History Webcomic / TheGuideToAHealthyRelationship

* NeatFreak: One of the subtler signs of Daniel's gaslighting: He claims that Julian demolished a room during a "freak-out", but that doesn't gel with their characterization at all. Julien is repeatedly shown cleaning something or tidying up; even a flashback to childhood features them folding laundry and offering to make breakfast for Apollo, and they are very thorough in their job as a janitor. Also, the first thing Julian says when they want to get away is they'll "go clean something".

* ParentalAbandonment: Apollo's parents kicked him out when they learned he was gay -- which Apollo admits he finds weird since he'd been in a pretty TransparentCloset anyway. His boss is currently trying to be a bit of a [[ParentalSubstitute motherly figure]] in his life, attempting to get him back on track with some much-needed strictness, but Apollo doesn't really listen, and her patience is growing thin.

* YourCheatingHeart: Daniel seduces a drunk Apollo one evening when Julian is at work. He claims it's because he doesn't get any in his relationship; a rightfully guilty Apollo thinks it's because Julian is difficult to live with due to being a junkie and he can salvage their relationship by getting Julian clean (note that he only got that from Daniel, and Julian doesn't seem to be taking anything aside from what's necessary for their mental treatment). What Daniel actually wants is to cut off Julian's friendship with Apollo.

* PsychoticSmirk: Shows up with Daniel sometimes.

* NeatFreak: One of the subtler signs of Daniel's gaslighting: He claims that Julian demolished a room during a "freak-out", but that doesn't gel with their characterization at all. Julien is repeatedly shown cleaning something or tidying up; even a flashback to childhood features them folding laundry and offering to make breakfast for Apollo, and they are very thorough in their job as a janitor.

* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Julian remembers Apollo's siblings, mentioning triplets and at least one more sister.

* BlatantLies: First time Daniel tells about his partner, he claims it's like living with a roommate he has to take care of, and that he does all the house chores. Once we meet him with Julian at their house, Daniel shoos Julian around to make dinner for their friends, and Julian later on insists that they have to clean the house, in a manner that indicates it's routinely a work they do.

* ReallyGetsAround: Part of Apollo's "lifestyle", although it's usually preceded by drinking.

** This treat of his is actually [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadowed]] in his very first meeting with Apollo: He introduces himself to him, they talk for a bit, and then Daniel laves the store where they met, and Apollo takes a bit longer to pay. When he meets Daniel outside a few minutes later, the latter snaps at him that's not his name and he apparently didn't listen at all... only to laugh then and make a joke of how easy it is to pull Apollo's leg.

* Gaslighting: Daniel does this ''all the time'', especially to Julian and including transferring their medicaments into a different receptacle to make Julian doubt their perception, but the most jarring incident has to be when he gives Julian sleeping pills and later claims that Julian demolished the house while blacking out during "one of [their] freak-outs" -- and he lets Brandon beat Julian up over this, ''knowing'' that Julian was asleep the whole time. However, Daniel also uses Apollo's alcoholism to claim the latter's memories are unreliable.

* ParentalAbandonment: Apollo's parents kicked him out when they learned he was gay -- which Apollo admits he finds weird since he'd been in a pretty TransparentCloset anyway.

* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Julian is one, with long, black hair and very pale skin since he's permanently working the night shift on his job and doesn't get out of the house if he doesn't need to. The impression is completed the lack of sleep causing CreepyShadowedUndereyes and his constantly bad mood.

* FanDisservice: One could think naked Apollo and a bunch of half-naked young people would be a nice view to behold, but the morning after a frat party, with everyone in a drunk pily and one of the guys decorated with his own vomit...

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Julian. Apollo met them when he was eight years old and on a walk with his babysitter -- Julian was sleeping in a bag by the riverside, unable to give any information about themselves like a name, where they were from (he initially spoke only Russian) or where his parents were. Cars and other everyday things seemed to disturb them, and Julian has flashbacks of being mistreated in a psychiatric hospital.

