#tho whether that's platonic or romantic is anyone's guess

[cursedthingsshallwrite]

Unslaad prt 3 [wip]

“-and then Dov dove into the hole.”

Rhaenyra attempted to curb her laughter but couldn’t help the small giggle that escaped, hand out to accept Prince Lucerys’ help down from her stallion.

“After which Lucerys laughed so hard he tripped over a rock and fell into the hole with me” Dov bowed under Lucerys’ attempt to swipe at them. “He tried to climb out on his own for almost a full hour before he gave up and let me carry him out.”

What fortitude Rhaenyra was able to drag together was subsequently destroyed in less than three sentences as she clutched her stomach and let out a full-belly laugh. Surprising a large majority of the staff secretly bustling about the Red Keep as they paused to watch the Realm’s Delight quickly redden in embarrassment. She cleared her throat and ruthlessly attempted to cull the flush in her cheeks.

She watched as King and Prince exchanged looks again, one outright smiling while the other was doing his best to keep his lips flat.

“I apologize, I don’t know what came over me.” Rhaenyra straightened where she stood, in this moment she represented the Targaryens, and therefore needed to-

“Laughter is the best medicine in existence, you need not say your apologies where no offence was taken” King Dovahkiin said softly, then louder “besides, it’s good to know that I wasn’t the only one to find the moment humorous. Lucerys keeps trying to convince anyone who would listen that the ‘Dov dove’ is hilarious. Which I will say again Lucerys, a joke is not funny if it needs an explanation.”

Lucerys scowled “the pun is hilarious, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

King Dovahkiin, in their infinite grace and courtly presence, stuck out their tongue at the Prince and blew a raspberry.

Rhaenyra didn’t laugh this time, but she did crack a smile at the antics.

She wondered if this was what was like to have siblings.

-

Despite the levity, and the surprising rapport two royals from Dremvothkrif built with the servants, the grand dinner arranged for Rhaenyra’s official announcement as heir to the Throne was a tense affair. Officially now, the Princess of Dragonstone, Rhaenyra sat with her father and Prince Lucerys – while King Dovahkiin was sat next to her father’s remaining side. Decidedly pushing out Otto Hightower and Daemon.

She could feel her uncle’s stare like a weight upon her brow, but somehow, she didn’t quite feel the need to return the stare, not with Prince Lucerys’ oddities set before her like a particularly interesting puzzle. The Prince had no issues dining; indeed, his table manners were impeccable and his voice polite and actually riveting as he described some of the places that were safe for people in the Shadow Lands. Certainly, she could tell there was much he was hiding, but the very way he seemed to poignantly avoid speaking of it seemed to be a quiet message to keep away from the topic without lying to her outright.

She appreciated it, the older she got the more times she’s had to sift through the lies of the court even when she was still her father’s cupbearer. “now I must ask Prince Lucerys-“ she watched as another servant delivered a plate of carefully arranged cooked vegetables and fruits, adornments of which were clearly picked off another dish before being delivered to the Prince. “-why are you receiving so many of these odd dishes?”

Prince Lucerys swallowed before glancing around and leaning towards her, Rhaenyra leaning forward just a little closer so the younger of the Septums wouldn’t have to speak any louder than a whisper.

“Dov can’t stomach vegetables” he said quietly “and usually they prefer to eat meat raw, product of having lived in the Shadowlands for so long and they don’t really have enough Valyrian blood to counter it. We didn’t want to be rude so I just try to eat what I can while Dov quickly sends over the things they can’t eat.”

“Oh” Rhaenyra looked around “I can have the servants send it away.”

Lucerys seemed to wince before smoothing his expression once more, smiling at a passing servant who quickly emptied another plate of vegetables into his. “We can’t waste food, much of Dremvothkrif’s traditions stand on being the most efficient as possible with the resources we have so throwing out otherwise perfectly fine food is looked down on, but Dov just really doesn’t like it on a personal level, bad experience with it. Normally we would host a feast with the rest of the town but…”

Rhaenyra nodded sympathetically, “Of course, would you feel better if I merely had the servants off-duty take what they can and perhaps pass out the rest?”

Lucerys smiled gratefully “that would be wonderful if you can – but ah, if anyone questions it, please place the blame on me. We appreciate you being so accommodating. I don’t want you to have to go through any ire because of it.”

“You are our guests, and of the blood of Old Valyria, it is the least we can do” Rhaenyra rested her hand on his shoulder briefly before signaling for one of her maids to whisper the order. Lucerys in the meantime did a wonderful job distracting several nobles from interrupting her, regaling stories of storms and mountains that spewed fire. It wasn’t long before she could divert her own attention to the on-going conversation between her father and the King of Dremvothkrif; listening intently as King Viserys asked questions of Dremvothkrif and the Shadowlands.

“I apologize if I come off as rude Dovahkiin” King Viserys said “but I am personally intrigued by your name, it does not seem Valyrian in origin.”

“It isn’t” Dovahkiin confirmed, choking down a well-cooked piece of hog as quickly and as politely as they could manage given the circumstances. “it is a Septum tradition actually, usually the child receives a title of sort for their deeds in the traditional tongue made up of words in the Dragon Tongue. Dovah kiin, in my case, can be translated roughly into Dragon born. My personal name is kept secret save for family unfortunately I am unable to share it. It is the opposite for Lucerys as he is of Valyrian blood, and therefore it is his Septum name that is kept personal.”

“Of course of course, I do hope you can forgive my curiosity. I have always been somewhat of a scholar, and remorse the fact that the Targaryen clan had managed to save all but the barest hints of its literature and culture” King Viserys smiled, tired and weary. Reminding Lucerys of the King the man would become in a few years’ time. “I’m glad that Dremvothkrif was so open to reconnecting, I swear to you Dovahkiin that you and yours will be treated as close as family during your stay. Ah, I have noticed you have not drunken any wine, is it perhaps not to your taste?”

Dov winced “I apologize, it is a habit of mine not to drink any liquid that is inebriating. The surroundings of what is livable on Dremvothkrif is rife with danger and beasts seeking to reclaim and expand their own territory, so I am amongst the first to respond to attacks of the like. The largest one we had was a Hydra that would have almost destroyed Graolerin a few months ago had it not been for our paranoia. I am sure the wine is very delicious.”

Rhaenyra glanced towards Lucerys and noticed that he too had not partaken in a drop of wine. Interesting.

“A hydra?” King Viserys asked, intrigued.

“A three headed beast; one head spews acid, another of flammable gas, and the third lights the gas. Furthermore, they are known for their accelerated healing and cutting off one head merely rapidly guarantees growth of two more. We try not to kill any if we do not have to, as they are the natural hunters of the dragons that call the Shadowlands home. Though they are thankfully not as dangerous when still in their fledgling ages – they usually have only the three or five heads – thereby making it easier pierce the body through to the heart.”

“That sounds…” Viserys winced “gruesome.”

“Indeed” Dov laughed “I’ve many scars to prove their danger, but thankfully as much as they are territorial, many of the established Hydras keep to their own. It is the young ones that tend to press against the boarders on the rare occasion.”

“Then, a toast to you then King Dovahkiin” King Viserys presented his cup before Dovahkiin, standing and addressing the other guests now that attention has been called for. “May my daughter’s reign be a wonderful one when she comes of age and may yours be many years still, so that the Westeros and Dremvothkrif would stand together, as allies in this harsh world. To new beginnings!”

Dovakiin politely toasted with their cup before setting it down, a boisterous chorus of echoes repeated after the King.

Talks continued, with Princess Rhaenyra and King Viserys both taking in tribute from the other Lords for her official ascension as heiress to the throne. It was around the time of the party winding down and people beginning to drunkenly find their way back to their rooms when Dovahkiin spoke again in regards to a matter outside of sharing knowledge and history.

“I believe it would be about time to present gifts of our own” Dovahkiin said, a smile quirked on their lips.

“Oh?” King Viserys looked on as two servants came forward.

“Thank you Edward, Arthur” Rhaenyra’s eyes snapped to the King of Dremvothkrif as they greeted the servants by name. Rising from their seat to walk around and help support this massive square shape covered in a black silk. Daemon had moved up the tables by then, sliding closer with a drink in his hand to the scene while the guests that remained sober lingered in interest. Whispered gossip of this new ally coming to such an event without bearing tribute suddenly halted in the face of evidence otherwise.

Dovahkiin snatched black silk off, revealing what was underneath.

Rhaenyra allowed herself to gape before forcibly shutting her jaw closed.

Presented in a beautiful frame of dragon glass and a clear pane of glass was a map of delicate detail. Carefully drawn specs presented mountains and forests and rivers while washes of ink seemed to make each little detail rise up from the parchment. The map had some age, slightly yellow with time and slight scuffs at the edges where it must have been torn slightly in some places – it would have been an insult had the work of the map not been so fine.

Even the Shadowlands, normally a jagged blob of ink on any map, was beautifully rendered and revealed a mountainous landscape with slightly darker swirls that appeared like smoke.

“I will freely admit that Dremvothkrif has not been as isolated as we would like people to think” Dovahkiin explained with a mischievous quirk on their lips. “For the past ten years we have been sending teams of explorers to assess a large majority of the known world and record them to the best of their ability, to expand on the knowledge gathered generations ago closer to the founding of Dremvothkrif and the arrival of the survivors of the Doom. This is the most complete result of our labor for now. I hope you don’t mind the lack of lettering, it is the master copy and therefore I wasn’t to add any locations until the information recorded was certain.”

Daemon was the one who spoke this time. “You made this?”

If Dovahkiin was surprised by the sudden new voice, they did not show. “I did, sort of? It’s really just a culmination of the work my people did once they returned home. But having a hand in the creation of a gift is a type of tradition in Dremvothkrif. To show one’s regard and sincerity, the gift is usually of one’s own creation. Although admittedly-“ they reached out for one of the bags held by the servants and pulled out several very old set of books covered with a deep colored leather, as well as one in black that seemed very different from the others. “this one is a bit of a cheat, it’s merely my copy of some of the books we were able to save from Old Valyria, and my own findings regarding some of the translation work.”

