thewertsearch

[thewertsearch]

You go to one of the stairwell rooms and carefully observe the armor while you sketch it. You have secretly wondered whether your grandpa was actually Iron Man in his younger years.

I didn’t even notice the Iron Man suit when we first saw this room, but it's been here since the beginning.

We’re finally making power armor, something I've been urging the kids to do since Act 3. This thing can probably kill First Guardian Imps without Bec's help.

You lost your MAGIC CUE BALL in the explosion, so you will have to draw it and hope your modus knows what you're getting at.

I was wondering when we'd come back to Jade's cueball. The fact that it's missing is giving me the worst thoughts, and I'm not even sure I want to speculate about where it's going to show up next.

Knowing what we know now, I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that it's one of the most dangerous artifacts currently in the Medium. We don't really understand how it's linked to Scratch, but it certainly responds to his call, and he could blow it up - or worse - at any time.

You can now see inside, and watch the dark water sloshing about the cavity in the globe. The predictions seem kind of lame when you can see all the other possibilities tumbling around in there.

It's similar, then, to how your decisions would start to feel a lot less meaningful if you became aware of countless timelines where you made different choices.

Kind of makes the fortune feel irrelevant.

yeah it's almost like luck doesn't actually m

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s105 #3150

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You combine Rose's HEADBAND with… some sort of of fluffy ball you drew? This isn't really working. Also, this pointless thing was absurdly expensive for some reason.

Generally, a cost that high implies a very powerful item. I'm willing to bet that this headband has supernatural properties that will come into play later on.

Jade's Pictionary modus is able to yield items that she didn't intend to draw. Maybe this 'fluffy ball' is more than it seems?

Speaking of which, I'm reminded for the umpteenth time just how powerful Jade's modus is. With her art skills, she can conjure almost any mundane item imaginable.

...actually, there's no reason why she should be limited to mundane items. What's stopping her from drawing a Kernelsprite, a Quest Bed, or Skaia itself?

The prophecy has finally been fulfilled, as all four kids now have a computer which will contribute to John's Ultimate Headset.

You make the JOHNNYTOP!

Keep him away from the Laserstation!

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s105 #3142

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>WV: Search for power source. You ate that delicious green nuclear rock earlier in the day, even though it feels like it was more than a year ago.

WV seems completely immune to radiation, which is a lucky break for him.

It's also a weird trait for Sburb to give its NPCs, but I guess it makes sense when you remember they're supposed to explore post-apocalyptic worlds.

Guess there's nothing to do but wait it out.

Lmao. I…. guess that’s a plan?

The problem isn't getting the uranium, it's using it. I didn't spot any convenient Mr. Fission reactor to toss it into, so I don't know what he's supposed to do with the thing once he has it.

He is so impatient. Doesn't he realize how time consuming it is preparing for the holidays? […] Wait… you almost forgot, it's still April, and nowhere near the holiday season. You guess all this wintry weather tricked you into thinking it was. But wait! Even THAT doesn't make any sense, since it never snowed on your island, and you were never able to connect it with the holiday season! […]

Sorry Hussie, there's no way to make this make sense – but I don't care, and neither do you. We’re long overdue for Jade’s alchemy session, so Christmas in April it is.

Karkat cannot be conveyed with a more detailed portrait yet. He is too angry, and is forced to look like shit.

This should have been Karkat's first appearance in the comic.

Hell yes.

Does it have a jpegifying aura, like the SORD.....? Maybe it turns the presents left underneath it into jpegs themselves.

TG: yes perfect GG: it is the prettiest tree i have ever seen!!!!! TG: ok im going to torrent you another like negative billion artifact grists GG: ok great! GG: everything about that makes total sense

The funniest thing about this is that we already know Jade's a talented artist - and therefore, the only logical explanation for these abominations is that Dave's been tutoring her.

GG: is this conksucky enough TG: its the conksuckiest piece of fucking shit that ever still somehow qualified as a boot GG: <3

I was right! She's an apprentice SBaHJist!

