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HOMESTUCK: BEYOND CANON SUMMARY

Homestuck: Beyond Canon picks up immediately after the events of The Homestuck Epilogues, which have an official and fairly comprehensive recap here. Both the Epilogues and Beyond Canon take the form of two separate stories from two separate timelines being told simultaneously.

Homestuck: Beyond Canon by Chapters

Updates in Beyond Canon are handled in chapters released bimonthly in parts. Chapters alternate between taking place in the Meat and Candy timelines.

• The "Meat" Timeline, intended to be the canonically-compliant Darker and Edgier of the two, in which John died after travelling back in time to preserve canon. With John dead, Dirk hijacks the narrative and manipulates most of the cast into letting him escape for parts unknown with a brainwashed Rose in tow. Karkat, Kanaya, Dave and Roxy pursue him in order to rescue Rose and stop whatever plan Dirk is hatching, guided by the ghost of the alternate Calliope, possessing Jade’s body. Unknown to them, Dirk remains one step ahead of everyone else.

• The "Candy" Timeline, intended to be the canonically-divergent Off the Rails timeline which continually devolves into Fan Fiction, intentionally making characters act in ways seemingly contrary to their characterization. Years into the future, Karkat leads a troll rebellion against Jane’s oppressive government. Events are set in motion upon the arrival of the original Vriska and the death of Gamzee. With Dave disappeared and everyone else involved in the war one way or another, the four teenage children of the remaining cast are dragged into the mess their parents started.

Prologue

• In the Meat timeline, Dirk addresses the audience aboard his ship and invites them to use the long-discarded suggestion box. The audience instructs him to stop making Homestuck. Dirk destroys the suggestion box. Dirk, Rosebot and Terezi prepare to crash land on a desolate planet. Terezi runs into something in the spaceship that Dirk doesn’t want her to see.

Chapter 1 - Ghostflusters

• In the Candy timeline, an adult Jake English is visited in a dream by Brain Ghost Dirk, who may or may not exist and may or may not be the actual ghost of this timeline’s version of Dirk. Dirk wakes Jake up and tells him that he must go back to Jane and act as a mole for the rebellion. After returning to her, Jane informs Jake that their son, Tavros Crocker, has been taken hostage by the rebels, and threatens to return the favor in kind.

Chapter 2 - Clown Logistics

• A few hours prior to Chapter 1 and picking up from the epilogues, the original alpha timeline Vriska, referred to as (Vriska) has a conversation with Vriska Lalonde-Maryam, Rose and Kanaya’s adopted teenage daughter, who’s a clone of (Vriska). (Vriska) decides that Vriska should be referred to as Vrissy from now on to make their conversations less confusing, and so she doesn’t need to be (Vriska) anymore. Vrissy and Vriska agree. They discuss how to get rid of Gamzee’s dead body, eventually calling Tavros for help. Vriska suggests dumping the body off at Vrissy’s boyfriend’s high school under the impression that it would have an incinerator large enough to burn the body. Vrissy contacts John and Roxy’s teenage son at school, Harry Anderson, but he believes them to be joking. The group tries to sneak Gamzee’s body into the school to recruit the help of Harry Anderson by force, only for the corpse’s ass to accidentally trigger the hallway’s sprinkler. A fire alarm goes off. Students at the school quickly document the incident on social media, where it immediately reaches Jane, leading to Chapter 1. Jane sees Tavros with Vriska and Vrissy, and assumes he’s been kidnapped by the rebellion.

Chapter 3 - How Are Your Feelings

• In the Meat timeline, Jade’s body inhabited by Calliope wakes up Karkat and Dave in the middle of their sleep in order to warn them that Dirk’s power is growing. Karkat, Dave and Roxy try to have breakfast. Dave has a heartfelt emotional conversation with Kanaya in the observation deck of the spaceship, where he admits how all the events of the epilogues are weighing on him. Kanaya tells Dave that her anger at Rose’s kidnapping has slowly receded into a sense of melancholy. Roxy and Karkat have a heartfelt emotional conversation in the kitchen. Karkat rambles on about his insecurities. Roxy makes pancakes.