Dovahkiin walked over, presenting the books to Daemon, drawing Viserys’ eyes, and barely held together hysteria as it was the first time in a very very long time the older had seen his usually mercurial brother flush and in awe as he carefully reached out for the books as if they were his own children. Which might actually not be too far off actually, considering the history of Old Valyria and anything to do with the Targaryen motherland was something of a precious hobby both brothers shared.

Rhaenyra just stared unashamed, though she herself was taken aback by the gravity of what her family had just been given, what can she say? Her uncle was quite fetching in that shade of red.

“And finally, to the Princess of Dragon Stone and Realm’s Delight, to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen” the Dovahkiin reached into a different bag, this one subtly glowing before fading back into the fabric, quicker than the eyes could catch. Dov presented a beautiful set of leather armor that gleaned with iridescent scales complete with a pair of trousers, gauntlets, and boots.

Instead of allowing the servants or maids to take it away, Dovahkiin presented the armor to Rhaenyra directly, not letting go until Rhaenyra clutched the armor between her hands. Surprised at the lightness of it all, and watching the scales shift in a rainbow of color under the light. It was then that Dovahkiin allowed others to take the gauntlets and boots, all of which seemed to be a hybrid of some sort of thick black material that seemed almost wood in texture, only select parts of it being lined with this strange leather. It was well made, and definitely created with her growth in mind – the armor having several carefully tucked and hidden straps for the ultimate ease of adjustment.

However, there was also a sword.

Bladed at one edge, it was a stretch of sword that seemed to be forged to almost look like an odd tree branch, twisted until coming to a delicate bend that met with a straight line at the back of the sword. The hilt was curved at the end with a gold pommel that had just enough space to rest a pinky within the bend, closer inspection would reveal the fine filigree carved into tiny details but not enough to make the sword particularly unwieldy. Near the tang of the blade was a sprinkle of what seemed to be rubies that shined in twinkles under the firelight, almost giving the sword a glow of its own. It would be long for her age, but in time the length would be comfortable.

Lucerys, who could recognize an enchanted weapon when he saw one, knew it fucking glowed.

The rest remained in awed blissful ignorance.

“Normally, I would have the intended wielder name the weapons I make” Dov said, voice seemingly carried by nothing more than the hush that overcame the party. “So I hope the Princess would pardon me for naming it before I would ask, the name of the blade is thus: Yolvey, the Fang of Flames. May it protect you well Princess.”

Dovahkiin manipulated the sword with nimble fingers, the metal singing as it cut through the air until they held it in front of them. The flat of the blade comfortably in the middle of their face. 

Suddenly it wasn’t just a King presenting gifts, suddenly it was something else. Something more. Something otherworldly, although there was only one person in the entire room who could figure out why.

The Laat Dovahkiin closed their eyes and placed a reverent kiss on the flat of it, the blade seeming to hum before settling – before Dovahkiin walked around to kneel on one knee before Rhaenyra, blade presented forth.

With shaking fingers, Rhaenyra accepted the sword, the handle warming pleasantly under her hands – and in her mind’s eye a voice whispered beneath her subconscious.

‘Master.’ Whispered the sword.

Now given life.

^0~0^

“It might have been too much, was it too much?” Dovahkiin asked, pacing the room.

“What exactly did you enchant her sword with?” Lucerys hissed “it glowed.”

“Oh you know, if she cuts it with the right motivation it may or may not make the victim burst into flames.”

“...Dov.”

“I thought it would be useful! Plus! Dragon rider, flaming sword? I couldn’t just give her a regular sword, what was I going to do? Make the thing poison whoever it cuts? That’s so boring.”

“It sets people on fire Dov.”

Dov huffed crossing their arms. “I was an adventurer too you know, before I took an arrow to the knee.”

“But did you have to do that whole ceremony? I think my Step-Father, Mother, and grandfather might have fallen in love at the same time for a short time and I am very uncomfortable with that fact” Lucerys said, partially joking, just to see the abject look of horror on the old dragon’s face.

He took a swig from a privately acquired pitcher of wine in front of his seat at Dovahkiin’s fireplace. They had given them what looked like the near best damn room in the entirety of the keep, he was fairly certain this room had been reserved for one of his siblings at one point, but he couldn’t really figure out if it was him or Jace.

“It’s Skyrim tradition” Dovahkiin defended weakly, suddenly meek “you can’t gift an enchanted weapon like that without blessing it, I had to. Besides, your family is too young for me Drog.”

“I don’t think that’s what did it Dov.” Drog made a vague motion with his hands, deliberately referring to all of Dovahkiin. “It’s…this. Being around you can be very intense very quickly.”

“Huh.”

Lucerys blinked, moving away from his drink for the moment. “You know I meant that as a joke right?”

“No, you aren’t as wrong as you may think” Dov’s fingers twitched, a chair dragging itself from the side closer than what would have been advisable to the open fireplace before crashing in. “I just didn’t expect them to be influenced by my presence to such a degree, I hadn’t realized it would be different here.”

Dov paused before turning to the blazing fire, reaching out and arranging the wood so that they were neatly stacked. Expression contemplative before taking back their hand and patting out what cloth managed to catch on fire. “I just didn’t expect the level of magic seeped into their bones; I could hardly tell them apart from the Dov that laid within that pit.”

Lucerys leaned forward “And I’m only learning this now? What do you mean you have an influence?”

Dovahkiin shrugged. “I don’t know the exact nature of it, I only know that my presence has an effect on living creatures. They kept my body the same, so I’m uncertain if it is something they added, or it is simply a result of my age. Could also be my magic or the souls of the Dov I carry. It could even be whatever magic Old Valyria had used to bond riders to wyverns. The only thing I know of for certain is that most Dov recognize me, perhaps on some level, that bond they share with their wyverns might give them more insight than most would have normally. And when we met…”

“Arrax had died” Lucerys muttered, taking a bigger gulp straight from the wine pitcher. “And I was dead.”

Dov tilted their head to rest on their shoulder, knee tucked into the seat. “Are you going to sleep?”

“No.”

“Me neither.” Dov drummed their fingers against the arm of the chair. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

Lucerys straightened “trouble?”

“Not sure yet” they said softly “I just know it’s coming.”

“Yeah” Lucerys whispered, holding the pitcher close “I feel something too. Storm. Big one.”

“Mn.”

They sat in silence for the rest of the night.

-

The Targaryens that called the Red Keep home perked up as a maid came in and curtseyed before them at their breakfast.

She bowed apologetically “I’m sorry your Majesty, my Lady, my Lord. Neither their highness King Dovahkiin nor Prince Lucerys were in their rooms.”

Rhaenyra frowned “did they leave any note as to where they were going?”

Thunder ominously rolled throughout the town, shuddering through the Red Keep.

“No my lady, but I did inquire to some of the morning hands and they said they had both sped out of the room near sunrise in a most urgent manner.”

Then another ran through the door, one of the watchmen stationed around the city walls, a younger recruit by the look of him as he bowed before the royal family hastily. Stopping short of crashing into the dining hall completely by the King’s guard “T-the guests- the Prince-“

“Take a breath boy” Daemon commanded “speak clearly.”

The watchman took a deep breath, lungs audibly wheezing as he did so before straightening to the young man’s full height. “At twilight his highness Prince Lucerys and the King Dovahkiin had run out and jumped off the wall.”

Rhaenyra nearly dropped her utensils. “Excuse me?”

“Something had sped past the walls and caught them, we weren’t entirely sure what to do save for raising the alarm but King Dovahkiin- they said not to and to call up however many able-bodied maester we could rouse to the wall. He- After an hour Prince Lucerys delivered two crewmembers who seemed on the verge of death. Another hour later two more. As far as we gathered, lightning had struck the main mast during the night and the combination with the storm had capsized their ship before they could make it to harbor.” The watchman took another breath “Just a few minutes ago I was ordered to report and request linen wraps to dress wounds.”

“Has the Prince returned?” King Viserys demanded.

“We saw something at a distance, but I had been sent off before it was confirmed Sire.”

Daemon rose to his feet “what the actual fuck is with these royals-“

“Daemon” King Viserys sighed.

“You can’t argue against their oddness brother” Daemon moved to walk out the door “I’m going to figure out what the fuck happened – you, get the linens that were requested.”

“Yes my Lord.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Rhaenyra” King Viserys sighed.

“You placed our guests under my responsibility Father, if they are still out there, I should be among the first to fly out for their return.”

“…very well” King Viserys grumbled “but come straight here after, I want to know what happened.”

“Yes father.”

-

“What in the fuck.”

Rhaenyra agreed.

“Move out of the fucking way.” The King of Dremvothkrif yelled.

Maesters and guards scrambled out of the way as the bird-like dragon dipped down in slow circles. Prince Lucerys sat behind the reigns by himself.

Which meant that King Dovahkiin was was hanging by the dragon’s talons. Daemon would be impressed if he wasn’t so damn distracted by the makeshift sling that was holding one man aloft in the dragon’s grip, a series of clothes tied in complicated knots that looked like they came out of a hodgepodge of rope, cloth, and what seemed to be two shirts that made up the handle of this strange looking sling.

The King landed on the stone wall without so much as a pause, reaching out to catch the bottom of the sling.

“Bo mulhaan.”

Daemon could feel his body freeze before he could wonder what happened, yet something in his mind whispered, ‘not you’.

Exchanging glances with Rhaenyra confirmed that she had felt the same thing.

Yet above them, the feathered dragon Rhaenyra had faced managed to hover just until Dovahkiin was able to catch whoever remained in the sling, setting them down gently onto the floor. Impressive considering whoever the man was laid wider than the foreign King was tall.

“Hi lost dreh” Dovahkiin yelled up.

“Mindoraan” Lucerys called out.

Riiziizul screeched before turning to land, Prince Lucerys leaping from the seat to land into a roll.

“Where are those fucking linens?!” Dovahkiin hissed.

“Here!” One Maester’s apprentice sped past Daemon and Rhaenyra, who stood in watch as the two royals seemed to command the chaos to heel in an admittedly admirable fashion. To the point where almost everyone present for the storm seemed to skip over their presence.

