#yea anyways don’t fuck with his little creation or he’ll make you wish you were dead

[trunklewunjle]

It’s okay you can say hi, just don’t get too close, Broomie has a mind of its own…

Ink belongs to comyet

Paperjam belongs to 7goodangel

[journeysintowebcomics]

Homestuck Liveblog #175

UPDATE 175: The Antagonists are Here

Last time tons of grist were funneled towards the creation of a new universe, and everyone was getting ready for their fights. Let’s continue!

There are several frames of Terezi using her mind powers to remember, maybe spanning many alternate worlds. I guess I’ll see in this flash file, called ‘Remem8er’.

There’s a lot of art from a guest artist here. I recognize this style; I find it rather nice to look at. What this flash shows is moments of Vriska and Terezis friendship before the game started, back when they got along and weren’t blinding each other or anything. It’s actually a rather sweet flashback, in a way, and knowing how these two ended being in less than good terms with each other, well, makes it kinda bittersweet. Also, other dead characters from the other timeline wake up, most likely getting to the dream bubbles shortly after waking up. For some of them it’s a reunion. All in all, this was a...hmmm...emotionally-focused moment, and one I like. It’s not everyday that Hussie does something like this! But it was reasonable effective. At least it seems that ghost Vriska and the dead Terezi from the other timeline managed to get a nice enough fate. I’m content with that!

Looks like they’re all here now! If Spades Slick arrived, then there’s no doubt everyone else arrived too. There’s an unexpected insight into Spades Slick’s objective of looking for Lord English and eliminating him. In that case, maybe if luck is on everyone’s side Spades Slick won’t fight any of the Wonderkids – well, he may fight Jake, what with having English’s last name and all, but other than that it should all go reasonably okay.

Hah! Yeah, it’s happening, Spades Slick just brought the oven full of mobsters right where Jake was standing. Guess you’re going to fight Spades Slick and gang, Jake, go ahead! How bad could it go? It’s his time to show he’s not as useless as everyone says he is.

Spades Slick doesn’t join the fight because something rainbow-colored and insane crossed the void above them. It’s Union Jack, in all its Lord English-y glory. Well that’s close enough for Spades Slick, he’ll be satisfied with fighting that character. Jake and the Felt? Pah! They can knock each other out for all he cares, he has his own fight now.

On Derse, the Condesce fighting group is making the last moral preparations and John gets told the horrible truth about the Condesce. No, not the part about the Condesce technically being distant family because fate can be weird like that, it’s the part about the Condesce being Betty Crocker.

ROSE: So what do you have to say about that?  JOHN: about what?  ROSE: About the alias of the Condesce.  JOHN: oh.  JOHN: it's fine, i guess. 

Rose is so disappointed there’s no major mental breakdown at this stunning revelation, I guess the running gag had enough run by now! Besides, John has other priorities right now, like delivering serious physical harm to the Condesce and finish their part of the plan. Everyone ready? What’s up with the sword, Roxy?

She’s keeping the sword because it’d be a waste to leave it around, besides, it reminds her of Dirk. Boy if she knew the story of that sword...well, even if she was told right now, it wouldn’t matter because Roxy is highly motivated now! Yeah!

ROXY: i TAKE shit  ROXY: and now ima take back from the WITCH  ROXY: everything she stole that shoulda been ours  ROXY: promise of a better life  ROXY: a future for humanity and trolls alike  ROXY: all that shit  ROXY: im going to swipe its lack  ROXY: and make it all start being a thing again  ROXY: lets never let all that stop from being a thing ever again

Perfect! High spirits shall lead to victory! Got any encouraging speeches to give, Kanaya, Rose, Jane? It should be your turn now. Unfortunately for them, there’s no time for more encouraging speeches.

That makes three of three adversaries present now. Where are the dogs? They should be arriving by now. Who’s going to deal with that? Going to let the Mendicant fight Bec Noir once and for all, or is anyone going to intercept them? I mean, two beings with the powers of the Green Sun have a lot of potential to cause havoc, that’s bound to be troublesome.

Karkat wakes up in the ghost bubble, right near where Meenah is, and where I suppose the ghost army is nearby. Hah! Don’t let Kanaya hear this! She knocked him out so he wouldn’t be in danger, and that’s what got him involved in a fight with Lord English. Sure, it may be a dream and he won’t be in real physical danger, but still! This is his chance to show what he’s made of, too!

Oh, this Karkat doesn’t know anything about Meenah’s plan. Well I doubt neither of them is going to care about such detail, there’s a big bad guy to defeat. Leave the details for later.