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s105 #3138

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@manorinthewoods asked: What are your predictions about God Tiers, their exact mechanics, who will gain them, etc.? ~LOSS (19/10/23)

I think we’ll see some additional God Tier Players, but not many. It feels to me like an advanced feature of the game that the average Player never interacts with, because they don't need it to win. Plus, if everyone started ascending, it would start to seem a lot less special.

As for who might ascend, I don't have many good guesses. Technically, it should be impossible for any more trolls to go God Tier, since their dream selves have been killed - but there are ways around that, especially in a story which makes liberal use of time travel.

I think Karkat, Terezi and Kanaya are the most likely trolls to ascend, since they're the most heavily involved in the plot. I don't think any of the kids will manage it, but Jade is admittedly a slight question mark.

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #asks #theories

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Arise, Thief.

"UH, GUYS? 1 TH1NK VR1SK4 JUST D3SP4WN3D :/"

The Light palette suits Vriska very well.

I think I like this outfit more than John's, actually. The hood and boots make her look like a typical rogue, which suits her class perfectly. The wings are odd, but I suppose they could symbolize a thief's agility.

Also, now that I'm looking at this outfit in context, I'm pretty sure I've seen it before. Not during the comic itself, but in fanart, long before I started the liveblog. It was definitely either Vriska, or another God-Tiered Light player - but since Vriska's a fan favorite, I think it's more likely it was her.

The windy boy is dead. The tragedy is overwhelming. All hope is lost. Oh well. Time to get out of this tin can!

We're back with WV, who seems a little behind on current events. I guess he's assuming the John he met on Skaia was from further back on the timeline, so he thinks the Heir is dead for good.

Of course you still have your secret treasure, but it will almost certainly prove to be of no use to you in this dilemma whatsoever.

Put that thing away! This moment isn't nearly dramatic enough to justify using it. Does this look like an [S] page to you?

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s104 #3127

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Fucking hell.

She can push and push and push, but she's never going to get the result she wants. All she can do is torture them both - and really, that's all she's ever done.

It's what a thief does. End this.

The game branded Vriska a Thief of Light. It's a simple descriptor - too simple, I think, to define the totality of a person. You can't describe someone's entire being with two nouns.

Yes, Vriska is a Thief of Light - but that's not all she is. There's nuance to her personality that Snowman can't understand, and perhaps Sgrub can't understand it either.

That's not the face of a girl who doesn't care.

Terezi slapped Vriska gleefully when she first appeared, but I think she's harboring a lot more affection for her Scourge Sister than she lets on.

You know what the worst part is?

Vriska is going to blame Tavros for this. She's going to blame Tavros for his weakness, and I don't know if she'll ever accept that it was her own choices that led her to this undignified end.

This is so much worse than anything I thought was going to happen.

No wonder Tavros hid on Prospit for the rest of the game.

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s104 #3119

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She gave him a choice.

But I don’t think she was prepared for the consequences.

The problem is, she assumed that there wasn't a choice - that Tavros would do exactly what she'd do in this situation. Even now, she refuses to understand him.

Thief. Why not take control.

Even Snowman is confused.

I mean, I can understand why. As Vriska's Exile, Snowman has been keenly observing her - and what she's seen is a ruthless control freak, who manipulates losers like Tavros as easily as she breathes.

But an Exile station can't see inside Vriska's head. She doesn't just see Tavros as a loser, she sees him as her project - and from her perspective, all her plans for him are finally coming to fruition.

In Vriska's head, this is the moment Tavros finally snaps, accepts that her way is the right way, and drives his lance through her heart. The possibility that he'd still refuse to let her win is so unacceptable that she's willing to risk excruciating death to prove she’s right.

But she's wrong.

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s103 #3114

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Vriska has been handed an opportunity.

Actually, when you think about it, she always had this opportunity. Vriska clearly had knowledge of the Quest Bed before she died, and could have travelled there at any point to ascend. Despite what Terezi assumed, it turns out Vriska didn't have the guts to stare her own mortality in the face.

At the end of the day, she's just a teenager, and she's not nearly as hardened as she pretends to be.

Oh, that's a nice touch. I'd actually forgotten that trolls sleep in cocoons.

I wonder what answer Sgrub would have for a species that doesn’t sleep at all?

Now, what was it that Vriska said again?

