MSPA Fanfiction III

[ceruleanTresses]

Awwwwww! Thanks so much you two! I am all happy and stuff now. Every time I post one of these I am like, agonizing over whether it's funny or just stupid, but now I feel better.

And fear not! Blood and Bloodless may be ending, but Karkat's Diary will hopefully continue because it's ridiculously fun to write. (Plus, I might go back to B&B if I randomly get inspired to do so. There are, after all, something like 26 implied additional chapters in that thing.)

I too wish for everyone to read it and lol hard! I don't expect that to happen because nobody who doesn't read Homestuck would think it was funny, and probably a good chunk of the people who do read Homestuck still wouldn't think it was funny because of personal tastes and whatnot, but I do love to make people laugh.

[Wigmund]

All future B&B's should be written as if the other trolls got ahold of the Diary and started their own chapters for it.

[geeP]

I want to see inside Vriska's head, see what kind of disasters it would take to right her, to help her win back her friends proper.

Obviously the only force in the universe powerful enough for this is the power of friendship.

Real Fairies

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EB: vriska, that is NOT COOL!
EB: how could you? he almost died, and his future sprite DID die!
AG: 8ecause! He is your rival, John. How many times do I have to explain this to you!
AG: You are going to 8e the 8est. That means you must elimin8 him! That will teach that 8lind witch a lesson.
EB: wait you mean terezi? what does she have to do with this?
AG: Uggggggggh. Try to keep up, John.
AG: It's o8vious she is 8ehind everything. She already tried to kill you once and is in cahoots with Dave to finish the jo8!
EB: what do you mean, behind everything?
EB: vriska the only person involved in all these cloak and dagger shenanigans is you!
AG: John, how dense can you 8e!
AG: Haven't you noticed how much they're hanging out now? They are plotting your downfall. You'll seeeeeeee!
EB: hmmmmmmmm yes that is an interesting hypothesis professor spiderbrain!
EB: i believe i have an alternate theory, MAYBE THEY ARE FRIENDS.
AG: John, you don't know what Terezi's deal is. No8ody is "friends" with Terezi Pyrope, it's all a twisted game of manipul8ion to her.
EB: more like nobody is friends with you! bluh bluh
AG: That was completely unc8lled for! I have all the friends. All of them!
EB: oh yeah?
EB: so just how many of them did you try to kill?
AG: Only a couple! And those weren't my f8ult!
EB: wait you mean you actually tried to kill them?
EB: what the fuck!!! i was just kidding!
AG: Look, it's complic8ed. You wouldn't underst8nd.
AG: 8ut that's ok8y, they got 8etter!
AG: I fixed everything! Just like we're going to fix this.
EB: vriska, "we" are not going to fix anything!
EB: i am sorry, but i am going to have to do this on my own.
EB: i like you a lot and i think you are really really really x8 cool, but you can't do this stuff to my friends!
EB: and if you don't get that i don't think we can be friends anymore. :(
AG: W8! John, you are m8king a huuuuuuuuge mist8ke!!!!!!!!!
EB: goodbye vriska.

ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering arachnidsGrip [AG]

Vriska slammed her fist on the keyboard, letting her composure slip for the briefest moment before turning to the computer beside her. "Ugh. Can you believe how ungrateful that boy is, Kanaya? After everything I've done for him!"

Kanaya's only reply was a noncommittal grunt. It was rude, but between Vriska and Eridan she'd been bombarded by whining from all sides for hours now. She desperately signalled Karkat in the hopes he might come over and bail her out, but he was too busy to notice.

For her part Vriska seemed undeterred. "I gave him a sweet wardrobe update--not that he appreciated it! No fashion sense at all, not like you or me."

Across the room Karkat muttered as he rewound the Trollian feed yet another time, watching the incomprehensible events unfold once again. Something wasn't adding up here and it was pissing him off, and the incessant chatter filling the room wasn't helping things any.

"I guess he was just a stupid weaky weak loser all along!" Vriska said, forging on. "I pretty much had to singlehandedly unlock his hero powers for him. I bet he would have lost even if I had let him prototype his stupid broken doll thing. I don't even know why I bothered! "

Karkat froze. One by one the other trolls turned to look at him as he slowly he stood up and turned around. "No, tell me, Vriska," he said. "Why did you bother?"

She looked up. "Huh?"

"Of course the John human didn't just randomly decide to take a nap at the single most critical moment in the entire game. Oh, no. I mean, the kid has all the brains of a steaming musclebeast turd, but even his stupidity has its limits. Why didn't I see it before?"

"What are you talking about, Karkat?" she asked.

"I'm talking about you, shithead! You and your stupid idiot mindgames. It was you all along, wasn't it? The humans actually had things well in hand, amazingly, and then you decided to fuck everything up, and now you've screwed us all! I mean, fuck, I expect a certain amount of backstabbing and sabotage from you, but this really takes the confectionary loaf."

Nepeta looked up, frowning. "What? How could you, Vriska?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Vriska said. "They were going to prototype the First Guardian anyhow, right? Why does it matter who did what? He is already here! We already knew it was going to happen!"

"Yes. It was already going to happen, because you did it. Holy shit, can you believe I was actually stupid enough to almost kind of trust you? Why yes, Karkat, I do believe I can! Past me warned myself I was going to be pretty fucking stupid in the future, I should have listened to that fucker earlier."

Vriska stood up to confront Karkat. "Look, who cares? While you've been sitting there living in the past, some of us have actually been working on getting us out of this mess! What have you done to help save us?"

"Oh, gee, hmm, let's think real hard about this now. Oh wait, I know. I'VE BEEN BUSY NOT CREATING ANY UNSTOPPABLE SUPERBOSSES TO KILL US ALL, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK DOING."

Vriska sighed. "Terezi, tell your boyfriend to can it, will you? I've got work to do."

"I think you've 'helped' us out enough, Vriska," Terezi said. "Also? Not my boyfriend."

