#all of my comfort ships are rarepairs so anytime i'm able to talk about them or share my art...... i go feral

[loregoddess]

For the ask game thing, Alfred x Alear?

when I started shipping it if I did: I'm a huge fan of friends-to-lovers, and also I like the idea of Alfred getting to live a long, happy life, so I became partial to this ship pretty early on. Alfred would have been the character I had Alear marry my first run if I hadn't already decided to go for Pandreo. (I, notably, went into Engage entirely blind, and therefore did Not know about Alfred's solo ending).

my thoughts: It's a cute ship! I like it a lot! I really love how Alfred and Alear's friendship starts off, with Alfred and his family/retainers being there for Alear from the get-go, but also how their supports show their relationship evolving, because like, up to this point Alfred's "friendship" with Alear was a bit one-sided due to the whole "that is a god you pray to who has been asleep since forever" changing to "aw shit, they're awake and an actual person, not just a symbol" and this means there are some bumps and hiccups at first because Alfred doesn't really know Alear or know Alear's boundaries, but Alear's pretty good at communicating "Hey, you don't need to play music in the dead of night or do all these things to be my friend, actually please don't do these things" and while Alfred is pretty self-critical at first thinking he messed up, the two are able to talk things out and iron out the misunderstandings (yay for healthy communication). So yeah, anytime I come across a relationship that wasn't 100% smooth sailing all the time, but with communication still worked in the long run is a relationship I usually enjoy a lot.

What makes me happy about them: These two feel like they embody a certain kind of chaotic, unbridled energy, and a shared joy and zest for life, plus they're both so supportive of the other.

What makes me sad about them: You know that thing that occurs late-game with Alear? That spoiler thing that happens over Ch21-22? You know how much Alfred cherishes life bc of his own poor health and how much he strives to live no matter what, and how he also wants his friends to live no matter what? Yeah sometimes I think about how Alfred must have felt through that entire event sequence, and the aftermath of it as well.

things done in fanfic that annoys me: I don't read enough fanfic to answer this.

things I look for in fanfic: Re: lack of fanfic reading. I do have mad respect for fanartists who draw these two (whether as a ship or just individually) bc holy shit Engage's designs are was harder to draw than they first appear, and I have seen some of the prettiest, coolest Alear and Alfred fanarts out there.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Alear works with almost everyone, although I'm partial to Pandreo and Yunaka as partners for Alear. But I also like Alear's dynamics with a lot of the other royals and the retainer characters as well. Alear's one of the most shippable characters from the game honestly.

I don't have as many romantic ships for Alfred (although I've seen enough fanart of Alfred x Rafal to appreciate it as a rarepair), but I do like how many platonic relationships Alfred has, he really befriends like, half the army though sheer sincerity alone.

My happily ever after for them: The canon ending for Alear and Alfred is a good one, I love that Alfred gets to live a full life, even if he still doesn't live on the same time scale as Alear will live.

who is the big spoon/little spoon: Alfred insists on being the big spoon, except when he's too tired then Alear becomes the big spoon.

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: Just, being together and doing things together, and enjoying life and their time together to the fullest. I think both would also become the sort of rulers who go out and visit their people a lot, and they do so together often, so both Alfred and Alear become very popular with the people of Firene and Lythos, and I imagine stories of their antics (that couple who's So In Love with each other, but also extremely energetic when they go out and do anything together) are passed down for a few generations in each country.

[hide-your-bugs-away]

hi omg can u just rant about bonovan i need my bob and don fix!!

!!!! BONOVAN MOMENT AAAA OF COURSE!! I love those two softies with my entire heart,, who gave them the right to just chill and listen to one another's music with so much tenderness and adoration??

(Ramblings below:) 😔

Okay, first of all, I'm still on a mission to collect little tidbits of Bob/Don info from vintage magazines when I'm able to... I'm pretty satisfied with the information I've gathered for them so far, but every now and then, I find something really cool (and soft) that I really want to get for myself. This time, it's an issue of Record Mirror from May of 1965; May 15th, to be exact (don't think Bob had even left London yet)! In this issue, Don reviews all of the tracks from "Bringing It All Back Home" and a a a,, it's really sweet. Mentions the songs that Bob played for him,, and also says that it's impossible for him to put into words how he thinks about him. 🥺🥺 Bob's like: marry me now please

Here's a link to the article:

Now, why would I potentially want to spend $70 on an article that I can just read online?? Agh,, gotta hold the softies,, y'know?? 😢😢

Besides that, have to give a shout-out to Dr. Bonovan (as @/daisychain-unchained and I affectionately call him,, his real name is William Rothman) - author of the book Documentary Film Classics. It's all about cinéma vérité films, a huge section devoted to Dont Look Back, and it's honestly one of the best, most thorough interpretations of the movie I've ever read (besides our own gay version, of course 👀). I'm biased... but I really appreciate the affectionate way in which he interprets Bob and Don's relationship, despite using only the context of the movie to draw from. Some of his phrasing, such as "Dylan nods, laughing almost shyly, as if appreciating Donovan's appreciation of him," with regards to their song-exchange, or considering Bob's reference to Donovan in his performance of "Talking World War III Blues" as "an affectionate public acknowledgement", or the fact that he insinuates that Bob blowing up like he did during the drunk-glass situation was for Donovan's benefit - to impress him. Not even I thought of reading the situation like that before... beautiful. 👀 Hannah said it's written like a fanfiction, and it really is! Shout-out to this film scholar for combating dumb YouTube comments worldwide who think they hated each other and tells the correct, affectionate narrative. 😔🙏

Alright, realistic stuff out of the way, let's get s o f t. Like how l'd like to think they hung out during Bob's '66 tour of England, and that Don noticed how exhausted and tired he was from the crazy schedule and the constant berating of his choice to go electric (a choice Don whole-heartedly supports). So he takes Bob away on a drive when he's got some downtime. To the seaside cliffs of St. Ives, one of Don's favorite places to relax and let himself just sink into nature - he wants to share it with Bob. And let him know that he's supported and loved and always has someone to turn to if he needs it. The get stoned on the cliffs together, spend the night outside, arms around one another, listening to the waves and each other's heartbeats. And it's one of the most rejuvenating experiences Bob has had in his entire life.

!! Also, here are a couple doodles of them for the soul. 😔🙏 I need to post my art of them more,, they're really relaxing and fun for me to draw!! Fluffy-haired softies are a guilty pleasure of mine. 🥺

ONE MORE THING,, it's thanks to Bob that Don met the Beatles which is 👀👀 a whole thing I won't get into now because,, I'm planning a comic for it,, BUT AAA!! Important!! Important moment in music history, and important because it proves that Bob really cares about him, enough to coordinate things and allow Donovan to meet a band he has been eager to meet for a while! 🥺