#they werent just a flawed but there is love there relationship it was just straight up unhealthy

[zombinary]

me: oh hey that person uploaded their winter king animatic lets check it out

me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[defiantdreemurrs]

kismesissitude is actually good

i just saw a garbage take about how having a kismesis is apparently "incredibly unhealthy" and never before have i so quickly into someones garbage little essay realized that they have absolutely no idea what theyre talking about. as someone in a genuine kismesissitude i figure i should set the record straight. lets dive into why kismesissitudes are actually pretty healthy and good to have.

for starters, what even *is* a kismesissitude? the very first comparison were given to human relationships is "an especially potent arch-rivalry" (p. 2395). in fact this is basically the *only* explanation of it were actually given aside from an example of a kismesissitude in the form of jack noir and the black queen in their various incarnations across timelines and universes. over time it would be compared to "hate-dating" with caliginous sex often being referred to as just "hate-fucking", but arguably the fanbase has focused primarily on the "hate" aspect.

thats a valid thing to attach to as its the simplest way to explain it to humans. the red quadrants are like love and the black quadrants are like hate. the problem is, the simplest explanation isnt always the most accurate. this is especially so when the very first explanation of it within the text explicitly states that its more akin to an arch-rivalry, without any real mention of just plain hatred, unless you count the initial acknowledgement on page 2393 explaining the quadrant system as a whole expressing that blackrom is "rooted in the strongly negative [feelings]".

so then, if the spades quadrant *isnt* about just hate-fucking and hate-dating, what is it about?

i dont think i need to say it a third time, but i probably should: its a rivalry. your kismesis is not your enemy. they are your rival. they are not just someone you direct all of your negative feelings and emotions towards. they are someone you might *hate* but someone you also *respect* (p. 7490).

this is why gamzee <3< terezi is expressly described as an unhealthy example of blackrom. gamzee doesnt respect terezi. his actions in their relationship are not an example of a healthy kismesissitude but rather a deeply abusive one. in contrast though, vriska <3< tavros is also *not* a good case study of why kismesissitude as a concept is unhealthy but rather just yet another example of an unhealthy spades relationship, though one less due to a lack of respect and more due to karkats likely accurate diagnosis of tavros as being unable to actually summon enough hate for a kismesissitude to even work.

so let me properly explain what a kismesis is. a kismesis is a romantic partner who you in some capacity harbor negative feelings towards who you see as a rival. and what does a rival do? a rival challenges you. a caliginous relationship doesnt have to be particularly hateful even, just focused on challenging each other thru your negative feelings of each other. having a kismesis is about committing to mutual improvement, both of yourselves and each other, by continually providing a challenge for the other to overcome.

this is even supported by the text. look at karkats explanation to june about how having a kismesis who *didnt* "possess any qualities you [admire] on some level" is both boring and wouldnt work. the "essence of black romance" is in how you would honestly really like and get along with your kismesis if it werent for all their "infuriating flaws, and the incredible sense of frustration that causes" (p. 7490).

implying that blackrom is inherently unhealthy and pointing to the literal actual examples of *bad* spades relationships as your evidence is as flawed as pointing to an abusive human relationship and therefore deciding that all human romance is inherently unhealthy and abusive. it betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what youre even talking about. its factually incorrect on a level beyond just being wrong about something. hell its honestly kind of insulting.

kismesissitude is beautiful and healthy as long as you understand what youre getting into and dont rush headfirst into something you genuinely dont even get. its not enough to just hate someone. its not even *about* hating someone. its about *why* you hate them. *why* you feel so strongly negative about them. its about *daring* each other to rise above your faults and learn from them so you can be a stronger, better, healthier person (or non-person if you are not in fact a person).

[lilyfreshwater]

i just want somewhere to rant really quick as i watched 500 days of summer with a friend and halfway i remembered ranboo watching this and i really wish i didnt remember cause then i had ranboo goggles on the rest of the film (where im assuming he out himself in tom and tubbo as summer) i forgot when he watched it but in my head at the time i was PRETTY sure he and tubbo had ended things. But watching it and remembering ranboo's little semi-passicve aggressive review its a bit funny to me.

im gonna spoil things i guess so stop reading now if you dont want that. but basically (atleast in my opinion) you couldnt really pin the blame of their failed relationship on a singular person, you realise tom hadn't really been inl ove with summer he had just liked the version of her in the fantasy he made in his head, he just fell in love with the idea of her and throughout the movie he doesnt listen to her needs, and at the end of the day doesnt truly know her because he had made up a different version of her. Summer on the other hand should had DEFINITELY not have stayed as long as she did, she was dismissive about a serious relationship in the first place and, she struggles with being straightforward and treated him badly causing a strain, you can even say she was leading him on (which i disagree but yknow)

as a viewer, you fall in love with their first interactions, like its straight out of a fairytale, the movie is mainly through tom so you'd villainise her, but they were two people who werent meant for eachother. its also quite telling as summer gets engaged to someone two months later (lol parallels), despite this all your a bit devested they didnt end up together but when you look at the inbetweens they were both imperfect and flawed

damn ur right that pretty much is textbook beeduo. and it also makes sense that ranboo would like the movie because he aligns closely from tom, so he probably felt vindicated watching it

[meloswifeyyy]

Relationship Alphabet

A - Attitude

Who often has the worst Attitude ?

Well, you obviously. Most of the time because you are hungry or you and Melo just got out of an argument. Melo usually fucks the attitude out of you anywhere, anytime tho.

B - Baby

Who wants Babies the most - first ?

Melo. He often jokes about having kids or when you are having sex he would whisper in your ear  “You trynna have my babies?” or  “You boutta have my babies ” when he nuts in you. He says that he wants 3 or more. You only want 2. You arent rushing into it.

C - Crying 

Who Cries the most in the relationship ?

You. You often cry alone when you miss Melo when he is at away games for so long. Or when your BP triggers, Melo would comfort you. When watching sad movies, or when someone you love dies. Tears of joys appear here and there. Or when you get into arguments and Melo says something wrong or disrespectful out of madness.

D - Dates 

Who has the best Date spots ?

Melo. He would often take you to fancy restaurants in L.A or Miami, or wherever you guys went. Or take you shopping at an expensive place. He would do dates at home like watching movies, have you cook dinner because he cant cook for shit, or he would have a bath waiting on you. 

