Line #23 FanFic/HerdingCats


1	''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/349720/chapters/568917 Herding Cats]]'' is a ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'' {{Fanfic}} by [[http://archiveofourown.org/users/childishGambino/pseuds/childishGambino childishGambino]].
2
3	Nepeta has completed all of her tasks in her portion of the game and goes to confront her Denizen, Psyche. Psyche declines to fight Nepeta, but offers instead to give Nepeta an important task; as the Hero of Heart, Nepeta must ship all 12 of her fellow trolls, herself included until they each have a [[OfficialCouple matesprit]] and a [[PlatonicLifePartners moirail.]] Psyche reveals that they're in a doomed timeline, but offers to keep the timeline from being destroyed like the other doomed timelines while Nepeta completes her task, and that this timeline can even exist permanently if Nepeta succeeds. Psyche has 3 conditions: 1) Nepeta must only use her heart powers to guide, not force, her fellow trolls into relationships, 2) she must tell no one why she's doing this, and 3) she must save the matespritship for herself and the boy she loves, Karkat, for last, and tell no one of her feelings for him until it's time.
4
5	So Nepeta posts a memo she calls "The Shipping Wall". [[AlphaBitch Vriska]] immediately shows up to mock and laugh at her attempts to ship everybody, saying Karkat would go ballistic over it. But Karkat shows up and actually approves of the idea, mainly because he's spent a week having to put up with everybody's relationship problems, and is so sick of it he's more than eager to foist the task onto Nepeta. He even orders her to ship Vriska first, mainly to keep every memo from devolving into [[ItsAllAboutMe Vriskachat]].
6
7	And so Nepeta starts her epic shipping quest! HilarityEnsues! Complications arise! Trolls become pale or flushed for each other! Black rom and ashen even enter the picture!
8
9	This Nepeta Quest 2012 is one of the longest Homestuck fanfics out there at 31 chapters and nearly 500,000 words. It's length is justified because while Nepeta is the main character, all 12 trolls have important roles to play, and all 12 of them will have all 4 of their quadrants filled. This means no fewer than 22 different relationships (6 moirallegiances, 6 matespritships, 6 kismesissitudes, and 4 auspistices) will be explored in this DoorStopper of a tale, with only one of them - the moirallegiance of Nepeta/Equius - stable from the start. According to the author, there were just two epilogue chapters remaining, though the story has been marked as 'completed' since 2013.
10
11	In 2019, in response to ''Literature/TheHomestuckEpilogues'', childishGambino rebooted the story under the name ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18612844/chapters/44129887 Herding Cats All Over Again.]]''
12
13	[[Characters/HomestuckTrollsOne All regular]] [[Characters/HomestuckTrollsTwo personality tropes]] [[Characters/HomestuckTrollsThree for the 12 trolls]] [[Characters/HomestuckTrollsFour apply here]] [[CharacterDevelopment until they no longer do.]]
14
15	----
16	!!Both: Have tropes
17
18	[[foldercontrol]]
19
20	[[folder:Original and reboot: have tropes in common.]]
21	* AlternateUniverseFic: With the in-universe explanation of alternate/doomed timelines. This story takes place in a doomed timeline, that may not be so doomed after all.
22	* ArcNumber: Nepeta is typically associated with the number 33, and there was planned to be 33 chapters once the fic is finished.
23	* AscendedExtra: This is one of many fan works that takes Nepeta, described by her own creator as an "expendable character", and makes her the main character.
24	* FixFic: A Homestuck where the trolls manage to get their relationship shit together.
25	* TheMatchmaker: Nepeta's task.
26	* TitleDrop: In Chapter 26 in the original, Chapter 1 of the reboot.
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Herding Cats: Have further tropes]]
30	* AccidentalAimingSkills: [[spoiler:Feferi]] helps Equius fire his first successful arrow from a bow. [[BrickJoke A little while later]], it punches through a wall and straight through Vriska's knee. ''On the other side of the Medium''.
31	* AccuseTheWitness: Nepeta accuses Eridan of faking her bloodstains on his coat.
32	%%* AlphaBitch: Vriska, of course, [[CharacterDevelopment but only at first]].
33	* AmateurSleuth: Aradia. She knows this is a doomed timeline, is mystified by why it isn't being destroyed, and is determined to find out the truth. Terezi later starts helping her out.
34	* AmbulanceChaser: Eridan tries to claim that he's the Alternian maritime equivalent, a "submarine chaser". No one buys it.
35	%%* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: Terezi to Aradia.