Eridan fingered Ahab's Crosshairs. "I think you'd better leave, Vris."

Swallowing her nervousness, Vriska strode toward the door with as much confidence as she could muster. "Fine, you losers were cramping my style anyhow. You'll come crawling back soon enough, you'll see! Besides, Kanaya will back me up. Right, Kanaya?"

Vriska hesitated at the door. "Kanaya?" No response.

"Then just be that way, fussyfangs! I don't need any of you assholes!" Vriska yelled over her shoulder as she stormed down the corridor. Without looking she threw herself down dramatically on the bottom of the steps.

The unusually soft and fleshy steps. "Uh, owwwwww," came the muffled reply from beneath her.

Vriska rolled her eyes. "Tavros?"

"Uh, yes, Vriska?"

"What are you doing down there?" she asked.

"I was, uh, walking down the stairs and I fell. Again," he said.

"Tavros, how can you be so stupid! What even made you think that would be a good idea?"

"Well, uh... you did. After the last time, you said that I should, uh, practice stairs more..."

"Obviously I didn't mean that literally, dumbass! How am I supposed to flounce dramatically when you're lying down on the bottom of the stairs like a useless sack of shit?" Vriska said.

"It, uh, was a pretty good flounce, I have to admit."

Vriska stewed silently.

"Vriska?"

"Yes, Tavros?"

"Do you, uh... do you think you could get off of me?"

Vriska let out a long-suffering sigh and stiffly composed herself as she got up.

"Thanks, Vriska."

"Whatever," she said, taking a seat next to him with an air of resignation.

"Tavros, where did I go wrong? I did pretty much everything we needed to win all by myself. You losers would all be dead if it wasn't for me! I went along with everyone's dumb plans and went to all the trouble of helping everyone out. I was even nice enough to let Aradia beat me so that we'd be even! And now everyone hates me for some reason."

"Well... I don't hate you, Vriska," Tavros said.

"That's just because you're too dumb to know better, you goober." Vriska ruffled Tavros's hair playfully. "What's your deal, anyhow? If anyone should hate me, it's you."

"I could never hate you. Not anymore. Vriska... you made me fly."

Vriska bit her lip.

Tavros cleared his throat. "Do you, uh, remember? That time, when we... do you, um, do you think we could ever...?"

She looked away wistfully. "Tavros..."

"No, uh, you're right." He looked down. "It... I, uh, probably think it wouldn't work. I just... it's, well, that was my first, um..."

Vriska laughed uneasily. "It was actually my first kiss, too. Unbelievable, right? Me! Never been kissed."

"Uh, sorry to hear that, I guess."

"Maybe Karkat is right about us," Vriska said. "We're basically losers, aren't we? I really thought I had a shot this time. Fine, maybe I blew all my chances with the rest of you guys. But I thought things could be different with John! Then somehow everything got fucked up again."

"I don't-"

"-think I'm a loser, right. You're sweet, Tavros, but kinda dumb. Let's face it. I've struck out with two whole universes."

"Don't be that way, Vriska. I'm sure, um, there will be someone for you someday..."

Vriska sighed. "I don't know if you noticed, Tavros, but there's not really going to be a 'someday.' Not anymore! We're screwed."

"Well... I guess that's, uh, probably true. But, uh, we still have to keep trying, right? That's what you always tell me, and, uh, you always win somehow..."

"But I don't always win! Tavros... I have a confession to make," she said, fidgeting. "I didn't actually let Aradia beat me."

"I know," Tavros said.

"That bitch cheap shotted me! I could have taken her if it was a fair fight."

"Yes, uh, I know."

"And now this is it, only a few hours to live," Vriska said, hands on chin. "All I wanted was to be the big hero. It was such a perfect plan! I'd kill the big boss monster and save the day, again, and then John would be impressed and everyone would have to like me and I wouldn't be stuck sitting on the fucking steps hanging out alone with some chump. But now we're all going to die and it might be my fault!"

"Maybe not," Tavros said. "I mean, I, uh, thought you were planning to kill the demon."

"Ugh. Who do you think I'm kidding, really? I couldn't even beat Aradia, let alone an indestructible demon! Why do you have to be so optimistic all the time anyhow? You just don't get it. We lose. Game over!"

"But... uh, maybe we could find a way out before the rift..."

"But, nothing! What are you waiting for, your stupid fairy friends to come save you? Get real! You and your false hopes, so infuriating. They're as fake as your fakey fake fairies! Give up already!"

Tavros looked down, dejected. For a moment Vriska grinned in triumph, but the victory was hollow; her face fell as she watched Tavros. Together they sat in silence for a long moment.

"You know, I used to think fairies were, uh, probably fake too," he said, finally.

"Until I kissed one."

"...Tavros?"

"She was very brave and heroic and pretty, and gave me, uh, happy thoughts, and showed me how to fly. And we did all the quests, and got all the treasure, and she helped me to be strong, and, uh, less useless."

"What are you doing, Tavros?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

Tavros continued to look her straight in the face. "I think you're right, Vriska. Maybe I am waiting for my fairy friend to save us all. I, uh, know that she could. Because she's amazing and strong and always wins when she puts her mind to it. But I guess that fairy was killed by a psychic ghost robot, so maybe we really are doomed."

"You... you don't know what you're talking about!"

"It's your turn, Vriska," he said. "Make your move. Advance or, uh, abscond!"

"There's no absconding place! We're stuck here!"

"Then advance!" Tavros said. "That's what you're always telling me, right? Or are you too busy sitting there feeling sorry for yourself?"

"Don't you dare start that with me!"

"So? What are you, uh, going to do about it, Vriska?"

Vriska sat fuming, working her jaw furiously.

Finally she thrust her chin out in defiance.

"Don't call me Vriska," she said.

Tavros grinned. "I, uh, guess this means you're, um, Marquise Spinneret Mindfang now?"

"Hahahahahahahaha, fuck no! I hate that bitch," she said, standing up and striking a pose.

