#don’t mind how I can’t draw the prototype lmao

[spaced-out-tiger]

We’re gonna go blow up the prototype :]

(Inspired by when I was yapping yesterday xD)

[phantasmagoriaoriginals]

I would love to hear more about the stories themselves and your thoughts as an author, like which stories came to you easily to write vs which plotlines did you really have to wrestle with (aside from the monstrosity that is anryuu epic), which ones have your personal favourite storylines and which ones do you think you'll be able to work on for the rest of the year? just small behind the scenes questions bcs i dont know what to ask really im just excited to read them as they come ;;;;

Oh boy. This is uhhh.... gonna be a rant lmao. I appreciate the ask a lot! :D Having a chance to talk about the stories when someone wants to hear is very nice, so thank you!!! 

Under a cut because long. 

Anryuu Epic is a big deal right now. It’s enough of a monstrosity that it has to have its own blog too ( @anryuuepic ), and, well... I can’t write it for quite a while. Because of its sheer size, there’s just so much worldbuilding, plotting, and character development that has to be done to keep everything straight that I won’t be able to actually start on it for at least a couple more years, depending on how much time I have to work on it... I love it, I really do, but damn is the work overwhelming.

Execution Program is a tricky case. I have the entire first part figured out in pretty good detail in my head, except for the actual play-by-play plotting, and as well as I know the whole concept, I probably could write it next year if I wanted to... but the issue comes in that I really want it to be a visual media. A manga or webcomic is what I’m aiming for, but considering that drawing is not my thing at all, I’m kind of stuck tbh. :/ I’m just holding onto it until I can figure something out. And considering doing a prototype written version. 

Infinite 9 needs a lot of work. I had one concept originally that I decided I didn’t like, so now, it needs fixed up almost entirely. Once I sit down and get it figured out, it should be short enough to handle fairly easily, but I still have some major worldbuilding/plot debates to make decisions on. 

Memento Mori is in a similar boat. I changed the original concept not too long ago, so now, I need to make sense of things in the new way. I have the plot pretty well figured out, but character-building just hasn’t wanted to work out for me. Once I actually sit down and do it, it won’t be too lengthy/difficult I don’t think, but again, I have to get the time and motivation to do that. 

Herman’s story is another case of me needing it to be a visual material. I’m basically dead-set on it being somehow animated, mostly because I don’t think the jokes will work in any other way. Like with Execution Program, I’m just kind of holding onto it for now... 

Here There be Monsters is another old favorite. It was a huge focus of mine during my teen years, and tbh, will probably be third largest of these stories in terms of book number and sheer length. It want it to be complicated, but my old designs and ideas need a lot of fleshing out now that I have an adult mind going for me, and it feels kind of intimidating. ;w; Like with Anryuu, I’ll need to figure out a lot of stuff before I can actually write it. 

STASIS is actually kind of started! I plan to write it very soon, but I need to rewatch/read its inspirations again before I can go for it. I have the entire thing plotted out in detail, so it’s just a matter of when I get those media consumed again. Which is... difficult, considering how busy I tend to be. 

Higanbana Club is another one that I probably could do at almost any time with a bit of plotting and figuring out the last major elements needed. The problem with it is that I’ve been told (and agree) that I should wait a bit before I do it. It’s a very important story to me, so people have told me that I should wait until I have a few novels under my belt before attempting something that matters so much. And I think that’s a fair point. 

Vanishing Line, I could also likely start at any time. I’d need to work out the details of the plot and a few more characters, but overall, it’s in a state where minimal work could have it ready to go! I know the ending, most of the plot, and everything, so it wouldn’t be too hard to get together and go for when I have the chance. It’s a story that’s come to me very easily/quickly. 

Four Years is tied with Angelica’s Eden for the second-largest/longest of my stories. I didn’t exactly intend for it to happen at first, but the longer I look at what I want the plot and story to be, the more it expands. There’s a LOT of things that I want to include and a lot of development that I want to happen. Tbh, my biggest hurdle with it is expanding the cast, since the first time I tried to write it (in 2017) failed mostly because I didn’t have enough people to work with... or people motivating me. >.> I’d like to do stuff with it soon, I think. 

Asteria Garden is yet another case of me having changed the original idea (it was too... happy) and needing to rework stuff for it to be writable. Again, I need to fix just, a lot, so it’s a matter of me having the time to sit down and make sense of everything. 

