"I never thought it was all that bad so long as people knew how to use it the right way," Karkat adds thoughtfully. "Bragging about the ins and outs of emotion doesn't mean much around here anymore, so I've stopped wasting my meager supply of free oxygen."

And finally, the cerulean blooded troll frowns visibly. There it was -- that was what he could use to his advantage here...he hopes. Inspiring mistrust in supposed allies worked well about seventy-five percent of the time in his favor. His tone changes, he sounds almost put off by her answer to him.

"Your fault? What about all your subjects that sat around on their cushy fat asses, huh? Where was their support for their Empress? Wars are never won by just one person, my Royal Consideration," he snaps a little in what appears to be empathy.