sort of! the farther-flung settlements have a tendency to be more socially isolated. some engage in a form of ancestor worship. (ancestors as in distant family, not ancestors as in the sufferer, etc.) those who live their lives mainly underwater understand that their needs are different from the spheres on land, and do not feel particularly beholden toward worshipping in the same way landdwellers do

a lot of modern violet culture is founded in... penitence for the past, but also a sort of pride in their history of building all these underwater societies from scratch. penitence and pride. hard to juggle! their penchant for celebrating the empress' death and the end of alternian reign can be seen as posturing or virtue signaling - we arent like the old violets! we wont try to oppress you! so in that way, there is certainly a reluctance to stray far from landdwelling culture for fear of coming off as "above" them. its been a couple thousand years, but alternia lasted much much longer, and trolls live a loooong time. so this sort of cultural self-consciousness will take a while to shed

its not all schools, and not all schools have uniforms - when kitty digs out her old school uniform, she notes that her parents were miffed that her school district had two uniforms. but the code also isnt enforced very well. students like cg and nornsa mix elements from both uniforms without issue

earth c is enamored with uniforms as a whole, and you can see them at every stage of society, mostly as a means of denoting career or religious affiliations. i believe this was explained in more detail in the field guide. what im getting at is, the cultural compulsion of "we need a costume for everything" runs deep

if i remade kq today, i probably would have made a unisex uniform. we live and learn

ahaha, thats a funny way of phrasing it! well, i do miss the excitement of working on scenes that i thought people would enjoy, and anticipating reactions to them. however, im the kind of person who cant focus on anything else while theyre working on a project, so my sense of time management was all screwed up and KQ ended up devouring any time i couldve spent on anything else. so i guess thats a "burden," lol. i do enjoy working on oc stuff and fanart now... just drawing whatever i want without caring how much attention it gets. and of course i still think about my lil KQ guys... maybe as time goes on ill do something else with them, but right now im content to let them rest

hmm. i dont think any of her friends will get truly comfortable around any of them. how could they, really? no matter how nice or friendly they are, holy shit they are still god and you are talking to god and do i look stupid right now does god think i look stupid

jades had a few teaching careers under her belt already, so she has experience dealing with kids their age and putting up boundaries/setting expectations. i dont think it would be as awkward on her end. i imagine she would try to be the nice responsible friend mom like "hey guys i brought you some food okay have fun" and her friends are like. oh holy fuck god just brought me food this is not how the universe is meant to function. what the fuck. meanwhile kitty is sitting there like whoohoo i love juice box

im going to try to be more deliberate in the way i answer this because i feel like ive been vague/disinterested when its been asked before. the weaknesses that ive seen come out from other earth cs are that they are Our Earth, With Whacky Paint On It. which!!! is already what earth in homestuck was. this is a world where icp were the presidents and betty crocker is a fish alien. having Troll McDonalds and shit is funny and definitely on theme with what homestuck was - so depending on what kind of mood youre going for it really isnt even a "weakness" at all. for example, if earth c is Whacky Species-Segregated Earth, what does that say about how the author views the nature of humankind? are they commentating on how a bunch of socially isolated undereducated children were allowed to have a hand in founding society and therefore stunted its growth in the same way their own development was stunted? is it really all that shocking that the world was painted in black and white, or that capitalism became a thing again, or that cities look exactly the same way they do now? i do think theres value in earth c stories that explore the theme of "the more things change the more they stay the same." cycles and time loops are a big thing in homestuck after all. but if your roxy drives a sedan and lives in a suburb and youre not going full hog with why earth c has failed to outgrow the world it sprang up from, what are we even doing? did you just not care to put imagination into it?

i dont want to make it seem like, oh, just because i poured hours into pointless worldbuilding that mine is better, or that an earth c story set at Carapacian Kingdom Dennys is lesser... but i do think its kind of a nothingburger. im the type of person who is always taking shit too serious and thinking too hard about the worldbuilding in stories where we arent supposed to question it. two thousand years have passed since society was founded on my earth c - thats the same time between us and the roman empire, so if a similar timeframe has passed on yours, why is everything exactly the same? did every kingdom seek to replicate the perfect image of what their society was like before the game? were they hoping the gods would come back and live among them if the world looked more like their own home? that would be a good explanation! if your roxy NEEDS to drive a sedan, maybe auto manufacturers are bound by law to stick within the parameters of old earth. thats a stupid law, and its funny, and it still allows for a chance to worldbuild