“Fascinating.” Rhaenyra muttered under her breath.

Daemon tilted his head in her direction without moving his eyes away from the scene before him.

“It’s as if they’re in battle” Rhaenyra continued “but what are they fighting?”

Daemon glanced at some of the rescued men that seemed to have glanced the touch of the Stranger. Some passed out with their wounds but breathing. Others awake and encouraging their fellows to stay awake, the few still standing was up to their necks deep in the chaos alongside everyone else. Whether motivated by the adrenaline running through their veins or the energy dragged out of them by the foreign royalties who told them to move or be moved was anyone’s guess.

There was a maniac energy in their eyes, a frenzied movement to each command with each moment of running from one injured man to another. Screamed or yelled or snarled over the thunderous storm and flashing lightning. Uncaring of wet clothes, uncaring of wet stones and the sweat that mixed with the cold rain. There were grim expressions on all the maesters of the like that Daemon had seen very few of; whatever this battle was, you’d think that everyone was racing to snatch away each and every soul from the Stranger.

“The hell are you two standing around for?!” Dovahkiin barked at them “help me hold this man down so I can set his shoulder back!”

Daemon moved forward before he realized he was doing it, and he swore he was going to get to the bottom of why that is.

As soon as he finished with whatever this tyrannical king wanted him to do.

Unbeknownst to any party, Lucerys was in a crisis.

The frantic chaos of a team of maesters, his stepfather and his own mother was bizarrely familiar. Even with the crazy old dragon ordering them around and somehow getting the two most stubborn people he’s ever known to take orders from someone who wasn’t each other or his grandfather.

Ignoring the storm was second nature to him now, ignoring the hair sticking down to his head and the wet fabric that clung to his form and made his entire body heat amongst the chill. He worked quickly and efficiently as he could afford, cleaning and wrapping wounds and carefully assessing and noting down any major injuries he could find. The years had taught him to be a passible healer, but he wasn’t quite good enough to fix every single thing.

As the storm slowly began to pass over King’s Landing, sunlight filtered through. Rain petering into a soft drizzle that washed some of the blood away into the crack of the stone walls. He wiped and cleaned and bandaged as he could, checked and double checked to make sure the man was breathing and the lungs were clear of water. Attempting to avoid looking at this man’s face as best he could until he could avoid it no longer.

High cheekbones. A handsome face with a sharp jawline that was showing just the slightest hint of beard, wet and long blond hair curled from the humid storm, one eye shut from exertion. Another that was no longer there.

‘How’ he thought, half hysterical ‘how are you here?! Why?!’

He felt someone nudge him at the edge of his mind, Dovahkiin, sensing his ongoing conflict. Pushing him back from the brink with a firm but gentle shove.

Lucerys bit his bottom lip as he carefully brushed away the damp near silver locks from his current charge’s face, fingers gently sinking beneath to assess any damage to the skull – and finding only one spot that was slightly beginning to swell. The coldness of the rain had halted some of the progress, but he could tell based on the size and location that he would be unconscious for some time.

No blood from there though, which he supposed was good.

“-ire? Sire? Does this man require anything” one Maester asked.

He shook his head “head injury and some minor bruising, he should be fine once he gets dried off and warmed. Are there any others who need assistance?”

“No sire” the maester glanced in a direction that drew Lucerys’ eye. Towards Dovahkiin who was hovering over someone’s leg, expression blank before twisting the foot back from its odd position and ignoring the howling screams of its owner. Daemon at the other side holding the man down while Rhaenyra’s brow furrowed in concentration to focus on their instruction, wrapping the splint as evenly as she could in such.

“Any dead?” Lucerys asked, startling the maester, counting the heads – what brief glances he was able to take of their ship had informed him that there should’ve been at least thirty crew members, it was a little over the number.

“N-no sire, all of them are alive, if not awake.” The maester bowed “I-I admit I haven’t- this is-“

Lucerys turned back to face the maester, rather young, maybe not quite a maester but an apprentice of one – or just someone who was misfortunate enough to have enough knowledge in the matters of medicine and healing to be dragged along with Dovahkiin’s orders.

“-why sire?” he was asked.

Lucerys blinked before shrugging. “They needed help. So we helped.”

“But they are- they’re just-“ the man tried and failed to continue his sentence, but the message was clear enough to understand. ‘They’re just sailors’, these men were just regular people. Why is it that a King and a Prince would try so hard to save them? Lucerys himself hadn’t quite realized that it probably was odd that a King and a Prince were trying so hard to forcibly drag a couple of sailors to the land of the living with so much vigor. That was just how things were in Dremvothkrif; he hadn’t realized it was so odd.

Lucerys whipped the water running down his face, the sun beginning to warm the rocks below as the whole world seemed to calm. Seemed to take a breath, a moment of respite from the chaos of the storm.

“I’m not sure” Lucerys said honestly “we just wanted to.”

He watched as Dovahkiin turned on their side to lie on the wet stone, heaving, just before laughing and yelling something into the sky in a language Lucerys had never heard before.

He laughed regardless.  

Daemon and Rhaenyra, wet and damp with dirt clinging to fancy silken cloth – sat near them, looking on incredulously.

-

“How soon are they leaving?” Daemon hissed.

Viserys looked up to find both his brother soaked to the bone and his daughter nowhere in sight, giving leave for the King to stare daggers at his brother in question.

“Do you know what we saw when we got to the wall?” Daemon paced in front of his brother’s desk “that Prince Lucerys flying in on a feathered dragon with the King dangling off its foot.”

King Viserys frowned “what for? That dragon seemed perfectly fine flying with the two of them.”

“They were transporting some injured man” Daemon hair flew into his face as he gestured “and then proceeded to order the rest of us around like we were some sort of pack dogs and the worse part is I followed, Rhaenyra and I just fell in line like a couple of pups and I cannot figure out how.”

King Viserys expression morphed, as if the sheer idea that either Daemon or Rhaenyra would just allow themselves to be ordered around without fuss was the true horror in the entire situation.

“We can’t just send them away merely because their presence is…unsettling” King Viserys motioned towards the pile of books “they gave us anecdotal literature from Old Valyria, never mind the map and the armor. These records and books provide a clearer image of Old Valyria than we’ve ever hand in the past few centuries after Aegon the Conqueror – and this-“ he lifted up the dictionary “has been the key to understand all of it.”

Daemon sighed, dragging over a nearby chair and crashing into it. “…I don’t like it Viserys. They’re too…strange.”

King Viserys snorted “you sound like every other preacher of the seven Daemon, are you sure your coin isn’t teetering?”

At Daemon’s continued silence, King Viserys paused in his reading to really look at his brother. Watching the younger’s expression twitch every now and then, no doubt going through plan after plan after plan.

“What is this really about Daemon?” he asked softly. “I’ve spoken little with King Dovahkiin, they seem kind.” He kept an eye on his brother’s expression – tracking every twitch and minute shift of expression with an expert eye. It could have been a number of things, but as much as he wished it wasn’t the case, it has been a very long while since either of them had really sat down to talk much about anything these days.

Especially after Aemma passed.

“I don’t trust that power they wield, and I don’t trust they won’t use it to burn us to the ground.” Daemon’s fingers tended to twitch a little when he was restless, drumming against his thighs or against the arm of the chair if he wasn’t up and moving around. If Viserys remembered their childhood correctly, the number of tutors who failed to train the habit out of it couldn’t be counted on both hands.

“Have we given them reason to?” Viserys rose a brow.

“…no.”

“Do we plan on giving them a reason?”

“…no.”

Viserys nodded, leaning back into his chair. “I spoke with the maids in charge of seeing to their needs.”

“And?” Daemon snapped.

Ignoring this, Viserys continued “she said that Prince Lucerys requested a pitcher of wine and entered the room after King Dovahkiin. Inside there was no noise save for the sound of conversation, the context of which we have no idea of. She did hear, however, that they were worried for an oncoming storm.”

Daemon frowned.

“Then, two hours before sunrise, when the morning servants were beginning their duties. Both ran out of their rooms as if the Stranger himself was at their heels. Ser Westerling told me that Dovahkiin bellowed loud enough that he thought a dragon was attacking the keep. They jumped off the ledge and onto the dragon just as soon as she appeared” Viserys let that sit for a little while longer while he poured himself something to drink. “Their ways of dragon riding is mysterious Daemon, even Rhaenyra couldn’t make heads or tales of it. Only that King Dovahkiin and Prince Lucerys of Dremvothkrif spoke, and the dragon responded to it. Which means a quite a few things.”

Daemon inched closer, head tilted sideways in curiosity.

“They have an entirely different way of dragon riding, one that could not have come from Old Valyria – but they do hail from the Shadowlands” Viserys nodded to the hand drawn map encased in a frame of dragon glass, now hanging in his office. “My guess is that much of both their behaviors stem from the dangers living in such a place entails.”

“Which is..?” Daemon drawled.

“One simpler, but more brutal than ours brother. I do not think Dovahkiin was attempting to make their accolades impressive when they described Hydras, there wasn’t any attached story of some grand battle against one of the creatures. It was condensed, informative. As if I was simply being told how to get to an inn faster through a shortcut. It means that the Septum clan most likely rose to power from sheer strength and home advantage, rather than cunning. They are dragons that happen to be resting Daemon, give them no threat and they will have no reason to retaliate.” Viserys took a drink before setting it down, a smile faint on his lips. “It’s honestly rather refreshing not needing to worry about political interests or manners of the court. I can feel safe knowing that if my daughter ever were to find herself in trouble with them around, they’d sooner more likely rip heads off the one responsible than see how they will make themselves heroes in my eyes and the eyes of Rhaenyra.”

After another moment of silence, Viserys sighed and turned to stare at Daemon amidst his brother’s obsession with preparing for every little moment of potential betrayal. Not that he blamed him too much for it, after the announcement of Viserys’ ascension to King, his brother had grown twice as weary when the whispers began of Viserys being ill fit for the throne. Too soft, too cautious, not daring enough. A scholar rather than a warrior. Daemon apparently took it upon himself to be the extreme version of what everyone wanted if only to counter-balance his brother and make Viserys seem the obvious better choice.

