#Also I just really like vidow

[amanitacurses]

[slaingelo]

DESPITE GODS BEST EFFORT I HAVE FUCKING LIVED. HOWEVER I FORGOT HOW TO DRAW. GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT HERE IT'S BEEN ALMOST A WEEK

[aeriona]

I'm writing the thing (y'know, the Four Swords AU thing) and I am very nervous to share it. I'm worried if I start posting chapters, I might (at some point potentially) lose steam and abandon the project, leaving it unfinished. Personally, there's nothing that irritates me more than reading a fic only to find it's permanently incomplete. I don't want to impart that frustration onto other people y'know? I've already started a lot of WIPs and left them unfinished and I don't want to add to that pile if I can help it.

Also my writing is giga-cringe spidfsjoefija

Maybe I will post chapters, but with a warning that the upload 'schedule' will be incredibly dubious? Maybe I'm overthinking this haha

[bepisbee]

made a vidow carnivore shadow short!

also go look at it!! amazing art by @space-puppeteer its so good!

(post manga shadow lives situation)

read on ao3

The others were honestly a little terrified the first time they came home to Vio with his hand in Shadow’s mouth. They had been taking advantage of the quiet space. Since his initial curiosity he hadn’t had much time to delve deeper into Shadow’s unique intricacies.

It only made sense. He required a different diet than them after all. Why not learn the most he can? Vio was charting how many, where, and how sharp his mouth of canines were. Shadow was sitting patiently, mouth wide and frozen solid as the rest of Link stood there mortified.

Vio hadn’t noticed them until Red started crying about Shadow eating him.

Boy, that was a fun conversation.

Shadow focused back on Vio as he snapped  back swiftly with a hiss. He’d nicked himself on one of the more dangerous teeth. Despite it really not being his fault, Shadow found himself apologizing.

“Sorry…” he held out his clawed hand to ask for Vio’s. He took it and gently rolled it over. He inspected it closely. Just a small cut on his finger, clean like a fresh knife. He made eye contact and kissed the spot softly pressing his tongue to it for a second. “You ok?”

Vio’s cheeks flushed from the unexpected intimate gesture. It shook him out of his hyperfocus. “Ah-” he cleared his throat. “Ahem. yeahh thanks. I’m okay,”

Shadow gave him his hand back.

“Do you…” He rolled over how to ask, “Have you… hunted for animals? with these?” Vio held Shadow’s hand this time, admiring the painted nails.

He laughed, “Hahaha, what, like a wolfos?” he could see it, funny as that was. “Not here I haven’t. There was always enough from the hinox and other creatures under us.” he waved his unoccupied hand dismissively. “There are markets, you know.” He subconsciously licked his teeth at the thought. “I have to be a wolfos for Halloween now.”

“Hm.” Vio stopped his inspection, interlacing their fingers instead. “Do you think maybe that accounts for your occasional over aggression and bloodlust?”

“You’re always so blunt.” he snorted, but not offended. “I dunno. Maybe? Are you suggesting I go serial killer on the local wildlife?”

“Haha, no no. I’m just thinking out loud. We should make a trip in town soon though,” Though, they might end up hunting anyway, lest they sell out the butcher. He got lost in thought about it again, mumbling. Did he need to sharpen either, like a cat? What type he liked better, how cooked, would he eat a cow?

“A cow??” oops he said that out loud. Shadow laughed really hard. “hahahaha what? like, just bite it??” His big grin showed off the sharp set. “If you bet me to, I would.”

Vio shook his head, amused. “No…well…maybe. The others would be upset.”

“Nerd.” Shadow leaned in and pecked his cheek.

[gaylactic-fire]

Nah I hate the persistence of "Vidow is toxic" in the FS fandom. ESPECIALLY given the nature of fanon surrounding them.

Like we know. We're aware, within the confines of the manga, that their relationship isn't healthy by any real world standard. It's fucked up. It's messy. But it's also.. really interesting?? I can't speak for everyone who enjoys the ship, but when I see them I see two characters who, at their best, have incredibly fun banter and an appealing dynamic. Two characters who don't want to hurt each other, but due to the circumstances of their time together and clashing morals and priorities, ultimately end up doing so.

And like obviously this is not the universal thought shared by shippers, as I said. But it's clear that many of us feel some similar way. We want to see their dynamic explored more. We wonder what would happen if their circumstances were different, or if they were to meet again, what changes would occur. There's SO MANY lovingly crafted post canon AUs of Shadow coming back, with many actively acknowledging the fucked up past between the two and how it affects their current relationship. It's not always sunshine and rainbows "I forgive you immediately." and then they cry. I've read / seen many pieces with a lot of nuance. There's themes of anger, grief, confusion, but ultimately healing and moving forward, too and it's all FANTASTIC.

So I guess when fans are actively trying to deepen this relationship and push it far beyond the scoope of the original manga, it's always frustrating to see people dig their heals into the ground and insist the ship must be toxic, even in an entirely different context. Nobody's forcing anyone to ship anything, and I certainly don't judge if the manga dynamic was just something you didn't enjoy. But it's a weird hill to die on if you're trying to start beef with "fix it" fanon. Like, you don't want to see these characters grow and move on? Become better? Acknowledge and admit their mistakes? Find love in each other, in spite of everything? Alrighty then. Whatever floats your boat I guess

[glitchedfoxx]

What made you start shipping Glue?

that's actually a really good question

I think part of it is because I don't like rue because Blue walks all over Red and it feels like there's an unhealthy power imbalance in their relationship if I were to ship them romantically, also something about how they're portrayed gives me the ick, then when it comes to vidow I'm not a fan either simply because I never viewed their interactions as genuine chemistry, they had a relationship built on lies and deceit and that's just not a dynamic I'm a fan of, so I started looking for something that was a little less popular since I didn't like the popular ships

I think one day I came across some art from Kaenith of Green and Blue together and I thought about it and kind of latched on immediately, they fight just like rue do but Green has a lot easier of a time standing up for himself than Red so there isn't a power imbalance between them, I also just really like the dynamic of the hothead paired with someone equally as bullheaded but also knows how to rein them in

also green is my favorite color and Green is an underappreciated Link and I wanted to show him some appreciation and then drawing glue fanart kind of just became My Thing

[ikamigami]

Something I've noticed in the latest dazzle episode

Jack is really possessive of Dazzle, how long was he watching them? Does he do this regularly? Go invisible to watch over Dazzle?