36	%%** [[spoiler: And later Karkat to Nepeta.]]
37	* AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: As in ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'', dying on your quest bed results in ascending to God Tier, coming back as a near immortal. Since this fic takes place soon after the events shown in Act 5 Act 1, Vriska's already done this at the start of this fic. By Chapter 31 [[spoiler:all 12 trolls have ascended to God Tier.]]
38	* AxeCrazy: Gamzee goes through this, but unlike the Alpha Timeline, he's calmed down before he can kill anyone, thanks to Tavros' epic slam poetry.
39	* BolivianArmyEnding: Downplayed and inverted. At the end, after [[spoiler:Nepeta ascends to God Tier, she looks out over the Battlefield to see Eridan's Angels, Prospitians, and alternate Aradias conquering the final Dersite stronghold, but nowhere does she get involved.]]
40	* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: In a way. Terezi is being deliberately obnoxius and insulting at Karkat's outburst mainly to try to get him to stop being flushed for her. It works [[GoneHorriblyRight all too well, resulting in the Karkat/Terezi kissmesitude.]]
41	* BrickJoke: In Nepeta's first Shipping Wall memo, Vriska at her [[AlphaBitch bitchiest]] declares that if she ever finds herself making a cat pun, she'll hang herself. Instantly Terezi "'''FIVE DAYS FROM NOW'''" shows up on the memo and asks for Vriska's neck size. Kanaya gives it and Terezi leaves. Five days later, at another Shipping Wall memo, a now successfully shipped and much nicer Vriska offhandedly makes a cat pun. Terezi promptly presents her with a cat collar to wear instead of a noose.
42	** After [[spoiler: they become matespirits,]] Kanaya and Vriska explain an 'absence' as having to fight off a sudden basilisk attack. Later, [[spoiler: Karkat and Kanaya are attacked by basilisks for real. Kanaya is killed, and ascends to the God Tiers.]]
43	* ButtMonkey: Equius seems to take a lot of abuse, particularly from Gamzee. Tavros gives him a lot of crap too until [[spoiler:they enter into an auspistice together with Eridan mediating]].
44	** Even then, he still gives and takes a lot of shit from (and to) them.
45	* CantSpitItOut: Sollux is like this in all of his relationships, which is especially frustrating for Feferi (she'd be just as happy to be his moirail or matesprit, but which is it? [[spoiler:that's what she claims, but it turns out she just wanted to be Sollux's moirail all along]]) and Vriska (who wants to be his kismesis).
46	** Terezi is also having this problem in trying to become Aradia's moirail. [[spoiler: She gets better at it.]]
47	* CharacterDevelopment: The trolls are able to improve once they have matesprits and moirails.
48	* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: In Chapter 15, after Equius' TheReasonYouSuckSpeech towards Gamzee, Feferi responds by typing three hearts. By Chapter 27, they have become matesprits.]]
49	* ChickMagnet: Sollux seems to be one of these. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by several characters who think that the way he treats the women in his life also makes him a bit of a KavorkaMan.
50	* ChivalrousPervert: Everybody, but Vriska and Kanaya take the cake.
51	** In the later chapters, Sollux and Aradia have gone from being TheEeyore [[CharacterDevelopment to being arguably the biggest]] {{ChivalrousPervert}}s, although the "chivalrous" part is questionable.
52	* ADayInTheLimelight: The "Sidelines" chapters are notably Nepeta-less.
53	%%* CourtroomEpisode: What Chapter 15 is all about.
54	* DeathIsDramatic: Discussed and deconstructed by Vriska, of all people, who argues that killing off characters doesn't necessarily make a story more interesting.
55	* DecoyTrial: No one seriously believes that Nepeta was trying to murder Eridan as charged. They're just trying to get her to admit that [[spoiler: she and Eridan are now kismeses.]]
56	* DeusExMachina: Psyche, keeping this doomed timeline from being destroyed.
57	* DidTheyOrDidntThey: Did Feferi get into a threesome with Sollux and Aradia? Feferi insistently denies it while Sollux and Aradia lather on the innuendos and winking emoticons like this: " ;)" .
58	* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Sollux when the Aradiabot explodes.]] This leads to:
59	** GoodbyeCruelWorld: [[spoiler:Sollux]] says these words sarcastically, knowing it's a cliche, but still fully means it.
60	** InterruptedSuicide: Interrupted by [[spoiler:Aradia]] no less!
61	** HappilyFailedSuicide: Since the troll who saves [[spoiler:Sollux]] from killing himself is the same person he was committing suicide for in the first place.
