Hi there! I hope you're doing well. I discovered your blog while searching for Ashveil content on Tumblr and I'm in LOVE with your fics. I love how you characterise him, I can basically hear his voice in my head when I read the dialogue you write.
It actually made me think a lot about him in the context of romance. This isn't a fic idea at all, I just would like to hear your own thoughts on my brain farts.
Considering his entire situation, I feel like he'd be a little hesitant to let someone into his life to that extent. For the simple reason that even (and especially) if he loved someone, he wouldn't want to expose them to the risk he's constantly facing: Whether that's people from his past chasing him or the shadow locked up in his arm. Or even the criminals he might deal with as a detective. I don't think he'd shut down the possibility completely, but be more a lot cautious. I see it being a situationship thing where the other person would have to pursue this a little more and be very persistent and encouraging.
If you want an earworm to accompany this, I'd say 'Carousel' by Laufey would be a good summation of what he would feel when it comes to such a thing.
That's just my thoughts though! What do you think?
Hello hello! Not doing the best but now that the semester is over I have plenty of time to rest and get better, thankfully.
Thank you for your kind words!! 🥹 For me, dialogue is one of the things that either makes or breaks character in a story, so I'm very glad that I'm doing a good job so far! 🙏
If we're talking about pure, raw canon? I'm absolutely with you on everything you mentioned about how he'd be scared to let someone in. He couldn't live with the guilt and grief of having his love die because of him. Personally, I think he rules it out completely. He has an assistant to keep him company, and he knows that his living conditions are suboptimal, so in my opinion, Ashveil would likely not pursue anyone in canon. He doesn't strike me as the type for one-night-stands either, even if he is quite the unconventional guy, despite his age.
Now, if we go the route of the typical fanfic writer and include a dash of fanon, I agree that he'd reluctantly let someone in. Not because he doesn't want to, of course, but because he knows how dangerous, maybe even pitiful it is to love him. The famed leader of the Galaxy Rangers, reduced to a creditless old man who can barely pass as a detective... In my opinion, he'd have to actually develop major feelings to consider the other person: feel like it's actually love, and not something else. And even then, he likely wouldn't initiate anything, but desperately hope that they fall in love with him too, while dreading that very scenario.
Depending on whether that person is a civilian or a Pathstrider, he may need to be more or less cautious. Civilians are fragile, easy targets – but many of the people hunting him are other Rangers, and they have that "red line" they don't cross, aka they would likely not harm them (much). Pathstriders or people with more power may be able to defend themselves, but that also means that they're free game for the hunters. So... Ashveil is kinda fucked no matter what he does. Might as well give this whole romance thing a shot.
Also gave the song a listen and what the heck, it really does fit 😭 I feel like it's something that would run in the background (like, extradiegetic, not literally in the room) when his crush pressures him into telling them why they can't be together, and them accepting every single point... Ughh this is giving me ideas, I have too many ideas for this man.
