I've been thinking about Serkets lately, mostly because I have a desire to understand Vriska rather than fall into the "Vriska Good" or "Vriska Bad" train of thought, and I realized that each and every Serket we see has a unique relationship with someone of the Page Class.
Allow me to start with the Original Serket, Marquise Spinneret Mindfang.
Mindfang is the Post-Scratch counter part to Aranea, making her a Sylph of Light, if what Dancestor Serket is saying is true about their Post-Scratch counterparts sharing Classpects (Even though Mindfang explicitly says that she takes fortune, "as I'd done so often to steal fortune from my adversaries?"), but ignoring that, that would mean that Darkleer would be a Page of Void.
The Marquise stuck her neck out for Darkleer after he refused to cull The Disciple, taking him under her protection for sweeps and keeping him in debt to her. She says that he had her admiration, "8ut the admir8ion he'd won naturally wore thin as he persistently 8emoaned his treason and 8anishment, and I was saddened to find this ha8it holding "STRONG" even now.".
She still seems to show genuine consideration for him, wondering if he still thought The Disciple's life worth his banishment, and even stating "Even if I came with 8oth intact I might have ripped one off and put him to the task just to halt to his 8lu88ering. Darkleer was always a skilled machinist and the work proved an adequ8 distraction.".
Along with Mindfang showing a desire to comfort Darkleer, even if it's just by simply distracting him for a little while, and having her mood be affected by his, she also trusts him with one of her most valuable snatches of loot, the Magic Cue Ball.
Sure, he, as a Page of Void, has the ability to mask its presence from Doc Scratch, but Mindfang still allowed him, trusted him, to keep it safe for her while she was away. And on top of that, she and he may or may not have had some.. pale leanings, perchance?
"So pacified, he listened to what I had to say, a8out my recent travails with the law, and Pyralspite," She describes his mental state after distracting him as "pacified" and then continues to tell him about the heavy situations she has been in, perhaps reminiscent of a feelings jam? All speculation on my end, of course.
Next, we, I, will discuss Vriska Serket and Tavros.
Vriska tries her hardest to toughen Tavros up, make him better, stronger, less weak, and more like the Summoner. Vriska emulates Mindfang as best she can, using her strife specibus, getting into a kismesisitude with Eridan, she studies Mindfangs Journal religiously, even when she was on her last leg when Aradiabot beat the life half out of her, Vriska tried to get Tavros to kill her, although likely to stop bleeding out and suffering, she still mirrors Mindfang at every turn she can.
Despite Vriska trying to toughen Tavros up, she still curb stomps his esteem into the ground, pushing him too far past his limits, trying to make him apologize to her for being crippled, and constantly talking down to him.
Vriska has a hatred for Tavros that never goes away, as stated in Karkat: Recruit Vriska, "AG: It's just a really special kind of h8! It never goes away and it doesn't make a lot of sense."
Vriska has a fluctuating attraction to Tavros throughout their interactions, seemingly more than just her emulating Mindfang, but most certainly facilitated by Mindfang.
Now, in all honesty, I'm running our of things to say about Vriska, so we'll move on.
Alright, on to our final Serket and Page duo, Aranea.
Aranea Serket is an information deposit that tries to take relevancy for herself, just like her Post-Scratch self, but unlike her Post-Scratch self, she is, and always will be irrelevant.
Aranea did one notable thing with all her time to shine, that being causing GAME OVER, due to trying to create a timeline without Lord English, and what happened to that universe? It got Retconned. It went horribly, horribly, horribly wrong, and it got Retonned.
Aranea points out and acknowledges Jake's attraction to her, it feels like a back and forth between the two, Aranea pointing out Jake's inner thoughts, or her impression of them, as she tries to not be invasive, and Jake fumbling and jumbling like a twat.
Their other most notable interaction would be when Aranea went to Realize Jake as a Page of Hope.
Just a few lines from this interaction, "ARANEA: I am here to shorten that journey for you. ARANEA: And in return for this favor, you will serve my needs."
"ARANEA: I can see every fault and fissure in your mind. My vision 8-fold sheds light on every injury you have ever suffered, whether emotional or physical. ARANEA: I can repair it all for you, Jake. JAKE: (Oh no...)
ARANEA: I can heal your mind. JAKE: (Oh n-n-n-)"
All this, while pulling him in for a kiss, to which he panics and struggles against her, causing this, "ARANEA: I'm sorry! ARANEA: There! See? ARANEA: I am respecting your personal 8oundaries. We don't have to kiss! ARANEA: Good grief, that went poorly. ARANEA: I only tried to kiss you 8ecause I knew you were attracted to me! ARANEA: I thought I was doing you a FAVOR! ARANEA: I don't know what I'm supposed to........"
And then she still forcefully Realizes him, he might not want her kisses, but his power is too important to her plan.
They don't interact much, but when they do their dynamic doesn't change too much.
I find it interesting how Aranea goes to a Page from a different session than hers, Mindfang has Darkleer, Vriska has Tavros, Aranea should've gotten Horuss, No?
During Araneas info dump about Horuss, she says that he frustrates her just as much as he fascinates her, but that's about it.
So many unique correlations.