62	* EaglelandOsmosis: Feferi has the witnesses cross examined, which is [[LampshadeHanging pointed out]] isn't done in Alternian courts. Feferi does it anyway [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem "because I say so!]]" (Also it resembles the type of trial we're familiar with.)
63	* EverybodyLives: Seems to be one of the main goals of this fic. No one's died so far at any rate. [[spoiler:(Well, not [[DeathIsCheap permanently.)]]]]
64	* EvilCounterpart: Eridan becomes this for Nepeta, the blackrom shipper to Nepeta's redrom shipping.
65	* ExitPursuedByABear: Mentioned by name (sort of) by Eridan in chapter 13.
66	* TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest: Eridan for Feferi, Karkat for Terezi.
67	** In the end, Terezi for Karkat as well. Their failed flushed feelings for each other results in [[spoiler: their kismessitude]].
68	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Quite a lot of it, to the point where it isn't much of a spoiler which couples are paired off as matesprits, moirails, and even kismeses. The main suspense is seeing how they all get there.
69	* FriendlyRivalry: According to Eridan and Terezi, this is what the relationship a troll is supposed to have with their kismesis. Terezi even uses these exact words to describe it.
70	** [[spoiler: Nepeta/Eridan, Vriska/Sollux, Tavros/Aradia, Kanaya/Feferi, Equius/Gamzee and Karkat/Terezi have all been confirmed to be kismeses.]]
71	* FriendsWithBenefits: Or " 'rails with pails" as Vriska calls them. It's happened with [[spoiler:Eridan/Gamzee, Vriska/Tavros, and Terezi/Aradia]], and [[DidTheyOrDidntThey may or may not have already happened]] with [[spoiler:Sollux/Feferi]].
72	** [[spoiler:''->"CC: But t)(en, t)(at is )(ardly t)(e ONLY TA I've forked in t)(e past couple of days!!" As of this suggestive line in the beginning of chapter 26, it is fair to say that Sollux/Feferi is explicitly implied. In explanation, Sollux's trollian handle is twinArmageddons, and is shortened by the chat client to TA. A "TA" which Feferi has apparently forked.]]
73	* GenderFlip: ''Possibly'' [[spoiler:Eridan and Terezi; at one point they refer to each other as "Miss Ampora" and "Mister Pyrope"]] though whether this actually has any meaning remains to be seen. [[spoiler:Later implications are that they're just both into crossdressing.]]
74	%%* HangingJudge: Feferi but more for the 2 rebels in the audience, Tavros and Gamzee than for Nepeta.
75	* HeelFaceTurn: Vriska's much nicer once she becomes successfully shipped.
76	** Both Mindfang and Dualscar in "The Death of Spinneret Mindfang".
77	* HeroicBSOD: Nepeta experiences this over realizing she's hurt Karkat in shipping Terezi with Eridan.
78	** [[HesBack She's Back]]: After a little [[SlapSlapKiss hate snogging]] and mock trial from her new kismesis and his matesprit respectively.
79	** Karkat also goes through one of these after [[spoiler:Nepeta is unable to respond positively to his flushed advances.]]
80	* HeterosexualLifePartners / PlatonicLifePartners: The moirails. We have Nepeta/Equius, Vriska/Tavros, Gamzee/Eridan, Terezi/Aradia, Sollux/Feferi and Karkat/Kanaya. The moirails of the same gender (Gamzee/Eridan, Terezi/Aradia) are [=HLPs=], while the moirails of different genders (Nepeta/Equius, Vriska/Tavros, Sollux/Feferi, Karkat/Kanaya) are [=PLPs=].
81	** Although [[spoiler:most]] of these moirallegiances [[spoiler:Virska/Tavros, Eridan/Gamzee, Terezi/Aradia]] and [[DidTheyOrDidntThey possibly]] [[spoiler:Sollux/Feferi]] are [[FriendsWithBenefits crossing the line here.]]
82	* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Inverted. Eridan tries to pull this mostly for [[spoiler:Karkat's]] sake rather than [[spoiler:Terezi's]].
83	** Played painfully straight with Aradia in regards to Sollux.
84	** And Equius to Aradia - he breaks up with her because he knew neither of them were really happy and he wanted her to be happy.
85	* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: Apparently when a troll gets a matesprit, it's their moirail's duty to give the matesprit this speech.
86	* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: Sollux gives this speech to Feferi, and spends several chapters trying to use this to drive Vriska away from her.
