#yes her lusus would do that to her at least once

[incorrect-hs-quotes]

Terezi: MY TOX1C TR41T 1S B31NG F3RV3NTLY CONV1NC3D TH4T 1F 1 3V3R C4M3 4CROSS 4 DR4GON 1RL W3 WOULD M4K3 3Y3 CONT4CT 4ND UND3RST4ND 34CH OTH3R 4T 4 PR1M4L L3V3L OF TR4NSC3ND3NT4L TRUST 1NST34D OF CH4RR1NG M3 1NTO 4 CR1SPY ON1ON

[thewertsearch]

AG: Tavros, you give confidence a 8ad name. I gave you all the chances in the world to earn it, to earn REAL confidence, and you failed.

Pictured: Vriska giving Tavros 'a chance to earn real confidence'.

AG: You couldn't even do the one little thing I asked you to! The one thing that would have made you man up once and for all.

'Man up' is a funny idiom for a troll to use. We've occasionally seen trolls fall into human gender stereotypes, but it's quite rare, and always sticks out like a sore thumb.

There's an interesting conversation to be had about troll genders. With a reproductive cycle so different to ours, their gender framework will inevitably be different as well. Yes, there are male and female trolls - but what do male and female actually mean to a troll?

On Earth, your assigned gender carries cultural baggage which simply wouldn't exist on Alternia. Assigned gender plays no role in reproduction, nor does it influence household division of labor, since trolls don't have households.

Gender aside, do trolls have a concept of masculine and feminine? Beyond a few stray idioms, the only evidence I can find is their clothing styles. We haven't seen any male trolls rocking a skirt - not yet, at least.

tl;dr: 'Man up' is a cultural can of worms. I think that was probably unintentional, though, and I think we're supposed to interpret that line as if a human spoke it. Vriska's calling Tavros a wimp, which is business as usual.

AG: So instead you flew away and cried, and decided to sleep away your sorrow for the rest of the adventure.

Tavros already alluded to this incident during his conversation with Jade. I guessed that Vriska would be involved, but that was a bit of a no-brainer.

Vriska's trying to frame Tavros as pathetic, but it sounds like he actually put his foot down, flat-out refusing to participate in whatever she had planned. Much like the FLARP incident, this sounds like a victory for Tavros, even if she's convinced him otherwise.

AG: Do you have any idea how sick that made me? Everything a8out you makes me sick.

He rejects your advice. He rejects your advances. His lusus cared for him. He was allowed to be kind, and accepts kindness from others. He doesn't care about winning, but he never lets you win. No matter how much you torment him, he refuses to get any stronger, which means your mindset might be wrong.

'Sick' would be an understatement.

AG: Your plan to control her lusus really wasn't a 8ad idea! AG: And using your a8ility to "save her life" (lol) was a pretty good way to test how effective your powers are across sessions. [...] AG: Practicing your a8ilities is important, so when it comes down to using them for something that really matters, you know you're ready for prime time. AG: I know this first hand. AG: I got lots and lots and LOTS of practice with your little guinea pig friend. ::::D

So that's why Jade was constantly napping? That can't have been good for her brain.

AG: The catch is it's not going to work! [...] AG: You couldn't sic the guardian on Noir even if you were inclined. Not even if I were to MAKE you inclined! :::;)

Like I said before, it's really Vriska who can control First Guardians.

AG: 8ecause you are dealing with a pro here. I already thought of that. AG: I thought of everything! AG: The guardian is not going to attack the agents who engineered him in the first place. AG: Or who I should say were "encouraged" (lol) to engineer him.

Why the fuck would you do this?

When Vriska prototyped Bec, she explained that the event was mandated by the Alpha Timeline, so she didn't make anything worse by causing it. I don't agree with her argument, but I do understand her logic.

This is different. Up until now, there has been no evidence that Bec can't harm Agents. Vriska had no prophecy to fulfil, and no reason to believe that this was required to preserve the timeline. Yes, now we know it's baked into the timeline, but only because Vriska wanted it.

Having Bec help with Jack was a really good idea, and removing the option to do so helps no one. Where's the benefit?

AT: wHY WOULD YOU DO THAT, AG: Tavros, at this point it should 8e o8vious. AG: I am the unseen hand 8ehind every major event in their session, and to some extent, their whole lives. AG: At least those events not happening 8y the volition of their own natural incompetence! AG: Don't you think this is how it should 8e? Shouldn't the greatest player leave her fingerprints on every step of the rise to power of her ultim8 nemesis?

I know Vriska likes to feel in control, but this is ridiculous.

Inserting yourself into Alpha loops is one thing, but nerfing Bec when you don't have to is straight-up sabotage. Couldn't she just stick to micromanaging John's outfits?

AG: I have every angle covered already. The human session is on full Serket lockdown. Any effort you make to disrupt my plans will 8e laugha8le, just like everything you have ever done in your life. AG: The only thing left to do now is prepare to kill Jack myself, and save everyone's ungrateful asses.

Oh my god, I think I've cracked it.

Vriska thinks she's the only one with the right to kill Jack.

She describes him as her ultimate nemesis, which reeks of main character syndrome. Bec isn't important enough to kill Jack, so she eliminated him as an option. It has to be her, the most powerful Player, who's gained all the levels, because that is how these things are done.

It's not just ego, either - there's a deeper motivation at play. If Vriska doesn't beat Jack, she doesn't win - and if she doesn't win, then what was all that abuse were all those challenges for? What was the point?

In Vriska's head, Jack needs to be her nemesis. She needs to be destined to kill him - because if she is, then everything she went through was justified. She'll have secured her position as the most powerful Player of all, and she'll never have to be jealous of anyone again - least of all that wimp with his sweet little fairy lusus. They're all weak, and she's strong.

If she doesn't kill Jack, she's a loser.

And losers may as well be dead.

[trenchgardens-ooc-ooc-ooc-ooc]

11 for Somati, Ferics, Calixtus and Borell?

I just realized that something tweaked in my brain and you only asked for eleven- What is your OC's weapon of choice? Have they ever actually used it?

Somati's is a crutch, they use crutchkind, specifically those forearm ergonomic crutches, eventually they start using this two headed snake crutch-staff that they do cool shit with, it becomes their signature weapon I think, at least for a while. They really really rarely actually use it, most of the time he uses visions distractions deals and other peaceful options to get around enemies. Ferics likes crossbows, thats their actual strife specibus, but they rely a lot lot more on their gadgets, theyre kind of like Jeff Earthbound actually, and yes, they kind of dominate their Land ngl. Once they Godtier they use crossbows a lot more. Its about the freedom of movement granted by flight, rather than the kind of constricted mobility of their arms in their kind of bulky chair. That and the fact that their chair means they can use a lot of gadgets more easily, like having a bunch of different stuff mounted. They still use it pretty often, but flying is pretty useful. Plus the time magic and or flight means they dont have to worry about stuff like not being able to dodge attacks, which almost all of their combat in their chair before they gained godhood is affected by. They don't necessarily *have* to be as tactical or planning as they did when they were fully chairbound, but they usually still are. Calixtus uses rods, or staves, you could also consider them either quarterstaves or maybe maces. Their first one was the centerpiece of their scale after it was broken by Calfuray. They don't use it much, they rely probably almost exclusively on negotiation or mind powers in their planet, and they don't really have Underlings in the same way as other worlds do. Borrel!!! Uses! A ball! Ballkind! She's never used it outside of performances probably, but she can serve some nasty dodgeball tactics and clown on you simultaneously. I also answered these becase im silly

What memory would your OC rather just forget? Somati! Seeing his dads decayed whalefal corpse temporally and spatially displaced onto his back lawn. Other than that... God so much.... So much Ferics! Several of their past cullers... their lusus' death. Calixtus! There was a really bad fight between their siblings once. Calixtus thought they were going to die. Calixtus really thought they were going to die. Borrel! I feel like there are a few things she already has just forgotten. Being a bronze in a carnival even on the significantly less murdery Beforus is not free of harassment. She used to work at a slaughter house, though. Those ones. Those ones show up in her daymares.

What's something about your OC that people wouldn't expect just from looking at them? Somati! is kind of a... how do i put this nicely. Lets just say that he serves cunt in every timeline for a reason. His life is shit right now on Beforus, but he's. Gifted in the romantic field. That and the prophecy. You wouldn't expect him to be so on the ball just from how he looks and acts, but he does absolutely plan. Ferics! This depends on the viewers biases towards chairbound people, or even just chair users in general. I have known some people to seemingly think of those in motorized chairs as lazy or physically weak in an. irrationally morally charged way. Like that they have a weak will because they choose not to use an active wheelchair? If the viewer is biased like that, their pure level of stubbornness is probably very surprising. Calixtus! hmmm Well if they know cherubs, probably their love for their siblings. It is still cheruby, but its also desperate, and scared, and very much not the hate one comes to expect from them. If they don't know cherubs, probably how much they absolutely adore soft things and textures. This miserable skellington would cry if they were handed a bunny. Borrel! Probably the slaughterhouse thing. Either that or their genuinely very well meaning and respectful views on cullees.

What is your OC's fatal flaw? Are they aware of this flaw? Somati! I don't think fatal flaws appear in my characters very often. It's just not really how I write stories I think. If I had to pick one for a setting where Somati *isn't* actually like gifted with prophecy, it would be their resignation to fate probably.

[pesterloglog]

Jake English, Jasprosesprite^2, Nepetasprite, Gamzee Makara, Davesprite

Act 6, page 7873-7876

JAKE: So i take it i am to stand in for the mad hatter in this charade?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Yes.

JAKE: Except... wasnt the mad hatter supposed to be like... in charge of the tea party or something?

JAKE: I really dont know what im supposed to be doing here.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Nothing! Just sit there quietly please.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: No offense, but you are only a prop actor in this fanciful scenario, which is serving as the stage for my date with this lovely lady.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < wait...

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < this is a date?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Oh! Yes.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I'm sorry I didn't mention sooner, Nepeta.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Is that ok?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < um

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i guess so!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < im still a bit confuzzled about what is actually happening though

JASPROSESPRITE^2: There will be plenty of time for explanations!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: For now, I invite you to relax and enjoy our party on this peaceful and desolate hilly planet, while that mild mannered boy across the fridge sips his tea quietly.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < ok but...

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < im manely just wondering, where is everyone?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < like... equius? karkat? are they ok?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: They're fine!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Well, Karkat is fine. Alive and well, in this session.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Equius is also fine, in the same sense that you and I are both fine! :3

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Everyone else enjoys various states of being fine while alive, and fine while dead.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < oh

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < hrrm well

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < SOME of that sounds like good mews at least?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: It's all good news! I mean mews. :3 Especially that we are both here now, on this date together.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Again, assuming you are ok with that. No pressure!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i will say its a very nice looking tea party you have here

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < but ummmmm

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < ive never actually...

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < b33n on a date

JASPROSESPRITE^2: There's a first time for everything, right?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I remember my first date. I was so nervous! "Life hack." It helps if you are very very drunk.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Not that I am prescribing this as a remedy for you! It's ok to be nervous.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Besides, I sincerely doubt you are partial to the drink. I have a feeling catnip's your poison, eh? Eh?? Ehhh??? ;3

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < ive never tried either

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < sorry :\\

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < anyway its not that im nervous about a furst date necessarily!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i just... dont know who you are or anything about you

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < you look like one of the human kids but... different. you s33m to be part kittycat now?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Yes Nepeta I am part kittycat now! :3 :3

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Events conspired to make me equal parts not dead, half kittycat, and two sprites!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: But the other side of that pet tag is the fact that I am suddenly half human as well.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: You see Nepeta I used to be a dead cat too but now I'm an alive cat who's part girl!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: In fact, we spoke once. While I was still just a cat. Don't you remember?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < uhhh

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < wait a minute

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < yes...

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < yes i think i do remember that!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < that was fun! :DD

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Chirp! :3 :3 :3 :3 :3

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < so youre the same cat then!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < the human girl... rose was it? she and her lusus got prototyped together?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: That is exactly what happened, fortunately for us both, as well as everybody else.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < thats very sw33t! what a nice way for you two to stay close forever

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < combining souls with my lusus sounds like it would have b33n a wonderful way to preserve her memory

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < plus share all her strength and wisdom and such!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i am guessing that oppurrtunity is long gone though :cc

JASPROSESPRITE^2: It probably is. But really, I don't think you need to change!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: You are so charming and pretty exactly as you are.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < wow...

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < thank you :oo

JAKE: Hey...

JAKE: Whatever happened to janes bunny friend... what was his name?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Huh?

JAKE: Little sebastian i think?

JAKE: Whered he scamper off to?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Jake, what are you talking about.

JAKE: He would be PERFECT for this tea party!

JAKE: Like the white rabbit and all.

JAKE: And im like the mad hatter for some damned reason.

JAKE: And youre supposed to be like the cheshire cat or such?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Yes, Jake. That was the idea.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Thank you for explaining a thing to us.

JAKE: I havent the foggiest fucking idea who sleeping tavros is supposed to be.

JAKE: Or for that matter who the honking guy in the fridge represents.

JAKE: Was there a man under the table who honked sometimes in alice and wonderland?

JAKE: I really dont remember.

JAKE: So i guess that leaves the friendly cat troll as alice?

JAKE: Nepeta right? You must be the alice of the group.

JAKE: That would make sense! Since you just got here and appear to be very confused about this situation.

JAKE: By my estimation that makes you a dead ringer for the alice of this tea party!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Jake, just drink your tea.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Anyway, enough of that horseshit. Back to our date!!!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: That is, if you are ok with calling it a date! Are you ok with this being a date? I mean like a romantic one??