* UnequalPairing: Friendly and bright nurse meets TroubledButCute mental patient in a hospital and helps them through life -- Daniel's and Julian's relationship sounds like a receipt for cute FlorenceNightingaleEffect romance. Or would, if Daniel weren't a controlling, manipulative abuser.

* YourCheatingHeart: Daniel seduces a drunk Apollo one evening when Julian is at work. He claims it's because he doesn't get any in his relationship, a rightfully guilty Apollo thinks it's because Julian is difficult to live with due to being a junkie and he can salvage their relationship by getting Julian clean (note that he only got that from Daniel, and Julian doesn't seem to be taking anything aside from what's necessary for their mental treatment). What Daniel actually wants is to cut off Julian's friendship with Apollo.

* FanDisservice

* TheStoner

* ToxicFriendInfluence
* UnequalPairing
* UsedToBeASweetKid: According to flashbacks, Julian, who always watched out for Apollo despite their own poor health. Downplayed because he ws cranky even as a kid.

* MassiveNumberedSiblings
* OneHeadTaller
* ParentalAbandonment
* PsychoticSmirk
* ReallyGetsAround
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech

* SanitySlippage
* StatuesqueStunner
* TalkingToTheDead

* TransparentCloset
* TheTwink

* UsedToBeASweetKid
* VitriolicBestBuds: Despite Julian avoiding people in general, being irritable and cranky and often yelling at Apollo and despite Apollo being an insensitive moron, they always look out for each other, Apollo repeatedly asking about Julian's health and obviously having quite a good understanding of how they function, Julian helping Apollo cross the street or navigate foreign terrain when he's lost because of his extremely bad sight.

* VitriolicBestBuds: Despite Julian avoiding people in general, being irritable and cranky and often yelling at Apollo and despite Apollo being an insensitive moron, they always look out for each other, Apollo repeatedly asking about Julian's health and obviously having quite a good understanding of how they function, Julian helping Apollo cross the street or handle foreign terrain when he's lost because of his extremely bad sight.

* VitriolicBestBuds: Despite Julian avoiding people in general, being irritable and cranky and often yelling at Apollo and Apollo being an insensitive moron, they always look out for each other, Apollo repeatedly asking about Julian's health and obviously having quite a good understanding of how they function, Julian helping Apollo cross the street or handle foreign terrain when he's lost because of his extremely bad sight.

* InsaneEqualsViolent: Julian, according to Daniel -- albeit the only times Julian has actually been seen to get violent was when he fealt cornered.

* Gaslighting: Daniel does this ''all the time'', especially to Julian, but the most jarring incident has to be when he gives Julian sleeping pills and later claims that Julian demolished the house while blacking out during "one of [their] freak-outs" -- and he lets Brandon beat Julian up over this, ''knowing'' that Julian was asleep the whole time. However, Daniel also uses Apollo's alcoholism to claim the latter's memories are unreliable.

* IcyBlueEyes: Julian has those, although the icy expression is acquired.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: Apollo
* InsaneEqualsViolent: Julian, according to Daniel
* TheInsomniac: Julian seems to sleep not so much as just passing out when they've reached their limit. Apollo asks him on one occasion how long it has been since he slept last, seemingly aware of this since their childhood.

* VitriolicBestBuds: Despite Julian avoiding people in general, being irritable and cranky and often yelling at Apollo and Apollo being an insensitive moron, they always look out for each other, Apollo repeatedly asking about Julian's health, Julian helping Apollo cross the street or handle foreign terrain when he's lost because of his extremely bad sight.

* DomesticAbuse: Daniel gaslights Julian like nobody's business, seems to think it's fun to scare them by sneaking up on them, orders them around to such a degree that Julian asks for his permission ''to use the bathroom'', forces them to eat when Julian doesn't want to, makes them go out with him and friends when Julian would much rather stay at home, Julian is scared shitless of Daniel getting angry about anything they say or do... yeah, and then there's the wince when Daniel says to them: ''"We'll discuss this later at home."'' Next time we see Julian, they're full of bruises.