Chamillane has undergone some recent rework too— namely, that it became a three-part story instead of the one-part one I had assumed it would be. Stephane went from the main villain to one of three, and I’m going to have to adjust a lot to make that work. That said, I adore the other two antagonists I came up with, and I can’t wait to make their stories work!

The Girls of Virtue has been both an incredible experience and the biggest thorn in my side I’ve ever written. I love it dearly, I really do, but the pace at which I’ve written it makes me want to beat myself. I know it’s because life keeps beating me over the head with a stick, but I’m so disappointed in how slow it’s been. ;w; That said, we’re like four chapters away from the end, so look forward to that as soon as I can get it done! Hopefully soon. 

SILVER is one where I’m kind of.... confused? I thought I had a clear idea for it, but the longer I thought about it, the more off it started to seem, and now, I’m looking at some big questions that need to be answered. I still love what I’m doing with it (especially Marlow!), but there are some pretty major issues that I need to sort through before it becomes writeable.

Angelica’s Eden.... yikes. It’s another one where it got out of control very fast, and now, I’m looking at a presumable seven parts to the full thing. I love where it’s going, but considering that it’s tied for current second-longest along with Four Years, I have a lot of work that needs to be done before it’s in writeable shape. The plot is coming along pretty well, though! The three parts I do have are tying together nicely, and I just need to brainstorm the other pieces that will pull the whole thing into one coherent storyline~

Yamitsuki is current kind of on hold? I need to get at least a good chunk of the way into Nightfall before I start it, so it’s just sitting at its blog, @yamitsukigame , before I get around to doing serious work on it. I’m having fun with the characters, but it needs to wait for a while. 

Nightfall. Ah, the original work that’s so popular it almost offends me. XD I don’t know what I did to make it go over so well, but it almost bothers me that it gets so much more traction than everything else. I love the attention, I really do, and it is quite the experience.... it’s just a little bizarre to me that it became so well-loved out of absolutely nowhere? Actually, now that I think about it, it’s also probably one of my longest. Just in game form. I need to work on it more often, but hhhhnn motivationnnnn is slow. 

White Snow, last of all! It’s another one that’s pretty much ready to write— I’m just having a hard time catching the mood when it’s still in the heat of early fall. I think it’ll come to me again quickly once winter starts up, so expect something then, most likely! It’ll be pretty short, I think, so here’s hoping I can handle it at a good pace when I get there? 

Thanks again for the ask, anon!!! :D

[revengerevisited]

asdfghjkl okay so @vero-chan​ 

revenge revisited is an oc / online persona i created back in 2009~2010

her name is from the videogame [prototype] where to unlock hard mode you have to finish the game on normal first, and there’s an achievement that you get if you beat the game on hard mode called revenge revisited, and since the main plot of the game is about revenge it means to get the achievement you get revenge twice, hence revenge revisited

honestly i just thought it was a cool screen name

i guess that revenge could be considered as both myself yet also a separate persona from myself as she and i don’t have the exact same personality, kinda like how james rolfe is a real person and the angry videogame nerd is just his persona??

uh anyway, revenge used to be super overpowered and basically had the powers of alex mercer and cole macgrath combined because i was an edgy 8th grader at the time with zero restraint, and she could also turn into a dragon and was dating alex mercer because mary sue. she also had thigh-high stockings because, well. i think we all know why~

i scaled her back a lot though in high school so now she’s a half-angel with lightning powers and retractable wings, no shapeshifting nor dragons. she also has basic healing and super strength but that’s standard for super-powered beings in the vengeverse, or revenge universe, which is basically my version of cwcville lmao (keep in mind this stuff is like 10+ years old ;P), i also made her hair shorter cause it was easier to draw (it used to go down to her ankles)

she has a male clone/brother named valor revisited, who is kinda opposite personality from her in that she’s a lot more boisterous and fun while he’s a lot more serious. his name is because i wanted something starting with a v because the vengeverse symbol is an anarchy sign upside down (not that i’m an anarchist, i just thought it looked cool. edgy 8th grader remember), at one point he wore a trilby hat ‘cause i thought they were cool until reddit ruined them

as far as weapons go revenge tends to favor wrist blades (thanks assassins’ creed) and duel-wielding pistols, for valor i can’t remember drawing him with anything other than an axe but i’m sure he had some sort of gun, he also has fire powers to contrast revenge’s lightning

other inhabitants of the vengeverse included more personas and gender-swapped versions of my middle and high school friends as well as various videogame characters. sadly the comic wherein soul neko and revenge revisited have a double ice cream date with altaïr and alex mercer in which soul blushes and faints from altaïr touching her cat ears while revenge has ust-fueled bickering with alex while cole macgrath stands confused in the background has been lost to time (i could retell the whole thing in detail if prompted, however X3)

uhhh i think that’s it X’D more pics found here and here

[velteris]

indulge me

post-episode 3: Princess takes Ange’s treatment into her own hands.

