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squiddybeifong · 3 years

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Triples Talk

I still don’t know what With Imagination is tbh. Previous parts: one, two, three, four

They were in Los Angeles.

Well, technically they were on Hollywood Boulevard. Raven kept her hood up as she passed by the multitudes of tourists and street performers, feeling Talia’s disgust at the sheer amount of urine stains and garbage that littered the stars. The teen had already experienced the ‘wonders’ of this particular section of road after a mission gone awry and Beast Boy’s adamance that they relax before heading back to Jump; according to Robin’s reports from the rare times Bruce visited the west coast for business, she should’ve teleported them to Calabasas, or Brentwood, or even Santa Monica if they wanted to see the movie stars and celebrities instead of too-loud tourists with no grasp on the concept of personal space. And the mage would’ve had Harley not been so insistent on sightseeing.

And while she regretted it now, when they first met up in front of the Hollywood sign an hour prior Talia hadn’t given a damn where they were going, deciding to give Harley full rights to Raven’s skipped choice after their short lived meet-up in San Francisco nearly three weeks ago.

Unlike her friends, Gotham’s most beloved clown was having the time of her life; she’d already taken a selfie with Godzilla’s star of fame and had swiped three novelty t-shirts, aware that the Titan had certainly stopped to discreetly pay for them while the blonde rolled onwards. Harley cackled as she skated through the crowd of people, her laughter bubbling up an octave higher as she passed by the third imitation Raven in the last five blocks, the purple-wigged woman’s fanny pack filled to the brim with dollar bills from taking pictures.

The faux-Raven glared at the Titan as she passed, smelling of cigarette smoke as she sneered towards the girl, “Get off my turf.”

Despite her annoyance at how exposed they were around all the tourists, Talia couldn’t keep the shit-eating grin off her face at how deeply Raven sighed, the curl of her shoulders underneath her cloak speaking volumes. The assassin’s steps quickened as she tried to catch up with Harley as the Gothamite rounded a corner, hoping that the blonde’s enthusiastic twirling wouldn’t lend to her accidentally tumbling over someone. Following the red and blue-tipped pigtails and the rollerskates’ obnoxiously bright lights, Talia let her shoulders relax as she turned and spotted Harley taking an extra taco from a guy resting against a food truck.

Spinning in a circle as she savored the stickiness of car exhaust in the air, Harley took a bite of birria and thought of home. She turned at the honk of a horn, not stopping her chewing as Raven’s magic silently enveloped Talia’s hand to prevent the assassin from fully drawing whatever dagger she had strapped to her person.

The siren looked like a child in a candy store as she rolled up to her friends, blue eyes zeroing in on the ‘$15 tattoos, 15 minutes, no wait!’ sign not even a foot away. Lit up by the neon lights that adorned the tattoo parlor behind them, Talia looked murderous as she tried (and failed) to run a calming hand through her hair. The tourists gave the trio a wide berth at the sight; the parlor’s owner seemed hesitant to step out and shoo them away for loitering, obviously unsure if her blade was a plastic prop or not.

Brown lips curled into a frown at the inadvertent attention and Talia fully sheathed her dagger. Raven pinched between her eyes as the assassin hissed out, “Harley, why are we here of all the damned places?”

Bright blue eyes went wide, “Don’t tell me you’ve never wanted to visit La La Land!”

Green eyes narrowed and Talia let her nostrils flare. “I’m choosing the next place,” The assassin grumbled under her breath, shoving aside a passing tourist and stalking towards a barely lit alley.

Harley let out a laugh and called to her friend’s back, “C’mon, Tally Marks!”

At her shout, a tourist across the street let out a happy chortle as he noticed them, the flash of his camera going off in their direction. His voice carried over the sound of traffic as he blabbed to his family, “She’s got a really good Harley Quinn costume!” The headphoned teenager next to him rolled his eyes and let out a derisive, “Too bad she’s in the wrong city.”

Harley pouted at the remark and let Raven tug on her arm, her wheels lighting up neon as the pair followed Talia’s path. They ducked around a corner and into an alley, the shadows instinctively curling around the goth as Raven kept them against one side of the alley’s brick walls. Along the other side there was a man sitting at a fold-up table, his fanny pack filled with cash. He shuffled the well-worn deck of cards in his hands as he tried to sweet talk Talia into joining his scam disguised as a game, “C’mon, now! A gal as pretty as you wouldn’t be in an alley if she didn’t like to gamble, now would you?”

His words trailed off as the assassin merely lifted her elbow to partially brandish her dagger; the conman raised both palms in the air, “Fair enough, Doll.”

Raven’s steps hastened as she felt the violent pulse of Talia’s anger, not wanting either of her friends to be arrested during their outing. As the purple-haired hero stepped out of the shadows the man finally seemed to notice Harley and the Titan; grinning, he ashed his cigarette on one of the table’s metal legs and gestured to the card game, “You ladies wanna play?”

Talia aimed a scathing glare his way and the man held up his palms again, flawlessly hiding his nervousness at the air of lethality that cloaked the trio, “Get all three and you win. But you gotta put down at least a hundred each.”

“No thanks,” Raven hummed out. Her magic wrapped around Talia’s wrist as they kept going through the alley, seeing the neon of Harley’s skates in her periphery. The blonde eagerly rolled up in front of them, skating backwards as she chatted, “I dunno about this, Tal. We make a great team already--”

Raven let out a snort and Talia shook her head, “No.”

“--Let’s make some money off him!”

Talia narrowed her eyes and repeated again, a bit harsher but less forceful, “No.”

