Karkat grumbled loudly as he looked down at his sweater. The article was covered in his mutant blood from his most recent battle wounds, and dowsed in sweat from his most recent nightmare. His pants were covered in sweat too, but Karkat's sweater showed the major half of the damage.

The troll swore aloud as he pulled off his clothes quickly, his sweater ripping at his wounded skin. Karkat glanced down at himself, his body looking completely wrecked from his horrible dream. He then made his way over to the wide-open communal orange ablution trap, or shower, he and his friends had made for themselves on the meteor. Karkat sighed as he turned the dial and waited for the flow of liquid to rain upon him.

It dripped down slowly at first, and Karkat shivered softly as the liquid slid over his back and sides. The mutant blood let out another sigh as he grimaced softly, crossing his arms in an attempt to fend off the cold. He closed his eyes gently as he let the heat envelop him. Karkat's body relaxed at the warm sensation, his tight muscles loosening and relieving the pent up stress needed to keep up his angry leader image. He hadn't even realized just how exhausted he was. Muttering softly, his tired nerve-racked body slumped to the floor, like he was in the horn pile, and Karkat fell into a quiet sleep.

He opened his eyes a long while later, and realized he had drifted to sleep. Wet hair covered his eyes as he lay face-up in a little puddle on the shower floor, having collapsed like a tired wriggler. Karkat stood up slowly and shook his head a bit, water flying off his soaking head in all directions.

With one hand, moved brushed hair from face and cursed out loud when he suddenly heard cackling and humming in the distance. It began growing louder, as if someone was moving closer to him.

Realizing he was still naked, Karkat frantically looked around for a place to hide. He gazed around the ablution trap and sighed, realizing there was no place for him to run. A red blush came over Karkat as he recognized the cackling laughs were coming from one of his friends. There was only one troll he knew who cackled like that.

The blind girl had just made her way to the ablution trap. She quickly pulled off her clothes and stepped into the shower, still humming some sort of tune. Karkat covered his mouth quickly, trying to silence his breathing in hope that she wouldn't even notice he was there. His pleas were in vain, however, because a few seconds later a cackling laugh came from the girl standing in the shower with him.

"4WW, 1S K4RKL3S 3MB4RR4SS3D?"

Karkat pulled his hand away from his mouth and blushed deeper as he folded his arms over his chest.

"TEREZI, WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU POPPING RANDOMLY INTO THE ABLUTION TRAP WHEN IT IS CLEARLY OCCUPIED BY ME?"

"OH C4LM YOUR NUBS, K4RKL3S. 1T'S NO B1G D34L. 1'M BL1ND, SO 1T'S NOT L1K3 1 C4N ST4R3 4T YOU."

Karkat sighed softly, shutting his eyes for a moment. Was this girl fucking serious? Just then, he felt someone leaning against him and quickly opened his eyes. Terezi grinned, letting out another cackle as she licked up his neck quietly.

"1 M4Y NOT B3 4BL3 TO S33, BUT 1 C4N ST1LL SM3LL TH1NGS. 4ND T4ST3 TH3M TOO."

"WHAT THE FUCK TEREZI. DON'T DO THAT!"

"4WW, ST1LL 3MB4RR4SS3D?"

Terezi licked his back and his neck softly, breathing in the smell of his mutant blood. Karkat shivered in response to her rather normal (well, normal for a blind troll) actions, and averted his gaze from her perfect expression. What was he, some character from his rom-coms? No way, that stuff doesn't happen in real life.

"OH TH3 SM3LL OF YOUR BLOOD 1S JUST SO….. R3D."

Terezi cackled again and hugged Karkat softly before moving over to the shower head, and getting her whole body drenched. Karkat grumbled a few curses under his breath as he looked over to her. Terezi was still humming and washing off her body as Karkat glanced over. He just couldn't help it. Everything about her was perfect, down to the points on her horns. The warm liquid reflected off of her smooth grey skin, and soaked each strand of the thick black hair falling just above her shoulders. Her whole body seemed to radiate her beauty through the shower. Karkat forced himself to look away and blushed madly as he realized it was probably best to just go.