Chapter 4 - The Contest

• Rosebot, Terezi and Dirk land on a lifeless but fertile planet and christen it Deltrius. Dirk explains to Rose his long-term plan: To populate the planet with two new species that will play their own session of Sburb, using alchemy and ectobiology to each create a new species based on their own genetic code combined with whatever else they want. Terezi gets fed up with their insufferable pretentiousness and walks off.

Chapter 5 - YOUR 3Y3S H4V3 B33N CLOS3D

• Rose grows bored of the competition and decides to go out for a walk. Terezi accosts her about her and Dirk’s motivations and her attitude about leaving their lives and loved ones behind. She hints to Rose that her judgment is being clouded and her actions manipulated by Dirk. They fight. They make out.

Chapter 6 - A Conversation Regarding Relevance

• Back in the ship, Jade and Calliope have an argument inside Jade’s mind regarding Calliope possessing her permanently, her assertion that Jade will always pine hopelessly for Karkat and Dave, and pulp in Orange Juice. Callie explains that she can leave Jade’s body and possess it again whenever she pleases, but chooses not to in order to ensure Jade will cooperate with her plans. Jade wrestles control back from Calliope and threatens suicide by eating a piece of chocolate. Calliope lets it slip that she thinks of the rest of the crew as her friends, to which Jade replies that they aren’t, and that Calliope simply imposed herself on their lives. Calliope gives up control of Jade’s body and lays down in the void.

Chapter 7 - Distress Call from the Closet

• Back in the Candy timeline, Vrissy, Vriska and Tavros are stuck inside a supply closet. They contact Harry Anderson, who suggests getting away and laying low at his house. The three of them leave Gamzee’s body behind as they make a break for Harry Anderson’s home. Elsewhere, Meenah and Karkat discuss the news of Gamzee’s death and Tavros Crocker’s apparent kidnapping, which Jane blames on the rebels. They agree that despite not actually having kidnapped him they’ll claim responsibility regardless. Karkat decides to contact John. Karkat is shown to have an eyepatch now. Harry Anderson arrives home to find John and Roxy having a conversation and leaves with John to stall for time, as seen in the Epilogues. Tavros, Vriska and Vrissy hide in Harry Anderson’s bedroom and discuss their situation. Pictures of them carrying Gamzee’s corpse surface on social media. John returns with Harry Anderson, who goes to greet the rest of the cast in his room. Downstairs, John (who has now shaved his fatherly mustache) gets a phone call from Karkat informing him of the situation. John tells Karkat that he knows how they can use this to win the war.

Chapter 8 - A Daughter Astray

• Jane decides that she must retaliate against the rebellion for kidnapping Tavros, as she believes they’ve indoctrinated him into their ranks. Meanwhile, back at Harry Anderson’s home, Vriska decides that “Harry Anderson” is too long, so she shortens it to “Harry” from now on. Vriska and Harry agree. While having emotional and heartfelt conversations with each other, the group realizes that John is gone and the house is surrounded by the press and Jane’s drones. John calls Harry and instructs the group to meet him at the bell tower Dirk killed himself from. Vriska grows tired of the teens’ indecisiveness, so she decides to go outside and take out the press and drones herself. She announces her presence and proceeds to fight them off while the kids scramble away from the commotion. Meanwhile, aboard a rebel ship, Kanaya and Rose try to locate Vrissy. Jade arrives to inform them that Jane has kidnapped “Yiffy”. Back on Earth, the kids meet up with John at the aforementioned monument. John and Vriska reunite. Everyone tells John that he looks ridiculous in his god tier pajamas, since he’s noticeably larger than the last time he wore them. Kanaya, Rose and Jade arrive. Jade tells John that, years back, she had Rose carry her child in secret. Rose then tells everyone that said child is named Yiffany Longstocking Lalonde-Harley, “Yiffy” for short, and has been kept secret from the world all her life for various reasons. Everyone hates that. Everyone tables the discussion and returns to a rebellion ship. John asks Jade where Dave is.

Chapter 9 - How Goes The Eulogizing, Dear?