E - Eat 

Who Eats the most ?   

You. You know damn well you cant survive without food. Its the 2nd best thing that has ever happened to you besides life and Melo. Cant even survive a night. If you would wake up in the middle of the night and get hungry and go to kitchen and try to sneak some food without waking Melo up, he would hear it and go to the kitchen and scare you, picking you up over his shoulder with one arm, and with the other putting the food away carrying you back to the bed because its a little to early in the morning to be eating. 

F - Freak 

Who is the Freakiest ?  

Both of you. You being the only girl that can fuck Melo like you do, and being the only girl Melo is sexually, physically, and mentally attracted to no other girl can do it like you.10/10 in bed. Now Melo on the other hand is a demon in bed. His strokes, hitting your G - Spot constantly with you feeling it in your guts. His 9 inch is almost  always on hard when he is around you. And his tongue is crazy, going in and out and on the pearl AT THE SAME TIME. Crazy right. Spelling his name out on you. He loves when you scratch his back up or give him hickeys everywhere. 10000/10. Makeup sex is the best. 

G - Games 

Who wins the most games ?  

Melo. He would always dare you to a game of Call of Duty or Fortnite to see who would win first. And he would always win. When you would play a game of Uno you would often win and he would be mad the rest of the day due to his competitiveness. But any other game he would win.

H - Happy

Who is the Happiest in the relationship ?  

Both of you. You are always happy when you guys are around each other. Even when you guys just got done arguing you are still happy that he is in your presence. Melo on the other hand is always happy with you around him, he loves to cuddle with you. Its one of his favorite thing to do. He just loves that you are in his presence. You are his other half.

I - Irreplaceable

Who is the most Irreplaceable ?  

You would say Melo but Melo would say you. Melo knows how to deal with you more than anyone else does. He knows all your spots and what you like and dont like. He notices all of your flaws and sees the good and beautiful in them. He knows your body, mind, and soul. No man has a better or brighter or bigger smile than him. He always brightens the mood. You on the other hand are different. A big beautiful smile. You know how to deal with Melo when he is sad, looses a game. You can tell when he is lying or telling the truth just by looking through his eyes. You know how to make him happy. You are the best he has ever had.

J - Jaded 

Who gets the most Jaded after doing something ?

Melo. He usually gets really bored after sitting in the house all day. He really wants to leave the house and do something fun but usually its night time and you would be taking a nap or would be sleep. 

K - Kisses

Who gives the most kisses?

Melo. He is always so clingy and that comes with all the kisses in the world. He kisses you all over your face in your sleep, even when you are sleep he gives you kisses. He loves to kiss all over your body.

L - Love

Who fell in love the fastest?

Melo. He had always had a crush on you and everyone knew you were the one for him. You just didn’t know it until you two started dating. He’s always making sure you are good. He loves your hugs. He was the first one to say “I love you”. He want kids you to have all 10 of his kids.

M - Motivation

Who gives the most motivation?

You. When melo is going to a game and is not having a good feeling about it you motivate him to push through it and win for you. 9/10 he will win or get a lot of points for you.

N - Night Owl

Who is more of a Night Owl?

Both of you. Sometimes when his ADHD is on 10 you guys stay up and listen to music, play games, go on ig live, or just fuck for 7 hours straight. Sometimes you have to tell him to got to sleep or put him to sleep (😏) because he has a game tomorrow and needs all the rest and energy he can get. It also the same for you.

O - Oral Sex

Who gives Oral Sex the most?

Melo. Trust me, you give him head a lot and it’s amazing, 10/10. But melo loves giving you head. He loves to spell his name out on you. Loves to see the faces to make you scream and shout. Loves sharing your cream with you (🥲). He loves to climb under the blanket while you are sleep for some breakfast in bed. Maybe even dinner. His lips make it even better. So glad he don’t got them white genes in his lips (😋😭).

P - Perfect

Whos perfect?

Obviously, no ones perfect but God (🙏🏾). But in your eyes no one else is better for you except melo. You couldnt imagine living life without him. Cant imagine what anyones elses kids would look like with you but. No relationship is perfect. Melo sees you as perfect. Your body. Your style. Your personality. He absolutely loves your touch. He loves touch but for you loving your touch is an understatement. He couldnt imagine his kids with anyone else but you. Cant imagine getting married with anyone else. When you guys get into arguments and sleep in seperate rooms. You barely get sleep because all you can think about is each other. How perfect you guys are for one another.

Q - Q? (Cant find a word, Tell me one and ill edit it.)

R - Relate

What traits do you guys have a like each other?

A lot. Both of your favorite food is Chicken tacos. You both love a good game of Uno. You both love sex. Duhh. Both of you guy’s love language is touch. Love playing fortnite together. Love listening to music and taking drives together. Both love lil uzi (we pretending yall💀). Just in general you guys are very alike.

S - Sex

(No question for this one lol. Y’all already know how we is round hea nahhmeannn😭)

The sex. Omgggg. The first time you and melo had sex was. So amazing. Can’t ever forget that moment. Melo is always so horny. Morning sex is the best. Sometimes a little top at the red light can turn into a few rounds in back of the McDonalds parking lot. Lucky enough all his windows tinted as hell. Or in the Victoria’s Secret fitting rooms. You guys could be listening to Chris Brown and he would really take you down, fuck you back to sleep, switch up the tempo, or make you wet the bed (i’m laughing hard ash). The hickeys. The high sex. Drunk sex (drunnnnkkk in lovvveee). Car sex. Balcony sex. All over the house sex ( i got bars.) Mad sex and Make up sex. I could go on. Sex with me so amazinggggg. (i was listening to this song while writing this one💀😫😫😫)

T - Trips

Who likes taking trips internationally?

Melo. He love to take you and a yearly or even monthly vacay. Just you and him. Turks and Caicos. Bora Bora. Jamaica. Iceland. Japan. Africa. Anywhere where you can get away from the world. The different places. The hotels. Being able to fuck anywhere and everywhere. The pools. The different air. (united states ait is so boring). The new food. The animals. You guys love the new places. He loves to see you happy and with a smile on your face.

