Okay, this is going to be a long post. Lately the DGM fandom has been flooded with hate, hate that concerns a ship in particular: Tyki/Allen, aka poker pair.
People accuse this ship of being abusive due to the large age-gap and a particular characterisation of Tyki, but I can assure you that abuse doesn’t belong and doesn’t fit into Tyki and Allen’s dynamic. Quite honestly, this ship is far from being abusive—fundamentally because their relationship evolves with mutual respect and equality, and their spontaneous playfulness makes them so different from the Romeo-and-Juliet-forbidden-enemies trope.
From the beginning, Tyki and Allen established a friendly bond. They met as mere humans on the train; they played a poker match, nothing complicated, nothing constructed. They don’t treat each other like they were truly enemies.
On that fated night, when Tyki destroys Allen’s Innocence, Tyki sees that Allen is special, unique, different.
Allen affronts him with a courageous look on his face, he doesn’t succumb to Tyki’s power; he is weak, in that moment, but he faces death with resolve. Tyki is amused, but he doesn’t spare him. He talks to Allen, teases him, rips off his Innocence like he did with many enemies.
But Allen isn’t just another enemy; he’s able to entertain Tyki, making him think about something.
At the ark, Tyki learns that Allen survived. He is astonished, but not extremely displeased. Hoshino draws a whole panel in which Tyki stares at Allen’s button, with both bloodlust and thrilling excitement; he’s obsessed, he’s excited, he’s genuinely surprised. Hostility, then, turns into attraction.
In the ark, they fight because they have to, but not because they want. Sure: Tyki likes taunting Allen. He likes fighting him, because Allen is the only one who can stand up to Tyki’s personality, and Tyki is hopelessly intrigued by strong and determined people.
But you can feel how amused Tyki is, how thrilled, he is concentrating on Allen and Allen only; nobody else. They are a demon and an angel, having their last dance. Allen is bitter, because he prefers to play poker with Tyki, without having to fight him. He feels Tyki’s humanity. Tyki mocks him for being too soft, but it’s Allen’s softness what saves and boosts his power in the end.
Everything is chaotic when they fight in the ark, and it’s not about who can damage the other more. It’s about ideals, beliefs. Tyki teases him, intending to free Allen from the God he’s bound to.
Tyki is convinced he can overcome Allen again and kill him, but he won’t. He won’t, and this is when he starts questioning himself.
Maybe he’s not magnificent like he considered himself to be. Maybe he’s not that powerful, that invincible. Allen proved this to him twice, and Tyki’s attraction turns into admiration.
Tyki lets Allen save him, and the last thing he does, while enduring the stinging pain, is to touch Allen’s face, as if thanking him, as if charmed by Allen’s kindness.
He lost against Allen, but there is no regret; he did what he could, even if they didn’t seriously mean to annihilate each other from the start. Allen wants to save him because he knows there’s good in Tyki. He knows Tyki is not totally evil, and that he can start a new life again with his human friends. Allen can feel that they could be so much more if they met as humans in a world without war. Allen is willing to go through many consequences to free Tyki. Of course, Tyki awakened as Joyd— but let’s consider the possibilities. Allen cares about Tyki.
Enemies should feel mutual despise. Allen is still wary around Tyki, but Tyki? He doesn’t feel hatred, nor any feelings of uneasiness around Allen. He likes him, likes to be around him, likes to talk to him. During the Alma arc, he tended out his hand and asked Allen to come with the Noah. He could’ve forced him. He could’ve dragged him, taking advantage of the fuss. But he didn’t. He didn’t, because forcing Allen into doing things would make Allen hate Tyki, and Tyki is trying to do the exact opposite: he wants to get closer to him.
Then; Road and Tyki save Allen from Apocryphos. Why Road and Tyki? Well, Road has a fondness for Allen, but Tyki? Tyki, too. Tyki is a key to Allen’s character. He is the closest Noah to Allen, the one who played an important role in Allen’s development (not casually, Tyki strengthened as a Noah thanks to Allen, and Allen’s Innocence got better thanks to Tyki). Tyki acts friendly, forgetting any past hostility. He fights Apocryphos until they break free. Allen is confused, and doesn’t want to be touched. He flees from Tyki’s touch, calls him a monster just like the Noahs due to their evil deeds.
Tyki is upset that Allen doesn’t want him close, but he doesn’t insist. Instead, he tells Allen how to be better. He’s harsh, really. But he inspires Allen into stop moping around, to start fighting the real threat instead—if Allen wants to be an exorcist, Tyki won’t stop him or judge his decision. He wants Allen to be what he truly wants to be, not what the Order and the Noah command.
“Teach those monsters inside you who’s boss”. If you notice, everyone puts an incredible burden on Allen. They want Allen to save the world. They want Allen to be honest, they want Allen to open up, they want Allen to fight. But Tyki wants Allen to be honest with himself, not with others. He wants Allen to fight for his own good, not for other people’s good. He wants Allen to be the sassy and devilish boy he met, and not the polite and fake Clown who smiles to reassure everyone in spite of himself.
Allen is special to Tyki, because thanks to him Tyki was able to understand more about himself. Allen inspired Tyki to question his beliefs, his certainties, his role. Allen involuntarily instilled doubts in Tyki, which made Tyki develop as a character.
Allen keeps Tyki’s cards. Tyki keeps Allen’s button; Hoshino is known for taking care of tiny details, and this correspondence surely holds a greater significance.
Now, I won’t say you have to like this ship. But portraying Tykillen as abusive is very OOC and very unfair to their characters, because their relationship is based on a healthy principle of respect.
Tyki likes Allen’s determination. Allen sees humanity in Tyki. If Tykillen was abusive, do you think Allen would let Tyki touch him (touching his face, ruffling his hair repeatedly)? If Tykillen was abusive, do you think Allen would want to save him that fervently? If Tykillen was abusive, do you think Allen would stay near to him that comfortably?
Tyki is a tolerant man who doesn’t want to be caged in one place; he is untethered and free, and he sees himself in Allen. Because Allen is too attached to his duties, and the only thing he needs is to learn how to life for himself. Tyki is street-clever and knows how people work; he’d never mistreat Allen or take him down for his own ego’s sake.
Tyki is a man who doesn’t like easy challenges. He wants to earn Allen’s respect and the privilege to be close to him, therefore he’d never dream of abusing him; he’d never dream of abusing anyone. Tyki used to mock humans and underestimate them, but Allen proved him wrong. They made each other grow personally.
Now, this is what I’d define healthy.
The Tyki/Allen duo will have meaning in the manga. I won’t say it will be relevant as a ship, but their interlaced fate will be a key to the plot, as Hoshino hinted many times. Tyki can be an helpful guide into Allen’s life. Maybe they’ll play poker again. Maybe Tyki will return to his friends thanks to Allen. Maybe Tyki will be by Allen’s side. But one thing is certain: they care for each other, and they mean something to the other.
If you still think Tyki doesn’t care, notice this:
Is this the look of someone who doesn’t care? Just look at Tyki’s expression.
And a gentle reminder of two dorks being goofy, instead of being at each other’s throats:
yousharknotpass
turnnoffyourmind
origamiaround
blakekathryn
kaledo-art
dailybridgerton