Yeah, I don’t think this is going to go smoothly.

Tavros doesn't have Vriska's mindset, and he never will. No amount of Vriska's bullying ‘helping’ is going to turn him into someone comfortable with cold-blooded murder.

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s103 #3110

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Oh, hello Vriska.

If this is the moment I think it is, it was not your finest hour.

If you’re a Player who knows about god tiers, this situation presents a bit of a dilemma, doesn't it?

If you're kissed immediately, your survival is guaranteed, but you're permanently locked out of divinity. Chasing godhood in these circumstances will put your life on the line, but it's your last chance to try.

Of course, it's probably not going to be you making the final call, so this is something you'd want to discuss with your companions beforehand. If it was me, I'd hand out a pack of these:

Which everyone would keep on their person like a organ donor card.

In any case, Vriska's decision is obvious. She'd always choose to roll the dice.

…but she can’t communicate this to Tavros, who seems to be bringing his Aspect into play for this revival.

What does your Breath power do, Nitram?

Something's happening to Tavros, and I think it's Dream Vriska stepping in, forcing him to revive her the way she wants.

We know she was conscious on Prospit while this was happening, and the effective range of her powers is enormous.

This is admittedly an extremely metal thing to do - but Vriska is lucky Tavros hasn't already fainted from the stress. We are way out of his comfort zone here, and it's only going to get worse.

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s103 #3099

[thewertsearch]

GC: 4ND FOR MY FR13NDS, TO PROT3CT TH3M FROM TH31R T3ND3NCY TO UND3R3ST1M4T3 TH3 POW3R TH31R CONFUS1ON H4S OV3R TH31R F4T3 GC: TO K33P TH3M OUT OF TROUBL3, D4V3 >:] TG: is that what you were doing just now GC: M4YB3 1 W4S! GC: YOU N3V3R KNOW, S33RS 4R3 NOTOR1OUSLY CRYPT1C 1N TH31R W4YS

They might not even intend to be cryptic.

If you have a class which lets you intuitively understand a certain Aspect, then you're probably going to have trouble explaining your viewpoint to those who lack your advanced insight.

GC: 1 KNOW TH4T YOU W3R3 ON TO SOM3TH1NG WH3N YOU S41D LUCK W4SNT 1NVOLV3D W1TH TH3 CO1N FL1P […] GC: […] LUCK 1S 4 V3RY R34L TH1NG! GC: FORTUN3 1S TH3 3SS3NC3 OF L1GHT, 4ND 1T SH1N3S ON THOS3 WHOV3 M4ST3R3D 1T

Light is the aspect of luck, then. Vriska's abilities now make perfect sense - and come to think of it, so does the name of her Land.

What is treasure but a fortune, waiting to be found?

GC: BUT 1 KNOW SOM3TH1NG MOR3 1MPORT4NT TH4N TH1S GC: 1T 1S 4 B1G S3CR3T GC: M4YB3 TH3 B1GG3ST 4ND MOST 1MPORT4NT S3CR3T OF 4LL GC: LUCK DO3SNT 4CTU4LLY M4TT3R >8]

For all her posturing, Vriska's luck manipulation has a rather limited scope. Sure, she can make bad things happen to people, but those are still Alpha Timeline events. Her 'luck' doesn't change fate - it facilitates it.

It's decisions that can change fate, careening you into a new, more dangerous timeline. And Terezi is the master of decisions.

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s103 #3097 #rose's abilities don't really make sense in this lens - but I'm waiting to see more of her powers before I speculate

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GC: YOU 4SK3D WH4T 1T M34NS TO B3 TH3 S33R OF M1ND [...] GC: 1F YOU S33 WH4TS 1N YOUR M1ND CL34RLY 4ND UND3RST4ND TH3 POW3R YOUR THOUGHTS H4V3 GC: TH3N YOU UND3RST4ND R34L1TY WH1L3 3V3RYON3 3LS3 1S RUNN1NG 4ROUND CONFUS3D 4ND 4NGRY 4ND UPS3T

I was hoping that Terezi would start expositing on her own Title. Unlike the kids, she's had a full-length session of Sgrub to grow into her understanding of her own role, so she's able to speak with some authority on what it means. Let's see what she has to say.

