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489 lines
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<title>The Homestuck Epilogues: Candy - Chapter 22</title>
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<h1>Chapter 22</h1>
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<div class="o-story_text o_epilogue type-rg type-sm line-caption line-copy pad-x-0 pad-x-lg pad-b-lg">
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<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: H3Y JOHN</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: T1M3 FOR YOUR R3GUL4R CH3CKUP H3H3H3</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: oh. hey.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: “OH H3Y”</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: PR3TTY T3P1D R3C3PT1ON FROM 4 GUY WHO H4S
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1N TH3 P4ST B3GG3D D3SP3R4T3LY FOR 3V3N 4 SCR4P OF MY 4TT3NT1ON</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i’m glad to hear from you. it’s just... i
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dunno, a lot’s happened recently.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i’m sort of numb from all of it.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: SO T3LL M3 4BOUT 1T</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: what are you my therapist now?</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: NO 1M JUST 4 S1MPL3 G1RL WHO LOV3S TH3
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T4ST3 OF YOUR SUFF3R1NG</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1M SO HUNGRY OUT H3R3 4LON3 1N P4R4DOX
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SP4C3 JOHN</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: PL34S3 NOUR1SH M3 W1TH YOUR P4TH3T1C
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M1DL1FE 3NNU1</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: it’s not midlife ennui!</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i’m not even thirty yet, come on.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: also... um.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i’m married? so... yeah.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: LOL</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WH4T DO3S TH4T H4V3 TO DO W1TH
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4NYTH1NG</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: err...</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: nevermind.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: so what’s up with you?</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: OH S4M3 OLD S4M3 OLD</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WH4T 4R3 YOU DO1NG R1GHT NOW</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: oh. i’m at harry anderson’s birthday
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party.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: SOUNDS 1MPORT4NT</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: M4YB3 1 SHOULD L3T YOU GO TH3N</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: no!</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i mean... it’s fine. i can talk for a
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bit.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 4ND L34V3 H4RRY 4ND3RSON H4NG1NG?</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WOW 3GB3RT</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: YOUD TH1NK 4N 3LD3RLY M4N L1K3 YOU WOULD
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KNOW MOR3 4BOUT D3CORUM TH4N M3, 4 ROWDY YOUTH!</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: harry anderson is basically just a baby who
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doesn’t understand anything.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: a baby, kind of like YOU.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: >:]</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: SO WHOS H4RRY 4ND3RSON?</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: oh! that’s me and roxy’s son.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: OH COOL H3 GOT BORN</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: yeah terezi. he got born like three years
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ago.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1TS B33N TH4T LONG?</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WOW</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: yeah, wow is right. where the hell have you
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been?</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: LOST</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: lost... how?</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: like literally, physically lost?</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: or metaphorically lost.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: BOTH 1 GU3SS</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: terezi...</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: OH NO</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: DONT YOU D4R3 US3 P1TY1NG 3LL1PS3S 4T M3
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JOHN 3GB3RT</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: sorry! it’s kinda hard not to when every time
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you go i have no idea if i’ll ever talk to you again.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: OK YOUR3 OBV1OUSLY NOT 1N 4 PL4C3 TO T4LK
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R1GHT NOW</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1 D1DNT CONT4CT YOU B3C4US3 1 W4NT3D TO
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D34L W1TH YOUR W33PY S3P4R4T1ON ANX13TY</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: HOW 4BOUT 1 M4K3 TH1S 34SY FOR YOU 4ND
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JUST LOG OFF</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: no, please don’t go!</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i’m sorry for being all... human and
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weepy.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i’m actually in a pretty ok place for once, i
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think?</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: C4LM DOWN 1 W4SNT F1N1SH3D</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: L1ST3N... 1LL T3XT YOU B4CK 1N F1V3
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M1NUT3S</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: TH4TLL G1V3 YOU SOM3 T1M3 TO 3MOT1ON4LLY
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PROC3SS THE H4RROW1NG 3XP3R13NC3 OF 4CTU4LLY H34R1NG FROM M3 4G41N
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>:]</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: promise me it’ll only be five minutes?</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WHY?</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: because i worry about you!</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i just don’t want you to leave me hanging for
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another year, making me wonder if you’re dead.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: please??</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: UGH!</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: F1N3</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1 H3R3BY SOL3MNLY SW34R UPON TH3 BOOK OF
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DUMB N33DY LOS3RS TH4T 1 W1LL T3XT YOU 1N *3X4CTLY* F1V3
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M1NUT3S</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: whew. THANK you!</p>
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</div>
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<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small weight-bold">—</div>
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<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: OK 1TS F1V3 M1NUT3S L4T3R</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: DONT T3LL M3 4NOTH3R TWO SW33PS H4V3
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P4SS3D</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: nah, just a couple of weeks.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: oh boy, what a couple of weeks though.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: you would NOT believe what’s happening right
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now.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: H4V3 1 3V3R NOT B3L13V3D WH4T W4S
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H4PP3N1NG WH3N YOU S41D 1 WOULDNT?</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: no, but to be fair this one is especially
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wild.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: here wait, let me take a picture.</p>
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</div>
