#I still like tophabe though

[spicedfink]

I finished my genderbend tophabe fic

[carsontumbleweed]

hc he went out to get a straight ally pin after He met Abe it was either after he met Abe or after he left hearts on Abes video thing. He put it on too hard at first and it dug into his skin and he screamed but he vowed to keep it on

Also if he ever blushes it'll look like he's sick everyone spread the hc

[fruitwaterz]

JFabe/AbeFK: The Ultimate Queerbaiting (short essay n rant)

(Clone High Season 3 spoilers,,, beware!!!)

Hey everyone it's fruit/juno/nova aka MTVyaoi BACK with another banger essay

So if you guys didn't know already (but I'm pretty sure everyone in the Clone High community does), season three of Clone High, also known as season 2 of the Clone High reboot just premiered yesterday. Thanks to a mutual handing me over their Max account, I was able to watch the episodes in one day, and it's safe to say that it was WAY more better than season 2, despite its ups and downs.

Of course, the reboot boosted some ships into popularity, such as JoanFK (rip), Kahlopatra (rip), Tophabe, but one ship that never really came around to being popular was Jfabe, the relationship between JFK and Abe in the Clone High series.

In the very last episode of season 2, many speculated that JFK and Abe would somehow possibly get together in season 3 (while others just,,, thought they would remain friends). I made an analysis about JFK himself, and in the end, I included a bit of some Jfabe speculation. And during the time the reboot had ended, Jfabe shippers and Tophabe shippers were technically at war. But in the very end, no one was really happy, I would say.

With the new season out, and especially episode 3…yeah, there are some things that need to be discussed. Because let me tell you, I am actually. so mad

Many of the Jfabe shippers collected context clues, hints, and everything that could've hinted at the two becoming canon, only for those to be contradicted really quickly when it came to the Mary episode and the finale. Hell, when the trailer came out, most of us feared the idea of Abe not getting with JFK (actually, this would be most Abe shippers worst nightmare) and getting with someone who we never even knew.

Before I actually do get into the Mary episode, however, I wanted to bring up my favorite episode out of the series, and that is Bible Humpers: A Much Needed Praycation.

Season 3 Episode 3:

Bible Humpers introduces a subplot in which JFK gets tired of partying and having a concerning amount of sex with girls, reminders that…this is during his 17th birthday (from what I could remember), and that's sort of why he was feeling like that. From there on, he decides to become catholic and join The Prayer Pals club, hosted by Lady Godiva, a new character. However, Abe is upset about this because he believed that JFK would change so much that he would eventually forget about Abe. Abe was planning a 6th month Boy-nniversary for the two, and due to JFK being too busy with his newfound hobby, Abe steps in to stop things.

Now, this episode is agreeably, one out of the three Jfabe episodes to exist, the others being Clone Alone and Litter Kills: Literally (The reason why I count Clone Alone as a Jfabe episode, is mainly because of the scene where JFK and Abe become friends…a duo of bros that'll remain friends for the rest of their lives, more on that later, though).

Something about the episode was suspiciously fruity, with Abe being worried about JFK, giving him a new wristband to match his, pulling him really close, offering to let him take his virginity, and even went out of his way to bake a giant cake for him. Hell, at the very end of the episode, he leaves a box with the purity ring in it on JFK's doorstep, and we could even see JFK's soft smile when he read his note.

(Also pspspsp we could see two doves in the sky all while Abe is walking to JFK's house. Two doves represent love.)

(thanks to my mutual)

Next, the Mary episode. In the middle of the episode, JFK offers to have sex with Abe, even taking his shirt off and still asking Abe if he wants to go through with it. Stuff like this was mentioned in the beginning of episode 1. Not gonna go into the sex too much, because they're just teenagers.

It seems that the dynamic between these two are quite literally back and forth, they could be friends, and they could go back to arguing. Abe wants to make JFK happy, JFK cares for Abe, but either gets too riled up or feels like Abe’s ruining things for him.

So with all of this build up and hints, Jfabe was surely gonna become canon one way or another, right?

Well…I wouldn't exactly say that. Because during the finale, Abe suddenly catches feelings for Joan again, and JFK randomly ends up with Harriet, despite the fact that they both established that they didn't feel much for each other! And this was back in season 2 episode 6, where they both kiss again in a classroom, but come to the realization that they actually don't like each other at all. I like the idea of JFK x Harriet, but it just happened way too fast, and I really wish I could ignore that.

Which brings me to my argument: we were queerbaited.

(And if random jfabe dislikers come and tell me that it was bound to happen, I'm gonna lose my mind.)