U - U (Cant find a word, Tell me one and ill edit it.)

V - V (Cant find a word, Tell me one and ill edit it again.)

W - Right the Wrongs

Who rights their wrongs after an argument?

Usually it would be you first. If you said something that was out of pocket or melo didnt like you woukd quickly apologize. He would forgive you and still cuddle and kiss you and stuff because thats what he does. Tease you. But he would ignore you until he actually forgave you in his head. Melo would apologize and give you some bomb ass d for and apology. Or make that cute face that you can’t resist.

X - (Can’t find a word for X. Give me a suggestion and i will edit it)

Y - Young

Who acts like a Young ass child?

Both of you actually. That’s what makes you love each other the most. The laughs and jokes, the tv shows, everything you could think of. It’s nothing wrong with it at all. Y’all are always gonna bust a joke out at the right time. Maybe sometimes even the wrong time. (damn, double homicide). You guys love laughing with each other.

Z - ZZZ

Who has the worst sleeping habits?

Probably Melo. If you scooted over him even a little bit, he would probably scoot back closer to you or pull you back over to him. And the only con of that is he snores a lot. (Why this nigga snore with his mouth open?🤨💀). Sometimes if he was awake and you werent he would kiss all over you. He loves to lay on your 🍒.

Y’all welcome. I haven’t pose the one of these in a minute. This took me a whole month and a half. I’m tired as hell. 💀

[wickedpact]

Dear Wicked: ok Tumblr ate my ask so hope I didn't send this twice. didn't know today's Shakespeare's birthday! To commemorate Shakespeare , would you kindly share you thoughts on which sonnets might Joe (very grudgingly) find to have some smidgen of artistic merit? (or actually any sonnets that you want to discuss. I love your sonnet annotation). Do you think Nicky still likes any of his plays after so many yrs? BTW your Python programming is some inspired poetic coding. - FY Anon

on the sonnets i like: my favorite sonnet (#20) is actually one that i find kind of cringey to read but i like it bc (imo) i think its the one that most explicitly proves that shakespeare’s feelings for the FY werent platonic. (soooooo many shakespeare enthusiasts try to claim that the relationship btwn the FY and willy boi was a ‘father-son’ relationship simply bc shakespeare tried to encourage the FY to get married, & bc theres no evidence of any sexual acts happening between them. how . ,. ... heterocentric imo)

but anyways,

A woman’s face with nature’s own hand painted, Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion; A woman’s gentle heart, but not acquainted With shifting change, as is false women’s fashion

here shakespeare pretty extensively compares the FY to a woman. (you have a woman’s face, though not painted/artifical like most women’s, you have a woman’s ‘gentle heart’ but not a woman’s fickleness/falseness). theres a lot of ways you can interpret ‘master-mistress of my passion’ but allow us to continue before you come to any conclusions about that

And for a woman wert thou first created; Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting, And by addition me of thee defeated, By adding one thing to my purpose nothing. But since she prick’d thee out for women’s pleasure, Mine be thy love and thy love’s use their treasure. 

(Mother Nature initially made you as a woman, though as she was creating you, she fell in love with you. so she added one thing to you (a dick) and by doing so ‘defeated’ me. but since Mother Nature ‘prick’d thee out for woman’s pleasure’ --YES pun intended-- your love is mine and your female lovers get your dick/body)

im going to skip over all of the obvious sexism, heterocentrism and cis-centrism

personally i try to avoid applying labels to dead people (as labels are about self-identity! a man could have sex with ten thousand other men, and if he identifies as straight then im not gonna call him anything but. and dead people are too dead to identify with anything) but i think this poem really gives you a glimpse of how.. ... confused shakespeare was. this entire argument of ‘I love you but youre a man and therefore can only have sex with women’ is obviously very flawed in a lot of ways and probably explains how odd the way shakespeare speaks of the FY is.

is the situation ‘you are feminine therefore i find you desirable’? or is it ‘you are desirable and therefore i am viewing you through a lens of femininity because thats what i associate with desire’? i mean he even talks about mother nature ‘changing’ the FY to a man because she desired him-- and shakespeare does the same, but doing the opposite and viewing the FY through a lens of femininity. he seems to have this strict idea that sexual/romantic trysts can only happen in m/f pairs, so he hops back and forth between these almost-sexual and mostly-platonic sentiments for the FY in the same way he hops back and forth between viewing the FY as a masculine presence and a feminine one. the phrase ‘master-mistress of my passion’ seems to really exemplify this mind state. rip william.

in terms of sonnets joe likes, imo i think he would be more for the ones that arent about like. . .. marriage or jealousy. or both at the same time

this one is more just complimentary towards the FY rather than snide or commanding or jealous or.... just weird. (#105)

Kind is my love to-day, to-morrow kind, Still constant in a wondrous excellence; Therefore my verse to constancy confined, One thing expressing, leaves out difference. Fair, kind, and true, is all my argument, Fair, kind, and true, varying to other words; And in this change is my invention spent, Three themes in one, which wondrous scope affords. Fair, kind, and true, have often lived alone, Which three till now, never kept seat in one. 

(my love is constantly kind, therefore my writing is confined to this constant thing. all i write about is fairness (as in beauty) kindness and trueness (as in faithfulness). the variety i use to talk about these three things is all i use my creativity/’invention’ for. until the FY, those three traits have never existed in one person at the same time)

this one is sweet imo, & i bet joe would just have to be like

[titsthedamnseason]

I agree with you guys so much about the like us series... I mean I mostly liked moffy’s books - Farrow felt more like a fully realised character than the other love interests and his relationship with moffy actually changes moffy and helps him become a better version of himself.... But the rest of the books just aren’t as compelling to me - I don’t really feel like Jane or Sulli have any major flaws or issues to overcome as characters, and their relationships don’t make them better or make them grow the way that the addicted ones (or even marrow’s) do.... idk but I think what makes me so obsessed with the core six is how they consistently helped eachother to change in such huge ways... and jane’s and sulli’s relationships just don’t bring you on that journey? They’re kind of flat? They also don’t feel like they have enough history or build-up or evidence to carry how in love they’re all supposed to be. Still love all the group scenes and family dynamics and absolutely foaming at the mouth for Charlie + Beckett books tho.