(i started writing this on August 28th lmao)

It’s been some time since she’s seen so much blood, come to think of it.

She used to dance till she wore great red sores in the soles of her feet, until they got used to it and she stopped having to bandage before every ball. There were always the odd papercut incidents, too, and needle pricks when her attention drifted while embroidering. But she hasn’t even had the luxury of a skinned knee for years now. A princess’s body was meant to be admired, adorned, not active.

Which makes it quite the shock when Dorothy pulls up the car and she sees her own face covered in blood.

Beatrice is making distraught noises, dabbing at Ange’s face with scraps of parachute. Ange bears it in taut silence; her eyes dart to Princess’s once, then away, resting somewhere above Beatrice’s head.

Princess bites her tongue, swallows metal and worry and a name that can’t be spoken now. Dorothy rolls over her silence and takes the first words instead: “What happened?”

“Beatrice decided to stow away,” says Ange as Beatrice bursts out, “It won’t stop bleeding!”

Dorothy swings over the side of the car. Belatedly, Princess opens the ignored car door, but for some reason, her feet carry her to the edge of the blooming parachute and no farther.

“Hold your bangs back for me,” Dorothy orders, suddenly sounding every inch of her age.

Ange obeys mutely. Dorothy slicks back a few bloody strands, fingers dyeing red, and inspects the sluggishly-bleeding head wound. She sighs and pronounces the verdict: “Deep but small. It’s probably only bleeding so much because of the sky-dive. Get in the car; we have bandages, but we can probably sew you up at base better.”

“Ange,” says Princess. Training straightens her back; instinct shivers down her arms. “Are you alright?”

“Don’t worry,” says Ange. Her eyes are cloudy. Princess counts the minutes between the phone call and their arrival, multiplies it by drip rate, and comes to an uncomfortably high amount of blood loss. “All Black Lizard Planet natives bleed like this. We’re fragile, you see.”

“Fragile my ass,” says Dorothy. “Come on, in you get. Beatrice, Princess, give me a hand with this parachute, it’s a dead giveaway.”

She spends the whole car ride planning, juggling what she knows of each of the other girls’ personalities and responsibilities. Here is a talent she’s cultivated over countless public appearances, sizing up her allies and enemies and in-betweens with three sentences and a well-placed smile, playing them against each other as best as she knows how.

So. To Dorothy, she says, “You must need to make your reports immediately. Please, allow us to take care of Ange’s wounds.”

Dorothy eyes her doubtfully. “Do you know any first-aid?”

She knows swiping cut fingers along dusty windowsills instead of a bandage, and pouring filthy, salty water over a chimney-sweep’s soot burns, and conning passersby into buying useless tonics of unknown chemicals with a sweet smile for enough money to buy a bread loaf. “I’m good at embroidery,” she says instead. “And Ange can instruct us, can’t she?”

To Beatrice, she says, “Beato, would you mind letting us be? I know you don’t like the sight of blood.”

As expected, Beatrice blanches at the mere mention, but she lifts her chin stubbornly. “I can help!”

Princess is so proud of her tiny follower. She also mentally apologises as she drops her voice from soft to severe and says, “Beato. I also need to speak with Ange in private, to apologise for your behaviour today. Ange could have been seriously hurt by your reckless decision.”

It works, oh help her. Beatrice looks like a kicked puppy, but slinks off mumbling about preparing tea for them once they’re finished. Princess promises herself to make amends later and soothe Beatrice’s guilt.

But it’s all worth it when, finally, she can say: “Come here, Charlotte, put your head in my lap.”

Ange gives her an incredulous look. It doesn’t work as well when she only has one eye open. “I’ll get blood all over your clothes.”

Princess draws a towel over her lap and looks at Ange expectantly. Ange’s cheeks go from wan to rose-tinged wan; her one eye darts off to the side.

“Before you bleed out, please,” Princess says.

Ange obeys.

It’s a slow, hesitant process, and Princess treasures every moment of it, of Ange closing the distance between them. She sits on the bed, smoothing wrinkles out self-consciously; scoots a little closer, then a little further, like a cautious animal. Princess waits.