It isn’t’ that Viserys was ungrateful for it, but he mourned the man Daemon could have been if he didn’t have to lean into his extremes.

“It isn’t wrong that you’re so weary Daemon, but I truly believe they don’t wish to pose any threat to us so long as we do not give them any reason to. If you so wish, spend time with Prince Lucerys if King Dovahkiin is too influential for your liking. I know Rhaenyra has a soft spot for the boy.”

“She what?”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh stop embarrassing yourself, it’s unbecoming of you. When I asked of Prince Lucerys’ marital status, his King said in no uncertain terms that any offer of marriage to the Prince of Dremvothkrif will be declined or ignored and rudely rejected if I so much as breathed such a request. They said, and I am repeating in verbatim: ‘My brother is uninterested in such prospects’ and changed the subject. Not that you would have known considering how hard you were staring at Rhaenyra and the Prince as they talked.”

“What the- no marriage alliances? How the fuck do they maintain peace between families?”

King Viserys shrugged “When I tried to ask, all they said was ‘I tell them to cut it out, and if they don’t I drag the ones pushing the argument and throw them into the sea to cool off’.”

Daemon snickered despite himself, “if only it were so easy.”

“Yes well, I imagine there’s a very good reason they made Dovahkiin King in a land known to be the home of dragons and what other man-eating creatures also live there for a very good reason.” King Viserys frowned “I only worry that I don’t know the extent of that power. Is it magic? Is it simply strength? Resourcefulness? Perhaps all those things combined in certain combinations – I am unsure. And we won’t know unless they remain as guests for a while longer.”

Daemon groaned “so you want me to hang around the boy for information.”

“I am certain they’re more genuine than most of the people in this kingdom Daemon” Viserys deadpanned “but I like the fact that we know virtually nothing about them just as much as you do. I will pursue the thread with King Dovahkiin, can I trust you and Rhaenyra will figure something out with the Prince? And no, you cannot deliberately humiliate him or pick fights with him.”

Daemon sighed but nodded. “Fine. You really are lucky I love you, you know that?”

“Sometimes I wonder if it’s more of a curse than a boon” King Viserys muttered to himself.

Daemon scowled.

“Yes yes, love you too, now get your wet ass off my furniture.”

[Previous]                                                                                                       [Next]

[asocialangel]

I love your writing!! I was wondering if maybe I could request headcanons dating kunigami before the wildcard. I hope you’re having a good day :)

Thanks a lot ! And of course, here you go~ I just finished watching the anime (i’m a manga girlie) so my memory of pre-WildCard kunigami is v fresh😎, lucky you~ I added other characters too <3 I can do a part two if characters get requested (comments or inbox)

How is Dating the BLLK boys like ?

HeadCanons about dating these cuties

Rensuke Kunigami, Niko Ikki, Ranze Kurona

Kunigami (before the wildcard)

Okay so, he might have that gentleman aura, he might be very rather daring, but in the end, it feels like it’s first time really loving someone.

Even if it weren’t his first love or first relationship, it still feels like it

He can be so awkward, not really knowing what to say, what to do… It’s new to him

Good news is, he improves very fast! 

And improving is his goal anyways: he wants to be the best version possible for you. 

Quickly, he’ll learn to read your expressions, to remember your taste and to pick up on what you like or not.

(I hope you put in as much effort to love him ;) ! ) 

And dare I say, after this adjusting phase, he becomes a rather good lover.

Like the typa lover that reads your mind. 

Seriously, he always knows which restaurant you’re in the mood for, he guesses what color roses you’d prefer, he remembers that you like weak coffee over a strong one…

When it comes to boring choices it’s like the two of you don’t need to converse, you just know for one another.

But apart from that, I feel like he’s on the talkative side.

He’s always quick to ask you how you’re doing when you meet up

Even through text, he loves checking up on you, sending you posts he likes and reacting to yours. 

He’s not the type to hesitate saying ‘i love you’

I mean, he’s proud of loving you, he’s confident in his feelings for you, he wants you to know them… Pragmatic

But he was still shy to tell his friends the two of you were dating. Why so ? Idk, maybe he felt like it was such an intimate subject to bring up.

But now that the cat’s out of the box, he’s very chill about it.

Therefore he doesn’t mind PDA, although he lets you initiate it

Apart from that, he loves to smother you with kisses.

Morning ? kisses. Cooking ? kisses. Bellyache ? kisses. Any excuse is good.

So to resume, I feel like dating kunigami is like finding support, a friend that always understands you and cares for you.

​​ꕥ

Nikko

I feel like the love between you two grew over time

You used to be friends until one of you felt like it might be more

Probably him

Nothing changed tho, but you soon realized you felt the same 

Your relationship switching from platonic to romantic was never officialized tho

It just, happened. Like at some point you were too close for anyone, you two included, to keep calling each other friends. 

It was so natural you don't even remember when the first time the word ‘couple’ was employed, nor why. 

Anyway. You two are pretty alike, introverted, quiet, resolved.

You both don’t mind being silent together

If anything you love it

Good thing, cause it happens a lot

Sometimes, at the most random times, Niko tells you the most eye-opening, life-changing, sickening lore about himself. Like out of the blue. 

Then you stand in social settings, with informations that no one else have, having to pretend you know the same Niko as they do

There’s so many things you didn't expect from him, whether it’s small habits, small quirks about him or thoughts he has.

Like one thing you discovered after becoming his lover is that he’s not very resourceful sometimes ? 

Like baby boy had never thought of toasting his bread in something other than a toaster, like an oven or a pan ??  

He also notices a lot of tiny details. That’s adorable and you didn't expect it.

He for example knows that you eat farfalle over spaghetti when you’re feeling down.

Or he really seems to like watching the wind blowing through tree’s leaves. He only said it once, but now you always notice him standing under them. 

When it comes to PDA, he is a rather reserved boy.

Maybe not shy, but modest. Like he likes to keep things private

But he can’t resist holding your hand.

HandS*. He loves to take them both and play with you, especially when he’s bored.

And behind closed doors, he’s very cuddly, in a soft way. 

And for more… Let's say you’re usually the one to make the first move. He never refuses tho.

Loving him is learning that love is something that grows, not necessarily a striking intense feeling that fades over time.

​​ꕥ

Kurona:

First of all i really feel like you had a crush on him first

Like he’s so focused on his own world that he’s oblivious to love and stuff like that.

But the second you forced your way into his universe (no pun intended ;o), he didn't last long

Like he fell head over heels FAST. 

You kinda had to force him to notice you and consider you tho

And when he understood you liked him and not just liked him, he got super shy. 

Your persistence (in a cute not stalker way >:() got the best of him

He likes how casual and confident you are with your feelings

But at first he didn't want to fall in love, like what if it distracted him from football ?

Anyway, you two getting together kinda shocked everyone.

You form such an unusual couple

Bold yet quiet you, nonchalant yet considerate him

Even so, you guys are two peas in a pod. You do everything together

Often in silence, but together. Like brushing your teeth, revising, show each-other funny videos

But… Kurona has a secret: he’s talkative ! 

That genuinely surprised you when you got the honor of getting close to him, and being considered as a person he could trust. 

He rambled on about things. Like sometimes he goes on and on about his fav’s new song that just released, or how giving ducks bread is actually dangerous

A while after getting together with you, Kurona admitted that he hesitated doing so because it would bring so much attention to him, since you’re outspoken and good-looking…  Is that supposed to be a compliment orr ?

He can get so shy and awkward, but Kurona really loves you. He always thinks of you when seeing random things, and is the type of boy that buys you a single flower at least once a week (he can't afford a whole bouquet).

In your relationship, you’re often the one to take initiatives, even when it comes to holding hands. 

But now that he feels more at ease, he often goes for it first. 

He doesn't mind PDA at all cause he tends not to notice other people's gaze, he’s in his own world. 

But kisses in public make him blush cause it draws too much attention ;)

It took you a while to get to his heart, but it was most definitely worth it. Now you’re engraved in it forever. 

​​ꕥ

A\N: lol, as someone who’s never dated before, this almost feels ironic for me to write these TT.

[phoelipop]

I finally started reading Loveless and its been so painfully relatable like nothing I've ever experienced before

Back in 2015 was when I first learned about asexuality but I was in denial for a while because I didn't think it was real / just thought it was an internet thing. After learning more about it, I realized how much it aligns with my life and experiences I had growing up... but I didn't wanna believe that was me.

Around 2018 was when I fully accepted that I'm ace, I know that without a doubt. I never liked using labels for myself but once I found about asexuality it felt so freeing, knowing the way I am is perfectly fine and normal and that there are others like me.

And for the past year and a half I guess I've been having that same battle with myself over whether or not I'm aro too. I've never had an actual relationship (that i wanted to be in), nor have I ever really wanted one. Like others, I also forced myself or lied about crushes to fit in, never wanted to pursue a relationship with anyone tho. It's all what friends ever cared about, and yeah it's normal! But growing up not actually wanting those things made me feel very not normal.

But I'm human, I don't want to be alone. We're raised to believe romantic love is the one goal in our society and you're miserable without love. I've never been miserable not having a relationship, the only time i was was when I thought I had to and forced myself into them, just because someone liked me i thought I would start to like them back if i tried. I didn't of course and it was terrible. But I still wanted to be open to the possibility that one day I'll meet someone that will change all that. I don't really think that's possible for me and, I'm just starting to believe that's ok now.

Selfship always felt safe for me since it's fiction, and I did try to find friends and a sense of community through it, but again learned even in this I'm different. It's different for everyone though, but even with selfship sometimes I find it hard to relate to others when it comes to expressing love. I dunno… But I've always been happy with my fictional loves and my friends + family, that has always been enough for me.

