Hordak and Sea Hawk: The Unlikely Friendship
So, unlike the creator of spop, I believe that Hordak's punishment after the show will include being in charge of the rebuilding of Saleneus. And, having Hordak live there to do so, invites a whole new dynamic we never saw in the show: Hordak and Sea Hawk. The two are pretty much opposites. Sea Hawk is a social butterfly arsonist, and Hordak is a militaristic introvert. About the only way the two could be friends is through forced proximity, which, as you can imagine, is exactly what happens!
Now, while Mermista wanted Hordak to work for her in Saleneus for a multitude of reasons, the one I wanted to establish in this post is that she wanted to keep a close eye on him after the war. And, one was that she assigned Sea Hawk to be Hordak's "assistant."
Sea Hawk initially wasn't thrilled to be saddled with being Hordak's babysitter, but he was determined to make the best of the situation. Sea Hawk is a romantic, after all, and having a previously evil warlord work hard to redeem himself warmed his heart. Therefore, Sea Hawk planned to be a spy, assistant, and friend all in one.
Unfortunately for the pirate and the princess, Hordak saw through this ploy almost immediately. It was painfully obvious that Mermista's boyfriend was her spy, so for the first few weeks of living in Saleneus, Hordak avoided him like the plague. Despite the initial disappointment, Sea Hawk, being the relentless man he was, kept trying to connect with Hordak.
Beyond the whole "spy" issue, Hordak also found Sea Hawk's singing and loud outbursts extremely annoying, finding the boy more in the way than actually helpful. Sea Hawk, on the other hand, found Hordak hard to interact with due to his extreamly closed off nature.
Thankfully, they were able to work together on something they both had experience with: demolition.
During the demolition phases of the projects, Sea Hawk was able to use his arsonistic tendencies to good use. This opened the door for Hordak and Sea Hawk to work with each other, rather than against each other.
Afterward, Hordak recognised some of Sea Hawk's other strengths. Sea Hawk was able to navigate nearly every inch of Saleneus, which was better than any map Hordak could get his hands on. Sea Hawk was also able to help Hordak communicate with the locals, given his many connections.
There was also another element that helped to connect them: Jasper. Jasper is one of my clone OCs and has appointed himself as Hordak's best friend (besides Entrapta). Jasper, like Sea Hawk, is a social butterfly, and their energetic personalities gelled together very easily. Because of their friendship, Sea Hawk was invited to hang out with the clones, which resulted in Hordak and Sea Hawk bonding more. This bond became especially strong after the crazy adventures Hordak, Sea Hawk, and the other clones found themselves in.
Naturally, this unlikely friendship between Hordak and Sea Hawk pissed off Mermista. Hordak rebuilding Saleneus was supposed to be a punishment, and Sea Hawk certainly wasn't helping. However, after production starts to ramp up and her people are actually happy, Mermista moves past her need for Hordak to be miserable.
Hordak and Sea Hawk spend the rest of the project being friends. They definitely weren't best friends, but they were always there when they needed each other (well, at least they tried to).
And one last thing to close this segment, Hordak, after learning that Sea Hawk is a serial arsonist, makes sure to use flame-retardant materials. He also founded multiple fire departments across Saleneus, you know, just in case. This is the only thing Mermista thanks him for.
While they do drift a little bit apart and rarely hang out one-on-one, Sea Hawk and Hordak make sure to remain friends. They often interact in large groups, either with the rest of the clones or within the Alliance. They are both groomsmen in their respective weddings, and they make sure their kids play with each other and are friends.
Also, Hordak has definitely had Sea Hawk hide under his cape when Sea Hawk sees one of his enemies/exes, or he's just straight-up fighting them (and winning).
Why They Like Each Other:
Hordak often finds himself in relationships with people who are completely opposite to his personality, one of them being Sea Hawk. Hordak is exactly certain what it is about high-energy people he likes. He and Entrapta theorize it's because it compensates for how reserved he generally is.
I believe there would be parts of their personalities they would admire about each other. Sea Hawk would respect Hordak as a leader, his dry wit, and would find him to be a genuinely caring person underneath all the layers of coldness. Hordak would also respect Sea Hawk for how genuine he is, despite first impressions. Hordak would also admire Sea Hawk's general zest for life and his willingness to throw himself into danger for those he cares about.
Sea Hawk, like a lot of Hordak's other friends, can help him become more social, opening him up to new experiences after a lifetime of isolation. Horak, on the other hand, shows Sea Hawk real respect and takes him seriously. This helps Sea Hawk have more respect for himself, which leads him to have better relationships with other people, including Mermista.
How They Treat Each Other's Partners:
Sea Hawk and Entrapta definitely become friends. Sea Hawk is surprisingly attentive and actually tries to help Entrapta. Meanwhile, Entrapta actually enjoys his company, unlike most people. They're also both crazy, which also helps.
Meanwhile, Mermista and Hordak have a more hostile relationship. Sea Hawk often is forced to play the mediator between the two, and Mermista has definitely used Sea Hawk's friendship as a weapon during arguments. Thankfully, after Hordak fixed Saleneus and they both gained more maturity, Hordak and Mermista grew a mutual respect for one another.
That's all I have on this concept for now, and it's a relationship I want to explore in future fics. If anyone has any questions or ideas, leave them in the comments. Or, you can reblog the post.