"I'm Princess Silkweaver Luckwing, and I'm the most beautiful and powerful fairy in all of the lands! All of them!" She grabbed Tavros by the arm and pulled him to his feet, laughing. "And you, Pupa Pan, are going to help me save the world! Right after I apologize to a friend."

"You, uh, mean John, I guess," he said. He was still smiling, but more soberly now. "You're going to go back to him, aren't you."

"Well... make that two friends, I guess." Vriska pecked him on the cheek. "I don't even know if he'll want to talk to me anymore, but I've got to keep fighting. That's what winners do."

"Don't worry, goober. There will be someone for you, someday. Because together we're going to make sure there will always be a 'someday'. Now come on!" she yelled, pulling him back towards the lab.

Had this idea for a while, wasn't going to bother with it since it'll be run over by canon soon enough. But with all the Vriska talk I figured I'd throw it out there. Besides, too much bluh bluh sadfic in here!

[ceruleanTresses]

All future B&B's should be written as if the other trolls got ahold of the Diary and started their own chapters for it.

I rather like this idea! Karkat would be SO PISSED, and they would probably alchemize extra copies of it so he couldn't just take it back and hide it again. They could have battles in it. It would be all, "aND THEN, uH, rUFIO DEFEATED ALL THE RAINBOW-DRINKERS IN THE TOURNAMENT," "8ut then suddenly Marquise Spinneret Mindfang appeared and pounded his f8key f8ke f8ke ass into the ground!" "BUT ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT EVERYONE LEFT KARKAT'S PERSONAL PROPERTY THE HELL ALONE, THE END." "theres n0 p0int in c0mplaining. it was always inevitable that y0ur diary w0uld be appr0priated." "AUGH GOD DAMN IT YOU GUYS SUCK."

[raequiem]

Gnee, happy Vriska! There is too much sadfic and angst going around. This is a cool resolution to all the canon stuff happening, and also some adorkable VriskaTavros that tickles my shipping gland.

EDIT: YESSS this is exactly what I had in mind. DO IT NAO (pretty please?)

[Ember]

geeP, that was AWESOME. Your Vriska is perfect and I love her. And Hell yes to Tavros growing a spine while still being his typical sappy Tavros-self. So upbeat, just what this thread needed right now, you're right.

[Douhneill]

I want to see inside Vriska's head, see what kind of disasters it would take to right her, to help her win back her friends proper.

Obviously the only force in the universe powerful enough for this is the power of friendship.

Real Fairies

Umm.. duh? Isn't that the point of what he's asking?

Anyway, beautiful. That was... Stupid beautiful (I use stupid as a synonym for excessive/amazing/too much/etc. Don't mind me).

[flutterShy]

HERP DERP
SpyPoet: Continue procrastinating on Art Fora secret santa
SpyPoet: continue procrastinating updating Adventure Time and All For One
SpyPoet: ... beg for forgiveness for this fic

My Beating Heart, Please Be Still ... which is sort of a Continuation of Be Still, My Beating Heart

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Jade Harley knew, as she glanced up into the bright pink colorful clouds in the Land of Light and Rain, that where they were supposed to go next, the Land of Heat and Clockwork, would be even more heart-breaking then the fact that she had lost Dave Strider forever, lost the feel of his arms around her body, lost the familiar tang of smoke and ash and fire in her mouth and nose from his association with heat and the world and she rubbed her jade-colored eyes, wiping away the tears from them. John and Rose were nearby, talking to one another quietly.

"Come on, Jade." John finally said. Her Hunting Rifle tucked under her arm, she methodically checks the blood-spattered small bag that held all of her bullets, that Rose had tried to clean and Jade had completely broken down when she tried, screaming, crying, hurting, raging - and Rose had been unusually quiet and left her alone. She had seen Johns' eyes widen in surprise, but then he fell quiet as well, and they basically let her cry.

It had only been a few days, and Jade had finally gotten to her feet on her own. She was edgy, constantly patrolling and walking, and no matter what they did, they could not get her to calm down. She had insisted, each time, voice getting higher and higher, that something was wrong, nothing could have made that Deal with Dave and still let them win, nothing, nothing ever, and she was dead determined that John and Rose wouldn't ever go the same way. She'd die first -- at least then she'd see Dave again... right?

So they walked through the Land, and Jade hated it, and hated herself; she hated the magenta, cyan, and yellow land, with the colorful brightness and a sweet warmth and cheerfulness and she hated herself for letting it show that she was lonely even when she was in Dave's arms, and she cried nightly, and her hunting rifle never left her side. They were walking around the side near the ocean, when she heard a slick, slithering noise, that made her hair stand on end -

- flashbacks raged through Jade's memory as with the same delicate footsepts that didn't make a noise on the snow make no noise on the sand and she screams, because Echidna is there again, and it's her and she's going to take Dave away again and Jade will never get him back and there's nothing that'll keep her together because without him she was falling apart - and John and Rose are coming in and running - and Jade is crying and screaming at the same time, Dave's name a bare word on her lips -

- and there's the sound of dark magic wrapping around the slithering scales of Cetus' serpentine body - the crush of a hammer on a tail - the squeal of a monster whose domain they are surrounded with, and it's suddenly raining, and Jade hates the rain now, she hates that it is a fire extinguisher, because Fire is Dave and Dave is Heat - and there is no clock here, there is no turning back, there are accusations - She was defeated Rose - I don't know what happened John - and it all passes like a memory over Jade's brain -

- and there's a horrible cracking noise as a hammer breaks in half, two sides to a whole, and Jade suddenly understands that the void in her aching heart is not because she's lonely but because Dave is no longer there to keep her safe and keep her warm, and John switches to 1/2hammerkind except it's kind of useless - and Rose is screaming his name and Jade drops her Hunting Rifle, her hands over her eyes and her ears and she's a curled up ball on the sand and she's sobbing and it hurts -