This book has also made me want to be a better friend… I admit I've been so distant lately with everything going on in my life rn its been hard to see my worth sometimes and believe that I'm actually loved by my friends but trying to work on it… platonic love is just as important, even more so especially for us aroace-spec peeps

[sol-draws-sometimes]

Unrelated to this episode but as a twin, everytime I remember Lark had an affair with Sparrow’s wife, I’m just… in disbelief. Like, I hate when people ogle at my twin and I, and are like “WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING A TWIN!” “I WISH I WAS A TWIN!” “WOW! HAVING A TWIN IS HAVING A BUILT IN BESTFRIEND!” However, weird objectification aside, they’re not wrong. I DO have a close bond with twin that I don’t with anyone else. For most of my life (and all my childhood), we were on the same wavelength emotionally speaking. Obviously we had put diffrences, but the way we viewed the world and reacted to things emotionally was almost the same. In middle school, we both were struggling mentally, but we understood each other, she felt like the only irl person who truly understood what I was going through, because she was going through it too. To me, our relationship is taken for granted. No matter what happens, how much we fight or bicker, I have never once in my life doubted whether she loved me or not. Her love has always been, and still is, the strongest constant in my life. And even though the way we view the world and act emotionally is no longer exactly the same, she is still the one person I feel understands me the most.

And that’s why, I can’t wrap my head around the fact that Lark did that. How could he have done that. I could NEVER, see myself betray my sister like that. And yes I’m young, and ace (and on the aro spec), so you could argue it’s not the same but like, even if I were allo, I just, can not see myself having an affair WITH MY TWIN’S S.O.! (also I just hate the idea that cheating is just a thing that happens sometimes like, I’m sure there are relationships that recover from that, but come one, seriously it’s so easy to not cheat) The worst part is that I still think Lark loves Sparrow. Scratch that, I know he still loves Sparrow. I’m not good at wording it, but the best example I can think of, is Lark pretending to be Sparrow so that he could fix Sparrow’s relationship with Normal, so that Sparrow doesn’t have a bad relationship with their son. I’m thinking of that person who made a post about how Lark shows love and I wish I could remember so that can point to that, but it mentioned Lark sewing bulletproof into Normal’s suit. Anyway, Lark LOVES Sparrow, and they are each other’s world. The problem is that they’re codependent with each other, which can make them enable their worst attributes, or let them brush things off that shouldn’t be brushed off.

I can’t imagine doing what Lark did to Sparrow, to my sister. Idk how my sister could EVER forgive such a betrayal. I know some romantic couples can genuinely work together to overcome an affair, so I guess that can be applied to platonic and familial situations as well. But still, Sparrow TRUSTED Lark more than anyone else in his life, for Lark to break that that trust, it just… idk. Also, I definitely understand why Sparrow forgave Lark, they can’t lose their only family left. They are each other’s world. Especially after everything they’ve gone through. Tho I will say, I don’t think Sparrow’s just completely over it either. His wife and brother had a fucking affair together. That has to hurt. Plus, there are little lines when referring to Normal that Sparrow’s said that leads me to believe that Sparrow has some unprocessed feelings about the affair pushed deep, deep down to keep peace.

I wonder how much thought Anthony put into to that plot point. Most of the times it’s played as joke but if you think about it for 2 seconds it’s so fucked. But Anthony cares too much about the kiddads for me to believe it was just a joke, like the Hermie’s dads situation. I wonder what made him think this is a thing Lark would do.

This isn’t supposed to be an “I HATE LARK” post. I think he’s a very interesting character, the way he’s reacting and processing to everything that happened in S1 and S2 is fascinating. And just to reiterate, I know he still loves Sparrow. But still, I keep thinking about how do you betray the person who’s your whole world, who you arguably love the most. Or guess, my real question is WHY. What has going on in his head that led him to doing that. Even from a more selfish standpoint, I don’t think Sparrow currently trusts, or will ever trust Lark the way he did pre-affair. And I don’t think Lark is stupid enough to believe having an affair with Sparrow’s wife wouldn’t irrevocably change their relationship.

I wish I could be more eloquent, but I always forget and every time I remember what he did I just don’t know how to feel about it. Idk, I just keep thinking about them. I can’t help it, I’m a latino twin, they were handcrafted for me.

If you have any thoughts on this, PLEASE DO SHARE THEM WITH THEM WITH ME. (also idk if this conversation’s already been had but I haven’t engaged)

Ps: something, something Lark hates himself so much he tries to ruin his relationship with Sparrow because he feels like he doesn’t deserve love, not even from Sparrow. Yah started thinking about it outside my perspective. I can see that being his reasoning, but still…I just, I can’t image actual doing that. But yah, I think I’m satisfied with that reasoning.

[smiledog15578]

Shipping related question

You know I don't think they're ever gonna go straight into Asta and Harry being a thing until the show comes to a close (and depending on that we'll never know when they'll ever get together)

Honestly for the comics' sake, I hope they do in the end. Tbh slow burns are always the best, but people dont like the TV form of slow burns that or it's done incorrectly, I'm not sure.

The maybe it's cause I've never been the lovey type of person, or the fact I've been in the closet for so long I've never got to experience love for myself but, aren't we supposed to have multiple partners in our life time to help us figure out what works for you and what doesnt? People can have first loves and I think that's beautiful but tbh most of those "high-school crushes" never work out

Harry's first wife was like more of a nuisance to him but when he felt love for the first time with Heather, that rush of being with someone who understands you is a bit of this "it's gonna be forever and we're gonna get married etc etc" but in the end, they didn't turn out to be that way (typical psh... people finding just as love the hard way I guess)

I hope they explore more on like... Harry's relationships with each person he finds love with and how much he gets shaped as a human, whether it is platonic, romantic, sexual,etc etc. I know people are kinda up in arms about Asta and harry having these parental or familiar relationships which to me I see no problem, but I can get if you relate to Asta or Harry. And btw Don't hide that some of you relate to these characters, and sometimes project onto said charactersso you cant really like... expect everyone to follow the same story you wanna follow cause its like sometimes peoplewanna portray a media in a different way. That's a huge pot on kettle black moment so I'm not saying you SHOULDNT do it tho I think fuck whatever the TV bosses and whatever media controllers say we can't and cannot do and just do whatever you want (via fanfic or fanart) as long as its not hurting anyone. Honestly it's just a two sided coin.

With the way media is rn I can only obsess over the meanings behind the story as much as I can.

Basically what I'm trying to say as tired as I am, I really do hope that they know somewhat of what they're doing. Like I see the vision and I love it but I just hope they at least convey humanity somewhat right

Sorry for my ramblings it just makes me go kinda crazy

[pinkmoondoll9shihtzu]

silly love confessions: i keep falling in love with older men. except its not even romantic strictly i just become so attached and adoring towards dudes 10+ years older than me..its like romantic and physical adoration + big brother + idol worship............. to me its fine and i'm accepting it and in my mind love is good so its something to be happy about but honestly this situation kind of ruined one of my closest relationships because i made him uncomfortable i guess. I dont know, having a crush often feels creepy i suppose. but I wish there were more accepted ways to love someone to the extent i love people besides romantic love. I don't really want to date anyone I just want to communicate my adoration and affection and have it be reciprocated without there being the issues of whether you can be in a monogamous relationship or not......idk kind of rambling here but i feel like you are one of few people who could understand when i say i feel like my love is religious. and it keeps being tainted by the expectations of modern society. anyway happy valentines day !!!!! love u!!!!!

lolol...me as hell in my early 20s!! everyone i dated was in their 30s, men and women. i have always acted like an elderly person lmao so at the time it was impossible to find anyone my own age i cld relate to. Also probably some subconscious thing to do w my orphan's nature, having no adult guidance for the latter half of my childhood lol..

Also i totally understand wat u mean by wishing love wasnt so "regulated" by certain standards. A huge turning point for me around age 25 was realizing i want to love my friends & family & even strangers as unconditionally as possible even though its bound to get me hurt. i wanted to finally allow myself to b open to people & embrace them without judgement. my life has rly unfolded since that time 5/6 yrs ago & even tho it's been a bumpy ride, it has eventually lead me to the ppl who fully reciprocate this attitude, platonically or otherwise.

So dont be afraid to let your open heart lead the way, it's a rare treasure. One person's sincere unconditional love can be the catalyst for so much positive transformation & healing in the lives of others who feel lost & alone. thankyou for your confession & happy Vday to you too anon <333

[wavytam]

Hi! First of all thank you for your always on point theories and overall amazing Sanami content! <33

I've noticed that we've probably seen all the original main cast characters being romantically (or at least hinted to be so) connected to another character, even if the connection was one-sided. Nami was nowhere seen in a similar situation, except the gag-full marriage with Absalom. The manga is already on it's final saga and there's no sign of her having reciprocated or one-sided feelings towards another character, male or female. Personally, I think it would have been at least logical to make her reject Sanji somehow, if nothing is planned between them. He's been head over heels, willing to die for her for quite a long time and we don't see any signs or development from Nami's side, neither positive, nor negative. As of now, do you think there might be a future change in Nami's feelings or will her undefined position towards Sanji remain till the end, as we haven't seen anything after the WCI events?

Thank you once again and sorry for this long text lol!

Hello!! Oh! Thank you so much for your kind words!! I really appreciate it! 🥰☺️

About Nami not having any crush on anyone up until this point: this is a good point.

Now, about your question. "Do you think there might be a future change in Nami's feelings or will her undefined position towards Sanji remain till the end?"

(Okay, I'm really sorry for how long it got! I tried to shorten it the best that I could!!)

I think that by the end of the manga, we will find out whether she likes Sanji romantically or not.

I don't think Oda will leave this unsolved, but I do think that (if Nami does reciprocate Sanji's feelings) he might make it happen very discretly, and maybe not even give much panel time for that. Similar to when, all of a sudden, Oda gave us a coverpage of Mister 9 and Miss Monday happily together... with a kid. It was so out of the blue, and we didn't really even see any moment between them that even hinted they had a mutual interest in one another.

Of course, with SaNami, from Sanji's part it's obvious he is interested in her romantically, but what we need now is for it to be mutual, and that's the part I think that might happen "offscreen".

