I didn't really want this whole thing to derail into me having to explain why I don't enjoy the Epilogues or don't find any meaning in them that's valuable to me.

I wanted to understand how other people can continue and find joy despite what is a massive hurdle for me; I don't think all art has to be comforting or coddle people and I don't think it's fair to say that Homestuck is the Y/A to the Epilogue's "adult fiction". Homestuck was able to grapple with dark themes and child abuse without completely blowing up everything these characters cared about.

That being said though, I personally find joy in cathartic art, the epilogues don't feel that way to me. Each chapter feels darker than the last, when it's not constantly waving comedic sexual overtones in your face to try and distract from abhorent themes. I don't think they're written well and I stand by that, because the actual trigger warnings didn't become a serious thought until actual fan backlash over how much more dark and absurdist the story was compared to its predecessor comic.

To discuss the Calliope things, do I think everyone should stop writing upsetting things? No. I'm talking strictly within the context of the story I'm being given to read. IF (and I specified that before, IF) the story is going down the route of Calliope being culpable, they're writing upsetting things about the friends that are not even a room over. I don't think it's fair to compare this an IRL authorship situation, but the whole idea that they're cool with exploring Roxy's detransition doesn't strike me as an interesting exploration of Calliope's character or offer anything of value to me other than saying they did something weirdly messed up for the sake of doing it; plus Karkat's extrapolation that there is "truth" inside what Calliope has written feels like a double edged knife on top of that.

I don't like all these feelings at all, they weren't feelings I ever really had to contend with during Homestuck as a story and they actively make it hard for me to continue wanting to read it. And I *want* to read it, because I *want* to be able to enjoy this stuff.