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i... y-

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < yes?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i mean, sure! :33

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Yay!!!!!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < but i still dont... actually know you that well?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < at least not the rose part of you.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < but i suppose maybe that is the point of a date... to get to know the other person a bit better?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Yes! Yes Nepeta, exactly! That is exactly the point of a date! :3

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < h33h33, okay then!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < uh hmmmm so what do we talk about?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Anything you would like, beautiful. ;3

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < ...

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < j33z

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < rose

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i mean

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < rose cat...

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Jasprose!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < jasprose i...

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < h33h33h33

JASPROSESPRITE^2: What is it?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < youre making me blush!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < my head probably looks like a big old olive here

JASPROSESPRITE^2: It's quite a lovely color. :3:3:3

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i dont...

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < ahhhh!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < X33

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Is something wrong?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < no i just

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < sorry

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < ive never really had anybody like me before!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < im not sure how to handle it

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I find this very hard to believe.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Nobody? Are you sure??

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < pretty sure!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: What a reprehensible injustice. Had your colleagues no taste???

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < heh

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < well ok i guess eridan hit on me a few times

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < but his advances always struck me as cr33py and insincere

JASPROSESPRITE^2: A pox on the name of this charlatan. I hiss on his grave.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < hes dead?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Yes.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < gosh

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i mean... he could be kind of a jerk sometimes but that is still a shame :((

JASPROSESPRITE^2: No it isn't. It's fine. Please! Continue!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < huh?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: You were saying? About being liked!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < oh right

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < um i am just

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < still somewhat confused?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < im not sure why you like me

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < not that im not flattered!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < but you dont really know much about me

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < or...

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < do you?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: No, not really.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I just know that you are very pretty, and from my limited interaction with you as a cat, that you are personable and kind.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I don't need to know much else about you to like you. I am a catgirl of simple tastes. :3

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < haha

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < ok

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i guess i cant argue with that!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < for what its worth you s33m very nice and pretty as well

JASPROSESPRITE^2: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: (Jake, did you hear that?!)

JASPROSESPRITE^2: (She likes me too! This is almost too good to be true.)

JAKE: I think you should both kiss!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: JAKE!!!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Please, mind your manners.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I mean, not that that isn't an EXCELLENT idea.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: But all things in due time. There is a PROCESS to this courtship business.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Much how one doesn't just LIE DOWN for a nap. The bedding must be ritualistically kneaded and massaged before lowering oneself in a circular fashion for a prime snoozing position.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < :oo

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < oh my goodness what a beautsnifful analogy :'33

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Besides, she has only been prototyped once.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I believe unprototyped or once-prototyped kernels can weather brief or incidental contact, the same way you can investigate the flame of a candle without burning your nose as long as you are quick enough.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: But the sort of contact we are talking about here would be ANYTHING but incidental. ;3 ;3 ;3

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < omg

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < you are making me blush again with all this kissing talk!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < how can you be so forward about those things?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i have never met anyone who was so brazen and confident about liking somebody

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < how do you do it???

JASPROSESPRITE^2: There isn't much too it.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I used to be quite guarded about my feelings as a girl.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: But cats do not have complicated thoughts about what should be expressed and when.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: What to convey about your current state of mind is everything. When to do it is now.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < dont get me wrong jasprose i have a great affinity for all things feline in nature

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < but its never b33n that simple for me!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i get so shy and worried what people might think of me if i say how i f33l

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < im always so scared that they wont f33l the same way or just think im stupid or pathetic or something

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Was there someone you had feelings for you couldn't talk to about?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < ummmm

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < yeah

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Who?

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < ummmmmmmm

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i dunno im embarrassed to say!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: You can tell me Nepeta! Please tell me your secret will be safe, I promise!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < well

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < ok

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < as long as you can really k33p a sneakret!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: My muzzle is sealed.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < it was karkat

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < but i never told him and im pretty sure he never found out how i felt!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Karkat eh?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I'll let you in on a little sneakret too. You dodged a vigorous spritzing with a spray bottle there.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: He wouldn't be any good for you. Oh no no.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < why?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Too many anger issues. Always with the shouting and whatnot. He's way too volatile!

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < but... i liked that about him!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Oh, but that isn't even all there is to it!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: On our journey he was so obsessive and controlling toward his desired matesprit. I do not believe that is any way to treat a lady!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: On the contrary Nepeta. You deserve someone who will RESPECT and ADORE you.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < well... yes

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i always hoped to find someone like that some day

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < i dunno maybe youre right but in spite of whatever problems he might have i always felt like i saw something in him that made me think he could be that purrson!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Nope. Sorry to be the meower of bad news. He is just not cut out for you!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Besides, he is involved with someone else now in that quadrant. He has moved on. And so have you!

JASPROSESPRITE^2: You are now a sprite. Neither of us have the same connection to the living we once had.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: In quite a real sense, it is fair to say that all we have now...

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Is each other. :3

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < er...

DAVESPRITE: hey whats up

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Davesprite?!

DAVESPRITE: yeah

DAVESPRITE: looks like everybody forgot about me as fucking usual

DAVESPRITE: so here i am

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Where...

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Where did you come from?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I thought you died.

DAVESPRITE: uh no?

DAVESPRITE: not to my knowledge at least

DAVESPRITE: i was just chillin on johns planet when some shit happened

JASPROSESPRITE^2: What shit?

DAVESPRITE: dunno

DAVESPRITE: there was all this wind and shit then the sky went blank

DAVESPRITE: i looked around a while but couldnt find anybody

DAVESPRITE: then the sky went black again so i flew off lookin for people

DAVESPRITE: found the planet with a big purple X on it

DAVESPRITE: then i found you at this tea party or whatever

DAVESPRITE: and now you seem to be a sprite too who is part cat so thats cool i guess

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Ah, of course. You're the version I traveled with on the ship.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I mean, not Rose. Jaspers.

DAVESPRITE: oh yeah

DAVESPRITE: hey man

DAVESPRITE: um

DAVESPRITE: or at least hey man to half of you

DAVESPRITE: kind of fucked up that youre part rose and vice versa but i guess whatre you gonna do

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Be in a state of near-perpetual satisfaction with my own existence, is what.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Anyway, I'm happy to see you're still alive.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Even if your bird-like appearance is making me feel a bit riled up.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I'll try to control myself though.

DAVESPRITE: cool thanks

DAVESPRITE: so what kind of ludicrous nonsense do you have going here in the land of stonehenges and a big purple X

DAVESPRITE: is that

DAVESPRITE: is that egbert lookin dude supposed to be the fucking mad hatter

JAKE: Yeah!!!

DAVESPRITE: ok

DAVESPRITE: whats with the fridge

DAVESPRITE: please dont tell me somebodys locked in that fridge

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Dave, never mind the fridge.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: This tea party bullshit isn't quite what is seems.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: I am actually on a date. So maybe we could, you know. Catch up later?

DAVESPRITE: a date

DAVESPRITE: thats cool

DAVESPRITE: with who the mad hatter guy?

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Good lord, no.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: With Nepeta.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Sorry, I should have introduced you to her sooner.

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Nepeta, this is Dave. He's my bird brother, who is also a sprite.

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < hello!

DAVESPRITE: hey nepeta nice to meet you

DAVESPRITE: dont worry ill get out of your hair soon and let you get back to your tea date with rose

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < hi dave

NEPETASPRITE: :33 < its nice to m33t you too!

DAVESPRITE: damn straight we are meeting the shit out of each other right now

DAVESPRITE: hey put er there...

JASPROSESPRITE^2: Dave, no, don't...

[likemesomesalads]

ALL OF THEM FOR CAYDE. im just kidding 2,4,and 12

NO takesy backsies. UwU

1: Who makes up your family?  How close are you to them?

Cayde grunts as he crosses his arms with a frown on his face. "My sister used to be. She doesn't want to anymore. But I can help with that. I'll show her that we can be as close as before in Nightmare." 2: Who is your best friend?  Tell us about them!

He laughs with a chilling grin on his face. "Nobody. I don't need anybody." 3: What is your favourite childhood memory?

You can hear him scoff as he looks to the side. "Nothing. Next." 4: What is your least favourite childhood memory?

He glares at you with a frown yet again. "First of all, I wasn't a child. And second, it has to do with the inquest. do NOT pry any further if you want to live." 5: What is your favourite thing to do in your free time?

This question makes him smirk and he leans forward, closer to you "Murder. After a long long torture session. Slow and painful. Preferably very bloody too." 6: What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?

He leans back huffing "Not murdering you for these stupid questions. Next." 7: Who do you look up to?

A hint of adoration appears in his eyes "Grand Duchess Faolain. She saved me, she showed me the truth. She's amazing." 8: What do you think had the biggest impact on you growing up?

He clenches his fist in his lap as if reminding himself not to do something he might regret. "I am a sylvari. I did not grow up. So again, nothing." (it was definitely the inquest experiments) 9: Are you a spiritual person?  If yes, what do you practice?

Cayde raises his eyes, looking right into yours "Spiri... DO I fucking look like? I'm a Duke of the Nightmare Court! I don't need stupid shit like spirituality." (that's a big word for him) 10: Where were you born?  Where did you grow up?  Where do you live now?

Sharply inhaling through his nose and leg starting to bounce as he leans back on his seat. "Born in the grove, obviously, still didn't grow up, and I live in the twilight arbour, in my own court." 11: What is your favourite type of media (TV, movie, books, etc)?  Name some specific favourites (which shows, movies, books, etc do you like)!

"I do not care for shit like that, next question" 12: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? (on vacation or permanently!)

He stops bouncing his leg and looks at you like you asked the most stupid question yet. "Nowhere. Where else would I want to go? I'm perfectly fine here." 13: You’re given an unlimited budget to build anything you want!  What do you build and where do you build it?

He shrugs. "Guess I'd expand the Arbor." 14: What are your favourite music genres?

Cayde sighs rubbing his face. "I guess Metal Legion is fine. Next." (he's...he really doesn't care much about anything but murder and Faolain, I'm sorry.) 15: Do you play any instruments?  Which ones?  How long have you been playing?

"No. Next." 16: Describe your perfect day.

Cayde leans forward again with a smirk. "It starts with me waking up and going to the cells, having some silly saplings to torture then I have Luce do the annoying tasks for me so I can go to those same saplings again for some fun time and then I visit the Grand Duchess and we have some fun times and then I wind up with killing those annoying little dreamers." 17: What makes you laugh?

"The cries and screams of my victims" 18: What’s the best way to cheer you up?

"Leaving me the fuck alone to do shit I enjoy." 19: What makes you sad?

"Having to behave and answer stupid questions because the Grand Duchess asked me to..." (she didn't but Luce was nice enough to lie for you. You are welcome.) 20: Describe your biggest pet peeve.

He grunts and rolls his eyes. "Annoying people in my neck trying to control me" (he means Lusus not Faolain) 21: Describe your ideal partner.

Once again a smirk appears on his face "Why, you're interested? Sorry, I'm not sure you could deal with me. And you're not my type." 22: What’s the easiest way to flirt with you?

"Flirt? You wanna fuck say so." 23: Have you ever had a crush on someone?  Do you have a crush now?

"No. And I won't have" (Yes, Faolain. he still do) 24: What would you consider your main love language?

He tilts his head at you. "What the fuck is that? Like it has a language? I only speak Tyrian." 25: Freebie!  Come up with your own question for the character to answer! What is your opinion on Lusus?

He hums, actually thinking about the answer for once before speaking. "He's annoying. Much more annoying than a tool should be. But he does get the boring job done so I don't complain much...It's also fucking confusing that he sounds and looks like a girl but he's pissing if I call him one."

[vriskaserketdaily]

Vrisrezi fankid(s)

well, first of all, i don’t think vriska and terezi would be parents, but if they WERE

if they WERE it would have to be at a much much later stage of life than canon (and much later than the maryam-lalonde household) and it would just sort of . . . happen.

meet spider dragon. she was a sickly grub, and after a stint in the maryam-lalonde house---(they often foster grubs that are having trouble, even once the earth C breeding caverns are up & running)---was rejected by all the compatible lusii on hand.

not being one to cull a healthy (and at this point, rambunctious) grub, kanaya called in the scourge sisters to foster her until a suitable lusus could be found, because frankly rose and kanaya had their hands full with their own kids (and grubs in need of much more intensive care).

vriska and terezi, at this point having nothing better to do, said yes, because what’s a few months babysitting a lil slug thing for a friend?

they named the grub spider dragon (or dragon spider, but spider dragon is what stuck) because family names (and “family” in general) weren’t really a thing on alternia and they needed something to call her. it was understood that her foster situation was temporary, and every week they went back to the caverns to offer her up to suitable lusii---who all, invariably, kept rejecting a grub whose pupation loomed ever nearer.

unfortunately, spider pupated a week early, in their kitchen. it was fine while she was in the coccoon, but the physical act of getting OUT of the cocoon was . . . messy.

the critical window for lusus bonding having closed, terezi and vriska decided to keep her, and thus went from scourge sisters to double dolorosae. (they’re not going to have spider call them MOM, ew. they’re not humans and from what we saw on alternia -mom was a suffix reserved for lusii.)

spider grew up in a happy if unconventional home. vriska and terezi traveled with her frequently before her schoolfeeding began, and both proved to be surprisingly great with kids in a “wacky aunt” kind of way. terezi in particular delighted in hyperbolically threatening to eat spider any time she was wearing anything colorful, and they regularly had games of hide-and-seek with vriska as the decoy.

despite her upbringing, spider did not grow up to be (much of) a weird girl, at least not to the degree of either of her moms. because of vriska’s insistence to be “the 8est,” spider did well in school and was the valedictorian of her graduating class---suck on that, lalonde!! and went on to have a successful career in idk historical anthropology or something. vriska alternately complained about her daughter turning out “boring” and bragged about her various accomplishments (did YOUR kid graduate summa cum laude from neo cambridge, fussyfangs?? DIDN’T THINK SO).

vriska’s most proud of spider for standing up to her and saying “no, ‘ros4, 1 4m N8T g3tt1ng 8GHT PHDs!!!!!!!!” a smart daughter is good, but a daughter with a spine is the best gift in the world. (and, yes, vriska and spider did fight during spider’s teens, but only the occasional mother-daughter blowout, as you do. terezi and spider have a few long-standing arguments about punitive vs restorative justice as well)

& now that i’ve written a full page of mostly headcanon, i think i should cut this post off before it becomes a whole manifesto on my postcanon au that lives in my head and headcanons about troll babies.

