It makes me so upset how people miss so many things about Winter's character.
Winter is usually characterized as being like this angry, dumb jock type??? When he's not! He's so smart and he's very much NOT a jock.
Winter grew up failing so much in the circles because he's gentle when his parents and his society wants him to be strong and loyal, wants him to die "heroically" in a useless battle. Winter is gentle, he questions authority and he was conditioned to be mindlessly loyal to his family so he wouldn't get hurt.
His old conversations with Hailstorm show this:
"Not if you get high enough in the rankings," Hailstorm said with a grin. "Which you do by being brave and strong and bold."
"I thought it was by being smart and following orders." Winter said.
I love these flashbacks because THIS is who Winter is! The current Winter is a Winter who is just trying to be Smart and Follow orders, trying to survive in a society that hates who he is. I've read those two flashbacks at the start of the book over and over, and they say so much about how he's really like.
More below!
Winter is someone who hesitates before sinking his claws into something as small as prey, who feels compassion for creatures despite every dragon around him telling him that they're nothing. He is someone who was taught to care for no one, but he can't help but care for his siblings endlessly, and later, his friends.
Winter is clever, he isn't the best at fighting but he is crafty and he uses anything at his disposal to do Anything. Someone like Icicle would just yell at the winglet to move when the Scavenger's blazing fireball rushed their way, but Winter immediately threw himself toward it and used his ice breath to lessen the damage and warn his friends, which, by the way, him managing to hit a speeding projectile and having the reaction speed and aim to do so???? SO COOL.
He is just someone who is struggling to survive in a world where he needs to be strong, but being strong is impossible for him, and instead uses his smarts to try and survive, all with a dream of someday thriving in this world. (Notice how this sentence can be used for both Qibli and Winter?)
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People love characterizing Qibli as being completely different from Winter, when their whole thing is that they're VERY similar, but with rather opposite circumstances and backstories.
When they were in the scorpion den, Qibli didn't even have to tell Winter to do anything! Winter immediately began acting like a snooty, dumb, overconfident prince in order to get the attention off of him, he mostly stayed quiet while Qibli talked - Qibli literally notes this!!!
And the only example of him not doing that is him speaking up after Vulture talked about eating scavengers because again, he is someone who questions authority, he is someone who fights for what he thinks is right, he's just a survivor and his survival strategy is to Be Smart and Follow Orders!!!
Winter knew that Cobra was a threat despite the reader not even knowing, he didn't need to be told to restrain Cobra, he just knew! Because he's smart!!! Winter is observant just like Qibli, both of them are incredibly clever, just in different, but familiar, ways because they learned to survive in different, but familiar, ways!
And!!! For examples that he's gentle, when he hurt Qibli he literally sat outside in the Burning Sun, as an Icewing, waiting for Qibli to wake up. Alone! He was so worried and sad that he kept with Qibli and stayed by his side despite being a fish out of water, and not being built for this climate at all.
Him in the Diamond Trial is such a perfect example of how he questions authority. The moment he sees a way to break the rules without any consequences he jumps on it. He knows he isn't meant for the Ice Kingdom, it hurts, but staying will kill him. Literally. He then proceeds to manage to sneak him and Foeslayer out of the Heavily Fortified Ice Kingdom.
Unfortunately a lot of his character was kinda messed up with the whole failed redemption arc, but he's still such a wonderful character. I wish more people - and Tui herself! Portrayed him as being more gentle and smart, instead of mean and dumb, because he really isn't.
Sometimes I remember I’m a COMIC artist and I make a comic. I’ve been testing my comic style a lot so expect no consistency.
This piece is a follow-up from a Qinter comic I did some time ago! If you caught the callback, you get 10 points. One day, Moon will run out of patience for these hopeless idiots.
I headcannon that Winter and Lynx were best pals growing up (or at least as ‘best pals’ as Winter’s whole Perfect Icewing Prince bit would allow him to be with anyone)
I also headcannon that Snowfall was EXTREMELY jealous of this for reasons she couldn’t quite place… (gay gay gay…)
A scene from Lost Somewhere Between Sand and Snow on Ao3 (Idk the author’s tumblr @ is (or if they have one?) but if anyone does ya’ll should tag them!)