• Jane is attempting to write a eulogy for Gamzee, but can’t bring herself to fake being upset at his death. Jake offers to help, but Jane asks him to give food to their prisoner. Said prisoner is revealed to be Yiffy. Jane mentions that she helped hide her as a favor to Rose and Jade years back, when they were still friends. Yiffy throws a bowl of food at Jane, and Jane electrocutes her in return, knocking her out. Meanwhile, back at the rebellion ship, Harry talks to Vrissy about her feelings, then talks to Tavros about his feelings. Vrissy is annoyed that she seemed to be the only one upset about the Yiffy situation. Tavros notes that Kanaya was visibly much angrier than anyone else during the conversation. Vrissy seemingly disappears mid-chat, with Harry and Tavros reasoning that she fell asleep on her phone. Harry asks Tavros what it’s like to know someone who’s died.

Chapter 10 - 1 WOND3R WH4T TH3Y T4ST3 L1K3

• In the Meat timeline, Terezi observes the flora and fauna of the planet Deltrius, alchemized during Rose and Dirk's contest. Terezi runs into a large animal hybrid. She attempts to fight it, but is interrupted by Rose, through the command terminal. Rose and Terezi have a conversation, but it's cut short by Dirk. Dirk and Terezi continue to talk. Dirk expresses concern about Rose's seemingly unhinged behavior with regards to their competition. Dirk mentions that Rose made a walking vagina. Terezi speculates that Dirk brought Rose on board as a way to keep himself in check, and is now frustrated that the roles are being reversed. Dirk deflects the accusation. Terezi presses him about not using his mind control abilities on her. Dirk takes issue with the terminology, and he retorts that it would be boring to simply make her do what he wants. Terezi threatens to tell Rose about Dirk's manipulation.

Chapter 11 - History's Most Notorious Haters

• In the void between universes, or possibly in the Meat Timeline, Davebot, from the Candy timeline, and Aradia travel in an incredibly shitty spaceship. They bond idly through inane conversations. Aradia realizes she completely forgot about Sollux, who, some time in the past, is stuck in a roof. They are met by Calliope, inhabiting the body of a dead Jade, the same one she used to enter the Meat timeline originally. They insist all three of them go through a silly makeover montage. Calliope declines. Weeks in the future, Aradia is wearing an elaborate new outfit. Calliope is wearing pajamas and slippers. Calliope picks up on their earlier conversation. She is curious about Aradia's chronological age. Aradia explains that she has lived for hundreds of years, moving in and out of alternate timelines, including the Pesterquest timeline, but being God Tier keeps her eternally young. They make another obnoxious time pun. Davebot facepalms. As they share this moment, Calliope is hit by a sudden headache.

Chapter 12 - Really Convoluted Metaphorical Horseshit

• In the Meat timeline, back on the ship, Dave and Karkat do the laundry while Dave uses the uneven rattling of the washing machine as a beat to halfheartedly rap over while discussing his feelings with Karkat using increasingly obtuse metaphors. Dave tells Karkat about his hesitations regarding the journey and the events leading up to it. He feels partially guilty over Dirk's actions, and confides that he feels genuinely afraid about John's seeming disappearance and Rose's kidnapping by Dirk, as well as the looming prospect of having to confront Dirk and take him down. He later admits that the thing he fears most is having to watch Karkat grow old and die on the journey over however many years it takes while everyone else remains eternally young due to their immortality. Dave asks Karkat to move over so he can use the dryer. Karkat reassures him that none of what happened was his fault one way or another, and that, despite the strenuous circumstances, the time he's spent with Dave during the meteor journey has genuinely been the happiest time in Karkat's life, regardless of what's to come next. They kiss. The audience rejoices as davekat continues to be canon in every reality.

Chapter 13 - The Funeral

• In the Candy timeline, Jane gives a speech at Gamzee's funeral. Jake and Yiffy are present as well, with Jake holding Yiffy's leash. Jake has a conversation with Brain Ghost Dirk, who continues to maybe be real or maybe not. Bored at the long speech, Yiffy prods Jake to let her go, which he does. Yiffy immediately takes off to interrupt the speech and knock over the pulpit. Jane uses Yiffy's shock collar, but this does not stop her. Jake notes he turned down the power on the collar, but it's still dangerous if Jane keeps electrocuting her. Yiffy knocks down the casket and punts Gamzee's body. Yiffy knocks the shock collar's remote off of Jane's hands. As Jane sends her security drones to apprehend her, an explosion destroys the stained glass window behind her.