87	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Eridan really does care for Gamzee and Karkat, and he manages to win over Terezi by [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan being nice to her.]]
88	* JustFriends: Given the specific quadrant take. It turns out that, pre-game, Tavros was flushed for Aradia while Aradia was pale for Tavros. And even though, thanks to Nepeta, Tavros now has a matesprit and Aradia now has a moirail they're both happy with, they still have partial flushed/pale feelings for each other. It's the frustration that arises from these incompatible feelings that's one reason they are now kismesis to each other (see TookALevelInJerkass below for the other reason).
89	* KangarooCourt: Nepeta is on trial for the attempted murder of Eridan when Tavros leaves, accusing the others of holding a "[[HoldYourHippogriffs kangaram court]]". [[spoiler: He's correct, but everyone else was just trying to get Nepeta to admit her [[KissKissSlap caliginous]] [[SlapSlapKiss feelings]] for Eridan, not actually prosecute her.]]
90	* LeeroyJenkins: Tavros takes this attitude at the start of the Chapter 23 [=FLARPing=] session. The results are just as [[EpicFail good]] [[YetAnotherStupidDeath as you'd expect.]]
91	* LovingAShadow: Eridan for Feferi.
92	** It also turns out this is why Sollux wouldn't commit to what his relationship was with Feferi. [[spoiler:Sollux had been flushed for Aradia all along, but thought she was now unobtainable after she got killed and her spirit possessed a robot. Feferi, with her cheerful, friendly personality, reminded Sollux of the way Aradia used to be. So he was trying to become flushed for Feferi and become her matesprit. It wasn't working.]]
93	* MoodWhiplash: Chapter 12 is largely a memo celebration of the matespritship of Eridan/Terezi. Everyone (except [[TheEeyore Sollux]]) seems to be having a great time... and then a heartbroken Karkat shows up with his outburst.
94	** Chapter 19 has a lot of this. It starts off as an adventure where Nepeta and Feferi travel to Derse to retrieve Aradia's dreamself, goes to heartwarming as Sollux and Aradia (still in robot form) reveal their flushed feelings for each other, turns to horrific when the Aradiabot explodes and [[spoiler:Sollux tries to kill himself]], switches back to heartwarming when [[spoiler:Aradia rescues Sollux]] and he gets both of his red quadrants filled, and ends on [[OT3 kinky.]]
95	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Both Nepeta and Eridan feel this way when they realize how much Karkat was flushed for Terezi.
96	* OhCrap: The unanimous reaction between Terezi and Vriska when they realize that [[spoiler:A) Aradia and Tavros are starting to have sloppy hatemakeouts and B) that said makeouts are being ''livestreamed to everybody else''.]]
97	* OffTheRails / GoneHorriblyRight: Vriska's plan to [[spoiler:get Kanaya and Feferi to admit their black feelings for each other by 'innocently' flirting with Feferi starts going wrong when Feferi works out what she's doing and starts taking it into her own hands.]]
98	** This also happened in Chapter 23. [[spoiler:The end goal of the Team Charge Reunion FLARP session was to get Tavros and Aradia to admit their black feelings, but it all happened a lot quicker than Eridan anticipated because [[SpannerInTheWorks Vriska]], who was the only one LockedOutOfTheLoop, messed with the drops.]]
99	* OfficialCouple: The matesprits: [[spoiler: Vriska/Kanaya, Tavros/Gamzee, Eridan/Terezi, Sollux/Aradia, Equius/Feferi and Karkat/Nepeta.]]
100	* OT3: [[invoked]] Vriska ships Mindfang/Dolorosa/Summoner. In the context of her [=FLARP=] session's post-HeelFaceTurn Mindfang, anyway.
101	** Vriska would also like to have this with Kanaya and Tavros.
102	** And it [[DidTheyOrDidntThey may or may not have happened]] with Aradia/Sollux/Feferi.
103	** A [[SlapSlapKiss caliginous]] one occured between Vriska and Sollux/Aradia.
104	*** And now Sollux/Aradia have another one with Tavros.
105	*** Another has happened as of chapter 26, with [[spoiler: Nepeta, Eridan, and Terezi]].
106	** It seems Aradia and Sollux are trying to spread this to everyone, with a moirail/matesprit version too.
107	** Eridan is asked if his Auspistice sessions with Equius and Tavros result in this. He replies, "[[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Not all of them.]]"
108	** Chapter 28 leads to BOTH a threesome AND a foursome that are discussed in more detail in Chapter 29.
109	*** The threesome is [[spoiler:Kanaya/Vriska/Feferi]].
