#s46

Aright.

We're 500 pages deep into Hivebent. We've been introduced to each of the trolls, experienced their messed-up society, and come to understand the broad strokes of their session's dynamics.

We've seen almost everything I expected Hivebent to show us - with one exception. I could be wrong, but I think the curtain is finally starting to twitch on a very old mystery - one that needs to be explained for us to fully understand the trolls' story.

Before we can call it an Act, we need to learn what went wrong.

FCG: I AM LEARNING A VALUABLE LESSON TODAY! FCG: IT TURNS OUT YOU CAN'T ALTER THE OUTCOME OF DECISIONS MADE BY MORONS, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU YELL AT THEM. FCG: ALL YOU CAN REALLY DO IS GIVE THEM A HARD TIME AND TRY TO MAKE THEIR LIVES JUST A LITTLE MORE MISERABLE. FCG: WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A MORE NOBLE PURSUIT THAN CHANGING DESTINY FOR THE BETTER ANYWAY, FRANKLY. FCG: LOSERS SHOULD BE FORCED TO FACE THE MUSIC, EVEN FOR THE MISTAKES THEY HAVEN'T MADE YET.

Karkat's putting together the ideas that will form the basis for Project Trolling - which, from his current perspective, must be very soon.

FCG: WHY DID I EVER THINK THESE MEMOS WERE GOING TO BE A GOOD IDEA. FCG: NOBODY CARES [...] FCG: NO ONE'S GOING TO READ THROUGH ALL THIS, ALL THE VALUABLE INFORMATION IS JUST GETTING LOST IN THE YELLING. FCG: YOU STUPID STUPID IDIOT.

And now, we truly understand why he did it.

Karkat lost. He thrust himself into the session, made plans, yelled, coddled, argued, dealt with Equius and Eridan and Vriska, solved the game's riddles, created himself, created his friends, died, killed, yelled some more, and did it all again - and still, he lost.

He's despondent, and he's angry. It's not the performative anger of a teenage troll - it's real, actual fury at the unfairness of the world, distorted into anger at himself. He's a feedback loop of rage, and he's sitting in the Veil, and they all might die any second, and he has no outlet.

If only he could find a real, actual target. If only there was someone to blame - someone he could really go off on.

If only there was someone who fucked everything up.

What a relief that would be!

FCG: I'VE GOT TO PULL IT TOGETHER. FCG: THINK BACK TO WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE DONE WRONG. FCG: BUT THE THING IS FCG: AS MUCH AS OUR PAST SELVES ARE A BUNCH OF STUBBORN UNLISTENING ASSHOLES FCG: I CAN'T EVEN REALLY IDENTIFY ANY MISTAKES WE MADE. FCG: IT WAS ALL PRETTY MUCH LIKE CLOCKWORK.

It absolutely fucking wasn't - but Karkat isn't in our privileged position. He couldn't see the cracks start to form.

One Player died before the session even started, murdered by a pawn controlled by a pawn.

One Player's land is glitched, corrupted through unknown means, with unknown consequences.

One Player has prototyped a Horrorterror, permanently imbuing the session with the traits of an eldritch monstrosity.

These are all huge red flags.

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Leave the kid alone, bub! He’s just as confused as you are!

Kind of sweet that he’s trying to mentor Tavros, though. Makes sense that Hearts Boxcars would be invested in romance. 

You cannot do it. You cannot kiss the girl.

Good on Tavros, for sidestepping what was potentially the most toxic relationship in Homestuck.

If we learned anything from FLARP, it’s that Tavros is surprisingly good at avoiding bad situations - unless he’s literally forced into them. 

> Thief. > You will need to be strong. > There is important work for you to do. 

Looks like Snowman’s finally got Vriska in a more ‘responsive’ mood. 

What’s the job, 8-ball? 

The Thief and the Seer were to serve as twin lashes of the scourge cracked by a quasiroyal against her own former kingdom to settle a score. To make him pay.

Team Scourge, back together for one last job. 

This mission might reconcile them for real - but it could also cause an even worse fallout than before. We know the mission gets completed, at least. 

Scourge's black inches would rip red miles through Derse, and the bright rivers gushing from its wounds would wash her mutineers down the drains of exile. In time they would have to answer for their treason.

It’s not just Jack - Snowman seeks revenge on the entire Crew. 

Deuce was the one who reported her vulnerability, not to mention the Ring’s location, and I suppose Droog and Boxcars had parts to play, too. 

Snowman can use the ‘body portal’ ability possessed by First Guardians. She really does have a shard of Doc Scratch’s power. 

Patience would be necessary. But then, she'd recently come into all the time in the universe.

Is Felt!Snowman immortal? 

That doesn’t track. The Crew didn’t even want to shoot her, lest they destroy the universe. She sort of needs to be mortal for that trait to make any sense at all.