Hard to Explain

episode begins:

* Sol is training with Gadsio in a church clocktower

* Gadsio is merely meditating and unmoving, dodging Sol's movements

* the clock eventually strikes 3, and Gadsio uses each clockstrike to knock Sol down

* Sol is mad and demands an explanation for this behavior

"You know how to take the offense, and how to flee or dodge. But you must not forget to wait."

"Timing draws a thin line through inaction, separating it into ignorance and preparation. It can be the difference between making a soul mate, a friend, or a lifelong foe."

"You have a natural affinity for time."

* as it's 3, Sol eventually leaves and heads down to town now that he can be seen walking around like a normal teen - i.e., school has been let out, so people won't question what he's doing walking around
* over the course of a few days and nights, he sees Lizzy sneaking around town (her Kandaron parasite, Luxe, is attempting to get the chemicals and weapons she needs for something - maybe it's to upgrade, maybe it's to build a bomb?)
* they finally meet for the last time at a pool (Luxe is gathering large quantities of water and chlorine), where Sol reveals to Lizzy her memories by pushing her into the water
* Lizzy's parasite takes over, and pushes Sol into the water. it's unclear if she's trying to drown him or if Luxe is trying to switch hosts

Laika sat on the ground as best as he could, his robotic legs slanted at the waist on the hillside to make his body a rather uncomfortable looking angle.

"Man," Sol began to mutter. "I don't understand women." Really, he should have been complaining about Kandaron brain-jacking parasites or his own lack of charisma, but women were a much more easily available scapegoat.

"The minds of others are generally hard to decipher," Gadsio spoke up, casually gliding Sol away from the tedious ledge of misogynism. Though, while he was deliberately trying to generalize, he too had been spurned by a lover he thought close to him, for no apparent reason.

"Especially if you can't understand your own, too," jovially noted Laika. Sol leaned against him for more comfort than he thought Laika's words could ever provide.

"I have often debated amongst myself whether it is better to fashion one's company around those with personalities that are found appealing or similar, or to instead associate oneself with those whom fate dictated one would be tied with: family."

Sol did not like his own family well, but he peculiarly felt no impulse to ruin the wholesomeness of the moment, so he did not speak up. "Well, I think it's like Laika said. You can't really understand others, so how can you be sure you're searching the right crowd out if you are looking for people similar to you?"

## Trivia

* Gadsio's comments about timing reflect a lesson from Avatar: The Last Airbender, specifically the concept of *neutral jing*.
	+ He also brings up an important factor in relationships: timing. It is the author's belief that timing is one of the biggest determinants of a successful relationship. You might be "soul mates" with someone, but if the time isn't right - i.e. you're too busy, or you're interested in someone else, or you're going to move soon - you won't be able to form that relationship.
		- It is also definitely not foreshadowing.
	+ Jings are borrowed from Chinese martial arts. A full list of all jings can be found here.
* Luxe's whole schtick is a pastiche of the Yeerks from Animorphs.
	+ The meeting at the pool is intended to be a nod toward Yeerk pools.
	+ Kandarons were named after Kandrona rays from Animorphs.
	+ The nature of the Kandaron Empire copies the Yeerks.
* Fun facts about the Kandaron:
	+ They were originally named the Chromextem, a nod to one of Sol's many countless cancelled series.
	+ They were originally a combination of qualities from the rainbow drinkers from Homestuck, the Yeerks from Animorphs, and Marceline from Adventure Time. Their species possessed the ability to take qualities from any colored liquid and apply them to their host. For example, red liquids (i.e. blood), would grant increased aggressive traits, while clear liquids (water) would grant them invisibility.
		- Maybe cherry cola would have granted them sex appeal. Who knows? Maybe I'll recycle this concept into its own alien.
		- The Kandaron sample for this species was originally going to be named Rainbow Drinker, but obviously this name no longer applies.
	+ Originally, Luxe was going to act more overtly seductive towards Sol - involving stripping down, albeit with invisibility. This was scrapped because what the fuck that's pedophilia what was I thinking when I wrote the original script for this episode back in 2016
* Luxe's original moniker was just the "Lonely Parasite", a reference to the Green Day song *Peacemaker*, though Sol eventually realized she would need a real name.
	+ Luxe's name came from Lizzy's original surname, which is Luxuria. There was an aborted "sin-based villains" plotline for Sol 10, in which Lizzy and her parasite would have been a supporting antagonist. This was later scrapped. Lizzy's name remained until 2020, when Sol realized "Lizzy Luxuria" sounded more like a pornstar's name than an actual person's.
* Songs listened to while writing this episode:
	+ Homestuck OST - Negastrife
	+ Homestuck OST - Battle Against An Unfathomable Enemy
	+ Metric - For Kicks