* FieryRedhead: Apollo is a ginger and can get pretty vexed, although he's not very intimidating in it.
* Gaslighting: Daniel does this ''all the time'', especially to Julian, but the most jarring incident has to be when he gives Julian sleeping pills and later claims that Julian demolished the house while blacking out during "one of [their] freak-outs" -- and he lets Brandon beat Julian up over this, ''knowing'' that Julian was asleep the whole time.

The protagonist Apollo is a young, irresponsible and immature alcoholic on a downwards spiral he isn't too aware of. He's somewhat ripped from his comfortable routine when he meets Julian, his childhood best friend who he thought was dead for years. Apollo tries to reconnect to them, and Julian tries to avoid him -- because they have seriously enough own problems, coping with psychological issues, a trauma from spending part of their life in harsh psychiatric treatment, being intersex, having an abusive boyfriend... But while neither of them is in a good place, it's obvious that they still care for each other and are trying to be there for one another while just dealing with their lives.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Daniel is friendly and charming, and everyone in Apollo's circle of friends likes him. He's also an abusive asshole who's exploiting his romantic partner's psychological illness.

* Deadpan Snarker: Surprisingly, Julian. When they're not utterly miserable, they are often snarking at Apollo.

The protagonist Apollo is a young, irresponsible and immature alcoholic on a downwards spiral he isn't too aware of. He's somewhat ripped from his comfortable routine when he meets Julian, his childhood best friend who he thought was dead for years. Apollo tries to reconnect to them, and Julian tries to avoid him -- because they have seriously enough own issues, coping with psychological issues, a trauma from spending part of their life in harsh psychiatric treatment, being intersex, having an abusive boyfriend... But while neither of them is in a good place, it's obvious that they still care for each other and are trying to be there for one another while just dealing with their lives.

* CoolShades: Averted. Apollo is wearing the shades (if he hasn't lost them once again) because of his ocular albinism; he has extremely light-sensitive eyes.
* RomanticAsexual: Well, Daniel ''claims'' Julian is averse to intimacy in their relationship, but he's probably not the most reliable source.

''The Guide to a Healthy Relationship'' is a webcomic created by Dani the Carutor and published on Spiderforest. It started July 7, 2015.

The protagonist Apollo is a young, irresponsible and immature alcoholic on a downwards spiral he isn't too aware of. He's somewhat ripped from his comfortable routine when he meets Julian, his childhood best friend who he thought was dead for years. Apollo tries to reconnect to them, and Julian tries to avoid him -- because they have seriously enough own issues, coping with psychological issues, a trauma from spending part of their life in harsh psychiatric treatment, being intersex, having an emotionally abusive boyfriend... But while neither of them is in a good place, it's obvious that they still care for each other and are trying to be there for each other while just dealing with their lives.

* AffablyEvil: Daniel is friendly and charming, and everyone in Apollo's circle of friends likes him. He's also an abusive asshole who's exploiting his romantic partner's psychological illness.

* AmbiguousGender: Julian is intersex, but they never specify their gender identity. When Kevin asks innocently if Julian is transgender, they react extremely touchy after having suffered years of gendered insults and abuse over their appearance not matching their voice and the like.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Despite Julian avoiding people in general, being irritable and cranky and often yelling at Apollo and Apollo being an insensitive moron, they always look out for each other, Apollo repeatedly asking about Julian's health, Julian helping Apollo cross the street or handle foreign terrain when he's lost because of his extremely bad sight.
* RomanticAsexual: Well, Daniel ''claims'' Julian is averse to intimacy in their relationship, but he's probably not the most reliable source.

The protagonist Apollo is a young, irresponsible and immature alcoholic on a downwards spiral he isn't too aware of. He's somewhat ripped from his comfortable routine when he meets Julian, his childhood best friend who he thought was dead for years. Apollo tries to reconnect to them, and Julian tries to avoid him -- because they have seriously enough own issues, coping with psychological issues, a trauma from spending part of their life in harsh psychiatric treatment, being intersex, having an emotionally abusive boyfriend... But while neither of them is in a good place, it's obvious that they still care for each other and are trying to be there for each other while just dealing with their lives.