Her legs swing up onto the bed, and she turns her back to Princess. Ange’s neck is speckled with soot and airship grime. So is her hair, and Princess wonders if she can convince Ange to let her wash her hair.

Ange leans back, and stops as a drop of blood hits the covers. She opens her mouth.

“No,” says Princess, and cups one hand around the back of Ange’s head, puts the other hand on Ange’s sternum, and press-press-presses her down until her lap is full of grey hair and startled blue eyes.

(From this angle, Ange looks so young.)

Princess’s hand moves over her tools, selects thin cotton wipes and a small bowl of water. “Close your eyes,” she orders, and starts to clean Ange’s face.

It’s not too deep a cut, but head wounds always bleed like one. It curves up along Ange’s hairline till whatever hit Ange presumably met Ange’s braid and stopped, and tapers off over Ange’s eyebrow at the other end. A little blood wells up sluggishly when the wipe passes over the cut. The skin around Ange’s eyes tighten, but she says nothing and makes no sound.

“Sorry,” Princess whispers anyway - and at last, Ange makes eye contact.

“It’s alright. You’re doing fine.”

“You’re going to have to tell me what to do soon,” she admits. “I told Dorothy as much.”

With a concrete task, Ange relaxes. “You’ll need to stitch it. Dorothy gave you the first-aid kit? Good - give me an alcohol wipe while you sterilise the needle and thread…”

Princess works in near silence, keyed to Ange’s instructions. She only hesitates once - right before the needle goes into the skin - until Ange takes a slightly deeper breath, and it’s interesting how they haven’t been reunited for more than a few days yet Princess already knows that’s Ange for stop stalling. Then her hands fall into a familiar rhythm.

Thankfully, it’s only a few stitches. Eager to help though she may be, Princess doesn’t think she could have stood more than that minute of seeing Ange’s skin shudder under her hands, knowing that she’s hurting Ange. Ange’s grim silence only makes it worse.

“There,” she says lightly, trying not to show how shaken she was. “I don’t think it was badly done, if I might say so.”

Ange pats carefully at the stitches and nods approval. Then it’s just one more sterilising wipe and the small bandage.

“Thank you,” says Ange, peering up at her from her lap. Memory stabs through Princess’s heart; her face is sharper, the baby fat worn away, but Princess remembers seeing a little girl who carefully sticks a similar bandage onto her nose, grins at Princess, and runs off past the castle walls…

Princess smooths her thumb over the edges of Ange’s bandage. “Anything for you,” she murmurs.

This close, she can see Ange’s shoulders tense, her collarbones standing stark. Princess frowns and makes a meaningless soothing sound, carding her fingers through Ange’s bangs, trying to relax her.

“That’s… I’m sorry,” mutters Ange, trying to turn her head away. But Princess won’t let her run - not after they’ve finally found each other again. If she had to, she could make a guess at why there’s guilt written into Ange’s thinned lips, even though her instincts tell her not to press yet.

All she says instead is, “Don’t be,” as she leans down. She presses a long kiss against Ange’s forehead, carefully clear of the bandage, like a benediction. Ange inhales sharply under her. Ignoring Ange’s renewed tension and her own racing pulse, Princess holds the kiss until they both settle into this unfamiliar marvel.

Ange’s smiling for the first time since that rooftop reunion when Princess pulls away. “This is new.”

“Indulge me.” Princess does it again, partly to see Ange’s eyebrows wrinkle cutely, partly just for the thrill. “Can I help anywhere else?”

Ange’s eyes stay closed for a moment more before she breathes out and swings herself upright. Princess watches her go with a twinge of disappointment - till Ange turns around and offers up her left hand, like a parody of a dance request.

“I’d usually take care of this myself,” Ange admits. “But - since you’re offering, indulge me…?”

The red satin of her glove’s palm-side is mostly burnt away. In its stead, an angry red circle blooms on Ange’s palm, fanning out along her fingers. Blisters (thankfully small) trail the creases of the finger joints.

It takes Princess a moment to connect the dots. Ange’s right-handed, so she fires with her right, and the left is… “The C-ball?”

“They couldn’t quite work the kinks out of the prototype.” Ange’s mouth twists; not quite a smile. “Normally I’m more careful than this, though.”

Princess takes the proffered hand and bends over it. It’s a few delicate seconds as she works the glove’s tattered remains off without aggravating the burn further. “I’m afraid this is a little beyond my embroidery skills.”