I noticed this in Sun and Dazzle are friends vidow too, he immediately called Sun after getting the Email, just to say he's Dazzles best friend and Sun is only second place, he also does something similar in finding Nepters

Is this because he wants Dazzle happy? Some people theorised he was changing his orders, is that it? Or is it because Dazzle is his first best friend?

Yeah, you're right, dear anon.

I think that Jack is so protective of Dazzle because they're his first real friend like you said and I also think that might be because Dazzle acts like a kid and Jack protocols may be picking up on that..

He might be changing his own orders due to him gaining more sentience over time..

But when you mentioned that Jack prioritize Dazzle over Sun.. it makes me worried.. cause what if when Dazzle will tell Sun about her secret.. something will happen that will make Dazzle scared.. what if Jack will attack Sun because he'd assume something wrongly..

I know that it's a weird thought but I'm a bit worried you know..

[zarvasace]

For the wip game how about Blood-Sucker's Guide to the Shining Court/cat Shadow or if you already answered the first then how about in vein

Hehe vampires :3

This is a planned sequel to my current magnum opus, Blood-Sucker's Guide to High School. THAT one is a crossover fanfiction which sticks the Four Swords characters into an approximation of the world and plot of the novel Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst, Shadow main character with a side of Vidow. I follow a lot of her plot points but emphasize some different themes. It does not have a sequel, so anything else I write here will be mostly original, just pulling on similar ideas for the world.

I believe that there are three major plot threads I leave off at the end of it.

(1) The point of the climax! Did they really infect the other vampires with light? Is it enough to give them consciences like Shadow? How fast will it happen? How will things be different now? This is part of the original novel.

(2) In the epilogue chapter, someone mentions that unicorn agents arrived on the scene after prom to help contain the situation—summoned by Vio dropping an anonymous tip into a monitored police line. He also talks a bit about the unicorn ideology. While unicorns exist in the original novel, I've given them a structure and an organization, named the Shining Court.

(3) A minor plot thread in the first fic is about vampires having the potential to gain special powers as a result of the fealty ceremony. Shadow wonders once or twice if he'll get something. This is entirely an original addition.

This sequel began life as a 5+1 series of oneshots dedicated to showing Shadow discovering his own vampiric power (turning into a cat), dealing with it, and also dealing a bit with the fallout of the first fic. I intended to tackle threads in the hierarchy 3 2 1, 3 most important and 1 least important.

Then I kind of wanted to explore some of the themes of the fallout more in-depth. As a result of that, I hammered out a full plot for a sequel, but was dissatisfied with the way that the cat thing fell out of the spotlight in favor of the unicorn thing. (Thread 1 has remained pretty consistent. Zelda is the main representation of that thread and she does a good job of being a background plot.)

And THEN I found out that prom is at the END of a school year, not the beginning. (Hi I didn't go to normal high school.) So a lot of my intended plot points for the original 5+1 wouldn't work anyway, since I based them on autumn holidays.

My current plan is to write a small fic centered around the cat Shadow plot and set it during spring break. That will give me the chance to set up a couple things for the full sequel, which I'll set during summer vacation. Doing that gives me a couple good excuses to move characters around and have them doing things that aren't school during the day.

Anyway that's something in-progress. Here's a snippet from the 28k 5+1 that is now defunct! :)

The little girl looked at Shadow and blinked. “Trick or treat?” She was too young to make her words entirely distinct. Shadow laughed and offered out two of the pink tootsie rolls. “Hey, good job. Treat, definitely.” She held out her pillowcase, and he dropped the candy into it. “I like your wings.” “My mom got them for me, I'm Glinda.” She lifted her silver wand, poked Shadow in the forehead with the star on the end, then ran back to her mom.  “Sorry, thanks!” the mom said before turning away.  “No problem.” Shadow stood back up and touched the spot on his forehead. He glanced at Vio, who watched him with a curious expression. “What? Did I mess up my makeup at all?”  Vio shook his head. “No, it's just fine. I guess I didn't expect you to be good with kids.”  Shadow shrugged. “They're kinda cute. And I'm guessing human kids don't bite as often as my baby cousins.” “I wouldn't be so sure.”

[sunfloo-wers]

four for the character questions?

OK OK OK OK FOUR

(I'm so tempted to make this about the Colors too, and do like 5 different ones (one for Four, one for each Color, but we'll see how it goes)

favorite thing about them

I can't pick between character design and personality sooooo

I really like the tunic, I know it's a color pallet nightmare and shouldn't work, but it makes him visually stand out against the greens and blues of most of the chain, which I think is fun! (also pretty colors) (and smol)

From a personality/characteristics view point, I really like the complexities with his character! It's really difficult to see him as a 2d character, because of the Colors, which I think is really fun! Stick four different, but still somewhat flat sometimes (as is their point kinda), characters together and you get the real humanity of a fully fleshed out person unavoidable in the character!

least favorite thing about them

Hmmmmm, this is difficult because I love the little guy, but I'd have to sayyyyyyyy... drawing the bangs/headband thingey? from a purely selfish point of view, because I do like how they look, and it's a fun way to differentiate character designs, they're just so hard to drawwwww

favorite line

Not really a line, but when he just fucking cackles in Dawn pt4 when Wars says "I think you ought to practice some teamwork. It could use some improvement."

brOTP

hmmmmmm, I'm very fond of Four and Dot's platonic relationship, but I'll get into that more in a later section soooooooo

In the chain at least I think Four and Wind are cool because of the underestimation bondings be it because of age, or babyface/height, or just being the small ones! Although, Four and Sky is also a really nice dynamic... AND the Four and Legend one is real fun, both because their personalities work very well together, and the whole Palace of the Four Sword angst potential >:3

Honestly I could speak towards any sort of within the chain relationship and can't pick just one :(((((

OTP

Four and Shadow, I am nothing if not predictable (more specifically Vidow because of the manga, but BlackSmith (or whatever the Four and Shadow ship name is) is fun too!). They're just adorable and horrible okie? :3

nOTP

I'm just generally not a big fan of romantic Four and Dot, no disrespect to people who do like it, but I think they're better as besties! Like, I think MC!Link at least was very young (and FS(A)!Link was also fairly young I think, but more of an early-middle teen than like 8 or 9), so romance was probably the last thing on his mind, just "I gotta save my best friend!"