Chapter 14 - The Best Laid Plans

• Back at Roxy's house, John and Harry Anderson rest after returning from planning with the others from the resistance, while Vriska laments to Vrissy about being left out of the plan. Both Vriskas immediately leave the house. At the church, Yiffy reunites with Rose and Jade, who have come to rescue her. Jane and her guards surround them in order to capture them, but Jade reveals their ace in the hole: Kanaya holds Tavros hostage saying she will kill him if Jane doesn't let them go. Jane stands down and tells them to get out of her sight. Meanwhile, the Vriskas are running through the forest. Vriska reveals her intention to restart the Game. As part of her plan, they are ambushed by Jane's guards and captured. John sees a massive Crocker battleship flying over the city and follows it directly to his old house, which is summarily blown up. John can only sit and watch his house slowly burn to the ground. He is still sitting when Karkat arrives and fills him in on what happened at the church and about the Vriskas. Karkat is about to leave but John decides they must talk about Karkat's feelings, especially about Dave. This triggers a rant wherein Karkat declares he doesn't care about what Dave's life is like married to Jade. John realizes Karkat doesn't know Dave is gone and tells him. Karkat is only saddened that Dave left without saying goodbye.

Chapter 15 - Ok So There's This Flower

• Back to Meat. Calling for an emergency meeting with Dave, Roxy explains that he's annoyed about davekat getting out of hand, as it turns out that he was there in back in chapter 12 when Dave and Karkat kissed. While Dave jokes that Roxy's being homophobic, it turns somber when they're unsure that Dirk is homophobic or just an asshole. After a short Beat, Dave decides to reign it in, and while he and Roxy talk about what they should do about Dirk when they reach him when they hear a scream from Karkat. Jumping to him, it's revealed that Calliope has been hiding in the ship's vents.

Chapter 16 - Welcome To My Secret Lair

• Returning to Candy, John still sits in front of his burnt out house after Karkat leaves. He soon gets a call from Roxy, who needs him to come over right away. When he gets there, he assumes Roxy is flirting with him and becomes uncomfortable, but Roxy says she needs to show him her secret lab in the old meteor. Transportalizing there, they meet up with Calliope, who explains the situation with their reality being trapped inside a black hole. To get them out, they're going to have to do something with incredible narrative significance. Calliope and Roxy give John a mission to rescue the Vriskas from prison. Before John can get going, they hear a noise like a knock at the door. Roxy says she invited Rose and Jade as well and John goes to let them in.
• After a long hiatus, we return to a scene of courtblock drama. Terezi is on Deltritus, acting as the legislacerator, the accused, and Her Honorable Tyranny. She accuses herself of eating all the snacks, but quickly grows bored, and also introspective. She punts one of Rose's creations before being interrupted by Dirk. He sends her the final version of his new species while she begins pestering him about his outfit, and what Dave is doing. He becomes irritated enough that he fries her phone. Terezi basks in her victory as she tells John's wallet this time she'll get it right.
• Davebot and Aradia are weirded out by Callie Jade falling unconscious. Back to John, where it turns out the noise was actually Sollux who is staying in Roxy's lab playing video games. They argue for a while before John leaves.
• The Vriskas are in Jane’s prison, ready to begin their jailbreak adventure. Vrissy uses her powers to make a guard open the door and the two of them sneak through the base. Vrissy and Vriska go their separate ways, Vrissy sneaking onto a truck and Vriska eavesdropping on Jane’s plan.
• Jake is also eavesdropping and calls Meenah and Roxy to tell them what he heard.

Vriska escapes through a "great" just in time for John to arrive. She waxes about how this universe is fake before they both fly off to save Roxy from Jane’s attack.

• Candy Alternate Calliope, who was ejected from Jade's body when Meat Alternate Calliope was forced to stop possessing Jade, stands over Jade's corpse. Meat Alternate Calliope, meanwhile, hovers behind Meat Jade unbeknownst to her. These two versions of Alternate Calliope consider one another, and then merge into one.
• Aradia and Davebot take selfies and talk about time, and about the people they left behind on Candy Earth C. Weeks later, Aradia suggests they pop over to a place where nothing seems quotation marks right, a place that seems completely removed from what we would traditionally consider to matter at all. Dave agrees, and they pop over to somewhere unseen and then return seconds later.
• Now consolidated, Alternate Calliope once again gains control over the dead teen Jade's body. She tells Aradia and Davebot that it's time to get to work and that she has somewhere to be.