110	*** The foursome is [[spoiler:Gamzee/Equius/Tavros/Eridan]].
111	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Nepeta drops the cat puns (and in the pesterlogs/memoes, her :33< emoticons), it means she's REALLY upset.
112	* OutWithABang:
113	** [[spoiler: Sollux's eyes explode during a round of hatesex with Vriska. Subverted in that he's brought to his Quest Bed and then [[CameBackStrong ascends]]... and then they get right back to it.]]
114	** [[spoiler: Feferi accidentally kills Equius during sex because they were trying erotic asphyxiation and he didn't use the safe-word. Like Sollux, he's taken to his Quest Bed and ascends.]]
115	* PenultimateOutburst: From Tavros in [[CourtroomEpisode chapter 15]] when they hold a trial on Nepeta. The others were just trying to get her to admit her feelings, therefore making the trial a mockery that rightfully irks Tavros, the one presiding it.
116	%%* ThePerryMasonMethod: How Nepeta is forced to admit she's [[spoiler: Eridan's kismesis]].
117	* PoorCommunicationKills: Terezi gets Aradia to come to Sollux so they can reveal their flushed feelings for each other. At the same time, Feferi goes to Derse to elevate Aradia's dreamself to God Tier, bringing her fully back to life. Two good plans that result in the Aradiabot blowing up in front of Sollux [[spoiler:driving [[DrivenToSuicide him to attempt suicide]]]].
118	* PornWithoutPlot: Not this fic, but Nepeta once wrote one of Feferi/Vriska.
119	** And another of Vriska/Sollux, and a third of herself/Karkat.
120	* PrecisionFStrike: Kanaya gives a fairly epic- if misguided -one in chapter 28 when she angrily confronts Feferi over her behaviour towards her matesprit.
121	-->CCC: No, I want to )(ear t)(is!!!
122	-->CCC: Just w)(at is it t)(at I've been so S)(AM--EL--ESSLY doing???
123	-->CGA: Youve Been Trying To Steal Vriska From Me [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch You Unscrupulous Fucking Whore]]
124	-->CCC: >38O
125	-->CCT: D --> Hrk
126	-->FCA: wwhat
127	-->CAC: :33 < oh no
128	-->FTA: ahahahah, oh my god.
129	* RunningGag: A few.
130	** Gamzee's constantly changing guesses as to what his consorts are.
131	** People's comments on Nepeta's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Eridan.
132	** Names for the various romances that the trolls participate, always ending in a reacharound and "is that really the name?"
133	*** And, furthermore, various characters refusing to explain what a maroonion is.
134	** Gamzee talking about Equius and accidentally making sexual statements, such as saying he had to 'undress' him (when he meant 'dress down').
135	* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: What Nepeta argues with Aradia on preserving this doomed timeline.
136	* ShipperOnDeck: Nepeta, of course. Terezi becomes a black shipper of Nepeta/Eridan after reading Nepeta's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.
137	** Eridan, for blackships.
138	* ShoutOut: A few.
139	** When Tavros talks about becoming Gamzee's matesprit:
140	--> CAT: bUT i JUST TOLD MYSELF, [[Music/{{Eminem}} lOOK,]]
141	--> CAT: [[Music/{{Eminem}} iF YOU HAD ONE SHOT, oR ONE OPPORTUNITY,]]
142	--> CAT: [[Music/{{Eminem}} tO SEIZE EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED, oNE MOMENT,]]
143	--> CAT: [[Music/{{Eminem}} wOULD YOU CAPTURE IT, oR LET IT SLIP,]]
144	** During the Trial:
145	-->FGA: [[Creator/EdgarAllanPoe I Have Borne The Thousand Injuries Of Your Treacherous Improprieties To The Best Of My Ability]]
146	--> FGA: [[Creator/EdgarAllanPoe But When You Venture Upon Insulting My Fashion Sense I Can Do Naught But Vow Revenge]]
147	*** [[DontExplainTheJoke This is a parody of the opening line of]] ''The Cask of Amontillado''.
