So I’m a little tired at the moment and I thought I’d just combine a couple of my enjoyments [ Identity V and Homestuck ] in the interest of keeping myself sane, because this has taken a deceptive amount of brainpower due to distraction and general… analytical difficulty??? I s’pose?
These are matchups and analyses of each beta troll and the IDV survivor I believe they’re most like or who they’d get along with best.
Happy Homestuck day, nerds. /aff
Aradia - Aesop Carl, the morbid-minded Embalmer. Both see the beauty of and beyond death. They’ve both a more-or-less twisted perception of the world around them because of how they were raised, and were unable to shift said ideals at an appropriate time. Perhaps their most prominent similarity lies in how they both had to kill those meant to protect them, believing that it was the best course of action. Via Aesop’s obtaining and following of the manor’s letter, it could be argued that they both also had a hand in driving forward their companions’ grim fates - whether it be in (perceived) good faith or not.
Tavros - Murro, the Wildling - he’s gentle, caring, and adores animals. Tavros would probably adore Twig - my sister’s unofficial name for the boar Murro rides on. Someone who can soothe him, while also sitting at his level and not undermining his strengths where they do lie. Both have a level of empathy that makes it difficult for them to harm those they hold dear, like when Murro finally flees Hullabaloo after being unable to take it [and recognising that it was bad for Twig].
Sollux - Luca Balsa, our dearest Prisoner and alchemist friend. He can accumulate electric charges by decoding cipher machines and shock the hunter, as well as mess around with connections between machines to transfer decoding progress and such. I dunno. They’re both just funky electric bitches. Both slightly insane and maniacally smart.
Karkat - Andrew Kreiss, the Grave-keeper. Even on a surface level, they’re incredibly similar. Both were taught to physically hide from further harm and vilification, and were deemed monstrous and unnatural for something about themself they couldn’t control - blood colour and albinism. Until later, they thought their guardians were the only ones supporting them. Andrew’s claustrophobia ability can also relate to the metaphorical suffocation they have both felt in their lives [as well as the physical] in trying to mask a trait that’s harder to hide in their societies. They’re both low-standing members of said societies.
Nepeta - Lisa Beck/Emma Woods, the Gardener. She’s witty and smart to act in adversity, being able to damage the prospects of those trying to harm her friends with ingenuity and fast. [She can temporarily dismantle the chairs Hunters use to chair survivors]. Both are guarded by connections to a larger figure in their life - Leo Beck, her dad, and Equius for Nep - but are more than capable of fending for themself.
Kanaya - Anne/Annie Lester, the Toy Merchant. She likes tinkering around, and isn’t afraid to experiment and do dangerous things. Unassuming and ‘pretty little things’ at first, both show a hidden sharpness and intellect in the right situations. Both are also unwilling to sit and take the harm that fate’s thrown at them. They forge forwards even when other people say not to, knowing better than to hold back.
Terezi - Who else but Helena Adams, 'The Mind’s Eye’? Both aren’t going to let their blindness define them, and have very strong connections to those who care for them - Terezi with her lusus, and Helena with her father. Helena’s extremely fast at decoding cipher machines, which matches perfectly with TZ’s quick-witted and forward nature. They’re adaptive, too - Helena uses her cane, sure, but is known as a very resilient person. Terezi developed 'her own ways of seeing’. Helena helps her teammates by letting them know where the Hunter is, even though she could well keep her strength to herself.
Vr!ska - Vera Nair, the Perfumer. Smarter than previously observed in some respects, they’re both hard workers for what they believe in, but aren’t without fault. “Vera” [in actuality: Chloe] took her sister’s identity and used it to have her talent noticed, but in killing her sister [mistaking her actions for jealousy] instead pushed away the only one she could depend on, who loved and recognised her. Vr!ska matches this manipulation and unfortunate jealousy quite well.
Equius - Tracy Reznik, the Mechanic. While it’s mostly self-explanatory, as they both have a history with robots in particular, they’re similarly inquisitive and inventive, pushing the limits of what they can or should do. Though this often depletes them of 'resources’ - Tracy with funds, Equius with potential 'normalcy’ or being cared about more - they’re shown to have big hearts. Tracy’s decoding speed is lowered when her teammates are hurt, and also boosts her teammates’ decoding in kind. As with Equius’ mechanics, she’s focused on a bot she can deploy, and can take hits with it to protect her teammates or assist them in all different manners.
Gamzee - Mike Morton, the Acrobat. For the most part, I just believe they’d have a lot of fun together if they met up, but they’re both reckless in their enjoyment of certain things. Although they might make efforts to socialise with their peers, both have been deeply hurt by something in their past and what society expects of them. They have certain warped views of others because of this harm, but make an effort to keep a smile on their face whenever possible if it means keeping those they care about [and the few left who care for them] close and familiar.
Eridan - Edgar Valden, the Painter. Both wronged by society, and put on a pedestal that they don’t wish to fulfil in some respect. They’ve done violent things, yes, but it’s because they were pushed so hard that they felt they had to in order to find a way out. They’re disrespected left right and centre, with their motives and what they make of themselves being taken advantage of or downright stolen in order to push them down. They’re both captivating; distracting, but for the wrong reasons. They’re afraid of breaking what they’ve made, but they’ve enough self-awareness to know what’s right for them in the end.
Feferi - Lydia Jones [now Emily Dyer], the Doctor. Like Eridan and Edgar, they were both meant to fulfil a purpose they never wanted - Emily performing unethical practices on patients, and Feferi leading an empire of tyranny. Both find immense freedom in doing things their own way, but it didn’t come without a price. They were outcast to an extent or forced to flee, knowing that the public wouldn’t approve of the changes they were making. They’re both misguided in their efforts according to who you ask, but have been subjected to more than their fair share of hardship and pressure in order to do what was right for them and for others. They’ll take as many hits as needed to protect their friends, equally as adept at healing, defending and fighting back against their respective downfalls.