GC: B3C4US3 TH3Y TH1NK R34L1TY 1S SOM3TH1NG H4PP3N1NG TO TH3M GC: R4TH3R TH4N SOM3TH1NG TH3Y 4R3 M4K1NG 3V3RY MOM3NT W1TH 3V3RY THOUGHT

This is, of course, completely literal. We've just seen Dave spawn an entire timeline from his thoughts, and it's possible that all divergent timelines spawn from people's decisions.

Through her understanding of Mind, Terezi essentially conjured Green-Suited Dave - and in doing so, demonstrated that her powers have real, physical consequences. They might not be as flashy as John's, but they're a lot more flexible.

GC: 1 4M NOT PSYCH1C, BUT 1 H4V3 TH3 S1GHT S33RS 4R3 M34NT TO H4V3 GC: 1T W4S MY ROL3 TO H4V3 1T

This seems to confirm that Terezi's intuition is, in fact, informed by her Title abilities. She doesn't have troll psionics, but she does have some sort of 'sight' granted by her Aspect. I assume this sight is what allows her to smell people's personalities and detect lies.

GC: FOR MY 3N3M13S, 1 W4S M34NT TO BR1NG 4BOUT TH3 1NH3R3NT R3TR1BUT1ON FLOW1NG FROM TH3 R34L1TY M4D3 BY TH31R OWN 3V1L THOUGHTS

Terezi has a prodigious understanding of the way people think. According to her, this means that she's meant to be a master manipulator, turning her enemies' thoughts and desires against them. I'm not entirely convinced that a class called the 'Seer' is intended to be used this way, but it's worked out pretty well for her so far.

Note also that she doesn't question the base assumption that her enemies are evil. To this trainee legislacerator, anyone who stands against her is evil by definition. This isn't the first time we've seen this attitude from her, as she also used it to justify the murders she committed as a Scourge Sister.

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s102 #3097

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Anonymous asked: We know what your kidsona’s modus is. What’s your *trollsona’s*?

For security reasons, it won't let her captchalogue any object whose code isn't registered on its internal whitelist.

In effect, this means she can't captchalogue anything, unless someone else is around to give her the code.

#full liveblog #homestuck liveblog #asks #act 5.2 #homestucksona

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Sally and Sahlee: Ascend.

I used the two most popular Classpects you've been assigned; If you want other classpects, I can remake these.

Hell yeah! I particularly like the color scheme on the right. Based on the symbol's resemblance to a skull, I'm assuming that these are the colors of Doom.

I think, at this point, I'm willing to lock Doom in as my kidsona's canonical aspect.

Gotta wait for Sahlee to ascend for that one!

#full liveblog #asks #act 5.2 #homestucksona

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Second part of the giga-ask compilation!

@publicuniversalworstie asked: Why assume the Horrorterrors would know that changing events would create a doomed timeline? That assumes both A) that the horrorterrors know the future and B) that they don't think it can really be changed. Maybe they genuinely thought they could change things, such as by perhaps fulfilling all the requisite loops a different way? Imagine a scenario where a time traveler learns of their death, therefore being destined to die, and instead fake their death to create the conditions under which they learned of the death originally.

It's possible. But if the Horrorterrors do have a way to trick the Alpha Timeline like that, then they've really been holding out on us by not mentioning it to the Players. Such a revelation would completely change the game - we might even be able to fake the Earth's death.

Anonymous asked: i want to learn more about coding to analyze homestuck better - do you have a place i could start? resources? idk love the liveblog hope you're doin well :]

Absolutely! I've got two separate answers for you, depending on what your goal is here.

If your main goal is just to analyse Homestuck, then you’re probably best off picking a language whose syntax is easy to understand, such as Python. You'll pick up on the basic logic pretty quickly, and the ~ATH snippets will start to make a lot more sense.

If you’re actually interested in programming for its own sake, then I recommend you start with my own first language, C. It’s a lot harder for a newbie to get to grips with, but doing so will give you a much more solid theoretical foundation then ostensibly ‘easier’ languages.

