#He may be d34d here

[cherriedoesnteatactualcherries]

Happy Birthday Chuuya! I love him smmmmm ੯•໒꒱❤︎

[journeysintowebcomics]

Homestuck Liveblog #156

UPDATE 156: So How’s That Retcon Thing Going

Last time John had found Roxy, and together noted how bad the situation looked. Rose had just died, and Terezi had arrived to the planet by crashing against it, still bleeding heavily. Trolls really are resistant to death, but everyone has a limit. So let’s continue.

Terezi comes up to John and the first thing she does is headbutt him. Woah, Terezi, that was uncalled for, don’t you think? And then she demands John to fix it. Well that part is...actually makes sense, John is the one with the retcon powers, and he hadn’t exactly kept silent about it. But how to use them when he isn’t even capable yet of handling those powers?

Back in Calliope’s tiny pocket of space Jade and Calliope have finished modifying the stage that had appeared, having painted the background to resemble Jade’s island. There’s even a painted Bec here! It’s a nostalgic scene where Jade talks about her home and how she used to leave, and Calliope mentions the stuff she had while growing up. Stuff that was left by Gamzee, wasn’t it? I don’t know if it was stated somewhere, but given that he raised the cherubs for a little while he must have provided them with all that curiously not-rotten meat.

Yeah, this is mostly a scene where Jade and Calliope bond by talking about the places they had lived at. Both had rather lonely existences, that’s for sure, although Calliope would have preferred it to be...lonelier, without a certain brother.

That’s a lot of attention to detail, Calliope! Going as far as to leave Caliborn’s tooth around in your representation of your room, huh. Did you also leave the eleven gallons of blood and the discarded leg around, by chance? The tooth seems to have sparked suspicions on Jade. Could it be she’s starting to realize the real appearance of this nice not-troll girl?

JADE: its just  JADE: seeing this tooth  JADE: and listening to your voice...  JADE: i think im finally starting to remember something  CALLIOPE: oh?  CALLIOPE: what do yoU remember?  JADE: i remember  JADE: you!

...huh. Okay, that’s...not what I expected. Now that I think about it, it’s possible Jade is aware of how Lord English looks, yes? But regarding voice, hm, that doesn’t fit. Unless Lord English is using Calliope’s voice, but that’d be ridiculous. I refuse to acknowledge the possibility Calliope turns out to be Lord English, because that’d be something that’d require a very good explanation to work, and I mean really, really good. Otherwise I’d feel cheated, honestly.

JADE: you seemed so different  JADE: so much more  JADE: serious  JADE: also...  JADE: you were a god tier!

No way! Jade manages to stumble upon the doomed Calliope Aranea had once been looking for and gave up on to start going for riskier plans! Jade, how did you do that? And...how did the doomed Calliope achieve god tier, too? Did she manage to kill herself on the god tier bed, somehow? Well that’s something that definitely won’t ever get an explanation, that’s for sure. But yeah, that was a version of Calliope that triumphed over her brother. How, exactly, is not mentioned right now, but I really doubt it was via dreamself assassination.

CALLIOPE: what did she tell yoU?  JADE: she mainly told me stories!  CALLIOPE: :U  JADE: she seemed to really like telling stories

And then turns out it was actually Aranea in disguise. The plot thickens! Jade offers to retell the stories the other Calliope narrated. Among those many stories turns out there really was an explanation about how the other Calliope was the one to triumph over Caliborn, but she doesn’t tell anything because Calliope wouldn’t like to hear about it. Curse your considerate nature, Jade! And other stories were about John, hm...

JADE: this is the story about how he died

...are we talking about the same John? We all know paradox space has infinite versions of each person, so to say. It doesn’t mean this is the same John, because I don’t really see how alpha John will die. Depends on how the story go, I suppose, so start telling it.

Psh, change of scene. Of course you had to change topics, Hussie, hah. But yeah, I’d have done the same.

Terezi tries to bring up the topic of John’s newfound retcon powers, but John keeps going on tangents like Terezi’s wellbeing and how Terezi is wearing Jade’s shoes. Focus, John! In an attempt to get him to shut up for a moment, Terezi states Jade died.

JOHN: aw, man.  JOHN: not jade too.  JOHN: are you sure? 

...John, she just said Jade died. Why did you give the same answer and facial reaction as if Terezi had told you Jade had gotten freaking food poisoning? Hah! Guess all this time in Sburb makes some people numb to things like friends dying.