The clown smoothly rolled around the cracks in the concrete and the miscellaneous cans and bottles that tried and failed to trip her. A pout had worked its way into Harley’s voice, “But we gotta do something together! We’re tourists in La La Land, you two.”

“Oh!” Harley’s eyes went wide as she grinned at her friends, suddenly remembering why she had been so insistent to get them somewhere so public. Big baby blues were shining as the clown spread her arms, “We should go to the theater!”

Talia kept walking, glad that the wannabe scammer was intelligent enough not to keep trying to coax them into his games even as he so obviously tried to listen in on their conversation. Olive eyes scanned the area where the alley turned into an intersection, her attention on the streets around them as she jumped a broken down fence. Talia considered the sheer amount of people they’d seen along the storefronts and already knew the buzz of herded humans was not something she or Raven would like. Clicking her tongue, her rejection wasn’t as harsh with the lack of bright lights and noisy people around them, “No.”

“There’s a pretty famous pier if we head towards the ocean,” Raven shrugged out. “They’ve got vendors selling great strawberries on the side of the street if that’s better.”

“I do want food, but we need to steal--” Harley’s voice skipped at the look the Titan aimed her way, her excuse forming a new idea instantly, “--the night away and team up! Mess with some bad guys, get some food, flirt with our babes…”

Talia raised a brow at the last one, “Excuse me?”

Harley pretended not to notice, “Think of it! Rae’ll teleport us to get everyone and then we can head out! Kicking ass and taking names and eating cheesecake, the six of us--”

Talia cut in again, “Six?”

“Oh yeah, six.” The clown’s grin turned impish as she held up four fingers and a peace sign. The Gothamite tilted her head Raven’s way, “Remember when Moonbeam had to leave early when we were in SanFran? Well when I got home, Pam and Kitty were getting comfy.”

Purple eyes closed, “I don’t like where this is going.”

Harley wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing her cheek to the teen’s temple as she giggled out, “You should, Ray Ray!”

She brought her hands in front of their faces, her red and blue glitter nail polish sparkling as she spread her palms, showing off an invisible screen. Sighing happily, Harley tried to get her friends used to the idea, “Think of this: triple date night tonight!”

Before the two rejections could come, Harley rested her cheek on Raven’s head again, “You and Starshine, Pam and Kitty, Me and Tally Marks.”

Despite her better judgment, the Titan felt a lazy smile tug on her lips. She tilted her head to glance towards where Harley’s cheek touched her temple, “There are better ways to ask her out, you know.”

Grinning wide and turning on her heel, the siren abruptly flung herself into the assassin’s arms. Talia kept her face blank but couldn’t keep the hum out of her throat as Harley sing-songed, “So, what d’ya say, Tally Marks?”

She pressed a kiss to Talia’s cheek, leaving a black and red lipstick mark along tan skin. “Triple date night? You and me?”

Olive eyes closed and a sigh escaped. Despite her training, Talia couldn’t keep the tiny curl off her lips, especially when a pair of big blue eyes were batting their lashes up at her. The assassin hoped that Harley wasn’t close enough to feel the barest heat fill her face, “Fine. But I choose the place for our next outing.”

#with imagination #talia al ghul #harley quinn #raven #my writing #clownmurder #<- I think(???) that was the tag for the talia/harls ship. I know it's also for rose/duela but ??? it fits too well #this fic(??) is that mushu 'I liiiiive' gif tbh #I legit Completely forgot about these. someone liked the texas one a few weeks back and I just went :0 bc its been so Long yknow #I really should just put these on ao3 shouldn't I??? just have it be in random order as I think of them. make the plot secondary #I hit a snag with the couples therapy fic. I wrote a really Raw angsty line and now I gotta work thru it to get thru this chapter lmao #can yall tell how much I Hate hollywood blvd?? bc when my aunty was here we went there like 4 diff times and ppl were so crowded together #and so Loud g o d. I did not see any faux ravens but I *did* see a starfire!!! she was just a Super cute girl in casual cosplay tho

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jespertheklaun · 4 years

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🤡 BEST CLOWN PICS ON THE INTERNET 🤡 @jespertheklaun on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook. CLOWN BOOK SOON! #clownbook #clownart #clownillustration #clownstory #clownlife #clowndeath #deadclown #murderedclown #clownmurder #girls #girlskill #littlegirls #killedclown #clowns #clown #klovn #clovn#cloun #payaso #palhaço #klowns #kloun #klaun https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0OMIIFUMt/?igshid=mdkyab26ofsc

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dyketectivecomics · 5 years

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Rose and Duela with number 2 from that lyric ask meme you made ((murder fam au setting unless you wanna do something diff))

ok but semi-charmed life is my ANTHEM and clownmurder is my JAM and this took a Hot Second but i hope u like it rem

…

“Thought I’d find you here,” Rose’s voice called, clear as bells over the low din of cartoonish fighting coming from the living room. The impromptu Smash Bros tournament that signaled the end of another successful Berserker’s Bash. A party, for which the reason for celebration had already been long forgotten. “Eddie beat me with a Jigglypuff of all things. Can you imagine that? A Jigglypuff, Dee!”

“Well, you did always kinda suck at Smash, Ro’,” the clown said, smiling sadly. And that was when Rose’s demeanor shifted. Because Duela’s jaws might’ve been locked in a smile, but nothing was alright.

“Hey, Double-D,” she bumped shoulders with the clown as she stood next to her. They leaned against the kitchen’s countertop together, the quiet of the space settling around them. From the next room, loud cheers of victory competed against low groans of defeat. “What’s up, dude?”