W3schools is a decent starting resource for both languages - but if you need more specific guidance, let me know, and I'd be happy to help!

@skelekingfeddy asked: actually grubmom having the same color wires as in that pic of sahlee wasnt intentional! i based it on how sollux’s game grubs have red and blue wires attached to them

Serendipity!

Anonymous asked: Did you run any mysterious ~ath programs on that computer of yours?

Honestly, running ATH on that thing would probably have improved it.

Anonymous asked: One voice headcanon I have for Terezi is the English dub of Power from Chainsaw man

Honestly, she sounds pretty much exactly how I imagine Terezi does. She even has the horns!

@martinkhall asked: I'm surprised none of the suggested instruments for a time player were an ocarina.

Some fruit is just too low-hanging.

@delicate-ruins asked: what's an animal you like that you think doesn't show up very much in media, be it fiction or news or just generally? example: i like secretary birds. but except for videos about them, i have never heard them references.

They're not obscure, per se, but there will never be enough sloths in media. The only fictional sloth of note is Sid from Ice Age – and he does not do them justice.

Capybaras are also underrated as hell – so much so that LibreOffice, which I'm using to edit this compilation, doesn’t even recognize the word as real!

Anonymous asked: “I’m trying to figure out if it’s fully a Breath outfit, or if there’s some Heir stuff too.” the general rule for god tier outfits is that the colors and symbol represent the aspect, the clothes represent the class. so, for example, if two princes of different aspects ascended, their clothing style would be the same but they would a have different color scheme. @skaiandestiny asked: If you haven't already figured it out, class informs the godtier outfit and aspect informs the colors and icon!

In that case, there is something about John’s outfit that says ‘heir’ – but nothing really stands out to me.

@driventopoison asked: Hey, I don't know if it's just me but it seems like you've skipped ahead. I have been following your liveblog daily, but I haven't seen you come across the windy thing yet. Is this because you were using the app or something? Also just want to let you know that I love your liveblog. Keep up the good work!

Thank you! Anyway, John’s Windy Thing is indeed documented on the liveblog, and it’s visible to me. I was using the app for some of that segment, though – are app-made posts particularly buggy?

@classpecting-guide-official asked: story about a modded game of sburb where the characters notice that something isn't right and slowly realize that their world is a lie

Back in Act 1, this is pretty much what I thought was happening. It was a simpler time.

@ignis-cain asked: Note the colors the capslock flashes for WV.

When WV locks his capsule, the button’s light flashes red and green – but I’m not sure what the significance of these colors is, in this situation.

Anonymous asked: i know i'm SUPER late to answer this, but i think the instantiation thing is the same as any video game, newly made with a prebaked history. when you name your character, that has been their name for their whole life, even though you thought it up a few seconds ago. when you enter the medium, the planet has a history and the denizens have memories, even though they just showed up when you entered.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is indeed what’s going on. The implications are just a lot more wild when the game is physically real, rather than virtual!

@kintatsu asked: So, I know I'm a little late to the party, but I have to point out: Alternian sunlight doesn't need to be THAT much stronger than Earth's to blind Terezi as quickly as it did. Trolls are nocturnal, which means they almost definitely have a tapetum lucidum (eyeshine membrane), which means that however much light entered Terezi's eyeballs? Her retinas were blasted by every photon twice.

Damn, Vriska. For a second, I thought this ask was explaining why Terezi wasn't in as much pain as I'd thought - but this alternate explanation might actually be worse than what I was picturing!

@delicate-ruins asked: It's delightful to see somebody read Homestuck and be as charmed by it as I and a lot of my friends were way back when we first read it, and the calm, digesting pace at which you're enjoying it is honestly so nice. I rushed way too much to catch up since my friends recommended it in about 2016, which means I went from knowing nothing about the comic to being caught up on it in like a week. I never sat down with the ideas and thought "hey, does this mean XYZ?" because quite often I got the answer five seconds later as I rushed to catch up. But seeing you asking those questions is so so fun. Yeah, DOES it mean that?? Guess we'll find out! In the meantime, we get to guess, which means we basically get to have fun twice. It's reigniting my enjoyment of homestuck quite significantly, I think!

