We start with the ballad of awakening. As we learned recently Jade, when sleeping, is awake on the moon of Prospit. We also learned this stuff is happening in the past still, at the time Jade wishes John a happy birthday. As the Prospit moon towers piece the skies of Skaia we see some events unfold that are confusing at best.

We saw this conversation as Jade being awake in the present time. But it was actually JadeBot having that conversation, while Jade was asleep. This was when Jade heard a meteor. This was apparently the one that crashed into the earth creating the island she lives on. The one from millions of years ago. The flashback shows that the tower of Prospite was there and so was Jade. This means Jade was there in the past but able to chat with John in the present using JadeBot. The meteor itself was apparently the source of Bec. but it contained something that looked like a silver sprite kernel. Bec was not allowing Jade near it. Jade later explains that the clouds of Skaia create mirages. These mirages are portals to various places and various times.

Also we know John is in the other tower. When he slept on his roof he had seen odd visions of clouds and a girl. That was Jade. But he wasn’t awake/asleep enough to really know what was happening.

Jade then had the conversation where she mentioned that she knew things were going to be ok. She mentioned that John needed to “wake up”.

Jade mentions it’s the first time she has seen Bec in the clouds. Discovering this is his birthday she wants to do something about it. She also feels she needs to explore the Frog ruins. Bec had been preventing her from ever entering them. Since he is napping she feels she should try it now.

Jade uses her Harpoon gun to make a zipline from her room to the ruins. She knows this is the same rope that is later used by a Wayward Vagabond. She also needs to “deliver” a package to him.

We check in with Rose, she’s been busy building. It looks like she’s just copied and pasted the entire house in a sloppy fashion. But this makes a tower that nearly reaches the gate. It’s got some Escher vibes and most definitely not up to code.

Dave meanwhile is mourning the loss of Cal. He grabs his broken sword. Apparently his strife Specibus has reset in the fight. This caused him to get locked into 1/2 bladekind as his weapon spec. Dumping his inventory all over the roof he takes only the beta and his phone. I guess the arsenal of crappy weapons won’t help much now.

Rose is watching the flames close in. She’s done her part for John, and needs Dave to do his part. She takes some time to reflect on the gift she is making for John. She needs to one-up the knitting kit and genuinely heartfelt letter he gave her.

She also recalls a conversation with a troll at that time. grimAuxiliatrix [GA] is one we haven’t seen yet. They are rambling about humans not appreciating Temporal Mechanics. When Rose points out they’ve never met, GA mentions they’d chatted in the future. But they are not in the future, just Rose’s future. To GA Roses future is in his recent past. Rose says that is pretty stupid but plays along on some level. They decide to be “Friends” as it seems Rose “understands” GA better than her friends do. We also see a flashback of Dave. It would have been around the same time as Dave is opening his gift from John. It’s another genuinely thoughtful letter. John suggests Dave “get out of his brother’s shadow.” John’s gift is the pair of shades he still wears. Before this he had anime triangle shades like his brothers.

Dave also encounters a Troll. One adiosToreador [AT]. This name seems to have a lot to do with Bullfighting. Though a fighter this troll is not. Dave mercilessly counter trolls them until he is actually blocked by the Troll. It’s a thing a homoerotic beauty. Witnessing Dave get beat down so thoroughly in the present. It’s healing to see him serving up a literal beatdown in the past.