MEENAH: this is where the most important action is anyway  MEENAH: its the one for all the roundcircles  MEENAH: gonna take down english for good  MEENAH: even tho hes supposedly "invincible"  MEENAH: got a good feelin about this one though  MEENAH: feel like we gonna make it STICK this time

I see your hands behind the curtain, Hussie. You’re telegraphing quite hard that this is the final battle, and honestly, it’d be quite a downer if this ends in an awful defeat for everyone and Lord English winning. It’d feel like this whole two-year long story was a waste of time, so yeah, I have a good feeling this time they’re going to make it stick.

KARKAT: SO THIS IS REALLY IT, THEN.  KARKAT: THIS IS WHERE IT'S ALL GOING TO END FINALLY?  MEENAH: yea  KARKAT: THEN IT'S PROBABLY FATE THAT I ENDED UP HERE... HOWEVER THAT HAPPENED. 

‘Fate’? I call it ‘authorial fiat’ of the good kind, hah. You’re lucky you’re alive in this dream bubble, Karkaroni, otherwise this’d be very dangerous for you. He wants to do more than just stand among the army, let me quote that one:

KARKAT: CAN I BE AT LEAST A *LITTLE* MORE IMPORTANT THAN LIKE DOOMED EQUIUS #45832, WHO IS WEARING A SAUCY MAID OUTFIT FOR SOME FUCKING REASON?! 

Man, Karkat, I grew to like this guy a lot during Homestuck, quite a difference from how I felt about him back in his first conversation with Jade many acts ago. Do your best, buddy. He’s going to lead the charge towards battle and also give an inspirational speech to the army, Meenah doesn’t care at all. What follows is a monologue for himself, not for others.

KARKAT: THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS START EMULATING STRIDER'S INSUFFERABLE RAMBLING SOLILOQUYS. 

You already do that. You have always done that. You love to ramble to the people you talk with – and with very colorful language, may I add. Dave and you are definitely kindred spirits. He’s even wishing Dave good luck and hoping he’s okay. Nice.

Doomed Calliope took Jade to the Green Sun, announcing it’s their destination. Really? Huh, back to this big old thing,

CALLIOPE: yes, we are close enough now.  CALLIOPE: but we do not have to do anything.  CALLIOPE: only i do.  JADE: oh  JADE: then... what do i have to do?  CALLIOPE: nothing.  CALLIOPE: you needed to accompany me on this journey, so that time could pass for you.  CALLIOPE: and now, that time has passed. 

So this was just a way to stall for time, make Jade continue asleep until the right moment, I suppose. Doomed Calliope is the one that’ll need to do something here. Try to destroy the sun, perhaps? It’d weaken Lord English, Bec Noir and the Mendicant, so that should make everything less dangerous for everyone. Just try not to accidentally inflate the sun or something, Doomed Calliope, last time someone tried to destroy the sun it ended being created.

JADE: you mean i will never see you again after i wake up?  CALLIOPE: no one will ever see me again after you wake up.  JADE: :(

Please don’t hurl yourself into the sun. That sounds like she’s planning to hurl herself into the sun. Why when one has to do something with the sun it involves hurling oneself to it, bombs optional?

Jade asks what she’s supposed to do once she wakes up.

CALLIOPE: by then, the fight should be over.  CALLIOPE: assuming your friends were successful, you must use your abilities to seed the new universe with your new home.  CALLIOPE: that is all. 

Well that’s mighty disappointing, I was hoping Jade would be able to do something during the fight, but I guess it’s for the better, the Condesce won’t be able to control her. Besides, her duty with the creation of the new universe is important. That can work. Doomed Calliope dissuades her from fighting, given the lack of control Jade has over those powers. She’s like...a glass cannon, just that instead of being powerful yet fragile, her lack of experience may lead to she firing one shot and crumbling under the weight of her effort – or at least that’s how I’m interpreting this.

CALLIOPE: if you must have advice, i will give you some similar to that i gave your other space-playing friend.  CALLIOPE: i told her to live, where before she had not.  CALLIOPE: so too, you are similarly imprisoned by various inertias.  CALLIOPE: these weigh on you.  CALLIOPE: you are a child, belonging to a race for which that distinction is understood to correspond with experiences of "enjoyment."  CALLIOPE: perhaps you should try to have,  CALLIOPE: "fun."

You have a whole universe to grow, Jade. Have fun. You know, this doomed version of Calliope is quite different from the one everyone knows, but I like her. She may be blunt and not have much interest in socializing or anything, but she also knows what she’s doing, and that’s something I can respect.

Doomed Calliope gives her farewell. I think I’m ending the update here. If I’m not mistaken, it looks like the stage is set for all the confrontations. All that remains is to actually do them. This can be great!

Next update: two updates