The battle for Riff’s brain will be fought in PS Puny’s latest Blockbuster, Gwynn Dream Fighter! “My monkeys burn… with Vengeance!

A few weeks ago, I asked why Gywnn's eyes were black.
And now the plot elements are coming together for a fun reveal.
Make that bug suffer!

Can't wait for the Bug to realize Riff is descended from Symachus.

Given that this was part of the whole release plan (last time), I'm pretty sure he already knows.

I think that was two released ago? >:D

Only if you got the bootleg album.

Seriously though... I meant the one *before* Yffi's Disco Inferno.

Well, that point seems to have been a great big swing and miss. I'm very good at striking out.

That said, I have three questions:

(1) IF Kiki is channeling Riff, and even if she isn't, what the BLEEP does Frog have to do with anything? Riff wouldn't know that Frog 'ran away.' So, it could just be a coincidence. But a reference to Frog here just seems oddly timed. I feel like it should mean something....
[Perhaps the message to Frog, who has long since left, is Pete's way of confirming the messages are coming from Riff, who wouldn't know that Frog left.]

(2) In the comic that begins this chapter, Fred seems confused and doesn't remember who he is. The forgetfulness appeared to fit the following story of the mushroom hag who used a mirror to make people forget. But it could easily fit Riff as The Bug plays with his brain in the dreamscape. But then he walks towards the voice - towards the light... If that is Riff, rather than Fred, what is he walking towards? PoopyPants? And why does he run away now? Can't he recognize his friends' voices? Or is his memory that completely wiped?

(3) And if Riff is stuck in that dreamscape with a wiped memory, how is Kiki channeling him? How does he remember enough to give her something relevant to say?

Yeah, this is the big one that's popping up on me. Is Riff brain-slushed or not? Who else could possibly be suggesting really personal things like "listen to Zoe".

Is there a 2nd Gwynn trapped in Gwynn? I'm not going down that spec corridor yet.

I honestly don't think Kiki is channeling anyone. She is just being Kiki. If she can talk and sing, I am sure she can write.
And the mention of Frog was just to remind of us where he is right now. Which is...no longer with the gang. Who knows if he will come back. He has NOTHING to do with Fred and the "F" on the hat.

I think the opening of this chapter is meant to make us think it's the mushroom hag, since it seems to match with the story that follows. But when we see what transpires in the ball, it kind of dispells that idea. Instead, the voice that Fred/Riff is hearing is the Bug, trying to "sway" him. When Fred/Riff is freaking out about who is addressing him through the ball, we don't know what he is seeing or hearing, but the words overlaid on the comic, telling him to run and that it will keep him safe...that is the Bug trying to keep him away from his friends who are trying to help him.

My spec is that Gwynn is heading to the Antiquarium to talk to Lacey. I thought maybe she was heading there to read Basphomy's book, but I am not sure why that would be "tricky". Trying to get information from Lacey, though. Although I am not sure what info Lacey could provide. Except, she has taken over humans before and probably knows how to keep them from going insane, etc? Ooo...ORRR....maybe she is going to pull Chilus out of the book, into the funnel, and talk to HER, since she imprisoned Meander for so long, and Meander managed to keep her mind. Or perhaps the Ferryman.

Alligia Liberliganus (aka Allie) is her best bet for information. However, Basphomy put the two together, and that option has been destroyed. Perhaps Gwynn hopes to find information in Basphomy's book on how to create the dreamscape where she met Allie in the first place. That information could help her contact Allie or give her enough information on dreamscapes for her to enter Riff's.

However, Jzaxil (aka Anise) told Lady Tomb that she needed instructions on how to read the book(s) created by the Magus Interitus Infundibulum without going mad (much). I don't think Gwynn ever got those instructions...
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The only one that said Kiki couldn't write is Kiki. Oh wait, that was "read," not "write." But Kiki knows that Frog left quite a while ago. Riff is the only one that doesn't know he's gone. I think Spirantz is onto something, and Kiki may be how Riff is hanging onto sanity - even if it's only with his subconscious.
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You may be correct about what's going on with "Fred." When he ran away this time, I thought he was running away from the disembodied (The Bug's ?) voice - as well as the voices of his friends. But looking at it a second time, he appears to be running back towards "the light," just as he walked towards it at the beginning of this chapter. Hmm.
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And yeah, I already admitted that F = Frog was a big swing and a miss... But thank you for rubbing my nose in it. LOL

Mr F needs to be a long standing mystery. But it’s a crime to not include some standard arrested development-style jokes in there. I’m not expecting an MRF, but come ooooon, Pete! Give us something!

There are exactly 2 people Gwynn has encountered who would know about the Claritos incantation and could possibly be communicated with.

Allie and Siphy. Siphy, of course, is definitely a bit tricky. She would need that incantation cast on her first before she could communicate.

Too bad Gwynn offed the person who got her in contact with Allie in the first place. Definitely some farsighted galaxy brain planning there. But it seems like she knows about the incantation anyway. Possibly through her own independent research.

As far as Lacey goes, I guess that's possible, but I figured Gwynn had already killed Lacey. Probably to get the info out of the Mushroom hag. We know she had to use someone as a sacrifice to get the hag's book. Lacey seems like the most likely option, although I suppose she could have popped out any old random demon from the Book and done it that way.

So I'm going to agree with Zillatain's implied spec in the reactions. Mrs. Clause is crying over someone that isn't Basphomy. My guess is the "she" is the woman in the picture.

Yes. Do not trust Pete. He likes to lie to us.