yes! again, it’s not to say marrow is perfect but i do think they are levels above the other couples of the series. i think they actually make sense together and have an entertaining dynamic, their banter is fun to read at the very least but on top of that i do think they have an actually good love story as well. theyre so believable together and you can completely understand what would draw them together and make them fall in love

as for the others.....it was clearly just a cheap way for them to drag out the series without putting in actual thought to the relationships. they didn’t want to create a larger cast that would be too hard to follow so they grouped together all the bodyguards and just made them love interests which was problematic for many reasons, least of all that they just ended up being cardboard cutouts. and i totally agree on the insta love feel! i think at least jane and thatcher at least had their fake dating/fwb stage to fall for each other but sulli’s books felt so sudden to me i remember reading wlu and feeling like i was missing something, and then starting flu and feeling like i had missed even more because all of a sudden they were in this earth shattering love and i was like?? it’s only been like 2 days mates calm down??

i think at the most you could believe the characters starting relationships but they definitely missed a lot of beats with jumping straight from first kiss to love of their life type of love. it’s just strange and doesn’t let you appreciate or believe in the love story. especially if you’re going to give them so many books, you have nothing but time to let the relationship evolve! i don’t get the rush! i do think marrow had the best relationship progression that felt both accurate for the characters and actually the timing of a realistic couple

i think one of the main issues with the kids as characters is probably their entitlement? although that isn’t exactly the right word. it’s hard to explain but although the addicted characters were rich, they had real struggles to contend with surrounding their mental states, being abruptly thrown into the media, brutal public perception, parental issues, etc etc. it’s not to say they weren’t also spoiled rich kids, but you could also see and relate to their struggles because they felt very real.

as for the like us kids....although they are famous, because they had a much better upbringing it then becomes hard for the authors to draw upon something the kids can internally struggle with and what i’ve always found very odd is how kbr settled on this sort of wealth guilt? like all the kids acknowledge their status and privilege and wealth but they constantly feel bad for having it and don’t know what to do with it? it’s just strange because i think in addicted they never pretended to be anything but rich and it was fine but these kids almost wish they WERENT? it’s complicated to explain but the new generation’s relationship with money really gets on my nerves like omg be grateful for what you have, dont work a day in your life, and try your best not to rub it in our faces that’s literally all you need to do

[ik it seems impossible since this is the Longest Response Ever but i did end up deleting a paragraph here about friendships i like that i will try my best to recreate! basically, i think moffy and jane have a pretty solid/cute friendship, i find the yale boys very enjoyable to read about, i think the hale siblings have great bonds (although i am admittedly very biased), and i think moffy and sulli at least deserve a mention. beyond that, there isn’t much to say for notable like us friendships that we’ve gotten to see so far. i think the biggest difference from the addicted series is that with that series you get to see all the characters actually decide to be friends, whether after meeting for the first time or rekindling long lost bonds, and at they end of the day they all truly enjoy spending time together. they make each other stronger and in every scene you can see how deeply they care about each other and prioritize the others’ happiness and lives. they constantly joke around and are always there to support each other and by the end of the series every single one of them knows the others so well. in comparison, it feels like the like us friend groups are being forced together. for more than half the series a bunch of them have literally LIVED together and they barely hang out and when they do it reads as awkward. they never get the natural progression of the core six and it’s bc kbr put too much stock in the concept that the kids grew up together and got lazy with that excuse rather than fostering actual relationships (like i’m sorry but what even is the seasons i’ve never read a more awkward friend group). i think there’s so much tension between so many characters and while some of them are family, a lot of them are not and even when they are, it’s like?? then why spend time together?? if it’s just going to be tense and strained and cause drama then why be around each other 😭 just find better friends ✋]

they definitely made a lot of odd choices with friendships in the books. for example, luna and sulli supposedly get a lot closer in the series but since that happened during moffy and jane’s books we never get a first hand account of that and are just supposed to take their word for it. but then luna was barely even in sulli’s books? and beckett and sulli are supposedly meant to be best friends but right before sulli’s book they have a cataclysmic fight and aren’t speaking? and i know it’s because we’re supposed to be rooting for them to make up during sulli’s books but it’s hard to be invested in a relationship reigniting when you never saw a foundation of it in the first place. i have a feeling i would have adored their friendship if we had ever gotten a proper chance to see it. and i think luna, tom, and elliot seem like great friends and highly entertaining to read but we also have barely seen them yet so i’m keeping my fingers crossed that they won’t do me wrong in luna’s books (i’m putting A LOT of pressure on the luna books if i’m being honest 😭)

all in all i think what this boils down to is kbr putting to much weight on the familial status of the characters. rather than taking actual time to build or show previously established friendships, they just want us to trust that These Characters Are Family And They Love Each Other Very Much They Are Great Friends and it just ends up falling flat

IM SORRY THIS RESPONSE IS AGES LONG AND PROBABLY NONSENSICAL AT THIS POINT BC IM VERY TIRED AND KEPT ACCIDENTALLY DELETING KEY POINTS BUT THANK YOU FOR SENDING THIS ASK ILY

[obstinaterixatrix]

would you recommend buying/playing hiveswap rn? I only got into homestuck recently so I don't have years of hype buildup forcing me to be invested, and while the game looks super cute and promising it also seems p short? idk if I want to get hooked on act 1 and then have to wait ages with not much content sustaining me before anything more. I've also heard stuff about bugs that's making me wary, so since your blogging got me to play and love nitw and oxenfree I thought I'd ask what you think

Oh! I’m deffo not the best to ask for an Unbiased Opinion because while the game is buggy, I was definitely more patient with it than anyone coming in with less hype/context bc I was very :^) remember how :^) the odd gentlemen :^) screwed over hiveswap development :^) which probably played no small part in the gigapauses :^) that happened towards the end of homestuck :^) I sure do :^)

The game itself can take a very short time - folks say it’s probably 1-2 hours if you don’t do any checking or dancing or any of that stuff. I feel like it’s better to play it than to watch a let’s play, because all the content is in the text. However, if you’re super not a fan of point and click - or basically, if the openbound sections of homestuck Werent Your Jam - it might not be the right game for you.