Thank you! It’s really nice to be able to engage in a dialogue about the comic through these asks, which is something that wouldn't be possible if I was speeding through it. As I always say, I'm here for a good time and a long time.

@manorinthewoods asked: Alright, here's another transtimeline fun fact. Each of the kids was supposed to have a Quest related to their associated material - John had a land covered in oil, Rose's ocean was polluted with chalk, the gears of LOHAC were gummed by amber, and LOFAF was in a nuclear winter. Ultimately, while the ocean of LOLAR is still chalky, nothing but John's oil made the cut. ~LOSS (16/5/23)

I think it was a good change, then. Not everything has to be a pattern, and Dave's two weird maybe-quests are a lot more unique and interesting than a generic 'materials quest'.

@captorations asked: oh hey, this walkaround! so funny story, i used to run a blog where i posted one of terezi’s canon appearances each day, in order. yes, i completed my task, and more besides. however! when i was wandering through this as terezi, a glitch rendered me trapped. i decided that this counted as a noteworthy appearance, and took a screenshot. then, by sheer coincidence, it ended up being posted on… halloween. it was pretty great (also don’t forget to check out ctrl + t)

You accessed the double-secret version of Past Karkat: Wake Up, which plays the Earthbound Halloween Hack version of Megalovania rather than the Homestuck one.

Anonymous asked: Personally, I think John gaining so many levels so quickly is tied to his role as the heir - he gains so many levels without really trying, not because he's better than the trolls or his friends, but because he just kind of falls into it. The game rewards him for taking the path of least resistance.

That certainly makes sense if we just look at John - but I have trouble reconciling this interpretation with our other Heir. Equius certainly has some advantages, but they aren't exactly unique to him, as you'd expect them to be if his Heir class was responsible for them.

Yes, he's a highblood, but he's outranked by three non-Heirs - and his strength doesn't seem to be unique either, as Feferi seems capable of similar feats. Perhaps Equius will trip and fall into more unique privilege, but it hasn't happened yet.

Anonymous asked: my personal headcanons for midnight crew claspects: Slick - Prince of Blood, Droog - Mage of Space, Boxcars - Knight of Heart, Deuce - Bard of Doom. knowing you youre probably gonna attempt to analyse these LOL

Slick has had ties to Blood since he first met Karkat, so that tracks - and Boxcars is a shipper, so Nepeta's aspect is probably the best fit for now. I'm not sure about the other two, but I'll revisit them later!

#asks #full liveblog #act 5.2

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GC: 1 DONT SUPPOS3 1 COULD T4LK YOU 1NTO PUTT1NG H1M OUT OF H1S M1S3RY B4S3D ON TH3 R3SULT OF 4 CO1N FL1P >:D […] TG: put your fucking death coin away jesus […] GC: YOUR3 OV3R3ST1M4T1NG 1TS R3L3V4NC3 H3R3 4NYW4Y […] GC: 4FT3R 1 FL1PP3D 1T, 1 D1DNT 3V3N LOOK 4T TH3 R3SULT!

As we've already covered, she didn't need a coin at all, because she wasn't the one splitting the timeline. Dave was the one tricked into splitting the timeline, and he did so by merely thinking about a coin.

I feel like I'm starting to understand the general idea of what it means to be a Seer of Mind, but I can't quite put it into words yet.

TG: i sent you the money i got all the fraymotifs tell me what is there thats left besides you jerking me around […] GC: YOUV3 GOT SOM3 WORK TO DO, 1 C4N T4K3 4 H1NT 4ND G1V3 YOU SOM3 SP4C3 TO DO 1T >:] GC: J4D3 1S GO1NG TO N33D YOUR H3LP ON H3R N1C3 FROST3D M4RSHM4LLOW PL4N3T

Hell yes!

Assuming Dave takes Terezi's advice - and assuming we don't get trolled, like we did when John and Rose met up - then Jade is about to meet another human for the first time in almost a decade.

...fuck. Jade hasn't seen another human in almost a decade. Sometimes I forget just how isolated she is.