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<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small weight-bold">-- <span class="john">JOHN EGBERT</span> sent <span class="terezi">TEREZI PYROPE</span> the photo “ghostrain.jpg” -- </div>
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<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WH4T TH3 4CTU4L FUCK</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: it started a few days ago. the sky above the
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capital of the troll kingdom just cracked open and ghosts began
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raining down everywhere.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: actually, now that i think about it, i guess
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it started three years ago when a dead teen version of jade fell
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from the sky and crashed into the ground during a picnic.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: HUH</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: that only affected our group though. this
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whole thing with the troll ghosts has been a *huge* international
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incident.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: the political situation surrounding trolls
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was already tense enough without adding a gigantic population of
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immigrant ghost trolls to the mix.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: W41T, WH4T H4PP3N3D?</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: um, well... because of what we know about
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alternian history...</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: the government decided it was probably a bad
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idea to let trolls reproduce freely, especially considering how
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different our planet is from alternia.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1 SUPPOS3 TH4T M4K3S S3NS3</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: W1THOUT ST4T3 S4NCT1ON3D CULL1NG, TH3
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TROLL POPUL4T1ON WOULD QU1CKLY DOM1N4T3 TH3 PL4N3T</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 4ND 34RTH C DO3SNT STR1K3 ME 4S TH3 SORT
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OF PL4C3 TH4T WOULD T4K3 K1NDLY TO 4 LOT OF CULL1NG</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: yeah. that was part of the government’s
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official argument.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: “it’s either this, or culling.”</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: but it didn’t stop there.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: also a bunch of laws have been passed that
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restrict the kind of jobs that trolls can have. like, they’re not
|
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allowed to serve in the government or rise past a certain rank in
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the military. they can’t even be judges!</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: G4SP</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i know. it’s pretty bad here.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: CONS1D3R1NG TH3 GO4L 1S TO L1M1T TH3
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SPR34D 4ND 1NFLU3NC3 OF TROLLS, TH1S 4LL S33MS L1K3...</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: QU1T3 4N 4LT3RN14N SOLUT1ON</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: well... jane is sort of a key political
|
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player now.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: she’s not “in” the government, exactly. but
|
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she has so much money she may as well BE the government.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: her company can do basically whatever it
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wants. and it seems more and more like what it wants is to make
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sure the politicians are saying exactly what it wants them to
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say.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: H4</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1 4LW4YS SUSP3CT3D SH3D B33N SW4Y3D BY
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TH3 COND3SC3 MOR3 TH4N SH3 3V3R L3T ON</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: yeah. i guess she was.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: although... i dunno, for some reason it
|
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doesn’t feel right to me.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i KNEW a grown-up version of jane. she was my
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nanna.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i never met her until she came back as a
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sprite. but she just seemed like a kindly old grandma who liked to
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play pranks.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: not a...</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: G3NOC1D3 F4N?</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: not even close!</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i just can’t believe how fast everything
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deteriorated.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: DONT T3LL M3 3V3YON3S JUST T4K1NG TH1S
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LY1NG DOWN</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: of course not! kanaya and rose are both
|
||
heavily involved in grassroots activism right now.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: and karkat...</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: he’s gone completely off the grid!</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: at first we all assumed that the reason he
|
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ran away was because he got fed up with his shitty poly
|
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relationship.</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: which was probably part of it, honestly. but
|
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now i keep seeing his face on all the resistance posters!</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: i think they may have actually put him in
|
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charge?</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: H3H</p>
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||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1 4LW4YS KN3W H3 H4D 1T 1N H1M</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: yeah!</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: dave’s heartbroken though...</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WHY DO3SNT D4V3 JUST GO 4ND JO1N H1M
|
||
TH3N</p>
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||
<p class="john">JOHN: i don’t know.</p>
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||
<p class="john">JOHN: he worries about jade i guess?</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: J4D3 WOULD B3 F1N3</p>
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||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: SH3S TH3 MOST R3S1L13NT OUT OF 4LL OF
|
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YOU</p>
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<p class="john">JOHN: sigh. you know how dave is.</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: Y34H</p>
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<p class="terezi">TEREZI: LOY4L TO 4 F4ULT</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: yeah. he...</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: oh my god.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: holy shit, hang on. i gotta take another
|
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picture.</p>
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</div>
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<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small weight-bold">-- <span class="john">JOHN EGBERT</span> sent <span class="terezi">TEREZI PYROPE</span> the photo “PBandJ.jpg” -- </div>
|
||
<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: ...</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WH4T TH3 FUCK 1S TH1S?!</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: heheheheh.</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: DONT TYP3 YOUR L4UGHS 4T M3 4FT3R
|
||
TR1CK1NG M3 1NTO LOOK1NG 4T TH1S 4BOMIN41TON</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: i thought you might find it interesting.