She wanted to kick herself, mentally, for the casual tone she heard her own voice take on. But really, what else could she do? She certainly didn’t have her sister’s knack for deciphering emotions, much less controlling or comforting against them.

But she did have another superpower; being a good listening ear.

Unfortunately for her, Duela could be just as stubborn about actually opening up. She glanced upwards, at the dimly lit space. Low oranges from lights along the floor, keeping the room in a soft glow that was perfect for a midnight snacker to make their way, half asleep, to the fridge. A chill that never seemed to leave the bunker clung to their clothes now, and she rubbed at one of her half covered arms.

“There’s, uh, two lights,” she observed, “And Kon just put up that sign over-”

“No. For real,” Rose insisted, watching her face carefully, “How’s it hanging?”

Another mental slap as Duela’s more mischievous smile returned, splitting her face in pure delight. Rose really needed to stop setting herself up like this.

“Certainly not straight.”

The Ravager felt her lip twitch for only a moment, before setting it back into a firm line again. No more playing around. Third time was the charm.

“Duela…”

The clown’s wild green eyes calmed for the shortest of seconds as she locked them with Rose’s. She swallowed what must have been a growing lump in her throat as she looked away.

“I’m fine. I promise, I’ll-” she paused, sighing, “I promise, I’ll let you know when it’s not okey-dokey, artichokey.”

And there it was. That little clue she’d been looking for. Their little code.

Being almost out of meds.

She elbowed Duela’s arm and gave a flick of her head toward the hanger, where their cars and cycles were waiting.

“Let’s ride, then. There’s a twenty-four only a block away from a golden arches.”

“Can we get Wen-”

“No.”

“Cheapskate,” she pouted, but followed close behind her leader. Her hand slipped comfortably into Rose’s own as the elevator’s doors closed after them.

#clownmurder #roseduela #rose wilson #duela dent #purified murder family au #the berserkers #asked and answered #dastrigon #randywritesfic #a song thats historically abt sex n drugs but ITS ACTUALLY ABT HOW THE MUSIC SCENE WAS IN SF IN THE 90s #which was.... coincidentally all abt sex n drugs BUT L I S T E N #its my SONG DAMMIT

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remholder · 6 years

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Duela: give me a kiss

Rose, holding up a clenched fist:

Duela: thats hot! but i meant with your lips

#purified murder family au #the berserkers #clownmurder #randy im using that tag JUST for you #because i love you

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betweengenesisfrogs · 4 years

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The Triumph of the Marginalia

Marginalia, n.:

1 : notes or embellishments in the margins (as in a book)

2 : nonessential items

-Troll OED

Is it just me, or is Nepeta and Equius’s arc the most slept-upon piece of brilliance in all of Homestuck?

A brilliance, might I add, that culminates in possibly the most triumphant, fulfilling emotional moment in the entire work:

https://www.homestuck.com/story/7928

*stands back and beholds its majesty while from the background comes the sound of James Roach brutally murdering ska*

No, but actually, I mean this 100% unironically, and by the end of this post, I think you’ll agree with me.

By now, I think we all understand the Act 6 double metaphor: the series of temporal loops and universes that Lord English commands is paralleled with, and in fact totally identical to, the narrative of Homestuck. Our characters’ lives exist within this context. They struggle to escape it, and are defined both by it and by the rejection of it.

Enter Nepeta.

The metaphorical meaning of Nepeta in Homestuck is irrelevance, and that’s why she’s the most relevant character in any discussion.

Nepeta was one of the characters killed off during the Murderstuck arc. Hussie argued that she was perfect for this role. In fact, I believe he said something like “Nepeta is sweet, but if you look up the dictionary definition of ‘expendable character,’ you’ll see a picture of Nepeta playing with a ball of yarn and looking very cute.” She’s an endearing combination of shipper girl and apex predator, but not one of your Vriskas or Terezis in being a driver of the plot. Hussie, it seems, created her just to round out the troll cast. He described one of his purposes in Murderstuck as being to axe some of the less necessary trolls to reduce the scope of his character list.

Except that didn’t really happen, did it?

Like a cat with nine lives, Nepeta just keeps coming back.

Equius is another addition to the troll cast who gets pushed away from the main action. He was a character-writing challenge: how do you make someone who’s gross, uncomfortable, and racist kind of likable anyway? I’d argue Hussie succeeded, in large part because of Equius’s relationship with Nepeta. By the time you finish with Hivebent, you’ll probably have a little fondness for their moraillegiance. And if that doesn’t do it, the conversation that serves as their swansong in Equius: Seek the Highblood will tear your heartstrings to shreds.

Because Equius dies, tragically clownmurdered. There was, at the time, some stink over this from Equius fans. Would he have really let himself be killed so easily? Hussie countered: yes, and it was the most in-character thing he could have done. He died doing what he loved: being asphyxiated erotically and horrifically by a superior. Truly, there could be no more fitting end to his character than that.

And yet.

No sooner did Hussie complete his self-appointed story cleanup challenge than he immediately began to undo his own work. It’s almost as if, in declaring his intention to own those who preferred more characters to narrative economy, he immediately had to own himself??

By the time we get even a little way into Act 6, we’re deep in the dreambubble landscape, meeting dead characters left and right. And who should show up there but Equius and Nepeta? Equius attempting to get it on with a bunch of Aradias, who dump him. And Nepeta, living out her romantic dreams as a representative of a timeline where she got together with Karkat. They both appear as symbols of this deadness, this irrelevance. Except that that brings them back into the story, into the spotlight – the opposite of where they’re supposed to be!