- but nothing can truly stop the cracking that is bones and spine breaking, and that second scream of 'John!' rips through her soul and she knows Rose has just gone through what she has except there's no chance of surviving this, Rose doesn't have the powers that Dave did to rewind time and there is nothing on this battle-field but the sound of two teenaged females sobbing, and the crackle of dark magic from the Thorns of Oglogoth and Rose is screaming over and over again and there's something dark marring Jade's vision -

- and Jade opens them to see Rose high in the air, surrounded by purple and black magic, her light eyes darkened with rage and with the powers of the Noble Horrorterrors, and it is Jade's turn to scream as Roses' body gets darker and darker due to the magic that she's summoned and it's going to burn her up and Jade's just lost John and she can't lose Rose too and the hole deep inside of her heart is getting worse and she's screaming, on her feet again, the Hunting Rifle in her grip -

- and she's running and she can't remember WHY she's running only that she is and it hurts again - and Rose is screaming and there's ash falling on Jade's head and it sends her into another grip of horror and rememberance from the world that she was in before, it's just like it was before, with a burning Rose cradling John's broken body, and there's a keening noise as the magic wraps around Cetus' writhing body, the bright colors marred and darkening, fire wrapping around it, and Jade fruitlessly shoots at it repeatedly until it goes up in a huge fireball of flame and is dead, really dead-

- and Rose is slumped over John's body and Jade is kneeling next to them, blood once again marring her beautiful outfit, and she's sobbing, and she's shaking them, and there's nothing but blood on her hands and blood on the Hunting Rifle again and it hurts, it hurts so MUCH and she doesn't know what to do anymore, but there's suddenly a light and the shimmering green Sburb logo appears in the sky and Jade stares at it and cries softly -

- there's one door, but four knobs, and she knows that without her friends they won't ever win and Becsprite hadn't been around in ages and she had nothing else to do and she leans her head against the heated doorknob that signified Dave Strider and she sobs, she sobs so hard that she can't breathe and eventually she falls into a sleep, a dark, almost drunken stupor that leaves her dizzy the next morning -

- and she awakes, and there's nothing there, and she cries again, and tries opening the door, but it won't open, and she knows that she's doomed to a quiet eternity forever without Rose's wise wisdom and John's prankster gambits and most of all, she won't ever feel Dave's heartbeat in her ear as she presses her head against his chest, and she's crying harder, and the Hunting Rifle is in her grip, and she shakily raises it and points, and fies it at the door, screaming in anger, in pain -

- and she fires again, and the bullet bounces - and the next thing is only blissful darkness. She cries in relief, think that it's joy, it's Oblivion, in that dark dreamth of depth, but she shakes her head and light creeps back into the view, and there's the door, and she only knocked herself out, a graze in her head, and there are no more bullets, and there is nothing, and Jade has no choice about what to do anymore, so she just curls up in a ball and sobs softly, sobs in a way that is completely give-up on -

- and darkness fell, and she felt a hand on her shoulder, and something took her away.

But she never saw Dave again, and when it came to that, that was the greatest mistake that Something made...

Author's notes:

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I reread Be Still, My Beating Heart - This one I think, however, is even WORSE. I need to be shot because dear GOD I am so awful to Jade.

[sebastian]

I promised myself I wouldn't do this, but anyway...

A slightly more sympathetic look at Vriska.

Scorpion's Shell

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Footsteps echoed on the stone floors as she walked through the hallway, towards the shadows in front of her. She stopped right before she would have stepped out of the light.
“I don't want to do this anymore.” She said quietly to the darkness.
Slow breathing started, and long scraping sounds started in the darkness. Eight red eyes stared back from the abyss.
This was part of the deal.
“They were my friends...” Blood, all different colors, started dripping from her sleeves, running down her arms and dripping off her fingers.
They were your victims. That's all they are. All they're good for.
“Why can't you just eat normal food?”
I have to teach you. Teach you things that trolls should know. The most important thing is to look out for yourself. That is also part of the deal.
“They were my friends.” She said again. “I won't do it anymore.” She had to make some kind of stand.
The eyes in the darkness closed.
Then I will feed myself.
Two pointed legs shot out from the darkness. They punched right through her and pinned her to the ground. She screamed as she was dragged away into the darkness.

*

The screaming turned into a buzzing as Vriska finally woke up. The groaned and smacked the top of the alarm clock until it finally shut off. She swung out of bed and put her glasses on as she looked out the window. Far, far down, at the bottom of the pit that seperated her from her neighbor, she looked at her Lusus. It's massive legs were curled underneath her bulbous body. Vriska half expected it to look up at her, but it just continued to stare off in the distance. Was that hungry beast really talking to her, or was this all just in her head?
She didn't know what would be worse. But she did know that a troll that just hit her fifth solar sweep should not have to deal with this crap. Dreams weren't supposed to be that painful, were they?
She blinked as she heard her computer beep.

AG: Whaaaaaaaat?
UA: are you awake now
AG: No, I'm sleep typing. Wh8 kind of question is that?

Vriska remembered this one, another troll she had met while walking through the nearby metropolis. They had talked for a little while and hit it off.

UA: sorry I was just thinking about what you told me yesterday about your neat house
AG: You can come over if you want to see 8. :::
AG: I have a really ne8 Lusus. She's really 8ig too!
UA: whoa will she'll be okay with me being over there

Vriska chewed on her bottom lip. The dreams were coming more often.

AG: I think she'll 8e happy to see you!

*

She was staring into the darkness again.
“It's not like they don't have any warning. They have to hear things, and they want to be friends with me anyway. They're just stupid.”
Yes. It's not your fault at all.
She thought about it more and more. And it was easier and easier to believe. And as she thought, she didn't notice her arms being covered in a metal sheen.
“I mean, it's not like anyone that dumb is going to be missed.”
Yes. We're making the race stronger.
She looked down at her hands. “What's this?”
Call it armor. It protects you.
“From what?”
Feelings that will weaken you.
She lifted her hand to get a better look, and she thought to herself how much stronger it made her. In her mind she rolled the thoughts in her head over and over. She was strong. They were weak. If they couldn't protect themselves from her, well it was their own damn fault. They knew what she was. She practically advertised it. As she thought these things, the armor became darker and more defined.