"hey, kk," a voice trailed into the ablution trap. "are you ok iin here? ii thought ii heard 2cream2."

Karkat groaned as Sollux Captor peeked his head around the corner. Sollux paused for a moment at the sight of Karkat and Terezi in the shower together. He blinked, took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes and blinked again, as if trying to clear some sort of hallucination.

"am ii iinterrupting 2omethiing?" Sollux said as he pointed from Karkat back to Terezi.

"NO. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M DONE WITH MY SHOWERING. LET'S GO SOLLUX."

Karkat grumbled and shout a few swears back to his useless friends in the computer room as he wandered up towards the surface of the meteor. No one was listening to Karkat's suggestions, as usual, and everyone laughed at his "trolling" ideas. Karkat grimaced and sat down, looking up at the empty sky. Why did everyone have to disagree with him now that they were out of that SGRUB thing? He was still their leader, and they were supposed to be his friends. It all just seemed so dumb to him.

He sighed, spiting out a few curses and insults to no one in particular, and laid down, bringing his hands up and covering his eyes.

"kk, what are you doing on top of the meteor?" Sollux spoke to Karkat through the stairwell.

"NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS, CAPTOR."

"well actually iit ii2 my bu2iine22. you're my friend, kk. what'2 wrong?"

Karkat sighed and sat up, Sollux coming over to sit next to him.

"I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT TODAY'S EVENTS."

"iif thii2 ii2 about when ii iinterrupted you and tz when you two were cleaning-"

"SOLLUX WE WERE NOT SHOWERING TOGETHER."

"iit reeeeeaaaaaaally looked like you guy2 were doing 2omethiing togeth-"

"SOLLUX, SHUT IT. I FELL ASLEEP IN THE ABLUTION TRAP ROOM, AND THEN WOKE UP WHEN SHE CAME IN."

"that'2 not what tz told me."

Karkat was suddenly intrigued by this turn of events. Terezi had talked to Sollux about this?

"WELL… WHAT DID SHE SAY THEN?"

"2he 2aiid when 2he came iin you were tryiing to hide from her. and that you kept lookiing at her body iin weiird blu2hiing glance2."

Karkat blushed wildly and stood up, pointing towards Sollux, his mouth open and ready to let loose a slew of expletives when Sollux interrupted him.

"kk, calm down. ii know you're flu2tered and confu2ed, but plea2e, ju2t 2iit down. don't be rude."

Karkat hesitated a moment before complying with his friends request. He shut his mouth and flopped down, pulling his knees close to him and crossing his arms above them.

"kk, look. ii know you and tz have a complex pa2t but for the 2ake of all the people on thii2 meteor, don't be 2o rude to her, okay? everyone on the meteor 2ee2 you two fiightiing all the tiime and they don't liike lii2teniing two you guy2 biicker. 2top being 2o black around her and ju2t act… normal."

Karkat sighed and nodded instinctively.

"BUT WHAT'S… NORMAL MEAN?"

Sollux shrugged and laughed a bit.

"ii dunno kk. iit'2 2ome 2ort of human word for fiittiing iin, ii gue22."

Karkat sighed and nodded again, muttering a few words of approval to Sollux.

"cool. now, iif you'll excu2e me, ii've got 2ome codiing two do."

Karkat sat alone atop the meteor after Sollux left, and though about his feelings. He really did have a difficult past with Terezi; that much was true. But was Sollux right when he said they bicker a lot? Sure, Karkat had said some mean things to Terezi when she was just trying to voice opinions before, but he didn't… hurt her, did he?

Karkat's mind wandered as he sat there, but his thoughts were cut off by a low cackle and a poke in his back.

"K4RKL3S, H3Y."