Several hours prior, Harry is stuck at home.

• He thinks of his father, who had returned for a visit earlier that morning before leaving Harry alone to go to Roxy's room to talk. Harry heads to his own room and notices clothes and fabrics strewn about the floor, a consequence of Vriska's prior visit. Harry decides to change up his look, and tries out various outfits. Shortly after, he hears a creak from his mother's room, and, assuming the worst, leaves the house hastily.
• In the park, Harry tries to contact Vrissy. When she doesn't respond, he contacts Tavvy, who also hasn't heard from her. Freaking out now, Harry contacts Vrissy again to tell her how grateful he is that she was his matesprit, hoping nothing bad had happened to her. At last, Vrissy responds, and tells him that she couldn't respond earlier as she was in jail. Vrissy meets Harry at the park and they wait to be picked up by her parents. Her parents' ship lands, and Vrissy and Harry stare in shock at what they see.

Around one hour prior, Yiffy, having just been rescued, endures a barrage of kisses from Jade before Jade, Rose, and Kanaya head to another room to discuss the circumstances leading to her existence.

• With the adults gone, Tavvy gets a soda for Yiffy, which Yiffy refuses. Not content to wait around, Yiffy breaks into a vent in order to eavesdrop on the adults. Tavvy follows.
• The adults, meanwhile, discuss the lie that led to Yiffy. Kanaya is angry, Rose is relatively unapologetic, and Jade just wants everyone to get along. Rose says she agreed to the arrangement with Jade for a variety of reasons, but that, more than anything, it felt oddly inevitable. Rose says it ultimately wouldn't matter anyway, since she knew Kanaya would forgive her.
• Jade explains that she brought Jane into the situation because she'd have the resources to give Yiffany a normal life, rather than one where people would befriend her just to get access to Jade or bark at her in the street. Kanaya sympathizes, but questions why they would keep it from her for fifteen years after the damage had already been done. Jade doesn't have an answer, and before she can think of what to say, Tavvy falls through the ceiling and knocks her out, knocking loose a captchalogue card containing a stuffed body. An incoming transmission from Meenah interrupts any further discussion of the issue.

Switching back the Meat timeline, Roxy and Jade discuss the differences between epiphytes (a type of plant that lives attached to another) and parasites.

• While their backs are turned, Roxy puts Kanaya and Jade to sleep with Special stardust, and Jade and Kanaya wake up in a dream bubble that Calliope had prepared earlier. At its center is a green door, which all four of them go through. On the other side is the Home, which has now grown upwards in a chaotic arrangement.
• Calliope explains that they are hiding in the dream bubble to avoid Alternate Calliope, who had been expelled from Jade earlier. Alternate Calliope appears and says that she never left. Alternate Calliope doesn't believe the Home can be restored to its original form, but thinks its growth can be curbed by bringing the story to a swift conclusion, which she plans to do. Alternate Calliope snaps her fingers and wakes them all up.

Dirk invites the audience back to Meat timeline and explains that he and Rose are just about ready to begin the Contest.

• He expresses disappointment that Terezi has decided to automate her part in the Contest, but ultimately allows it, believing Terezi wouldn't jeopardize the Contest when she needs it to save John.

• Rose says that she's becoming repulsed by the Contest as it nears and is glad that Dirk agreed to timeskip the Deltritans' development. Dirk feels that he is losing control of Rose and prepares to use his narration to regain control, but stops himself when Rose thanks him for bringing her along. She tells him that although she is less than enchanted with this stage of the work, she does still think it's important. Hearing that, Dirk says that he's glad that Rose understands – he's doing this for all of them.

Patreon-Exclusive Updates

As a bonus for people who donate to the Homestuck Patreon, every month one extra chapter is released exclusive to Patreon subscribers. While they’re not intended to be necessary to follow the main story, they provide background information, side-stories and context for certain events in the main story. Patreon updates are released between regular updates each month. They’re are divided into stories, and each story is divided into parts.