[themisfitsedge]

A Night to Remember/A Lifetime to Forget

The chill of the air wraps around your arms like a shall, gently caressing each inch and sending a shiver up your spine and as you walked through the elaborate gardens and down the halls the chill followed. It wasn’t the first time you’d walked down these halls, but now...now it was different. The chains and swords that littered the halls were only outshone by the shine of the armor plating the trolls around you as guests from all across the hemospectrum walked alongside you in their finery. 

The tips of your fingers brush against the arm of a partner you never imagined walking you down these halls. After all, the ball may have been a party, but it was no carnival and you worried at one point that Caspian would laugh at the request. Good-hearted, kind, but still a gentle denial at what he thought was a joke. Afterall, suits and ties didn't suit him. At least that's what he thought. You thought he looked amazing. But in the second before he said yes you held your breath...and when he said yes you knew that your shock showed. But he just smiled, a gentle smirk playing on his lips, before saying there was no place else he'd rather be. He thinks it'll be amazing, after all, "Anywhere is amazing with you."

Even the memory makes the tips of your ears flush as he carries on talking next to you. You hope he thinks it's the cold that makes your cheeks flush a deep blue, biting your lip and holding back a laugh at his words. You respond back in kind, playful jabs exchanged as flush playfully takes a darker tint. But you still pull him close as you walk into the ballroom. It was instinctive, afraid, and protective, like you were worried that he would be whisked away by it all in an instant.

Your breath catches as the lights glint and gleam across the crystal glasses. The sounds of laughter had only grown as you approached but now seeing the smiling faces to accompany them you felt so small, not unwanted, but also not unlike a child who had run into her lusus’ dinner party, only to be cooed over before being handed a treat and being told to run off now. 

Alocer wasn't here tonight, to busy ironing out the last details in his holiday release to be able to come. You had never come without him before. And slowly the confidence that had guided you here made you want to take a step back, away from this world, away from the memories it held. Afterall, it had only been a handful of years ago that your presence at a gathering like this would have been a death sentence for someone involved. 

The Art of War was such a fitting theme. This place felt no less a battle ground then the ones you had faced before, smiling faces hiding true intentions, laughter only hiding jeers behind them. No knowledge of who was friend of foe. Though the rules stated that there would be no conflict on the premises, there was no guarantee that something wouldn’t occur. What if you were recognized? What if instinct took over? What if-?

The arm you clung to was soon accompanied by a hand on top of your own. His smile was what greeted you when you looked up, knowing and reassuring, patient and confident, he knew what you were thinking in that moment and still he looked at you so sure, so loving. He knew you could do it. He knew you wanted to. Afterall he had been there to witness his sister’s hours of hard work as she helped you apply you makeup not once but twice, the second time happening after you panicked about the shades of blue and purple being used. But Pori just smiled knowingly and started again. It would be the first time you went out with the paint like this, to more then a formal ceremony. You had to admit you looked beautiful.

He moves to take your hand and guide you through the crowds, smiling faces unperturbed by your presence, and with each step you felt your confidence growing. Soon enough a plate of sweets was in your hand, a glass in his, and you smile as the bittersweet taste of chocolate was on your tongue. His laughter became yours, his smile brightening your own, and each moment seemed to pass in the blur of emotions you had been burying for so long. Here in this place, surrounded by strangers, in a room filled with enough sights and sounds for a lifetime, you felt calm.

There was no dagger at your hip, not lies dancing across your lips, only words of assurance and the lingering taste of dark chocolate and champagne. And soon enough you’re pulled ever closer and your steps match his as he leads you to the dancefloor. His hand felt warm on your waist as heartbeats slowed as footsteps became a dance. Your arms fell around his neck, fingers gently lacing behind his head as you sway back and forth within the safety of his arms. 

You had never believed in those “fairy tale” moments before. Those moments of peace and calm, of lightness in the air. Even while you are focused on not stumbling in your steps, making sure your feet were near, but never on top of each other, each breath feels like the air is leaving you and elevating you at the same time. Every brush of hair against your shoulders makes you feel as though you’re weightless and underwater. He made you feel this way, this place makes you feel this way, the way you looked tonight made you feel this way.

Confidence was a tricky monster to tame. Assurance, certainty, confidence in your own physical abilities sure, but confidence like this socially, emotionally, it was hard and terrifying and you loved every moment of it. With him the warmth that you felt creep through your body, the way that your face crinkled as you smiled with paint on your cheeks, felt intoxicating. It felt dazzling and amazing and like a stupid movie that Alocer would put on in the background during the holidays. 

Everyday wasn't like this, most of them were hard and uncertain, too rushed to think or too slow to breathe. But here you felt one with the smiles and laughter around you even if you knew none of the faces in this crowd. You felt like you belonged the first time in a lifetime. Things still aren't going to be perfect going forward, the days would always linger in a blanket of uncertainty, wrapping around you and constricting you in a vicelike grip. But not tonight, not in this place with its dazzling lights and surrounded by the clinking of glasses and glittering of gold. In his arms he could forget. 

And when those days to come where the dark was more frightening than the light and the light held more threats them the dark, you would do your best to remember this night. The spell takes its hold as he pulls you close and the music slows. You lay your head against his chest and close your eyes, feeling that breath that he breathes lifting his chest ever so slightly, the gentle drum lulling you into a cell a sense of security and you know that this is love.

[zillyeh]

A Lifetime and a Half Ago...

Word count: 1070

Content warning: Non explicit references to medical experimentation

Synopsis: Funnie little conversation between pre-Zippie and Spiral :)

The halls of the Sunseeker compound's second, underground level dully echoed with Spiral’s footfalls. Rare was it Dr. Cerayn wandered the upper halls, especially nowanights, but she was looking for someone. On His behalf. 

Shyer, lighter steps behind her might have been unnoticeable to a troll with less heightened senses. To the less perfected. The light, fearful way the girl walked with couldn't be attributed to anyone else.

At least she made it easy to find her.

"Dr. Cerayn." She said, clearing her throat, once she found herself at what she considered a suitable distance.

"Gozjam." Spiral said, forcing something like a pleasant smile on her face when she turned around. It was hard to keep it. The far smaller troll's eyes had been too dark for her age when she had come to beg the Sunseeker for new life, but not anymore. Slow filling as they were, even the dull color made Spiral’s hackles rise.

"I was, uh," She picked at the wraps around her face, unable to fully meet Spiral’s eyes. She was better off for it. "I was wondering if Endara-"

"In recovery." Spiral said, her voice deep and even. "Asleep. As you should be as well."

"Right. Sorry, I was just-"

"I know, little thing." What potential He saw in her of all people was a mystery, but Spiral was not one to question Jeltik's chosen. Any further than she had, anyway. "I was actually coming to collect you. Would you like to continue walking with me?"

That was not a question with a choice. Spiral heard her breath falter, but she stood up a little straighter and nodded.

"Do-do you need something with me?" She asked, flitting to her side. Spiral tucked her hands behind her back, gripping her riveted wrists.

“We may.” She said, avoiding walking too close to the other troll. “I hear you are progressing surprisingly well, for how you started.”

“Really? I mean, yeah, yeah I’ve been getting better for sure.” Her long horns got far too near Spiral when she swung her head to look up at her. “I uh, guess I was just kind of a late bloomer, heh. Plus, proximity to… I can actually spark and control it now. Sustained."

"Good,” Spiral hummed, turning the corner at the end of the corridor. “Do you think yourself ready for the next phase?” 

Regardless of what she said the decision was made, but the hooks sunk deeper into her when praise was to be earned. Desperate for something, easy to mold, devoted to a fault.

Maybe Spiral could see what Jeltik saw in her, the… rest notwithstanding. The “anon” wrung her hands, some steel in her too-dark eyes.

“Yes ma’am.” 

“You are aware of the cost? Prepared for it?”

“Were you?”

Spiral paused. The young woman at her side’s fear shot through her like nothing else could. An involuntary twitch up at the corner of her mouth broke through whatever genuine sour feeling the question brought. She let the silence simmer while her walking companion fumbled over herself to fix it. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry I didn’t mean-”

“Yes.” Spiral said evenly, not untruthfully. “Her sacrifice was more than worth it. Hardy as she was, I was not her first charge. I would have been her last regardless of when her life ended.”

“Does- I mean, can I ask another question? Uh, doctor?”

“Past that one?” Spiral said, raising an eyebrow. “Speak.”

“Do you… does she… uh… this is a weird question, sorry, do you ever feel more… like her than yourself?”

“No.” Spiral said. The sweeps that had past since her binding had made the memories of who she was as a single soul hazy anyway. “The bind is difficult to explain in any acceptable amount of time, young thing, but rest assured it is not so much stitching souls together as it is blending them. Your girlfriend will have to go in phases for this reason. That massive lusus of hers.” 

A flush that made Spiral feel ill rushed to the girl’s pale cheeks. Whatever emotion rushed through her was close enough to fear for Spiral to pick up on, but not to affect her quite as much as before.

“G- right. Right. Okay. I… won’t, though?”

“Correct. We can talk more about particulars with Him present, and when it is not so late.”

“Can I-”

“Go ahead, Gozjam.”

She picked at her face wraps again, itching the wounds she’d brought with her underneath them.

“Would… I be able to see her?” She asked, nerves like Spiral rarely felt emanating from her. “Before uh, I… go under.”

“Which her, exactly?”

“Endara if she’s awake but… I mean Marija too.”

“I will see what I can do, little one. On both counts,” Spiral stood up a little straighter, her head brushing the ceiling when she did so. “For now, however. I would spend what time is left with your lusus. Once the decision is made our Sunseeker goes forward quickly.”

“Right, uh. Thank you, Dr. Cerayn.” The anon said with a respectful nod. The low light of the hall picked up what little color was in her irises. “Did you need anything else from me? Ma’am.”

“Not that I can think of.” Spiral said, unable to hide the disgust that curled her lip this time. “I trust you remember where your block is, yes? I would hate to have to escort you back… again.”

The girl shook her head quickly, nearly smacking Spiral with her horns again. Before she spoke again she swallowed hard.

“No Ward- doctor. I… thank you. Uh… when… E wakes up would you… tell her I was… thinking about her.”

“If I remember to.” Spiral said aloofly. “I will see you when night falls proper. Now get away from-” Spiral took a breath, minding the temper this girl brought so close to the surface. “Go back to sleep.”

She did not need telling again as she turned back, skittish and light on her feet even as she got further away from Spiral. Were that little anon someone, something else, Spiral might have felt some twinge of pity for her quick approaching fate. But she was not, and she could not bring herself to keep her on her mind for longer than it took for her to retreat back around the corner.

Whenever it took place, she would make sure the procedure was quick, but nowhere near painless.

[erifin-alt]

Ok so I’m gonna go ahead and spit ball some Hiveswap theories despite the fact they may end up being incredibly wrong as expectations vs reality for the writing of Hiveswap is currently 6 feet under. This is going to be a long one, so to save y’all time the theories will be under the cut.

First off I’d like to state my own theory on the creature that that shot the train in the ending scene. Everyone is believing that it’s Fiamet’s lusus that did it, but why would Fiamet send her lusus to potentially hurt/kill Joey and Xefros especially knowing (or maybe she doesn’t) that Xefros is Dammek’s moirail? Honestly it wouldn’t make sense, given that she was the one that warned Joey about the world ending in 11 days. If it does end up being her lusus then she has a lot of explaining to do. Cause it kinda makes her a villain by hindering Joey’s and Xefros’ travel. Though I don’t think it’s Fiamet’s lusus. Here’s what I believe the beast could be-

1. The monsters from the first game.

We don’t really know the origin of the monsters from the first cut scene in Hiveswap act 1, and I don’t really think it’s all that much discussed. So where did they come from? Perhaps it was to do with something to do with the portal? Maybe. And we do know that the monsters can come in many varieties, including a monster with wings. (Though, more so bat wings compared to the feathered wings in HS:A2 final cut scene)

2. It’s someone else’s lusus. Okay, so I’ll actually be going into depth of how the beast looks like in the final cut scene. And with everyone theorizing that Fiamet’s lusus being an axolotl, I’ll try debunking the “Fiamet’s lusus shot the train” theory.

First off, the beast doesn’t even remotely look anything similar to an axolotl.

Let’s first look at the couple of screenshots I have (apologies for the bad quality)-

Does that tail look anything like an axolotl’s?? The answer is no, but of a course.

Here’s how an axolotl’s tail looks like btw.

Here’s some more screenshots of the beast that I managed to get-

Now, I know what you’re thinking- “But Erifin! Look at the side of the head! It obviously has external gill stalks like a true axolotl!!” That could be a red herring, though, as the things protruding from the side of it’s head could be fluff or feathers. And even it is gill stalks, and it IS an axolotl then why does it’s body look so different than that of an axolotl? Maybe because axolotl’s abilities of regeneration? It kinda seems far-fetched, to be completely honest. But who knows?

So who does the lusus belong to then? Well, maybe there’s going to be a new troll introduced in act 3 that will serve as act 3′s main antagonist Or maybe it’s just a wild lusus that itself will be the main villain.

