History Webcomic / TheGuideToAHealthyRelationship

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 runs into 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 mental 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.

* TheAlcoholic: Is Apollo ''ever''. Of course, he claims he could stop anytime... Admittedly, with most of his friends being alcoholics as well, it might be easy for him to overlook.

* 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 (they initially spoke only Russian) or where their parents were. Cars and other everyday things seemed to disturb them, and Julian has flashbacks of being mistreated in a psychiatric hospital.

--> '''Julian''': It is ironic that an alcoholic is trying to help me with my "addiction".

* DrowningMySorrows: Might be why Apollo started drinking. His parents kicked him out after he came out as gay, he thought his best friend died, he's working in a dead-end job and has no prospects of ever getting any better.

* TalkingToTheDead: Apollo talks to a photography of Julian early on while he's drunk and dejected. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that Julian turns out to be not dead after all.
* ToxicFriendInfluence: Nearly all of Apollo's friends enable his drinking, give him questionable pills or encourage his irresponsible impulses.

* YourCheatingHeart: Daniel seduces [[ButLiquorIsQuicker 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 and still not sober Apollo later thinks it's because Julian is difficult to live with due to being a drug addict and he could salvage their relationship by getting Julian clean.[[note]]Daniel ''told'' him Julian's doing drugs, but Julian doesn't seem to be taking anything aside from what's necessary for their mental treatment.[[/note]] What Daniel actually wants is to cut off Julian's friendship with Apollo.

* 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 a sweet FlorenceNightingaleEffect romance. Or would, if Daniel weren't a controlling, manipulative abuser.

* RomanticAsexual: Well, Daniel ''claims'' Julian is averse to intimacy in their relationship, but he's probably not the most reliable source. Notably, Apollo, who knows Julian for much longer, is confused by this, saying that Julian never seemed to have a problem with sex.

* StatuesqueStunner: Apollo's co-worker Galia is very tall due to being a transwoman, which doesn't stop her from being gorgeous.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: Apollo, about Julian's mental illness and about his co-worker Galia being a transwoman.

* BlindingBangs: Downplayed, but Julian usually has their long hair covering at least [[PeekABangs one side of their face]]. Considering they're often walking with their head bowed, it might be intentional on their part.

* UsedToBeASweetKid: According to flashbacks, Julian, who always watched out for Apollo despite their own poor health. Downplayed because they were grouchy even as a kid.

* YourCheatingHeart: Daniel seduces [[ButLiquorIsQuicker 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 and still not sober Apollo later thinks it's because Julian is difficult to live with due to being a drug addict and he could 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.

* SanitySlippage: Returning periodically with Julian. The art reflects their hallucinations and paranoia, but most of the time, they are remarkably functional.

* CoolShades: Subverted. Apollo is wearing the shades (if he hasn't lost them once again) because of his ocular albinism; he has extremely light-sensitive eyes.

* TalkingToTheDead: Apollo talks to a photography of Julian early on while he's drunk and dejected. Subverted in that Julian turns out to be not dead after all.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Apollo aside, no one likes Julian because he's "weird" and unsociable. They seem to prefer staying for themselves anyway.

* {{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.

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

* CigaretteOfAnxiety: Poor Julian has issues beyond counting and smokes like a chimney.

* 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's the breadwinner and does all the domestic work. Once we meet him with Julian at their home, 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. Not to mention Julian has a job of his own.

* TheCaretaker: Daniel says he's that for Julian, and it's possible that their relationship started out like this, what with Daniel being a nurse and having met Julian in a psychiatric clinic. By now, he has Julian entirely under his thumb, controlling and manipulating them at every turn, and it's blatantly obvious that Julian is scared of him.

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

* 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, curls up in TroubledFetalPosition crying that they're sorry when someone gets angry with them... 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.

* TheInsomniac: Julian seems to sleep not so much as to just pass 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.

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

* SanitySlippage: Returning periodically with Julian. The art style reflects their hallucinations and paranoia, but most of the time, they are remarkably functional.

* 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 and still not sober Apollo later thinks it's because Julian is difficult to live with due to being a drug addict and he could 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.

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 mental 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.

''[[http://tgtahr.spiderforest.com/index.php?comic_id=0 The Guide to a Healthy Relationship]]'' is a webcomic created by Copper the Carutor, also known as Dani, and published on Spiderforest. It started July 7, 2015.

* CampGay: Apollo is rather theatrical and has quite a flamboyant style of dressing.

''[[http://tgtahr.spiderforest.com/index.php?comic_id=0 The Guide to a Healthy Relationship]]'' is a webcomic created by Dani the Carutor and published on Spiderforest. It started July 7, 2015.

* IronicName: The name of the sun god for a guy who's not all that bright.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Just about the best thing one can say about Apollo is that he at least means well and tries to be nice... if he's not too drunk to care about anything other than himself.

** In a more straight example of the trope, Julian and Apollo are taking care of each other. Apollo knows how to get Julian to eat and what upsets him, and Julian helps Apollo get around the place when the sunlight is too much for his eyes.

* 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 (they 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.

* 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 pile and one of the guys decorated with his own vomit...

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

* 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. Julian is repeatedly shown cleaning 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".

* 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 by the lack of sleep causing CreepyShadowedUndereyes and his constantly bad mood.

* BlindingBangs: Downplayed, but Julian usually has their long hair covering at least one side of their face. Considering they're often walking with their head bowed, it might be intentional on their part.

* AmbiguousGender: Julian is intersex, but they never specify their gender identity or preferred pronouns (Apollo uses he/his/him, Daniel uses they/their/them). 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.

* 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, curls up in TroubledFetalPosition crying that he's sorry when someone gets angry with him... 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.

* 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 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".