Homestuck Headcanons

Homestuck Headcanons: Relationships and Reproduction in the New World

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This lengthy recording of headcanon in respect to the human and troll cultures exhibited in the popular online comic sensation, Homestuck, is written with the assumption that the reader is at least somewhat familiar with troll culture and xenobiology as it is described in-comic. Those unfamiliar with the basic discrepancies between human and troll civilization (as it has evolved in either an Alternian or Beforan setting) should take it upon themselves to research the following:

Quadrants (as in the four divisions of troll romance), traditional troll reproduction, the hemospectrum and corresponding hemoheirarchy, and the role of jadebloods and/or the Mothergrub in respect to troll reproduction. Further research (and ideally, actually reading the whole of Homestuck to the point of at minimum a partial understanding) is recommended, but not mandatory to the understanding of this essay.

This extensive set of headcanonical ideas are mainly based on the theory that post-canon, the trolls and humans alike will have to create a new world to replace the obliterated societies of both Earth and Alternia, and eventually go about populating this new world that for simplicity's sake has been unofficially dubbed “New Earth” (as Earth was originally a product of the Alternian game session and therefor naming the new world “New Alternia” might be interpreted as redundant and unnecessary).

The courting/mating rituals of trolls as adapted to New Earth and as a same-species relationship

As you may already know, trolls' drive to mate with another of their species is fueled by amorous attraction of either a pitying or hating relationship and brought to the point of “pailing” by pheromones produced in a series of glands at the base of the horns.

The horns themselves are not sensitive and have not been since the troll in question was a grub; becoming calloused during the troll's trials and toughening to a consistency between that of human fingernails and bone. The surface of the horn becomes softer below the hairline.

The pheromones' release heightens the amorous attraction between the two (again, black or red in nature). Pailing is imminent.

The courting/mating rituals of trolls as adapted to New Earth and as an interspecies relationship

The typical romantic rituals of trollkind would have to be adjusted significantly to cater to human lifestyle, but it would be a team effort; a product of give and take that both parties must actively partake in. Should a human and troll engage in human matrimony, it would be received as an agreement between the two that they would become monogamous in their concupiscent relationship. This means that any pre-existing kismesitude would have to invite in a mediating auspitice to keep the relationship conciliatory. Marriage, as it relates to trolls, is a commitment inspired by human culture promising to only engage in amorous interaction with one person, but does not eliminate the possibility of moirailegiance or auspitice.

Rituals in relation to pailing would also have to be altered to ensure the safety and satisfaction of both partners. Trolls embarking in amorous relationships with humans should remember human limits and practice caution with their nails, horns, and teeth (especially in black-rom relationships).

Anatomy is where this subject gets tricky. Due to trolls possessing more “alien” variations of the reproductive organs found on both male and female humans, humans may have a natural reluctance to troll practices of pailing. However, this means that both male and female trolls have the capability to reproduce with humans or trolls of either sex or sexual preference. Sexuality in itself is not a “thing” in troll culture, but sexual preference is, and trolls engaged in any kind of mating ritual with a human must respect their partner's preference. I can not stress this enough; even interpecies kismesitudes are relationships requiring a high degree of mutual respect and at least attempted understanding.

Troll pregnancy and other complications (a.k.a. No more Mothergrub? What now?)

Without the Mothergrub to process the traditional “incestuous slurry” and lay the next generation of grubs from said slurry, New-Earthbound trolls must regress to the long-forgotten and formerly taboo process of individual procreation. Though it is similar in practice to human procreation, a few factors differ greatly: hermaphroditic reproductive organs, possibility of male pregnancy, and insect-based sperm-storage capabilities that allow the troll in question to choose their laying time. In comparison to the physical effects of pregnancy on humans, trolls do not “show” the way humans do, and the usual telltale signs are dramatically less apparent throughout the short period of time following conception.

Eggs are to be laid in caves or other cavernous structures as they would be on Alternia and are attached to the cave ceiling with a sticky substance produced during the laying. The shells of the eggs are tough and resilient, but are still susceptible to damage as well as bacterial, viral, and fungal afflictions. Temperature can also be a factor in the incubation of the egg, determining the unborn grub's gender and occasionally killing less resilient grubs. (Note: Highbloods are cooler-blooded and therefor more resistant to heat, but less so to extreme cold. The situation is reversed for lowbloods.) Troll egg incubation usually takes two to three months.

