Rosebot: Descend (HS^2 - Meat Theory) (Patreon)

You know, I am really enjoying Homestuck^2. For all the reaction the Fandom has had to it, and how far they've taken their distaste of it, I actually, genuinely think it's telling a compelling story, and doing something unexpected and intriguing with the characters. I've talked before how I do think HS^2 and the Epilogues are a proper sequel to Homestuck, that is, that they took upon the foundation OG Homestuck had built, and continued expanding on those themes. And one of the things HS^2 has kept consistently from its predecesor, without any doubt, is its unpredictability.

Back in 2012, when I first got into Homestuck, I couldn't fathom how the story would develop as it kept expanding in scope and throwing concepts I didn't expect at me. And after catching up, I loved theorizing, thinking about what comes next, what the next update would bring. With only... What, half a year under its belt? HS^2 has certainly impressed me, made me wonder what comes next, and certainly... Showed me avenues and possibilities I didn't think they'd explore.

As of Chapter 10, the latest update is no exception. Although brief, the conversation Terezi and Dirk had about Rose brought to light a series of potential ideas that, were they to be developed, would change the entire Meat Dynamic and turn it on its head. And so, let us delve into where I think the story is headed next.

After all, as it's known, to Ascend, one must first Descend.

Prelude - The Situation

Rose's state has, for a long time, been rather concerning. And yet at the same time, I never quite believed it would be an issue at all.

Manipulated, tricked, first Dirk forced her to give into her Ultimate Ascension, shatter the boundaries of her mind, mix up thoughts, memories and experiences from many iterations of herself. Then, he constructed what seemed like an amiable break-up between Rose and Kanaya, making it so that Rose wouldn't be torn about leaving behind, making it seem like it was for the best, that there was nothing for her to return to. This made Rose fixate on the task ahead- One of Relevance, one tying into her Aspect, and with this new purpose, she set out with Dirk to do what she believes must be done.

For a long time, a question has been lingering on everyone's heads... Why? It didn't seem to make much sense, what reasons Dirk would have to drag Rose out of a happy marriage, and into this ploy of his. There were hints, of course, him considering her a kindred soul, similar to him, it seemed like some sort of egotistical delusion, wanting to shape her to be like him. But the latest update provided a slight look into Dirk's mind, on this exact issue. First, the idea of family- Him, someone so isolated from everyone, so up to his neck in his own Self, wanting someone like that around. The second, his own self-doubt- For all his grandeur and egotistical charades, Dirk still fosters doubts and fear inside of him. And he believed Rose could be a... Better him. That she could be there to tone down his design when it got too out of control.

This was, obviously, an incredibly misinterpretation of everything Rose herself is. But we'll get to that later.

Ultimately though, her situation is dire. She believes there's nothing left for her from where she left. She has convinced herself of the importance of the designs they're plotting. She can't even fathom the possibility of going back, only moving forwards, despite the fact she evidently misses Kanaya. Her friends. The rest of her family. And she lashes out at Terezi, in black flings, precisely because of these heated and intense feelings that she's repressing.

But I truly never thought this would be an issue for much longer. After all, so much of Rose's current predicament hinges on the fact she doesn't know she has been manipulated. She believes her choices to be her own, and is unaware of the degree of control Dirk held on her actions prior to leaving on the Theseus. All it would take is Kanaya to open her eyes, and she would quickly turn against the Prince, right?

That is, at least, what I believed would be the case until now.

The Downfall

Rose is smart. She's determined, she doesn't back down, she keeps pushing onward when a goal is set in front of her. This is what Dirk sees in her, what Dirk perceives makes up Rose's persona. You know what this vision lacks? Rose's self-doubt, concerns and worries, for one, but also, how absolutely fucking feral Rose can be.

Ironically, this is a common conception in the Fandom, too. Rose and Kanaya are often seen as 'Distinguished', 'Classy' and 'Proper', probably because of how eloquent they can be. And while they certainly can be these things, they're kind of chaotic disasters? When Rose knew that the Session was unwinnable, she refused to accept her fate, and began to tear her land apart with Magic, destroying the game in her attempts to find a way out. When her mother died, wracked with grief and regret, she tried to ask the Horrorterrors for advice at Scratch's behest, and was immediately corrupted, fed into her negative emotions, to go face against Noir himself. Suicide missions, offering herself to face The Condesce at the drop of a hat, how she absolutely loses it when Jasprose comes into being. Once you lift the intellectual veil, Rose is full of self-doubt, of questioning, of impulsiveness.

And Dirk, master planner that he believes he is, has completely disregarded this side of her.

