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<title>The Homestuck Epilogues: Meat - Chapter 23</title>
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<div id='s23'></div>
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<h1>Chapter 23</h1>
<div class="o-story_text o_epilogue type-rg type-sm line-caption line-copy pad-x-0 pad-x-lg pad-b-lg">
<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Why Are You With Rose</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: What Is Going On</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Why would you think something was going
on?</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: By which I mean, why would you automatically
assume that whats going on has a sinister overtone.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Did I Say That I Suspected Something
Sinister Was Going On</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Not with your words, no.</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: But in the grand scheme of things, isnt
something always “going on”? Why would you even ask “what is going
on” if you didnt assume that the thing going on was both abnormal
and untoward.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Well Now I Definitely Think That
Something Sinister Is Going On Because You Are Obviously Trying To
Distract Me With Semantics</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: A tactic Im sure youre familiar with.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Excuse Me</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Im just making an observation. You know your
wife pretty well.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: ...</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: You know all of her tricks, all her little
personality quirks. Youre confident that you know everything about
her.</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: But for some reason, you have no idea where
she is right now.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: What Are You Getting At</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Nothing. Just making sure we both have a
clear view of the situation.</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Laying out the playing field, as it were.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Okay</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: I Am Going To Give You Another Chance</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Why Dont We Start This Conversation Over
Again And You Can Say The Correct Thing This Time</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Sure.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Hello</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Excuse Me But I Would Like To Speak With
My Wife Rose</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Whose Phone I Do Believe I Am Calling</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: As Even These Primitive Human Smartphones
Have Acceptably Accurate Caller ID Technology</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Sorry, Rose cant come to the phone right
now.</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: She is otherwise... <em>occupied</em>.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Where Is She</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Shes at my place.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Im Sorry What</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Rose Is Extremely Ill And Should Not Be
Leaving The House Alone</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: What Is She Doing At Your Place</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Chillaxing, whilst we discuss the inevitable
heat death of the universe and the unknowable, solitary nature of
human consciousness.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: I See</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: If She Is Capable Of Such Abstract
Polemics Why Is It That She Cannot Speak With Me</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Thats a damned good question.</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: One that will undoubtedly benefit from
further exploration over the course of the next abstract polemic I
have with her.</p>
</div>
<p class="no-indent dirk">Yes, I admit. Im just fucking with her
at this point. But can you blame me, when shes making it so
easy?</p>
<p class="dirk">Kanaya loves Rose, but sometimes love just isnt
enough. Sometimes what you need is <em>understanding.</em></p>
<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: You Are Testing My Patience Sorely
Dirk</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Yeah, Ive gotten pretty good at that.</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Just ask my fans.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: I Am Not Making A Joke</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Me neither.</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: I dont really “do” jokes?</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Neither Do I</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: I do often make statements which hold varying
degrees of irony, acerbic wit, or dry expressions of amusement.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Yes That Roughly Describes Many Of The
Remarks I Make As Well</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: I knew youd understand.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: However My Commiseration On This Matter
Should Not Be Mistaken For A Gesture Of Friendship Or Camaraderie
At This Moment</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Then it seems were at an impasse.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: It Wont Be An Impasse For Very Long</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Im Coming Over Immediately</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: To Retrieve My Wife</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: If thats what you want.</p>
<p class="kanaya">KANAYA: Tell Her That Im On My Way</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Sure. Ill get right on that.</p>
</div>
<p class="no-indent dirk">I hang up on her.</p>
<p class="dirk">Rose looks up from where shes suffering on the
floor. The shadows around her are growing. She stares at me with
glassy eyes.</p>
<div class="chat type-rg type-hs-small">
<p class="rose">ROSE: Is everything okay?</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Yeah. Just a telemarketer.</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: You know how those carapacians can be when
they want to sell you some chess shit.</p>
<p class="dirk">DIRK: Impossible to get em off the phone.</p>
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