Recurring themes

Throughout MS Paint Adventures there are many themes, events and dialog which constantly re-occur. This is similar to Ongoing Gags, which mark funny things that have recurred throughout the adventures. However, recurring themes are noteable for their more serious tone and, often, importance to the plot.

In Problem Sleuth

 * It seems we can't go two seconds without some Weird puzzle shit.


 * PS 0776 (characters) PS 0968 (really) PS 1347 (like) PS 1461 (to) PS 1506 ("Ascend") PS 1511 (all) PS 1347 (the) PS 1678 (time). PS 1542 (It keeps) PS 1645 (happening).

In Homestuck

 * Weird Plot Shit. Who the hell even knowns what's going on anymore?


 * Weird Time Shit. Time travel involving living beings and objects, stable time loops, and time paradoxes.


 * The numbers 413 and its variations often crops up throughout Homestuck. The number 612 is equally common in Hivebent. And more recently, 1025 in both sessions, mostly on countdowns.


 * Chess is a recurring representation of the battle between Light and Dark, including The Battlefield on which they fight.


 * Like Problem Sleuth, Homestuck often HS 2560 (uses) HS 2565 (the) HS 2657 (commands) HS 2688 ("Ascend") HS 2740 (and) HS 2743 ("Descend"). HS 2779 (Seriously), HS 2906 (all) HS 3568 (the) HS 3840 (time) HS 5313 (and) HS 5595 (more). Heck, the Trolls even get to HS 4477 ("Ascend") HS 5644 (twice) and Equius's shades HS 5438 ("descend") onto Kanaya's face. Occasionally, though, characters buck the trend and HS 3701 ("Rise up") or HS 4469 ("Fly up").


 * The phrase "He is already here" has been used primarily in reference to, but also sometimes to Jack Noir (by Vriska), and Spades Slick (by , HS 5515 (misleading) the reader).


 * Losing an arm and eye. First seen when John "accidentally" shreds the HS 2083 (giant harlequin doll), which is then used to HS 2086 (prototype his kernelsprite), causing his session's monarchs to have the same injuries. When Jack Noir HS 3568 (ascends), he gets the injuries too. Later, we find out this is Weird Time Shit, when Gamzee uses HS 5930 (dark ancestral chucklevoodoo)to haunt John's past dreams with a creepy harlequin with the same injuries. The injuries also show up independently in the Troll's universe as well. First, in the distant future when stabs Spades Slick HS 3167 (in the eye) and HS 3246 (rips his arm off with a whip). Before Sgrub,  makes the Magic Cue Ball HS 4167 (explode in Vriska's face). Last, in the distant past, Marquise Spinneret Mindfang HS 5642 (loses an arm and an eye) to Neophyte Redglare.
 * Incidentally, Vriska's injuries equate to precisely half of what she caused to others: losing the use of one eye (to Terezi's two) and one limb (to Tavros's two).
 * Poppop sustains these injuries in the post-Scratch session. He loses an arm when Jane HS 6105 (takes his book), and an eye when his severed head HS 6154 (is nicked by a poker).
 * Related to this, Jack Noir and Spades Slick share an identical pose at the end of HS 003568 (the former's Ascension) and HS 003248 (the latter's Intermission); Spades has a barcode scanner shining on his forehead, while Jack has a similar-looking blood spatter in the same place.


 * "Make her/him pay." This line usually precedes some very grim act of revenge by one of the Trolls. See HS 4141 (Aradia's first revenge) for Vriska crippling Tavros, HS 4145 (Vriska's revenge killing) of Aradia, and the HS 4478 (2x revenge combo) when Vriska blinds Terezi and Aradia later kills Vriska in Sgrub. The latter was at Diamonds Droog's HS 4481 (prompting). Also during Sgrub, reveals that she plans to use Vriska and Terezi to HS 4455 (make [Jack] pay).
 * Two sillier uses of the phrase come up in HS 5286 (Rufio: Make him pay), and while HS 5605 (Dave babbles) under the influence of the Aimless Renegade.

Multiple Adventures

 * Pumpkins most certainly do not exist in any instances of Jailbreak, Problem Sleuth, or Homestuck, and you have no idea why you would think otherwise.