So what i’ve gathered from your liveblog is that dangerous crow boy’s author should be writing yaoi but is too embroiled in heterosexuality to do so
I was not exaggerating guys, the dynamic and history between River and Cielo was so visceral and poignant to a degree that was truly ridiculous.
Cielo doesn't show up physically until about 3/4th of the way in but he has been there since page fucking one. They've been inseparable since childhood, and when Cielo falls in love with a human River is terrified he'll be left alone and is constantly poking and prodding. Little does he know this girl he's jealous of needs help and rescuing, and Cielo tries to subtly ask him for help but River doesn't pick up on it and pushes him away instead. Cielo goes missing for a decade and River's wallowing about being abandoned only for Cielo to show up on his doorstep on the verge of death, and River immediately drops everything to nurse him back to health and desperately try and draw him out of where he's mentally retreated to, swearing vengeance on whoever did this to him (the girl Cielo'd fallen for).
Later, in Cielo's quest against his former love, he absolutely shreds River's wings and his ability to fly. For this River swears vengeance against him--and grudges are strong in crows. Until he stumbles upon Cielo's trove, his sacred collection of personal items, and understands the depth of Cielo's pain and madness and how badly he failed to save him. He's genuinely brought to his knees by this.
Then Cielo shows up again, five years after they've last spoken. They start physically fighting until River breaks down, asking why, because i would've followed you anywhere. And Cielo says, it was an accident. River apologizes, can't take this revelation and they start fighting again--to the point River has his hands on Cielo's throat in a mirror to how Cielo held his own lover right before she died that is explicitly made by canon. And Cielo's not fighting him. Blake interrupts them, and River breaks again. He apologizes, which indebts him to Cielo by fae rules.
River realizes here his wings have been restored, and in a swirl of emotion from his fight/partial reconciliation/fixed wings, kisses Cielo on the lips and says "I love you, bro." He swears his aid to Cielo's mission of vengeance, and they're tentatively alright until Cielo kidnaps Blake, but that's a whole other thing.
River and Blake? Crows like to collect odd bits and bobs, and Blake was a diy upcycler who likes oddities and fixing things up. Also Blake pushes and fights back and will tell River off when he's an ass, and he thinks that's incredibly hot. They're also mates. They've known each other a week. I cannot emphasize enough that's the extent of their relationship. I'm not trying to downplay it it's just truly that barren it's RIDICULOUS