And she realized that she couldn't see the blood anymore.

*

AG: Tavros!
AG: TAAAAAAAAVROS!
AT: oH, UH, SORRY. I WAS PLAYING WITH TINKERBULL.
AG: That stup8 doll game thing I bet.
AG: Luckily you won't have to play that game anymore!
AG: Did you get 8? Did you?
AT: yEAH, i PICKED IT UP YESTERDAY.
AG: YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!
AG: It's going to 8e so much fun!
AT: uH, i DON'T KNOW. i MEAN aRADIA KEEPS TELLING ME TO BE CAREFUL AROUND YOU.
AG: Don't listen to her! Do wh8 you want to do! Only losers don't think for themselves. You're not a loser, are you?
AT: i DON'T KNOW, i MEAN YOU DID SAY THAT STUFF YESTERDAY.
AG: No! Tell yourself th8 you're not a loser! Say 8!
AT: i'M NOT A LOSER!
AG: Good! Now start loading the game up.
AG: I have some ne8 challenges s8 up for you!

*

As she stared into the darkness, she remembered that being the day that everything fell apart. She lashed out at people and they were scarred...or dead. They lashed out at her, and she was maimed for her trouble.
But it wasn't really her fault. Was it? I mean...
Her armor was broken. Half of her face and her arm was shattered, exposing bare skin underneath.
The blood was dripping again, and now hers was mixed in with the other colors.

It really wasn't her fault. It couldn't be...but...
“I won't do it anymore.”

I think that is one of the best interpretation of Vriska. She is essentially a girl grown in a "eat or be eaten" environment (almost literally) so to survive she had to grow a thick skin that made her int a sociopath, probably even by Alternia standards. IMO she improved a lot after her lusus death but she have still a lot of road to go.
Not for nothing one of the more interesting takes on Vriska I've have read is in Red Dead Virgo, for the unfortunates that don't know it, is an excellent AU fanfic that examine what would have happened if the trolls blood colors/powers/lusus were switched around, in it Vriska have the blood color and powers of Tavros and more important his lusus, and she turn out one of the more caring and loving individual you can imagine, ready to go to any length to protect her friends. It is really weird because her core personality is still Vriska, but she is also totally different. Make me wish that more people would, try to examine the many possibile variations of blood color for the trolls, for example, what would've happened if Tavros ended with the spiderlusus or if he had the purple blood of Feferi?

[saartha]

Thank you to Bufu, Lexxy, SkaianRedeemer, Kassiopeia, and Katrika for your kind words and/or tears about Fatherhood!

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> Write more silly Homestuck fanfic, humanchild.

You want to, but the Horrorterrors have manifested in this realm in the form of exams. Their defeat must come first. You equip your studykind sylladex and brandish your Pen of Black Sorrows. We're doing this, we're making it happen.

@LucidSeraph: Dawww your Dawgsprite is the best Dawgsprite. The dualself-censorship is hilarious!
@Author: Pffhahaha. I wonder if Rose would think twice about recommending books if he acted like that all the time?
@Decker: Yeah, I've always thought Vriska was one of the most pitiable characters in this entire comic. Kind of a Dostoevsky "I can't be good' thing. Poor confused trollgirl.

[Author]

Bluuuh all the good fictional ideas have been taken.

ALL I HAVE LEFT ARE RANDOM IDIOTIC PLANS.

I could always continue A&O, but I'm saving that for Post 123.

[Kassiopeia]

geeP: that was really incredibly good. Your Vriska is perfect, and I definitely still have a bit of a weakness for Vriska/Tavros

[Graven_Image]

My Future Self and Me

Part 11: Time Squad Again

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Alright, enough of that. There is time for posing, and there is time for action. And the Time Team (they were going to have to find a better name) had collectively decided that it was time for action.

“Alright, guys. Get your time gear. It’s time.”

Two sets of timetables. One temporal music box. And one floating pair of lunchboxtop halves.

“Meet me at-” he rattled off a set of coordinates, “in exactly two hours.”

They all disappeared. Except for Jade, who was still getting the hang of this temporal machinery. She managed to fling herself into the wall, and then disappear.

OPEN PESTERLOG

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ectoBiologist began pestering tentacleTherapist

EB: umm, hey!
EB: miss future rose?
TT: Yes, John?
EB: have you noticed anything, well, “up” with the daves?
TT: ...
TT: What do you mean?
EB: well they sorta made it sound like they had something important to be doing
EB: and it had something to do with jack
TT: ...
EB: now if you guys are just trying to keep me in the dark for whatever reason, let me know
EB: i’m pretty sure i don’t want to miss any meta-adventures with you guys
TT: It’s none of your concern, John.
EB: bullcrap.
EB: i’m the fearless leader, right?
EB: everything is supposed to be my concern!
TT: I admit that’s what my past self, and by extension I, told you.
TT: But what Dave is involved with is beyond you.
TT: Continue advancing, and “your” Rose will make sure of your progress.
TT: The rest is our job.
EB: well whatever you say i guess
EB: i just hope this doesn’t come back to bite us after it turns out your dave has bitten off more than he can chew
EB: this hypothetical chomp is a monumental bite
EB: and he’ll choking on the massive amounts of failure that will come down on him
TT: You’ve been talking to Karkat again, haven’t you?
EB: yes.
TT: I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, John.
EB: ehehehehehe

tentacleTherapist ceased pestering ectoBiologist

And then Rose slowly became depressed about her general spriteliness and then stole some of her past self’s clothes and had a conversation which we’ve already read. Then she fell asleep.

---

This was incredibly trippy.

Flying through both time and space produced a very pronounced wormhole effect, the brunt of which Jade took directly in the retinas. It was beautiful. It was seizure-inducing.