And! They've known each other since they were children because their parents were friends and Hyrule Town is a fairly small town, no? This could be argued towards a friends-to-lovers plot line technically, but I just automatically file "known each other as kids" under "a subsection of siblings" because of my own experiences (and the aroaceness) sooooooooooo... yeah...

random headcanon

Colors: I think Red and Blue bake stuff together a lot and give it out to the rest of the people of Hyrule Town for fun, or maybe they open a bakery! (this is all after the events of lu, or before I guess)

Four specifically: I really like the idea that he keeps a journal/diary. Writes down everything type journal. This is a fairly popular head cannon I think (maybe????) so for an out of left field one have... uhhhh...

He goes crazy for raspberries. Sure why not, that feels like it weirdly works for some reason

unpopular opinion

I don't think I really have that many unpopular opinions (unless something else here is that) buuuuuuut, maybe something about him being at least a little morally grey? Like, I get heros and all that jazz, but like... let him be at least a little morally grey hmmm?

I guess that's not really unpopular, I just see "hero character is good' and think, how about no, not exactly, and for him it works!

song i associate with them

Okay, I don't have one for Four, couldn't find one in the "all o' it" playlist, but I did find one for Vidow so I hope this suffices:

Little Soldiers by The Crane Wives

(I am nothing if not a puppet for the Little Soldiers Renchantyn propaganda, and it has only made me realise it kinda works for these two as well)

favorite picture of them

As you've probably assumed by now, I cannot pick just one sooooo:

He's so little, so very smol, and the overhead pov just makes It so much more apparent hehhe (also angy little guy)

This one is just hilarious due to the context, another iteration of little guy

and these two because they are new and we all love them :P

(all art credit to Jojo over at @/linkeduniverse of course)

--------------------

This was really fun thank you so much for sending it in! :D

[waterspoutskies]

20 questions for fic writers

(Ty @the-real-azalea-scroggs for the tag!! I know it took me a couple days lol)

1 - How many works do you have on A03?

11, apparently. That's remarkable!

2 - What's your total A03 word count?

57858. Which is pretty decent, nothing to write home about for me, but I'm cool with it.

3 - What fandoms do you write for?

Four Swords Manga (beloved) and LU, which is a subset of Legend of Zelda in the Links Meet area of things

4 - What are your top five fics by kudos?

A) Thoughts Like These B) Piece It All Together C) Beneath the Skin D) Where We Are E) Dancing With My Own Shadow

5 - Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Oh yes, all the time, thoroughly as I can, even though sometimes it might take me a few days. I enjoy comments! Just ADHD brain sometimes!

6 - What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Uh. So far it is the first chapter of Chasing Drabbles, which rather well implies the destruction of a town via natural disaster with no way of avoiding it.

7 - What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Thoughts Like These, maybe? Dancing With My Own Shadow has a fun ending,

8 - Do you get hate on fics?

I don't think so? Not that I know of? I've gotten a couple annoying comments about updating that I've had to delete, but never hate proper.

9 - Do you write smut?

No.

10 - Do you write crossovers?

Not really? I have one crossover with ideas but never a character crossover and really not usually setting crossovers either. I'm not too into the idea.

11 - Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope.

12 - Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13 - Have you ever co-written a fic before?

In a technical sense? Yeah, I suppose, although I am the primary writer and Ruby is the artist more than anything, so like. It os

14 - What's your all-time favorite ship?

Vidow. I have no regrets and I stand by it forever.

15 - What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Uh. I think some vague continuations for Dancing With My Own Shadow will probably be left by the wayside, though the work itself is finished. I had some plans, still have them, but no official prospects for another part.

16 - What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, building massive worlds that never leave my head, all kinds of joyful things that are wonderful for planning and not for completing bodies of work but that's what sprinting is for right? I'm also good at that, writing under lots of pressure for a deadline via the sprint bot, woo!

17 - What are your writing weaknesses?

Probably the description as it relates to scene setting and avoiding white room syndrome. I'm so guilty of this.

18 - Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I think it can work, provided it's not just thrown around! I haven't done it that I can recall, but it's sometimes useful and can be a fun little thing to have in.

19 - First fandom you wrote for?

Four Swords! Zelda! LU! All of the above! Ahhhhhhh!!

20 - Favorite fic you've ever written?

Uh, I suppose I like Beneath the Skin the most? I don't think I really have a favorite fic. I'm not much of a fic writer!

Other folks to tag... Oh, I don't know. I'll do that later.

[blackstarchanx3new]

FSR Rambles 10 fingers in the aaaaa-

I don't let up on the fucking Vidow. The entire fandom has to just cope with the fact I'm a disastrous weirdo stinking up their perfect pure fandom, they cry themselves to sleep at the cryptid that stalks at the edges their fandom.

Weep you disgusting filthy bastards.

I bet you salivate at the idea of Vio's breast milk in your slutty coffee.

Lol I guess he fell asleep reading.

Shadow makes a very sinister face considering the goofy ass thing he decides to do with the sleeping Vio.

Hah. Vio screaming his lungs out got a kick out of me while drawing.

Shadow forgot Hylian's sleep for a reason.

He's just waiting for Vio to call him a moron, which we know again is because of Vaati and Gannon abusing this poor man.

Shadow's utterly shocked Vio doesn't have a single thing to berate him over hah.

Vio's so tired he just wants to sleep.

Shadow's feeling nervous to actually like, get cozy with Vio in this context.

Despite his seeming confidence the dude is insecure.

He is HESITANT to trust Vio to some degree, he's having second thoughts about his actions.

Vio didn't even SAY anything about the kiss lmfao. I'd be worried too.

This page is so sad to me.

Vio's feeling some regret while Shadow gets comfortable next to him.

HAHAHAHA.

Transition from being next to someone to being completely alone agh-

Shadow Link is in MISSERY-

Oof. Shit hurts.

The sword blast compiled with his emotional pain is just too much for this dude to handle rn.

Reflecting on his time with his "friend"

Guess that kiss in the library wasn't the last one...Vio seems reluctant to keep going back for more, pushing shadow off. We can assume why he shouldn't be doing that oops.

Shadow's not satisfied with that though and keeps giving our man kisses. Vio's really shitty attempts to bat him away aren't working.

It's safe to say: Vio lost the plot at some point.

It's obvious they're drunk as fuck, but the exact timing of this scene is up for interpretation as far as I'm concerned.

I do find it funny Shadow whines Vio is "So mean to him" just cause he won't let him shower him with kisses lmfao. Like Shadow he's about to do smth to you that's way meaner let's be real-

Shadow Link brings up the all to important LORE of the golden goddesses.