148	** Then, there's this:
149	--> AA: [[Franchise/StarWars n0]]
150	--> AA: [[Franchise/StarWars thats n0t true]]
151	--> AA: [[Franchise/StarWars thats]] [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack imp0ssible]]
152	--> GC: [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack S34RCH YOUR F33L1NGS, 4R4D14]]
153	--> GC: [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack YOU KNOW 1T TO B3 TRU3]]
154	** From Chapter 20:
155	--> CAA: while i wish i could say that [[Film/WeekendAtBernies feferi and nepeta dragged my comatose dreamself around derse]]
156	--> CAA: and maybe used it like a silly puppet in an attempt to fool some dersite guards
157	** Most of Chapter 23 is a WholePlotReference to an [[VideoGame/DarkSouls infamously difficult game]]
158	-->FGA: The Battlefield Is A Wondrous Body
159	-->FGA: Like A Magnificent Mother Grub
160	-->FGA: If Only I Could Be So Grossly Incandescent
161	*** Also in Chapter 23, anytime Aradia delivers a witty insult, she [[Series/CSIMiami slips on a pair of shades]], which she claims cause the ouija spirits to shout cheers of approoval, one of whom she swears sounds just like "the late [[Music/TheWho Troll Roger Daltrey."]]
162	** Chapter 24 is loaded with these:
163	*** First, there's [[Literature/TheBourneUltimatum the Spine Ultimatum.]]
164	-->PTA: am ii goiing two have two parkour my way two the bottom of thii2 2iituatiion ju2t to fiind out aa 2et me up 2olely for the purpo2e of briingiing down a multiinatiional con2piiracy?
165	*** Then there's this:
166	-->CAA: [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine its a faaaaake]]
167	*** And this:
168	-->FGC: 1T LOOKS [=L1K3=] [[Film/CoolHandLuke WH4T W3 H4V3 H3R3 1S]]
169	-->FGC: [[Film/CoolHandLuke 4 F41LUR3 TO]] [[IncrediblyLamePun 3XCOMMUN1C4T3 >:]]]
170	*** And this twofer:
171	-->CCA: [[Film/SnakesOnAPlane ivve HAD it wwith these fuckin angels gettin in my fuckin hivve]]
172	-->CCA: [[Film/{{Network}} IM MAD AS HELL AN IM NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE]]
173	** Chapter 27 has the robot Equius builds for Feferi. It's a cuttlefish, and its name when he and Sollux were building it was [[Franchise/MassEffect Sovereign]].
174	*** The name Feferi gives it is [[Film/SoulPlane Captain Antoine Mack.]]
175	** Chapter 28 has Nepeta's IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer speech:
176	-->CAC: :33 < [[Film/{{Taken}} but what i do have are a very particular set of skills]]
177	-->CAC: :33 < [[Film/{{Taken}} skills i have acquired over a very long car33r]]
178	-->CAC: :33 < ...[''ShoutOut replaced with {{Webcomic/Homestuck}} apropriate dialogue'']...
179	-->CAC: :33 < so if you EVER do anything to hurt equius
180	-->CAC: :33 < [[Film/{{Taken}} i will look for you]]
181	-->CAC: :33 < [[Film/{{Taken}} i will find you]]
182	-->CAC: :33 < [[Film/{{Taken}} and i will kill you]]
183	** Ch 28 also has this lovely speech by Equius:
184	-->CCT: D --> [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-elAUxIhVCk I found a reason for me]]
185	-->CCT: D --> To change who I used to be
186	-->CCT: D --> A reason to start over new
187	-->CCT: D --> And [[spoiler:Feferi]], the reason is you
188	** [[RuleOfThree Chapter 28 also has]] Vriska, who was a great adventurer [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim until she took an arrow to the knee.]]
189	** Chapter 30 has Karkat's suggested names for the towns on the Land of Rays and Frogs: [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Lilycove City]], [[TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering Shelldock Isle]], and [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Jolly Roger's Lagoon]].
190	** Ch 31 has Kanaya's magic words: [[Literature/HarryPotter Accio]] [[VideoGame/{{Turgor}} Devotio]] [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} Mahaa Kalaa]] [[Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill1951 Barada Nikto]]
191	* ShowWithinAShow: "The Death of Spinnaret Mindfang" [=FLARPing=] session.
192	** The Trial of Nepeta Leijon for the attempted murder of Eridan Ampora is a partial version of this. Everyone's roleplaying, but except for Feferi as the judge and Equius as the bailiff, everyone's playing themselves based on an incident (Nepeta's attack of Eridan) that has actually happened.
193	** The Road to the Undoing [=FLARPing=] session, although there's no actual roleplaying. Even the deaths are real. Fortunately for both players, DeathIsCheap.
194	* SmokingGun: First, video footage of her hive shows her leaving on the night in question when she tries to claim she spent the entire night at her hive. She then changes her story, by claiming she went out to go on some game quests. Terezi then produces the video footage of her attacking Eridan.
