#im also genuinely attracted to Lucanis too

[pupkinpumpkin]

I would like to say thank you to Cullen for breaking the tradition of me romancing characters I actually don't want to romance bc I worry about their happiness and wellbeing if I don't

[rsenak]

Hiii! Strength and Temperance for the tarot asks, hehe 👀

hiii thankyou so much for the ask!!! <3 i spent wayyy too long thinking about these and writing them then rewriting them again so time to copy paste all i have in my google docs at the moment before i get too nervous haha

the questions

Strength: Who makes the first move? How is it received? Is this reflective of their relationship dynamic in general?

Calien. He considers knives (weapons in general, really but it's the one he defaults to) to be the best romantic gift, and well… while it was never stated, he didn't not have that in mind when buying Lucanis a dagger. But if it's not taken that way it's still a useful gift. The meaning was not lost on Lucanis; enter Treviso cafe date night with some ridiculous flirting. Illario happens to be collateral damage.

It's usually Calien too. But while he's great at taking initiative, he dances back quickly if it's not met with interest. In the beginning he's only looking for a bit of fun and nothing committed. And hey, Lucanis is there, attractive, trustworthy and as another Crow he'd likely understand Calien's hangups about serious relationships. Worst case, he can play it off as a joke. What's to lose! (← little did he know!!) Compared to that Lucanis is usually more hesitant to make anything resembling move but when he does, it (usually) holds more weight. He's also trying to be the responsible one between the two of them early on. Spite is no help there.

It's a very delicate balance of push and pull where they grow close as friends. As well as develop deeper feelings for each other. Lucanis tries to bottle them up and Calien does his usual and refuses to acknowledge them altogether. They try avoiding each other to fix this. Naturally. Goes about as well as expected.

This is getting really long so I'll stop yapping now but. They figure it out. Eventually. And as their relationship develops (once they stop running away from each other) and they get more comfortable, they're both equally likely to seek the other out. It depends more on individual duties and schedules than anything else. (they are also disgustingly sweet and affectionate and make me feel a little insane. the devotion is so much. help)

idk if im doing a good job at describing it but i guess a way i could put it is like. calien is brazen and bold fancy turning to trust and friendship (and a LOTT stronger attachment and genuine feelings). lucanis would be gratitude and loyalty both bc of that and over the god killing contract (there's attraction too but he has a job to do and a spite in the head he doesn't have time for that) to care (and love!) over time.

and then ofc they are both crows with some similar experiences and a deep loyalty to their faction. for better or worse….. (this also makes fixing problems in the future so much harder)

Temperance: What does Rook need to heal within themself to become a better partner? What about their SO?

What doesn't he need to heal. Calien de Riva is a good Crow first and a somewhat okay person second. His grip on genuine emotions is questionable at best and his communication (and lack of it) leaves much to be desired. If his problems can't be stabbed/set on fire or solved with jokes and puns, he's going to avoid them. So much room for improvement… but being more open would be a good start.

I look at Lucanis and squint really hard. Between spending about a year in a Venatori prison, having a demon stuck in his head still (even if they’re on better terms now than before), getting betrayed by his closest family member and being made First Talon at the end of it all… There’s so much going on (someone please give this man a vacation at least). He could gain much from learning to put himself and his wants first (or at least prioritize them more…).

ahahaa i think about this so much since they're both so thoroughly damaged from their training and lives as crows,,,, and how tragic it is that they're both so loyal still when they could both benefit so much from just. leaving. and neither of them would go ahead and do it, but if the other asked… that might go differently. but it isn’t likely to happen (lucanis wouldn't voice it and the thought would never even cross calien’s mind) (ofc this won't make me stop thinking about ‘what if’ scenarios. i have no less than 7 possible futures for them swimming around in my mind and im AWFUL at writing anything down. help)