'but He Is Upset That A Subordinate Left Him On Read' - Blog Posts

*flying in on the wings after finishing chapter 11* If I were a big artist, I would've been the most insufferable Huw/Messmer propagandist ever. I would've drawn legions to their church 😂 (It's actually a subsidiary of Messmer's harem church, but shhhh - Huw would be one of the top two waifus in there. Or husbandos. Whichever one prefer.) Hope you don’t mind me asking - how did you discover the ship, and how did they end up in the outline of your fic in their final glorious form? 😌

Anon you do not need to be a "big artist" to make and enjoy your own propaganda. Make whatever you want forever (◕‿◕) When I lay down to die I do not intend for one of my last regrets to be “damn, I wish I’d made more niche cringe art that brought me personal satisfaction and served as a joyful escape from the crushing realities of life.”

As to how I “discovered” the ship, it just seemed to me the most (canonically) compelling way to contrast, in writing, the intimacy and eventual breakdown of Messmer’s familial situation (himself, Melina, Marika) with his navigation of the world beyond that (and who else might serve as an influence/conduit for his actions and worldview). It’s one of the more interesting implied facets of his character: that while he is cursed and eventually abandoned, his armies are/were loyal to him to the point of accepting eternity in a forsaken realm to see their duty done. This also makes any kind of rebellion/betrayal starker and more intriguing.  

To be obvious, devotion -> betrayal is incredible scaffolding already over which to build the progression of a relationship - which can then further explore all these junctures of loyalty, subservience, camaraderie, intimacy, and so on. 

And that Messmer is betrayed by someone close enough to him personally that he is canonically remorseful about it: there was already nuance, but now there are STAKES. Warlord doesn’t think twice about his quotidian genocidal crusade, but he is upset that a subordinate left him on read. Also, power dynamic. 

And that is why, despite not being a “big artist”, I am in my corner making them kiss.