Like many bits of commentary, Hussie continues to incorporate the metaphor Nepeta=Irrelevance into Homestuck. Karkat’s remark on their journey that he would love to meet “FIFTY FUCKING NEPETAS” and embark on “NEPETAQUEST” alludes to formspring remarks to the effect that, no, Homestuck was not going to have much time for the minor characters. Except it clearly did.

Why couldn’t the narrative let the meowrails go? Was it that despite the economy of Murderstuck, something was still incomplete? After all, one of Equius’s charms was that he appeared to be growing into a less repressed, kinder person. In Seek the Highblood, we see him letting his guard down enough to roleplay with Nepeta for a change. Their love for each other: wasn’t that ultimately what could redeem Equius in our eyes? So his dying and thus failing to protect her–isn’t that something that should be addressed?

You could imagine many a Nepeta and Equius fan saying this to Hussie back in 2011.

But Hussie was already saying it to himself.

The duo come roaring back into the story in the Trickster mode arc, mid Act 6, thanks to Gamzee’s ridiculous resurrections. True, Nepeta is still reduced as part of Fefeta, the character formed from killed-off girls who never speaks onscreen. But doesn’t using that fact as a running gag kind of draw our attention to it? Doesn’t the fact that Fefeta talks to Roxy constantly offscreen inform us that once we get outside the frame of the narrative, Nepeta has a rich inner life and countless stories to tell?

And it’s here that Equius gets something he never got in his original “arc:” the chance to apologize to Nepeta. You’d be forgiven for missing it since there’s so much else going on at the time, but he does, while fused with AR. Here’s what you’d miss, though: he’s grown as a person in the afterlife. He’s come to regret that moment of weakness, where his fetish kept him from protecting his moirail. Impossible as it seems, he’s continuing his character arc.

The scene ends with Fefeta exploding (she’s also, after all, dealing with Eridan), but it leaves us with a tantalizing question:

Will Nepeta forgive Equius? Is there even a plausible time and space in that story when she could respond to his words?

Do you see what’s happening here? Instead of being erased, Nepeta and Equius are starting to slip the bounds of the story that killed them. They leap in and out of the frame, half-mythical figures. Marginalized, they write their own stories in the margins. They exist in complete defiance of the original logic of Homestuck.

Lord English is an alt-Author figure, a dark, brutal reflection of narrative control and narrative necessity. His world, in which horrible choices are necessary, in which the alpha timeline is a ticking clock leading inexorably to his manifestation, is one that beats down people not deemed important enough by his narrative. Which makes it identical to the one we’re reading. Throw all the unnecessary characters in the trash. Kill them off, if it suits my purposes. The world doesn’t need Nepeta.

Which is precisely why it does. Because isn’t defying Lord English the entire point? Isn’t it what Homestuck reveals as truly heroic?

What might Nepeta be capable of?

Let’s talk about two other victims of English’s forces of marginalization. Davesprite might be the most quintessential example. He teaches us what the alpha timeline is and how it works, by going back to fix a doomed timeline and submitting to being doomed himself. Except he merges with a bird and avoids that fate. Okay, but he clearly gets killed off fighting Jack in Jade: Enter. Except he comes back and hangs out with Jadesprite. Okay, but he dies in the planetsplode in the Retcon. Nope, he comes back from that, too. Huh. He keeps slipping the fate decreed for him by – who else? Lord English.

But it’s a struggle, clearly. He’s caught up in various cycles of guilt and shame. Over being “not the real Dave.” Over his feeling that he has to be a hero in the sense Bro demanded he be. Hussie describes Davesprite as fitting the “way of the unbroken sword:” his experiences have led him to believe in being strong and capable at the expense of all else, in contrast with the other Dave, whose belief in Bros’ toxic ideas is beginning to slip – the “way of the broken sword.” And where did Bro get his toxic ideas from? At least in part, the whispering voice of the soul of Lord English.

Now we turn to Dirk. Like Dave, Dirk has a marginalized, “less important” splinter self but it’s more of a pressing concern. AR shows Dirk’s darker side: exhibiting manipulative tendencies that human Dirk is trying to move away from. He’s also a copy removed from humanity, who feels an understandable amount of disillusionment about being removed from physical existence and his own identity. But as much as Dirk may splinter, like his dumb anime sword, he never breaks. What this means in the symbolic language of Homestuck is that Dirk lives fully, instinctually, in the way of the sword. He believe in a world of hard choices, masculine heroism, and necessity. Ultimately, this, too, is part of what makes Bro so harmful to Dave. In AR and Davesprite, we have a strange parallel: two splinter selves, both of whom are enmeshed in the logic of LE.

Except AR, unlike Davesprite…kind of is LE.

What is Lord English composed of? Well, there’s Caliborn, the most unrepentant shithead of all time. There’s Gamzee, embodiment of horrifying clownery. And then there’s AR, a version of Dirk even more removed from the person he wants to be.

And…Equius?

Allow me a moment to get really indulgent and take a big puff on my Homestuck scholar’s pipe.

The metaphorical meaning of Equius in Homestuck is: sort of growing out of being a creepy racist.

Or maybe let’s say: the opportunity to do that. We said that Equius was on the verge of being redeemed (even had been, in the eyes of many readers). What does it mean to stick him in with Lord English’s souls? It means two things:

1) Equius is a product of his society, which was shaped by Doc Scratch, aka by Lord English, both of whom are kind of him, but Scratch picks up on his traits especially. This is a recognition of that fact: the part of him that sucks is, itself, Lord English in a dizzying loop.

2) Equius’s story is a tragedy. It is the story of a kid who started to escape his society’s tendencies, but was sucked back in by the evil force behind them.