Karkat turned to face his visitor, and sighed quietly as he put on his best angry expression to hide his sad thoughts.

"TEREZI. WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

Terezi was standing there, as smug and cheerful as ever, smiling and twirling her cane around quietly.

"OH, 1 W4S JUST GO1NG TO 4SK 1F YOU W3R3 UP TO PL4Y1NG 4 G4M3."

A game? Karkat wanted to scream at Terezi. To tell her to take her fun somewhere else. To go and play with Gamzee or Kanaya, anyone but him. Despite his urge, however, Karkat still heard Sollux in the back of his head. Maybe he should try harder to act nice towards the blind troll. After a moments though, he sighed and gave in.

"OKAY. WHAT GAME DO YOU HAVE IN MIND?"

Terezi let out a cold sneer and smiled widely at Karkat.

"TH1S G4M3 1S C4LL3D 'COURTROOM JUST1C3'. 1N TH1S G4M3 W3 BOTH COMP3T3 4S R1V4L L3GISL4TORS TO W1N OUR CAS3."

Karkat face palmed slowly and stood up. This game didn't sound fun to him. Not one bit. It just sounded like another one of Terezi's ridiculous attempts to get on his nerves. If she was trying to annoy him, however, this time everything would not go as she planned.

"OKAY, SO WHAT'S THE CASE THEN?"

"TH3 C4S3 1S 4S FOLLOWS: ON3 R3D-BLOOD3D TROLL 1S 4CCUSED OF B31NG '4DOR4BLOODTH1RSTY'. 1F TH3 TROLL C4N PROV3 H3 1S NOT, 4S TH3 COURT 1S L34D TO B3L13V3, H3 W1LL G3T 4W4Y W1TH NO R3PROCUSS1ONS."

Karkat groaned and moved closer to her, his eyes squinted and his arms crossed.

"WHAT EVIDENCE DOES THE COURT HAVE TO SUPPORT THIS CLAIM?"

"3V1D3NC3 H4S B33N PROV1D3D BY TH3 4CCUS3D B3FOR3 H3 W4S DR4GG3D TO COURT, 4ND 3V3N NOW! TH3 TROLL 1S ONLY SHOW1NG TH3 COURT MOR3 OF H1S GU1LTY 4DOR4BLOODTHIRSTY-N3SS."

Karkat grabbed at the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply as Terezi cackled again. Keeping his head down for a moment, Karkat kept telling himself to keep his cool and not fight with her. She was just looking to have some fun, and who was he to deny her that fun?

"AS THERE SEEMS TO BE NO EVIDENCE TO CONTRADICT THIS COURT'S CLAIM, THE MUTANT BLOODED TROLL PLEADS GUILTY IN AN ATTEMPT TO SHORTEN HIS SENTENCE."

Terezi smiled, her eyes shutting in her moment of happiness. It's not like she could see with her eyes open anyway.

"TH3 COURT T4K3S H1S PL34D 4S 4 S1GN OF GOOD N4TUR3, 4ND W1LL 1ND33D SHORT3N H1S S3NT3NC3."

Without another word, Terezi walked away in wide strides, her cane clanking along the floor as she left. Karkat stood there, puzzled, just watching Terezi as she shuffled back downstairs and into the recesses of the meteor.

"… I DO NOT REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE POINT OF THAT GAME WAS."

Karkat stood in confusion for the next few minutes before he decided retire back into the meteor. He wanted to find Terezi and ask her what the flying fuck that game was even about. He had completely forgotten about the day's earlier shower events; now his mind was focused on one thing, the blind girl hell bent on serving up "JUST1C3".

Karkat had looked in almost every room in this damned place, from the ectobiology lab to the ablution trap, to the recreation rooms and the storage areas. He was getting a little fed up, and was about to go scream out for the blind troll when he felt a wet, slick surface slide up his neck. Karkat shivered and jumped back, flipping around wildly and pulling out his crab sickle from his strife specibus.

