#s48

From up here, the Land of Thought and Flow looks a hell of a lot like a brain. 

Maybe the entire planet is alive, and Terezi’s Quest is to figure out what it’s actually thinking.  

GC: WH3N 1 W3NT BL1ND, TH4TS WH3N 1 F1RST WOK3 UP GC: 4ND MY LUSUS H3LP3D M3 W4K3 UP! GC: SORT OF CG: YOU MEAN ON PROSPIT'S MOON. GC: Y3S GC: BUT GC: 3XC3PT FOR 4 V3RY BR13F MOM3NT... GC: 1 W4S BL1ND 1N MY DR34MS TOO

Terezi’s dream self was blinded almost immediately - which makes it sound like she awoke during Vriska’s attack. Did Vriska take advantage of the dream self system, somehow?

Vriska had lost the Cue Ball by this point, but we don’t know what she’d already asked it. If she knew in advance when Terezi was going to visit Prospit, she’d also know when Terezi’s realself was vulnerable. 

GC: TH3 DR34M S3LF 1M4G3 1 PROJ3CT C4N'T S33, B3C4US3 1 GU3SS D33P DOWN 1 DONT R34LLY W4NT TO

Terezi describes her dream self in a way we haven’t heard before - as an ‘image’ that she projects, influenced by her own self-perception. We know she’s secure in her blindness - in fact, she sees it an an asset - so she retains this trait on Prospit. 

The implication is that Terezi’s dream self could have vision, if that was what she really wanted. This malleability can even give you a trait that your realself never possessed - see Jade’s extra arms. 

I’m not what that says about Jade’s self-perception, though. Maybe she just wishes she could multitask a little better?

GC: TH3 D4Y 1T H4PP3N3D W4S TH3 F1RST T1M3 1 3V3R H34RD FROM MY LUSUS GC: SH3 WOK3 M3 UP, 4ND 3V3R S1NC3 H4S B33N T34CH1NG M3 4 D1FF3R3NT W4Y TO S33 GC: 4 D1FF3R3NT W4Y TO P3RC31V3 3V3RYTH1NG 1 GU3SS, NOT JUST 1N 4 S3NSORY W4Y

According to Terezi, Jack smells of smooth motions. He smells of the squint of an eye. He smells dark. 

This isn’t sensory information. When Terezi ‘smells’ someone, she’s not just perceiving odors - she’s also learning something about the essence of that person. 

She’s... well, not to be too on the nose, but she’s seeing their mind. 

GC: YOU H4V3 NOT 3V3N S33N SK414 Y3T CG: HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAKE UP. GC: 1 DONT KNOW! GC: SOM3TH1NG D1FF3R3NT DO3S 1T FOR 3V3RYBODY

HMS Conqueror returning to port flying the Jolly Roger after sinking the ARA General Belgrano in the Falklands War, 4 July 1982. The only ship to be sunk by a nuclear submarine.

Rumbled.

Terezi has been planning OP3R4T1ON: SM4CK J4CK right under Karkat’s nose. How much does he know, and how much is she going to spill? 

GC: TH3 WHOL3 PO1NT 1S TO D3STROY TH3 R1NG SO J4CK DO3SNT G3T 1T CG: WHY WOULD WE WANT TO DO THAT, JACK'S AN ALLY. GC: 4LSO GC: TH3 M1SS1ON SORT OF 1NVOLV3S 3X1L1NG J4CK TOO

Karkat’s busy with Regisurp, and can’t keep tabs on everyone. Terezi could probably exile Jack without his approval - but she’s choosing to be honest about her intentions. 

I think she respects his leadership more than she’s letting on. 

CG: THIS IS BULLSHIT. CG: WE'RE NOT EXILING JACK, HE'S COOL. GC: K4RK4T, H3 1S NOT TH4T COOL! CG: YES HE IS, HE'S A TOTAL BADASS WITH A FUCK TON OF BLADES AND SHIT, AND HE'S HELPING US OUT.

Karkat can’t help but trust his blood brother - and while he probably should be more skeptical, I can’t fault him for idolizing the first person who didn’t take issue with his mutation. 

Sure, he’s a little stab-happy, but he relented after only a light wounding. And his intel has been INCREDIBLY USEFUL, TEREZI. REALLY, I THINK YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS OF OUR HEMOFRATERNAL BOND. 

GC: OK, 1 TH1NK 1TS PR3TTY CUT3 TH4T YOU SORT OF LOOK UP TO H1M L1K3 TH4T GC: BUT S3R1OUSLY, 1 DO NOT G3T 4 GOOD F33L1NG FROM H1M! GC: H3 K1ND OF CG: STINKS? CG: LET ME ACTED SHOCKED LIKE I DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING. CG: O: CG: FUCK I FORGOT MY HORNS, I ALWAYS FORGET THEM CG: O:B

Karkat, we all know you’re being cute on purpose. 