Although…maybe that’s not the whole story.

Because both Equius and AR aren’t really that bad. AR’s pretty understandable, and by no means beyond the possibility of goodness. And the combination of the two? Honestly, pretty harmless. They counter each other’s worst tendencies by devolving into a weird goofball. In fact, AR even says he wants to do something heroic: to sacrifice himself for something really important. He does, kind of, mustering a last-ditch robohorse assault on Caliborn. But at the same time, this is the substance of his tragedy. A hero whose defeat of a great evil forces him to become the substance of that evil. Which could not be a more fitting summary of how these characters function in their story.

But maybe that’s still not the whole story.

Enter Davepeta.

At first glance, the creation of Davepeta seems like Hussie’s most batshit troll move yet. I feel pretty confident in saying that even those who predicted either of these characters returning didn’t see that one coming. However, a few pages of Davepeta’s presence reveals a fundamental truth:

Davepeta is fucking amazing.

In them, Davesprite’s depressive moods are buoyed up by Nepeta’s upbeat optimism. Nepeta’s reclusive shyness is balanced by Dave’s tendency toward brash banter. Both of them gain confidence from being the new person they are. They quickly let go of ideas inherited from the world that kept them from self-knowledge and happiness. Dave, his toxic masculinity; Nepeta, her fear.

A great point I’ve seen made is how much Jasprose and Davepeta resemble fantasy selves for Rose and Dave: indulgent, technicolor manifestations of people they could be if they let go of inhibitions and limitations. But I think Davepeta is the most unambiguously positive of the two.

The metaphorical meaning of Davepeta in Homestuck?

Growth.

Not giving a fuck about what the world thinks. The world, aka Lord English. Because Lord English could never have predicted that his machinations would also spawn a confident, powerful fusion of two beings he had discarded as totally irrelevant.

They’re also a multicolored non-binary furry, so that’s even more points in the pissing off shitheads column.

They are someone Lord English never conceived of, never could have conceived of, but which lay as potential within his domain all along.

And if Lord English is a reflection of the author, of what Hussie feels one has to destroy or sacrifice, than Davepeta is an indulgence existing in defiance of all that.

And this makes Davepeta the most powerful person of all.

They are the light at the end of the tunnel. They are the person you could be, if you could get past your mental shackles and just grow. It may not be possible to ever get there as a mortal human, may only be for a godlike sprite, but striving to be like them matters, is purpose and fulfilment enough.

And they love ARquius.

Nepeta believed in Equius, believed he could grow, and was growing. So as much as ARquius traps himself in a Lord English loop of his own making – grown, perhaps, out of Dirk’s belief that there should be a loop, that importance is admirable—Davepeta pulls from him, in his last scene, his finest qualities. His love.

Equius asks forgiveness again, and this time, Nepeta’s able to give it. Davepeta easily accepts ARquius’s apology, an apology which never could have existed within the confines of a normal narrative. A reconciliation that both of them fought for by defying their narrative, by existing outside it. By being not the trolls who lived and died, but their broader, conceptual selves, who exist beyond lifetimes. Beyond the comic page. And they consummate that reconciliation with that most cherished and loving of gestures:

A hug.

And even as this is Equius and Nepeta’s reconciliation, it’s also Dirk and Dave’s. Which, I should mention, is also taking place, simultaneously and circumstantially simultaneously, just below. It’s a more difficult one, certainly, especially as filtered through the splinters of Davesprite and AR. Here forgiveness is not quite the right word. But – knowledge, and recognition, and a kind of peace. It’s Davesprite’s chance to reunite with the part of his brother he loved, while also being a person who’s grown beyond him. And it’s AR’s chance to be loved.

Oh, sure, the art is ridiculous, the pose absurd. But that’s what makes it sublime.

I mean, what did you think that Sbahj comic was really about?

A boy distancing himself from his feelings through irony, never acknowledging that the story he’s telling is about two bros who desperately want to hug each other, but don’t know how.

Here’s the hug.

I want to dip into Epilogues territory for a moment, but it’s territory which is fairly well implied by Davepeta’s statements and role in Collide. The Meat Epilogue, I think, only illuminates what was already there.

Lord English is uniquely vulnerable to Davepeta.

And why shouldn’t he be? They, like so much else in Homestuck, are a consequence of his actions spiraling far beyond his control. But it’s more than that. Davepeta is finally able to lay the unbroken sword to rest by following the “prophecy” about Dave defeating Lord English. On the one hand, that’s kind of what happened. But it’s also completely different from what English intended, antithetical to his desires and goals. Which makes the victory all the sweeter. But at the end of the day, Davepeta doesn’t fight for the reasons Davesprite did. They’re free of that, now. Instead, they fight from a place of genuine compassion. Because Davesprite, like Dave, knows the true meaning of being a hero: caring about one’s friends.

But the most important thing about Davepeta is that they know Lord English, on a level that perhaps neither he nor they recognize. Both AR and Equius are in there, and both are capable of redemption. It’s only Gamzee and Caliborn who are truly beyond it.

How does Davepeta defeat Lord English?

With a hug.

They wrap their claws around him, and carry him into the sun like a piece of garbage. It’s an aggressive hold, but it’s also effectively an embrace.

And I have to wonder: in those final moments, did they sense a connection there? Did Equius and Dirk stir somewhere within Lord English? Did they give him a moment’s pause? Resist him? Make it just the tiniest bit easier for Davepeta to do their work?

If so, then that, too, is heroism.

At the very least, it’s circumstantially simultaneous with the hug we see in Act 6, and so it carries the same message:

Redemption.

