his club ever so slightly but she raised her hand, stopping him.

"Oh, but you will just loooooooove to hear this little message from us. Trust me." The Persuader smiled sweetly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You see, you have a small secret. A secret you keep from the Empire. And I know it." The Peacekeeper tensed up, his mind instantly flashing a picture of Sollux's face. "The Warlorde knows your matesprit to be Terezi Pyrope. The troll you saved from execution by claiming she was your matesprit. Now, if he ever happens to find out that this was a lie and you saved a potentially guilty troll from much needed execution...that can end badly. For you, for your matesprit, and for that poor girl you saved from a beheading."

"What's the entire point of this Persuader? Are merely trying to fuck up my life even more? Or do you want something?"

"Oh my dear dear enemy. This is simply persuasion. Perhaps one day...you forget to send out troops to scout for my own camps. Maybe you forget to train one day or "accidentally" not get all of your weapons and armor repaired. Just small things like that."

"That's all incredibly stupid. And you're even more of an idiot if you believe I would ever betray the Empress."

"Hm, yes I know your loyalty lies strictly with that peace loving bimbo but I assumed you just didn't want your own matesprit to die. Especially when you could have of prevented such a thing."

"Are you so scared of being defeated and killed by me that you would stoop as low to come to me and attempt to blackmail me? Pathetic."

"The only pathetic troll here is the one lying to an entire empire and hiding the troll he truly loves." She turned around and began walking into the thickness of the woods, her matesprit following obediently behind her. "Think about what I've said Peacekeeper. I can tell you now that this war will only get worse from here."

~

Hours after Karkat had woken up he was still thinking of that dream he had. It wasn't a nightmare. It was just a dream. Simple as that. No killing or death or blood, just the simple reminder that he had a choice and he chose his Empire rather than his matesprit. At the time he didn't know if it was the right choice or not and now...well now he still doesn't know.

Karkat's thoughts wandered to Sollux. Not his Sollux but the Sollux currently here. He hadn't talked to him in quite some time and in all honesty, Karkat was starting to miss him a bit. Then again he didn't want to see him because every time he did Sollux would treat him like a baby with a machine gun. Scared of what could happen. Not that he shouldn't be. In Karkat's previous state he could've very much been like a baby with a machine gun, or in his case a library of weapons. But now...now Karkat was different. A bit different and he was proud of that. A little.

He wasn't proud of the fact that he hadn't left this goddamn house for the past few months however. Fuck. He felt caged up in here. So many hours, days, weeks, spent locked up in this dumb room. He wasn't even doing anything to really help himself. All he ever did was sit around and feel sorry for himself. That was all going to change today.

The troll rolled off the bed, grabbing whatever clothes off the floor and headed to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth, trying hard to ignore the slight pain in his teeth. They were all still a bit sore after his last dentist appointment. Hours in that uncomfortable chair as a pain with a sharp tool poking and prodding at his gums. Once done with that, he pulled off his clothes and put on whatever clothes he had in his hand. He refused to look at his body in the mirror. It wasn't worth it. Not today.

He was ready within a short amount of time. His crab watch was powered on and ready to go just in case. He had a spare key in his pocket and a sickle handy. Just in case.

Okay. Here goes nothing.

A deep breath and he opened the door, stepping out into the empty hall of the apartment building. Okay. So far so good. After shutting the door he slowly walked down the hallway to the elevator. No. No elevator. He instead went down the stairs. This was his exercise after being cooped up for so long.

Once outside the building Karkat held his breath. The sky was covered in clouds and the day was dull and grey with the slightest hint of rain. It was cool outside, but warm enough to where people didn't need jackets. It was nice out here. The troll smiled and walked down the street, taking in every single detail. He vaguely remembered the day months ago when Dave himself walked down this street, chattering mindlessly about whatever as he led Karkat to his apartment for the first time. That felt like yesterday.