TG: i still dont really get what you did TG: was the trick really necessary TG: it sounds like TG: the splitoff was a result of both possible decisions i could have made TG: and had fuckall to do with your coin or randomness or luck GC: 3X4CTLY!!!

Fortune and luck are more Vriska's department. Terezi only ever pretends to use luck, tricking people into thinking she's playing a game of chance, when she's actually playing chess.

The coin never actually matters - and if she's convinced you that it does, she's already won.

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s101 #3097 #terezi would be a great stage magician is what I'm saying #also: terezi telling dave he needs 'space' and then sending him to jade? I see you pyrope.

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@manorinthewoods submitted: ~LOSS (8/11/23) So, long scenario inbound. What if you tossed all the Sburb players we've seen so far (with their powers, but somehow reworked to fit with the Locked Tomb's necromancy stuff) into Canaan House? (My pairings for this would be, in the form of necromancer"mage"/cavalier, Aradia and Sollux, Karkat and Terezi, Rose and Kanaya, John and Dave, Vriska and Tavros, Feferi and Eridan, Equius and Nepeta, and by elimination Jade and Gamzee. Make your own if you want, or throw out the whole system.) What would happen? Who would die? Would anybody achieve Lyctordom?

Oh, I like this one.

[Locked Tomb spoilers abound below. You have been warned.]

I’m mostly keeping your pairings, because I like them. A lot of Homestuck’s powers would break the setting of The Locked Tomb, so let’s just assume the necromancers have the typical abilities of their House, and that the cavaliers don’t have powers. Let’s also assume that the Seventh House is still being impersonated by a Lyctor.

Second House: Captain Karkat Vantas & Lieutenant Terezi Pyrope

A very well-balanced duo. I suspect Karkat would be a half-decent necromancer if if wasn’t for his self-doubt, and Cohort training would replace doubt with cold duty. His magic is particularly destructive, and causes enormous collateral. Bucking tradition, his cav is effectively the leader, as she’s the superior strategist by far.

Endgame: They get pretty far – but when push comes to shove, Karkat would rather die than kill his closest friend, even though she thinks it would be funny. They refuse Lyctorhood, and are murdered by the Seventh.

Third House: Crown Princess Vriska Serket & Prince Tavros Nitram

Vriska embodies the best and worst of both Tridentarii. She’s ruthless, she’s quick-witted, she demands your attention, and she’s not above taking shortcuts. Her cavalier is a lot nicer than the canon one, but just as unlucky.

Endgame: You already know Tavros is ending this story the same way Naberius did. Full Lyctorhood, and the birth of the most dangerous necrosaint the Houses have ever seen.

Fourth House: Baron John Egbert & Sir Dave Strider

These goobers are too nice for the story they’re in. John is enthusiastic, and Dave is dutiful, but they lack the aptitudes required to obtain any keys. If it came to it, Dave is probably the most likely cavalier to pull a Gideon, especially given the Fourth’s tradition of self-sacrifice. John doesn’t have Harrow’s resourcefulness, though, and wouldn’t be able to preserve Dave’s soul.

Endgame: Murdered by the Seventh.

Fifth House: Lady Aradia Megido & Sir Sollux Captor

They’d honestly crush it. Aradia is a born Fifth House spirit talker, and the only Homestuck character to actually be a necromancer. Sollux isn’t a physical fighter, but he declares a laser pistol as his offhand, and no one wants to argue with the creepy scion of the Fifth, so a laser pistol it stays. Since Aradia isn’t a historian, they’re not targeted by the Seventh House Lyctor, and manage to complete most of the theorem rooms before shit hits the fan.

Endgame: Partial Lyctorhood. Aradia eats half of Sollux’s soul, he keeps the other half.

Sixth House: Master Warden Rose Lalonde & Kanaya Maryam

Now we’re talking! A Rose trained on the Sixth would give Palamedes a run for his money, and her partnership with Kanaya would be second to none. Let’s say she still has a romantic history with the Seventh House scion (Feferi, in this case) but is no longer in love with her, having got over her when she and Kanaya became a couple. Palamedes delayed his confrontation with ‘Dulcinea’ due to his feelings, and Rose would confront Feferi much earlier.

