Homestuck Re-read Part 8: Wayward Vagabond

Doing this late today again, I've been having some trouble with my home server (over glorified second computer) and been trying to fix it. Docker seems to just, hate me and has some DNS resolution issue that I am unsure how to fix. I also seem to have some kind of, non-standard docker setup somehow that means I need to actually learn about how systemd works or something, I think. Ugh. I just wanted to fix my RSS reader. No fangame update, I don't know why but I just feel a bit scared to touch it, not sure why.

Whatever.

Upd8. 93 Pages.

YOU ARE NOW THE WAYWARD VAGABOND

I don't remember what I originally thought about wayward vagabond when I first met him. I was probably extremely confused but interested since I imagine my homestuck friends would have been excited about seeing him, calling him the mayor, etc. I've already done all those things when we've seen him before! They're such a neat little guy, you just gotta love him. The way he eats the pumpkin and types all fancy! He can't captchalogue items into a sylladex, he just picks things up with his- Well, I was going to say 'human' arms but they definitely ain't human in the usual sense.

Whatever Wayward Vagabond is, they definitely are not native to Earth. It doesn't really look like anything is native to Earth anymore, after the beta happened. Except strange bunkers controlling children of the past, I guess? That and sand further then the eyes can see. The future of earth is bleak.

WV: BECOME THE MAYOR OF CAN TOWN

They're just so fucking whimsical. I love this guy! A perfect understanding of functional democracy! Civic minded! Sic Semper Tyrannis!

I can't believe I forgot about Serenity!!! The light of democracy! I vaguely remember them being important later on, but I don't remember how! I know they blink in morse code though; I guess that means I need to make more fancy display bits to embed a morse code translator in the page. Oh well. Hey did you see I actually did the hashmap one for last upd8? Go back and check!

MINOR UPDATE: I DID IT

INTERMISSION

I fixed my RSS reader! I have to manually specify the DNS servers, for some reason. That is concerning but at least it works for now.

BACK TO WAYWARD VAGABOND

The Mayor draws! They're anointed with a uniform of office! They provides a suprisingly accurate representation of the cosmology of the Incipisphere! Triple threat that guy is.

A luminous planet orbits nearby, with a single moon of its own. Four planets orbit further away: One dominated by a volcano, one by darkness, one encircled by a gear and one sparkles like nyan cat. Between them there are no moons. A final planet opposes the luminous one; orbiting from beyond a dark abyss. It carries a moon too.

IMMIGRANTS

Tab. A man of the people, no matter where they're from. Truly a diverse city

We get to see The Mayor interact with the sburb terminals. I don't remember how much explanation or insight we get into these computers. There are so many things in Homestuck I wish there was more lore for. I should read the sburb glitch FAQ again. It's such a fun concept for a fan work. When my desire to try finally gets the best of me and I attempt to make my version of a homestuck/sburb TTRPG I'm going to make a lore book for it in the same style.

MINUTES IN THE FUTURE

We meet a second exile. Taller and shining white; Peregrine Mendicant. Or if you need those words defined for you like I did: "Wandering Beggar". Basically the same thing as wayward vagabond. I never thought about how these two have, essentially the same name to start with. I know the third exile's name does not follow this convention quite the same but does retain the lack of direction.

Oh dear. The mayor is trapped in this strange bunker. Atop a revolving floor through which another room is accessible. The machinery appears to take a four dimensional co-ordinate, the first three appear to be spatial (X,Y,Z, or more likely lat/long/alt) while the fourth is temporal. A dial offers a choice between the Earth and the Incipisphere. We appearify a pumpkin with an unusual symbol carved upon it. The mayor sets the device to a known location and appearify their knife from the other room using some reference equipment and an excellent sense of positioning, and then the inhabitants of can town.

Serenity is liberated from the amber, alive and well.. A paradox is created and quickly self rectifies.. Serenity blinks in morse code, untranslated. I do not yet have a translation bit, so I'll just include it below.

.-.. . - ... --. ---!!!

Let's go!!!

Thanks Homestuck wiki for saving me from doing that myself.

EXIT

[S] WV: Hasten to the exit post-haste!.

A lot of panic takes place, as the mayor attempts to leave before the countdown completes. He fails and naturally he must [S] WV: Ascend.

We are doing it man.

We are making this happen.

I think this was one of the flashes that solidified I was, interested in Homestuck for the story. The way this flash just unrolls and reveals so, so much. The way it ties together, basically every currently ongoing story thread (even ones we don't recognize yet.). I had to rewatch it a few times just to make sure I saw and understood everything since I was too busy processing the lore it revealed moments before.

It's a perfect ending for Act 2. It moves a lot of story along while raising even more mystery. What do you mean meteorites seemingly from sburb hit the earth and left a giant frog temple on it in pre-history. Why are imps taking John's dad prisoner. What the fuck is Rose's mother doing with a cryptic keypad and a secret tunnel from a mausoleum for a fucking cat.

And then a final revelation, just before the start of act 3.

John's Nanna knew about sburb. She knew a lot, somehow.

And with that. This upd8 draws to a close.