Catnapped

• Years in the past, Jasprosesprite resurfaces to kidnap Jane and try to prevent the events of the Candy timeline from unfolding in their timeline. Takes place in the Meat timeline and the world of Problem Sleuth. Part 1 was released between chapters 1 and 2, Part 2 was released between chapters 3 and 4, part 3 was released between chapters 6 and 7.
  1. Part 1: During her inauguration speech as President of Earth-C, Jane is kidnapped by Jasprosesprite and taken for parts unknown. Jake is visited by Brain Ghost Dirk, who may or may not be real.

  2. Part 2: Jasprosesprite explains to Jane that the Carapace Kingdom won’t recognize her authority due to her complete lack of political skill or knowledge, as well as her obvious xenophobic tendencies against trolls. Jasprosesprite offers to take Jane on a “Presidential Boot Camp” in order to prevent Jane from going down the path she’s headed. Jasprosesprite sends herself, Jane, Jake and two trolls present in the room through a fenestrated wall into Midnight City, home of Problem Sleuth and the Midnight Crew. Japsrosesprite asks Jane if she’s noticed any voices in her head lately. Elsewhere, Problem Sleuth is stuck in his office. Elsewhere, Dad Crocker notices the fenestrated wall and crosses it into Midnight City to find Jane.

  3. Part 3: Jasprosesprite takes Jane out dancing and drinking. Jasprosesprite explains to Jane that she didn’t win the election fairly, and she intends to redo the entire process against another candidate. She tries to get Jake and Swifer Eggmop to run against her, unsuccessfully. She goes outside and sees Dad Crocker dragging Diamonds Droog down the street. Jasprosesprite summons another fenestrated wall and escapes with the rest of the crew. Meanwhile, Hysterical Dame and Nervous Broad celebrate their honeymoon.

A Treatise On Representational Democracy

• A storybook recounting the history of Earth-C and its first president, The Mayor. Part 1 released between Chapters 2 and 3.
  1. Part 1: Recounting the history of The Mayor and explaining the three branches of Earth-C’s government.

Diamonds, Dames and Dads

• Dad Crocker pursues his daughter’s captors into Midnight City, recruiting the help of a few familiar faces. Part 1 released between chapters 7 and 8. Part 2 released between chapters 12 and 13.
  1. Part 1: At a local dive bar, Dad Crocker recruits Diamonds Droog to track down Jane. The two have intense sexual tension. Diamonds Droog takes Dad to enlist the help of Problem Sleuth, who is still stuck in his office despite the door being unlocked.
  2. Part 2: Diamonds Droog and Dad arrive at the location given to them by Problem Sleuth. They have a short argument about smoking in the building's lobby. The two of them get in the elevator, heading for the top floor. They comment on the weather, Midnight City's seemingly perpetual state of midnight, and its skyline which is clearly a photoshopped picture of Chicago at night. On the roof, their conversation is cut short by a gun pressed to Droog's temple, which is revealed to be Snowman's, who is somehow alive.

A Threat, Sensed

• In the Meat timeline, Dirk returns from his appearance in Pesterquest, with new knowledge and some questions. Released in between updates to Chapter 8, right after Yiffy is first mentioned but before she’s properly introduced.
  1. Part 1: Dirk uses a terminal to try and communicate with Andrew Hussie, who has retired following the end of Homestuck. Hussie and Dirk banter, noting that neither of them can affect the other. Dirk tells Hussie he was briefly able to see into the Candy timeline and expresses his disgust at the events happening in it. Dirk takes particular offense with Yiffy. Hussie retorts that Dirk is afraid of her, and points out that Dirk’s hands have been shaking the whole time.

The Influencers

• In the Candy timeline, a group of teenagers fall into the media spotlight and end up caught between the two sides of the war. Released between chapters 9 and 10.
  1. Part 1: Three teenagers at Harry Anderson's school are called to the principal's office. The three, Silas P. Beauregard III, Avril Thorpe and Imode Kurita earlier took the photos of Vrissy carrying Gamzee's corpse around the school. The principal explains that he wants them to speak to the press and make the school look good in front of the government. When they arrive at the principal's office, they're met with one of their teachers. The teacher explains that he is a mole for the resistance. He wants them to use their moment in the spotlight to sway public opinion against the government. The group is indecisive, with Avril and Imode agreeing with their teacher, but Silas remains indecisive because of the risk involved. Their principal approaches the office as they remain undecided.