|
||
:-)</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WHY WOULD 1 *3V3R* W4NT TO S33 G4MZ33
|
||
M4K1NG OUT W1TH T4VROS 4G41N???</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: again?</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: UGH D1SGUST1NG</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1N PUBL1C 4ND 3V3RYTH1NG</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: oh, it’s always in public.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: this is how gamzee helps people have their
|
||
“redemption arcs.”</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: BY M4K1NG OUT W1TH TH3M???</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: well, not always. sometimes he has them make
|
||
out with each other. usually he just feeds them milk out of that
|
||
stupid baby bottle he keeps with him all the time.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: i think it’s supposed to be like, some
|
||
completely idiotic form of baptism he made up.</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: >:?</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: anyway, speaking of tavros.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: what do you think about the morality of
|
||
kidnapping someone if they’re really unhappy and possibly also
|
||
being abused?</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: UH</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WH4T</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: ok, so like, if you kidnap someone and the
|
||
situation you’re kidnapping them into is way better than the one
|
||
you kidnapped them out of, that’s not morally wrong, right?</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: JOHN</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 4R3 YOU TRY1NG TO G3T M3 4LL 4FLUST3R3D
|
||
W1TH SUCH H1GHLY ILL3G4L SW33T T4LK</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: um, no.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: ...</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: ARE you flustered?</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1 M1GHT B3, 1F 1 THOUGHT YOU WOULD
|
||
4CTU4LLY BR34K TH3 L4W</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: hey, i could totally do it!</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1LL B3L1EV3 1T WH3N 1 SM3LL 1T</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: ok, i guess i’m gonna do it then!</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: SUR3</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: i’m totally going to do it! next time we
|
||
talk, it’ll be me telling you all about my successful and highly
|
||
illegal kidnapping venture.</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WH4T3V3R YOU S4Y</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 4NYW4Y, N1C3 HUDDL3 3GB3RT, BUT 1 H4V3 TO
|
||
GO</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: wait!</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WH4T</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: you’re going already?</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: you barely said anything!</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: you just listened to me ramble on about earth
|
||
c’s problems.</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1SNT TH4T HOW TH3S3 CONV3RS4T1ONS USU4LLY
|
||
GO</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: um.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: yeah, i guess it is.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: but it doesn’t have to be like that, you
|
||
know.</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: HMM</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: so.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: what’s going on with you?</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: D1D 1T OCCUR TO YOU TH4T M4YB3 TH3 R34SON
|
||
1 C4LL YOU 1S B3C4US3 1 W4NT 4 BR13F R3PR13V3 FROM “WH4TS GO1NG ON
|
||
W1TH M3”?</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: oh.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: yeah, that makes sense.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: i just don’t want you to feel that you’re
|
||
like, my psychiatrist or whatever.</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: AWW TH4TS CUT3</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: DONT WORRY 4BOUT M3 JOHN</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1F YOU W3R3 BUGG1NG M3 1D JUST STOP
|
||
T3XT1NG</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: well...</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: cool. if i’m not bugging you, then... can i
|
||
ask a favor?</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1TS C3RT41NLY W1TH1N YOUR POW3R TO 4SK M3
|
||
4 F4VOR</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 1 C4NT PROM1S3 TO FULF1LL 1T</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: ugh, now i feel even dumber for what i’m
|
||
