Quadrant-Based Attraction Model
The Quadrant system is the structure for romance established in the Homestuck webcomic. My intention with this post is to provide terminology for people who already use the Quadrant system in their romantic life. However, you are allowed to adopt this system if it is new to you and you find it appealing. If you’d like to read more about what’s already been established, the in-comic explanation starts here and a wikipedia page on the system is here.
Flushed (or) Matespritic Attraction: An attraction similar to our current definition of Romantic Attraction. Characterised by feelings of romantic love, and / or sexual attraction. Some gestures of Flushed affection may include hugs, kisses, and sex.
Pale (or) Moirallegic Attraction: An attraction founded on a desire to support, protect, and form a commited and deep emotional relationship with a person. Some gestures of Pale affection may include Hugs, Papping (ie patting / caressing intended to calm a person), and Jamming (Sessions of emotional vulnerability).
Pitch (or) Kismesic Attraction: An attraction founded on a simultaneous hatred and respect for another person. You could think of a Pitch relationship like a committed rivalry that takes on characteristics of a romantic relationship. Like Matespritic attraction, there can (but doesn’t necessarily have to) be a sexual component to Kismesic attraction.
(I personally feel like I’m not qualified to define how a Pitch relationship looks beyond this, as I do not experience or understand Pitch attraction myself. I don’t want to disclude it from this model though, so I will leave it up to those who want to use the term to differentiate between a healthy and an unhealthy pitch relationship. Abusive relationships are not Kismesic relationships and I strongly discourage you from using this label for relationships or attractions which are harmful to you.)
Ashen (or) Auspistic Attraction: An attraction founded on a desire to help two other people maintain a healthy relationship + prevent them from developing a toxic or otherwise unhealthy dynamic. Ashen gestures towards others in the relationship could include breaking up / preventing fights and helping to defuse feelings of anger.
These definitions are all flexible, and you’re free to define each type of attraction however suits you, personally, best. You are also free to decide what gestures of affection and affectionate terminology you would like to use in regards to your attraction, and it doesn’t have to match up with what I’ve posited here.
You can also decide whether you consider all of these attraction-types romantic, whether you consider some platonic / queerplatonic / alterous, or whether you consider them completely seperate, etc. You are also under no obligation to adhere to or label any or all of these types of attraction.
Each kind of attraction can be towards specific genders, EG being “Panmatespritic” or “Akismesic.”
Anyway, I think that covers everything. Thanks for reading and feel free to use these terms / the flags I’ve linked wherever you want. If you make a post using any of the flags on Tumblr I’d love to be tagged so I can see it, otherwise feel free to use them whenever with or without credit.
MATESPRITSHIP / MOIRALLEGIANCE / KISMESISSITUDE / AUSPISTICISM