Okay but everything about this becomes ironic later lmfao I will not say how.

Cause the Triforce is like, non existent in FS I can do whatever the hell I want sooo I'mma cook. I like where I took it a lot.

Shadow's desires to touch the Triforce are uh...VERY EXPLAINED LATER to say the least.

Art wise in this page: Oh it was so fun.

1st panel: Shadow continuing to kiss Vio's cheeks as he talks. It's sweet in it's own weird way that he clearly cares about Vio a lot

2nd panel: Obviously comparing Vio with a goddess and the Triforce shows how much Shadow values this man in his life, cupping his cheeks while doing so.

3rd panel: They both just look cute. XD

4rth panel: Vio's visibly hesitant to return the kiss that time. and in the last panel we don't see his face, but rather get Shadow hugging him deeply.

Vio's still grappling with his actions are gonna catch up to both of them pretty soon.

Vio's utter heartlessness in the words he spoke to Shadow in the Fire temple must have HURT.

Shadow knows that he bold faced lied to everyone in that room.

Also to note: They CLEARLY spent some TIME together, as there's the scene of Vio and Shadow laughing together on some grass somewhere...

Shadow KNOWS Vio at least a little and he can't comprehend why he acted the way he did.

The last panel was so much fun I love how it turned out.

Okay but like: THIS LTIERALLY ALWAYS BOTHERED ME.

The idea Shadow betrayed Vaati being a fault of SHADOW'S character is such bullshit which just adds to the "Vio pulled this out of his ass" nature of his speech.

In every way: SHADOW BETRAYING VAATI IS A GOOD THING.

In WHAT WORLD is him turning his back on the EVIL GUY a bad thing???

His motives were 100% selfish but HOLY BALLS HE WAS WILLING TO GO NUCULAR ON GANON AND VATTI AND SAVE ZELDA FOR SOME VIUSSY. THAT'S DEDICATION.

Also, literally everyone's motivations for everything they do is selfish in nature, so the idea Shadow's the dick here is just, hysterical.

Vio was 100% projecting his own insecurities onto Shadow not trusting and being apart of his own team cause Vio's awful, cause let's be real: their situations are just NOT COMPARABLE.

Shadow's misstep no matter how you look at it, was trusting VIO. NOT betraying Vaati. HIS LITERAL POSITIVE CHARACTER ARC WAS STILL BETRAYING VAATI BY SHATTERING THE DARK MIRROR.

...SO WTF IS VIO'S SPEECH ABOUT EXACTLY??? IT LITERALLY MAKES NO SENSE PROBEBLY BECAUSE HE'S LYING HIS ASS OFF AND PROJECTING LMFAO.

Because his point wasn't "Find a team you CAN and DO trust and work with them." it was "You betrayed Vaati and you suck for that."

IT WAS PURE PROJECTION.

Idk if this is a translation oopsie or what. It was never brought UP so idk if it was even intentional or a genuine attempt at a moral going to shit and getting botched. X'DDDD (If it was intentional, that's funny but it was never expanded upon in any meaningful way so...IDK)

It gives weird as fuck mixed messages about what Shadow was MEANT to do here and what he ACTUALLY did wrong from Vio's chastising. Cause the reason Vio gives for his downfall is REALLY BULLSHIT. (In FSR, Intentionally so.)

Because

"Your downfall was that you were selfish and still wanted to rule the world and were willing to use used people like me and Zelda to do it, you just repeated the mistakes of Vaati" or smth would even be more accurate.

STILL HYPOCRITCAL ON VIO'S END CAUSE HE USED SHADOW BUT WOULD MAKE MORE FUCKING SENSE.

Giving massive rebound AU vibes here lmfao.

Audience is intentionally left in the dark about wtf Vio and Green were talking about...For no reason I'm sure. Authors don't think that hard about stuff-

Also left out on why they're sharing a bed. Bet that will NEVER get touched on. In ANY meaningful way.

The point of this scene is pretty obvious: Vio IS getting along with his team now. Which mega hurts Shadow to see ouch.

It's the equivalent of that Squidward meme of him in his house while Spongebob and Patrick run outside-

Green essentially has taken his place. Pain. We all know nothing but PAIN.

Shadow can't bare to watch Vio thrive without him cause he's selfish as fuck. X'D Just hurts too much. He wanted Vio to fill the gaps in his life and it just DIDN'T happen.

Haha you read the manga you recognize this. I don't gotta elaborate much.

I always just, am in love with Shadow turning into VIO of all people during this part in the story because, holy BALLS I can't even really describe the kind of itch that scratches in my brain but I will try.

So in FS, we KNOW Shadow can shapeshift into ANY of the Links, but he chose Vio. Dude has been Green/Link before so...WHY NOT GREEN? Uh simple: Bro adores Vio and looks up to him, that's the reasoning I came to anyway, as explained in these pages.

This is why in FSR in the library Shadow Link specifically describes Vio as "his hero". Vio's the one out of the four he looks up to most, because after reflecting Vio is the one that did the most "Heroic" things in his eyes.

He realized the betrayal wasn't out of malice or to hurt him, but to save Zelda.

The reasons Vio gives in the library for why he's utterly awful as a person are the same things that made Shadow respect his ass for what he put himself through lmfao.

This is also why in FSR dude isn't MAD at Vio for it anymore. He just wants to repair what they DID have there between them because bro adores Vio.

So if yall didn't know Shadow uses the mirror to see Vio.

Like, you can see him in the shattered mirror lmfao.

At least I THINK it's meant to be Vio. When I first read the manga I thought it was Shadow Link. XDDDD But now I'm fairly certain it is Vio. If we ever get a full color manga I'd love to know who it's actually meant to be.

Shadow's sad he won't know if Zelda's okay. Which is sad. And wishes he could see Vio, which is why the mirror SHOWS Vio. Lol.

Sad pathetic Vaati being hilarious aside, Vio being so distraught he drops his sword is kinda funny. And here's the retcon of "Vaati didn't die actually.

I already went on the rant in the actual thing that YES Shadow's death still meant smth despite Vaati living, because they wouldn't be able to beat Gannon without the gems Vaati gave up from this, so I won't repeat myself here.

Blue's "HOLD UR HORSES BITCH" is so funny to me because like, he HAS no emotional attachment to Shadow and the last they saw of HIM was him ya know, trying to kills their friend lmfao.