Endgame: Can a learned witch of the Sixth defeat an ancient saint of the Seventh? Maybe, if she plays it smart, and makes the right alliances. Write it yourself – I’ve got a liveblog to finish!

Seventh House: Duchess Feferi Pexies & Eridan Ampora

D------EAD before the trials began, Feferi is being impersonated by a sea-dweller Lyctor whose motivations I can’t dig into too much, or I’ll actually start to write this fanfic. Let’s just say she has similar goals to Cytherea, and leave it at that.

Eighth House: Master Templar Equius Zahhak and Nepeta Lejion

Come on, Equius, Your god commands you. Commit the cardinal sin. Become a saint. You’re not going to disobey the emperor, are you?

Endgame: I have just enough respect for Equius that I don’t think he’d kill Nepeta, even if ordered to. They probably go out fighting, before the final confrontation.

Ninth House: Reverend Daughter Jade Harley & Gamzee Makara

Gamzee’s useless, but at least he pulls off the facepaint. Jade’s not going to get much use out of him, unless she’s willing to siphon – as a highblood, he’s probably got a pretty strong constitution. Anyway, Jade’s wolf skeleton constructs are impressive, but she’ll be more or less attempting the trials alone, and that’s a tall order.

Endgame: Not nearly as important as in canon, the Ninth House might survive for a while by not really being a threat to anyone. Jade’s likely to befriend the Second and the Fourth, and go out in a blaze of glory avenging their deaths.

#asks #full liveblog #homestuck liveblog #act 5.2

[thewertsearch]

TG: just one question TG: and please just drop your fucking justice riddles and be honest TG: do i ever make the god tier […] GC: V3RY W3LL, 1 W1LL STOP TORM3NT1NG YOU D4V3 GC: NO, YOU DONT

It seems increasingly clear that John will be the only member of his team to bear the mantle of godhood. We still don't really know what boons this grants you, but I can make some educated guesses.

I assume, at least, that your aspect powers are greatly enhanced, and you gain more conscious control over then. For John, this will mean full command over The Windy Thing, which was incredible enough to start with. He has the potential to be a serious powerhouse.

What would a God Tiered Dave look like, though? He hasn't displayed any aspect abilities yet, as all of his time shenanigans have been the result of alchemy. It's possible he'll simply unlock time travel without the turntables, but that's a little boring. There's a whole world of other time manipulation abilities out there, and I hope he'll be able to broaden his repertoire eventually.

GC: L1K3 1 S41D, NON3 OF US M4D3 1T GC: 3XC3PT FOR… OK N3V3R M1ND GC: 1T W4SNT N3C3SS4RY! W3 W3R3 4LR34DY BR33Z1NG THROUGH TH3 G4M3 4T OUR LOW3R L3V3LS

The trolls streamrolled their entire session without the God Tiers - which is kind of weird, when you think about it. If you can trivialize the game with alchemy and Echeladder levels alone, what are the God Tiers even for? They're starting to seem like overkill.

I suspect, then, that they're intended to be used in the postgame.

Even before ascending, John was able to create hurricanes on the scale of cities. As he is now, I wouldn't be surprised if he could affect the weather of an entire planet at once - which is something a God Tiered player may have reason to do, after entering their new universe.

Yup - it's the old 'Sburb is for terraforming' theory again, on a much grander scale this time. The God Tiers might just be for sculpting planets.

GC: 4ND TH3N GC: J4CK K1LL3D OUR DR34M S3LV3S GC: 4ND 1 GU3SS W3 LOST TH4T CH4NC3 FOR GOOD >:[

You need your dream self in order to ascend, which explains why John's the only one who pulled it off. Jade's is already dead, and Rose is planning on sacrificing hers to the Tumor. Dave's the only other person who could do it, but we now know that he won't.

Come to think of it, Jade might actually have a shot, since her dead Dream Self is a candidate for prototyping. The problem is that if Dream Jade comes back to life, she might not be a Dream Self anymore. Trying to perform the God Tier ritual with a sprite is exactly the sort of rule-bending that got them into this mess in the first place.

Hell, Terezi forewarned us against exactly this scenario!

#homestuck liveblog #full liveblog #act 5.2 #s101 #3096