I know this isn't something we, SaNami fans want things to go, but I there are to reasons for me to think that:

A) The "offscreen" route seems like the standard for how shonen mangas deal with romance. Shonen Jump still focuses on content for boys, and they don't think boys want to read about romance as much as girls. So my guess is that, even if Oda wanted to portray a romantic relationship amongst the crew (I don't think he does tho) I don't think he would be able to write that many romantic scenes - so a lot of the romantic development would have to happen offscreen.

I'll give you an example: Sasu Saku in Naruto. Please consider that I am not comparing the characters themselves with Nami and Sanji, I am just analysing how another mangaka from Shonen Jump developed the relationship of an endgame couple in his story and how it might be how Oda writes it too (because he is also a mangaka writing for the same company).

For the entirety of the manga, Saku had a crush on Sasu, but we never really knew whether he reciprocicated her feelings or not. He cared about her, obviously, but for years, fans had to rely on small hints that could be interpreted either as platonic or romantic from Sasu's part.

Only by the end of the manga did the author let us know that Sasu did, in fact, like Saku romantically. And if you rearead the manga knowing that, the moments between them that before were seen as ambiguous become mostly romantic.

(Please, do not interpret this wrong, I know Kishimoto and Oda are two completely different mangakas, with completely different writting styles, but they are writing for the same company, have the same audience and therefore have to follow the same set of rules)

B) I have a feeling that Oda doesn't want to shift the dynamic between the crew.

I myself am a very romantic person, but to be honest, I'm very picky when it comes to romance being portrayed in adventures. I've always liked to ship characters and read fanfics about them, but when it comes to the official content I don't like it when romance takes too much of a story that isn't supposed to focus on it. It's a weird thing from me, I know. Go figure.

Anyway, I think that Oda is afraid of that happening to his story. One Piece is about a group of friends helping one another to pursue their dreams. If we add romance in the mix, the "family" dynamic in the story shifts, and it doesn't really add to the main message anyway, which, to me, is "found family" and "freedom". Otherwaise, the fandom would also get into bigger fights, saying things like "W character loves x character more than y" "W character would rather let y die than character x because he/she loves her/him more" when these things don't really matter.

I know that there are people out there who do that anyway, but I think Oda wants to keep himself away from that type of discussions to focus more on the fraternal love the Strawhats clearly have for one another.

Obviously, it won't stop anyone from shipping (lol here I am, writing this huge text about SaNami even with all the warning from Oda himself), but maybe the wars could be even worse if Oda chose to portray romance. If that's the reason, I really understand where his mindset comes from.

With those two points in mind, my guess is: if Nami does reciprocate Sanji's feelings and they do end up together, not only do I think it will happen doscretly but I also think it's going to be only at the end of the story.

For now, I think Oda will keep on writting ambiguous moments between Nami and Sanji (with Sanji being the one crazy in love), trying to preserve the dynamic they already have until the very last arc, and only change it when the story comes to an end.

That way, romance amongst the crew won't be portrayed during the entirety of One Piece.

Okay, sorry for the big text!! But I hope I answered what you wanted to know!!

[deafeninggardenerpanda]

Sorry if this is more of a redundant question or related to one that you already did, but what is your opinion on people claiming that ships with little evidence or up to interpretation are "canon"?

I believe you mentioned this somewhat with FranFlam, but what about with other ships that you like where this seems to be common with like Metadede? Or is it the case of "it's fine as long as they aren't attacking people who think otherwise"?

under the cut! nah totally valid q anon i love talking about stuff like this:

tbh i think kirby is just a series that should not have romance in it at all. innocent things like ribbon and kirby in 64 is like fine because i personally dont take kid relationships too seriously but like anything else i just dont think its the place for it. for metadede in particular, ofc i love shipping and i like to scream with other shippers and pick out things and see it in a shippy context but i absolutely dont think metadede is canon, will ever be canon, or even particularly Should be canon actually. im just gonna stick to metadede and franflam like your examples for this because you dont really see people trying to claim any particular (fanon) m/f ship as canon in this fandom but hey even tho i think a lot of us can agree nintendo makes some great games, nintendo is also a big soulless corporation that does not care about us. if youre someone desperate to find a cake in the crumbs on the floor in terms of canon main/major character queer rep, anything nintendo is absolutely not the place for that

to answer your question, that sums up how i feel about other people who try to make canon ship claims too. i try to think the best of people because the lines get really blurred when a lot of people just like making jokes about ships being canon vs Actually genuinely thinking that, but for anyone who legitimately does try to push their ship as canon its just kinda like Mmmm. that gets a thumbs down from me... its not like problematic in of itself (unless you try to claim that people who dont like the ship are homophobic by default or something. youre getting thrown in the grain silo and you probably need to go outside) so like technically i guess i dont care, but i sure do think its obnoxious as hell and also absolutely REEKS of "FRIENDS dont DO that!! people who arent dating dont DO that!!!!! so they must be dating!!!!" and then the thing in question is the two characters like holding hands sometimes. of course theres something to be said about Writer intent but cmon this is a series where people kiss each other on the lips platonically all the time i cannot take canon ship claims seriously. why is so much of peoples worth in a ship staked in whether its "canon" anyways? it just comes off as wanting a reason to lord over others why a certain ship is better than everyone elses. unless two characters make out in a cutscene complete with blushing afterwards prefaced by a lot of romantic tension through the entire game previously its not canon. thats my hot take lol. we have a rare series where canon romance isnt in your face and shoved down your throat every moment and yet some bad folks in the fandom will try to do that for you still. unbelievable

[onyx-void]

7, 51, 70, 79, 99

7: when was the last time you said something you regretted?

I regret saying I didn't want to make it a family meal for my birthday last year, like they usually are. That would have been the real chance I had to share a meal with my grandma before she passed, if I hadn't said that.

51: if you had the ability to change one aspect of yourself, what would it be?

Depends on what you mean by aspect, I guess. Physically, a higher metabolism, or general better shape would be nice. Personality wise, i would Love to just. Have Energy. tho i guess that might be more on the body side too. Anyway, that's assuming 'have wings' or 'able to shapeshift' aren't allowed :p

70: when it comes to affection/intimacy, do you prefer to stick to one person or are you more open about it?

I mean, romantically, it's one person, but platonically? I'd love to be open and free with my affection. I love my friends, and I want them to know that, whether that's through touch, words, or otherwise. Although now that I'm really thinking about it, I don't think I actually *am* that open about it... or at least not as much as I'd like to be.

Hm... I guess it's just anxiety about not knowing how others feel toward me and the like. Anyway, friends, if you're reading this know that I love you <3

79: who do you look to for guidance in times of need?

If I look to anyone, it'd have to be my eldest sibling. I probably have the closest relationship with them over anyone else in my life, even if we don't talk too often since they moved out

99: is there anything you would consider yourself an expert at?

Honestly, nothing that I can think of? Unless reading counts? I've never really tried to get any hard numbers but I probably read a couple million words a month. Otherwise, I've tried a lot of different hobbies, but nothing I'd call myself more than a novice at

Ask Me Things!

PS: Thanks for making the list! It's got a lot of great questions on it :)

[smolbeanie1221]

This is how I describe my alterous attraction. “I want to be with you and talk to you and do everything with you, i just don’t care how it looks for us or how we categorize ourselves.”

For me, it’s also sometimes having changing amounts of how much I feel romantic, whether that’s doing romantic coded things or actually feeling romantic attraction. And also having no real idea what romantic attraction actually feels like.

Examples (again this is just my thoughts)

Butterfly feelings are often seen as romantic. I get butterflies whenever I’m nervous or excited about anything: late to work, seeing a friend I haven’t seen in a while, etc.

Sps acey eyed feelings are also often seen as romantic. I get spacey eyed constantly when I’m daydreaming about literally anything. Usually story ideas.

More specific action type things like being lovey-dovey when talking to someone or enjoying physical affection? Being lovey-dovey is fun to me lol, it’s just I would only wanna do it with specific people. Like I tease my different friends in different ways, talk to them about different things, etc. Physical affection is something I love with everyone, even things like cuddling. I’ve had some of the best cuddles from my platonic friends and someone else who I was in a qpr with. I’ve also had absolutely wonderful cuddles with my gf who I’m dating currently.

For me it kinda means emotionally feeling everything but romantic attraction for someone, tho with my gf now, I think it goes back and forth on the romance thing, but I honestly don’t know lol. I’ve been in a qpr before where I knew 100% there was no romantic or sexual or anything attraction, but I was in love with that person. In hindsight, I would say that was alterous attraction but I’m only guessing based on my memories of how I felt.

Anyways hope that helps! Anyone reading this, feel free to dm me or send me asks or anything! I’m always happy to talk :)

Hiyaaaaaa could you possibly make a post going more in-depth on alterous attraction?

Is it considered a third attraction type from platonic n romantic or is it a mix between the two or? Both?

- a very grateful and confused queer who has never known what's going on ty for asking xD

Well, I'm not a professional, but I can sure try.

Alterous attraction is the desire to have a special emotional connection or emotional relationship but is neither completely platonic or romantic. The attraction lies somewhere in the middle. A person desires emotional closeness and has intense feelings, but not romantically.

Am I alterously attracted?

To find out whether you experience Alterous attraction in general or whether you are experiencing this with regards to one person in particular can be hard; the experience is, by definition, a gray area, and it can be difficult to discern if you experience attraction. enjoy someone's company, or possibly both. The simplest way to find out is to ask yourself if it is not a different type of interest; if you find yourself "magically" into someone but you know it is not purely sensual attraction or purely a platonic one, it may be an Alterous attraction.

History

The term's first recorded use dates back to 2015. When the term was first coined, its definition was not yet as clear as it is today. As a result, in 2016, the term was heavily criticised for implying a that there is a preference or a priority of certain types of feelings over others, such as that romantic feelings or sexual attraction are more important than platonic attraction. Following a long history of back and forth discourse, the current definition was agreed upon.

No matter how you feel, remember you are valid. Sometimes it's hard to figure yourself out, and that's okay.

Good Luck <2

[torterragarden]

003 for either Magma Boss Maxie or Champion Steven Stone

I'll do both!

