Land of Regrets and Second Chances by messageredacted (R)
Title: Land of Regrets and Second Chances
Fandom: Homestuck
Pairing: Tavros Nitram♥Gamzee Makara, Karkat Vantas♦Gamzee Makara, Feferi Peixes♥Sollux Captor, Equius Zahhak♥Aradia Megido, Nepeta Leijon♦Equius Zahhak and pairings that are spoilers: [click to see] Terezi Pyrope♥Dave Strider, Eridan Ampora♥Karkat Vantas, hints of Eridan Ampora♠Sollux Captor
Categories: Post-Scratch, AU, Hemospectrum, Prejudice
Length: Super!Epic (110,931)
Warnings: Violence. Character Death (Details would mean major spoilers. If you prefer to know, please ask in comments.)
Author on LJ: messageredacted
Author Website:
messageredacted
Author's Summary: Your wriggling day is in three days, and while you normally celebrate this event with the apathy it deserves, this particular sweep is different. That’s because it will be your eighth sweep, and it happens to coincide with the arrival of the imperial drones. This is a milestone that every troll looks forward to with a heady combination of excitement and terror. For most trolls, when they reach their eighth sweep, they become adults.
Not you.
When you reach your eighth sweep, you will die.
Review:
I got a little down when I finished reading this, because it was just so damn amazing, and I didn't want it to end. The plot is genius. Characterizations are incredible; I cared about everyone, for good or bad, crying at one point and laughing aloud at others.
Troll culture actively encourages prejudice, and they cull to create successively more bloodthirsty generations. Sometimes gentle Tavros and outcast Karkat don't hold grudges about cruel behavior, partly because the person who hurt them is acting properly by societal standards. It makes it easier to understand why Eridan, Equius and Vriska think as they do, instead of just writing them off (though I have rarely wanted to reach into my kindle and strangle someone as much as I did Vriska here.) It also makes selfless behavior even more moving.
Tavros and Karkat's desperate race across the grublands changes them both, and I love the contrast when they're in life threatening situations receiving texts from humans and trolls with far less deadly concerns. I've never loved Tavros as much as I do here; messageredacted shows the strength and endurance behind his gentle nature.
Feferi wants to change things, and as the heiress with Sollux at her side, she stands a chance... if Eridan doesn't ruin it. Karkat, Tavros and Sollux have to find ways to not be culled, with help from Gamzee and their friends. And on Earth, Jade remembers the game and discovers that Jack may not be gone. If he destroys everything, none of the rest will matter.
It all makes for can't-put-it-down reading, with suspense, sacrifices, humor, and social commentary. Relationships and storylines come together beautifully.
I know Homestuck isn't as quickly accessible as a fandom for which you can watch an episode and not be completely lost reading most stories. If you're tempted to read this but don't have a lot of Homestuck background, I'd suggest referencing the wiki about trolls, the hemospectrum, and relationship quadrants. This list of handles will help keep track of who's texting whom in TrolliianExiile/PesterChum, although you can usually tell from the context.
Land of Regrets and Second Chances
Fandom: Homestuck
Pairing: Tavros Nitram♥Gamzee Makara, Karkat Vantas♦Gamzee Makara, Feferi Peixes♥Sollux Captor, Equius Zahhak♥Aradia Megido, Nepeta Leijon♦Equius Zahhak and pairings that are spoilers: [click to see] Terezi Pyrope♥Dave Strider, Eridan Ampora♥Karkat Vantas, hints of Eridan Ampora♠Sollux Captor
Categories: Post-Scratch, AU, Hemospectrum, Prejudice
Length: Super!Epic (110,931)
Warnings: Violence. Character Death (Details would mean major spoilers. If you prefer to know, please ask in comments.)
Author on LJ: messageredacted
Author Website:
messageredacted
Author's Summary: Your wriggling day is in three days, and while you normally celebrate this event with the apathy it deserves, this particular sweep is different. That’s because it will be your eighth sweep, and it happens to coincide with the arrival of the imperial drones. This is a milestone that every troll looks forward to with a heady combination of excitement and terror. For most trolls, when they reach their eighth sweep, they become adults.
Not you.
When you reach your eighth sweep, you will die.
Review:
I got a little down when I finished reading this, because it was just so damn amazing, and I didn't want it to end. The plot is genius. Characterizations are incredible; I cared about everyone, for good or bad, crying at one point and laughing aloud at others.
Troll culture actively encourages prejudice, and they cull to create successively more bloodthirsty generations. Sometimes gentle Tavros and outcast Karkat don't hold grudges about cruel behavior, partly because the person who hurt them is acting properly by societal standards. It makes it easier to understand why Eridan, Equius and Vriska think as they do, instead of just writing them off (though I have rarely wanted to reach into my kindle and strangle someone as much as I did Vriska here.) It also makes selfless behavior even more moving.
Tavros and Karkat's desperate race across the grublands changes them both, and I love the contrast when they're in life threatening situations receiving texts from humans and trolls with far less deadly concerns. I've never loved Tavros as much as I do here; messageredacted shows the strength and endurance behind his gentle nature.
Feferi wants to change things, and as the heiress with Sollux at her side, she stands a chance... if Eridan doesn't ruin it. Karkat, Tavros and Sollux have to find ways to not be culled, with help from Gamzee and their friends. And on Earth, Jade remembers the game and discovers that Jack may not be gone. If he destroys everything, none of the rest will matter.
It all makes for can't-put-it-down reading, with suspense, sacrifices, humor, and social commentary. Relationships and storylines come together beautifully.
I know Homestuck isn't as quickly accessible as a fandom for which you can watch an episode and not be completely lost reading most stories. If you're tempted to read this but don't have a lot of Homestuck background, I'd suggest referencing the wiki about trolls, the hemospectrum, and relationship quadrants. This list of handles will help keep track of who's texting whom in TrolliianExiile/PesterChum, although you can usually tell from the context.
Land of Regrets and Second Chances