Anytime I get to read about the Jade Winglet just hanging out Is a good time
Bonus of what happened 2.5 seconds after this scene-
I literally love Icewings so much they’re so cool (I’m funny trust)
ALSO this is a scene from a fic I am currently writing (that I will likely post but no promises honestly)! I know this is Lynx and Winter, but rest assured it IS a qinter fic.
Parentification (def): When an older child is forced to take on the role of a parent in an abusive or neglectful family
Hailstorm laid on the cool floor of his family's ice spire, a map of Pyrriah sprawled out in front of him. Behind him his younger sister snarled through panting breaths as she scrambled back and forth across the room, frantically chasing Hailstorm’s tail as he flicked it to and fro. Icicle wasn’t even a year old, and yet surprisingly tenacious. Hailstorm began to worry for the health of his tail poor if she ever managed to get her claws into it.
“What’s that?” Winter asked, pointing to a place on the map. He was curled up under Hailstorm’s wing, and had spent a long while nestled comfortably in Hailstorm’s fluffy winter coat.
Hailstorm looked to where his little brother had pointed, “That’s the Great Ice Cliff, AKA the BEST animus gift EVER!”
“Really?” Winter said skeptically, squinting at the row of spikes on the Ice Kingdom’s southern border as though they were an unsatisfying dish of shrimp, “I dunno… The Tree of Light is pretty useful…”
“Well yeah, the tree’s great and all, but- OW OW OWW!!!” Hailstorm whipped his head around as he felt a jab of pain in his tail “Icicle! That is TOO HARD!”
“Showy” Icicle said with his tail still in her mouth, looking like a fox that had just caught an unsuspecting vole. She spit Hailstorm's tail out and proceeded to make several ‘pleh’ noises as she tried to get bits of fluff out of her mouth.
“Anywayyy, where was I? Oh right, The cliff!” Hailstorm continued, “So, the Ice Cliff it’s enchanted to- ahem- get rid of every non-Icewing coming into the kingdom. It keeps us safe from all the scary dragons outside our borders.”
“Like the nightwings? And Darkstalker?” Winter asked wearily, somehow worming his way deeper into Hailstorm’s fur.
“Yes, like them. The cliff keeps them far, far away from you and I,” Hailstorm reassured his little brother. Winter was constantly anxious, especially for such a young dragonet. Hailstorm hadn’t learned what the word ‘worry’ meant until he was 2, and he had yet to feel such an emotion (at least, until he began having to worry about his siblings. Man, they were quite the handful). Winter, on the other talon, went through life with a constantly concerned expression and unshakable feeling of doubt. Hailstorm always worried that he was far too kind and far too cautious for a place as harsh and strict as the Ice Kingdom.
“Pfft- who needs a stupid wall?” Icicle hissed from behind them, “Let ME at the nightwings and I’ll show ‘em what the Ice Kingdom is made of!”
Hailstorm swept his tail across the floor again, running into Icicle and knocking her on her side as she growled in protest.
“Sureee you will,” Hailstorm chuckled as his little sister picked herself up and huffed indignantly.
“Oh! What's that?” Winter asked, pointing to a place just on the border of the Mud and Sky kingdoms.
“That,” Hailstorm explained, “Is a scavenger den.”
“Scavenger… den?” Winter tilted his head to the side in confusion, a spark of curiosity in his eyes, “Like a fox den? Those aren’t important enough to be on the map. What’s a scavenger?”
“Well, it’s like a- well…” Hailstorm found it difficult to explain the concept of a scavenger, considering he’d never actually seen one before. He winced. Icicle had gotten his tail in her mouth again, and was gnawing on it like a bone. How rude. He signed, deciding to let her have her fun (she’d worked so hard to catch it, after all) and deal with the bruises later.
Just then, he heard the scrapping of talons as his mother entered their spire.
“Hailstorm!” She roared as she stalked up the stairs, “Where are your siblings?!”
Winter shrunk back further under Hailstrom’s wing at the sound of their mother’s voice. Icicle dropped the tail (thank the moons) and stood at attention facing the room's door.