Not for the shitheads, but for those who wanted to be better.

And if this isn’t enough, there’s a third reconciliation here, too: between author and reader, or to put it in other terms, author and character.

If Lord English is a shadow of the author, what part of the author can be redeemed? Maybe not the destructive, antagonistic urges. But the part that plans and designs and philosophizes as Dirk does. That part of Hussie wanted Davepeta to be there, to strike that final blow, and made it happen.

Because, when you get right down to it, as much as Hussie pretends to be antagonistic toward his readers and the characters they enjoy, it’s the fans, the shippers, the furries, those whose hearts go out to a cute, shy cat girl that he most celebrates.

Hussie fucking loves Nepeta.

Nepeta and Equius are, sneakily, the best characters in Homestuck, because they understand its fundamental message: that to succeed in Homestuck is to defy Homestuck. They defy everything it throws at them, and somehow, improbably, come out on top.

All of this is there on that page, a whole edifice of storytelling culminating in that singular, grand, supremely indulgent expression, a feast of looping leitmotif and color and imagery and meme and sound. It’s all there, if you know where to look.

Nepeta and Equius love each other, and that’s pretty fucking great.

See? I told you.

<> Ari

#nepeta #equius #davepeta #homestuck analysis #arquius #meowrails #davesprite #hal #trying to get out ahead of hussie's commentary for a change #happy 4/13 :33 #<3 #stay tuned #feast of homestuck 2020

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tranquilitybasehotelcasino · 6 years

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nepeta..

ne🅱eta.....opinion: shes a funky lil cat girl and she slapsotp: ♦️-equius, ❤️/♦️-dave(sprite), ❤️-terezi, ♠️-eridanbrotp: meulin, dirk, johnnotp: ❤️-karkat, ❤️/♦️-gamzee, eridanwhat i wish happened in canon: she and equius really didnt deserve to get clownmurdered

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daintycrimes-blog · 6 years

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Scary things, happy, sad, funny never know what wants its prime time on any given day... #clownmurder #amnesia #lovedhislady! #nogoingback #dranktoomuch #goblinshaunthim #clownculture #color #squalid #death #love #tears #lonely ##poverty #thendrugs #contemporarygrotesque #contemporarypainter #acrylics #shadyside #murder #emotions #sad #storypainting https://www.instagram.com/p/BnPCbRYhZYB/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1lnhkr0cmckkl

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theredumbrellatheory · 8 years

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#killerclowns #fuckclowns #clownmurder #s11e7plush #spn #supernatural

#fuckclowns #clownmurder #supernatural #spn #s11e7plush #killerclowns

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dyketectivecomics · 5 years

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Rose: now that we finally have some candy canes in this base. It’s time to eat them the only correct way there is: by fashioning it into a shiv

Duela: OwO hear dat Teekl? Wose is twying ta make a shiv!

Rose: you’ll be the first person I stab

#the berserkers #clownmurder #purified murder family au #based p much on an exchange i had this morning with sis.#mom bought candy canes and shes playing more christmas music again #thanksgiving dont exist at this house

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dyketectivecomics · 6 years

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Raven: you can’t just kick Duela off the team Ro’. You need to have cause.

Rose: I have cause.

Raven: really? What is it?

Rose: it’s be-cause I hate her.

#the berserkers #purified murder family au #source? the office #clownmurder #its shippy bc theyre going from Enemies to Tolerating Each Other to friends to lovers

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dyketectivecomics · 5 years

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My Rose/Duela playlist consists strictly of “She Hates Me” by Puddle of Mudd playing at least 18 times

#and maybe ONE other misc 80s bop but i havent narrowed it down yet #clownmurder #its completely 1 sided UNTIL ITS NOT #the berserkers #purified murder family au

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jespertheklaun · 4 years

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🤡BEST CLIWN COLLECTION ONLINE IS @jespertheklaun !!! 🤡 #bigtop #clownmurder #strongman #circus #circusmurder #horror #pulp #pulpfiction #clownstory #circusstory #circuslife #clownlife #clownlove #coulrophilia #detective #clown #klovn #clovn #kloun #klown #klaun https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVqNXrlKct/?igshid=m4pf3z8fu43k

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jespertheklaun · 4 years

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😔 This is @rhrithapinomardones performing a tribute to murder victim Daniela Carrasco, aka “La Mimo”. She was a 36-year-old Chilean mime who was found hanging in a park only a few hours after the police detained her. This is beyond injustice. Please google her story and spread the word. #LaMimo #danielacarrasco #RIPdanielacarrasco #justiceforlamimo #clown #clowngirl #beatifulclown #clownbeauty #mime #injustice #clownlife #clowndeath #clownmurder #clowns #clownperformer #chileanclown #payasa #palhacinha #klovnen #clovnen #clovn #cloun #clownstory #clownnews #klaun https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SkqXVlnKi/?igshid=135npktwz2ow

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squiddybeifong · 5 years

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Stars and Fire

Raven didn't necessarily regret giving Starfire what was basically permanent-access to her room, but she did regret being so casual in storing that pendant that Harley made for them a few weeks before. That night Talia had simply let the blonde wrap the braided twine around her wrist before they parted ways, her nose scrunching but her eyes brightening at the (presumably stolen) opal that shone like stained glass that now adorned her limb.

The Titan had simply wrapped the gift around her neck then placed it on her favorite bookshelf once she was back in the refuge of her room.

Of course, between a girls’ night-turned-sleepover and a rush to keep Silkie from eating yet another of her novels, Starfire found the little ornament. And while Raven would have waved aside any of the guys’ curiosities at where she found it (or when she even started wearing non-ring jewelry), she had gave in to the alien’s silent question.

