What's The Reason

classyapplebees:

cincosechzehn:

So, my friend Alexey sent me a reply to a message with this question, paraphrased:

“Your theory is good, but it doesn’t explain why Lord English bleeds candy red if he’s really Calliope.”

According to Calliope, lime bloods had a power that made them a huge threat to the Highbloods and their oppressive caste system, right? Now, we don’t have any reason to worry about her accuracy when talking about TROLLS - it’s what she wants to be, after all - so let’s think about this.

1. The Highbloods enforced a brutal, violent, oppressive and abusive caste system on Alternia based on the color of your blood.
2. Calliope is the person who first used the phrase “colours and mayhem.” Interesting phrase.
3. Karkat’s blood color would have been lime, but it mutated and changed into a candy red.

What on EARTH could be a threat to the highbloods’ social order? 

I submit to you this idea: Lime bloods can change the color of their blood.

It is the ONLY thing that would be such a threat to the hemospectrum. And with each and every Space player we’ve met having undergone some kind of very extreme physical change (Jade becoming a “giant space furry”, the Maryams both being rainbow drinkers), it certainly seems like she could do it.

Gamzee’s wildcard part of the genetic code (honk HONK) was in lime green. Lime green is also the color of green screens which allow things to be projected upon them. Also, the lime-green Cairo overcoat CYCLES THROUGH OTHER COLORS.

What could be more damning to a social order than a bunch of chameleons who could change their blood to fit in with one caste or another? That’s rather insidious; the only way to deal with it would be to exterminate them to be sure they never gained any power.

I must submit here, though, two things:

1. Calliope IS NOT A TROLL. Hence, there is no precedent for the effects of the troll hemospectrum to apply to her at all. Still, even if they do, my next point is more important and still holds.
2. The theory has already gone around that limebloods had the ability to manipulate emotion, which I think holds far more water than masking their blood color. Supporting this is that the Vantas tree, by their position in the zodiac, are implied to be mutant limebloods. Thus, the Sufferer’s soothing sermons and Karkat’s rampage-ending paps are a symptom of their caste. Kankri hasn’t shown much of this trait, but he’s also kind of a fuck up, bless his bloodpusher. The idea of an entire caste of pacifiers is HIGHLY threatening to a militaristic, violent upper class. The limebloods could lead a peaceful and- more important- a STABLE uprising leading to a highly successful society that ousts the highbloods and THAT would be HIGHLY unsettling to the warlord Empress.

I dig all the theorizing going around, though I disagree with it, but I just needed to say this here when I saw the phrase “the ONLY thing” used.