A low cackle came from the dark hall beside him as a troll darted out from the dark and kicked him right in the forehead, knocking him off his feet. Karkat flopped to the floor, his head slapping the ground with a sickening thud. Quickly, he stood up, his sickle in hand and ready to face his adversary.

"TH3 COURT WOULD S33 4NY FORM OF R3T4L14T1ON 4S 4 CR1M3, K4RKL3S."

Karkat was steaming mad at Terezi, and was about to give her a piece of his mind when he remembered what Sollux had said. Instead, Karkat just waved away the situation and looked at the ground quickly, a sad look settling on his face.

Terezi's laugh soon died down as her keen nose picked up the scent of the sad and hurt look on Karkat's face. She had "seen" this look from him before, and hated it. Terezi sighed quietly and dropped her cane softly as she leaned downwards to get a better look at Karkat's downtrodden facial expression.

"K4RKL3S, H3Y. 1'M SORRY 1 4TT4CK3D YOU. YOU JUST LOOKED 4NGRY, SO 1 W4S TRY1NG TO-"

"TO DO WHAT, TEREZI? SCARE ME? MAKE ME ANGRY? BECAUSE IF THAT WAS YOUR GOAL, YOU SURE ACCOMPLISHED IT. GOOD FUCKING JOB."

Terezi sighed again and went to go pick up her cane as Karkat moved close to her and reached out, grabbing at her arm lightly. Terezi turned back to Karkat, his face still looking downward.

TEREZI… I… I'M SORRY IF I SOUNDED ANGRY. I JUST… WANTED TO TALK TO YOU. LIKE, HAVE A SERIOUS TALK, ABOUT… SOME STUFF."

Terezi turned back to Karkat and pulled his arm off her. She moved closer to him and lifted his face to hers, staring deeply into his eyes. Even though she couldn't see, Karkat could have sworn she was looking right into his eyes, right into his very soul. He shivered and blushed as he looked calmly at her face. Terezi pulled him softly against her and hugged him for a few seconds before grabbing at his hand lightly and holding it against her cheek.

Karkat just stood there for a second, half angry, half sad, and completely confused. Terezi slowly let go of his hand, letting it fall lightly back to the side of his torso. Terezi laughed and pulled Karkat down the dark corridor, into the deep recesses of the meteor, a place Karkat had never dared venture to before. But with Terezi he felt…. Safer.

When Terezi finally stopped dragging Karkat along, they were standing in the middle of what seemed to be a dimly lit room. Karkat rubbed his eyes a little and flexed his muscles a bit in order to loosen them up after Terezi had held onto him for such a long time. She had quite the grip.

Terezi walked around the room calmly, and sat down in the middle of the floor, motioning for Karkat to come sit by her.

Karkat looked around quickly for a light switch, or some sort of power source for the lights in the room. However, he soon realized there was no switch. So, the moody lighting of the room would have to do for now. It wasn't really his place to question the authority of the "TH3 COURT". Karkat sighed and sat softly beside Terezi, looking about the room. There was a rather large assortment of chalk, in a slightly disheveled organization; a pile of scalemates, sat in a corner; and a table with chairs nearby.

Terezi cackled quietly and poked Karkat gently on the cheek, taking advantage of his curious glances around the room. Karkat grumbled softly and directed his attention back to her.

"TEREZI, WHY ARE YOU POKING ME? NO, MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY DID YOU DRAG ME TO THIS DIMLY LIT SECLUDED PART OF THE METEOR? WHAT IS THIS, YOUR HIDEOUT?"

Terezi shook her head and smiled her teeth apparent in her rather wide smile.

"K4RKL3S, DON'T YOU TRUST M3? 1 DO R3PR3S3NT TH3 L4W ON TH1S R4TH3R CH4OT1C M3T3OR YOU C4N'T S33M TO K33P CONTROL OF."

