Some Sandokan/Yanez headcanons because i’m stressed and need fandom stuff.
-The first week Yanez spent in mompracem he was super aloof and awkward because he’d never actually been in a situation where he was allowed to act however he wanted.
-No matter how he felt inside Yanez was still conditioned to be the ‘proper’ European gentleman, after all his life depended on it. Because of that it took him a year and a lot of support from the tigers to become the man he always should have been.
-The first time Yanez had traditional Malay cuisine he threw up for hours after because he wasn’t used to such spiced food, and he’d never had so much fermented fish. sambigliong laughed at him.
- Sandokan first thought of Yanez as a sort of conundrum, a strange mystery to be solved, rather than a person he could trust. This was quickly thrown out of the window the moment they clicked.
-For a long time Sandokan was the only person Yanez could speak to normally. A combination of lingering internalized racism and cultural shock prevented him from trusting anyone else.
-The second person he started speaking to was Sambigliong. This was because of a particular misadventure after they came back from a raid. Yanez had fallen in a very obvious trap. He was too embarrassed to ask for help and three hours later sambigliong found him. At that moment the Malay pirate bluntly told him to stop being an idiot and realize that he was already a member of the tigers whether he wanted to or not.
- the first time Yanez ever cried (in front of Sandokan) was a year and a half after he joined the tigers. He and Sandokan were in disguise when Yanez saw his parents at dinner with the noble that the tigers were after. They spoke at length of their life and endeavors, but made no mention of looking for their son at all. that night, in the captain’s cabin, Sandokan held Yanez as he shook with sobs.
- The thing that made Yanez happiest in Mompracem was not having to hide his sexuality or snarkiness. He was suddenly thrust in a society that paid no mind to sexuality or gender at all, and no one batted an eye when he made lewd remarks about males as well as females.
- The first time Yanez and Sandokan kissed was after one of the most difficult battles of their lives. They were filthy and tired, and high on adrenaline. None of the crew wanted to celebrate, they just wanted to get back to their beds and get clean. They were both sitting together on the divan back in Sandokan’s resplendent sitting room, talking about everything and nothing, leaning against one another and completely content. Their lips met almost by accident, a natural progression of a perfect friendship.
-the tigers love to tease them about how ridiculously well they work together.