“I’ll make Control give me one with better padding next time.” Ange plucks an antiseptic cream from the first aid kit. “Make sure to cover it all; it would be bad if it scarred and we didn’t match anymore.”

Princess hums as she smears the cream liberally over Ange’s burns. “Is that still necessary? Operation Changeling?”

“It’s a good backup plan,” says Ange. “If you’re ever in too much danger, I can still take your place. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Says the one covered in scrapes,” scolds Princess. Ange has the decency to look abashed as Princess finishes and wipes the excess cream carelessly onto the towel. It’ll need a good cleaning anyway. “Anywhere else, Charlotte? No - don’t give me that face, indulge me just a little more.”

Ange pats at her face, assessing the grazes on her nose, then at her ribs. “No - makeup can hide the rest. Thank you, Princess.”

Princess claps decisively. “Time for a bath, then,” she says cheerfully. “Might I call Beatrice for her help?”

“Wh - is this going to be a joint operation?”

“Your hair, at the very least. You can’t wash it well with only one hand.” Princess doesn’t wheedle. She prefers ‘gently encouraging and persuasive’.

Ange narrows her eyes at Princess, who affects her most innocent look. At last, she says grudgingly, “No Beatrice yet. Just… just you. Indulge me.”

And she thought she’d never get to see that spoiled, petulant princess again.

“Gladly,” says Princess, smiling uncontrollably as she goes to fill the bathtub.

[abundantchewtoys]

HS EpiPro: page 3 reaction

After giving it more thought, I know Rose might simply have been moved by the goodbye.

There's a possibility it's a farewell, that John might not be able to rejoin them, but then that would mean HIS victory state is something else.

And if I'm honest, the main thing that would move him to choose the other versions of his friends above those that he won the game with, was if their adventures somehow led to his Dad's resurrection. At least, that's the only thing I can come up with right now.

I also no longer think that Rose might have gotten 'ideas' due to her current state, but it still stands that her condition, if it wouldn't improve, is a serious impediment. Comparable to any debillitating illness you can get at a young age, like Parkinson or young dementia.

On to greener pastures, for now. I'm looking forward to the John/Roxy interaction. Apart from the funny quips they'll exchange, I'm looking to see what nuggets of wisdom she may have to share with him. If she won't join after all, she may have something for John as a Rogue of Void, shedding light on something he was too oblivous to have noticed or remembered.

---

Hmm, so Rose was in the Human Kingdom? Kind of strange, considering Kanaya's commitment to the trolls' legacy. It... might just be that the Human & Troll Kingdom are located at the same coordinates on the planet, just the first one on the surface level and the other, partially submerged? We know from the snaps that Karkat's hive, at least, was on the surface.

"For whatever faults this paradise you created might have, you sure don’t hear many complaints about the weather." Those faults including the troll rebellion that kidnapped Jane?

"You’re sitting with Roxy and Calliope on a giant, chessboard-pattern tablecloth. It’s a nice touch, you think. But if you spent any time shopping in the Carapace Kingdom, you’d know most things you can buy are chess themed." Pffff, hah, of course that's a thing. At least a chess-themed cloth is not so on the nose as, say, chess-themed cars or clothes.

"JOHN: she looked alright. mostly just tired.

JOHN: at least she seemed to have enough energy to babble at length about philosophical gibberish, and things about canon and such.

ROXY: lmao

ROXY: guess she filled you in on all the ultimate self junk then"

So Roxy knew about Rose's condition, but at minimum hadn't spoken to her that day yet. Also, she knows about the merging of selves! The 'ultimate self' term could've come from Jade, from when she talked to Davepetasprite^2.

"JOHN: you haven’t been feeling anything like that, right?

ROXY: what getting to know my ultimate self?

JOHN: yeah.

ROXY: man ive barely got a hold of my basic ass self" Hah, nice. At least John isn't the only one.

"the only illicit substance i’ve ever done is lick that STUPID trickster lollipop" Well, okay, so John didn't loot Dad's liquor stash, if the man had any to begin with.

"JOHN: NEVER AGAIN." Calliope might think the incident bears repeating, unless she learned by now that irresponsibly discarding your issues doesn't resolve anything.

"ROXY: cant say its much my business anymore

ROXY: rose and i arent as close as we used to be

You nod, sort of knowingly, because you’re thinking about how you hadn’t talked to Rose in ages either. Roxy gives you a quizzical look, but you turn away before she can draw meaning from it." :/ They've drifted apart over the years, then. I kind of hoped they'd keep in touch, all sister-like. And Roxy might be a whiz at reading subverbal clues, come to think of it, as Rogue of Void.