It reminded her uncomfortably of the Furthest Ring.

The clock where her sternum would normally be told her that it was time to stop. So she stopped.

LOWAS was alright. It was muggy, depressing, and somewhat nippy. But it was alright.

Except for the vast bubble of nothingness currently occupying a sixty-square-meter area in front of her.

“What... what is that?”

“Dunno,” said Dave the Sprite, timeporting in next to her. “Some new trick of Jack’s. You could probably do it, too, if you wanted.”

Jade shivered. Whatever that was, it was something her “time” half violently rejected. What do you call something without time? Anti-time? Timelessness?

But nothing she came up with could quite grasp how much the time-space continuum hated having that particular thing in it.

Good thing it was shrinking.

Past Dave and the robot that called itself Aradia soon appeared next to them.

“Alright,” said Future Dave. “This is probably going to be pretty tough. Aradia, you can tell if he’s going to open another bubble, right?”
“Correct.”
“Jade, we’ll need you to reseal any hole he makes.”
“Okay...”
“Me and past me will do most of the fighting, but please, feel free to join in.”

The bubble was now about a quarter of its original size. Nobody said anything else.

---

Jack slid out of the fresh hell that was anti-time. Why he ever made a bubble centered over himself was a question even he didn’t know the answer to.

But the fresh hellishness was over. The bubble dissipated.

And now there were four of those meddling meddlefiends coming to ruin his day. Fantastic.

---

“Hey, uhh, Aradia?”
“Yes.”
“Do you happen to have any actual weapons on you?”
“Just one.”

She unslung a very odd-looking whip. It appeared to have two cords, but they overlapped in 3-dimensional space, creating a weird double-vision effect.

“What is that?”
“A gift.”

And suddenly she zipped off, because she was watching Jack slowly disentangle himself from a time bubble when Davesprite was watching her.

Oh, wipe that grin off your face. You know what I mean.

So, anyway, the four Heroes of Time were about to face off against the final boss, and probably save space and time from complete ruin.

This is a significant event that could not possibly be interrupted by anything as trivial as a chapter ending.

Oh. Wait.

Darn it.

[Bufu]

@ Kass: eee thanks a lot of people seem to like my dave which I find REALLY surprising, since my gut instincts would say he'd be the one I'd suck at the most

aaand that reminds me, I finally read all of Notes From a Doomed Timeline the other day and it was fantastic you write rose so well

(I'm really really slow leave me alone)

[BlastYoBoots]

Very satisfying happy Vriska-fic, geep; it remained surprisingly in-character for everyone, despite allowing her fast redemption. The John in that convo was spot-on, too.

That Jade-fic was nice and wrenching, spypoet! I liked part two more than part one; the first seemed scattered and confusing, while this one felt like we were conceivably in Jade's head.

[Decker]

I promised myself I wouldn't do this, but anyway...

A slightly more sympathetic look at Vriska.

Scorpion's Shell

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Footsteps echoed on the stone floors as she walked through the hallway, towards the shadows in front of her. She stopped right before she would have stepped out of the light.
“I don't want to do this anymore.” She said quietly to the darkness.
Slow breathing started, and long scraping sounds started in the darkness. Eight red eyes stared back from the abyss.
This was part of the deal.
“They were my friends...” Blood, all different colors, started dripping from her sleeves, running down her arms and dripping off her fingers.
They were your victims. That's all they are. All they're good for.
“Why can't you just eat normal food?”
I have to teach you. Teach you things that trolls should know. The most important thing is to look out for yourself. That is also part of the deal.
“They were my friends.” She said again. “I won't do it anymore.” She had to make some kind of stand.
The eyes in the darkness closed.
Then I will feed myself.
Two pointed legs shot out from the darkness. They punched right through her and pinned her to the ground. She screamed as she was dragged away into the darkness.

*

The screaming turned into a buzzing as Vriska finally woke up. The groaned and smacked the top of the alarm clock until it finally shut off. She swung out of bed and put her glasses on as she looked out the window. Far, far down, at the bottom of the pit that seperated her from her neighbor, she looked at her Lusus. It's massive legs were curled underneath her bulbous body. Vriska half expected it to look up at her, but it just continued to stare off in the distance. Was that hungry beast really talking to her, or was this all just in her head?
She didn't know what would be worse. But she did know that a troll that just hit her fifth solar sweep should not have to deal with this crap. Dreams weren't supposed to be that painful, were they?
She blinked as she heard her computer beep.

AG: Whaaaaaaaat?
UA: are you awake now
AG: No, I'm sleep typing. Wh8 kind of question is that?

Vriska remembered this one, another troll she had met while walking through the nearby metropolis. They had talked for a little while and hit it off.

UA: sorry I was just thinking about what you told me yesterday about your neat house
AG: You can come over if you want to see 8. :::
AG: I have a really ne8 Lusus. She's really 8ig too!
UA: whoa will she'll be okay with me being over there

Vriska chewed on her bottom lip. The dreams were coming more often.

AG: I think she'll 8e happy to see you!

*

She was staring into the darkness again.
“It's not like they don't have any warning. They have to hear things, and they want to be friends with me anyway. They're just stupid.”
Yes. It's not your fault at all.
She thought about it more and more. And it was easier and easier to believe. And as she thought, she didn't notice her arms being covered in a metal sheen.
“I mean, it's not like anyone that dumb is going to be missed.”
Yes. We're making the race stronger.
She looked down at her hands. “What's this?”
Call it armor. It protects you.
“From what?”
Feelings that will weaken you.
She lifted her hand to get a better look, and she thought to herself how much stronger it made her. In her mind she rolled the thoughts in her head over and over. She was strong. They were weak. If they couldn't protect themselves from her, well it was their own damn fault. They knew what she was. She practically advertised it. As she thought these things, the armor became darker and more defined.

And she realized that she couldn't see the blood anymore.