We are sitting here, begging for some sort of MLM relationship. We've already had Kahlopatra, which is a same-sex female relationship (Good day for sapphics, I love that ship to bits and was disappointed in the fact that they broke up). So it wouldn't have hurt to at least have two of the main male characters date each other. But oh, yeah, let's have them being suspiciously fruity to each other as humor and nothing but humor, because in the end, it was basically just watered down to that.

It even makes me confused in a way, because what was the point of “Duo of bros who'll remain friends for the rest of our lives?” What was the reason? Did they hint at something, only to throw this away at the very last minute? Seriously, we could see background male characters get into relationships, yet not have two of the main characters get together. It's odd, yet not surprising.

Clone High has this tendency of making up random relationships, Harriet x Toussaint, Joan x Confucius (which I like however, don't come for me), Mary x Abe, just fuck all. And now, it's JFK x Harriet. Yet, it seems as if it would hurt them to make a hinted at relationship…canon. It confuses me. Are they gonna make them date in season 4? Are we even gonna get a season 4? Because the show has to get renewed in order for that to happen.

I am not mad at the writers for not making them canon because of the ship dynamic itself, I'm angry because there were so many hints, so much build up only for them to go nowhere with this. Because personally, I think it would've made the show a bit more interesting. To have two of the main male characters date. That's all I asked for, and we got nothing out of it.

You could say I'm seething over a cartoon, but I don't care!!! Cartoon or not, the ship is really important to me and most Jfabe shippers, so seeing their relationship go nowhere and the two randomly getting into M/F relationships sort of hurts. And I'm saying that as someone who isn't even a veteran Jfabe shipper, I shipped them days after season 2 ended. Both the original JFK and Abraham Lincoln (theoretically) were bisexual, so it just makes me even more puzzled.

I'm not exactly making this essay to cancel Clone High just for a silly ship, this is really just a healthy way to take out my sadness and disappointment. A vent essay, if you will. And it really is just what happened, so many interactions that could be taken as romantic, only for them not to get with each other.

Honestly, if the show writers didn't intend to queerbait us, I can only ask…“How?”

Anyway that's the end of my short essay about me screaming and crying about a ship between two white boys, subscribe and hit that notification button for more screaming and crying about a ship between two white boys. fruit signing out

[kalisseo]

Topher: don't look into it to much

Abe: I don't know [it] feels like there's [something]

you're not telling [me]

Topher: I don't think he [saw] us/ I don't think he [knows]

Topher: and it better stay that way, got it?

Joan: you're ...

this is an analysis?? theory?? of what I think the plot of the episode could be (assuming this is real and it's the same episode)

English isn't my first language so I'm sorry if it sounds weird or the vocabulary isn't the best or something is wrong!! I don't want to rewrite it we die like MEN

first of all, I want to make clear why I think this is episode 5 or later episodes:

-‌abe and topher are talking like nothing happened

-‌abe worries about topher again

‌-topher and joan hangout

‌-both topher and Joan are planning something

-‌it seems like they have talked about it before

I'm a Tophabe shipper and I'm delusional, so I think the plot is that topher is trying to confess to Abe or he's trying to invite him on a date and Joan helps him, I'm not sure, but I'm 100% sure they have a plan and it involves abe

but, Joan isn't close to Topher like they're not even friends, they barely interact in the show, so I think Topher recurred to Joan as last choice because yk joan and abe were best friends, but why would Joan help him? yeah Joan still has feelings for jfk, but she has feelings for Abe too! so why would she ruin her opportunity to be with abe?

it has been shown that Joan is willing to ruin her chances with abe if she thinks it's better for him, but Topher is an horrible option and unless that mf grows as a person he's terrible for abe, but Joan doesn't know that, and I think she doesn't even know that abe and topher were friends, so

maybe topher took advantage of that and lied to her about his relationship with abe and he made it look like the best friendship ever so she would help him (he's delusional just like me), and maybe Joan thought it could be nice if Abe has a new start in his love life, specially with a new clone, and since Joan barely knows Topher she doesn't have a bad impression about him and believes him but that mf is a LIAR

also, the main reason why I think this is a tophabe episode is because Topher is so nervous when it comes to abe, in the image with Abe it seems like maybe he said something about his plan by accident ("don't look to much into it") and he obviously doesn't want Abe to know because it's about him

the second image is a little confusing for the messy texts, I have two interpretations but in both topher doesn't wants Abe to know ,"I don't think he knows"

but If the text says "I don't think he saw us" IT JUST MAKES ME THINK MORE THAT THIS IS TOPHABE:

he Just doesn't want abe to know about his plan, he also doesn't want abe to know he's been hanging out with Joan, I believe it's because abe can misinterpreted and think topher and Joan are dating, and topher told him that Joan was his crush (in case they remember that) and if he wants to date abe the last thing he wants is him thinking topher got a girlfriend

also Joan is calm so obviously she doesn't know the reason why Topher is so worried

also abe already has his suspicions ("I don't know [it] feels like there's [something] you're not telling [me]")