In substitution for the Mothergrub, a troll of jadeblooded lineage must look after the eggs as they incubate. The jadeblood takes the responsibility as a sort of “nanny”, making sure the eggs remain clean and at the proper temperature to ensure a healthy hatching. However, the jadeblood is not to interfere directly with the lives of the grubs after they hatch, as tradition dictates that grubs must go through trials post-hatching to toughen their newly-formed horns and develop their senses.

Troll-human hybrids (a.k.a Eggbabies)

While the laying of hybrid eggs is not dissimilar to the laying of troll eggs, there are some important discrepancies. For instance, the egg needs constant care after it is laid; the shell being softer and more vulnerable until a few months into incubation. Due to the egg's weak shell, it should be laid on the cave floor rather than attached to the ceiling to prevent any damage. The egg also needs several more months to incubate within its egg, as the physical and developmental traits of human infants need more time to fully form than those of the rapidly-maturing troll wrigglers.

After the hybrid is hatched, the signs of mixed heritage may or may not be immediately noticeable. In respect to blood coloring, hybrid grubs almost always take on the color of their troll eggparent, rather than it being a mix of two colors or the inheritance of the respective dominant blood type as it would be for the offspring of a same-species relationship. The grub's skin may resemble either parent's in one respect or another; being either gray in color, but having a human softness in texture, or in some cases being closer to a human skin tone with a troll-like toughness. Another noticeable external feature is the horns, which in the case of hybrids are typically shorter and/or more delicate than that of full-blooded trolls.

Human-troll hybrids (There's a difference!)

Now when a human is impregnated with a hybrid baby (and it is indeed a baby, rather than a grub in this situation) the situation becomes even more exceedingly tricky. Based on prior information, it's a bit of a given that the infant would resemble its mother and therefor its mother's species more than its “father” (which could potentially also be female considering troll biology), but the troll-traits that the baby would grow to possess and its overall physiological differences do affect the pregnancy and eventual birth.

In relation to the pregnancy itself, side effects of carrying a hybrid baby include but are not limited to earlier and longer-lasting morning sicknesses, more violent hormonal imbalance, births that are premature by human standards (an average of seven months after conception), and longer and more difficult labors. The most vital complication of the hybrid pregnancy is during labor, in which the amniotic sac must be broken manually or else a c-section must be preformed to ensure the safety of both the baby and the mother.

The newly born hybrid infant will, as previously mentioned, bare resemblance to a human baby with the addition of soft, partially-formed horns and a possibly grayish hue to to their slightly tougher skin. These signs of mixed parentage will only become more evident as they grow, but at birth, they are much less noticeable.

Another important factor to the early lives of non-grub hybrids is the (previously mentioned) infamous trials that every grub must go through in troll society in order to develop the toughness in their horns as well as to encourage the heightened senses and instincts of a predator that is seen as necessity in traditional Alternian society. Not being hatched in the caverns with the grubs, human-troll hybrids must go through a different kind of a challenge to eventually grow into healthy young pupas. Without the pressures and looming powers of Alternian hierarchy to dictate the infants' coming of age ritual, it is up to the new parents to set up obstacles and challenges to promote their child’s growth throughout their youth (as opposed to immediately after birth, because while most grubs may hatch ready to go, newborns are going to be dangerously less equipped for such an immediate challenge) as they see fit.

Afterword

In a world of trolls, humans, hybrids, and any other misplaced species of the universes within universes that make up Skaia, cultures are combined and ideally old laws and taboos are sacrificed for new practices that cater to all parties involved. Maybe the situation isn't always ideal. Maybe old problems stick around and eventually become the problems of the next generation, and the next, and the next. But these old problems can't stick around forever. With the mixing of cultures and species, eventually even the oppressive hemocaste and unjust hierarchies of the past worlds will not be able to apply to the future generations, because the identifiable differences between troll and human will have all but disappeared into a single race of hybrids.

This is the future as I, and hopefully others of the fandom, see it. Please keep in mind that this is only headcanon and that in Homestuck, only Andrew Hussie's word can ever be taken as canon. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider.

Homestuck and all it's characters belong to Andrew Hussie of MSPaintAdventures.

Headcanons are free to use and/or adapt.

Thanks to Cata (junecherrim.deviantart.com/) for the research and for Beta-ing.

Questions, comments, feedback, and any and all opinions are welcome.

-- JG (jgisme.tumblr.com/) (jgisme.deviantart.com/)