[Karkat is patient for once, letting John find the right words to speak instead of forcing him to blabber out something insufficient and poorly explained. Once he does, though, his frown grows. This is actually sort of sad to hear, and it tugs at the pity-focused part of his emotions, or what he'd pin it as, anyway.]

[His jaw tightens near the last section, however, because he knows better.]

John? Stop worrying about Rose. She thinks pretty damn well of you and if anything she's probably glad to spend time with you. We are moirails, and even if I'm the one getting help from her most of the time, she does tell me stuff.

But the rest--you haven't fucked up that bad.

[He looks away now, expression darkening a touch.]

I'm going to tell you something, okay? I've done worse than you. I actually... [His throat tightens; it's hard to say.] ... got Sollux killed once. When we were playing Sgrub, I was his server player, and I didn't manage to get him in before the Vast Glub - this psychic shockwave thing let off by Feferi's lusus that killed every troll in the galaxy. And...

[He puts a hand to his forehead, thumb rubbing one temple.]

I actually knew about it through this memo. But I just thought he was fucking around, joking or something to try to piss me off, but next thing I know my screen's full of yellow and it's not honey and then Feferi's there reviving him through his dreamself. I fucked up there. I know it. But the thing is...

[He looks back to John.] He's still my friend. One of my best friends, in fact. So don't worry like that about Dave, okay? I mean... I'm not saying it's easy or that it's not something to feel bad over, but if he's as good a friend as you think, then he should stick with you still.

I can't do anything to fix him going back and forth, I'll admit, but don't forget what I said anyway.