Vio pulling a very dying Shadow into his arms, because we deserved that. Green picks up Vio's sword cause he's cool like that.

Vio is OBVIOUSLY trying very hard to keep it together here, kept the dialogue MOSTLY the same from the OG because the dialogue wasn't the issue to me it was the freaking SHOT LAYOUTS AND THE ART. The art was well drawn but the actual like, things happening were kinda silly imo.

I particularly like the return of the "Shadow pets Vio's face/hair" motif.

It pops up in page 40

and page 77

And in terms of flashbacks in 169 Yes haha funny number He strokes Vio's cheek before going in for the kiss.

And many others but I'll avoid too many cause of image limits.

Shadow usually does this when Vio's upset which is funny. We know Shadow does stuff to others he wishes people did for him so maybe Shadow just wants his cheek stroked and to be told nice things lmfao.

Another thing: I mentioned it before but I don't really like when people make Vio cry too easily. Just not for me.

But Shadow dying makes sense for him to cry. Especially in FSR where we saw WAAAAY MORE of their relationship and how involved Vio really was with Shadow.

Vio, reluctantly did really like Shadow Link and is heart broken he is dead.

*I SUPER wanna show/talk about the "After they think they killed him in the fire temple" but there's a reason I did not show wtf Green and Vio were talking about when Shadow saw them in the dark mirror hehehehe. Vio's perspective on RIGHT after they blasted him with the sword is smth you can just speculate on for now.

He is obviously DISTRAUGHT Shadow is dying now.

So, its' implied Shadow saw some of the things Link was up to before he made himself known. So in my silly FSR comic he could see through Link's Shadow at what he was doing.

Art details:

Red crying at somebody dying just made sense to me it was actually WEIRD to me he didn't cry Shadow died. Not because he's emotionally attached, but dude's just an emotional person he cried at less hah.

Green STEPS UP and says his lines from the manga

I said in the OG post of the comic my thoughts on these particular panels but like

Green having just a TIIIIINY bit more agency in him holding Shadow's hand, a VERY simple gesture makes all the difference to me in this scene.

Shadow reasonably asks what we were ALL thinking: WHAT ABOUT ZELDA?!

Which OUCH, he didn't feel like he did enough-

To which Green comforts him they WILL save her.

I may ship Vidow to hell and back but Shadow's caring for Zelda and her affect on him is not ignored in this comic lmfao.

It's actually knowing Zelda's in safe hands that makes him comfortable enough to truly pass.

He knows Vio will be okay as he has his team but Zelda is someone he couldn't be sure about.

So panel 1

I just wanted to add the true level of "Yeah he dead".

Despite his hand passing through Shadow Link, Vio still tries to reach out to him. Which hehe reflects a scene from the very start of this comic huh?

He has unfinished business around Shadow.

He never got to truly say he was sorry.

If you've noticed, Vio STILL hasn't apologized yet.

Okay thumbnailing this scene genuinely gave me the big sad lmfao.

He missed him by a hair, Shadow's gone and Vio couldn't say all the things that were on his mind.

And since you totally asked:

Page 12 is put into a new perspective huh?

He reached him this time...

Green continues to be the goodest of good boys comforting his team mate.

There's an underlying sense of Green knowing more about Vio and Shadow's relationship than the other two...Which makes sense considering Green's the one Vio went to for comfort over the situation.

So some of the dialogue around Shadow's "good boy" status was changed because I just, straight disagree with some of the wording in the manga...

He did AWFUL things but he wasn't exactly a 100% bad person. Ironically, given a chance he could have been a great person. (The opposite of what he tried to do to Vio.)

His nature of being Link's Shadow, the HERO's shadow being on full display with his final moments (Or, what COULD have been his final moments...)

Blue's shocked Shadow would do anything to help them, reasonably so. His experiences with Shadow have been:

He tried to seduce their team mate to the dark side, almost KILLED said team mate, put them through hell and back and generally was awful to them.

Red sympathizes with BLUE (At least somewhat) so I imagine he's a lot more forgiving from this angle to Shadow. XD

Green's feelings about Shadow are a bit more OPEN to interpretation here but he did make an effort for the man to die without regrets. Later in FSR he seems to have a positive outlook on Shadow so whatever Vio told him might have made him more comfortable with him in these moments and the future.

I'mma cut it off here, which sucks because this transition is PERFECT into the next scene but I don't wanna hit image limits halfway through a rant.

Green continues to be a chad. What's new.

Him being in front of his team protectively is just...Yum. I love protective Green. XD

GANNON APEARS. Big piggy boy. I had no idea I could draw pig before drawing this and I'm happy with how he turned out.

His rant in the OG manga of speaking how Vaati and Shadow Link failed him leads directly into the next scene which was, delicious. But we'll pick this up later.

I'm sure you've noticed: As a time saving technique I only use shading when it SUPER matters in FSR. It helps save time and makes them have huge impacts. XD

The intense dark shading on Ganon makes him look threatening as HELL compared to what he'd look like without it.

For reference: This is what he'd look like without it.

He looks silly. XD

His color palette was based on the game btw. Because, what else did I have to go on? The intense shading also hides that he looks kinda out of place color wise haha.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

For short fic prompts, maybe Vio and Shadow at a fancy event and they are hiding away somewhere because Vio is being antisocial. Mayhaps it leads to...... kisses 😳

If you wanted to do a modern AU you could have the classic hiding in the bathroom during a house party

i like how i said "short fic," and by no fault of anon, proceeded to crank out 1926 words. my first vidow fic! also on ao3. gotta say, i'd recommend ao3 because they have functional line breaks.

It does strike Vio how bizarre this situation truly is: the same maniac who once personally ordered his execution and nearly destroyed the land of Hyrule, is now sleeping peacefully in his lap. Snoring softly. Contentedly. The guy who once told Vio that he was his first and only friend, the only person he ever trusted, only for Vio to betray him stone-cold and watch him die. That person is currently laying in his lap, defenseless, trusting him to stay.

Read it under the cut:

Shadow feels like an idiot standing around with two glasses. It’s been almost twenty minutes since Vio asked him to get the drinks, and he’s been posted up in the corner of this ridiculously ornate ballroom ever since. 

The ball was Zelda’s idea, an annual event to memorialize the Hero Hyrule lost and celebrate the four (five?) it gained. So naturally, both Vio and Shadow were named guests of honor, and therefore obligated to attend. 