*

AG: Tavros!
AG: TAAAAAAAAVROS!
AT: oH, UH, SORRY. I WAS PLAYING WITH TINKERBULL.
AG: That stup8 doll game thing I bet.
AG: Luckily you won't have to play that game anymore!
AG: Did you get 8? Did you?
AT: yEAH, i PICKED IT UP YESTERDAY.
AG: YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!
AG: It's going to 8e so much fun!
AT: uH, i DON'T KNOW. i MEAN aRADIA KEEPS TELLING ME TO BE CAREFUL AROUND YOU.
AG: Don't listen to her! Do wh8 you want to do! Only losers don't think for themselves. You're not a loser, are you?
AT: i DON'T KNOW, i MEAN YOU DID SAY THAT STUFF YESTERDAY.
AG: No! Tell yourself th8 you're not a loser! Say 8!
AT: i'M NOT A LOSER!
AG: Good! Now start loading the game up.
AG: I have some ne8 challenges s8 up for you!

*

As she stared into the darkness, she remembered that being the day that everything fell apart. She lashed out at people and they were scarred...or dead. They lashed out at her, and she was maimed for her trouble.
But it wasn't really her fault. Was it? I mean...
Her armor was broken. Half of her face and her arm was shattered, exposing bare skin underneath.
The blood was dripping again, and now hers was mixed in with the other colors.

It really wasn't her fault. It couldn't be...but...
“I won't do it anymore.”

I think that is one of the best interpretation of Vriska. She is essentially a girl grown in a "eat or be eaten" environment (almost literally) so to survive she had to grow a thick skin that made her int a sociopath, probably even by Alternia standards. IMO she improved a lot after her lusus death but she have still a lot of road to go.

Thanks.
I've always felt a little sympathy for Vriska, even though she's pretty much a terrible person. For the reason I wrote about, and also because of the fact that being beaten to death is not a fun way to go.

[gryfft]

Just something I came up with while talking to my friend to explain March on the Calendar. (Not that Eridan needs an excuse to be a pretty princess.) Namely, it seems that given enough time without direct threats to anyone's life, Kanaya would wind up making dresses for everyone.

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GA: You Would Look So Pretty In It
GA: It Is A Lovely Period Piece Inspired By Your History
GA: Rather Fitting For The Knight
TG: fuck off
GA: Why Is It That Every Time The Subject Of Fashion Is Broached The Sparing Human Male Intellect Assumes The Most Bullheaded Position Imaginable
TG: seriously fuck off
GA: Will You Just Look At It
TG: fine whatever
TG: damn
TG: that is some seriously sophisticated victorian fuckin finery
TG: ok im not wearin this
GA: I Believe You Established This Rather Well
GA: My Labors For You Were Of Course In Vain
GA: Who Was I To Think I Could Play Even The Humblest Role Of Tailor To The Mighty And Exalted Knight
TG: fuck youre worse than rose
-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering grimAuxiliatrix [GA] --
-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering grimAuxiliatrix [GA] --
TG: ok its an hour later
TG: look i alchemized it to make it less gay and more ironic
GA: You Ruined It
TG: wrong its amazing now

[ceruleanTresses]

Bahahahaha, Gryfft! That's hilarious and needs to be illustrated.

[Kassiopeia]

Hah Gryfft that's incredible (also, what/where is this calendar?? I wants one, precious.)

[gryfft]

Bahahahaha, Gryfft! That's hilarious and needs to be illustrated.

Hah Gryfft that's incredible (also, what/where is this calendar?? I wants one, precious.)

Thanks guys! And Kass, you need to investigate this link RIGHT THIS MOMENT

[geeP]

Very satisfying happy Vriska-fic, geep; it remained surprisingly in-character for everyone, despite allowing her fast redemption. The John in that convo was spot-on, too.

It wasn't really intended as a general redemption so much as it was a resolution to a specific problem (just a sub-problem, really). The original concept I had probably would have had a heavier theme of just living and getting by in bad situations, both Vriska's giant screwup(s) and her dysfunctional relationship with Tavros, but it ended up with a more uplifting tone on both counts.

It turned out a lot shippier than I had planned; I can't help but see Vriska and Tavros as two people who like each other very much (for a certain value of "liking") and have a high capacity for adorableness who would never quite be capable of a healthy relationship, if only for their history. But Tavros is essentially acting as an enabler here--he's bought into Vriska's delusions himself, and that honestly should be a bit frightening even if he's using them to appeal to her better nature.

But fuck it, it's still cute. I'm a sucker for bittersweet stuff, so if I was in a darker mood I might have dwelt a bit more on the more painful aspects of their dynamic too. In the end though I felt more like exploring these strange unsad emotions.

Thanks to everyone who commented!

[chronicallyCrafty]

/SUPERLATEFUCK

geeP, that was delightfully, astonishingly in character for all parties, which made it hella believable, and I loved it

[SataiDelenn]

Well, I've been lurking around here reading things for long enough, time to actually post something--something random that kind of wrote itself this morning. It's small and of no particular consequence, but it was fun to write and I figured I'd share it. This mysterious plan that will lead to the kids meeting the trolls intrigues me.