TEREZI: 3V3RYBODY'S D34D, JOHN  JOHN: everybody??  JOHN: even dave???!!!  TEREZI: H3'S D34D, JOHN  TEREZI: 3V3RYBODY'S D34D  TEREZI: 3V3RYBODY 1S D34D, JOHN  JOHN: so...  JOHN: jade, dave, karkat... they're all...  JOHN: EVEN THE CUTE MAYOR GUY WHO DAVE LOVES SO MUCH?????? 

And John seems more distraught at the thought of the Mayor dying than anyone else. Claaaaaassy, John. And he keeps going into tangents about Jade’s shoes and about how troll girls are weird. I swear, John, if you die because Terezi ran out of patience and smacked you on the head so hard you got a fatal concussion, well, that’d be one heck of a lame story about your death.

Once Terezi threatens John with stabbing if he doesn’t focus and start doing stuff they start discussing the retcon powers...but it isn’t like Terezi is doing much better in making a plan. She’s more or less telling John to just use his retcon powers, without providing any ideas on how he can control them in the first place. That’s going to be easier said than done, but...technically John has all the time in the world to learn to control those powers. It’s possible he could spend a few months training and doing a plan, and then returning to the past like Davesprite had done.

Roxy calls for John and asks him if he has ever met his denizen. Not in this timeline, Roxy.

ROXY: what if u are now  JOHN: what if i'm what?  ROXY: ready  ROXY: i mean  ROXY: if nows not the right time  ROXY: then when even would be

...hm. That’s not a bad start. The denizen could be of help, whether it’s by offering the two options, like Jade and Caliborn did, or maybe it could be of help in some other way. If there’s anyone who may help, it’s the denizen. Roxy seems to be willing to give the idea a try, but John is having a lot of doubts about if he’d be able to be of any help. That gets Terezi to start shouting, saying John is being rather defeatist right now. He kinda is, but one can hardly blame the kid. Then again, I’m just the reader, someone in Terezi’s red sparkly shoes would be reacting like she did, I suppose.

And so a plan is formed! Going to see the denizen is the immediate action to do. Great! Can’t wait to see that, I have always been curious how the whole denizen thing goes. This is a chance to see it firsthand! Since John is going to rewrite history, more or less, it’s expected this Terezi and Roxy will just...cease to exist. Not even as ghosts they’ll be? Huh. Roxy plans to bury Rose and then wait for everything to just...stop existing. It’s such a sad plan John demands Roxy does something productive too, like going to see her own denizen. There could be something she could learn.

After a very awkward and reluctant farewell Terezi snaps and tells them to stop with the romantic tension and get going already. Ah, true, Terezi is bleeding to death right now. Whooops. There’s an offscreen hug, and Roxy leaves, vanishing into the ground. So now what, guys? John tries to leave, but Terezi stops him with another scream. Is there anything left to discuss?

Oh! Terezi is completely right! How are they going to fix the timeline, exactly? It isn’t something that should be done trial and error, it’d be better to try to define a plan of action before doing the leap of faith. Of course, how could I not realize something as vital as that was missing?

“I don’t know. What about you” “1 DON’T KNOW 31TH3R”. Paraphrasing. That sure was a productive start. Terezi does want to use her Seer of Mind powers to find out, but she doesn’t believe in her own abilities. Yikes. John’s encouragement makes Terezi want to give it a try, there’s something she’d like to attempt. For that John needs to think of something and then tell her, as long as he can remember it. What phrase is it, John?

JOHN: there's no place like home.

That’s a pretty nice one. Nice choice, John. The Oz references continue. Now that there’s a phrase, Terezi starts doing her part of the job.

...huh. A password bifurcation. So that’s what’s going on with these! The passwords are TErezi’s work. No wonder one couldn’t enter them yet, that’d have led me to jump forward in the story in such ways I’d have been immensely lost! But those passwords were from all the way back to like Act 3, weren’t they? How back in time is John going to go?

I input the phrase John committed to memory, but nothing happened. I even did it exactly like John said it, and with numbers like Terezi would have done it, but nothing happened. Where did I go wrong? I mean, that must be the password, right?

In an attempt to brute force my way into the story I modified the URL of the website to go to the next page in numerical order. It goes into the option where the attempt failed. I’m not...sure if that was supposed to happen. Was it supposed to happen? I just...I don’t know. Guess I’ll just continue this way and hope to find out later what I did wrong. I’ll have to ask my screener later. For now I suppose I can go one page or two into this way, just to see what happens over here.

“Did it work?” “NO”. Sorry, guys, my bad.

No, you know what? I’ll stop, and ask Sarah later if I’m doing something wrong here. I’ll end this update here. I just got to the fifty pages and there are several Word document pages already, so may as well call it a day.

