(no subject)

[frottage]

Player Information

Name: China.
Personal Journal: ^^^
Age: 19
Contact Info: skirtflip @ aim, poolsex on plurk.
Other Characters Played: n/a.
Do you need an invite? non.

Character Information

Character Name: Karkat Vantas.
Character Series: Homestuck.
Character Age: 6 sweeps / 13 years.
Character Gender: Male.
Original Canon
Canon Point: EOA5.
Background Link: karkat vantas @ mspa wikia.
Personality: What should be touched on first is what Karkat Vantas means at a face value vantage point, i.e. how he is seen and perceived by others. What is only first in a myriad of problems and issues is the fact that Karkat comes across as a very mouthy, very angry little kid. Everything seems to grate on his nerves in some way or another, and it doesn’t take much to make him snap and go on essay-length tangents about how difficult it is to be him and have to deal with whatever hyperbole situation he thinks he’s become a part of in his own head. Every comment he makes is laced with a fine coat of seething, white-hot rage. A boiling pot is a rather fitting analogy for him, as someone who lets himself be worked up so thoroughly so quickly. Alongside this, Karkat is also an avid user of biting sarcasm, despite the insinuation that sarcasm is, in fact, not a Thing for troll culture. He’s unwittingly actually quite culturally sensitive, fancy that! His outbursts often come in the form of wonderfully creative insults that flow very comfortably down any given conversation highway, and rarely will one see Karkat Vantas feel any remorse for somehow derailing and realigning a conversation in the right direction because of said outbursts, because fuck the police he does what he wants.

Another important point of value of his is the fact that despite being wonderfully scathing and painfully infuriating around ninety-percent of the time, Karkat is also quite level-headed. It’s true! Like he claims on so many occasions to anyone who will listen, he is a born leader and conducts himself as such. Although he may bark demands like nobody’s business and can and will insult the craters right off the moon, his advice is always spot-on and his plans are very well thought-out! Perhaps his `no bullshit` attitude actually adds to this endeavor, with his clear aversion to needlessly fucking around with details that have no bearing on whichever given situation. Karkat Vantas will not hesitate to tell it like it is, even if the way he chooses to do so is often derogatory and in all caps.

Often, others are drawn to him for romantic advice due to his vast knowledge and very little worldly experience in the subject. Okay, so, mostly it’s Eridan that comes to him, but that still counts, shut up. Karkat’s morbidly expansive expertise on the subject of troll romance comes solely from romantic movies that he’s watched over the years. Contrary to what he would like to lead you to believe, Karkat cares a great deal for his team of misfits, despite the fact that each and every one of them is totally and completely shithive maggots. It wouldn’t be a far stretch to call him the Doctor Phil of the troll world, bent on seeking a somewhat functional standpoint for his team. Because of his outside viewpoint, Karkat is able to deliver quite sound and logical advice, based on the favorable and unfavorable outcomes he’s witnessed in a plethora of troll romance movies, which in actuality are much more akin to novels than human movies, due to their excessively long titles and unnecessary dialogue.

However, there is a more important facet of Karkat’s personality, and as such should be bolded, italicized and underlined in accordance. This part is, of course...

The fact that he hates himself above all else. Big reveal! Confetti! Loud noises! Karkat’s hate for himself runs as deep as his candy red blood. Which, while we are on the topic, is only one of his many, many deepseeded reasons that feeds his disdain. He is, sadly, a genetic mutation by troll standards, and as such is the only living organism of trollkind that has bright, cherry-colored surprisingly human-looking blood. This wrecks havoc on his perceived self worth, but that can be elaborated on as this subject continues on. Alongside his rancid gutterblood as a hateful trigger, Karkat is also shown to partake in lengthy arguments with his own past and future selves, which often degenerate to the point where they’re just trading loaded words back and forth. It should also be noted that he believes himself to be his own kismesis (fated hate partner, etc), and knows that it is impossible for him to hate anyone to the same degree to which he hates himself. Constantly, constantly, he is caught blaming himself for the outcome of others' actions. If someone gets hurt, it’s Karkat’s fault. If someone dies, it’s Karkat’s fault. If someone irreparably fucks up, it’s Karkat’s fault. He doesn’t give himself the courtesy of letting anything go, instead opting to bottle everything up inside to let the guilt and anger build and build.

This is also a telltale fact showcasing the extent to which he cares for his team. He would rather take the fall, take the blame, than to admit one of them has done wrong. There are cases where he’s pushed past the point of caring, such is the case with Eridan, and just goes on ahead to shoot blame and nasty words wherever he goes.

Circling back to Karkat’s self-worth issue, let’s talk about insecurity. It has been said and reiterated that Karkat absolutely despises himself and everything he stands for, and this is pretty much his biggest issue and subtly worms its way into every decision he makes and more deeper facets of his personality. It’s also the most influential reason he has as to why he is so painfully unsmooth when it comes to the subject of his own romantic aspirations. He may be capable when the problems are at an arms distance and he has an outsider’s perspective, but when the issues are his own? Karkat is about as capable as a brick. Romance is not a subject Karkat takes to well when it is close to home, and this is also thanks to his insecurities. Terezi once says that one of Karkat’s biggest problems is the fact that he needs to know what exactly is going on and why at all times. He needs to know what the motivations are behind each action that is made to reassure himself that yes, somebody is listening and no, not everyone is out to piss him off.