Although ‘gave in’ was an understatement. In fact, her resolve all but buckled the moment the redhead’s gaze fell on her.

And that led them to now, floating just a few yards above one of the wires that made up the Golden State Bridge. The sky was surprisingly cloudless and the demoness’ magic cloaked them well. Taking a breath, Raven softly waved for the alien to follow her, silently pointing out the dangerous couple that sat under the bridge.

A soft gasp preceded Starfire's hand coming to rest on the cloak-covered shoulder. Her voice was low and worried, the two villainesses in her sights, "Raven…"

Her fingers nearly curled into a fist but black magic wove against her palm, stopping the energy’s glow before it could form. Green eyes flicked from the duo to the mage’s face as Raven murmured, "They won't fight us, I promise."

Starfire believed her, but still had to ask, “And you’re sure of that?”

Raven hesitated. When the alien’s head turned to her the words bubbled out, “We have an… agreement.”

The empath ran her tongue over her teeth at the warrior’s wave of disbelief, the admission escaping her in a flood, “No fighting or scheming or two-timing when we’re like this. It’s just the three of us… hanging out. I suppose.”

The end of her sentence lilted, as if Raven herself didn’t know exactly what the trio was. She shook her head (and tried not to let emotion sneak into her voice at the way Starfire was staring at her, good or not) and continued, “But they won’t be any more suspicious of you as they were of me when this started.”

Starfire glanced at the two villains and then back at the Titan, pulling her hand away from her shoulder, “How long?”

Raven didn’t even think to lie to lessen the blow, “Almost half a year now.”

The warrior closed her eyes, nodding slowly as she took all the information in. That matched up with the goth’s change in nighttime habits. And as much as she missed their shared late-night snacks with Silkie, Raven had yet to come home from her occasional excursions with any injuries. Although, half a year wasn’t too far from their triumph over Trigon, but the alien knew better than to ask now. Starfire’s eyes were brighter when she opened them again, a thread opening in her mind at her closest teammate’s choice.

Orange fingers touched the clasp to Raven’s coat, easily spreading the indigo apart to grab one of the mage’s hands. The stoic’s face wasn’t as blank as usual when Starfire quietly asked, "Yet you haven't told the others?"

Raven knew her question wasn't an actual query. The alien’s nostrils twitched at the silence, "Not even Robin?"

A brow arched over violet eyes, confused at the question. She blinked at the tall teen once, "Do you honestly think I wouldn't tell you first?"

Starfire tried to keep her laugh quiet, but her grin lit up her face and she pressed their foreheads together. Shoulders lightly shaking, she didn’t know if she savored the demoness’ gasp or the closeness of their bodies more. She squeezed Raven’s hand and giggled out, “Not really.”

Eyes opening, she tenderly smiled at the empath. Their faces were so close that they seemed squished, but her words were clear, “But if you think this is something you want, I’ll be by your side, my friend. Always.”

A quiet, comfortable silence passed between them and their locked eyes before the tiniest smile curled the mystic’s lips. Raven lifted her face until their noses brushed then ducked her head as she abruptly let the shadows release them, giving Talia a pointed look as the assassin's gaze immediately found their spot in the skies. After a beat Harley noticed the tension and looked to where the two Titans hovered, her face brightening as she waved.

Raven held her free palm up, turning to the redhead, "Ready?"

An emerald stare bored into her flushed face, "You truly trust them?"

"Not as much as the Titans, yet alone you, but I do." The empathy paused for a heartbeat as the words left her, and Starfire softly leaned close to kiss her temple. She got more hood than skin, but her empath tensed and then relaxed under the gesture. Starfire aimed an eager if reluctant smile at the goth, her body lowering an inch as she met Talia’s gaze.

She raised her chin, proudly and with as much confidence as only a warrior and a princess could, “I’m ready.”

“Took you long enough.”

Talia’s words were practically sneered out as she aimed a critical look over their new companion, her arms crossing. “Yeah,” Harley lazily strolled up and wrapped an arm around Raven’s shoulders. She winked at Starfire, “Y’all had Tally Marks getting impatient.”

The empath cut in before anything else could be said, “This is Starfire.” She slipped out of Harley’s grasp and stood between everyone, a small smile threatening to lighten her usually stoic face. All three women seemed to relax at the sight, if only slightly. Taking initiative since Raven was putting herself out so far for this, Starfire tilted her head as she glanced from Harley to Talia. She floated forward a few inches, a timid smile on her face.

“I… thought your name was Talia,” The alien said. Her eyes glanced at Harley as the clown jerked a thumb over her shoulder, bringing attention to the lines carved into the metal.

Raven shot the tall woman a look at the neatly etched destruction, but Talia merely shrugged. The assassin ran a tongue over her teeth, “We didn’t know if you were really going to show up. What with us being in your spot we figured we might as well have a timer.” Olive eyes shot to the redhead and she gave Raven another look, “Just in case.”

“I trust Star with this,” The demoness warned. She let some of her cloak fall away so she could wrap a hand around the warrior’s arm. Noting but not acknowledging the sideways glance her evil-inclined friends shared, yet alone the tiny jump and blush that dotted Starfire’s cheeks at her act, Raven added, “She’s the first and only one I’ve introduced this thing of ours to. So behav--”

Harley’s voice cut her off, “Introduced?”

The goth let out a huff at the interruption and Talia wrinkled her nose, focused on the rest of the sentence, “First?”