(I couldn’t see a lot of the cutscenes, actually, because of the bugs, but tbh I’m looking forward to speeding through the game after a patch because my first playthrough took REALLY LONG on account of me doing every single thing I possibly could - a more bare-bones playthrough could be an interesting experience too, wrt actually following the urgency of the atmosphere instead of dicking around with item combos while your new bff is dying)

(that’s how it works, right?? patches??? game fixed??? I’m pretty sure that’s a thing)

Since a lot of the creative team has been involved with the fandom, I have a bit more trust in the writing (tasteless jokes in interviews aside, /cohen/). I mentioned the whole ‘glad the hiveswap writing team knows its core audience as gay and hates dads’ as kind of a joke, but kinda not. There’s already a convo that talks a little around Compulsory Heterosexuality, in that, oh, wait, maybe these assumptions aren’t immutable truth? Whether or not Joey Claire’s sexuality is addressed in the game, there’s already a lot of obvious hints to her being Not Straight, and we got a character who’s explicitly Not Straight. Hiveswap Knows Its Audience.

Joey Claire’s a real interesting protagonist because, as you learn from examining everything with every possible object and sometimes dancing, she’s very straightforward and self-aware. She acknowledges the roles people play in her life, and how that makes her feel - especially when that feeling is Not So Great. It’s very obvious she’s a kid, even though she’s had to mature in certain ways because of certain family situations. Even for more positive relationships, she doesn’t ignore more complicated aspects - not even internally, when it’s her own jealousy/insecurities she’s thinking about. She’s also really direct in acknowledging when she’s wrong, and immediately adjusting to like… Be Better. What I think is interesting about Joey is that we’re clearly introduced to her after she’s done a lot of thinking and reflecting - she’s done a lot of development on her own, even if she has a lot more to do, which makes her a very engaging and interesting character. And actually, near the end of this act is probably my favorite conversation because it directly addresses something Homestuck really skirted around. Or, some characters directly addressed it (Dave), but other characters (Tavros and Rose) were definitely thrown under the bus in that respect.

(I also think the writers framed it pretty well for potential development; the way it’s been written, I’d accept development/redemption for a certain character, but I can just as easily see it resolving in certain characters going separate ways. I can also see how it could be handled extremely shitty, but I’m gonna allocate One Trust to this game.)

ANYWAY, this ended up being a love letter to joey claire. And I think the game does a really good job in delivering a solid vibe for her based on all the flavor text and stuff, so *if* you’re prepared to be patient with some technical flaws (or to wait for the patch[?]) I really do think it’s worth it! It’s a little more of a ‘weird visual novel’ than a puzzling sorta game at the moment, which may change in later acts towards a more puzzle-type direction. Or maybe not! In any case, it feels like a very Homestuck experience. A pg-13 homestuck experience. And even though what’s thought of as 'the homestuck fandom’ has slowed, I do think there’s going to be a bunch of fan content, so having the context of the game wouldn’t just be languishing on the coast of radio silence island. there’s absolutely going to be meta, there’s going to be speculation, there’s going to be content, and imo it’s nice to have context for that!

Also, last note, additional biases: I love paper’s art! I’ve always loved the bean style! shelby’s contributions! like seeing an old friend! And I’ve been following james roach for a while because I love his music - every time there was anything vaguely ska or brassy in hiveswap, I was like, oh, james was here. and of course, I’m a huge fan of toby fox’s stuff. So like, if nothing else, those names would’ve always grabbed me. If clark powell was also composing, I might’ve bought the game twice.

[survivorelsalvador]

Richie’s Jury Responses

austin: austin: Okay austin here’s the TEA! Your vote out wasn’t random, it definitely wasn’t because you’re new, and there was a lot of thought and logic and reasoning put into it….. At the one premerge tribal we went to me you ashton lily formed a group and we were trying to decide who to vote out and you expressed disinterest in voting out dana which is cool you said you liked her and that was it because willa got evaced

At the merge boot it looked like it was going to be a 5-5 vote with nicholas/zak/willow/dana/josh voting out ashton and then me/you/chips/lily/ashton voting out josh +kai doing whatever kai was going to do lmao

Veryyyy shortly before the vote lily came to me and said [6/30/17, 9:41:28 PM] Lily Douma: Austin is throwing us under the bus... [6/30/17, 9:41:34 PM] Lily Douma: Told Dana I'm voting for josh

So based on my perception and the information i had been collecting it seemed like you had a relationship with dana and your loyalty to me and “our side” was in question and if 20 minutes before the vote i’m told that youre going to people we weren’t working with and telling them our plan then it would make sense that youre not with us and youre not going to vote with us so a 6-4 vote with me being in the minority was possible and looking more and more realistic.. At that point i knew that i needed to play the idol to save ashton and my reasoning behind voting you out was because all signs were pointing to you were not with me so if you stayed in the game you would not only be a number for the other side but you would be someone who had previously been working with us and had receipts and information that could be used against me so taking you out right then would be smarter so at the last minute i chose what i thought was the most logical game move………….. When the votes were read i saw that you did in fact vote josh out and i had a mini panic attack lmao but yeah there was definitely reasoning behind it i thought you were playing both sides and your actions were making me perceive that you werent committed to working with us so thats why you left… i’m not saying this with any tone btw im not bragging about this being a good move or anything i’m just answering the “why” so that you have the closure and understanding on what was going on in my mind and what went down that lead to you getting voted out

Okay so I know that this was your first tumblr survivor game and im sorry that it ended so abruptly and came so out of nowhere you did deserve better i hope that this experience doesnt spoil your view on tumblr survivor orgs and i know that you need to keep up with wearing your retainers because its important to keep your teeth in tact so that all the money you spent on braces doesnt go to waste learn from my mistakes!!!!!