195	%%* StockLegalPhrases:
196	%%** Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you "Her Imperious Condescension"?
197	%%** How do you plead?
198	%%** I plead the fifth. Eridan makes this without knowing what it's called.
199	%%** Objection! Defendant is quite clearly "muskbeasting" the witness!
200	%%** Objection! Relevancy.
201	%%** Permission to treat the witness as hostile? (To which Feferi responds "This is an Alternian courtblock. You ALWAYS have permission to treat the witness as hostile!")
202	%%** Silence! Order in the "courtblock"!
203	* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: As Eridan is waiting for Nepeta to get back to him while she chats with Feferi, he complains they could be writing a fanfiction in the time that it's taking them. The first thing Nepeta says when she gets back is, "There was no fiction involved!"
204	* TheEndOrIsIt: Vriska insists that despite appearances, Spinnaret and Dolorosa were not killed when they walked the plank.
205	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Nepeta gives an EPIC one to Eridan on why he and Feferi were such lousy moirails and why they'd be even worse matesprits. This not only inspires Eridan to become Nepeta's kismesis, but even to start [[EvilCounterpart black shipping everyone else.]]
206	** Karkat delivers one to Vriska at the start.
207	** More recently, Tavros gave one to Sollux for the way he's been treating Vriska.
208	** Eridan calls these things a "calliginous diatribe". He gives one to Nepeta that's only partly this trope, but is mostly about why kismesis is an essential part of the quadrants.
209	** Aradia and Tavros make these to each other just before the [[SlapSlapKiss hatesnogging]].
210	** Nepeta and Karkat give Terezi and Eridan a major one for [[spoiler: engineering the Road To The Undoing FLARP session in order to get Aradia and Tavros together as kismeses, and completely ruining the fun night out both players were expecting to have.]]
211	* TakeThat: Vriska's deconstrucion of the DeathIsDramatic trope could be seen as a TakeThat at the [[CerebusSyndrome darker]] tone that ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'' has taken.
212	** A gentler TakeThat is made in Chapter 20 as the trolls discuss the nature of the Auspistice quadrant and [[LampshadeHanging realize how confusing and ill defined it is especially in comparison to the other 3 quadrants]], speculating that whoever came up with the quadrants just [[ShrugOfGod threw it in to complete the set]], intending to be nothing more than the butt of a few cheap jokes that everyone ended up taking completely seriously (which Hussie admits is percisely what happened with the Auspistice).
213	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Invoked in Chapter 23's FLARP session. The players are granted bonus ExperiencePoints for insulting each other, but if either player dies, they're both sent back to the previous checkpoint.
214	** Given that [[spoiler: Tavros was flushed for Aradia, who at the time of the session was Sollux's matespirit, and Aradia was pale for Tavros, who at the time of the session was Vriska's moirail]], the situation went downhill ''very'' fast.
215	* TheEeyore: Both Sollux and Aradia in the earlier chapters. In ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'' their pessimism is fully justified. Here it's not for long.
216	* TookALevelInBadass: Nepeta, [[IncrediblyLamePun pawbviously.]] Also Tavros.
217	** Future!Karkat (all three of them) at Nepeta's mock trial.
218	** Eridan has gone from a whiny, heartbroken, pathetic douche to a confident, happily shipped, successfully blackrom-shipping douche.
219	** After Gamzee [[spoiler: sobers up]], he starts, with Tavros' encouragement, heaping piles of abuse on Equius, who for the most part stands still and takes it. After a while, Equius grows a spine, stands up for himself and starts giving Gamzee shit back.
220	* TookALevelInJerkass: Tavros in the later chapters. None feel this more strongly than Tavros' former friend Aradia. This is one reason why [[spoiler: Tavros and Aradia]] are now kismeses for each other (see JustFriends above for the other reason).
221	** In chapter 24 he is called out on this by Vriska and Gamzee of all people, with Vriska admitting that she had [[GoneHorriblyRight dropped the ball]] on her part.
222	** As it turns out, more than a few trolls take some levels in dickery, such as Terezi (in regard to Karkat), Karkat (in regard to Terezi and Eridan), Gamzee (in regard to Equius) and Kanaya (in regard to Feferi), though they do occasionally get better.
223	*** All of these examples result in a kismessitude. There's even a bit of a pattern for most them: Troll gains a new matesprit and/or moirail. Troll gains confidence from new relationship(s). Troll's confidence leads to arrogance. Troll's arrogance arouses the ire of another troll, leading to a kismessitude.