about to ask.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: i don’t know if i even wanna do it now.</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 4RGH! OUT W1TH 1T 3GB3RT!</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: ummm...</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: F1N3! 1LL DO 1T, WH4T3V3R 1T 1S</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: JUST SO YOU C34S3 TH1S M4DD3N1NG N3RDBOY
|
||
1NS3CUR1TY</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: ok, ok!</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: uh...</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: can you...</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: take a selfie?</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: WH4T</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: and... send it to me?</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: oh my god, i probably sound so creepy right
|
||
now.</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: 4H4H4H4H4H4H4</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: hey, don’t laugh!</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: look, it’s just that... after all the talking
|
||
we’ve done over the years...</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: you’re pretty important to me, terezi. and
|
||
with everything getting so weird, i’ve been getting scared
|
||
lately.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: so in case things go to shit over here, or
|
||
things go to shit wherever you are...</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: i just want to make sure i have something to
|
||
remember you by.</p>
|
||
<p class="terezi">TEREZI: OH</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: so will you do it?</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p class="no-indent">Terezi doesn’t answer, which is what John was
|
||
expecting. He frowns and pockets his phone, blinking at the sudden
|
||
brightness above him. The sky is ripped open in a dozen places,
|
||
spilling ghosts and razor shards of unreality. John shields his
|
||
face against the neon glare and scans the park for his family. Roxy
|
||
and Calliope usually come listen to Gamzee preach, and John’s long
|
||
since grown tired of trying to talk them out of it. The best he can
|
||
do at this point is tag along to make sure that young Harry
|
||
Anderson isn’t hearing all this utter nonsense without the
|
||
tempering influence of his skeptical father. It’s the responsible,
|
||
adult thing to do.</p>
|
||
<p>Well, it would be the responsible, adult thing to do if John
|
||
were actually doing it. Instead, he just spent the last ten minutes
|
||
surreptitiously texting Terezi under the hem of his suit jacket.
|
||
Now he’s lost track of his wife, his son, and his wife’s
|
||
sort-of-ex-girlfriend in the enraptured throng of all these
|
||
brainless clown worshippers. The crowd is mostly ghosts, but
|
||
there’s a substantial number of carapacian and human citizens out
|
||
here tonight as well, straining to get a good look at the newly
|
||
“redeemed” acolytes.</p>
|
||
<p>John’s eye wanders toward the center of the crowd’s focus. Looks
|
||
like a conversion is taking place right now.</p>
|
||
<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: NoW We wElCoMe iNtO ThE DoPe aRmS Of
|
||
mOtHeR ReDeMpTiOn tHiS lOwLy PeNiTeNt WhO’s AlL kInDs Of SoRrY
|
||
aBoUt HiS pAsT dEeDs.</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: oh yeah im vvery redeemed</p>
|
||
<p class="feferi">FEFERI: )(mm are you s)(ore?</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: fef you dont believve me</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: wwhat do i havve to fuckin do crawwl on
|
||
the fuckin ground at your feet</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: snortin and snufflin at your shoes like a
|
||
mushroom sniffin porkfiend</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: sizin up those covvetous swweaty
|
||
delicacies stuffed wwithin</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: like a couple of premium shrimp loavves
|
||
garnished wwith ten exquisite pygmy soiree wwieners</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: im a wworm fef</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: im the lowwest of the wworst</p>
|
||
<p class="feferi">FEFERI: Okaaay. If t)(at’s really )(ow you feel,
|
||
i guess i can... accept your apology.</p>
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: NiIiIiIiCe.</p>
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: NoW tHiS iS wHaT i’M tAlKiNg AbOuT. AlL
|
||
tHiS fOrGiVnEsS aNd ShIt Up In ThE mOtHeRfUcKiNg HoUsE.</p>
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: aFtEr AlL, wHaT’s A lItTlE</p>
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: MURDER</p>
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: BeTwEeN mOiRaIlS?</p>
|
||
<p class="feferi">FEFERI: I guess t)(at’s true! It )(appens to t)(e
|
||
best of us. 38)</p>
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: YoU bOtH aRe So ClOsE tO tHe ReDeMpTiOn
|
||
NoW.</p>
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: fIrSt, A LiTtLe RiGhTeOuS sPlAsH oF tHe
|
||
NaNnA nEcTaR tO cLeAnSe ThAt DaNkNeSs FrOm YoUr SoUlS...</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p class="no-indent">Gamzee takes out a baby bottle and flicks it,
|
||