Josh:

Austin: charlie brown bc nice and genuine but in this game you got shitted on it was very much the defeated womp womp charlie brown 

Josh: Finn from adventure time, knows how to kick ass but still likes to have fun Willow: Rory Gilmore, really nice and smart but more complex of a human than that Zak: tbh anyone from it’s always sunny in philadelphia bc youre hilarious and messy and crackedt but somehow still loveable even though theres no real reason for you to be <3 Nicholas: leslie knope i feel like youre super involved in the org community and youre passionate and a little crazy but still fun loving Dana: Annalise Keating from how to get away with murder, bad ass who will say and do anything to get her way and looks great doing it Lily: this was the easiest one for me the second i read your question this was the first one to pop in my head okay if you’re young you might not get this reference but watch this iconic character in tv history sweet kind adorable but watch out when she’s mad lmao https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsBN9lvmjac

Willow: Hey, Willow! Whatsup? I loved you in one world, but when we got to merge we ended up on opposite sides and during the early stages of merge i tried to keep my distance so that i would avoid being overly deceitful which would likely lead to more bitter feelings of personal betrayal should i make it to the finals. Everything I did in this game was calculated and fueled by logic and reasoning based on my perception, but that doesn’t mean that I played a flaw free perfect game, I’m definitely a self aware bitch and I know that I can be a little cracked’t. Obviously everything worked out to the point where I got to the final 3 so I can’t say that I would do anything differently, however to answer your question, I would say that my biggest mistake would have to be the timing of voting out Austin. There were many things that lead me to making the decision to take him out at that moment in the game, but when the votes were read and I saw that despite all the red flags, he had voted the way he told us he was going to. Okay, now to answer your general questions! This isn’t a good jury favor pageant answer but tbh my favorite part of this game was making the movie poster, I love being creative and storytelling so I just had such a fun time making that. If I were in the jury, so that would make this a final 2 of Chips and Ashton? Right? Is that what you meant? You can’t answer me right now this is a one way conversation I’m having with myself…. But in a f2 of Chips and Ashton, I would vote for Chips.  If I weren’t here and I had to pick only one person to be in the finals, I would choose Dana because I think she played one hell of a game. A minor move of mine was during the premerge one world stage. I made sure to try to make somewhat of an impression of people not on my tribe, like Zak Willow Nicholas and Josh, by having at least one brief conversation that coming at merge we wouldn’t be complete strangers, but not too much that I came off as a strong social threat. Okay, I think that I answered all your questions, I hope I did and I hope that my punctuation usage made this easier for you to read because I’ve gotten so many complaints about this before, I type like I think and speak which is just one nonstop cracked rambling with absolutely no structure asdfdsfhjasdfj i tried really hard for you lmao

Zakriah: ICONIC QUESTION kelly wiglesworth 1-10 jury question teas wow…. Okay 3 genuine compliments about you 1) i’m a self centered narcissistic bitch and i think i’m hilarious BUT when we shared the title for best sense of humor in touchy subjects i was like okay true he’s worthy i’m not mad about that 2) this is like our 5th game together but realistically our second game where we’ve interacted and it’s easy to see that youre a well rounded player who knows how to integrate yourself with people you display game sense and ability without coming off as a big threat that needs to be targeted 3) i literally can never tell if you actually hate me or if we’re friends or enemies or frenemies but despite that i still really like you and want to be your friend even if you hate me and idk why so good job on misting me i guess????

nicholas: Kiiiiiiiiiiiing i cant believe youre making me have to chooose ahhhhhh i mean theres just so many for so many different occasions but wow okay i think nothing has ever been as iconic as this http://68.media.tumblr.com/2da6f1baef40ca34d8d800938ba6e940/tumblr_of3p98IyeO1vzwwmeo4_250.gif

dana: Dana queen legendary icon the night you left i knew you were leaving (despite the valiant effort you put into trying to get me and ashton to vote with you and you almost had ashton so thanks for making me put in just that much more work to talk him down from it) but at that point out of respect for you and your game i just was like straight up ill be real with you because you deserve it… and because i knew you were leaving so building you up a little before you go to jury couldnt have hurt ;) BUT FOR REAL the things you did in this game left me shook over and over and over the way you speak and your ability to lay out valid strategic arguments that make it seem like they dont even benefit you its just all about the person youre talking to’s best interest…. Incredible and mesmerizing i LIVE for a binch that doesnt quit and your stamina and determination is truly incredible and ill say all this to you after the game and forever so dont think this is pandering because youve earned your Bad Ass badge for life

lily: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ sorry <3

[skiasurveys]

1. Would you date someone who smokes? -Its not a deal breaker, but i rather him not smoke. except weed thats ok. 

2. Would you date someone who was addicted to drugs? - No way. If we had been dating for a while and then i found out he was on drugs like crazy i would get him thr help he needs, but i dont mess with that crowd.

3. Would you date the same sex? - No, I’m straight. 4. What’s your biggest turn off? - Arrogance  5. What’s your biggest turn on, physically? - strong arms/hands, tall, and facial hair 6. Where would you go on a first date? - Honestly I dont really care. I usually like somewhere chill where we can talk, but i hate when they spend lots of money on me. 7. Most hurtful relationship? - I dont know really, jack was kind of shitty but wasnt exactly hurtful. Tanner was shitty though cause he never really made plans and i just dumped him cus it was shitty and pointless.

8. Ever regretted breaking up with someone? -at first when i dumped tanner i felt bad cause i liked him but then i got over him quickly, we werent dating long. glad im with connor now. 9. Have you ever dated someone more than once? - welllll technically.. I dated Connor back in 2015..for like 11 days..and then we broke up, didnt talk for like 2 weeks, hung out again, he said he liked me a lot still, but i was in a bad place and was like nah. Skip 5 months (this is april 2016 at the time) later I texted him one day, and we started to talk again and in May of 2016 we started Dating, and weve been dating since then. So i guess kind of, but it wasnt like we had a relationship before.. 10. Do you miss any of your exes? -no 11. What’s your biggest turn on, NOT physically? -affectionate and romantic 12. Are you single now? - No

13. What is the sweetest thing someone you dated did for you? - Theres tons, one being when he held me for hours as i cried because of anxiety....Sleep behind a couch for 7 months cus he didt want to move away from me. theres a lot more though.. 14. Last time you got flowers? - I’ve never gotten flowers but i dont like flowers. 15. Are you ready to get into a serious relationship right now? - I am already in a serious relationship as of now 16. Do you like cuddling? - Yes