So now it begs the question, what could this be? Well here’s some ideas I thought of:

1. It’s a weird lizard/amphibian and bird hybrid. It’s not the crazy for there to be a lusus like that, this is Alternia after all. I’m also getting some chameleon vibes from it. Though, this may be relating to the mythology of feathered serpents. Which, by the way, is a spirit deity from mesoamerica. Roughly around the same area that axolotl’s live.

2. A griffin. And yes, I’m bringing up mythological creatures into this. If the Pyropes can have dragons as a lusus then other trolls can have other mythological creatures as lusi as well. The body and proportions fit nicely to that of an griffin, even the tail!  However, griffins don’t breathe fire so it’s unlikely that this is a griffin.

3. A chimera, to me this seems like the most obvious choice, sense chimeras are already hybrids to begin with, as if number 1 is true technically this theory is gonna still be true (at least somewhat). Chimeras in mythology are a mash of an lion, goat, and snake, and I’m sure if the crew wanted to make creative decisions they’d also add in some avian wings in the mix. The proportions are similar to that of a lion, the fluff can also be it’s mane. The need to be on a rock, and keep low to the ground could a be a mix of a predators stalking skills and the serpent part. The tail? Obviously the snake head. Oh, and chimeras can breathe fire as well. However the goat part has me thrown off, so who knows if I’m even right.

4. And finally, number 4, I was somehow wrong. Somehow this was Fiamet’s lusus all along, and somehow it is an axolotl. Who knows, we probably have to wait another 1000 years to find that out.

That’s it on the beast theory, now let me ramble a little longer about certain hopes I have about certain characters that may end up becoming more important in act 3. Particularly the trolls that show up in the final cut scene. That is- Martsi, Cirava, Lanque, Tyzias, Elwurd, Mallek, Ardata, Chaut, and finally, Marvus. Now why would they be important? I don’t really know either, but I can sure take a fucking guess! And given that the train fell into a river, I guess one can go ahead and guess that many of the trolls on the train did die. And given that the train was shot near the rust/bronze and gold/olive carts I think it’s safe to say that the most fatalities are going to come from the lower bloods and not so much the high bloods (high bloods are tougher to kill after all).

Hopefully all the troll call trolls end up surviving the crash, but considering hmmm y’know I don’t think it’s likely. But, one can keep their hopes up! However, I do think the certain set of trolls that did show up in the final scene will survive. But why? What will they do that will earn them the chance to live? Let’s get into that.

Martsi’s up first. She was the closest to the blast zone, so there’s a chance that she ends up dying later on. However, if she does live, and from what we have seen in her friendsim (regardless of whether or not friendsim is canon) she seemed to take interest in being a doctor. So I can see her trying to look for survivors and tending to their wounds.

Next is Cirava, I don’t really know what Cirava would do, perhaps they decide to join the rebellion after being convinced by Joey and Xefros. Especially given that Xefros is starting to gain more confidence and thinking for himself for once. Meaning Xefros may go around trying to recruit some trolls to join him and Joey. Or maybe it has to do with something with psionics? Though, that would mean all other gold bloods are dead or passed out. I hope Joey and Xefros do get a party of sorts while they travel I think that’d be fun!

Next is Lanque and Tyzias. Tyzias is a little more obvious, her want to change the system, especially the judicial system, could lead to her joining the rebellion. If Xefros and Joey are trying to recruit others she’d probably join in a heartbeat. Lanque is a little more complicated, I think he will die, but will come back as a rainbow drinker. He does have the title as a life player after all. I think he will die either because the crash killed him, or he died saving someone. I can imagine if the other jades do survive, they’d probably be very shocked. Personally I think Wanshi would take it the hardest as I believe he’d protect her, thus showing us a softer side to him. And as they mourn him he comes back! And it’s very much shocking for everybody! As a monster of sorts he may end up deciding to leave since he’d no longer fit in, since he’s technically dead. He could also take it as an opportunity to finally be free from his duties. His glow/immortality can even come in handy in certain parts of the potential game play.

Next are these two, as for what they’ll do honestly I think Elwurd is just there for  fanservice and Mallek? Well, he may help with certain electronics if all the gold bloods besides Cirava do die. Like he takes apart certain parts of the train to make something? I do think they may want to join Joey and Xefros, but Mallek for rebellion moreover then Elwurd given we don’t really know what Elwurd’s loyalty lays.

And then there’s Ardata. She looks very suspicious, no? She may end up becoming a more important villain in act 3. Overall, she looks very...............shady.

And finally, the two eldest clowns. I don’t think they’ll join Joey and Xefros, rather I think they’re still going to be villains. Perhaps they decide to hunt Joey and Xefros down? Maybe they think they’re the ones who crashed the train?

That’s all I gotta say, I don’t think any of my theories will end up becoming true anyways. But hey, one can dream. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my rambling, and apologies if my writing is terrible and there’s grammatical errors everywhere. But what do you think? Let me know!

[interrogatormentors]

BOOK TWO, EVENT 1: FLASHBULB MEMORY

While the Interrogatormentors as a whole lacked any sense of humor, Sollux found taking command of the BC Starskimmer Arisen after his graduation ironic as all hell. The ship upon which he’d served as helmsman hadn’t changed much in his absence apart from a few personnel changes, and Sollux had to stop himself from heading down the corridor to the helmsblock on more than one occasion. He couldn’t help but wonder if the assignment was just another test from Rapard or another one of the higher ups, giving him a ship to which he had such a fraught history with. He never voiced this suspicion of course and no one ever confirmed it, or so much as admitted Sollux had ever served aboard the ship in the first place. An echo of vindictive pleasure surged through Sollux every time a helming tech scurried away from him, or when Captain Pilthe had to tip his scarred chin upwards in deference to the interrogatormentor he’d once viewed as subtroll.

Sollux woke to a soft buzzing from his palmhusk, and he fished it out from where he kept it under his pillow. The Starskimmer came with two recuperacoons waiting for Sollux and Ophlia, but both had elected for platforms instead. They needed to keep alert, and Sollux felt sharp as anything as he answered the call without slime clinging to his frame. Ophlia sat up from her platform as he did so, looking over at him with vague disinterest. Sollux had to suppress a groan as he saw the caller ID, but answered the message all the same.

Gamzee Makara, the ship’s security officer, grinned all lopsided at him. “Got some motherfucking work for you two,” he said, drawling.

“Next prisoner transfer isn’t until midnight, Makara, tell me why you really called,” Sollux said.

“Nah, nah, I wouldn’t motherfucking dare lie to you.” Gamzee’s smile didn’t shift, and Sollux took a slow breath to enforce calm. He never could get a read on the purple with how all over the place his body language was on a good day. Gamzee kept talking, eyes half-lidded as he bobbed his head as if to some imaginary beat. “Them’s the prisoners yesterday brought in through our doors. I was sorting through their files and wouldn’t you motherfucking know it, clean and clear as a midmorning dewdrop, we got some rebellion criminal records blazing hot on my desk. Dunno how they motherfucking slipped through, but thought you might wanna take a motherfucking gander before they’re transferred away tonight.”

Sollux’s left eyelid twitched. “Get them in isolation rooms and halt their transfer until we perform an interrogation,” he said, and hung up the call. He pinched the bridge of his nose as Ophlia began to get dressed. “Pilthe fucked us over again.” Ophlia raised an eyebrow as she buttoned up her uniform, and cocked her head to the side. Sollux snorted. “Yeah, you’re right. I shouldn’t expect competency from a tenured seadweller. Wish the news didn’t have to come from Makara.”

Ophlia shrugged, waving a hand. “Serving his time,” she said, voice low.

“He’s treating forced conscription like a fucking vacation, is what he’s doing,” Sollux said. He threw off his sleep shirt, donning his uniform as well. “I don’t know how he passed through an interrogation from Rapard with his head intact, not if the rumors about his rebel ties were true.” Ophlia cocked her head to the side. She didn’t say anything, not really needing to, and Sollux growled as he shoved his feet into his boots. “This entire ship is comprised of weak links ready to snap.”

Ophlia snapped her fingers at him as she approached, right under Sollux’s nose. He inhaled through his nose and out through his mouth, clenching his hands into fists. He stopped only when he left his claws pierce his skin from the force, and blessed numbness flooded him as the pain reminded him to draw back, school his emotions back into a practiced plateau of calm. “Right. Sounded like there were at least two rebels that slipped through the net. One for each of us, at least, so we’ll be done by midnight anyways.” He picked up his earpiece as he headed for the door, putting it on and clicking it once to make sure the channel was clear. Ophlia put her own on, depressing the call button and tapping it once with a nail. Sollux heard the nail tapping loud and clear, and nodded.

Ophlia followed Sollux as they left their shared room and headed down the deserted halls, tall and resolute as ever. Sollux relaxed as they walked, squaring his shoulders and posture straightening to mirror his partner’s as they walked. He always felt better with a job to do, and the long stretch between any fruitful interrogations had put him on edge. Now he had something to focus on, to sink his teeth into, and he couldn’t wait to see the rebel unlucky enough to meet him on the other side of the isolation chamber’s door.

Gamzee waited for them outside the isolation blocks, scrolling on his palmhusk. He glanced up as Sollux and Ophlia approached, not even bothering to uncurl his spine from the terrible slouch he constantly bent himself into. He leaned against the wall, gesturing to the door on his left. “Got a motherfuckin’ rust and a cocktail olive for you, all wrapped up and special. Olive’s on the other end of the motherfucking wing, needed t’grab some motherfucking special shackles. She’s motherfucking feisty. Sent their files out to you like, motherfucking...two minutes ago.”

“Shackles or no, they’re not difficult to install, Makara,” Sollux said. He pulled out his own palmhusk, glancing through. The files didn’t have much apart from age range and names, but their files were flagged with their exact hex codes linked to rebellion activity. “You take the olive then, considering you’ll have to do wrangling, Davrot. I’ll take AA.”

Ophlia and Gamzee both stared at him, and Sollux blinked twice as he registered the error. Aradia Megido. His pan flipped right over in his skull as a memory clamored to be seen, acknowledged, something nostalgic and peaceful and mournful. Both his helming programming and interrogatormentor training fought against the surfacing thoughts, emotions too much to control. So Sollux forced himself to not think, his mind doing the work and blocking the memory off before it could surface and break his calm.

“A stutter,” he said. “I’ll visit the medbay following this interrogation. Aradia Megido.” Ophlia looked him up and down, eyes narrowing an increment in that same analytical way she’d looked at him back when the Reichenbach’s Head Admin had dropped Sollux’s wigglerhood trollhandle. Sollux returned her gaze without faltering even as a headache built behind his left eye at the strain of repressing his own memories, and after a few moments Ophlia bowed her head slightly.

Sollux let out a soft breath as his fellow interrogatormentor retreated down the lengthy hall to the far end of the isolation block wing. Gamzee cocked his head. “You gonna be motherfucking peachy keen in there, motherfucker?” Sollux narrowed his eyes and he laughed, low and rumbling. “Sir Motherfucker, excuse my motherfucking cheek.”

“There is nothing the matter,” Sollux said as his head throbbed. “More lip and I will have you reporting to reeducation in a few hours.” He didn’t have the energy to correct Gamzee on his manners right now. He could almost hear the remaining metal in his pan rattling around from the force. He pricked his own thumb with a sharpened claw, pressing the small smear of blood to the reader next to the isolation block’s door. He entered, and the world faded into nothingness as the soundproofed door slammed shut behind him.

The rustblood sat on the dingy sleeping platform of the cell, crosslegged and alert with her arms propped on her knees. Her face fell when she saw Sollux enter, but her eyebrows knitted together in something akin to pity rather than fear. She wore psionic-suppression cuffs on both wrists that weren’t shackled together by any sort of chain, but her arms looked too thin to possess any threatening amount of muscle.

Her arms. Something about her arms were wrong, they didn’t quite match the soft curves of the rest of her, and Sollux sank his nails into his palm again. He needed to remember, it seemed important, but the emotions roiling just below the thin veneer of trained calm threatened his professionalism.

He took a breath, raising his hand to the thermostat and sinking the temperature down. As a rust, this troll would feel uncomfortable long before he did. “Aradia Megido, hex code A10000?”

“Yes,” the rustblood said. She opened her mouth to say something, chest swelling to fuel some sort of tirade or threats perhaps, but she closed her mouth again and settled.

“They only call me in if you have something to hide.” Sollux folded his arms behind his back, keeping his posture straight and digging his nails into his own wrist where this Aradia could not see. “So make it easier for both of us and explain now why your blood code is linked to rebellion activity.”

“Well, because I’m a rebel,” Aradia said.

“You admit this?”

“I wouldn’t be saying it if it weren’t true. Would I lie to you, Sollux?”

Sollux felt his psionics burning at his own skin, his fingers acting as conductors for the pain that grounded him. He wanted, he needed to remember, but he couldn’t or he’d crack. He hadn’t felt this unstable since his training days, every moment a threat that could shatter his emotionless facade at any moment with Rapard’s voice snarling in his skull. Just turn your emotions off, like a husktop. You’re a piece of equipment, the right hand of the Empire. Act like it, cullbait. “You know of me, then.”

“Sollux, I know you.” Aradia stood then, and Sollux lowered an arm sparking with psionics. Aradia noticed and stopped, although she still lifted her hands up to him as if soothing a fussy lusus. “You look like a daywalker-- Are they even feeding you? Do you remember me?”

“I’m receiving the appropriate amount of calories for my weight and activity level and I don't need pity from a mudblooded excuse of filth.” The words came out of Sollux before he could stop them, harsh and angry and emotional. He gritted his teeth as Aradia inhaled sharply, raising a hand to his earpiece. “Davrot. Switch me.”

“Just reached the cell,” Ophlia said. “Just got the name.” “I don’t care,” Sollux said. “Switch to the rust. She is provoking an emotional response.”