(I'm not totally convinced that image is from the same episodes, maybe is from the next ?? idk basing me in the frame and time thing the topher and abe image happens first but it feels a little weird idk)

SO FINALLY IN SHORT THE PLOT GOES LIKE THIS (maybe split in two episodes):

despite everything Topher and Abe rebuild their friendship, topher realizes his feelings for abe and tries something to date him, maybe his first plan fails or needs help to start it, and who better to help him but Abe's best friend? so he asks Joan for help, even though she has feelings for abe too she thinks the best for abe is to move forward so she helps topher, they start hanging out so she can help him, because of that topher starts to acts weird around Abe, Abe notices that and confronts him, topher avoids the question and just tells him to not worry

okay that's all jf we get another leak im gonna EAT IT UP and analyze it too

[tophabes]

Hello everyone!

I am here to say that my hiatus is slowly ending, because I have some exciting news.

However, I have some.. other news first too.

Starting off, I have the ending for 'feelings would complicate this' already written. I just need to write the chapters inbetween that, and the issue from that is I am having a bit of writers block, so updates will still be a bit slow despite my dwindling hiatus.

On that note though, because I am having some writers block, I am excited to announce that I will be making another TophAbe story!

I am in the beginnings of writing the first chapter, and I am so far enjoying myself. Updates most likely will not be as fast as I used to put them out like I had with fwct, but I won't abandon either of the two.

For now the only information I will give on the newest story is that it is a soulmates AU! It should be up sometime this upcoming week, and I will be posting it here with it's own tag!

So, keep your eyes out!

Thank you for reading!

[scaredoflizards]

Gonna braindump tophabe thoughts because i’m trying to figure them out… don’t mind me.

Some part of my brain wants to explore Topher crushing on Abe through having this very deep insecurity that Abe is too good for him because Abe is so genuine and sweet, then trying to over-compensate by pretending he’s so woke and well-liked to impress Abe so Abe will need him because Topher can’t fathom Abe just wanting to be friends with him, so tries to make himself useful and needed.

Then, when Topher felt that wasn’t enough, also began blackmailing Abe because he’s dysfunctional and doesn’t know how to be normal about wanting someone’s attention and asking them to hang out and was scared Abe wouldn’t need him if he had Joan. To Toph, the idea of someone liking him for being himself is unfathomable. There has to be something the other person can benefit from by keeping him around, or they have to be forced to still talk to him (like through blackmailing) or they won’t interact with him. These insecurities are directly based on past experiences he has had with the other teen clones, but then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy where he pushes people away by treating them poorly in his attempt to keep them in his life.

Also I hc Topher secretly finding the fact that Abe has gotten called out for being problematic really hot because Topher is masking his own shit to fit in, so the fact that he isn’t much better than Abe (actually he’s worse) makes him feel a sense of solidarity, but seeing Abe face consequences for being himself speaks to that repressed side of Topher that also longs to be himself instead of making his entire identity an “ally” to fit in (and probably have an outlet for his anger because he can justify bullying people online for being problematic, let’s be real).

I think Topher is both aware he has a crush on Abe but also denying and repressing it at the same time because he doesn’t truly believe he has a chance with Abe and isn’t ready to accept parts of his own identity.

I think Abe on the other hand is as oblivious as usual to Topher’s crush, but unlike when Joan had a crush on Abe and would practically confess it over and over while Abe didn’t get it, Topher isn’t going to confess his feelings. He’ll just find excuses to talk to Abe or hang around him even if it’s to be unpleasant because he doesn’t feel he has a shot anyways but at least he can ride on Abe’s back even if Abe finds him annoying, he can use the fact that he is unlikeable to push boundaries to get any attention from Abe.

I think the reason Topher invited Abe to hangout was because he took an immediate interest in Abe when they first met and swapped shoes and Abe showed enthusiasm about learning about Topher’s clone father. It was probably the first time (at least in a long while) someone didn’t look at Topher with disgust and I really think he fell for Abe hard and fast then and there, but it took him a bit to realize that’s what he was feeling towards Abe.