maybe this hasnt answered your question as much since you specifically asked what part of my earth c id like explored. thats a hard question to answer, but if i had to pick one it would be religious worldbuilding. therapystuck has already made very promising references to this already, and i lapped it up like a dog. honestly as long as youre trying to make it visually unique and its clear you give at least a little bit of a fuck about it other than a backdrop for homestuck characters to kiss, then thats great. but if youre going to make it Earth But Make It C, then at least commit to why everything is so stagnant

i really like this question. i hope you dont mind that im going to write a short essay in response

if jade understood that saving ichors life in the way that she did would cause ichor to form a cult based on her obsession with her (a cult-cult, not "cult" in the ancient greek way like the cult of the witch already was), she still would have saved her, but wouldnt rely so much on ichor Being Normal About It afterward. i think jade believed that ichor was so rattled from nearly drowning that perhaps she wouldnt even remember that the witch of space saved her, or maybe she would convince herself that she imagined it during a near-death experience. unfortunately for jade, ichor was raised by a society that dedicates itself to the protection of jades mortal, pedestrian life. she knows the witch walks among them, and where she lives, as all coven members do. so there was no hope that jades good deed would go unpunished

ichor is so un-normal about this event solely because she is already a pretty tormented soul by the time it happens. she is relentlessly bullied by a group of other children in the coven, and generally feels like she doesnt belong. morgin casts an unsympathetic gaze upon her too, viewing her as a failure even before she defected. if ichor was well-adjusted, she would have cherished the memory of jades rescue as a blessing she didnt deserve, but then again, she wouldnt have been kicked off the bridge to begin with! because ichor already feels ostracized, she latches onto this event as proof that she is meant for something greater, and that the witch of space will divulge her divine secrets to ichor if she proves herself useful and faithful.

so, why would jade feel compelled to save her? first of all, shes a child, shes not going to passively allow a child to come to harm. but beyond that there is a tragedy to ichors character that i feel jade can understand. jade is not a character whos feelings are taken much into consideration throughout her story. she largely exists to fill a useful role in the journeys of characters around her. she makes the metaphorical chess pieces move, she allows for events to transpire, she helps people come to realizations, but however interesting her backstory is, no matter how rife her potential is, it isnt treated with gravity. ichor, too, has lived a rich and strange life in her pursuit of the witch of space. she was raised by a secret society, she was saved by the random whim of a god, shes bound multiple cult fortresses together through sheer charisma, she goes through the effort of CODING SBURB AGAIN to correct the course of a history she believes is wrong. but we dont get to see any of that. not just because the cult of the witch/flayed wolf was always historically the least popular aspect of KQs story, but because ichor herself matters more as a lesson than as a person. the tragedy of ichor is that she serves the sole purpose of showing the originators the harm they are capable of inflicting on their worshippers even if they choose to remain anonymous. early in the story, kitty asks if being a god makes you kind of selfish. and by the end of ichors arc, that answer becomes a resounding yes. ichor has dedicated her life to molding her god into someone she feels will reward her devotion. she says its for the betterment of society as a whole, but this is not entirely emotionally honest. and how is she rewarded? getting her memory wiped to protect the comfort of jades family, which leads to complications severe enough to land her in assisted living. when i was writing jades conversation with vrisrezi, i half-wrote jade gradually realizing that ichor was the girl she rescued. but this didnt feel right, and it got scrapped. how agonizing it is for ichor to carry this memory with her throughout her life, but for jade it was just a tuesday. if i ever entertain the idea of continuing KQs story, i definitely want ichor to get her vindication somehow

im sorry to put my "raised catholic" hat on again, but ichor is really like, an anti-moses. when i think of her arc, "impotent, directionless rage" comes to mind. which makes her the perfect final boss for an awakened kitty, who has to learn where to direct her passion as she grows into the role of the mage of rage

so yes, jade would rescue ichor because she sees in her the unfulfilled, chronically lonely child she used to be. but she would have taken more care in the act of saving her. i could see this going two different ways. on one hand, maybe shed just make sure ichor didnt get a good look at her. maybe, though, she would sit down with her in the grass and wait until she was steady enough to get back home. maybe she would talk with her, answer all her questions, entertain her curiosity, and the two would come away with a mutual understanding. maybe ichor would have put more effort into her studies, carried herself taller with the knowledge that the witch of space gave her a second chance at life, wouldnt have defected. jades not a seer, though, so how was she supposed to know?