"ROXY: maryams been keeping her real busy since they got hitched

ROXY: they both vanished down the brooding caverns and that was p much that

ROXY: only since she got sick and spent more time at home did we start talkin more again

ROXY: its been great but our conversations have been a lil bit upsetting" Eesh, so... Kanaya's calling kept the two of them so wrapped up they lost contact. That's sad. I wonder if Rose came up because exposure to the sun helped alleviate some of the symptoms, due to Vitamine D and all that. In any case, if they hadn't talked that much in so long, there's still a lot of unresolved issues between the two of them.

"You look towards the bell tower in the distance. It’s a gothic building so tall that it cuts a shadow through the midday sun. It’s an important landmark in the kingdom—the tallest structure for miles around—and the only way you can ever navigate your way here flying. Carapace architecture is otherwise identic, a reflection of their functional, collectivist society." I'm pretty sure the bell tower resembles the towers with the prototyping orbs on Derse & Prospit. I can picture anyone not a carapace getting lost pretty quickly in this kingdom.

"ROXY: ive thought about it but ill probably never wanna live in a different kingdom

ROXY: still feel most at home around the chess guys" Aww, yeah, it's the society she grew up knowing, identical architecture included.

"JOHN: that’s about how i feel about the salamanders. JOHN: which... i realize actually makes no fucking sense." I think the Salamander Village somehow reminds John of his old town. Maybe by subconsiously equating the pipes of LOWAS to the Pipe Lake that was near his home. (Look it up if you don't know, the location of John's town really exists.)

"JOHN: they lead simple lives.

JOHN: i don’t really care for the chaos of human or troll cities." I think John longs for the suburban feel, and maybe there are a lot less suburbs on Earth C that can hold up in comparison to his old neighbourhood. Plus, the salamanders make a best effort to act like proper businessmen bringing food on the shelves and taking care of their atomic family household. It's just recognizable, to John.

"You watch Roxy smile and reach for Calliope’s hand.

> Look away before you start dwelling on it.

You start dwelling on it immediately, looking probably quite conspicuous with how quickly you whipped your gaze away. But seriously, what is up with their relationship? Is it romantic? Platonic? Can cherubs even have a romantic relationship? Are they even interested in it, like, on a fundamental level? Do their brains and hearts even work that way? Questions like this used to keep you awake at night." Ah, John, I know your the fandom avatar here, but for you to be this preoccupied with romance is weird. :P I'd figure he'd figure they were just close friends, like a good shonen anime protagonist would. I'm reminded of the events from the snaps, where Roxy & Calliope appeared to be dating, but eh. I suppose due to the snaps existing outside of canon, they're all squared off into a "choose what you want to keep from this" zone.

"

You look at them, at where Roxy’s fingers are entwined with Calliope’s green claws. Calliope is still wearing the Ring of Life. The same one you obtained in a ludicrous adventure through the afterlife, and then re-obtained in a ludicrous adventure through canon when it was stolen from you. It’s the same one that allowed Calliope to stop being dead in the first place, and to come live with your friends here on your beautifully renovated home planet." I've begun thinking: if John would retcon the Game Over timeline, Aranea would still be in possession of the Ring of Life. But she may not keep it, it just depends on whether removing the ring rekills her or not. If not, then that's a Chekov's Gun they'll probably need at some point.

"And it’s the same one you gave Roxy all those years ago, to fulfill a promise made to a very special new friend.

At the time, the gesture felt so important. It felt more meaningful than any gift you’d ever given. Like there was some grand emotional gravitas about it that signified something deeper than... than what it turned out to be.

You have since concluded you were just imagining things. Ascribing symbolic meaning to gestures that they simply didn’t carry, like the dumb kid you were." Yeah, Roxy x John was being hinted at pretty badly back then. I figure part of the reason John hasn't stayed in touch with her is because the feelings were, in the end, not to last or be reciprocated in full. Then again, it might have been a case of one thing leading to another - John distancing himself because he didn't know what to make of Roxy & Calliope's relationship, in turn alienating Roxy little by little.

"But you can’t stop thinking about it. What goes on in Roxy’s head. What she thinks about you.

You and all your friends have dispositions affected by your classes and aspects. You think you know what that means in your case. But what about her? You can only speculate. Void is a place where things sink and disappear. Where they linger forever, but cease to exist. You aren’t actually sure if your feelings for Roxy ever really faded, or if they just grew numb with time and distance. Is it the same for her?

