Rogue of Light

A part of classpecting many skim over is the Derse/Prospit split, which is a shame, because it is by far the most approachable concept. This distinction has been observed many times before, with different names, although you may be familiar with the theory of introversion and extraversion.

For the unfamiliar, an introvert is defined by someone who gains gratification from their own mental life, and an extravert is one who gains gratification from other people, outside of themselves.

While not all dersites are introverts and not all prospits are extraverts, there are some commonalities in these two systems. The common consensus is that there are signifigantly fewer introverts compared to extraverts, by a ratio of about 7:3. This seems to be true for derse/prospit as well, with derse having fewer members, and a similar ratio.

It is because of this, most people seem to view prospit as a default of sorts, and derse as some variation of this norm. This is a misconception, and before we categorize each sway, I think it would be benefitial to address some other common misconceptions about what it means to be a derse dreamer, or a prospit dreamer.

It's common to believe that all derse dreamers are these ultra-ironic tortured geniuses, too smart to be happy. Or, that they all hate themselves, and hate each other. This seems to stem from Rose and Dave being the first two derse dreamers in the comic, because many other derse dreamers break this trend. Characters like Aradia, Feferi, and Nepeta are all derse dreamers, who have very bubbly personalities. There's more nuance, extending beyond the Strilondes.

There's also somewhat of a hero/villian split projected onto them, analogous to the light side and the dark side in star wars. A lot of this seems to come from how the kingdom of derse is the final boss of Sburb, and how the biggest villian of the comic, Caliborn, is a derse dreamer. Although again, this is flawed. There are prospits who are heartless monsters, and dersites who are empathetic and caring.

Prospit Dreamers

extravert, bright, defend, status quo, thesis, spontaneity, many acquaintances

In Homestuck, the kingdom of prospit is a floating golden city, orbiting Skaia, the central hub of the game. Prospit dreamers awake in it's orbiting moon, and can look out their windows to see the clouds of Skaia, giving them glimses of the future.

Prospit dreamers are very spontaneous, oftentimes acting without thinking. They don't think a lot in general. Not to say that they can't be smart, they just prefer to not have a plan 100% worked out. They have a lot of trust, and love to share with the world.

Derse Dreamers

introvert, dark, attack, revolution, anti-thesis, action with foresight, few close friends

In Homestuck, the kingdom of derse is a floating purple city, orbiting in the outer ring, the farthest point away from Skaia. Derse dreamers awake in it's orbiting moon, and can listen for the whispers of the horrorterrors, the eldritch monsters that exist in the space between games.

Derse dreamers are deep thinkers, and prefer to plan ahead. Awkward around people, it's common for them to prepare for conversations in advance, by predicting what the other person will say. They have a lot of skepticism, and critical thought to share with the world.

Closing Thoughts

Defining the split between derse and prospit is hard. This is something that is easier to feel than understand. I'll also include a section at the end of each class article, discussing the differences in derse and prospit variations, which will hopefully help. Basically, derse dreamers are more intense versions of each class, with both negative and positive traits amplified. That's obviously only scratching the surface, but if you don't understand anything else here, just go with that. Trust me, this will all make sense eventually.