I think Topher would eventually be the one to confess, and I imagine it in a scenario where he’d drive Abe to such a breaking point that Abe would finally try to cut him off for being “toxic” (influenced by Joan because she notices Abe’s lack of boundaries) and Topher would have an internal meltdown about losing Abe from his life so would panic. It’d be a messy confession where he maybe also spills a few fears and insecurities about Abe being this person who he felt was way out of his league.

Abe would be confused at why Topher treated him so bad because he already liked Topher before he started blackmailing him, etc.

I don’t think Abe would know what he feels towards Topher though. I think he does like Topher but never had to analyze his feelings beyond understanding he feels there is good in Topher because he was clearly drawn to him enough to keep hanging around him.

I think Abe’s inability to give an immediate answer would put Topher in a really anxious and fearful position while Abe figures things out. What he feels for Topher is very different than the superficial attraction he had to Cleo or his friendship with Joan. He needs time and space and Topher wouldn’t be good at giving those things now that his secret is out.

Maybe… i’m still tentatively feeling all of this out… i’ll stop there to think on it more. But now I am zzzz

[clonehigh-takes]

sorry gotta send another fandom take

after reading a post on someone’s blog, i truly realized how insane tophabe is. first of all, everyone used to hate abe’s guts in 2020 for the whole cleo and joan thing back in season 1, which was justified. now the 2023 fandom has snapped around and loves abe, which i can see since season 2 is less focused on abe’s selfishness and denseness and instead decides to torture him so the viewers feel bad. this really makes me wonder how many people hated abe during season 1 and now love him in season 2. personally i didnt really hate season 1 abe (i still think the joan and cleo thing was shitty) but i do like abe more after season 2. i think its mostly because of the abe torture and partly because since all the hate is off abe, its finally cool to make and say positive stuff about him

moving onto topher, im not surprised hes popular. even i like him quite a bit (not as much as a lot of other characters though). chronically online short white boy who claims to be straight, his only friend is a boy who he manipulates and blackmails while claiming he has a crush on a girl, said crush having no evidence to prove it unless you squint, and canonically goes to therapy. yeah hes basically van gogh 2.0 where everyone projects onto him and gives him angst that just barely feels in line with the show. i dont hate topher but god damn the fandom really loves him. i made a whole post saying why i think hes so popular but long story short it was most likely because he had gained a fanbase while the show was dropping episodes weekly, and by the time episode 8 came along mostly everyone was too far deep to drop out of liking topher. part of me feels like this may have also happened to abe in season 1 if everyone didnt binge it instead of watching it weekly lmao

and then there’s tophabe itself. tons of fanart and fanfiction, definitely the most popular ship in the fandom atm, even more so than the canon lesbian couple from what ive seen. ive read a bit of tophabe fanfiction since its basically all thats on ao3 at this time, and i find it so interesting that a lot of it have the events of chapter 8 happen. those events have been the most despicable things topher has done, possibly the worst of anyone in the whole show. and many people tend to brush it off, use it as a way to show topher’s supposed crush on abe. what topher did is messed up, and people barely even acknowledge it. whats unfortunate is i can see why, even i dont normally think about how awful topher actually is whenever i think about him. the show itself basically brushed it off in episode 10, something i feel like they definitely shouldnt have done. the oversaturation of tophabe in the fandom also definitely helped wave off topher’s actions

sorry this kinda turned into a rant about topher, so i wont go any further with that. but i find it extremely interesting to see how the fandom has changed from 2020. gone from hating abe for being an indecisive teenager to using topher’s blackmailing attempt as a plot device in their tophabe fanfiction. absolutely astonishing.

okay what in the fucking bible did you just shit into my inbox

[spicedfink]

Someone posted their opinion on tophabe and I'm not going to @ them since people are apparently being weird but it did make me want to voice my tophabe take because tbh it made me feel insecure and like I needed to explain myself because they were right and so real for what they said.