covering them both with little drops of milk, as clergy does with
|
||
holy water. He then takes a swig from the bottle himself before
|
||
returning it to his codpiece.</p>
|
||
<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: NoW...</p>
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: kIsS, mY mOtHeRfUcKeRs.</p>
|
||
<p class="feferi">FEFERI: Ummmm...</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: FINALLY</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: pucker up fef and plant one on me</p>
|
||
<p class="feferi">FEFERI: 38\</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: you gotta its the rules</p>
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: tHe MoThErFuCkEr’S rIgHt.</p>
|
||
<p class="gamzee">GAMZEE: It AlL bE fUcKiN cRiTiCaL tO bOtH yOuR
|
||
rEdEmPtIoN, tO kIsS aNd MaKe Up :o)</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">FEFERI: Sig)(. If it’s for redemption,
|
||
t)(en...</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">FEFERI: Very well.</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: oh fuck yeah</p>
|
||
<p class="eridan">ERIDAN: RUB A DUB DUB COME GIMME A GLUB!!!</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p class="no-indent">John makes a disgusted face as Gamzee grabs
|
||
the two trolls by a horn each and mashes their faces together. One
|
||
of them looks extremely into it. The other... not so much. John
|
||
would have been transfixed by the spectacle for longer if his phone
|
||
didn’t start buzzing in his pocket again. He fumbles it out of his
|
||
coat and checks.</p>
|
||
<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small weight-bold">-- <span class="terezi">TEREZI PYROPE</span> sent <span class="john">JOHN EGBERT</span> the photo “H3R3.JPG” -- </div>
|
||
<p class="no-indent">He looks around, then presses “accept,”
|
||
embarrassed to realize how fast his heart is beating. Before he can
|
||
look at the photo, a familiar voice breaks through the din of the
|
||
crowd.</p>
|
||
<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
|
||
<p class="roxy">ROXY: yo john</p>
|
||
<p class="roxy">ROXY: over here hon!</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p class="no-indent">John puts his phone away quickly. Roxy’s
|
||
holding Harry Anderson up on her shoulder. John can see his son’s
|
||
face, grinning and bright-eyed, bobbing above the crowd. He returns
|
||
the smile and starts to make his way toward his wife.</p>
|
||
<p>Just then, a dark shadow passes over the park. The crowd falls
|
||
silent as they raise their heads to watch a drone ship pass by
|
||
overhead. Its design is insect-like, splitting into many jagged
|
||
branches, each decked out with weapons and cameras. It’s completely
|
||
silent, and encased in armor with a bright red finish, smooth and
|
||
seamless. It’s often cited by Jane as the crown jewel of
|
||
Crockercorp’s various military contracts with the government.</p>
|
||
<p>John reunites with his family and takes Harry Anderson from
|
||
Roxy. The toddler buries his face in John’s chest to escape the
|
||
horrible sight crawling across the sky above them. Calliope clasps
|
||
her hands together and stares at the ship with a terse
|
||
expression.</p>
|
||
<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
|
||
<p class="calliope">CALLIOPE: it’s getting less and less UnUsUal to
|
||
see those in the troll kingdom, isn’t it?</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: yeah.</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: i can’t help but think the government’s
|
||
getting ready for something big.</p>
|
||
<p class="roxy">ROXY: lmao you worry too much</p>
|
||
<p class="roxy">ROXY: janeys got her head on straight shell show
|
||
you yet</p>
|
||
<p class="john">JOHN: ugh, let’s not talk about this right now.</p>
|
||
<p class="roxy">ROXY: yea ur right</p>
|
||
<p class="roxy">ROXY: its gettin late anyway we should head
|
||
home</p>
|
||
<p class="roxy">ROXY: see you next week callie?</p>
|
||
<p class="calliope">CALLIOPE: oh. yes. always, roxy.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p class="no-indent">That night, after he and Roxy put Harry
|
||
Anderson to bed and Roxy retires to their room for the evening,
|
||
John goes to his office and prints out the picture of Terezi. He
|
||
doesn’t have any nice photo paper to put it on, so it comes out too
|
||
dark with the colors all smeared. He scrubs the printer history
|
||
settings when he’s finished.</p>
|
||
<p>When his anxiety is assuaged, he flops down in the spinny chair
|
||
at the center of the room and studies the picture. Terezi doesn’t
|
||
look that much different from how he remembers her—a little more
|
||
worn, maybe, thinner and older and more tired, but it’s her. She’s
|
||
smiling, and holding up her hand in a cheeky wave that suggests
|
||
neither a greeting or a farewell. The light from the phone screen
|
||
is reflected in her glasses. John can’t see her eyes.</p>
|
||
<p>He folds the picture into quarters and slips it into his wallet,
|
||
behind Harry Anderson’s baby photo. Then he turns off the light and
|
||
goes to bed.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</body>
|
||
</html> |