If you strip away all the outer layers and get to the center of what makes Karkat tick, the answer is blood color. One of the most predominant aspects of troll culture is the introduction of the Hemospectrum or the Blood Caste Segregation. Karkat is, by troll standards, a mutant and, had he lived a little longer on Alternia, he would have been killed the moment anyone found out about what lies under the grey of his skin. This underlines his cautious nature, explains some of the decisions he makes and makes it so suddenly his radical insecurities don’t seem so far-fetched. It surely isn’t easy to function when you are worried about your inevitable death every waking moment for thirteen long years. Karkat is a freak and he knows it, which is likely why enforcing himself as leader is so very important to him. It’s a way to prove to himself that blood color doesn’t matter and he can do whatever the fuck he wants, though the molds of society are so very hard to break and it’s still a large weight on his shoulders.

So, let’s talk more about troll culture and how this effects how Karkat functions. Trolls are a very violent society by nature, brought up being taught combat and encouraged to slaughter those who stand in their way. They’re taught that affection is a weakness, pity is what you strive for and hate is a positive emotion. They are taught that the weak are to be killed and for every negative action there are no repercussions. By human standards, troll culture is vile, hostile and heartless, and by most counts that sounds about right. There is a vast difference between the way humans and trolls think, and this is closely related to their morality. While most humans wouldn’t be able to put a bullet through another’s head, trolls are encouraged to do so and as such seem rather confused when humans treat it as a big deal. In canon, Karkat reacts rather flippantly when Tavros messages to tell him that Vriska has just crippled him. This is a perfectly acceptable reaction on his part, and though it may seem uncharacteristically cruel, that is just how troll culture rolls. However, unlike the accepted norm, Karkat pretty much flips out when Eridan goes on a killing spree. He gets emotionally involved, goes as far as to threaten past Eridan, and even plans on having him slaughtered in response. Much like Terezi, Karkat sees death differently from other trolls, in a Just and Unjust light. Eridan killing Kanaya was unjust. Equius killing Eridan would have been just, had he lived that long. Gamzee killing Nepeta was unjust, but sending Equius to kill him was just. Punishing the wicked seems to be a good standard to draw when it comes to both Karkat and Terezi’s morality, but it should be noted that their ideals by troll standards are considered radical and irrational.

Throughout Sgrub, it's amazing to watch the extent to which Karkat grows as a character. In the beginning he was insufferable, aggressive and demanding, stepping over anyone in his way to get what he wanted. Terezi is the leader of the red team? Fuck her, he'll take the leader spot himself. Back then, months in the past, Karkat was almost exactly what troll culture asked of him to be. A little manipulative, somewhat violent, always hostile; this is a vast contrast to the Karkat at the current point in the comic. With Alternia destroyed and the bonds between him and his friends stronger, Karkat drops the abrasive facade, mellowing out somewhat to the mock-aggression he wears day to day. Rather than outright engaging everyone, he just becomes more comically negative and wears his emotions on his sleeves, the reasons for hiding his real personality long since dead.

It wouldn't be a far stretch to say that Karkat is more human than troll, regarding how he perceives situations and reacts to certain things. For example, no self respecting troll would cry over a friend's death the way Karkat did over Kanaya. Then again he was never really a prime example of troll culture to begin with, thanks to his blood. Though he is rather insulting and negative by human standards, underneath his thin shell is a delicious and gooey cherry center that spreads easily; he finds himself caring far too readily and to a frightening extent, getting way more emotionally involved than he is comfortable with.

I'm going to roll back here again and expand a little more on why leadership is so important to Karkat. It's actually pretty simple, really! The reason is because it makes him feel needed. It makes him feel like he's worth something. When he does right and he's praised, his self worth bubbles just that fraction higher and though it may not seem like much, those tiny moments are very, very important to him. Being the glue to hold the team together gives him a feeling of worth, like maybe he's not the most pathetic sack of shit to walk the universe. And, like I covered before, it's also a way to prove that blood color doesn't matter, because surely if a mutant so low on the hemospectrum that he doesn't exist can do anything right, it means that he isn't that much of a failure, right?

Still following? Let's condense it. Karkat wears a negative outer shell that he uses to protect himself and his emotions, a wise act considering his race where vulnerability will get you slaughtered. Underneath that, he's actually a pretty decent guy with a passion for romance and a love for bad movies. Underneath that he's a self-depreciating mutant who wants to believe that there is a reason he exists, despite the odds stacked against him.

Abilities: Due to his overly aggressive culture, Karkat was taught at a young age how to fight and defend himself. He's more than capable with short-ranged weapons such as scythes, sickles and likely short swords, but also won't hesitate to use his hands if need be. He has a natural strength built up from years of fighting with his crabdad and could certainly hold his own in a fight.

Sample Entry: 241 comments of SASS.