17. Do you hold grudges? - I only do if it was serious 18. Do you regret dating anyone? - Dylan. i dated him after i first broke up with connor. everyone liked dylan and i thought i did too. NEWS FLASH DONT DATE PPL CUS EVERYONE SAYS TOO!!! and Connor told me he still liked me but I was too ignorant to care. I regret every moment. Dylan and Mines relationship was pointless, we didnt get along that well, i didnt connect at all with him either 19. Hugs or kisses? - both 20. Missing someone? - Yes .21. Most important lesson you have learned from dating? -  dont be with someone because they like you, dont do anything in a relationship if youre not comfortable, dont date someone because everyone likes them. and do not say I love you because they said it.  22. What does it take to get you on a date? - Flirt with me, make me laugh, get to know me a little. 23. Are you happier single or in a relationship? - relationship 24. What’s the most important thing in a relationship? -Companionship, trust, commitment.  25. What would make you break up with someone? - If he cheated on me, if i stopped liking him,etc 26. Have you ever loved someone who did not love you back? -I wouldnt say love. 27. Favorite ex? - I dont have a fav ex LOL 28. How important are looks? - I love this question because everyone gets so awkward. I do believe Looks are very important, I will not date someone i find ugly. but i might find someone meh looking and then get to know them and start to like them. But I would only be with someone i find pleasing. Obvs personality too.. i wouldnt want to date someone who thought i was ugly. 29. How do you know when you are in love? - You just know. You look at them in a different way then you did before. They inspire you to be a better person. You can look past all the flaws and see who they really are. Its just a thing you know. 30. Do you consider yourself shy? - No really. 31. Would you rather date someone who was hot or someone who was nice? -well i wouldnt want a hot asshole.. 32. If someone cheated on you, would you take them back if you really loved them? - No. I think i would be too fucked up over it I could never trust them again either. 33. Have you ever been ashamed of anyone you were dating? - no 34. Do you currently want to date? - I dont need to date since im in a relationship. 35. Thing that made you the happiest today? - just connor teasing me 36. Would you ever date anyone your parents disapproved of? -  depends on why she hated him 37. Do you stay friends with the people you date? - I have tried with a few, it usually just goes no where but i never try to end relationships sour cus i still want to talk to them 38. Favorite memories with an ex? - I dont have a fav memory with a ex.

39. Would you fight over someone you wanted to be with? - well if he was with someone else, no i wouldnt be a dick. 40. Do you kiss on the 1st date? - I have before, i dont see the huge deal. 41. Would you date someone A LOT older or younger than you? - depends. my current BF is 6.5 years older but honestly thats as far as i could go. I wouldnt want to be with someone too old cause theyre in a different spot in their life. .42. Have you ever been lied to? - sure. 43. Ever been cheated on? Not that i know. 44. Do you think the word love is over used? - No. But i do think people use it too freely and think they love someone/thing when they dont.

[saintkimora]

ok, here is part 2 of the relationship stuff that happened from thursday to today. its taken so long bc ive been so tired w work and my emotions and stuff so i just havent had the energy but now i do. again caleb i would prefer if you didnt read this but i cant really stop you so just do what you want i guess

so i left off w the confrontation in the middle of a field. so i asked caleb a question i was like “be honest, did you cheat on me?” and i told him about how leeann told me he reinstalled grindr a few weeks ago and met this new guy who is named ray. caleb told me his side of the story. it was that he reinstalled grindr just to reconnect w some of his old friends. i asked why he didnt just have their phone numbers already but he said he doesnt give out his phone number that easily. so the grindr part was resolved, his justification made sense. i would have preferred if he just told me when he did it though bc if he just told me in the first place that he reinstalled grindr to talk to old friends i prob wouldve been ok with it, the fact that he hid it was what seemed shady to me

then his explanation of hooking up w a guy before he picked me up to resolve our issue on tuesday night. so it turns out he was actually hanging out w a friend from grindr named dan and they just hung out and played video games. i believed him. leeann said she had just assumed he was hooking up w him so in this case calebs story was acceptable. i mean caleb never offered to play video games with me smh but whatever idc if all they did was play video games im fine w that, i dont want to be stereotypical and say that two gay guys cant just be friends and hang out so i accept his story with dan

but then i found out about ray. ray was a guy that he just met on grindr that he was talking to and was interested in. that part hurt. he said he never met up w him in person though so that was good. i asked about how leeann said he compared me and ray and like highlighted all my personality flaws and he confirmed that yes, that conversation did happen :( he said the flaws he brought up were the same ones he said to me on our tuesday night talk, that i had no work ethic, no real goals, etc. idk why he thinks im just some flop bc i do have clear goals in life since ive literally been set on being a doctor since like 11th grade. i dont want to be a doctor tbh but its still my goal so its not like im just aimless. anyways idk it upset me a lot that he was like weighing the options between me and ray bc ive never like compared him to another guy. he admitted he was wrong talking to ray though and he apologized so i appreciate that he knows he was wrong to do that 

so that was p much it. basically leeann didnt really have ALL of her facts straight. i was still unhappy w what he told me obviously but he apologized and thats whats most important to me tbh. after that i felt a lot better, bc my breathing was kinda labored the entire day bc i was so nervous so my breathing returned to normal and my appetite returned 

so then the rest of the date was nice. we picked up his friend brian so it was the 4 of us and we got tutti frutti. leeann stayed in the car so it just the 3 of us sitting there eating it but then something a little unsettling happened. i was just sitting there enjoying the company and enjoying the snack and brian was like “you could cut the tension with a knife” and we were like theres no tension and brian was like “nvm...awkward silence is the right term” and that really caught me off guard. like i was just sitting there relaxing and enjoying myself and i didnt even know i was being awkward. like it just really reaffirmed how i feel like so disconnected from most people like not to be like “im so special and different” but i really do feel like i dont fit in like i dont know how to interact with people except for on a very surface level and so even though he didnt know it, brians little comment really affected me and made me feel really alone and isolated

so then we went to the boardwalk and it was cold but nice. again i dont do very well in groups but it was alright. it was like a huge burden off my shoulders knowing that i had resolved things with caleb, or so i thought

so that was on thursday. i havent seen him since but we have been texting and talking on the phone and stuff. it seems the issues havent been completely resolved. im still not really sure what exactly we are fighting about but im p sure we can get through it. like i just had some questions left to be answered 