You search your soul for the answer, but come up empty. The truth is, you suspect her mental interior is unfathomable. In fact, you feel sure of it.

You wonder suddenly, watching her. This version of her, that is. The one with whom you share all these bittersweet memories—will you ever see her again?" I do wonder what John's class & aspect does to his disposition, that he thinks. As for Roxy's feelings being swallowed by the Void or the workings of her mind & heart being incalculable... That is just taking an easy way out of thinking about a hard problem, in my opinion. I do however like the fact that John at least realizes that by goiAgang back into canon, he risks losing his way back here. It's good the realization didn't just came after the fact.

Again, what's HIS victory state: Dad revived, and Roxy committed to a relationship with him, if she really isn't otherwise engaged? ... I wonder if he'll seek some last minute guidance from Nannasprite (either one), before leaving, come to think of it.

"CALLIOPE: ahem." Aha! I was kind of beginning to doubt she'd even speak up. It's easy to think of Calliope as a background character in this story, but she's been an important catalyst for a lot of events. And, she or a version of her will probably still have a large role to play. Though Blaperile and I wonder how there could be another version of her, since Roxy only revived her after the events of Game Over.

"CALLIOPE: please forgive me if i come across as impatient. bUt if we are finished with the pleasantries, i believe yoU have a choice to make." I don't think the choice is: cake or cookies. Then again, it just might be, since Blaperile reminded me the choice was referred to in the epilogues summary. It'll probably get lampshaded a couple times again before it really happens, and they do seem to be picknicking right now.

"

CALLIOPE: the choice as to whether yoU will go defeat my brother, or stay here." Ooh, I'm glad it's a serious choice. I wonder about Calliope's stance in this matter. She hates Caliborn, also fears his powers, presumably. But she's wise enough to understand his importance to the whole of Paradox Space.

"CALLIOPE: have yoU decided yet?

JOHN: there’s a choice??" Real, capitalize-C Choices, in Sburb at least, always seem to beget two timelines, but inside an epilogue, the consequences of that would be... confusing.

"ROXY: tbh its a relief to finally be doin this

JOHN: it is?

ROXY: mm hm

JOHN: how much have you actually... talked about this? i mean, how many people knew this was going to be a thing?" ... Did EVERYONE of the players talk about this beforehand, has everyone made there peace with John possibly leaving them forgood to save their own futures? On the one hand, that would sooth John of most worry, but on the other hand... That must sting a little or a lot.

"ROXY: just us and rose. well dirk too i think" Oh, so only them and Dirk? Is it because of his powers as the Prince of Heart, that he has his own understanding of the ultimate self, by way of keeping in contact with all shards of his person in some way or another? ... Is the epilogue version of Dirk, or Brain Ghost Dirk, going to be able to use some of post-canon Dirk's knowledge in the matter, I wonder?

"ROXY: shes been talkin to me about it a bunch

ROXY: and him too but i dunno how much

ROXY: hes got like

ROXY: “thoughts” about all this shit

ROXY: but whatever thats not important or even remotely surprising

ROXY: bottom line, rose has been tormenting herself about having to tell you

ROXY: im just glad she finally said it so she can rest" Ah, so that is the main reason Rose & Roxy's latest conversations weren't more pleasant, then. Also, Dirk and Rose have always been the strategists of their respective cliques, among the humans that is.

"CALLIOPE: yes. take all the time yoU need.

CALLIOPE: again, we aren’t here to inflUence yoU. it’s very important that the decision come from yoUr desire to go throUgh with it, one way or another.

CALLIOPE: any tampering coUld taint the resUlts.

JOHN: taint the...

JOHN: wait, what?" Oh yes, John has to decide for himself, no one can just, like COMMAND him to do it through the narration or anything. :P Funny how, meta wise, indeed we can't influence John, but in-story, he's of course still getting railroaded into making a choice. There's supposed to be three options in this: fight, flight or indecision, but he's denied the last one.

This is actually one of the first times John is going to make the call for himself after being informed of the stakes. I mean that in, he's not supposed to decide on the best course of action together with someone else.

"A chill runs through you and stays there.

> Consider the gravitas of this choice.

You try, but you can’t, because you weren’t really prepared for it. You didn’t think it was a choice at all until this very second." Even if they won't influence him in word, being informed of the stakes may convince John that there is not really anything to say in favour for NOT doing this.

"You think back to the way Rose looked at you before she went to bed. What has she told Roxy that she didn’t tell you? The chill tightens around your throat and turns into fear.