if roses light powers were still useful outside of sburb, i wonder if she would feel the strings of fate pull taut when jade pulls ichor from the river. jade comes home to a voicemail thats essentially like (jake the dog "dude, lets kill the horse" voice) "dude, put the kid back in the river"

you have no idea why! well i would be happy to give you plenty of reasons why

ramona meets malibu for the first time at kittys 16th birthday, and both have strong first impressions of the other. keep in mind that ramona is still painfully introverted and socially awkward at this time. to ramona, malibu is cool and stylish, and admirable in the way that she commands the room. whether or not shes aware of this fact, ramona is envious of people like malibu who can effortlessly come off this way. i imagine she might have complimented malibus outfit and perked up when malibu replied that she sewed it herself. this would have been a great segue into ramona letting her guard down and allowing herself to talk at length (IN PERSON!) with someone about something theyre both passionate about. she also finds malibus rapport with kitty very amusing and likes that malibu gives her a hard time. this is probably their first bonding experience - like, "oh, you have to keep this jerk in line too, huh?"

to malibu, maybe her impression is more superficial. "oh no, kitty has a hot brooding gothic older cousin" is perhaps her instant line of thought. whereas ramona frets that kittys friends find her offputting and aloof, she strikes malibu as almost too cool to be approached. had ramona not shyly complimented her first, she might have been too intimidated to say anything. ramona has a dry wit that malibu loves. we already see that she loves ramonas morbidity, and while ramona may think malibu isnt being complimentary when she calls ramona "so goddaμn sτrange," she means it in the best way possible. by the end of kittys birthday, when its time for rosemary and ramona to return home, they already have each others phone numbers, chathaven IDs, and a promise to meet again

theres more i could say about their very early dynamic - how malibu is initially petrified to meet rosemary outside of the party context, awkwardly sitting with kanaya while waiting for ramona to come downstairs so they can leave together, rose taking the opportunity to be a shitlord and asking malibu if she wants to see ramonas grub photos, ramona dumbfounding malibu by effortlessly ingratiating herself with flamingmom by keeping shrimp meal in her pocket - etc. but im more interested in talking about why they work, continue to work, and things that become issues between them

as nornsa puts it, malibu talks a big game about being being tough, but is actually very sensitive and hates feeling excluded. to put it nicely, ramona is always available. if she wants to drop by PH and go somewhere with her, ramona is down. and while ramona is quite emotional in her own head, outwardly shes very stoic and monotone. this has a calming effect on malibu - its the same reason she gets along with cg. ramona is consistently able to disarm her, and both of them are able to get each other out of their own heads. when these two are out together, malibu is the living embodiment of "EXCUSE ME, she asked for no pickles." her extroversion - along with the rest of kittys friends - rubs off on ramona and enables her to branch out and make friends at school. without malibus influence, she may not have thought to join the sewing club where she forms her most enduring school friendships. this is a very small detail, but i also think ramona is initially so comfortable being alone with malibu because... mal doesnt have pupils. eye contact is a lot easier when you cant tell if someone is looking directly at you

now for some sticking points. words of affirmation are not ramonas strong suit. it doesnt occur to her to verbally state how much she likes malibu. its just not how she expresses herself. so, malibu sometimes works herself into a tizzy where she convinces herself ramona doesnt actually like her. this is usually successfully quelled by ramona saying something along the lines of, "youre being stupid, of course i like you, for x y and z reasons." which may sound mean! but it works on malibu. conversely, malibus forwardness and extroversion sometimes makes ramona think that mal is patronizing her. this is more of an issue in the beginning, when the two have not spent that much time together. you might also be wondering if ramona is shattered to learn that malibu had a crush on kitty first. why must she always continue to be second best, even with her first girlfriend?! ive gone back and forth on this. my first instinct was that ramonas feelings would be hurt, and she might go into herself for a little while. but i think i was selling her short. now, i think she would find it hilarious that malibu had romantic feelings for kitty, and mal would actually be embarrassed when ramona laughs a little too hard for a little too long. perhaps its not that ramona is second best in this regard, but its actually a huge compliment that someone chose her over kitty. for once

this is getting awfully long and ive spent the better part of an hour typing this out. this definitely does not encompass everything ive considered about these two, but i hope it gives you some food for thought. it was a total coincidence, by the way, that these two are heart and hope players, and that they are seer and thief. that their classpects line up with two infamous hs ships was not on purpose! they are just meant to be i guess