for example, his explanation and leeanns explanations werent adding up about ray. like leeanns message made it seem like he was talking about her to ray on monday, which means that he was talking to ray by monday the latest. but he said he didnt talk to ray until after he broke up w me, which was on tuesday. i asked him and he said leeann just had her days mixed up. it is certainly possible that leeann did have her days mixed up. but kim told me she thinks hes still lying bc he doesnt wanna admit that he was talking to ray before he ended things with me. it is v possible that im kinda blinded by love which is why i have kim, so she can kinda keep me grounded, just like idil and peter do. but overall im choosing to believe caleb bc ive already told him i just want him to be honest w me and i dont think he would be so disrespectful to just continue to lie to me

and like im still trying to process everything. tonight he said that if i bring this stuff up to him one more time past tonight hes just gonna walk away and i dont want that to happen so i guess we are done discussing these issues. he sent me a really nice text last night and he was v nice in person on thursday but he can also get kinda hostile and mean over text, such as in his texts to me tonight. i dont know if he means to come off like this, which is why i wish we could stop discussing serious things over text and save them for when we are in person

so yeah, basically, on thursday we fixed most of the issue but i still had some doubts but after tonight i dont really think i have any. i still really care for him which i why i hate having drama with him and i feel bad bc i feel like i keep dragging it bc every time i think our relationship is fixed but then another new question creeps into my mind and i have to ask which leads to drama. so i feel like i just keep ruining everything but i dont know how to stop and it just sucks

[groundramon]

For the send a character... Pidge?

First impressionMy first experience with Pidge was seeing her on the front page of Wysp.  I liked the art and the character looked cool, but I had no idea who she were (nor what her gender was because…well, that’s an entire plot point in the series lmfao) and I honestly just assumed she was an OC.  But then I saw someone else draw her and I was like “wait a minute…who is this character and what are they from bc I wanna see it” (still didnt know their gender)

Impression nowPIDGE IS EVEN BETTER WITH CONTEXT I love pidge…a lot…precious pidgeon child.  Giving a more formulated response, Pidge is in my opinion one of the two best characters from Voltron (tied with Shiro, with Allura somewhere nearby behind and Keith behind that) because she has an established motivation, backstory, and distinct flaws and good personality traits despite being a genius who isn’t a dick.  She also has quite a few personality quirks, which can do wonders to make a character more relatable even if they arent a great character (which Pidge is, but you know what I mean).  Lance and Hunk, ‘least in my opinion, dont have much in the way of motivations nor backstory.  Keith was given the barebones of a backstory in season 2, but it should’ve been established in season 1 how much he knew about his home life if they wanted to play that card.  Because right now, I dont know how much he knows/remembers.  Am I supposed to assume he has some kind of amnesia?  WHY WERENT THESE THINGS ESTABLISHED??  But this isn’t the place for my grips with 3/5ths of the voltron team lmao, so I’ll leave it at that.  I have tons more I could say, but yeah-  Pidge has the best of Lance and Hunk (can take a joke, can make a joke, has a likeable/relatable personality), the best of Shiro and Keith (one hell of a backstory, a lot of mystery and potential surrounding it, can call out Lance on his shit when need be), and the best of Allura and Coran (proper motivations, plus I’d say Allura’s a decently well-rounded character as well.  Her personality just doesnt pop as much as the paladins’.  Coran falls into the same role as Lance and Hunk, but he does have an excuse since he’s clearly a comic relief.  But Sokka was also a comic relief so that’s not a very good excuse.)

Favorite momentThat one time in the season 1 episode where she was playing with a robot while all the other paladins were talking about something important.  She seemed so happy, I love

Idea for a storyMmmmmmMMMM I’d love for Pidge’s relationships with the other paladins to be explored.  I dont really know what Pidge thinks of Keith or Lance, and the most I can do is assume her opinions of Coran, Shiro, and Hunk.  (Her opinions of Coran and Shiro are clear enough I suppose, but I’d love to see more development.  Any development of Coran is greatly welcomed, and I love Shiro and Pidge’s brother-sister relationship ;-; but the most I’ve seen of Hunk and Pidge is hanging out without any establishment of how much they like each other.  Since they’re both engineers, I can assume that they like one another, but whether they’re good friends or just kinda acquaintances is beyond me.)  I dont really have any ideas for Pidge and Keith or Pidge and Lance, since I know nothing about their opinions of one another other than Pidge likes to yell at Lance for being a flirt.  But I dont know, send them off on a mission together, make them bond damn it.  A scene developed to establishing Pidge’s relationship with Coran and/or Hunk would be pretty easy, though; maybe the three of them are working on a machine together and they have a heart-to-heart?  I dunno, something like that.  I cant think of any ideas for Shiro and Pidge’s relationship being developed either, but it’d probably have something to do with her father and brother.

Unpopular opinion…Does my opinion on Lance/Hunk/Keith that I expressed earlier in this writing count? //shot// because everyone loves Pidge and I do too so I dont think I have any unpopular opinions about her lmao

Favorite relationshipPidge and Shiro!!  Like I said, I love the brother-sister relationship that they have.  Unless this meme is referring to romantic relationship, in which case nnnnnnnnoooooonnnnneeee Pidge is 14 and everyone else is over 16 (or…I’m assuming Allura is) so no thanks (I feel sick every time I see Pidge x Shiro shipart, god, why would you taint their relationship like that-)

Favorite headcanonHonestly playing into the last one slightly, I’d have to say ace/aro-pidge |D totally a biased choice, but whatever, isnt that what headcanons are for?  But yeah, I’d be beyond happy if the series ended with Pidge not showing a lick of interest in romance.  I’m really hesitant to call a character that hasn’t flat-out said “I’m not interested in getting married or dating” ace/aro, because a character can still be straight, gay, bi, or pan without it being shown in the show.  Like 90% of my characters show no interest in romance because there’s just no room for it in my stories, but they aren’t all ace/aro (I have too many characters that I’ve decided are ace/aro or ace-spec as it stands haha, I dont need to assume more of them are just because I havent decided on a sexuality).  But even if it’s just not explored with Pidge, I’d be beyond happy with that.  But like, if they wanna explore romance with Pidge, that’s fine, who cares?  It’s just a headcanon, and you can still have a headcanon that conflicts with canon so long as you dont force it onto people (and dont force the canon onto people too).  Just…please dont make her date any of the current Voltron team?  Please?