224	** Terezi and Sollux take several levels of jerkass in regard to Karkat. Sollux in particular becomes a real arsehole, such as when he mocks Karkat for actually being upset and worried that Sollux [[spoiler: threatened to and attempted to commit suicide.]]
225	* UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo: Karkat (wrongly) fears this is happening between him and Nepeta. Initially, he figured out her feelings for him, but he despised her at the time, and so did nothing about it. Now, after he's seen her [[TookALevelInBadass take a level in badass]], he's flushed for her, but fears she no longer feels the same way about him.
226	* VictoriasSecretCompartment: In chapter 11, because she's flarping with [[spoiler: Vriska, Terezi, and Eridan,]] Kanaya has to invoke this trope due to her getup's lack of pockets.
227	* TheWatson: Terezi is this to Aradia's investigation as to why this doomed timeline isn't being destroyed.
228	** Inverted to the point that Terezi/Aradia's investigation bears a closer relationship to Literature/NeroWolfe[=/=]Archie Goodwin, where Aradia/Goodwin does all the investigating while Terezi/Nero comes up with all the solutions. Terezi even says at one point, "[[Franchise/SherlockHolmes Elementary, my dear Megido,]]" implying that it's Aradia who's the true Watson in this investigation.
229	* WhatTheHellHero: Both Aradia and Feferi chew out Sollux [[spoiler:for trying to kill himself]] even though both of them had told him that Aradia had not died when her 'bot exploded.
230	** All the other trolls (even his matesprit and moirail) do this to Tavros in Chapter 24 for [[TookALevelInJerkass becoming a jerkass.]]
231	** Karkat gives one to Terezi for threatening to reveal his blood colour, because she's a blueblood and she has no idea what it's like to live as a mutant.
232	** In the Chapter 31 ReCut, several trolls chew out Feferi for [[spoiler:forcing an unwanted French kiss on Karkat.]]
233	** [[LackOfEmpathy Feferi]] ''again'' got called out earlier for her tactics in trying to incite a [[SlapSlapKiss pitch romance]] with Kanaya- she publicly declared that Kanaya has a "dysfunctional and abusive relations)(ip wit)( Vriska" in chapter 28 and Kanaya angrily calls her out in the next chapter for spreading such damaging lies about her pale relationship and for implying she's an abuser.
234	* WorldOfPun: All of Feferi and Equius' interactions. All of them.
235	* WrongGenreSavvy: After [[spoiler: becoming Vriska's moirail]], Tavros becomes more confident and assertive, but also more egotistical. He outright tells Aradia that he's the DoggedNiceGuy who fell for the AlphaBitch (her) who constantly rejected him in favour of a JerkJock (Equius) who she later spurned, but after becoming a confident, handsome guy in his own right, [[UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo he's over her, and she's pining after him.]] [[WhatTheHellHero Everyone pitches in to tell him]] that in fact, he's the former NiceGuy who became a JerkAss, while Aradia's the [[WeUsedToBeFriends old friend he fell for]] who [[EntitledToHaveYou he's now blaming for refusing to fall for him.]] Tavros isn't convinced, until they point out that a NiceGuy wouldn't try to blame '' Aradia'' for his spine being broken.
236	* YankTheDogsChain: This is what Sollux feels is what happened when the Aradiabot exploded just after they had kissed.
237	** In chapter 26, Karkat finally declares to Nepeta his flushed feelings for her [[spoiler:only for Nepeta to be unable to respond because of her promise to Psyche.]] [[HeroicBSOD He doesn't take it well.]]
238	* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Nepeta tells this to [[spoiler:Equius in Chapter 27. It's an essential part of getting him to finally let go of the hemospectrum.]]
239	[[/folder]]
240
241	[[folder:Herding Cats All Over Again: Contain more tropes]]
242
243	* EasilyForgiven: Denied in the case of [[spoiler:Vriska and Tavros's ship. Rather than their contentious relationship resolving into a moirallegiance immediately as in the original, the two of them decide that they're just not compatible for each other.]]
244	* MythologyGag: Some of the story directions from the original are mentioned in the first chapter, such as Nepeta's shipping sweeps, and Chapter 2 has Aradia straight up dump the fact that they're in a doomed timeline rather than spending half the story investigating it.
245	* TamerAndChaster: One of the reboot's objectives. [=childishGambino=] felt that at times the original story got a little ''too'' smutty, considering that by the end of it all of these troll kids - worth reminding that the equivalent human age is 13 - were casually talking about having sex and listing all their kinks.
246	[[/folder]]

Context FanFic / HerdingCats