Shadow likes parties enough, despite the awkwardness of it all. It’s only been a few months since everything happened—the four’s decision to stay divided in the sanctuary, Vio’s restoration of the mirror, and Shadow’s resurrection—and for the most part, things are weirdly okay. Most people seem to believe that it was only Vaati and Ganon causing the mass destruction Shadow totally did for them, thank you very much, but he can’t complain when the others cared enough to protect his identity. The only people who know first-hand what Shadow did are Zelda, the four, and the castle knights… but of course rumors spread. Random Hylians must have gotten glances of Shadow atop his dragon, raining fire on the countryside. Shadow wonders if they noticed Vio there, too. 

Anyway, the party isn’t that awkward. All things considered, Shadow’s getting off way too easy for all of the, you know, atrocities. He can handle a few weird looks and rude comments, although resisting the urge to be antagonistic right back is a challenge. Not because the criticism is undeserved, but because Shadow thinks it’s fun to be antagonistic. 

It also doesn’t hurt that Vio is almost always by his side. Despite everything that happened between them, quiet coexistence is surprisingly easy. The living arrangements weren’t even a question when Vio brought Shadow back from the void—it was pretty much a ‘stray cat being brought in from the cold’ kind of deal. Which by the way do not exist in the dark world, and now that he knows cats are a thing, Shadow makes sure to say hello to every single feline he meets. If there was a contest of who could greet, say, twenty cats at the quickest pace, Shadow would easily win that heart piece.

It’s not perfect, though, between him and Vio—they’ve barely discussed the betrayal and fallout, or really anything that happened between them at all prior to Shadow’s death. The first thing Vio said to Shadow after the resurrection was “I’m sorry,” but he has yet to elaborate even months later. 

Shadow channels his apologies into nearly everything he does these days, both around Vio and the rest of Hyrule. The words themselves just haven’t found their moment. Surely someday they will. 

For now, Shadow is perfectly content sharing their tiny cottage at the edge of town, fulfilling their respective duties in the restoration of greater Hyrule. And whether they like it or not, showing up to this ball is one of those duties. And Vio appears to have, for lack of gentler words, totally fucking bailed. 

Beverages still in hand, Shadow straightens from his leaning position against the wall and scans the ballroom for an exit. He recalls which particular doorway leads deeper into the castle from a, uh, very different visit to this location, and makes a beeline through the crowd. 