GC: H3 SM3LLS R34LLY CL34N 4ND SH1NY 4ND D4RK D4RK D444RK L1K3 4N O1L SL1CK 4ND TH3R3 1S 4 T1NY H1NT OF L1COR1C3 TH3R3 TOO GC: 1TS MOR3 L1K3 GC: TH3 W4Y H3 MOV3S GC: 1 SM3LL H1S SMOOTH MOT1ONS 4ND TH3 W4Y H3 SQU1NTS H1S 3Y3S 4ND 1T G1V3S M3 TH1S R34LLY N3RVOUS F33L1NG

We, of course, know how dangerous Jack is. The kids’ session - not to mention the Intermission - have taught us that the Double Archagent is not to be fucked with, in any of his incarnations.. 

Karkat might want to listen to the Seer of Mind on this one. 

GC: H3 H4S ST4BB3D YOU ON MOR3 TH4N ON3 OCC4S1ON! [...] CG: OK, WELL I KNOW FOR A FACT THE THIRD TIME WAS ACCIDENTAL. CG: ANYWAY YOU'VE BEATEN THE SHIT OUT OF ME A FEW TIMES YOURSELF. GC: BUT 1 D1DN'T DR4W BLOOD!

CG: ARE YOU LICKING YOUR GLASSES AGAIN? CG: I HATE IT WHEN YOU DO THAT, IT'S FUCKING DISGUSTING. GC: NOMP, WH4TH WOULB EBER G1TH YOU TH4TH 1BE4??? GC: H3H3H3H3H3H3H3

If her messages are responding to her pronunciation, then Terezi must be using voice-to-text. But her messages also use her quirk - which means she’s got some sort of script running, to translate her spoken messages into leetspeak.

Do you see where I’m going with this? There’s a 99% chance that she got Sollux to do this. 

GC: TH4T 1S B3TT3R GC: 1TS MUCH 34S13R TO R34D YOUR COLOR TH1S W4Y GC: YOUR DR4B D1RTY P4V3M3NT GR4Y GC: ON TOP OF BR1GHT C4NDY R3D, L1K3 4 SH1NY LOLL1POP

Son of a fuck, she actually cracked it!

How, though? She can’t have seen his altercation with Jack - the viewport feature didn’t get set up until the Veil.

GC: 1T W4S WH3N 1 GOT CLOS3 3NOUGH GC: TO SM3LL 1T UND3R YOUR SK1N GC: PL34S3 K4RK4T, DO NOT PR3T3ND TH4T YOU FORGOT 4BOUT OUR L1TTL3 MOM3NT CG: WHOA CG: YOU MEAN CG: DURING CG: FUCK.

And I thought they were just flirting? 

Au contraire, Sally!

GC: >;] GC: > ;] GC: >;] GC: > ;] GC: K4RK4T H3LP, TH3Y 4R3 OUT OF CONTROL!!! CG: THOSE ARE EYEBROWS? CG: I THOUGHT THEY WERE HORNS. GC: TH3Y 4R3 HORNS TOO GC: TH3Y 4R3 4R3 WH4T3V3R 1 W4NT TH3M TO B3 CG: ?:B GC: DONT CH4NG3 TH3 SUBJ3CT BY B31NG CUT3! CG: WELL APPARENTLY I JUST CAN'T FUCKING HELP MYSELF CAN I.

I don’t think you’re supposed to think your kismesis is cute - but I don’t think you’re supposed to beat up your matesprit, either. 

Ah, I give up. I think their real quadrant is just ‘awkward teenagers’. 

CG: BUT WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR CRAZY SENSES YOU'RE SO VAGUE, IT'S LIKE TRYING TO DECIPHER THE DAILY HOROSCOPE RIDDLE. CG: OR THE RIDDLES FOR ALL 48 SIGNS COMBINED.

Well, what do you know - the Extended Zodiac, out in the wild!

Looks like our trolls represent one quarter of all Alternia’s Zodiac signs. I wonder if we’ll ever see them in canon, or if this is something that only gets built on outside the comic. 

GC: F1N3, 1TS OK 1F YOU DONT W4NT TO T4LK 4BOUT 1T GC: GOD YOU 4R3 SOOOOO SHY FOR 4N 4NGRY GUY WHO W4NTS TO B3 4 B1GSHOT L34D3R, 1TS R1D1CULOUS