"FUCK OFF TEREZI. I COULD KEEP THINGS IN LINE IF EVERYONE DIDN'T BUT HEADS SO OFTEN. IF WE COULD ALL AGREE ON THINGS FOR ONCE—"

Karkat's yelling and rambling was cut short by a light tickling sensation coming from the back of his neck that made him shiver. Karkat turned around quickly and moved back from Terezi a bit to see what tickled his neck. Terezi laughed again, her wide smile still apparent on her face.

"4WW, DO3S POOR K4RKL3S NOT L1K3 TO B3 T1CKL3D?"

Karkat blushed and opened his mouth, about to bestow a slew of curse onto Terezi when the voice of Sollux echoed in his head again. Sollux was right. He did act black around her. He just seethed and grumbled at her too much. Karkat sighed and shook his head, moving back beside Terezi.

"NO, I AM FINE WITH BEING TICKLED. JUST… I DIDN'T EXPECT YOU TO TICKLE ME."

Terezi's cackle echoed spookily throughout the room, and into the deep recesses of the meteor.

"OH, SO YOU M34N YOU W3R3 CONFUS3D WHY 1 T1CKL3D YOU. 1 G3T 1T. HOW3V3R, 1T SHOULD B3 NOT3D W3 ST1LL H4V3 4 PR3SS1NG JURY M33TING TO CONSULT."

Before Karkat could utter a word, Terezi stood up and began to gather her scalemates, organizing them on a small piece of furniture that looked like a model jury stand. Terezi pulled a podium up from behind the jury stand and stood it up quickly in front of her.

"NOW TH4T TH3 JURY 1S G4TH3R3D H3R3, W3 SHOULD H4V3 TH31R D3C1S1ON ON TH3 PUN1SHM3NT OF TH1S MUT4NT-BLOOD3D TROLL, 1N ON3 C4S3 OF 4DOR4BLOODTH1RSTYN3SS. TH3 JURY W1LL NOW PUT FORTH TH31R PUN1SHM3NT FOR TH3 GU1LTY TROLL."

Terezi looked over to the jury of scalemates as if they actually could talk, and Karkat rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, still sitting on the ground. After a minute or two Terezi cackled and looked back to Karkat.

"TH3 GU1LTY TROLL 1S COND3MN3D TO 3X3CUT1NG ON3 D33D FOR TH3 JUDG3 OF TH1S COURT, T3R3Z1 PYROP3."

Terezi cackled loudly and Karkat scratched the top of his noggin. What did she mean by one deed?

"4S 1 W4S S4Y1NG. TH1S D33D C4N B3 R3D33M3D 4T 4NY T1M3 P3R TH3 JUDG3'S D1SCR3T1ON. TH3 JUDG3, HOW3V3R, W4NTS TO C4SH 1N ON H3R D33D R1GHT NOW."

"AND… WHAT IS THE DEED YOU WANT?"

Terezi smiled and walked over to Karkat, sitting down and slowly facing him. Without warning, Terezi leaned forward and shut her eyes, her lips firmly pressed against Karkat's.

At first, Karkat was surprised at Terezi for being so forward, but then again, it was only a punishment, right? So it should be confusing and brutal. But then why did Karkat feel so calm when she kissed him? He sighed softly into the kiss and shut his eyes too, letting Terezi take as long as she wanted. It was up to her discretion, not his.

After what seemed like hours, even though it was only seconds, Terezi pulled away softly. The blind troll licked her lips as she opened her eyes, a cackle escaping from her mouth.

"4ND NOW YOUR DU3S H4V3 B33N PA1D. YOU M4Y L34V3, YOU CR1M1N4L SCUM."

Karkat opened his mouth to speak, but found no words. He only nodded quietly and stood up, his face blushing lightly. Karkat chuckled softly and shook his head as he left, turning back around and sitting beside Terezi again.

"YOU DO REALIZE I CAN'T FUCKING LEAVE BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE OUT THERE, RIGHT?"

"OF COURS3 K4RKL3S."