It shouldn’t be too hard to track Vio down. After all, Shadow’s had plenty of practice. 

~~~

Vio found the castle library about twenty minutes ago, but you could have fooled him. 

Usually, lacking the Hero’s memories is a burden in Vio’s practical life—but in instances like this, it’s magical. Surely the Hero stepped foot inside this library before his dissolution, but Vio is seeing it for the very first time. The world could be on fire right now and he wouldn’t notice. In fact, a little warmth would be rather cozy as he sinks his teeth into these heavy historical volumes.  

“I should have guessed,” a voice says from the doorframe. Vio glances up from the first book he grabbed—The Legend of Groose, whoever that is—and grimaces at the person he sees. 

“Shit,” Vio says, shutting the book in his lap. “I found the bathroom, I swear, but then on the way back I just… got a little distracted.” 

Vio still isn’t quite sure what to expect from Shadow in terms of emotional response. It’s clear that Shadow has been putting a lot of work into his own stability, but still… Vio tries to be careful. He would try to elaborate on this cautionary urge, but something always holds him back—the same thing that holds him back from discussing most urges related to Shadow. 

Luckily, in this instance at least, Shadow doesn’t appear to be upset. He places one glass on the table beside the couch and clutches the other as he plops down beside Vio. 

“Careful around the books,” Vio lectures, taking a sip from his glass. “Is this… not root beer?” 

“Apparently they’re out since we, y’know, pillaged the place, so I had to settle for wine instead.” 

Vio gives Shadow a small smile and drinks again. “Probably not the most morally upright thing to hoard our supply, given how it was acquired, but I just can’t bring myself to return it.”

“Cheers to that,” Shadow says, raising his glass. “We almost successfully took over the world, and all we got was a dumb cellar full of evil root beer.” 

They say cheers and it’s not the first time. Vio wonders if Shadow’s experiencing the same deja vu. If he is, he doesn’t show it. 

“You’re in a good mood,” Vio observes, shifting towards the end of the couch to give Shadow more space to spread out. If there’s one thing about Shadow, it’s that he will drape himself onto any surface in the most dramatic, ridiculous way possible. 

“What can I say?” Shadow shrugs, contorting his body in a way that cannot possibly be comfortable. “Parties are fun. Although I’m gathering, not your thing.” 

“I’m still figuring out what my ‘things’ are, honestly. I’ve only really existed as me for half a year.”

“So does that make you a baby?” Shadow teases, flicking Vio’s hat. From the start, Shadow has always seemed perfectly comfortable invading Vio’s personal space. What once felt startling (but not unwelcome) is now just the norm. “Probably should be taking that wine from you, then, junior.” 

Vio holds his glass out of Shadow’s reach. “No take. My wine.”

“Wow, now you’re even talking like a baby. How the mightily pretentious have fallen.”

“Seems like you’ve taken my place, with a phrase like “how the mightily pretentious have fallen,’” Vio quips, opening his book up again. 

Shadow takes the cue, leaning back and elevating his legs on the coffee table. His boots make a loud thump against the wood.

Since the split, Vio has noticed that each iteration of the hero has developed their own personal style. For Shadow, that includes heavy lace-up boots that take him fifteen minutes to unequip every. single. time. For Blue, it was a buzz cut. Red and Green are using new pronouns. Vio is by far the least inspired, but he is growing out his hair. It’s finally long enough to put in a little ponytail when he reads… although his bangs still get in the way. 

It’s fine, though, right now. Vio’s mind refuses to stick to the page. Instead, he struggles to understand why in the world Shadow would abandon a fancy ball to lounge silently beside him as he fake-reads dusty old books. 

Time passes; maybe not for Vio, but he can tell it’s wearing on Shadow. His yawn is so indescribably pleasant, and yet again Vio wonders why the hell he would even think something like that. It’s a yawn. He didn’t even get to see Shadow’s crinkled nose and biiiig stretch and fascinatingly monstrous teeth as it happened— 

Vio puts down the wine. 

“You can go back, you know,” he tells Shadow gently, mustering a reassuring smile. 

“I don’t need to,” Shadow says, eyelids drooping almost cartoonishly. “We did the guest of honor stuff at the banquet already, and besides, wine apparently makes me sleepy.” 

“We could go home,” Vio begins, but then groans. “No, we can’t, because of the—” 

“Wine, yep, not very safe to travel without our wits about us. Who knows what kind of strange encounters we could have in the woods.” 

Vio chuckles and Shadow does a weak fist-pump in the air. 

“Uh, you good?” 

“I made you laugh. Scooore.” 

Vio cocks his head. “You make me laugh all the time.”

“I know, but you usually try to hide it.” 

Well. 

He’s not wrong. 

“I’m sorry,” Vio says, and he isn’t sure why. 

“I know,” Shadow replies, his eyes drooping shut. “You told me that already, when you brought me back to life.” 

“Yeah, but I just… yeah.”

Shadow yawns again, and Vio’s brain struggles to find the words and wisdom he so desperately needs.

“Don’t stress yourself out,” Shadow says. He can’t even see Vio’s face, but he can just tell how he’s feeling. Hasn’t he always, though? “We have all the time in the world to figure this out.” 

Shadow’s serene expression makes something happen in Vio’s chest, because what he says is so simple yet so true. And Vio feels hopeful about this, whatever this is, in a way that’s terrified him since he first encountered Shadow in those woods. 

“Read your books, nerd,” Shadow murmurs. “I’mma just take a little nap.” 

“Okay.” 

“Don’t go anywhere, though.” 

“I won’t.” 

And Shadow dozes off, and Vio is finally able to read, and everything is calm and normal until gravity does its work and Shadow’s precarious juxtaposition fails to support his limp, sleeping body. 

In other words, his head falls right into Vio’s lap. 

Gingerly, Vio lifts Shadow’s head and slides a pillow beneath it. He doesn’t, however, even attempt to change his position. Shadow’s unpredictable, Vio reminds himself; who knows how he’d react to a rude awakening? 

It does strike Vio how bizarre this situation truly is: the same maniac who once personally ordered his execution and nearly destroyed the land of Hyrule, is now sleeping peacefully in his lap. Snoring softly. Contentedly. The guy who once told Vio that he was his first and only friend, the only person he ever trusted, only for Vio to betray him stone-cold and watch him die. That person is currently laying in his lap, defenseless, trusting him to stay. 

He does his best to focus on the historical volume, but Vio finds himself absently running a hand through Shadow’s hair. He’s always meant to ask about the purple, actually—does he dye it? Probably not, given the lack of blonde roots. 

Vio is… oddly comforted by that. He likes that Shadow isn’t nearly identical to the Hero, like the others and Vio used to be. Really, the more time passes, the less they resemble each other, or him, at all. 

Should he be touching Shadow like this? How’d he even end up stroking his hair in the first place? Why didn’t he just move Shadow’s stupid head off of his stupid lap back when the stupid idiot fell into it?

Shadow sneezes in his sleep, an objectively scientifically adorable event, and Vio’s eyes go wide. Because of a sneeze.

For once, Vio doesn’t overthink it. He sets aside his book, pushes the hair out of Shadow’s face, and plants a kiss on his forehead.

He can’t know for certain, but he thinks he sees a smile. 

[slaingelo]

extended bio below the cut as well as tags

FIRST OFF: I don't mind if you read my platonic art as romantic or romantic art as platonic.👍Enjoy and interpret my art however.

I read and appreciate all tags and additions <3

Ello. You can call me Angelo, or if you wanna use nicknames, Angie works. It/its, both fem and masc words, but no man/woman [ boy/girl is okay ]. absolutely no enby or they/them, you will be blocked. friends and mutuals can use he/she for me too, but if we're strangers, please don't. weird genderqueer thang, kinda multigender kinda genderfluid. star based words are okie too. If you're not sure about anything just ask.

My usual handle is "vamqiric" if it's available. However, I decided to use the url for my blog about running and updating my merch shop, @vamqiric. I still watermark my art here with that handle since it's easier for me.

I kinda post whatever art I want here. I like MCYT but I have a side blog for it, anything else is freegame for posting here. Mostly OCs or Nintendo shit.

Currently really into LoZ, especially the Four Swords manga and TP. I like Links Meet AUs. I will likely also post linkcest stuff at some point or another, frequency more or less depends on how much I draw [ especially vidow, if you consider that linkcest ] but it will be tagged accordingly.

Maybe sometimes suggestive stuff. Again, will be tagged.

Like what you like, I like what I like.