“You--” Ophlia’s voice faded into static, harsh in Sollux’s ear.

Sollux turned away from Aradia an increment, watching her out of the corner of his eye. “Interrogatormentor Davrot. Is your equipment faulty? Repeat your last message.”

The static faded, and Ophlia’s voice returned with the exact same words and tone he’d heard a thousand times before. “All is fine.”

“Are you coming, then?”

A pause. “All is fine,” Ophlia said again, a little louder this time.

Sollux pursed his lips, looking back to Aradia. She took another step forward, and Sollux bared his teeth at her. “Sollux, please,” she said. “You were my best friend.” She held firm even as Sollux’s hand sparked again, his hand balling up into fists. She only spoke louder, faster. “I’d always make you come outside and you complained so much you finicky brat, but you did it anyways. For me. Even after Vriska happened, you still came.”

Vriska. The arms. Everything snapped back into focus for Sollux in one crystalline moment, and he lashed out with his psionics in a wave of force. Aradia braced herself, arms crossed in front of her with an inorganic clank as she sent up a shimmering shield of her own psionics that whispered of the dead. The arms weren’t real. Zahhak had made them after Vriska had bent Sollux's mind into putty, gorging him on mind honey and sending him after Aradia and crushing her limbs under heaps of rubble. His best friend. His moirail. The arms weren’t real. The cuffs weren’t working.

“Davrot!” Sollux gathered his psionics around his arm, sending them out in a solid beam that Aradia ducked under. “Ophlia, come in!”

“All is fine,” came Ophlia’s voice again.

Sollux swore under his breath as Aradia lowered an arm and a hatch opened along the side, and she pulled something out of it. She depressed a button along the side of the slender object and a whip unfurled, and she snapped it against the ground once before slinging it out towards him. The whip curled around his wrist and Sollux grabbed onto it, sending scorching psionics along its length. Aradia pulled the whip back just before the psionics reached her hand.

“Come on, Sollux, are you really surprised it’s a trap?” Aradia threw an arm back and then forward again, the whip snapping and lashing against Sollux’s cheek as he flung himself into the air to avoid the brunt of the attack. “It was super obvious! We didn’t even make fake names or anything. This doesn’t have to be so hard.”

Sollux landed back to the ground on the balls of his feet before lowering himself into a practiced fighter’s stance, clapping his hands together to blow back the whip as it came towards him again. “It doesn’t, you’re correct. Surrender now and you might live.”

He charged forward, coming well within her range to limit her usage of the whip. Aradia closed the gap, head lowered before tossing it back. Sollux sidestepped the horn-gouging attempt, throwing a right hook only for Aradia to dodge again. She threw a punch of her own. Sollux caught the clumsy fist with ease, nails digging into the false skin. Aradia grinned at him. “Surprise!”

The cuff clicked around his wrist from where Aradia had removed one of her own while he wasn’t looking, the light along its side glowing a soft green as Sollux’s psionics winked out of existence. Sollux stared a moment too long at the cuff and Aradia headbutted him again, hard. Sollux felt his nose crack and he stumbled back. Aradia readied her whip as Sollux turned and bolted. He yelled as the whip curled around his ankle as the door opened, sweeping his foot out from under him and sending him crashing to the ground. The whip slid back and away and Sollux scrambled to his feet, shooting out of the room and slamming the button outside it to close the door behind him. The whip cracked against the metal.

Sollux ran his fingers along the psionic cuff as he heard the muffled sound of psionics blasting against the door. He found no purchase, no groove, only a small numpad which he had no time to attempt to crack. He cursed again, looking down the hallway that Ophlia had gone down. He let out a soft breath as he spotted Gamzee jogging towards him. He had his clubs out, a welcome sign considering the whole situation. “Makara, status report on Interrogatormentor Davrot. The rustblood isn’t properly restrained.”

Gamzee slowed down, lips curling into a lazy smirk as he lifted his palmhusk. He pressed on the screen. “All is fine,” said Ophlia’s voice from Sollux’s earpiece.

“Surprise, motherfucker, you just got yourself motehrfuckin’ bamboozled,” Gamzee said, pocketing his palmhusk. “Welcome to your motherfucking rescue mission.” He spun his clubs around in his hands before swinging with frightening speed, and Sollux only just got out of the way in time. The club slammed into the wall, which dented from the force of the highblood’s swing.

“I knew it. I knew something was off about you,” Sollux said. He gritted his teeth as he avoided another strike aimed at his head.

Gamzee laughed, his whole body a dizzying blur that had Sollux’s head spinning. The voices of the doomed were quiet with his currently repressed psionics but something else whispered in his pan, something dark and ancient and hypnotic that made Gamzee’s form hard to track. Of course this fucker had chucklevoodoos. Of course.

Sollux backed up but Gamzee moved faster, slipping past him despite his massive bulk and blocking the corridor to the main ship. The door to Aradia’s cell blew open, still sparking with maroon light as she stepped out. Sollux wasn’t stupid. Without his psionics his limbs were tissue paper. He could fight without them, he’d sparred with Ophlia plenty of times, but the odds were stacking against him more and more. He turned and ran further into the cellblock wing, throwing his earpiece down onto the ground as Gamzee started mocking him with Ophlia’s voice as he fled. The pair followed him, keeping on his heels.

He almost barreled a troll over in his haste, but had the mental fortitude to jump to the side as the olive clawed at his face with knives jutting out from her gauntlets. He saw Ophlia lying on the floor halfway out of the cell, bleeding from a nasty head wound.

Sollux whirled around, and a club met him in the face. He took the blow at full force and flew back a few feet, slamming into the wall. Sollux pushed off from the wall despite the way his whole face throbbed from the blow, using the momentum to twist his whole body and roundhouse kicking another club away from his face. The olive to his side crouched and then sprang up into the air, swinging down with her clawlike knives. Sollux dodged the obvious attack, catching Aradia’s whip again. He tugged her forward, punching her in the jaw before she could react. She fell against the wall with a thud. Gamzee kept swinging his clubs at near-lethal speeds, and Sollux felt sweat dripping down his nose at the effort of bouncing away from them and ducking as the olive charged him again.

Finally Aradia’s whip cracked in the air and then wrapped around his neck, and Sollux fell backwards as she yanked the whip tight. Sollux tried to find purchase in the whip as it cut off his airways, tucking his chin in a futile attempt to find air. “Sorry, Sollux,” Aradia said, and her voice came to Sollux from the end of a tunnel as his vision went black. “Get well soon!”

Sollux snarled, but even with his interrogatormentor training he couldn’t hold his breath forever. His eyes rolled back as he gasped and choked, vision blurring. He gripped onto the whip, trying to tug Aradia down and forward, only for Gamzee to scoff. Another club smashed against the side of his head, and Sollux saw no more.

[bastsoldtrollblog]

Kairos trudged through the snow, head bowed against the howling wind, cursing themselves for forgetting how bitter the weather was out here. Of course, they used to love these raging blizzards...When they were out of the wind, in the safety of their castle.

At least their new ‘lusus’ seemed to know the way. She trudged on, pressed almost to the ground, and Kairos had to keep close watch on her tail to make sure they didn’t lose sight of her.

Getting the time off work for this excursion was difficult, but in order to delve again into the art of necromancy, they needed their old research. If it were even still intact; Those rebels might have destroyed everything.

Still, even if it were all gone they had their reasons for paying their old hive a visit. The treasury, for starters. They could live a bit more luxuriously- Not that they had much of an eye for it, anymore- With the help of the copious amount of relics and gold artifacts from there. At the very least they wouldn’t have to worry about rent.

The rest was just nostalgia. Seeing if their original lusus was still around, so on and so forth.

They had all but stumbled through the castle gates by the time they realized they’d even reached their home. The blizzard had created full white-out conditions, and they could scarcely see a few feet in front of them.

They heard their lusus call from somewhere ahead, and trudged through the large courtyard to the safety of the entrance hall.

Immediately, they realized the castle had not been left derelict. Torches were lit inside, and they didn’t immediately see any signs of disrepair. They caught sight of their lusus slipping away down one of the halls and, judging by the fact that she wasn’t calling after them or trying to drag them along, they assumed she did not want them to follow.

They drew a dagger in favor of their sword- Too unwieldy if they came upon a foe suddenly- And proceeded with caution.

They made a beeline for their main study first. This was no longer a casual jaunt down memory lane; This was practically home invasion.

They immediately saw that the study had been rearranged and many books were missing off the shelves. They hastily began searching, though they were unsure exactly of what they were looking for. They’d written far too many research notes to take everything, so they needed things pertaining specifically to necromancy. At least they still recalled their organization system, not that it wasn’t in complete disarray.

They weren’t finding any of their research notes at all, related to necromancy or not. They found plenty of books on magic, their personal journals, but none of their notes.

“Dad?”

A voice called down the hall outside the study. Kairos grit their teeth, mentally cursing and backing away. They pressed their back against the wall behind the open doors, waiting. Footsteps padded along the thick carpet down the hall. Kairos heard him stop in front of the open study doors. His breathing sounded shallow, tense. They could sense his trepidation. Their grip tightened on their dagger as they estimated exactly where he was, what path he would take into the study- How easily they could land a surprise attack and gain the upper hand.

The troll took a few cautious steps in, and then moved further ahead, heading towards the desk apparently without looking behind the doors.

Kairos lunged, grabbing one arm, twisting it behind his back, and pressing their dagger to the troll’s throat. Kairos had seen a hint of fuchsia fin, which meant they couldn’t easily overpower him.

“Be still, or I’ll slit your throat.” They hissed, when the troll attempted to struggle. He froze, taking a few moments to gauge the situation, and then made a demand.

“What do you want??”

“My research. Where is it.”

“What?”

“I wrote many notes on various schools of magic, that were kept in this study. Where are they.”

The troll hesitated, and Kairos pressed the dagger closer to his throat. They could sense this troll’s magic; He had to know what they were talking about.

“I-Is your name- Kairos?”

“So you’ve read them. Where are they.”

“H-Hey- Listen! I’m your descendant! Ramira Mikari!”

“I have no descendants.” Kairos hissed, but glanced up to the troll’s horns. Sure enough, they matched their own, minus the icicles. That didn’t mean Kairos was about to let him go.

“Just look at my horns! We share a name!”

“A sibling, perhaps, but not a descendant. My research, Ramira.” Kairos pressed the blade hard enough to draw blood.

“It’s in my room!”

“The master bedroom?”

“The one next to it...”

Kairos paused. They couldn’t just bind his arms and leave him; He could easily get free with a spell. They relaxed, letting him go, and Ramira darted forward out of their grasp, rubbing his throat.

“Christ,” hissed Ramira. “I thought you’d be kind of a dick, but...”

“Ah, for once I am not a disappointment.”

Kairos stepped back out of the study, turning and stalking down the hall- Only to come face-to-face with a snow leopard. A glance at the eyes confirmed it was neither their current lusus nor their original one, but related all the same.

The leopard meowed at them and sat down. They hesitantly reached out, and then gave the leopard a pat on the head when it seemed to consent.

“Did you have a snow leopard lusus too?” Ramira had followed them out of the study.

“Yes. Is he around?”

“Uh...This is the only snow leopard I’ve seen. I found the body of one in, uh, I think the master bedroom.”

Kairos furrowed their brow, and continued onwards past the leopard. “What did you do with it?”

“I put it in the catacombs.”

Kairos hummed in response. Ramira followed them all the way to the master bedroom, though Kairos stopped and walked right into the room next to it that Ramira had claimed as his own.

Ah. That was definitely a heap of their research notes. Kairos immediately began digging through it; It wasn’t even remotely organized. They were surprised Ramira wasn’t more aggressive towards them, all things considered, but apparently he wasn’t too willing to attack his sibling.

“If you aren’t my ancestor, then who is?”

“Cataclysm, likely. There are books on him in the ancillary study.”

“Oh. Haven’t really looked through that one, yet. What was he like?”

“Do you think I know?”

Ramira put up his hands defensively, making a face and looking away. “Okay, okay. Sheesh.”

“I put a knife to your throat and you still see fit to bombard me with questions?” Kairos hissed.

“You didn’t kill me, so...”

“I am starting to think I should have.”

Ramira backed away a few steps. And then decided to ask another question. “What are you looking for?”

“My studies on necromancy.”

“There’s one on the desk.”

Kairos looked over towards the desk, and then resumed digging through the pile. Ramira cautiously approached, sitting down on the other side of the pile and starting to sort. “Sorry. I should’ve organized this sooner.”

Kairos hummed in response again. By the end of it they had four of their research notes on necromancy, including the one that had been on the desk, and a fifth book they had grabbed on their studies of their own magical ability. That might hold some insight on their current, uncontrollable state.

Shoving the books into their backpack, Kairos stood and began making their way towards the catacombs.

“Hey- Listen- Can we just talk? For a second?”

“About what?”

Kairos stopped, rounding on Ramira, who also stopped dead and faltered.

“Um- Well- We’re related, and all. We’re both mages. And you lived here a while. There’s gotta be...Something you can tell me.”

“There no doubt is. However, I do not care nor do I have the time to share it. Learn on your own. There is nothing I could tell you that is not already contained here.”

“Jesus christ, are you always like this?”

“Yes.” Kairos turned and continued onwards. Ramira apparently thought twice about following, but still ultimately did so. At least he followed in silence.

The already-freezing temperature dropped as they descended the stairs leading to the catacombs. The air shifted, and with it came a horrible crawling sensation. It felt as though the air itself were writhing, heavy and toxic. The stones themselves seemed to be twisting in agony.

This place was cursed, sickening, unfit for life, and still Kairos pressed on.

“Can you at least tell me what the fuck is up with this place? Why is it like this?” Ramira said, finally. At least he had the sense to keep his voice low- And even then, a shriek echoed from some distant depth in the catacombs in response. “Jesus-” Started Ramira, stumbling a few steps back. Kairos ignored it.

