#alderneedle

fat boy and his cool girlfriend (t4t alderneedle)

in part, it's like telling your toddler they can't eat a candy so then they want the candy even more even if they dont even like it. like its just keeping things out of reach makes it more tantalizing lol. i think the fact that alder and needle are just like SO obvious for forbidden half clan het romance slop and then it DOESNT happen is like. crazy good. so then in a weird way i really like it? im glad theyre not canon because considering the erins they would just completely ruin needle's character to make it happen and id hate that.

but for actually considering yknow. the characters and events and stuff. i think they're very cute in the apprentice's quest. i really REALLY like a "never knows when to stop" x "never brings themself to take the first step" dynamic. it is always peak misery and doom every time i love it. i think the idea of alder never being able to say what he wants to to needle, and needle feeling like alder could only ever hold him back, and both of them just always knowing itll never work so never saying anything despite how much fun and freedom they feel when theyre together is so good. just these fleeting moments of happiness tinged with the inherent fear of losing it and knowing itll never work and they only have each other for a brief time before everything goes to shit. this is definitely more fanon than canon btw its more like the Roots are there and i can play pretend with my dolls on top of that lol.

i also think it's so high because to me they feel so much different than the het canon romances warriors usually gives us. take like bristleroot for example. both of the characters (especially bristlefrost) become so dulled and soft and boring when they get together. like alderneedle, bristleroot ends in tragedy of course, but like. needle's death has a way bigger impact on say violetshine than it does on alderheart which makes Me feel less angry + more interested in its narrative purpose because she wasnt just dying to make Boy sad. her death had real effects on the series + people around her. it wasnt even really heroic, it was horrific and desperate and miserable and showed both the characters and the readers how horrific darktail is and why he needs + deserves to be stopped. so i'd say because needle isn't shallowed (?) out by alderheart that's another big reason i like them, but am deeply glad they didn't become canon.

I'm extremely partial to LeopardSasha! It's probably my favorite at the moment.

closeups below the cut