I have lots of struggles with interacting with fandom, so forgive me if I come across as aloof; I have lots of bad experiences. I'm trying here, okie? Still, don't hesitate to reach out if you want to talk about something! I promise I'm a good vampire that does not bite. I mean. Unless you want me too. Haha. Who said that.

My all time favourite game is Kid Icarus Uprising, my biggest bragging point is that I own a Dark Pit figma, all 3 kid icarus amiibos, and 2/3 of every kid icarus game [ uprising + of myths and monsters... trying to find the og! ]

oh also I stream sometimes ig idk. my twitch is vamqiricyt I have a vtuber model it's pretty cool.

I'm down for commissions and art trades, as well as situational requests [ like if it's for something I already actively draw ] so feel free to ask.

my personalised nightcore playlist

Tags for AUs and shit;

#four hoes au - small town farmers AU inspired by stardew valley. NAMED AFTER THE FARMING TOOL.....

#force gem of four au - magical girl au

[aeriona]

Ok, so normally I tend to keep my wackier AUs to myself (fear of exposing my cringe), but I just gotta share this one.

I MADE HIM CREATURE IN THE WORST WAY POSSIBLE.

I call this the Eldritch AU. Basically, the big difference from the canon Four Swords manga is that Shadow was made with extremely cursed malicious magic. As a result he is very much Not Hylian (or perhaps even mortal), and can do some really weird terrifying stuff with his body. I’m talking about some lovecraftian body horror shenanigans.

Shadow’s blood and saliva is malice, His wounds regenerate in seconds and he can shapeshift into pretty much any shape he wants. What a perfect combination of powers to give to an emotionally-stunted teenager! Well, i say teenager, but he’s technically only a few months old, being made in the mirror shortly before the manga starts. Mentally and physically he’s a teenager though. Angst.

Fun fact: the “clothes” Shadow is wearing are not real clothes, but are actually a part of his body. They are made of skin, they even bleed when torn. Well, it’s very much fabric-like skin but it’s still extremely unsettling when you think about it. Not much changes in the actual Four Swords story and whatnot, other that Shadow being orders of magnitude more horrifying and far too OP for his own good. Also since there’s Vidow (because i’m trash), theres a bit of a weird dynamic in the beginning when Vio shows up, cause Shadow feels uncomfortable showing off his abilities to him. For a while at least, until they actually talk about it and agree it’s not a big deal.

[bepisbee]

ive seen a lot of four forge blacksmith stuff so heres a silly little thingy

shadows part dragon (and lives) (i am not a blacksmith and have limited knowledge so if i’m wrong please don't hate me pretend its magic idk) they/them for four as a four because they’re a group but not meant to be a system dynamic, it's more magic like gem fusion and they’re all like there. vidow romantic, the other colors are qpp with shadow.

They worked a little better fused, when in the forge. Of course everyone had to be in agreement to do so. It was one of those days. The colors shone through Four’s eyes in rainbow coloring as they sat a metal shape over roasting coals. A large protective apron sat over their undershirt and heavy duty gloves to protect their hands. Their friend and partial platonic partner stood across from them. While Four was sweating from the heat, they glanced up concerned that Shadow seemed unfazed. Was it all the time on death mountain? Shadow watched them aptly as they distractedly pulled the metal with tongs and dropped it. It fell quickly towards their boots. Shadow reacted immediately.

With his bare hands, he caught the hot metal dagger. One fourth of them froze in realization of some very important facts they never shared. Also the only part that noticed how Shadow’s palm turned into black scales where the metal touched. All the rest of them began panicking about it. They spoke at the same time making gibberish out. Shadow placed the metal down gently.

“Hey, hey, It’s fine.” he raised his hands up, one still scaled. “I’m fine.” as he blinked his eyes were more slit than normal pupils. It made Four fall apart.

“Oof!”

“Shit-sorry you alright?”

“ohmygods.”

“...oops.”

Shadow looked between them as Blue helped up Green who he’d accidentally knocked over. Red was staring open mouthed, and Vio was looking between him and the group looking sheepish.

“Ha… Uhm. Surprise?” Vio tugged awkwardly at his sleeve. “Sorry, I didn’t really think to mention…”

As he spoke Blue came up and inspected Shadow’s scaled hand, turning it over and gently running his thumb across where he’d held the metal.

“Huh.”

“Y-yeah. I didn’t really wanna weird y’all out.” Shadow excuses. Really he was self conscious about being part literal monster. “Sorry I scared ya.” Blue seemed satisfied he was ok and let him go.

“Don’t do that again.” 

“Wait- “ Green stared pointedly at Vio. “You knew??”

“Of course I knew,” he scoffs. “We lived in a volcano, Green.” he rolled his eyes. “Shadow being extra and running his damn hands through lava falls to show off was a regular occurance.”

“You say that like it didn’t work,” Shadow cocked a hip with his arms crossed. “You treated me like an experiment to dissect.” Despite the wording, he was obviously infatuated with the idea. “You wanna know everything~” Vio turned red.

“Oh shut up.”

“You have a notebook that contains an imprint of my teeth.”

“You do??” Red perked up. “Can I see? Shadow won’t let me! He said they were too sharp.”

“Because you’ll hurt yourself! And then Blue would beat me up!”

“Damn right I would.”

“Okay,” Green took off their apron and hung it up with the gloves. “I think this calls for a break.” 

Red began following them back into the house, badgering Shadow with questions. “Are your claws actually talons? Do you have a tail? Wings?? Can I touch them?”

Vio smirks, he’s also given their partner the third degree about his body. Positively of course.

“Sort of, not the kind you’re thinking of, but you can touch it, and no wings.” Shadow grins his sharp predator teeth. “Ow!” Vio smacks his arm.

“Really??” he reprimanded. Shadow just laughed. They sat in their kitchen letting Blue make the tea. Shadow offered his hands palm up for them on the table. His arms and hands shifted into shiny black scales, some of them with a violet shine in the light. His red eyes slitted, although still pretty big pupils considering his company.

“Watch the nails, very sharp.”

Red and Green inspected him. Vio watched in amusement. This was going to take awhile.

BONUS

Vio held Shadow’s clawed hands in awe. “That really was nothing to you?” The shiny black scales were smooth as he felt them.

“Haha yeah, cool right?”

“Is it just your hands?” Vio looked him over like he wanted to devour him. Shadow was about to learn just how much Vio and curiosity really fell together as the same word.

“Oh no, I can make my whole body do that!”

“Can I see? How does it work? Does it hurt? Can you feel this?” Vio ran his hand across his arm. The shiver answered that question. “Do you feel warmth at all? Does cold bother you?? Are you warmer inside than Hylians?” He put a wrist on Shadow’s forehead. “Woah, you are. huh. woah!” Shadow’s pupils blew wide at the contact. “That was cool!” He cupped his face to look closer and Shadow’s cheeks flushed. He honestly thought Vio was going to kiss him; he was so close. “Is that why you have sharp teeth? Do you eat more meat? I haven’t been around you to eat yet… Are you planning on eating me??” He let go.

“Haha calm down, I wouldn't eat you. No matter how good you might taste.” The joke went right over the poor boy’s head. “I’ll answer you but one at a time alright?” He offered his hand. “Come on, let’s get inside first.” Vio took it gratefully. They didn’t let go even after returning home.

[gaylactic-fire]

I wanted to add after the post last night that I do have genuine empathy for those who enjoy platonic Vio and Shadow, or Vio and Shadow as brothers. You can still create something wonderful, explorative, provocative, etc while not adding a lick of romance or sexual themes to your work! That's ok! That's great if it's something you enjoy!

I really really hate the idea that romantic love > other types of love in media. I hate when the narrative or otherwise meaningful relationships get cast aside for some crappy romantic shoe in (cries in HTTYD fan) just as much as the next guy. But I also think it's equally weird to suggest that familial love / platonic love > romantic love. That having two characters in a romantic relationship is inherently less interesting and less valid than if they were not. Which to be fair, for a lot of people it just Ain't That Deep. Sometimes it's simply a matter of just disliking romance, disliking a ship, or maybe being on the ace spectrum and seeing yourself in these characters. But I do think a small chunk of people genuinely believe they are The Right Ones and The Smart Ones for enjoying platonic Vidow and act as if romantic Vidow can't possibly have the same flavour or nuance as their interpretation. Which like uh... idk maybe examine why you feel that way?