“Our dear ancestor trapped the souls of his most detested enemies here. Being a highly successful conqueror, his enemies were many.”

“What was that scream??”

“A banshee, perhaps. Or one of the many twisted souls here.”

Kairos reached the treasury- Kept on the same level of the catacombs to deter ordinary thieves, who could scarcely set foot below the castle without being overcome with fear. They dumped their backback on the ground and began filling what space remained with treasure.

“Seriously??”

“This is as much my inheritance as it is yours.”

“Yeah, but...Jeeze, have some dignity.”

Kairos just scoffed, and once they’d gathered a decent amount, they straightened. Ramira seemed about ready to book it, nervously glancing over his shoulder as though something might come creeping up behind him.

“Show me to the snow leopard you brought here.”

Ramira rubbed his arms anxiously, and then turned to lead Kairos into the catacombs.

He hadn’t brought the corpse far, just into the next room where there was an empty slat in the wall. Kairos scooped the frozen corpse out, glancing towards a half-frozen zombie that had noticed them and was attempting to shamble towards them.

Ramira was bristling with fear. Kairos snorted and moved to carry the leopard’s corpse out.

“Please. It couldn’t bite you even if you let it,” they said, brushing past Ramira.

“This is fucking scary! Don’t tell me you can’t feel it!”

“I can, likely moreso than you. I spent much time down here, however.”

“So you were a necromancer?”

“To some extent. I studied many things.” Though they couldn’t deny that they had a particular interest in death and the beyond.

Kairos carried the leopard’s corpse to one of their old workrooms by the study; This, it seemed, had been untouched. They cleared a table and set down the corpse. Ramira had followed them the entire way.

“Can you light these sconces?” Asked Kairos, picking up an old tool from a tray.

“Can’t you?” Ramira said, still moving to light them anyway.

“My magic is all but useless.”

Ramira looked to them, confused, but Kairos didn’t care to elaborate. Their surgical tools were ruined, unfortunately, and they had to wait around for the corpse to thaw before they could handle it.

They opted to check the eyes first. They were half rotted, but Kairos still recognized the iris’ pattern.

It was their lusus, without a doubt.

Not that they were surprised.

They stayed for two nights to handle the corpse. Ramira- Or Mira, as he preferred to be called- Came and bothered them a few times, pestered them with questions, but ultimately did his best to be helpful. Not that he couldn’t do much; It turned out he was almost as useless as Kairos when it came to magic.

By the end of their stay, Kairos had the bones and fur of their lusus in a duffel bag provided by Mira. The bones were badly cleaned, but that was fine; They at least had something to bring back to Eirene.

As Kairos stepped towards the kitchen portal that lead to a nearby town, Mira spoke up. “Are you going to come back?”

“Likely not.”

“...Can I have your number?”

“...Fine.”

Kairos stopped to enter their phone number into Mira’s phone, and paused as they handed it back. “Do not rapid-fire text or call me.”

“I’m not that much of an asshole, jeeze...”

“You’ve been doing the physical version of it for the past two nights.”

“I have not!”

Kairos didn’t care to argue. They turned to step onto the teleportation circle, before stopping again. “One more thing. My lusus; How did you find him?”

“Uh...He was curled up on the bed. Almost like he were sleeping.”

Kairos narrowed their eyes, and then stepped onto the teleportation circle, vanishing in an instant.

[ardenttheories]

Your takes on gender can be applied these ways also: 1. Their species could be transphobic solely because they might view gender as unnecessary (which isn’t true, due to so many trolls being trans with no problem, so that’s out the window,) or 2. The Condesce herself or her generation created gender roles on Alternia; it would also make sense with The Signless preaching beliefs of freedom and possibly even expression, if we were to go that route. While it doesn’t fix all, it’s better than nothin

Continuing on with Signless and the Condesce, it would have actually made more sense for Sign to be a Fuchsia if society is based on blood caste, for more than one reason (I mean the political implications of a thief of BLOOD being a tyrannical emperor and what you could do with that are pretty fucking apparent but hey who gives a shit amiright) and while life can be just as politically aligned as blood, the inherent structure of blood and the way it’s broken and set up makes Sign a better fit

The bulge-nook standard is all just a bunch of useless bullshit, but it wasn’t in the past apparently; I think it’s mentioned somewhere in the comic that they’re actually close to extinction because the mother grub method is unsustainable and was created BY the Condesce? And that they actually could procreate together but they’re slowly losing the ability? Therefore you could also say that those who are still able to reproduce via encounters could be labeled differently, but that’s still shit

Continuing once again off of the whole mother grub thing (Sorry I’m spamming your inbox I just really like your think thoughts,) the only reason I could see a troll harboring certain ‘gender’ traits (boobs for example) would be for advantages in different climates, besides possible ovaries which, if trolls are more bug than human-like, don’t even make sense anyway. It’s all just a bunch of crud BUT the argument for being trans lies solely in what could remain, OR societal reconstruction I guess

I suppose HIC could have been the generation to assign gender roles to her society, but my only issue would be this: why? I pointed this out in another anon, but there’s no actual divide into “trolls who are superior for being x gender” and “trolls who are inferior for being x gender”. She’s the empress, so you’d think she’d have a preference for women - but her closest and most valued are both men. And even then, she kills indisciminately between genders. Her only preference I’ve ever seen gender-wise is that she always views women as heiresses (or, people who are possible to take her throne), and even that doesn’t entirely make sense; it can easily be explained away as Hussie trying to build a matriarchy where one just didn’t need to exist, to parallel Alternia and Earth. 

To HIC, hemospectrum trumps gender. A male and female rustblood could be standing side by side, both accused of a crime, and neither would be considered more or less guilty on a gendered basis: they’d both be culled for being rust. Likewise, two violetbloods could kill a purpleblood, and the male wouldn’t be more likely to get caught than the female, or viseversa. They’d both get away scot free because they’re highbloods, and higher than the purple they killed - or, they’d both be revenge-slaughtered by other purplebloods.

This isn’t even getting into the fact that, although our canonical legislacerator is female (Redglare), the actual judge (His Honorable Tyranny) is male. So, again, we have a male in power. Yet there’s no explicit bias towards or against men. 

It’s this foundational issue for trying to put a gendered system - as we understand it - on a system that just doesn’t work for it. I do very firmly believe that the trolls would have a gender system, yes; but I think it would revolve around something entirely different. More like how bee genders work; if they’re all “female”, then how do you differentiate the “gender” of bees? By focusing on what actually differentiates them societally: their roles in the hive. Queen, worker, drone - these are the bee genders. How you could implement that to Alternians, I’m not totally sure; I’d have to think on that a little more.

The Signless works well as a mutantblood for the martyr status Hussie was going for; he’s a very clear allegory for Jesus as-is, and having him be a fuchsia wouldn’t have really worked in that sense (because he would have been born into an inherent place of power, without the requirement to go through the martyr journey - and he could have much more easily set about a better, more equal structure had he been an heir than he could have being a mutant). 

It’s a good way to impose on readers just how violent troll society is against those who don’t fit into the spectrum, since the hemospectrum is a class structure that was instilled by both HIC and Doc Scratch (which doesn’t exist as strictly on Beforus, except that the upper classes look after the lower). It also just allows for the equal “one troll of each caste” motif Hussie wanted to go with. So, again, this is an unfortunate instance of Hussie choosing design over lore.

That said, being a fuchsiablood - or even a mutated fuchsia, if we still want to go down the mutant route - would have been endlessly interesting. It could have completely different to see a not-so-shoddily hidden allegory. How The Signless would have attempted to go against HIC, his abilities as a Blood Player, the potentialities of him still raising a rebellion and attempting to change the entire structure of Alternia to something more Beforean - it’s definitely juicy food for thought, if nothing else.

I couldn’t find anything on the Mother Grub method being instilled by HIC, or the fact that it was unsustainable - at least, not on Alternia. Everything I’ve seen relating to Alternia and Mother Grubs very much seems to state that these are the natural ways of the world, something that wasn’t meddled with (which goes along with a theory I had with a few anons some time ago, under the “#homestuck biology” tag, wherein the Mother Grub, trolls, and Drones are actually all founded from the same ancient species, but the trolls just so happened to be the ones to evolve into intelligent life). 

(Edited note: I did find something mentioning that the threat of global extinction allowed for the implementation of the caste system to begin with - as in, the hemospectrum didn’t exist until that specific point in time. It doesn’t mention anything about the Mother Grubs before or after this event, or what caused the near-extinction of the troll race. I would assume Doc Scratch, in order to force the Hemospectrum to exist in the first place, since he takes full credit for its conception. In either case, it isn’t an inability to breed that almost killed off the entire Alternian race - otherwise, even post-Hemospectrum, they would have still died out.)

Anything regarding unsustainability might be instead referring to HIC’s attempts to reintroduce the troll population to the Alpha kids’ Earth; she tries to bring lusii into the world and tries to repopulate Earth using genetic material via the Mother Grub (including for humans), but ultimately fails to do so (partly because her attempts to do so were thwarted by a clone of her lusus, partly because, I assume, human DNA isn’t compatible with the Mother Grubs). 

So, unfortunately, it doesn’t look like trolls ever had the ability to mate with each other and reproduce in a more mammalian way. Which I still despise as a concept, if I’m completely honest; the trolls are clearly meant to be based on insects, are surrounded by insect-like evolutionary divergences, and breed in a very insect-like way. The idea that they ever, at any point, had a more mammalian lineage just makes no sense. That’s like saying that we descended from ancient bees instead of ancient apes. 

It’s, again, one of those instances were you can tell Hussie tried to make something unique and interesting, but then didn’t fully think it through and returned to what he knew most - which is a very much more human experience. 

I think the best explanation for the “gender” differences - beyond “Hussie needed a way to show male and female characters because he didn’t think to include different genders in a society that clearly needed it - probably is the climate concept. It’d be more interesting, for one, and still allow for the potential that trolls don’t have - or show - inherent sexual dimorphism. Especially because, like you said, those are very mammalian traits? Insect-based species don’t have an evolutionary need for those things. 

[chowtrolls]

Keia

Length: 1812 words TW: None that I know of, ask to tag.  Brief: Rom unearths some old memories.   Credits:  All trolls in this are mine  Here’s the song I listened to while writing this!

There were a lot of boxes in Romune’s hive that he had never bothered to open. Some were in the hall closet, some in his sleeping block. Occasionally, when feeling sentimental, Romune would pick out a random box and open it up. He had discovered a lot of things that sparked various memories from life before the hospital. He found some pictures of what he used to look like once. It was bittersweet to look at the face he used to have. The troll in the picture didn’t even really seem like him. That Romune had a different look in his eyes. That Romune just seemed…..different. He wasn’t empty but there was a hollowness to his stare. But it was sweet to look in the mirror afterwards and see a light in his gaze that wasn’t in the original image. It also sucked because he had been growing a beard out and then, of course, lost his jaw. How typical. 

One of the pictures Romune had found even had a few of his old co-workers. They all wore similar Fleet-issued work uniforms. Specifically jumpsuits. One picture was Romune and a goldblood in workout gear; it looked like a selfie taken at a gym. For as long as he stared at their face….he couldn’t remember their name. Honestly, looking at their smile, their sweet face, their blue and green eyes, their curved horns, and the little scar that ran over their nose… it made his head hurt. It made his heart hurt, too. 

Romune had spent many sleepless days thinking about the incident that led to him losing his limbs. He could never quite shake the unease that the situation gave him. He remembered walking down a specific road. Occasionally he would remember a landmark….a boulder on the side of the road, the boba shop next to the florist that smelled like honeysuckle no matter the time of year. He always wondered if he could find those shops again. 

It wasn’t a particularly sentimental night. To be honest, the phantom pains were killing him. His arm hurt the worst. It was a horrible burning sensation in his arm; it couldn’t be helped with pain killers or going on walks or bundling up under blankets. What he could do, however, was try to ignore it. And Romune chose to ignore it by opening a box from the closet in his block. The box was one he had put off for a long while for one reason or another, he just never felt it to be the right time to open that specific box. Upon opening, the box held….clothes? 

More specifically, there was one of Romune’s old sweatshirts folded neatly on top. Underneath it was a gift wrapped box complete with a crumpled little yellow ribbon. Romune sat back, criss crossing his legs to get more comfortable. His lusus lifted her head slightly as the sound of tearing paper filled the air. Of course the box was taped with duct tape, nothing could ever be EASY. It was no problem, though, the tape had aged enough to peel off without too much of a struggle. It took part of the box with it but this wasn’t exactly a gift-opening contest, was it? Rom hesitated to open the now unwrapped gift. It was as if something inside him knew to wait. Something in him said this wasn’t a good idea. Normally he was one to listen to his gut. It felt almost wrong to open this gift. Had there been a name on it? He gently set the box beside him and dug through the wrapping paper shreds to see if there had been a name other than his own written. But there was no name, no tag.

Reluctantly, Romune picked the gift back up. He set it in his lap and stared down at it with furrowed brows. It took a serious pep talk to finally pull back the top of the box. 

The first thing that Romune noticed was a surprisingly strong smell of cologne. For as old as the gift was, the smell was potent, both in smell and in emotion. It forced a wave of overwhelming nostalgia upon him. Romune sat there, holding the open gift, too stunned from the intense longing to move. He didn’t even know what he was longing for. The cologne started to make his head hurt. He considered setting the gift aside and laying down instead but this whole ordeal had made his phantom pain lessen. So he continued. 

He pulled out a shirt from the box. As he pulled the shirt out, an envelope flopped onto the floor in front of him. Romune nudged the box to the side for a moment and stared at the shirt. It was too big to be his own, and the color of the symbol was too purple. The more he stared at the symbol, the more his head ached. But there was something there. A memory. A troll. Someone stored in the back of his brain, waiting to come forward. 