No, not fear. The feeling is worse than that. It’s regret.

You wasted your time here on this idyllic restoration of Earth. Why did you spend so much time alone? Moping around the house mourning your dead father, who probably would have wanted you to get more enjoyment out of your teen years, as well as your unusually early retirement. There’s so much you could have done. You could have even reached out to Roxy again; maybe she was waiting for you to do that. Maybe your withdrawal hurt her. Maybe she was heartbroken, just like you kind of feel right now. You study her perfectly stoic face and conclude nothing from it. Her expression reminds you of how Dave used to look, when you first met for real, before years of living with Karkat softened him up. Impenetrable cool." John might get a lot of second chance out of this adventure, but it won't make up for what he and everyone else has gone through already... I'm glad John is coming back from that whole "unfathomable mental interior" idea he had. It shouldn't be that hard for him, to picture what he'd feel if he was her and had gotten the same treatment as he gave her.

"It’s too late to figure any of this out now. You fucked it up already.

Unless, of course, you choose to stay.

Upon further examination, you realize that Roxy’s stoicism isn’t cold. There’s concern there. She is displaying restraint, keeping quiet while you make up your mind. You’re sweating, you realize. Cold sweat. Even worse than the anime nightmare sweat you woke up soaked in this morning.

ROXY: john u ok?" The gravitas of the situation is fully stalking him now. At least, if he chooses to stay, I'm convinced another version of him would turn up to fill the... ahem, void. Like the version of him he met when he went back to talk to Terezi and got the scarf instructions.

Blaperile has a good point, that John for once has to form an opinion on the best course of action and stick to it, not letting himself be influenced. That kind of resolve is rare for him, after all, he's done so much relying on other people to know better.

"JOHN: ..." This is really not any responsibility John enjoys having.

"CALLIOPE: this decision is far too important to be made on an empty stomach." Oh, NOW the cake & cookies come out. :P I think John'll have to think this one over some more still, asking other people for input.

"CALLIOPE: behold, an array of savory delights for the carnally inclined.

CALLIOPE: or perhaps something for yoUr sweet tooth, if a lUst for treats is what stokes yoUr desire?" Hah, her diet's still the same then as before, meat & candy.

"You scoot to the side and peek into the basket to see if there’s anything else. There’s a book in there, but no more food. This is all there is." Might that be Rose's tome in there? It would be funny for John to only make his decision after having reread the entirety of Homestuck, as a refreshener of everything that happened to him. :P

"Your entire world narrows to a single point of light as you are utterly consumed by the overbearing decision about which of these absurd meals to have for lunch." Ah yes, not the Choice the victory state deserves John to make, but the one John needs right now.

"> MEAT or CANDY?

Meat or candy. The two possibilities pinball around your skull. Meat or candy. It’s a tough choice. On any other day you might be inclined to simply follow the whims of your cravings, but no clear victor surges to the forefront of your mind."

Hmm, there seems to be a parallel being drawn here to John's actual Choice. Is the timeline going to split over it, I wonder? ... Blaperile has a good point. Is this indication that, even in this, John will be able to pick a third option, like how the Vriska/Terezi standoff got resolved? If neither option seems to lead to an entirely satisfactory outcome, he might have to create his own terms somehow.

"Either option offers a tempting means of sustenance. You know the meat will be rich and filling, and if you’re being honest with yourself, you haven’t had the most robust diet as of late. You didn’t even have breakfast. It’s probably a good idea to eat something resembling a real meal for once." So, is MEAT in this allegory John going back into canon, kicking off a new, fulfulling adventure? And CANDY being John staying in the victory state, everything staying happy happy joy joy but ultimately not leading to anything? Then again, MEAT is bloody. The adventure won't be cleanly resolved, just like Homestuck proper had some loose ends.

"But you’re no stranger to Calliope’s tastes, as far as carnivorous comestibles are concerned. You know every cut on that plate is rare to the core. It’ll fill your mouth to bursting with juice, lie heavy on your stomach for hours to come as your body works to break down all the nutritious protein and fat." Aka Hussie tells captivating tales, that we'll need to digest for some time. We should be wary about this.

... Are we going to get a choice as readers at the end of this page? Stay or leave? (Not to be confused with the Brexit poll choices.)

... No!

This is the end of the it, for now!

"To Be Continued" Cooooooool.[/spoiler]

In all honesty, I had been spoiled on my dash that a TBC was incoming, but I didn't know when or if in the meantime the comic might have updated again.