He walked around for about an hour before stumbling upon a park. A perfect place for a rest stop. The troll sat on a bench right next to a small pond and closed his eyes. This was a nice day. It felt amazing to get out of the house and even more exhilarating to do it on his own. Maybe he was getting better if he could do things like these on his own now.

"Hi." Karkat opened his eyes and stared up at the Strider in front of him. Of all people he expected to see at the park, Dirk Strider was at the very bottom of the list.

"Hello." The two just stared at one another. Neither knew what to do in this situation. Dirk never really had a chance to properly talk to Karkat so he didn't know him that well, other than everything Dave has told him of course. And now, here the two of them were. Alone and staring at one another awkwardly.

Dirk was the first to do something. He slowly shuffled over and sat down besides Karkat, leaning back leisurely. Karkat stiffened up and nearly scooted away. Nearly. He caught himself before he could. This could be good for him. He just needed to relax. Dirk would not do anything to him. Hell, he barely even knew Dirk.

Which is why he would have more of an incentive to hurt me.

No. This was Dave's brother. What harm could Dave's brother possibly want to hurt Karkat?

Isn't it obvious you idiot? He's going to get rid of you before you get a chance to hurt Dave. Before you let that obnoxious bastard convince you to nearly kill his brother. He's going to get rid of you. But not before you do something about it.

No. Violence won't solve violence.  He was not going to do anything about it and the Strider besides him wouldn't do anything either. This was Dirk. Dirk was the same as Dave right? Dirk didn't want any more fighting. He just wanted everyone to get along. He just wanted everyone to be happy. 

"Are you okay?" Karkat jumped slightly, glancing quickly over to Dirk. "You look like you just saw a ghost. Which in our case isn't a big a deal anymore but you catch my drift." Karkat nodded stiffly and looked down, unclenching the fist he had subconsciously made. 

"I'm fine. I'm just more nervous about this than is appropriate."

"Nervous about what? We're just two dudes in a park chilling. Nothing's gonna happen."

"I don't know that." Dirk raised an eyebrow and turned to face the troll. "For all I know you could be thinking of...of...of doing something!"

"But I'm not."

"Yes! I know that but my thinkpan doesn't know that. That doesn't make sense but...but I can't help but think...and even when I know you aren't going to do anything...I'm still thinking of ways to...to..." Karkat sighed and gave in, scooting away from Dirk. Better safe than sorry. 

It was awkward again. The two of them quiet now, Dirk looking off into the distance and Karkat looking down as he picked at the hem of his sweater. This time it was the troll who broke the silence.

"What brings you out here to this one specific park?" The human stayed unresponsive for a moment before chuckling quietly. 

"If you're trying to subtly ask if I happened to have followed you here the answer's no. And by the way, I'm not one of Dave's secret spy babysitters for you. He has no idea you're here, and to spare him the heart attack of him knowing you've gone out yourself, he'll never know." Karkat nodded slightly. "I come out here every once in a while, just to get away from the shop and the overwhelming stress of being an adult and one of the creators of this world. It's a nice break." 

"Yeah..." In all honesty, Karkat was hardly paying attention to whatever nonsense Dirk was saying. His mind was still tethered on the idea that Dirk might take a swing at him. That Dirk might hurt him and that Karkat might hurt him back. 

"Karkat," Dirk hesitantly reached over and placed a firm hand on Karkat's shoulder, "Dave trusts you. And if Dave trusts you then I trust you. You won't do anything to me." 

"I hardly know you. It's a miracle that I even remembered your name, why even bother putting so much faith in me?"

"Simple. You hardly remembered who Dave was when you got back right? Well this is sort of like then, only this time you're not a bloodthirsty troll. This time you're a fuck of a lot calmer and you've gotten better since then. This time you've learned that you're in an entirely different place with entirely different people that have nothing to do with the people or things you've encountered before. You're better now and you've gotten a firm grasp on that. And you know you're not going to hurt me. I know you do. Dave trusts you, even after all those dangerous bumps in the road you two have recently encountered, so it's high time you start trusting yourself."