My thing with (s2) episode 8 is first off I can only process parts of it at a time because that episode made me uncomfortable Second is there is one major factors I take in when thinking about tophabe and a few minor factors: The biggest thing is Joan the canon end game love interest as far as we have been shown tried to point blank kill everybody which is objectively worse. As for minor factors I'll use bullet points: - Cleo also manipulates Abe not to that degree but for longer - All the cast are kind of bad people but the show only framed Topher's actions as bad which I found weird when I really thought about it then they said Harriet was a theater kid and I stopped caring about what the writing was meant to convey - Him giving good advice first in s2e8 reminds me of how I used to give a friend of mine bad advice as a joke when they kept ignoring my real advice and for some reason they took my joke advice seriously. - Topher wasn't in the classroom with Abe so he didn't know the teacher had been hitting on him so it feels like he's just making shit up on the spot - I don't see how Topher would have seen this working. Like it shows him being right there when it starts but like how? I know it's just because the plot said so but the actual "go sleep with this gross person" seems more like a "oh Abe would never actually do that" line of thought - like it reads more as "if I can get Abe insecure he won't ask Joan out" then "Abe will defiantly go for this" (still shitty but less) - It's a cartoon and their actions are exaggerated - s2e8 was such a horribly done episode all around that I can't do anything other than cherry pick it - poor mental health is hardly an excuse but man do I believe his therapist isn't doing him any favors (which is why I have his change therapist in my fanfics) - The fact they're still shitty high schoolers meaning they all have the most room for growth and I'm projecting my own journey of because and actual good person and figuring out my sexuality onto him (obviously wasn't his level of shitty but I said dumb shit and did weird emotionally charged things thanks to how I was raised and poor mental health) - Episode 1 of season 2 Topher got the t-rex arms so I attached myself to his character right then and there ("he's autistic just like me") - I like happy things. The show gave a character who they made clear was suppose to be disliked and bullied for being horrible and didn't show him do anything actually that bad until episode 8 out of 10. And before that ranges from normal weird teenager things he'd logically grow out of, trying too hard to be socially accepted and being mentally ill??? Like no. No I'm personally not going to think this character is a horrible person incapable of growth... And this is why my serious non one sided tophabe headcanons are all for when they are older because I really think Topher would, you know grow up and regret his past actions. Also since I see Topher as queer: internalized homophobia and the such are a bitch (speaking from experience)

I don't actually have a good reason for why Abe would like Topher back past I just think it'd be fun. If Abe gets with Joan and is friends with Cleo I think he should still be friends with Topher though

[clonehigh-takes]

rating every clone high ship i can think of because why not

joanfk - 5/10, didnt care in 2021, didnt care during season 2, never really cared at all, rip ort smort and the other joanfk fans tho

joanabe - 0/10, i dont really hate it or have any real opinion on it, but something deep inside of me just goes “no”

cleo x abe - 6/10, i actually kinda liked this one, if cleo and abe werent mutually shallow as hell it could be kinda cool, with cleo being like “i can fix him” and becoming a better person as a result, but we all know how it went in canon

jfgogh - 10/10, awesome, legendary, nostalgic, hilarious, iconic, please see my jfgogh ask for more information

gogh x caesar - 7/10 its kinda silly and i like it

gogh x jesus - 7/10 equally as silly as caesgogh

gogh x caesar x jesus - 8/10 ive seen zero content of them but background polycule from hell sounds hilarious

tophabe - 5/10 i have so many opinions on it so ill say this, the ship and the fandom surrounding it has so many problems but GOD the fanfictions man… theyre too good

joan x harriet - 7/10 i keep forgetting it exists and i havent thought too hard about it but it sounds neat

jfkonfucius - 10/10 please make them interact more in the show i need more content of them before i start making it myself in my head

jfabe - 7/10 it exists and its kinda silly

jfk x ponce - 9/10 i almost forgot about this one but how is there not more content on them, yall are sleeping on this ship including me

tophfk - 5/10 it has fanfiction potential but i dont care about it right now since i havent read a tophfk fic

confucius x topher - 6/10 it gets an extra point because i used to sorta toy with the idea before episode 8 sold me out on topher

confucius x abe - 7/10 do people even ship this??? i remember everyone thought confucius would be abe’s sidekick when the first episode of the reboot was leaked lol they could still be interesting though

confucius x abe x jfk x topher - 9/10 polycule from hell sounds so fucking funny, loses a point because topher is here but thats more just me being salty they sorta brushed the blackmail thing under the rug in the finale

tubfucius - 4/10 i keep forgetting it exists, its kinda cute but it loses a point because the show tried to make the ship name harrucius and i fucking hate that

kahlopatra - 10/10 i was gonna take away a point because it kiiiinda felt like it came out of nowhere because of the lack of buildup in the show, but i cant because theyre too iconic and legendary, the gays finally got a W

frida x harriet - 5/10 i just mentioned this because i saw it one sided in a kahlopatra fic once that made harriet act so uncharacteristically mean that it made me actually like her more (fun fact: that fic also kinda ruined kahlopatra for me a bit but i still love it anyway because the scenes in episode 8 were too funny), outside of that fic it sounds neat i guess

if i missed any ships please tell me so i can judge you, also mod rose please dont try to tag all of these ships unless you want brain damage (i know you wont but still)

not reading or tagging allat 😭🙏