Next update: two updates

[gulescamisade]

Alaska:  Day 16

DAVE: -with attentive care, he's doing much better. and it's going to hurt for a while, but he can move and do what he needs to do for the most part. can he sprint across the room? no, but he can make himself a sandwich. you win some you lose some. he's watching television in whatever area of the base has it, bored but it's all he can really do-

HESONY: =Whaddya know, he's carrying more stuff inside. Whether he knows Dave is there or not, he's not saying. In fact, he's not even looking at him each time he passes by.=

DAVE: -he's looking at him, however. watching him carry stuff back and forth-

HESONY: =The next time he walked in, he has a crate balanced on his shoulder. It may seem like a shoddy attempt at creating a barrier between him and the STARES.=

DAVE: -he speaks up instead- sup when did you get that crate transplant

HESONY: Oh, you like it? I got it a few seconds ago. =He does a little spin before placing it down with the others.=

HESONY: Perhaps I can pull a few strings so you can get one too.

HESONY: =The entire time is face is= :|

DAVE: would you do that

DAVE: shit im flattered you usually offer this stuff in private

DAVE: in the intimacy of an exam room

HESONY: =just keeps staring at him. What if he just piled all these crates in front of Dave's door? Merry Christmas and a happy new year.=

HESONY: I suppose I'll go inform the doctor Here that you want a crate implant, although in my opinion that seems more like a downgrade. A sylladex should suffice, but after seeing How many of you dont Have the Hands free version, you plebeians need all the Help you can get.

DAVE: shit this relationship is movin quickly

DAVE: can we survive the trials and tribulations of crate marriage

HESONY: What the Hell is a marriage?

DAVE: how the fuck should i know -says the married guy-

MICEXA: -eyes them from the doorway like pls-

HESONY: Assume I'm an alien who knows nothing of your weird "Techsush" and "marriage" words, but is able to understand you solely through a translation device.

HESONY: Unless "marriage" is another word from an alien race you are simply inclined to repeat.

DAVE: what the fuck is a marriage

HESONY: The more you talk the more I feel as though you are trying to =makes air quotations= pull my leg.

DAVE: ba dm ts

DAVE: im a mystery

DAVE: an enigma

DAVE: of all of motherfuckin humanity

HESONY: Yes, it appears so.

HESONY: You seem to be more of the confusing variety, However.

DAVE: you figured that out at least

DAVE: humans like what they cant figure out

DAVE: we dont know anything about each other

HESONY: That makes incredible amounts of sense. :|

DAVE: i know right

DAVE: were so easy to figure out in that respect

HESONY: I'm wondering more about How your species continues to persist.

DAVE: fucking

DAVE: cloning

DAVE: ectobiology

HESONY: Now, I know for a fact that those are Carapacian methods.

HESONY: I Have Heard rumors your methods are far more disturbing.

DAVE: my wife is a clone

DAVE: my brother and i came into the world without science

DAVE: my nephews are the result of ectobiology so

DAVE: boom

HESONY: ...

HESONY: =squints=

HESONY: I don't think I believe you.

DAVE: -he shrugs- its the truth

HESONY: Let's say it is.

HESONY: If Humans Have alternative ways of reproduction, why not use this to create soldiers that will drive out the invading force and win this war?

DAVE: -makes a face- because thats fucked up

DAVE: we dont make kids for our own purposes

HESONY: Even if it meant you would win?

DAVE: you realize that humans take time to grow right

HESONY: If you can discover different ways to create life, why can't the same be said to speed it up?

DAVE: because life isnt about bein a cog in the machine

HESONY: Even if it meant winning this war? =he said again=

ARANEA: -pipes up from wherever she's been- How awful it is that many trolls sill 8elieve life perpetuates itself only to conquer the inferior races.

ARANEA: Imagine the lives those soldiers would live after the war is won, knowing that was their only purpose.

ARANEA: -eyeballs- Well, may8e you do know how it feels...

DAVE: -dAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN-

DAELOS: - He's here too. Vaguely listening to this but not looking Hesony's way. -

HESONY: That is why Alternia Has a kill switch for each batch of drones.

HESONY: You are right in that, However. What use are we now after Having disgraced ourselves for abandoning our cause and Helping you? This is what Terezi must Have felt like when she left the League. It is likely why she joined T.U.M.U.T. when she never should Have stopped running.

MITUNA: -He's been quiet the past couple of days. To gain back something like a limb, only to lose an actual one. It was hard. However, with the fact that his psionics were indeed back it was high time to work that muscle again. Currently he's just in the back, quietly disassembling and assembling a pen.-

ARANEA: -oh hell nah... she's not going to bother being passive aggressive about this. she's scowling.- How dare you say that a8out her! She had every right to try to move on with her life and find fulfillment elsewhere -- in something she 8elieved was good.