Starfire blinked and offered a smile as the blonde bounced up to her, a laughing sort of yelp escaping as Harley wrapped her in a hug, “Get in here, then!” Giggling, she hugged her back as hard as she knew she could allow, careful not to pop any ribs as she heard Talia take a step closer to the empath. Raven’s mutter was quiet, but Starfire knew that while Robin’s introduction would be important, it absolutely was set to come after Cyborg’s, at least a few more months in the future.

Harley took her attention as she let out cackle, pulling back to hold orange shoulders and take a good long look at the girl that Raven introduced to them. Her grin turned into a toothy smirk as she called over to the two brooders, “Hey Tal, Ray-Ray’s into redheads!” The clown winked at Talia and proudly shrugged a shoulder, “She’s got good taste.”

The doctor didn’t even try to hold back her amusement as both Titans flushed at her words, her laughter coming back as Raven pinched in between her eyes, “Behave.”

Starfire blushed as she scratched at her hair, avoiding Raven’s apologetic gaze as Harley teasingly shot out towards the assassin, “Although green eyed gals are just as fun.”

Talia rolled her eyes at the wink sent her way, her head snapping up as a light lit up downtown, a symphony of police sirens booming through the air a second later. She glanced at Raven but the demoness seemed unsure, violet eyes glancing around the parts of the city they could see from their spot. A breath escaped the teen then she spoke, “Doesn’t seem too bad; the police force can handle it but if it gets any worse we’ll go check it out.”

She glimpsed at her teammate to confirm and they shared a nod. But the villains (well, mainly Harley) were having far too much fun in participating in this trainwreck to let them go just like that.

“Ah,” Harley had obviously been taken with Starfire (but mostly with how Raven reacted when the alien was near), and she slung an arm around the teen’s shoulders. She had to go up on the tips of her toes to reach properly, but her smile was as shit-eating as possible as she sing-songed out, “Seems like Moonbeam just wants to gaze at some stars, huh?”

The redhead gave her a sideways glance, embarrassed at the teasing but comfortable enough to poke the older woman in the cheek, “Hush.”

Talia lazily strolled up to the alien’s other side, carefully considering her. She poked at a bronze bicep and nodded approvingly, “Super strength, correct?”

“And super durability, UV absorption, flight…” Emerald eyes inadvertently flicked to the goth, “Also instant language assimilation.”

Humming, Talia stood to her full height, “That’s impressive enough. At least she brought someone who can fight.” Starfire’s jaw twitched and the assassin tapped where her sword would have been held had they not met this way, adding, “Never in between us, of course. But this is a weakly protected city, you never know when your prowess will come in handy.”

As if on cue another light flashed through the sky, the explosion’s boom rumbling in their ears half a second later. Talia rolled her eyes, “Namudhiji.” She didn’t seem all too busy with the spotlights that lit up the sky. Typical.

Instead she craned her head back, looking at how the surge of light blocked off the sight of the stars. A brown hand ran through her long hair, unconcerned with the commotion. Her throat moved as she swallowed the air in her mouth, easily understanding what was to occur if the Titans had to go help out.

Only a few car alarms went off unsurprisingly; there wasn’t too much chaos this late at night but the heroes shared a look. Raven’s lips quirked down as she turned to the unlawful women she felt that she could call her friends, not knowing how to properly apologize for having to leave early.

The assassin tilted her head and mentally blamed her words on Harley’s observations, since now she couldn’t see anything else, “You two can go, don’t let us stop your date night.” Raven’s mouth opened indignantly and a dark finger pointed the teen’s way, “But you’re giving up half of a turn for sticking me with Harley for most of the night, Raven.”

Raven paused at the tiniest trickle of emotion that crept through the woman’s words, her eyes brightening at the same time Talia’s narrowed. Clicking her tongue, the empath let the closest thing to a smirk form on her lips, “Sorry for choosing this spot. I’ll arrange for you two to have a more romantic setting my next pick, then.”

Talia raised a brow at the mage and crossed her arms. She rolled her jaw but didn’t bother legitimizing the girl’s teasing with a reply, her gaze flicking between Starfire and Harley as they bid their goodbyes. Clapping the blonde on the shoulder, the redhead said something and the two let out simultaneous, loud bubbles of laughter.

The assassin tilted her chin, her face confident despite the horrid not-quite confessions they were tiptoeing around. She met the mystic’s gaze, looking more amused than she’d ever been, “You have a type.”

Raven didn’t answer her.

#with imagination #raven #talia al ghul #harley quinn #starfire #my writing #i know none of the like 2 people reading this care about spoilers but starrae is obviously endgame for this #i… don’t know whats gonna happen with harley tho ngl. part of me’s just like. dude. harlivy ofc #but ive got like 3 other wips of this n im kinda leaning for talia endgame #tbqh not knowing their shipname makes me hesitate. tarley? harlia? clownmurder is already taken and im just ???#i am unsure #another part of me wants to stay safe with harlivy and say fuck it and somehow make selina and talia a thing but #that’s asking for w a y too much character development even if its just hate fucking so maybe-prob-not #man should i bring donna into this?? maybe even diana too im??? maybe with the whole inevitable batman finding out scene #but to do star and donna bonding or jealous over each others crush on rae? either way harley must tease them but im just ?#wonderstarrae??? do i scream or do i write??? i dunno i have so many gay thoughts but not enough time to write them all h e l p #god i don't even know how long it'd take to figure out just how to write donna when she's more straightlace like dick is on this #she can't betray her twin!!! but maybe dating rae helps her change her mind???#sorry im spitballing in the tags but i wanna at least try to figure out the basics of where this is going yknow #keeping it open so y'all know how much of a mess i am

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