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ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG]

EB: ok karkat, we are on our way!!
CG: WATCH AS I RESTRAIN MY UNBRIDLED ENTHUSIASM.
EB: this is exciting! i can’t wait to see what you guys look like.
CG: I ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE. I’D HOPED TO AVOID THE EVENTUALITY OF HAVING TO SEE YOUR SQUISHY PINK EXTERIOR UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL, BUT SEEING THAT I’M SITTING AROUND ON A DEAD FUCKING ROCK IN SPACE UP TO MY LOBE STEM IN THE WORST BULLSHIT TROLL SOCIETY HAS TO OFFER AND I HAVE NO WAY OF STOPPING THE FUTILE IDIOCY THAT IS THIS PLAN FROM HAPPENING
CG: HERE I AM, JOHN EGBERT, COME AND GET ME, I GUESS.
EB: wow, i sure feel welcome now! it's okay though, i know you don’t really mean it.
CG: IN WHAT STINKHOLE BACKWARDS ASSGRAB UNIVERSE WOULD YOU POSSIBLY BELIEVE THAT I DIDN’T MEAN EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF MY PROTEIN CHUTE?
EB: i didn’t really understand all of that but don’t worry, it’s not that i think you’re lying or anything.
EB: it’s just that you know, you say all this stuff about hating me all the time but i don’t think you really do. i think it’s just your troll way of being bros.
CG: WHATEVER.
CG: I SUPPOSE NOW I CAN LOOK FORWARD TO ENDLESS “WELL-MEANING JAPERY” AND SUCH NUB-SLAPPING ESCAPADES AS SOPOR PIES TO THE FACE LIKE THAT FUCKING CLOWN-FACED HAG OF A SPRITE YOU CALL NANNA.
EB: dude, not cool! talking about a guy’s nanna like that. what’s a sopor pie?
CG: NOTHING YOUR GRUBBY LITTLE PRANKSTER HANDS SHOULD EVER TOUCH.
EB: why not? pies are great joke fodder, you said it yourself!
CG: BECAUSE I DON’T REALLY RELISH THE IDEA OF SOMEONE AS SHITHIVE MAGGOTS AS YOU ALREADY ARE CLIMBING ABOARD THE GAMZEE TRAIN OF NOOK-SNIFFING MINDFUCKERY AND DRAGGING ME ON SOME MAGICAL MIRACLE TOUR OF RAINBOW DOUCHEBAG SPIRIT LAND.
EB: haha, what? i have no idea what you’re talking about!
CG: AND THAT’S HOW IT SHOULD STAY.
EB: if you say so. so what DO you look like?? i think trolls have horns, right? are they like devil horns or more like rhino horns?
CG: DON’T COMPARE MY AWESOME SPECIES TO YOUR RIDICULOUS EARTH ANIMALS. SERIOUSLY, I’VE LOOKED AT PICTURES ON YOUR INTERNET. WHAT THE FUCK PURPOSE DOES THIS “GIRAFFE” THING SERVE?
CG: DAMMIT, IF ONLY WE’D BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH THAT DOOR, WE COULD HAVE DESIGNED ALL YOUR ANIMALS FOR YOU AND THEY’D MAKE SOME FUCKING SENSE.
CG: INSTEAD YOU WADDLE AROUND SHARING YOUR PLANET WITH SUCH PRIZE-WINNING SPECIMENS AS THE “DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS.” AND AS STUPID AS A NORMAL PLATYPUS WOULD PROBABLY BE, IT’S TEN TIMES STUPIDER TO TIE IT TO ANOTHER ABSURD AND USELESS THING THAT RHYMES WITH “FUCK.”
EB: oh man.
EB: i love the zoo.
CG: ZOO? OH RIGHT, THE INANITY THAT IS HUMAN GRUBS WANDERING AROUND GAPING WITH THEIR IGNORANCE SHAFTS WIDE OPEN WHILE THE ANIMALS BROOD AND SEETHE WITH HATRED AND DREAM FONDLY OF THE DAY WHEN THEY CAN GLEEFULLY MURDER EVERYTHING THEY SEE.
CG: COME TO THINK OF IT, IT WOULDN’T SOUND LIKE SUCH A BAD IDEA IF YOU JUST TOOK THE CAGES OUT OF THE PICTURE.
CG: KIND OF HILARIOUS.
EB: pff, shows what you know, most of the animals there are friendly! at least, i've never heard of anyone getting attacked or anything.
CG: ONCE AGAIN, JOHN, THE BREADTH OF YOUR NAÏVE MORONIC IDEALISM SUCCEEDS IN ASTOUNDING ME. OF COURSE YOU WOULDN’T HEAR ABOUT IT. WHY WOULD THEY WANT TO SCARE OFF POTENTIAL PREY?
EB: uh…i think you’re missing the point of the zoo, karkat.
CG: THE WAY I SEE IT, THE ONLY REASON TO STICK DEFENSELESS BABIES IN FRONT OF HUGE PREDATORY HOOFBEASTS WITH HORNS BIGGER THAN THEY ARE IS TO TRAIN THEM TO LOATHE YOUR POINTLESS SPECIES EVEN MORE THAN I DO AND KEEP THEIR HUNTING INSTINCTS SHARP.
EB: yeah, that doesn’t sound right at all!
EB: anyway, you never answered my question. what do you look like???
CG: YOU’LL FIND OUT SOON ENOUGH, I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU INSIST ON ASKING SUCH BLATANTLY UNNECESSARY QUESTIONS.
EB: haha, i bet your horns are really huge and pointy, maybe shaped like S shapes or something, and you’re probably kind of skinny but lumpy just like in mac and me.
EB: with a weird shaped head and no hair, and big buggy eyes. and you probably have some crazy powers like flying or glowing or whatever, and you’ll share them with me in a touching display of intergalactic tolerance and friendship!
EB: that’s totally how it’s going to go when we meet.
CG: JOHN, I CAN’T EVEN BELIEVE I SAT HERE AND READ ANY OF THAT.
CG: JUST WHEN I THINK I’VE REACHED THE POINT OF NUMBED IMMUNITY TO FURTHER DETERIORATION OF MY RESPECT FOR YOUR SWIFTLY DWINDLING INTELLECT, YOU SHOCK ME YET AGAIN.
EB: we’re almost there!!! this is going to be awesome.
CG: FUCK YOU.
EB: :D

ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG]

(Theoretically since at this point they would already have had the awkward kismesis conversation, that hate bit at the beginning might have gone a little differently, but meh. Never underestimate the power of John's ability to go *shrug* ...!)

[raequiem]

Satai, write more. Your voices are perfect. (Won't John be surprised when he's greeted by Nubby McNubhorns!)

[sebastian]

Well done, Satai, you seem to have a good grasp of the characters, I hope that you write more stuff.