RoseMary - The Key to Homestuck (Patreon)

Ever since the Epilogues happened, there has been some... Heartache in the Fandom. About many things, mind you, but I feel one of the things that hit the hardest was seeing Dirk manipulate Rose away from Kanaya, brainwash the two into thinking that it was for the best to be apart, just that he could selfishly drag her away into his own plans.

I argued, prior to the Epilogues, that making Rose and Kanaya break up was a death sentence to Homestuck content. Namely, this was when I believed the Epilogue would be that, an Epilogue, singular, narrating the events of a happily-ever-after post-Act 7, as an ending to the series, instead of... A dual bridge into yet more content in general? I also imagined the break-up to be due to natural causes. You know, showing that they didn't get along, making them go separate ways, instead of, once again, manipulation. And of course I never even came close to predicting we'd get two Timelines, one of which shows them keeping a happy and content marriage.

So! Like many, all my theories, ideas and conceptions of what'd happen with the Epilogues were blown off the way entirely. HS Content is still going strong currently, even with a divide in the Fandom regarding the current canon, and people who like Rosemary still make Rosemary content. And yet, a small part of the Fandom seems to have shown a lack of Hope when it comes to their relationship. One Timeline has them fighting in a dictatorial world. The other, has them separated, apart. Things seem kind of bleak if you're looking for that happy Rosemary juice.

Well, as prevalent as DaveKat is nowadays over RoseMary, I am here to argue that not only Rose and Kanaya are destined to get back together and be happy- Their relationship is the cornerstone of the entirety of HS^2.

So let us talk about how great Rose and Kanaya are together, and why it's going to stay that way, shall we?

Rose and Kanaya have been a ship since... Since their first conversation, really. Back then it seemed more contentious, after all, the Trolls were being mean and rather nasty towards the group, and it wasn't until a while after that we got more development on them, and context on their actions. The way I've seen it go many times, specially with current liveblogs, is assuming Kanaya is a guy, that's into Rose, and being kind of mean to her, only to see her for the first time, as they begin to interact more and more, and do a complete 180º. Their initial interactions are full of snark, and teasing each other, but little by little, concern and appreciation for each other begins to show. Kanaya's worry about Rose messing with dark forces, not wanting something bad to happen to her. Rose's growing fondness for the Troll, and surely, her fascination for the alien and unknown driving her more into the passionate throes of Teen Romance.

And much like the rocky start to their interactions, it's not like their love has been... Smooth sailing in the slightest. The moment they met together, Kanaya decided to stay with Aradia and Sollux, away from the mess of the Alpha Timeline, only to be convinced by Rose. Rose, her only reas for actually doing the 3-Year Trip with the rest, and into the new Session. And during said trip, what do they have to contend with? The most devastating and dangerous enemy of them all. Personal Issues.

Rose dwells a lot on her choices, on the way she misread, misunderstood her mother. And alongside a good dose of anxiety regarding what comes next, and her obligations, it leads her down the route of substance abuse. Despite their date, and first kiss, being an amazing moment in Homestuck, a thing a lot of people gloss over with that kiss is that Rose is absolutely smashed. It is beautiful that she worked up the courage to go ahead, but in the end, it's still not an ideal situation, specially for Kanaya. It is here, in the meteor, that we have one of the genuinely best moments when it comes to RoseMary, and it's not the kiss, no. It's Kanaya's outburst having to deal with Drunk Rose near the end of their journey.

The singular scream of NO, that tells Rose, and the audience, that Kanaya's not going to leave her. That her issues are frustrating to deal with, but that doesn't change her love for her, nor her willingness to actually aid her. Kanaya is frustrated. But her love for her remains, and it drives her to help her out however she can. Of course, this doesn't happen in the Retcon Timeline, given Rose gets an intervention before her alcoholism can go too far, and yet, they still have to contend with a powerful force that could've dented their relationship. Vriska. Particularly, a Vriska who's obviously still trying to get Kanaya's attention, and doesn't seem to know the words 'read the room' when they're having a little moment to themselves.

What I am trying to say is that, despite the obvious love between the two, their relationship has always been plagued by hindrances and hiccups of various sorts. Complexity, self-doubt, duties, happy as they are together, it's not something that comes easily.

And so the Epilogues happen. Broken Up in one Timeline, dealing with Fascism in another. But I reiterate, their Relationship is probably one of the most important, not relationships, but driving forces, in both Meat and Candy.

Let's begin with Candy, where their relationship informs us of one of the major themes of the story. Them being together matters, not in spite of the world they live in, but specifically because of the awful situation of the world after Jane gets too much power. The vast majority of relationships in this Timeline fall apart. John cannot deal with what he believes is a detached, irrelevant Timeline, and ends up lashing out at his own family. Jane abuses Jake, and ends up with an awful Clown that pushes her worst qualities out on the surface, and makes her all the more volatile. Jade forces herself a bit too strongly on Dave and, particularly, Karkat, and along with the political mess, it ends up fracturing the group.

But Rose and Kanaya? They're a healthy and happy couple. They adopt a Grub, and raise everyone's favorite egirl Vrissy Maryam-Lalonde. They join the rebellion, as two of the most important figures. They fight back against the system that tells them it's wrong to be together. And it does tell them. With the bias against Trollkind generated by Jane fanning the flames in the wake of the Trolls beginning to be born naturally, Interspecies Relationships aren't well seen. Rose and Kanaya are a sapphic couple, happily raising a kid together, pushing back against a world that tells them what they're doing is wrong, and joining the fight to push back against the growing danger of Jane's control over the planet.