KARKAT: =suddenly from the back corner= There's no life if you run. She helped because she could, she had the knowledge. The training. The bravery. She is selfless. She wanted to make things better. Hiding is giving up. She's a fighter.

ARANEA: -DAMN STRAIGHT-

MITUNA: -The pen floats over to sunny, then starts writing on the crate in front of him.-

HESONY: And look where that got Her!

HESONY: You still don't get it. When the Expunger wants you dead, she won't stop until she gets what she wants.

HESONY: The moment Terezi stopped running =there is a slight tremor in his hand= it was only a matter of time.

KARKAT: You don't get it. Fuck it. Fuck you. =turns back over holding her cane=

MITUNA: (5he knew 7ha7 ri5k and 5he 57ill braved her fear5 even when 5he wa5 horrified) -That's what is written on the crate. Tuna isn't much up for talking-

MITUNA: (i75 who 5he wa5 you 5hould know 7ha7 a55farce)

DAVE: so im gathering you guys were tight

HESONY: =stares daggers at the writing before shaking his head with a laugh=

HESONY: Yeah. I did know Her, and it seems the rest of you knew Her too.

HESONY: She was brave.

HESONY: She was selfless.

HESONY: She fought with words and actions both.

HESONY: And then she lost.

HESONY: =His head tilted to Dave= Oh, it was far more than that.

DAELOS: - Just watches the fire as they fight it out. He's a statue now that lives in this chair. -

MITUNA: 5he didn7 lo5e

MITUNA: fuck you

HESONY: Then How would you describe what The Expunger did?

HESONY: That isn't Her title for nothing.

HESONY: If you step in Her path, she destroys you. She takes what you are and runs it through the dirt, erasing everything you were.

HESONY: If The Expunger gets Her way, Terezi won't even be a memory. And you all...keeping that memory alive? =he gestured to the people in the room= You're in just as much danger now.

MITUNA: 7oo bad 7he big bluh bi7ch won7 ge7 ge7 her way

MITUNA: dea7h i5n7 7he end

HESONY: Sure, just like the moons are made of gumballs.

MITUNA: holy 5hi7 7ha7d be rad

MITUNA: bu7 uh i75 no7

MITUNA: my ex ma7e5pri7 died once and 5he came back

HESONY: =Sighs=

HESONY: As what, a nutcreature?

HESONY: I do not understand any of you.

HESONY: That big guy for instance! =gestures at Daelos= Hoarding a body like that will not Help.

HESONY: It will not Help His psyche.

HESONY: Eventually bodies decay and all He will Have to Hold onto is a pile of rot.

MITUNA: no 5he came back a5 a gho57 and 7hen 5he wa5 able 7o be brough7 back wi7h her body

MITUNA: i75 no7 7ha7 difficul7 holy 5hi7

HESONY: ....How strong is the stuff you're toking?

MITUNA: even karka7 died and wa5 able 7o be brough7 back

MITUNA: H0LY FUCK 455H0L3 1 H34R 7H3 5CR34M5 0F D34D 455H0L35 3V3RYD4Y M4Y83 1 KN0W 4 L177L3 M0R3 7H4N Y0U

HESONY: Everyone knows the dead stay dead! This life isn't merciful! You don't get a second chance!

MITUNA: Y35 Y0U D0

HESONY: No, you don't!

MITUNA: Y35 Y0U FUCK1NG D0 4ND 1F 4NY0N3 W1LL G37 0N3 175 73R3Z1

MITUNA: JU57 FUCK1NG W47CH D1CKF4C3

HESONY: How do you expect that to Happen? Should we rewrite History? Got a time machine on Hand?

DAELOS: Be silent

DAELOS: You are ignorant and I am tired of listening to it

MITUNA: 0H MY FUCK1NG 8ULG3 Y0U 5H17 3471NG D1CK M4CK3R3L

DAELOS: None of us are interested in your opinions, least of all me

DAELOS: - Glaring at Hesony and clutching his seat with his ears pinned-

HESONY: =turns his head to face Daelos= Grief is clouding your judgment. You know you cannot hang onto a corpse forever. I'm sorry it Happened, but nothing you do will be able to change that. She is dead. She is staying dead. She is taking up space in your sylladex. A space you could use that may actually increase your chances of survival!