Rose was supposed to be there to limit him. In Dirk's grand design, Rose would be like a better Ego for his plans than his own, someone with similar ideas and philosophies, but a better sense of control. Terezi, who's proven to be the foil for both Rose and Dirk in the Theseus, can read the two of them like open books, calls them out on their hypocrisy every chance she gets- She gets how they are, and the walls they've built to protect themselves. 

And now that they're having their little contest on Deltritus, Rose isn't just not limiting Dirk, she's pushing the boundaries of their game. She's going too far, and Dirk, simply put, doesn't know how to control her. Terezi teases him about using narrative manipulation on her, but Dirk talks about wanting to be a good sport, and not go that far.

And that is going to be exactly what makes everything come crashing down for Dirk.

Rosebot: Ascend

The stage is set, then. Rosebot, bored by Dirk's antics, and torn about the importance of what they're doing, as she's known for, overindulges in what she has in front of her. She gets out of control, dismantles what Dirk thinks is going to be his plans, and... That's it, right? Rose steps out of the line, and Dirk, with the power he used to manipulate Rose into this trip in the first place, puts her back on what he considers to be the right track.

But would Rose really be swayed by Dirk like that?

If it began now, I have no doubt Rose would, once more, mirror Dirk's views on things, and everything would go just as he wants it to go. But, the Prince wants to let the Seer keep going, for now, he doesn't want to use direct manipulation, and specially with Terezi nagging at him about it, he may be even less likely to go for it, trying to spite her, prove her it's "not Mind Control."

But if Rose begins a quick downfall that makes her diverge from Dirk's point of view, and he, panicking that things are getting out of his control, tried to force his influence... He's certainly not flawless. Kanaya, showing Rose that Dirk has been manipulating her, is a compelling possibility. But Dirk, fucking up? Going too far, pushing too quick, trying to veer her off of this excess Rose is falling into, and making her realize. Before Kanaya and the rest arrive? Oh, she would snap.

Wouldn't that be a bit of a delicious twist of fate? The rest of the crew arrive on Deltritus. They know what Dirk has done, and have come to rescue Rose. They are ready to face him, no matter what it takes... And instead, what they find, is Dirk. Battered. Lost. And Rose, lost not to Dirk's whims, but to herself. Gone too far, probably with an army of eldritch abominations razing the surface of Deltritus. Specially as Alt Calliope arrives, too, with Jade out of her control, she pops out of the portal from Candy to Meat, only to find the Prince she was so afraid of practically cowering, and the Seer as an uncontrollable force.

Vision, clouded, impulsive as usual, just like she did with the Game once upon a time. Finding it's all been a lie, thinking there's no way to go back to what she had, she tries to break it all down. A quest to rescue Rose from the Darkness and make her see the Light. A chance at Dirk's redemption, even, perhaps, as he realizes he's not even a threat of a villain anymore, and everything he was building towards has been trashed. Maybe even setting Alt Calliope more solidly as an enemy, too, as she believes the best course of action would be to take Rose out before she can go too far, making the Meat Crew absolutely oppose her every step of the way? Wouldn't that be a wonderfully intricate drama suiting of HS^2?

And the idea of Kanaya making her see the light is still there in such a scenario, too. Away from her destructive tendencies as Rosebot, and waking up back on her body still in the broken down Theseus. The power of love, helping her bead the load of her Ultimate Ascension, or even Dirk helping break down the connection to her Ultimate Self, so that she doesn't die, so that she can go back, so that she doesn't have to bear it all, and know she has family, close to her, that loves her.

Of course it's not the only possibility. Davebot could be a good choice to have face her and make her see the error of her ways. He's coming with Alt Calliope after all. From a Timeline where he felt he'd lost everything, depressed, and pushed into Ascension by something related to Dirk, there's a certain parallel to be made about their situation. Two siblings, robotified, across Timelines, lost and feeling their bonds and attachments not mattering, building each other up, breaking each other's shackles. And none of this even accounts for the potential of John to come back to life- Still a loose end, that could yet turn everything upon its head, particularly with him being a source of Retcon Powers...

But at this point, all of this is speculation. I do like the potential Rose has to become a genuine threat in a way Ult Dirk currently isn't, and provide a framework that exalts the idea of digging her out of the darkness, while destroying Ult Dirk's plans and ideals. Homestuck continues to be unpredictable, all things considered.

Whether she's stopped easier than I assume she will be, whether it's easier or harder to turn her back, whether Dirk's plans get crushed or not, and however the Contest may end up once the rest of the group has arrived at Deltritus... I can't wait to see Rose going feral in general.

Heh. Fitting for a Seer of Doom, isn't it?

And with this little theory out of the way, and my hopes for Rose in the coming updates, I hope everyone's doing well in these trying times!

As per usual, see you another time. <3