They're the perfect antithesis to everything the Candy Timeline pushes at the audience. With most of it being seen from John's perspective, we not only have to deal with the growing danger of Jane's regime, but also, with his own doubts, the irreality of the world around him. Everything goes off the rails, it is wrong, it is not meant to be. But not for Rose and Kanaya. Rose sees the detachment from canonical events, not as a curse, but as a blessing. One that cured her ailment, and allowed her to be with Kanaya. That's why she thanks John, despite having to deal with being part of the Rebellion, despite living in a world they have to fight against.

Rose has found what actually matters to her. The people she loves and cares about. The family she has made for herself. She has put behind the doubts that come with being a Seer of Light, the issues that arose from the creep of Ultimate Selfness on her. She's a Goddess, yes, a Creator, but on top of that, she's Rose Maryam-Lalonde, her dear wife's partner. Her fear of what could happen in other Timelines, of whether what she was doing was right or wrong, overwritten by her love and happiness she experiences with Kanaya, because if that is not the right path, then what would it be?

And Kanaya has found what matters to her. She's fighting for Trollkind, for their rights, as the Matriarch, but, she's also fighting for Rose, for their right to remain together, to express their love, and raise a kid together. She's bound a heavy duty, and dealing with an unpleasant situation... But she's doing it along with someone she knows she can trust intrinsically, someone she loves.

A message of unity, and pushing against adversity. Of love, blooming, even in the shittiest of situations. Of people making the best of life despite what the world around them tells them. Fight for your rights. Pursue that which you love. It's a kind and gentle message, amplified by the sheer amount of awfulness we're presented with in Candy. Much like Jake taking Tavros away from Jane, better late than never. Much like John, deciding to apologize to Roxy and talk things out, never too late. Rose and Kanaya are the biggest spark of Hope and Unity in the Candy Timeline, a beacon to look up to in the darkest times.

What about Meat, though?

In Meat, Rose and Kanaya break up before the events of Homestuck^2. So their relationship seems much more... Bleak and meaningless than in Candy by comparison. But that is, absolutely not the case at all.

Rose is manipulated by Dirk to give into her Ultimate Ascension, and abandon all individuality. The boundaries of her mind shatter, allowing her to embody all Roses, and Dirk puts her Soul in a Robot Body in order to allow her form to handle this new influx of knowledge and awareness without dissipating and dying. Kanaya is being made to feel like she's not enough for Rose, and Rose, nudged into believing there's something bigger waiting for her, and so, the two decide to pull away from each other.

But they can't.

In Candy, Rose and Kanaya's relationship was the beacon of Hope lighting the bleak landscape of the world. But in Meat, their relationship is the Pillar upon which the entire Plot is settled.

Kanaya breaks free of Dirk's influence once Jade wakes up, briefly, and realizes the manipulation, realizes those weren't her true feelings, and that Dirk has just stolen her beloved wife. This event is the reason why they chase after the group. Let me reiterate: The only reason Dirk has pursuers right now is because he broke RoseMary up.

Had Dirk decided to go alone, even after the mess he made on Earth-C, the only other reason the Meat Group would decide to chase after him is Jade's state, wanting to recover their good old friend from Calliope's Possession, and having to comply with her directions, and that'd have painted Alt Callie as all that much more of an asshole. But by itself, Dirk wanting something bigger and messing with the fabric of Paradox Space, it's most likely wouldn't have affected any of the other characters. There would've been conflict, there would've been personal issues arising from seeing him go and having to deal with the things he exposed, about narrative agency and the world they inhabit, but... That would've been it.

But Dirk made the mistake of taking Rose from Kanaya.

And so there was no hesitation, not a moment to waste. They took Jake's second fastest ship, and set out to take him down, and recover her. Kanaya longs for Rose, to the point where all forms of Light remind her of her love. She's grieving the loss of someone she loves, she seethes at the thought of her being taken away by the selfish designs of someone else.

And on Rose's side, there's doubt. Hesitation. She ponders about the things she has done. She knows of other iterations of herself that are with Kanaya. She remembers fondly the life she left behind. She misses it so much, that Dirk has to step in and directly manipulate her, even after 3 Years of Conditioning, to get her thoughts away from what she left behind, and look ahead at what they're doing. She has been tricked into believing what they're doing is the right thing, and that things were left amiably and okay back on Earth-C.

The Meat Timeline is the story of Dirk taking Rose away from the people that love her, and the Odyssey that ensues in order to bring her back. Of lovers, missing each other, and needing to be reunited.

The only reason Rose even went along with Dirk's plan is her belief that everything is fine, and everything she's doing is of her own free will. But Kanaya and the rest know that is not the case. They have to reach her. If Rose ended up truly leaving of their own volition it would be sad, but she didn't. And once she sees that everything she has been doing and seeing has been through orange-tinted glasses, there's going to be nothing but contempt for the man that kept her away from the love of her life, and from her closest friends.

In one Timeline, they embody everything that's worth fighting for when things are the bleakest. In the other, their unbreakable bond is both the main driving force behind the chase of the antagonist, and their reunion, the most likely key to making his plans fall apart.

And if that's not a love worth rooting for and protecting, I don't know what is.

Oh and by the way, for those worried about the fact Rose is currently in a Robot Body, I should remind that, in the Epilogues, it was stated that Dirk is preserving Rose's body, which very potentially hints to the idea of returning her to her original form at some point.

Also have you seen Rosebot? All I am saying is, Kanaya is going to have no issues loving that chassis if she needs to.