Lol wow I’m sensing angst from that post about Clouse not being a ‘favorite’ lol damn
Yeah it’s messed up really.
Garmadon’s been around over a thousand years, practically making him older than any of the flings we know of so he probably knows what he likes.
Like his Oni part of consciousness, he likes the power any of his flings/mates hold. He doesn’t mind the strength and fight that happens. Just means stronger young for Oni or a fight for dominance over others.
And the dragon part of the brain would mean he didn’t mind the multiple partners thing, if dragons thought more like real life lizards instead of birds. Basically just a come and go in order to not die out. Also dragons would probably find someone more fitting for the lifelong mate thing anyway if any hatchlings were strong out of that one and only the one. (So basically when Garm split from Misako after so long, it messed him up bad and Krux had to make sure he didn’t do anything... drastic.)
What he does mind however, is the fact that Clouse was absolutely pissed at him for taking Chen’s attention away from him with so much ease. And Clouse had to work for that attention for the longest time. That’s honestly one of the reasons why Clouse didn’t like the Master of Amber either. Even though she didn’t become Chen’s wife in my canon, she still managed to get him away for a while.
The whole ‘Lord’ title tore apart what could’ve happened. Arguments were thrown back and forth until they became physical. A few times, they were shoving each other around. Sometimes, they left with cuts and bruises. Other times, there was a broken bone or something fractured, if not any furniture or equipment broken. It was a constant fight for dominance, if not at times for survival. (That’s not exactly healthy if a relationship somehow came out of that.)
It got worse after Clouse threw him off completely one time and Garm just wasn’t having it anymore and his monster form almost straight up broke him, if it weren’t for Clouse using magic at the second to last moment.
Garmadon leaves after that and when Clouse saw that Garm just jumped from him to Krux, seeing how far Krux was falling apart and becoming pretty boy putty in Garmadon’s hands, oh ho ho! He was absolutely all for hurting them from the inside out. (Clouse: Alright Garm.. You wanna play around like that? Fine. Let’s fucking play.)
Years later, Clouse already grew back closer to Chen, refusing to leave him, because at least Chen didn’t bounce around between people as Garm did back then and he was actually there to talk him through a lot and they’d at least comfort one another where Garm wouldn’t.
Edit: The tension between them wasn’t old affections, because that wasn’t there to begin with. It was remembering what they both did to one another. Garmadon was guilty for quite a bit mostly about losing his mind to his destructive Oni half right on him before they separated and he still was guilty afterwards. Meanwhile Clouse hadn’t let go of the hate for him that he brewed inside and still had the scars to prove it.
Chen thought it differently and got it confused for a short while before hearing Clouse insist on not leaving them alone together. (“Master.. please don’t do that again... don’t leave me alone with him..” “... Alright. If you didn’t like it, then I won’t.” “...You promise, Master?” “Clousey, I may be a villain but I at least take care of my followers first before anyone else.. especially you, my mage man.” “.. Even though you’re trying to favor that other Elemental Master?” “Pshh.. They come and go, this is just a phase for me, but hey, at least you stayed. Isn’t that something, Clousey?” “.. Yeah.. it is..”)
Basically as I said in another ask, Clouse is what Krux could’ve been if Garm had no care for him either and if Krux didn’t catch feelings for him in the middle of it all.