Let's do Maxie first

How I feel about this character: I love him. He's my favorite character in Hoenn along with Archie, though if pressed I will pick Maxie just cause I'm a Ruby person. Tbh tho... while I have a lot of nostalgia for the original gen 3 games, Maxie didn't really become an intriguing character until ORAS. For the most part, I prefer Emerald to ORAS, but one of the thing ORAS did REALLY well was Maxie and Archie. They were literally interchangeable (and not all that interesting either way) in the originl RSE, but ORAS made them distinct characters and also made me LOVE them. Misguided idiots who mean well and who got the whole region involved in their messy divorce. NO ONE is doing it like them fr

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Archie! Like. Come on it's so obvious they love each other. Whether you interpret that as platonic or romantic, they love each other

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: uuh I guess Maxie with the rest of Team Magma, or Maxie with the player. May/Brenden trying to deal with their idiot divorced dads sure is a concept

My unpopular opinion about this character: don't think I have one

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I think he and Archie should have kissed

Favorite friendship for this character: Archie. yeah.....

My crossover ship: why would I ship him with anyone else Archie is RIGHT THERE

Now for Steven!

How I feel about this character: So uh. Steven is one of the first characters in Pokemon I had a crush on as kid lmao he's so cool! And he has a great design, his ORAS design in particular is so good! It's one of those designs that looks better the longer you look at it. Like at first glance it's like, yeah good looking guy in a nice suit, cool. Then you notice the steel cufflinks, then you notice the metallic sheen inside of his jacket, then you notice his lapel and belt and the color placement and how it all reads as classy but still evokes the Steel typing he prefers. It's great! It's a really good design! Honestly like... he might be right after Cynthia in terms of favorite Champion design. Steven is such a cool Champion honestly, I don't think his team as a whole is as threatening as say, Cynthia's or Leon's, but his Metagross alone is a HUGE Threat, and even his Cradily can be annoying, and maybe it's only because I played Ruby/Emerald so much as a kid but Steven is very memorable to me, I really love him as a Champion like truly. His personality is um. Okay so I feel like Game Freak was going for introspective and cool but it kind of reads more as. pretentious loser hfhhfdjks but that also is endearing. I LOVE Steven okay. Like yeah there's other Champions I prefer but I love him so much fr he's so cool and kind of underrated in my onion

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: I don't really ship him with anyone. Except myself maybe

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: uuh idk tbh

My unpopular opinion about this character: He has one of the best Champion themes. Like. I feel like his theme is so rarely brought up when people talk about Champion themes but it's SO good. I love how fast it is, like it just starts and keeps going and never really loses tempo and the vibe is very much "oh you're here you got your Pokemon okay GO" and like I love the intensity I love how much it contrasts Steven's relatively calm personality while still feeling like it Fits, like it feels like Final Battle music it feels like This Is It, and this dude who was your friendly mysterious mentor for most of your journey is unleashing his full power on you, and you better be fucking ready to show what you're made of. God it's such a good theme like I understand how certain other Champion other themes could overshadow it, honestly I can't think of a single Champion theme I don't love, but like. I feel like people overlook Steven's SO much idk. It's so good tho

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: uuh idk.

Favorite friendship for this character: uuh.

My crossover ship: none

[from-lothlorien-to-helms-deep]

Being a new-ish member of the lotr fandom and seeing the haldir and aragorn art you posted recently has really got me thinking why there's barely any content of the both of them? Like I honestly thought a lot of people would draw and make fanfics of them but I guess I was wrong but ey there's nothing wrong with 2 good old friends :]

Hi! Thanks for the ask! (I’m so happy and so excited~~) I’ve thought about this as I ransacked the internet for such content, and my answer would be: The ship or friendship is mainly movie-based, and Haldir is a minor character.

I think there need to be “canon context” (whether movies or books) for fan-content to happen, especially in this case, where Aragorn already has a canon-pairing, who is Arwen. People also ships him with Legolas, which makes sense because they are in the Fellowship. (I’ve seen people shipping Haldir and Lindir, who never interacted even in the movies, but both of them aren’t noticeably paired with anyone in canon, so I guess it works…Also, some people ship Haldir and Legolas and Haldir and Eomer. I guess that’s another proof of Aragorn being “too popular,” and people don’t often think about him and Haldir.)

In the books, Haldir only appears when the Fellowship came to Lothlorien, had a bunch of dialogues, and that’s all. We don’t know what else he was doing, nor what happened to him. If his dialogues are memorable, his character is probably not that much for many book readers (not all, of course!). But there are not much “evidence” of Aragorn’s interactions with Haldir (except a place that says he goes to Lothlorien and meets Arwen; he probably meets Haldir there but no one knows), and Haldir being a tiny minor characters, not a lot of people will think about them being friends too much :(

In the movies, even when they have more interactions, the scenes are still minor compared to other events in the movie, and Haldir is still a minor character, so even with the stuff at Helm’s Deep, people might just feel super sad, but not enough “fuel” for much fan-content. More interactions which means more “canon context” happen between Aragorn and Arwen, Aragorn and Legolas, Aragorn and Eowyn, Aragorn and Boromir, Aragorn and Frodo, Aragorn at Rivendell, etc. Also, the movies deviate from the books, so for some people that gives less “weight” to the Aragorn/Haldir interactions. From my experience in the fandom, many people are scholarly and kind of take the book seriously.

Also, the trope of friendship (or relationship) between an elf and a man. It’s great for angst, thinking about immortality and mortality (I’ll avoid spoiling things for you in the Silmarillion etc). Many things can happen, but unfortunately, there’s already Arwen, an elf, and Aragorn, a man. It dilutes feelings for Haldir and Aragorn, I guess.

Thanks for reading my longwinded, badly constructed explanation…

I’ve discovered some fanworks about them tho :)

@marchwriter on ff.net and ao3 (I love their works so so much!) and @tttano57 who makes some amazing art about the pair

EPH-SAN1634 on deviantart | Aragorn and Haldir by Jamberry | kkareuk on deviantart | ebe-kastein on deviantart

EDIT: I discovered another reason why:

From a fanfiction perspective, both of them seem to be “fit-all” characters, meaning it is possible to pair them (platonically, romantically, whatever) with almost anyone. I think it’s because Haldir has too little canon context about him, making him close to an OC under an author’s pen/keyboard (lots of room for headcanon I guess; there also a bunch of Haldir&Reader fics), while Aragorn does a lot of stuff and interacts with a whole lot of people.

[johnnys-green-pen]

I get why people ship Roy and Johnny but I kinda hopped off the ship after Roy tells Johnny he’s being sensitive about Chet’s Indian jokes. even tho Johnny made one the end (he s definitely being sarcastic I think) it seemed…idk

You know, that's the first time I've seen somebody cite that scene as a reason why they doesn't ship Johnny/Roy, which is genuinely fascinating. I definitely get why that'd be a deal breaker to you, especially because that's not the only time where Roy's kind of being an ass in a very similar kind of way - there's also the whole "Roy calls Johnny a nut and he takes it personally" bit in "Crash" for instance and if you want to widen the scope somewhat, I guess Roy assuming Johnny is moping about having been dumped while Johnny's still dealing with Drew's death in "Frequency" falls into a similar category, too.

It's definitely not great.

(It's extra not great in Peace Pipe because of the casual racism, but I guess we should probably cut the show some slack on account of its age, especially because they raised a couple other points in that episode that were way ahead of its time. Still, though - YIKES)

(I don't think this is a shipping issue, though - Roy's behavior is just as unacceptable looking at them platonically given how close they are in canon. Shitty friends aren't any better than shitty romantic partners, if you ask me)

(also, I personally don't think Johnny was being sarcastic with that joke; I think that was his attempt at finding a compromise because he's notoriously eager to please, cares entirely too much about what Roy thinks, and figured making the jokes on his terms was good enough for him. Which... honestly just makes the scene that much worse, because he clearly never should have had to feel like he had to make that joke)

The thing that makes me stick with it anyway is that it doesn't really make Roy care any less, I guess. Sure, Roy is an emotionally constipated numbskull who could store his empathy in a thimble with room to spare sometimes*, but he does genuinely seem to care a great deal about Johnny, even if he doesn't always understand him.

Is that a healthy relationship dynamic? Not really, not if it leads to Roy invalidating Johnny's feelings like he did in that scene, but I would like to think that Roy has it in him to grow and actually get his shit together eventually.

So, yeah, they're not perfect; Roy pretty obviously not, and Johnny quite frankly has his moments, too. Whether that's a deal breaker or not as far as shipping is concerned is up to each one of us individually, and I wouldn't want to convince anyone to ship something they're not comfortable with. I personally think they're within range to make it work and I do think they have the potential to make each other better people; you might disagree and that's perfectly understandable, too.

(I guess to some extent the mild fucked-up-ness is part of why I think the ship's interesting; there's some great dramatic fic potential in Roy caring, but still fucking it up)

I'm pretty much just rambling and there isn't really much of a point to this; sorry for that.

I wasn't entirely sure what kind of a reply you were looking for; I hope I managed to get it right!

Anyway, thanks for the ask (and for giving me an opportunity to ramble about imperfections or something); it's always interesting to hear about other people's fandom experiences!

*incidentally, I could go off for ages about theories as to why he is like that, but A) this isn't the place for it, B) we'd still be here tomorrow, and C) that still doesn't excuse his behavior.