MITUNA: -GROANS LOUDLY and tries to facepalm with his left hand but just kind of...Falls on the floor-

DAELOS: How f001ish, insisting you know better when several sources refute your version of the truth... but I would e%pet nothing less from a mindless Alternian drone who has never needed to think for himself before now... someone content to watch their friends savagely murdered

DAELOS: Scum

HESONY: =his lips curled into a scowl= And where would all of you be if we Had gotten ourselves killed alongside Her? If you were in our place, can you truly say that is what she would Have wanted?

HESONY: Ingrate.

DAELOS: Anyone with a soul would have done whatever they could, would have been driven mad with rage at seeing someone they cared for brutalized in such a manner

DAELOS: You beat and punished this group for having souls because you cannot conceive of what that is like

DAELOS: Spineless... abso100tely disgusting

DAELOS: No matter, I will do whatever I can for Nyalah

DAELOS: If you do not think me capable then put it out of your 100dicrously small mind

HESONY: Yes, we could Have done just that. We could Have been killed for our trouble.

HESONY: And you all could Have perished in that cave with no one to know you Had died.

HESONY: The League would Have collected the bounties on your Heads and would Have been that much closer to wiping out your sorry excuse of a rebellion.

HESONY: You are speaking like revival is possible.

HESONY: And I am saying it is NOT.

MITUNA: -Picks himself off the floor-

MITUNA: Y35 17 15

MITUNA: W3 H4V3 533N 17

MITUNA: W3 H4V3 3XP3R13NC3D 17

DAELOS: - Simply stares back at Sunny blandly and then glances at Mituna.- I suggest you give in... there is no convincing an idiot with no imagination

MITUNA: W3 KN0W M0R3 480U7 D347H 4ND 54CR1F1C3 7H4N Y0U 3V3R C0ULD H0P3 70

DAELOS: Think me de100ded for all I care, the % is mine to bear

HESONY: =makes a strangled noise= YOU CANT IMAGINE SOMEONE BACK TO LIFE IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT—

HESONY: =full out glares at Mituna=

HESONY: Don't you dare say that. You don't-- =A fraction of recognition crossed his face at Mituna's words. He laughed, mirthlessly= She didn't tell all of you, did she?

DAELOS: - Sips tea at >>-

MITUNA: 7ell u5 wha7

HESONY: Why she's blind. Why Micexa and I are like this. =He slaps his right arm and the sound it makes isn't from flesh.= Why the Expunger doesn't Have real arms.

HESONY: Why we all keep ledgers of everyone we Have ever killed.

HESONY: ...Have you found Her copy yet?

MITUNA: -He Squints at this dude. He's not denying he's had a rough go of it, but he knows what Terezi used to be, how she used to be, how she could still be-

MITUNA: no

HESONY: Then do not presume to know more than we did of those things.

HESONY: Do not presume you knew Her.

MITUNA: 7hen don7 claim 7he 5ame

MITUNA: people change and i knew 7erezi

MITUNA: 5he wa5n7 7he one you remembered

HESONY: Well. =he glanced down at the ground, the anger from his face drifting.=

HESONY: We'll never really know, will we?

Dom-01/24/2017

MITUNA: -Sighs- look dudepuff im 5orry you can7 believe wha7 we 5ay bu7 we have 5een 5ome 5hi7

MITUNA: i didn7 even have my p5ionic5 when we go7 7o 7hi5 frozen 5phinc7er

MITUNA: i burn7 7hem ou7 and 5crambled my pan like lu5u5 egg5

MITUNA: i go7 7hem back in 7ha7 fuckhole cave 7hank5 7o aranea ju57

MITUNA: ju57 fucking believe me when i 5ay 5ome impo55ible 5hi7 ha5 happened and will con7inue 7o happen i7 won7 57op keep happening

HESONY: Let's say I believe what you say.

HESONY: You're telling me there's a chance Terezi can come back? How?

MITUNA: fucking miracle5 and cocoon5 and 5hi7 i don7 know 7he de7ail5 every7hing from before i go7 fixed phy5ically hur75 7o remember

HESONY: ...

HESONY: =glances over at Daelos, then slowly looks back to Mituna=

HESONY: You need the body to do it. =it wasn't a question.=

MITUNA: from wha7 i remember yeah

HESONY: ...........

HESONY: =he closed his eyes and put his face in his hands.=

MITUNA: 7hey

MITUNA: 7hey 57ill have i7 don7 7hey

HESONY: =his shoulders are shaking and his hands moved to grip his hair=

DAELOS: -Breaks in- A body is not always required....it just makes it easier

DAELOS: At least, a new body can be procured

MITUNA: 7ha7 doe5n7 5ound fucked up in 7he 5ligh7e57

DAELOS: -Shrug-

DAELOS: -Mad scientist shrugging-

HESONY: =he's just...gonna go take his anger out on a tree somewhere=