#he’s also the person who tells Cimorene that the black chocobo Haurchefant gave her was a betrothal gift

[dainesanddaffodils]

Having wolship feelings on this Monday morning as one does so I’m thinking about Cimorene and Estinien and specifically thinking about how… prominent I made Estinien in Cimorene and Haurchefant’s relationship before I even knew I’d be shipping her with him after that ended. And how, because of that, Estinien feels Some Kind of Way about falling for her because he sure like, saw firsthand how much she loved Haurchefant and how much his death fucking wrecked her.

And, like, it’s not jealousy because obviously not. It’s not even that he feels like Cimorene doesn’t love him as much as her dead husband. But like. He just feels Weird about it. Like he… doesn’t deserve to have the same space in her heart that Haurchefant had just because he’s dead

It’s like one part Ishgardian Catholic Guilt which, like, you can take the man out of Ishgard but you cannot take the Catholic Guilt out of the man that’s just facts - and one part Dragon Mating Culture which, imo, from what we’ve seen from like Hreasvelgr/Shiva and Tiamat/Bahamut, if your mate dies you Do Not Get Over It, Ever

So like, some day I’ll write him working through all of the weird feelings but currently it’s not like hurting the relationship so Its Probably Fine