Based on this tumblr post.
In Act 5 Act 2 of Homestuck, Jade and Karkat have a series of interactions that are unmistakably ashen in nature, engaging in hate-driven conciliation. Jade mediates between past Karkat and future Karkat (Homestuck, page 2852) and Karkat mediates between Jade and Jadesprite (Homestuck, page 3250). This is arguably the most healthy portrayal of auspisticism within the comic ever.
I don’t say this lightly either. If you look closely, there’s a plethora of hinted at or failed auspisticisms within the comic and related media, from Kanaya rejecting Eridan’s ashen advances (Homestuck, page 2343) to the dubiously canon Sollux and Karkat auspisticized by Nepeta (Paradox Space, Fiduspawn; you can find a review I wrote of this story here). There isn’t a lack of ashen relationships within Homestuck, but there is a lack of healthy, engaged, mutual ashen relationships.
JadeKat circa Act 5 Act 2 is an excellent example of a healthy auspisticism, being mutually beneficial and mutually reciprocated. When compared to relationships in the other relationships, such as the stable moirallegiance between Nepeta and Equius or even the unstable moirallegiance between pre-retcon Gamzee and Karkat, the differences in conciliatory methods arise. While a moirail will soothe their partner with a gentle hand pap to the face (Homestuck, page 4087), an auspistice will tell you to shut up when you’re acting ridiculous, like when Jade shuts down both past and future Karkat in equal measures (Homestuck, page 2852). That isn’t to say an auspistice will only shut their partners down, as they can also be condescendingly smug about being proven right about things they have previously talked about, like when Karkat acts smug about his irritation of other versions of himself when Jade becomes frustrated with Jadesprite (Homestuck, page 3251).
Likewise, when contrasted with a kismesissitude, it’s clear that auspisticism is less about competing with each other and more about figuring out how to coexist without ripping each other’s faces off. While kismesissitudes between characters like Mindfang and Dualscar (Homestuck, page 3507) or the many iterations of Jack Noir and the Black Queen (Homestuck, page 2395) rely on the ardor of one upping each other and raising the stakes (ideally short of death), auspisticism brings you back down to Earth- or back down to Alternia in this case.
For as helpful as Jade and Karkat’s relationship is in contrasting and compairing to other quadrants, they need to also be compared to other auspisticisms. They are notably different from a prototypical auspisticism due to lacking a third member and a singular auspistice. Instead they take turns mediating between the other and another version of themself. While this makes it harder to make broad claims about all auspisticisms based upon this one, I still think ashen JadeKat is a ship that fills a niche that no other ship in the comic fills- a healthy portrayal of auspisticism by which relationships in other quadrants can be compared and contrasted.
Jade and Karkat are an exemplary of all the traits I think a healthy relationship needs to take root and survive. Compared to an auspisticism like the one Kanaya, Tavros, and Vriska were in, (Homestuck, page 2356) there’s a lot more open communication in Jade and Karkat’s auspisticism, along with a notable lack of tricking the mediator to not mediate (Homestuck, page 2386). It shouldn’t shock anyone that deception in a relationship is not a good idea.
Overall, it’s clear that there’s something ashen going on between Jade and Karkat, at least during this part of the comic. While not a typical auspisticism, they do engage in typical ashen ways in what is a much more healthy way than any other ashen pairing portrayed in the comic. Ashen JadeKat is an underrated ship in my opinion and I hope more people come to appreciate it not for the flush hints that are dropped, but for the ashen foundation that undercurrents their interactions.
Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to expand on.
