Alright all the weird intense Rage stuff aside, here’s some Classpect talk.

So long story short, Marvus feels like our legit Lord. Like, the verb Command is right there. I’ve written about why I see Command as the key verb for Lord, Muse before, but to recap/add on to the idea:

Command comes up with Caliborn like, a lot. Its also the name of the little arrows that connect every page of Homestuck. Every Command is a sort of direct attempt at mind control to the characters, as Hussie frames it–whether delivered by Exiles, the audience, or “The Author” himself.

The Muse seems inclined to wield that power through inspiration–once given a compelling enough idea, an actor can do nothing but work in relation to it, an artist can do nothing but work on it, as though they were possessed or enslaved.

The Lord seems to wield it through sheer dominance, or charisma–like a King who’s will cannot be denied.

I’m sure I don’t need to explain how that relates to Marvus. Y’all know.

So let’s cover why I think he’s a Lord of Blood specifically.

PSYCHE.

I lied there’s a little more Lord stuff to go. So with Boldir, I guessed that just like our apparent Muse had a spiral in a place important to her, so might our Lord. Initially, with Marvus, I didn’t see anything and figured it was bullshit.

Imagine my surprise when I took another look at the Church. Now, to be fair, this spiral was always there, so its not exactly unique to Marvus. Chahut brought us here first, after all.

But it’s notable that Marvus brought us here because he was somehow aware it provided metaphysical safety. It’s “Hallowed ground, bizznatch.” That could be simple religious belief, but Marvus is a little too aware of the nature of reality for me to buy that. He’s aware of the rules of PSpace in a way Chahut isn’t, and the spiral is one of the rules. So it feels somewhat significant.

I also guessed that, since Boldir’s sign actually features the spiral, the sign of our potential Lord might well feature it as well. This was how I initially arrived to my guess of Lord of Blood. The sign of the “Taskmaster” felt fitting to someone who seemed like the ringmaster of a circus, and it still feels somewhat accurate here.

Now I can add this nugget: This is also one of a few purple signs that feature a crucifix or cross in the design. Given that a crucifix figures prominently in his path, that also feels notable.

Even so, this is all pretty circumstantial and quite likely bullshit. Like I said before, Marvus seems to showcase a mastery of many Aspects, and so its difficult to really be sure I’ve got him pinned down, especially based on some hazy symbolism stuff we aren’t sure is relevant.

Even so, lets get to his Blood imagery, which I feel is pretty strongly emphasized in this route–more than any other Aspect, barring Rage. And into why I think its through Blood that he carries his most definitive command over other people.

There’s a couple outright references to Blood early on, describing his effect on everyone around him. His very nature creates conflict, as the overzealous loving passion of his fans meets the violent restriction of his bodyguards.

(Note: “Violence” here isn’t just force applied to hurt someone, but the denial of choice: Society saying no to the free spirited desires of the individual. It’s bondage, where Breath is flight.

This more abstract and cerebral take on violence is the one Kankri is more concerned with, but we see it with Karkat too–he knows all too well what happens to someone “outside” the norms of restriction, not just wrt blood color but with his desires and inclinations as well.)

These are classic Blood themes, all coming to the fore simultaneously.

Passion and commitment meet societal restriction, and the violence through which restriction is enforced. Blood flows in the wake of that conflict.

We see the conflict distilled during the concert. References to physical agony and mortal suffering are made, both of which are significant Blood ideas–the most recent example being Tyzias’ famous quote: “there’s so mmmmuch suffering.”

Though to be fair, that might have at least something to do with Zebruh. Blood may be associated with physical bondage and suffering, but Doom is quite literally the suffering Aspect, so its something of an area of overlap–Likely born at least partly from their close association on the Aspect wheel.

And the MSPA Reader of course falls into the romantic, committed, relationship-focused side of Blood–willing to do anything at all to share a connection with him.

The two ideas fuse at the height of his performance, as it makes the MSPA Reader keenly aware of their physical suffering and subjects them to enormous violence and agony, whilst paradoxically keeping them spellbound to the mortal plane where they’re experiencing it. Violence, suffering, commitment, relationship.

Later, the MSPA Reader directly takes on Blood’s violent enforcer position, punching out teens desperate to establish a relationship with Marvus.

And Marvus doesn’t just absently invite these dynamics. He’s keenly aware of both the commitment to a relationship with him his fans experience, and the social obligation he would be subjected to as a result of it, unless the performance is violent enough.

He’s also deeply cognizant of the social restrictions imposed on Purplebloods as a caste, and the various forms of literal and institutional violence through which they’re enforced.

As well as the revolutionary implications of subverting or questioning those restrictions. In other words, Marvus has a deep understanding of the social glue that holds Alternia, a vertical structure held together by repression imposed from top to bottom, with blood spilled through brutality the whole way down.

But of course, understanding doesn’t make a Lord. Command does.

I’ve long said that Paradox Space is a place born of the wills of the individual, and it could be said that what the classes describe, more than anything, is the means by which a Hero most effectively applies their will to reality to achieve any given desired result.

This is what makes Lords and Muses so powerful–they shine at understanding the capabilities and inclinations of everyone around them, and more than anything, controlling and directing the other to achieve their own desired result. A Page might inspire others to serve them and rise to Kingship through their devoted teamwork, but to a Lord this innocence is unnecessary:

Be it freely given, manipulated or coerced, a Lord is supremely talented at dominating, and getting others to give them exactly what they want. When Marvus’ presence suggests silence, the silence is absolute among all blood castes. When Marvus wants his audience ready to turn up, they are so fucking ready. His every request is undeniable, and his will is others’ command.

What makes him scary is that he knows how to use that power. What he does with the Player’s execution is actually pretty clever–he pulls off a small magic trick, simply pretending to stab them. The illusion would fall apart under the most cursory scrutiny, but Marvus knows that doesn’t matter, because he’s working his real magic on the audience.

Marvus knows exactly how his stage will be segmented, and all he needs to do is kickstart a cascade of violent euphoria amongst the lowbloods, who by their structural disadvantage are too far away to tell the difference. (Interesting that the tealbloods are singled out as the rough origin point, considering their Mind association and how vulnerable Terezi was to Gamzee’s Rage-y predation.)

Even any highbloods who figured out what he’s up to are screwed, trapped by their own lucky blood closest to the stage and under his net, where they must fight if they want to get out alive. But nobody does. Once the climactic bloodbath is finished, nobody survives.

Which Marvus expected would happen. He told us so earlier. If Marvus isn’t literally massacring his fans with every performance he gives, he’s doing it during enough of them that it doesn’t feel much like hyperbole. And he does it effortlessly, through a simple understanding of how to move the crowd the way he wants to, like the ringmaster of a circus or the conductor of an orchestra.

This is one hells of powerful clown–frightfully intelligent and ruthless when he deems it necessary, even under the niceguy suave wokeness. Joey’s going to have a powerful ally on her side if they team up. Though I can’t help but worry that the old Purpleblood capriciousness might have him turn on us if the circumstances are right. Or, his ruthless pragmatism could make him end up feeling like a bit of a Vriska.

Probably both are gonna happen. Oh well. Anyway that’s why I see him as a Lord, and one of Blood specifically. Don’t hold me to it because frankly, if I’m really honest, there’s only one train of thought with Marvus that I’m really committed to:

He’s really hot and I’ve been the naughtiest, so frankly he can–

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