Romune didn’t know what he was doing. He brought the shirt up to his nose, closed his eyes, and breathed in the scent. The feeling of deja vu came forth, but it didn’t feel wrong. This was genuinely familiar. He just didn’t know why. Romune held the shirt close, willing it to bring forth the memory of the owner. And yet…..nothing. The longing was replaced with a deep-rooted sadness. As if his own heart was upset that he couldn’t remember. 

Romune folded the shirt back up into a neat square, and set it to his side. He let his gaze linger on it for another second, as if that sole second could conjure up the proper memories. When nothing happened, he turned to the letter. His name was hand written on the front of the envelope. It looked hastily done, and punctuated with a little exclamation mark. Romune! That was him alright! Romune. Someone had written a letter for Romune. 

But not this Romune, the Romune with the hollowness in his eyes and the scruffy face; the Romune with the goldblood friend. The Romune who died on the operating table. Not this Romune. 

It almost felt wrong to open the letter. The tear was jagged and uneven, messy at best. He wasn’t sure if it was his hand shaking from nerves or the slight ache that remained. The letter inside was folded haphazardly. It was handwritten as well. But it looked like whoever wrote it had spent actual time on it, unlike the name on the front of the letter. He took his time to read every word, take in everything. 

To say reading the letter was an emotional rollercoaster was an understatement. 

The name at the end of the letter is what caused Romune the greatest amount of grief. He stared at it, begging for something. It was at the tip of his tongue. There was SOMETHING there. He had to work for it, but he could feel the gears turning in his head as he grasped for the straws of a memory.

Magnus. Who was Magnus-? 

It hit Romune hard. The more he stared at the name, the more he could picture a face, until it suddenly became clear as day. Messy hair pulled back in a bun, square jaw, long ears. He had a goatee. There were strands of hair falling down into his face. His eyes weren’t really blue, but they weren’t really purple, either. His horns were curved with spikes. Specifically, Romune remembered him with a hair tie between his teeth. Magnus was grinning, brow cocked, walking backwards. Where was he going? Mentally, Romune reached for him, desperate to pull him close and ask. But as quick as he came, Magnus was gone. 

When Romune returned to Alternia, he realized his cheeks were wet with tears. One of them had splashed down onto the paper and smeared the ink by Magnus’ name. Romune sniffled slightly and brushed away the rest of the teardrop before folding the letter back up. He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. 

HyenaMom realized something was wrong, and stood up from her bed in the corner. She gave a big long stretch before making her way to her charge, and laid behind him. She curled up behind Romune’s back and whimpered. He leaned back just slightly, then decided to lay down on the floor instead. He used his lusus as a pillow and stared up at the boring ceiling while his emotions swirled in his chest. And the phantom pain resurfaced. 

He carefully rested his organic hand on his robotic shoulder. The shirt laid, now slightly tousled, within reach of his robotic hand. Romune slowly grabbed it and brought it back to his face. He begged for the smell to bring him the same sense of nostalgia and security. He wanted to feel warm again. He wanted to feel like Magnus was there again. But nothing happened. The smell was so faint, it was practically a memory. 

But what the shirt did bring back, was the faintest memory of a voice. 

“You said no, right?” 

Romune had the feeling he had said yes. What did he say yes to? To working. He agreed to work. To cover someone’s shift at the ship repair sight. It was a different site, not his usual place of business. Who was he covering for? He strained to think of a name. No name popped up, but the smiling goldblood with the blue and green eyes came to mind. Them. He was covering for them. 

Romune had agreed to cover the goldblood’s shift at the ship repair sight. It was starting to come back to him, slowly but surely. Magnus had stopped by unexpectedly. Romune didn’t really remember from where, what Magnus had been doing. What Romune did remember, was opening the door to leave and seeing Magnus standing there. And in his hand was the box. The box that Romune had just opened. 

The box meant for the Romune with the hollow eyes and the scruffy face, who covered a shift for a goldblood and got blown up. Not the Romune with the metal limbs and metal jaw, who doesn’t cover shifts because he’s the only intern. 

If Magnus was alive, Romune was certain he had moved on. Or maybe he died in the explosion. Wherever he was, he was obviously happy. No Magnus had ever stopped by his hive, at least not that Romune could remember. 

Romune found himself hoping Magnus had died. He hid his face in the shirt, silently begging it to bring him anything. Any sense of comfort. Or more memories of Magnus. He wanted so badly to remember more about this mysterious purpleblooded man with the long hair and curved horns. 

( Do you wish to read the contents of the letter? ) 

[the-hs-etaverse]

Neprezi

Gonna ignore some of the PQ-confirmed canon here. Long rant, be warned. It also gets a bit depressing.

I feel like Equius and Nepeta have been moirails, or have at least known each other, for quite some time. My guess is two sweeps by the time of Sgrub, maybe more. And it’s evident from [S] Remem8er that Vriska and Terezi have known each other for a similar length of time. Since Vriska and Equius are neighbours, it would only make sense that Terezi and Nepeta would, at some point, meet each other irl. I assume they hit it off really well. They’re both enthusiastic feral gremlins, it only makes sense.

So, like, despite Vriska’s and Equius’s protestations, they all hang out fairly frequently. Vriska and Equius do Not Like each other, and I doubt Vriska and Nepeta get along well, but Equius has a begrudging sort of respect for Terezi. “D--> She has sufficient b100d, though her mannerisms are not %eptable for her status” So it’s really the fault of Terezi and Nepeta that they all keep hanging out. Vriska and Equius are just like “siiiiiiiigh, fine”

I’ll get into the “Annoyed vs Annoying” dynamic some other time, cuz that’s the funnest part of their group dynamic for me. (Most fun. grammar jane.)

But Terezi’s Very touch-starved, cuz she technically doesn’t have a lusus yet, and she lives in a tree house in the middle of the woods pretty much alone. She’s not gonna admit to it, of course. She is a Strong Independent Troll and she don’t need no hugs! Okay actually she really wants them but she denies it vehemently. But, like, there are two people that she gets hugs from, and that’s Vriska and Nepeta. Vriska’s not really a hugger, but Nepeta? She’s like the textbook case of the Personal Space Invader. She’s VERY huggy. And since Vriska has to like fend her off with a stick and Equius can only accept so much cuddles in public, Nepeta just cuddles with Terezi constantly. ^w^

Yes, it’s a wonderfully cute headcanon, but, like, it’s part of the reason why Terezi ends up developing a flushed crush on Nepeta. Another part of it is probably Terezi projecting some repressed or unrecognized feelings about Vriska onto Nepeta, cuz, like, Nepeta’s her other best friend? She’s gotta have feelings for someone she’s close to, and since it’s obviously not Vriska (spoiler alert: it totally is but she doesn’t realize for like 6 sweeps), it’s gotta be her! Right? >:]

Anyhow, so yeah, they’re like 5 sweeps old now (I think that’s a reasonable age for it) and Terezi’s having her first Crush Ordeal. But she’s not gonna tell Nepeta about it, no, of course not. Only idiots tell people about their crushes! And it’s not like Nepeta would return the feelings! Yeah, and this goes on for like half a sweep, and Nepeta has no friggin’ idea. She’s, uh, how did I put it earlier, she’s more interested in ships to be than the ones that are right under her cute little nose. But, like, Terezi crushing on Nepeta gets fairly obvious. Vriska knows, and Karkat knows. (Equius is, wrt relationships, as dense as a sack of cement.)

But then Nepeta tells her about her crush on Karkat, and Terezi does not handle that well. Because, obviously, this means Nepeta isn’t flushed for her in return. This is what she’s been fretting about for half a sweep. So she has a crisis, and she bottles it all up completely because she hates dealing with her emotions. (Cold hard facts, that’s where it’s at!) And Terezi, on the surface, stays mostly the same, but she gets rather more frigid towards Nepeta. Like, their friendly chat roleplays become, on her end, more and more facetious. Nepeta doesn’t really notice; she’s better with social interactions in theory than in practice.

And Terezi also unconsciously decides to sabotage the possible Karnep relationship. So she starts talking with him more, turning her annoyance and deep-seated resentment into a way to sort of flirtatiously bug the heck out of him. You know, as preteen boys are wont to do? And she ends up tricking herself into thinking she has feelings for him. She doesn’t. It’s just her projecting. She definitely likes him, she eventually overcomes her resentment and genuinely improves her friendship with him, but Karkat’s sort-of feelings for her (yeah, he is sort of flushed for Terezi, though it might be more vacillating than anything) aren’t truly returned.

(how can I write with such nuance about relationships and not be good at it at all irl? like nepeta, i’m better in theory than practice, I guess)

So, then, a few 'gees later (I will make a proper Alternian calendar at some point!), there’s the Scourge/Charge Debacle. Aradia is got gud, Tavros gets broke, Vriska gets bombed, and Terezi gets blinded. So yeah. Friendships = broken. The Equius, Nepeta, Terezi, and Vriska gang stop hanging out entirely. Vriska shuns Terezi and vice versa, the former turning to Eridan for... well not exactly friendship, and Kanaya for, uh, sort-of friendship. And Terezi has now voluntarily isolated herself from virtually everyone she was really friends with. Her relationship with Nepeta is tense and insincere, at least on her end. Her relationship with Karkat isn’t genuine yet. Her relationship with Vriska has been smashed into itty-bitty pieces. Her relationship with Equius has kind of vanished. Aradia is gone, and Tavros is too afraid to talk to her. Sollux is still around, but he’s not quite the same guy he used to be. Terezi never talked with Kanaya overmuch (except when she learned sewing from her), but once Vriska kickstarted the moirallegiance with her, out of a deep-rooted sense of jealousy, communications there virtually froze. She was never close with Gamzee or Eridan or Feferi.

As Sgrub begins, Terezi has become a rather isolated individual. She always was one, but now she’s even more so. The few connections she still has are laced with insincerity. She has retreated into her mind, because it’s where she feels safest. Once the session is over and the trolls are all stuck on the meteor, she wants to start trolling the humans because, well, it absolutely is fun for her. But also, because it’s the only way she really knows how to interact with anyone anymore.

Nepeta’s death struck a chord in Terezi, I believe, if perhaps not quite as strong of one as Vriska’s death did or almost did. She tamped it down, of course. Nepeta’s dead now. She can let the feelings leave. That’s one less weight off her chest. But she also is grieving, wholeheartedly, though she refuses to let herself know. She takes a picture of the Nepeta ghost falling into the black hole instead of trying to save her, because she’s still trying to convince herself that it doesn’t matter anymore.

But it does, and it did.

The first love bites the deepest.

[poffythebon]

ngl, I'm very lazy.

Hello again~!

yep, I'm alive but who cares! I got a new troll again to talk about! and the newest one actually (a bit old but STILL the newest in the topic of my own fantrolls)

Also, there is like a tiny bit of a blood thingy in there so just in case, I'm warning ya if you don't like seeing even a glimpse of trolls blood.

So, today let's talk about a troll called Asurii Barafi!

(there are 2 versions, one is mostly her being drunk af and the other with a glimpse of realization)

Asurii Barafi is known for her jokes and addiction to frugo. (yes you heard me right, FRUGO) Some of her friends seem to be weirded out at how much of it she drinks and confused why it's so calming for her, but if anyone asks she just says "It's TASTY" and that's about it.

She's a purple-blooded troll, the 3rd highest blood rank from the right side of the hemospectrum. Her sign is called "Caprigo" and is shown on the front of her jumpsuit.

Her outfit consists of a purple and black colored one piece with a darker shade of purple littered on it, her sign right on the center of her chest. She also wears long black socks all the time, and to top it off, she just wears purple and black sneakers on her feet. She tends to wear gloves while out of her hive, just in case. ;o)

Her typing style seems a bit off from the standards, at the start of talking/typing and at the end, she puts the "=" sign every time. her question marks and exclamation marks are always inverted, (¿ and ¡) when she uses them, she types them 3 times. Her style also goes from no caps to caps over and over until the end of her conversation.

quick example:

"=yo BIG guy¡¡¡ WANNA grab A frugo AND watch PUPA pan¿¿¿="

Her hive looks normal from the outside, besides the small decoration here and there around it and on it, but inside it looks like you would've just entered a carnival. Her walls are painted in purple and white, around the rooms were placed distorting mirrors, some balls to juggle with, some places you could see a smeared rainbow on the ceiling once or twice (never ask how she did it, it's just there). There were TONS of animal plushies or some kind of weird creatures littered around, cut in half, ripped open, or just a bit bruised up. I could make a 10-meter list just by saying how much stuff is in there.

Moving on, her Lusus is an (Asian small-clawed) otter, but oddly enough it's ginormous, It's always sleeping in the hive, in a room which had to be specifically made for it. To be fair, Its size may not be that big as some may think, but compared to a normal one it's at least 5 times bigger. It's always playful and laid back, but get's bored and tired very easily.

Asurii has some issues known by her friends, the main one would be anger issues, which occur very commonly when something doesn't go her way. So at least 1 troll is most of the time with her at her hive to calm her throughout the day. The 2nd big issue would be that she gets quickly bored, which doesn't really help with her friends trying to play with her to calm her down.

There was an accident regarding her anger issue, where she got angry over an argument of 'what's better, frugo or faygo?' with a random bronze-blooded troll that she met while walking with her friend Anekte (gonna introduce her in the future) to some kind of meet-up place. She got mad at the troll for asking that and actually culled him in some hallway while Anekte was panicking and trying to calm her down to the best of her abilities. In the end, they didn't get to their destination and just went back to Asurii's hive for her to calm down fully and start rambling on how she never wanted to do that, etc.

That was pretty good, I hope you liked it!

I hope to post things faster in the future, but I can only hope.