“Right here with me, mother,” Hailstorm replied, then mumbled, “You’d know that if you actually bothered to pay attention to us for once”
Hailstorm knew immediately he shouldn’t have said anything. He’d been told time and time again that he would be the ‘perfect Icewing prince’ if he could only learn to keep his mouth shut. But there were simply too many snarky comments in his body, he couldn’t possibly keep them contained! Besides, he had a point. It seemed the only time Tundra and Narwal bothered to talk to their children was to remind them, “Your family's rank is dependent on yours. Don’t disappoint us. Be vigilant, strike first, blah blah blah”. Yes, high expectations were typical of Icewing families, but as he grew older Hailstorm began to feel that there was something distinctly… wrong about the way his family operated. He couldn’t quite place what it was (this was all he’d ever known, after all,) but he knew something was different none the less.
That was why he was so determined to spend as much time with his younger siblings as possible, even if they did get on his nerves. If his parents refused to keep them from tearing each other's heads off, falling off a balcony, or whatever other horrible way young dragonets could die when their parents believed in the ‘survival of the fittest’ motto, then Hailstorm would.
“What was that?” Tundra hissed. She stood menacingly in the doorway, surveying her dragonets like a drill sergeant would their soldiers. Not exactly loving, Hailstorm noted. He began to wonder if mothers were supposed to be loving.
“Nothing, mother,” Hailstorm said coolly. Then, with a tinge of mocking that he tried (and failed) to keep out of his voice, “did you hear something?”
Tundra paused, glowering at him.
Then finally, “No, I suppose not.”
“Lovely. Me either.” Hailstorm replied, turning his attention back to the map.
“Oh, Hailstorm,” Tundra continued.
It took every fiber in Hailstorm’s being not to roll his eyes as he turned back to look at her.
“Yes, mother?”
“I want you up before sunrise tomorrow. Go hunting and bring us back two orcas for breakfast."
“Of course, mother.”
Tundra then turned and stalked out of the room.
This time Hailstorm DID roll his eyes.
Hunting!?
Before sunrise!?!
He was a PRINCE for moons sake!
And his mother was royalty too, by marriage. They had dragons to hunt FOR them! She could ask for two orcas any time she pleased, why should HAILSTORM have to wake up early to get them?
But of course, he knew why.
This was a test, just as everything else with his parents was. Heck, that whole conversation had been a test, and one that he had spectacularly failed with his ‘unacceptable level of snarkiness’, as his aunt put it. Come to think of it, he would probably drop a rank for that. Snowfall would be overjoyed, she’d finally have the top slot on the wall back.
Hailstorm sighed. Whatever. He’d wake up, get those stupid orcas, and next time he’d learn to keep his tongue still. Probably. If he could manage.
“Mother! Mother!” Icicle called out suddenly, “Hailstorm rolled his eyes again!!”
“Icicle! You SNITCH!” Hailstorm cried, smacking his sister with his tail.
Great. There goes two ranks. Snowfall might actually perish with excitement.
“Hailstorm,” Tundra growled, appearing again in the doorway, “What have we said about your little attitude?”
“No mother, he didn’t roll his eyes! He um- he doesn’t even HAVE eyes!” Winter piped up from under Hailstorm's wing, doing his best to defend his older brother.
That was unexpected. Whenever Tundra talked, Winter always kept his head down and responded with simply ‘Yes, mother’. He never spoke without being spoken to, let alone directly tell Tundra she was wrong. Pride blossomed in Hailstorm’s chest. His little brother had a bit of a fight in him after all.
Before Tundra could get word in to berate Winter, Hailstorm said, “It’s all right, Winter. Your loyalty is admirable, but I fear we aren’t getting out of this one.”
“Aw…” Winter said sadly, watching as Hailstorm stood to follow his mother.
Who knows what his punishment would be? 10 Ocras? A whole whale? Maybe she’d make him guard the door for a couple hours again.
“Oh please! You’ll survive without him for a couple of hours! MOONS, you're clingy!” Icicle scoffed.
“Well, at least I’m not a SNITCH!” Winter snapped back.
“Hey. That’s not proper language of a prince, Winter.” Hailstorm said before he left the room.
“But you said-” Winter started, but was promptly interrupted by the crushing weight of his sister as she tackled him to the ground.
Hailstorm allowed himself a moment to smile at his siblings while they wrestled on the floor. They probably won’t kill each other while I’m gone, he assured himself (which he was not exactly convinced of. Icicle either didn’t know her own strength, or didn’t simply bother to care about Winter’s well being. Either was possible.)
Then he turned to follow his mother out of the spire, preparing himself for whatever grueling punishment awaited him. Oh, joy!
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