[tutuandscoot]

You know what I think the difference is between VM and ID teams that are couples irl. Is like, when people - and by people I mean the ones that write buzzfeed articles such as ‘22 things ur really thinking when ur watching figure skating’ and the like.. is with teams that at couples irl, especially in a competition against VM for clear comparison, is there’s no or at least shouldn’t be any imagination needed with the irl couples. There’s no ‘hmm I wonder if they’ve done it’ coz you know; and more often than not- in comparison to VM, the performances you get from the irl couples are incredibly stale and you don’t even care that they ‘do it’, coz your not getting that desire and that energy, you don’t feel the love between them. It feels fake. Even tho for irl teams there’s a lot more that’s ‘real’ then non-irl teams. With VM you’re like ‘oh they must be f***ing. They have to be. LOOK AT THEM. LOOK AT THEM LOOK AT EACH OTHER. HoLy CrAp DID U SEE WHERE HIS HEAD WAS 😵‍💫’. They’re no convincing. And while I’ve discussed and ‘explained’ why this is- why they are so undeniably supreme from a performance stand point, whatever the reason is that they have this chemistry- it’s not in the same capacity to irl ID teams. VM tell u they don’t f*** yet you watch them and go ‘yeh but you must tho right!?’ Or you at least think you are watching that.. this post is getting way off track but it’s like….. coz VM don’t f*** they almost have more freedom to be that intimate coz they aren’t showing a part of their private lives, they just have each other’s consent (in a platonic way) to be that comfortable doing what they do. With irl couples they probably feel they have an advantage coz they have this real relationship they can draw from emotionally, and are comfortable with each other physically, but Idk if they end up feeling limited in what they can do coz if they come out doing the stuff VM do is it too obvious? Two literal? There’s a sense of mystery with VM coz- well at that point at least for most, no one really knew what the deal was.. especially the ones writing and reading buzzfeed articles (and the like. not trying specifically drag BF) For irl couples, it’s like they have to decide whether they are gonna just be who they are- use that relationship as a driving force in their performances, or try to be something else on the ice. I feel like a lot of them don’t really know, and- at least for me, that’s where the disconnect comes in for the audience- they don’t really know who they are as an ID team coz it’s tangled up and overlaps with a real romantic relationship, so how are we suppose to understand when it seems maybe they don’t know what they are giving us.

For VM that has always been decided for them.- whether by choice or by circumstance. There’s an on-ice relationship and an off-ice friendship. And those lines are very clear in their minds. So therefore on the ice they are a romantic couple and take no issue with people believing it’s real and it is the truth because in their stories that’s what hey want you to believe. But they politely ask for the respect and understanding that it is different off the ice- and the fact they have always had that is what has facilitated such a unique on and off ice partnership. They know who they are. That’s so important and even with teams that have a distinct style and don’t change it coz it works for them- well I guess in some sense there is more believability but mainly coz it’s like you have seen the routine 4 times/years is a row, but alot of others, the irl and the not irl straight couples, they just don’t really know who they are and aren’t convincing anyone of any relationship- whether it’s love or hate or something in the middle.

VM were able to cover all levels of that spectrum because they knew what they were together and were on the same page as far as separating their on/off ice relationship. Their relationship is extremely complicated to the point where it’s impossible to label coz there’s so many components to it and intense emotional connection and an unbreakable bond coz of everything they been though, and while they love each other immensely it’s just different and they maybe even don’t know why. But on the ice the lines are very clear. They have each other’s permission and trust to be able to portray a romantic relationship.. to dare I day, a very extreme, (as far as sport and PDA are concerned) sometimes literal level.

I don’t really know where I’m going with this- I put on the PYC FD replay coz I’m trying to go to bed and can’t fall asleep and the thought just hit me. Idk if I’m too deep in with VM now and I feel like I know and understand their process- which I don’t of other teams coz they don’t draw my attention or make me want to invest in them as people or a team.. but it got me thinking as to why it was that there always seems to be no to very little connection with, really any other team: irl, not irl, etc.. There’s just no connection on any level comparable with VM. And it again leads me to believe and accept that, VM are the outliers. They are the exception- not the rule. And had they never been in the picture at all and everything else stayed the same, would we think another team stood out with their connection with each other, or would we just accept that connection is just not a component of the sport- coz it is so similar between the couples- this lack of palpable, genuine connection, no matter their situation… and that’s no ones fault, and with VM out of the picture it wouldn’t be a factor coz we wouldn’t have anything to compare it to. We would think what the top team or several top teams produced was the limit. But even now that VM is out of it, for anyone who was around during their reign, or fuck, even people who have and will discover them since will see the difference to teams that were their rivals and ones who never competed against them.

So yeh.. Just some thoughts.

*I would like to point out that I decided to use the blanket term ‘f***ing’ just as short hand rather then using a billion other ‘non sexual relationship’ words. Not meant to be seen or heard in a vulgar, disrespectful sense.

[thelittlemermage]

I just said this in an ask to another account and then saw you talking about it here. But I just can't fathom how, if Looney Tunes slapstick comedy is intended as a serious depiction of realistic domestic abuse, the problem is with "shippers" and not the shows themselves for playing abuse for laughs and mocking victims. Real domestic abuse isn't funny as long as it's platonic. The other Animaniacs characters use anvils, bombs, ray guns, etc. on each other. That violence in real life isn't funny.

People want so badly to make every little thing a moral issue. First of all, you're right. It's a specific brand of physical comedy that has been around a long time. The Animaniacs are cartoon characters from this era. We were never supposed to look at that and think "yes, this is ok to do in real life". Even little kids understand that. :| People are not shipping the mice because they love and support abusive relationships lmao. They're doing it because they were always written and played with love. Rob and Maurice can't go two seconds without gushing about how much their characters love each other, so it's not like people are pulling this idea out of nowhere. And I don't.....think that people are going to see ship art of the mice and think "man, this is really normalizing my abuse. I should stay in this relationship!" I think if that happened that would not be the fault of a slapstick cartoon show, or the fault of someone making fluffy fanart. I would say that person obviously needs to seek help...but like I said, I don't picture that happening like....in reality. I think the idea that The Animaniacs has any influence over anyone's relationship is downplaying abuse more than shipping brinky is.

Second of all, if these people really believe what they're saying, they have no business supporting this show at all! If they think the relationship is abusive, it's abusive whether they are romantic or platonic. How is it ok to watch it at all then? Are you not still supporting abuse?? Seems like they're in the same boat as the shippers to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Idk, it is really pointless drama to me. This is affecting no one in real life. Well, the shipping isn't. I do find it funny how these people that stand up against cartoon abuse always, always, then turn around and send people anon hate. That actually can be considered abusive behavior you're inflicting on a real person. Like, it depends how far you take it, but at the same time you don't know the mindset of the person you're harassing. You could easily do more mental harm that brinky ever did. But I guess they "deserve it", right? :) Yea...I'm not too impressed with the anti-brinky brigade recently. Kinda funny they're popping up now while the fandom is dead and they'll get the least amount of pushback tho. Wonder if we'll start having some clashes when S2 starts up, or if they'll sit back down. Guess we'll see.

[achilleasfury]

Hello! Hope you have a great day or night ahead of you! Could I have HC's of a platonic Homicidal (oof I struggled on that for a few seconds) Liu x reader, where the reader has prom, but doesn't have anyone to go with. So, Liu takes it upon himself to go with them? Reader is gender neutral, pretty short (I read an HC of Liu being 6'5) so, the reader is about 5'3 or 5'4. Its a masquerade theme, so they'll put on masks. Sully only tolerates the reader. Also, can I be 🌷 anon? :D

YEA SURE!! welcome tulip flower anon!! (i dont have the enomjis on my pc KJNDSKJG)

also yes yes Liu i love him!!!! also you say headcanons? guess what. fuck that, i wanted to make it a small fic /lh

also uh. I have literally no clue how proms work. I just heard people talk about it/show pictures so yea KJSDBGKJ

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

You didn't think it would be that bad if you didn't have anyone to go to prom with. Your best friend, Liu, seemed to think otherwise tho. With the sternest look he could manage while looking down at you in your prom wear, he explained.

"You deserve a prom date. Whether it'd be romantic or platonic. Even if its just an excuse to not dance with somebody, or to not feel alone. You shouldn't have to go all by yourself. Which is... why i decided that I will be your platonic prom date, and you can't say anything against it. .. Because it is this way now. Let me get my suit, and then get going.", while talking, the stern look vanished to reveal a soft smile and he booped your nose. "Small little (Y/N), we'll look fantastic, while not dancing at all." You just continued to stare at him, till he shifted a bit uncomfortable.

"oh sweet, sweet Liu. You can't just be my date, and then expect me not to dance. Oh, how dare you, mistaken tall ass fucking boy.", you smiled innocently up to him, patting his arm. "I want at least one dance with you, to agree to let you be my date." Liu sighed, nodding defeated. "One. Only because you're you."

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

Liu sighed, rubbing his eyes. Sully was being incredibly annoying on how he didn't want to dance if there would be a situation that forced the demon-like entity to get in control, and then awaken in the middle of a dance. He may tolerate (Y/N), but he wasn't too fond of anything more than that.

"You might see them as your little sibling, or whatever, but we, especially I, are not here to form family bonds. We're here to find somebody." "I am aware, Sully. They need me tho. I am not willing to let people pick on them, because they didnt have a plus-one. And if no one else it fitting, I'd place myself in that role every time, ever and ever again. I will make sure they are fine. And you wont stop me. We both know that." "Fine, keep spoiling your little emotional support human. Dont get too attached. You might not be able to keep them long."

--------

"Looking good, L. The mask suits you. How did you even find it in the color of my accessoire??? You had like. Three hours to get ready."

Just a teeny tiny bit confused you looked at Liu.

"Lets just say.. a friend helped me, after I showed them a picture of the color.", he smiled ominously. "Now, beautiful royal. Care for a dance? Gotta get it done before the buffet opens.", his smile almost looked a bit pained at the thought of dancing. A while ago Liu had really enjoyed dancing, swinging to the music. He just. Couldnt do it so carelessly anymore, and that bugged him.

As you two slowly moved to the music, your bodies close together(you could almost hear his heartbeat), a loud sigh escaped his lips, causing you to jump slightly.

"Are you alright?", Liu asked, a worried look oh his face, most hidden by the mask.

"Yea no, stop sighing that loud.", you poked him. "I know that the buffet looks like a wedding invitation, but the dance isnt over, M'lord. You can eat after. Its not long anymore", comforting, you patted his shoulder, smiling softly.

--------

"Liu?" "hmh.. yea?"

"I think it was a good choice to give in to you basically begging to dance and spend the evening with me." "Oh you fucker, I didnt beg", within a short moment he was on his feet again, tackling you to the ground. "How dare you change my words"

You couldnt stop giggling, even as he rolled off of you, poking you, so youd answer him.

In the end, it really turned out to be a nice day, spent with your best friend. I