Thank you for reading, have a nice day, and stay healthy! ♥

[catflowerqueen]

Okay, I finished Hiveswap 2 in... basically all one go. I will definitely have to do multiple replays to get all the Steam achievements, but that can wait until I do all my actual work and projects. Thoughts and major spoilers below.

Well Hiveswap 2 was certainly interesting! I can see why it took so long to make, and why Friendisms had to come first. That game certainly gives some more background lore to certain situations, though it also kind of… gave me certain character expectations that I feel were left unfulfilled. Like… given it is Alternia, and Doc Scratch admitted to messing around with everyone involved via his whatever-it-was making people more open to befriending the reader, I guess I’m not entirely surprised how certain situations ended up? Just… severely disappointed.

As far as gameplay goes, I think that the item management system was a little better than in part one, and it was cool that you actually got to switch between playing as Joey and playing as Xefros, and that they each had different commentary when you clicked on things. There is also a replayability factor, which is nice. The music was also really cool, especially how you could tell that the same melody was being used in every train car, just changed up a little to better fit the “theme” of the castes present in the cars. And that even held true when it got a lot darker/more depressing during the final quest! I’m also extremely glad that there was a functional hint system, because there were times when I really, really needed it.

But the bee minigame came pretty much out of nowhere, and the formatting for the directions was horrendous because it gave them to you after the game already started. Not in a tutorial fashion, either! Which meant that I couldn’t really read or understand what was actually going on until I’d failed the game two or three times, making the whole thing really tedious. Also… I’m kind of annoyed at how little actually got carried over when you use the “import Act 1 data” function? Like… inventory was the same, and maybe there were some things I missed, but it didn’t keep the name I gave Dammek’s lusus! It didn’t even use the default name for that option, either, or even throw in a line about Xefros telling you what it’s actual name was at some point while you were fleeing, which would at least explain the discrepancy.

Then there was the jade and teal car… and oh boy do I have a lot of complaints against that car. It’s honestly the one I had the most problems with, from both a gameplay and story perspective. For one thing, it dragged on way, way too long—especially for a middle section of the game. It would have worked a lot better as an endgame thing, I think, just in terms of the way games and stories are supposed to ramp up the action as you play, so things get progressively harder as you go. While there was some nice foreshadowing of how depraved the purple caste really is during that section… like the early game foreshadowing for it, it only really works effectively if you know the source material.

I mean. I guess Xefros’ discomfort in general works and gives it more of a wham/gut-punch for those who don’t know the source ahead of time, but… still.

Anyways, the length isn’t my only complaint with that section. The story was very interesting, I’ll admit, but the execution was not very good, especially when it came to the evidence. Now, I know this is apparently a common complaint with Phoenix Wright games, which that section is based on—that there is a specific order and place you need to use specific pieces of evidence, even when logic dictates that there is a far simpler solution to the problem. Like… at one point you need to come up with a motive for Tegiri to be hanging out by the Jade lockers. Considering that the entire trial has to do with the theft of a “forbidden book on rainbow drinkers,” this is something you find out during the evidence collection phase before the trial even begins, and another piece of evidence collected clearly states (or at least implies extremely heavily) that Tegiri is into rainbow drinker stuff, one would think that piece of evidence would be enough for a motive, right? Wrong. Instead, you have to use a broken action figure… and then you STILL use the other piece of evidence to show that he’s into weird romance stuff and would have been interested in reading the book! And that’s not the only time stuff like that happens!

Not to mention the section in the middle where the trial takes recess. The dialogue implies that what’s happening is you’re getting the chance to collect more evidence and statements… but, no, what’s actually happening is that you’re supposed to be taking this time to accuse other people of actually being the culprit by combining two pieces of evidence. The problem is, it doesn’t tell you this is what’s happening, give you any warning that you won’t be able to talk to the people you’re accusing again if you combine the wrong evidence, or let you use any selection screen aside from the evidence ones when it would be extremely helpful to be able to check on the timeline or suspect section again in order to get a refresher on where everyone was. And one of the pieces of evidence is a diary—but once you have it in your possession, you can’t check the relevant entry again! It only says who the diary belongs to and that some of it is censored. And since there is reason to believe that someone else messed with the diary to implicate the owner, it would be very helpful to actually get to explore that further in depth!

I really do hope that this is a case where there are multiple different endings, since the way it left off on my playthrough left an extremely bitter taste in my mouth, especially in regards to Tyzias’s character, who I actually really, really liked in Friendisms! But here… I got the “Scapegoat” achievement (which is why I’m hoping that there are other ways to complete this section), with the end result being that even though we got our client declared innocent, we also got an innocent (or at least, one heavily implied to be innocent afterwards) person declared guilty—in part because our co-counsel did not inform us of the fact that she witnessed evidence being tampered with and, in fact, knew who the true culprit was all along. And while her “Experiment” was deemed a success—and, I suppose, was technically successful within the set rules and did actually follow the whole “innocent until proven guilty” thing—it just highlighted that legislacerators still don’t actually care about justice. She could have, at any point, chimed in about what she saw, but was more interested in “keeping the peace” afterwards than actually getting the true culprit. And, yeah, baby steps and all, but…

I suppose thematically it does work well considering what happens at the end of the game when reaching the purple car, but…

I just thought better of Tyzias, is all. Friendisms implied that she was a real revolutionary for change, and, yes, I know that this wouldn’t be obvious to someone who didn’t play that game and some allowances must be made for that, but… even so, it just seems really out of character, and I don’t think it can all be blamed on forgetting lessons they learned while hanging out with the Reader/those things not actually happening in this continuity, for whatever reason (though, given how Fozzer was acting, and the fact that Chixie brings up the whole “Mask” persona, I’m pretty sure that we can assume they all remember some things that happened… just in a way that’s vague enough that those who played Friendisms can catch the references while those who didn’t won’t be lost on what’s going on)

…And, in hindsight, the whole thing was probably unnecessary to begin with since the book actually got found before the idea off a trial even came up??? I mean, part of that is because Marvus suddenly wandered in and seemed very interesting in holding one, and they didn’t want to upset him, but… yeah, it’s definitely a case of “this all could have been avoided,” especially since the book is apparently only forbidden for the jades to read. But I’m willing to give that one a pass, since trolls are weird and there were various circumstances escalating the situation.

I still think that Tagora had something to do with it, given what we know about his infatuation with Rainbow Drinkers from Friendisms… but that never actually came up in the game? I see where there may have been an opportunity for it, but it wasn’t a very clear-cut one and, at least the direction my playthrough went—would have required the player to actually have done his route in Friendisms.

(EDIT: Apparently there are some different ways to do this trial, according to some things already up on Steam, but they are dependent on some very early choices in the game--which would presumably affect some other choices in later games, and which means that i’m going to have to do many different playthroughs if i want to see everything available--and it still isn’t likely to remove the taint on my feelings towards Tyzias. After all, I’ll know that such capabilities for ruthlessness remain in her character, whether or not they’re actively showing.)

Also, hero-mode Xefros looks a lot older than I thought he was. And apparently joey is old enough to at least be a Freshman in high school??? I thought she was still in middle school!

As for other characters… some I felt were still in-character, some weren’t. Like… for what little we actually saw of Karako’s personality, considering he doesn’t really talk, I thought he was fine… despite being extremely surprised he was actually on the train at all considering his youth and, well, what little personality we saw indicating that he doesn’t really do “civilization” much. But the twins… while they were spot-on amongst themselves (resulting in an extremely chilling and heartbreakingly well-done scene near the ending), they seemed a lot more vicious in regards to their interactions with others. Wanshi apparently developed a real cruel streak in this game, and, ironically, Tirona was actually a whole lot nicer and not actually a suspect of that trial, despite being put on the stand as a witness.

I was also a bit disappointed that there weren’t more of those clever fight scenes we had from Act 1, where there was puzzle solving going on mid-fight—there were only two of them, one being so forgettable that I pretty much only remembered it existed just this second, and only the last one was really clever. There was at least one, maybe two other points where it would have been really cool/creative if Joey could have solved things with dance in a battling format… but her use of her dancing shoes was only plot important at two points in the game—and that first point wasn’t even her doing actual dancing, but, rather, as a buildup for the bee minigame. And then she never even got to use her “bee dance” skills again. At least Xefros finally got to use his bat—but, again, it was only once where it was actually a useful tool. He did get to use psionics more, though.

 And there was a plot point with Skylla that was pretty much completely dropped? I mean… they did bring it up as something that was still unsolved right at the end, but… well, hopefully this just means that they’ll actually solve it for real in Act 3, because otherwise there was a perfectly good opportunity for a solution that Joey had in hand, but which didn’t get utilized. The issue is that Skylla’s lusus is apparently sick. One would think that this means that, assuming you carried over from part 1 (and I would assume even if you didn’t because it looks like a lot of the problems would be game-breakingly unsolvable if you didn’t have certain items you would have picked up through a playthrough of part 1. I guess that’s something to test for next time), this would require you to use the bestiary and vet kit, right? Wrong: I tried that and nothing happened. Apparently, the solution is that you promise Skylla you’ll look for medicine further down, and use that as a reason that Marsti should move away from the door so that you can pass by. But there’s never actually an option for you to look for the medication.

 …Now that I think about it, though, this would be the prime opportunity for some inadvertent (or intentional, as the case may be) foreshadowing from Act 1. Two opportunities, even, with one being far more obvious than the other. One could be that Joey makes some commentary about knowing exactly what to do, having seen a similar problem in her own “lusus”—her pet dog back home. The other could be that Ladyy isn’t actually sick, but is instead pregnant and having little lusus puppies—which would be a callback to that Puppy Surprise doll from Act 1 where Joey hid her keys.

 Still. I don’t like the fact that it never got solved in this part. Also that Vikare didn’t really get to do much (despite how annoying and confusing I myself find him) and that we didn’t get to see Fozzer again on the train even though we got to see several others on the train who we first saw at the station.

I’m also wondering what’s going to happen in part 4? Obviously part 3 is going to be either the party or further attempts to reach the party (and the suddenness of what happened with the ending does lend some more seriousness to the whole “you only have eleven days before everything gets destroyed thing), but… I’d assumed going in that two parts would be dedicated to Joey’s story, and two to Dammek’s, but apparently that’s not the case? If Joey really does get four parts to herself… then what the heck is Dammek’s story going to entail? I mean… those monsters, obviously, and whoever Jude’s “friends” are, but… I don’t know. I feel like it’s going to be hard to top this.

 As far as lore goes… apparently the maturation trials are not the same thing as the exile, since Zebruh mentions already having gone through his, yet he is still on Alternia for what is implied to be… at least two sweeps, I think it was? I think he said he went through them at seven, and Chahut is approaching 9 or ten and mentions being only a perigee away from leaving. So that’s interesting. I guess the maturation trials are the equivalent of a career aptitude test or something?

 It does make me wonder what happens with the Jades, though. Unless there are more mothergrubs on other planets, what do they even do when they’re off world, since apparently they are specifically tested when they are a lot younger to see who actually is assigned to the caverns vs. just living outside with everyone else. I guess maybe they just get jobs that are slightly more prestigious than olives, but still under teals? That would at least make sense for the ones who weren’t assigned to work in the caverns. Though it does make me wonder about Kanaya a little bit—had there been no game involved, would she still be considered “special” like the jades from Hiveswap given what her lusus was, except that because of said lusus she had to live outside of the caverns? It was, after all, implied that virgin mother grubs and their matriorbs were extremely rare. 

Also, considering how full this train was, and the caste segregation going on, I’m wondering why the train from Sollux’s route in Pesterquest was so empty, and how he could apparently just get on any car he wanted. I mean—sure, he ended up in a car that only had an olive on it, but considering they were literally the only other passenger besides reader, that may have just been a coincidence. It can’t have been that there were separate waiting platforms for the different castes, either, since everyone was mingling together in Hiveswap before separating by car. Is it just that everyone was going to the party, but the train otherwise doesn’t get much use, or something like that? Or did it have more to do with whatever the ramifications were for Trizza’s defeat? …Or possibly the fact that the attack on the train at the end just made people still extremely wary about travelling by rail even sweeps after the fact?

 There’s probably some more lore I can touch on, but… honestly, the trial section left me so upset that I can’t really put much of that together right now. I think I was going to say something about how the Jades would also be a good source of keeping culture alive between heiresses, since apparently they’re actually charged with doing so… but it’s hard to tell how much of that culture is just jade culture specifically vs. the rest of Alternia. Or even how much of it was actually serious, rather than a thinly veiled reason to let everyone indulge in things like tabloids, celebrity magazines, and rainbow drinker books.

Oh, yeah, and I’m pretty sure that Diemen at one point implied that his hot dog was actually made out of someone specific, though I’m not sure at this point whether that someone was his lusus, or if it was a troll. Either way, if that’s true, then it definitely explains why he is so protective of that specific hot dog.

EDIT: I remembered what the other bit of lore I wanted to discuss was. Well. I mean, it might not be considered “lore” as such, but... it’s interesting that of the two major rebellions we know of, both were headed by bronzebloods--that being the Summoner and Dammek. At least, I assume Dammek is the one heading the current rebellion. I wonder it it’s just a coincidence, or if there is something in bronzeblood nature that makes them more likely to lean towards these sorts of reactions? We know Dammek’s breed of lusus apparently favors strong leaders, and given the blood color would only be seeking out other bronzes (except perhaps when they hit the “my charge just died/got culled” stage and go looking for someone else to adopt, given what is happening with Joey), but presumably the Summoner had the same lusus type as Tavros. I dunno, it’s just interesting to think about.

Anyways... Overall I did really like the game! I loved the tone, despite how depressing it got at times, and Xefros’ and Joey’s developing relationship is amazing. I look forward to part 3. Hopefully it won’t take as long to come out.