by @ohthewhomanity

In the upd8s before [S] Collide, we suddenly gained new insight into the nature of aspects, specifically Space, Time, and Heart. We’ll get around to Time and Heart soon, but for now, let’s talk about why I like Space.



Our understanding of Space up to this point was that it was probably about creation. Space players were tasked with breeding the frog of the new universe. Kanaya, the Sylph of Space, is most in tune with this part of the aspect because of her duty to use the Matriorb to repopulate the Troll race (5206). We also knew that Space involves the physical dimensions of things, since Jade, the Witch of Space, mainly uses her Aspect powers to manipulate the size of objects. As I elaborated in my essay about Master Classes, Calliope, the Muse of Space, inspires creation (link essay). Space players also tend to exhibit motherly traits, with the Maryams taking care of their respective Vantases and Jade taking care of Bec.



But recently Calliope added a new dimension to the Space aspect: isolation.

Here’s how Jade interprets it:



The thing is, I don’t think that that’s exactly what Calliope meant–or, if it’s what she meant, I don’t think she’s entirely correct. Perhaps being a Hero of Space does involve falling back sometimes–for instance, it’s important that Jade remain asleep now because of the chance that the Condesce will control her and force her to use the dangerous Green Sun powers she gets from Bec–but it isn’t necessarily about being deprived of experiences. I think Jade is more accurate after Davepeta pushes her to explain:



It’s not that isolation is the result of understanding Space, but that it can be. Space encompasses, well, all of space, including both the things and people in it and the space (haha) between those things and people–positive and negative space (double haha), as an artist would put it. There’s naturally going to be some distance sometimes when you focus on the essence of all creation, but there doesn’t have to always be. Each of our Space players have at some point in their journey been isolated from others, but not for the same reasons, and not at the same point in their journey towards a greater understanding of their aspect. It’s a trend, not a requirement.



Calliope was only able to ascend to God Tier and attain her greater understanding of Space because, in her isolation from friends, she never learned the value of kindness. She therefore strove to dominate her brother instead of dying while attempting to work with him. It’s not surprising, then, that she might see isolation as the way to get closer to Space. But she isn’t completely correct. Alpha-timeline Callie doesn’t completely lack Space powers because she had friends. She’s still able to help Roxy retrieve the matriorb, just as a beacon instead of a direct force.

Jade has often ended up isolated from her friends, due to her previous narcolepsy, the loss of this universe’s John and Davesprite, and now because her Green Sun powers make her a liability in the final battle. It’s important to note that none of these are her fault. The first and last are because of Vriska deciding what’s best for everyone regardless of Jade’s thought on the matter, and the second was an unintended consequence of the retJohn. It’s also important to note that none of these actually lead her to a better understanding of Space or help this version of her grow as a character. Davepeta’s probably right to wake her up and let her live and have fun and make choices for a while; that’s how we grow, after all.



Kanaya started out her story as a troll who stays awake in the daytime, literally setting her apart from the others. But her major focus overall seems to be bringing people and things together instead of apart (though moving apart is sometimes a part of bringing things together). She sews, literally bringing fabric together (and sometimes chainsaws people apart). She auspisticizes, separating members of harmful relationships in order to bring more people together into peaceful relationships. And her role as a Jadeblood to restart the troll species, like I said before, makes her about as connected to the essence of creation as you can get. Porrim (link Mara’s essay), another Jadeblood, had a similar role to Kanaya–she’s as passionate about knitting as Kanaya is about sewing, and she seeks to end harmful class relationships and bring people together as a whole through her activism.

Distance from people is just something that happens when there are distances to be had. There is always distance between planets, but they still impact each other with gravitational effects, and it takes a lot to break a planet out of orbit with another celestial body, even a very distant planet. Distance doesn’t necessarily mean that one is distant. In the grand scheme of Space, nearness and farness are not mutually exclusive opposites.



What I mean to say is, Space is about both isolation and connectedness. Like literal space, it’s all-encompassing. Power can come from being with friends, as it does for most of the cast of Homestuck–one of the goals of the Game, after all, is to become a powerful team. But power can also come from isolation, as it does for Calliope. It’s a complicated truth, and a truth that I’m glad Homestuck has addressed.

