storm aroace moments
A compilation, because I recently re-read Survivors: The Gathering Darkness and Storm is an aroace icon.
[Spoiler alert for the series obviously]
Storm is consistently shown being confused at the idea of romance, finding the idea of it uncomfortable and not understanding the point:
For a time, she even chalks this up to her "Fierce Dog (doberman) nature,” although this is quickly disproven:
^(once again calling romance “nonsense” here)
When she finds out that Arrow has been sneaking off to spend time with Bella - well, this whole section speaks for itself:
It must be noted that Storm is plenty affectionate with her friends. She’s repeatedly described licking and nuzzling them. But as soon as that’s put into a romantic context, she finds the idea repulsive.
She’s relieved that Arrow isn’t a traitor, and she supports their relationship, but...
"Sickly load of romantic rabbit fluff”
When Storm learns that Whisper has a crush on her, she’s horrified and says “I don’t want a mate! At all!” and “I can’t think of anything I want less!”
Mickey seems surprised that she never considered having a mate, and laughs off her discomfort, but Storm is genuinely upset and uncomfortable. She is even more disturbed by Whisper’s affection from this point forward.
Then there’s this whole conversation with Moon, where Storm asks why dogs take mates at all. Beyond the practical need for reproduction, she simply does not understand.
“That’s not how I’m going to live my life. It’s not the way for me,” Storm says, and carries on to say: “I’m not afraid. It’s what I want. To be my own dog.”
Moon tells Storm that she is young and inexperienced, but Storm knows who she is, and she firmly isn’t going to force herself into anything she doesn’t want. “I think a dog should know what she wants, though, and I’m very sure of my path.”
(Again, Storm’s disinterest in finding a mate is treated with amusement, as if it’s naïveté. It must be noted that although Storm is relatively young, she is an adult dog, not a pup. She is constantly dismissed when she tries to express her disinterest in romance or mating, and it unsettles her. This is very much the same sort of treatment that aro and ace people get in real life.)
After Whisper’s death, Storm regrets her curtness towards him, but every time she thinks of him fondly, it’s still only as a friend. She never thinks of him romantically - her dedication to avenging him is out of loyalty as a good friend.
Here, once again, she simply does not understand appeal of having a mate (Storm supports her straight friends, even if she doesn’t personally understand their lifestyle choices):
Storm is fascinated by how close Bella and Arrow are, but feels disturbed by the thought of herself being involved in a relationship of that sort:
(I want to note here that Storm craves to be understood. She loves her friends and wants close relationships with them. When she spends time away from the Wild Pack, with only Bella and Arrow and the pups, she reflects specifically on how nice it is to be surrounded solely by friends who understand her and love her and accept her for who she is. However, when that sort of deep understanding is put in a romantic context, she is not comfortable with the idea.)
Once again, Storm is bewildered but supports her straight friends:
And finally, in The Exile’s Journey:
“She would never understand what made dogs want to be mates”
Storm never wants a mate. This is a fact which is consistent throughout the series and does not change. It will never change. It’s just who she is. This is about as much confirmation as you can get in a series about talking dogs who don’t use terms such as “aromantic” and “asexual.”
tl;dr: Storm expresses multiple times that she has no interest in ever becoming mates with anyone. She's also consistently confused at the concept of romance and mating - she can't understand the appeal. And even though others initially dismiss her as being "too young" to know what she wants, it stays a consistent element of her character through the entire series.
Storm is aroace.
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