your ancient gold biland post has captivated me 👀
HELL YEAH
Eiland x Balor (check out the original post here) are so good. I actually have so many ideas for them, even at just 4 hearts I think I have enough background to work with.
For one, Balor is the only character so far that has even a hint of a troubled past (which is like catnip to me I zeroed in on him right away lol). Besides the very obvious giant scar on his chest he has a line: "Elsie speaks fondly of the Capital, but that place only holds bad memories for me" ohoho when I read that I got lazer eyes like you wouldn't believe.
Eiland on the other hand is so naive and full of wonder about the world. He pushes for adventure even where it might be dangerous. He pushes even when those below his station try to argue with him, like he does with Errol. He's actually a bit of spoiled brat in that sense (I say with no hate, I love a complex character). He doesn't want to hear about how reopening the mines might be dangerous, he wants adventure and cool artifacts!
So already we have one approach, where Balor might harbor a bit of disdain for Eiland at first. He's a spoiled Capital brat who doesn't understand the work that goes into procuring his merchandise, stuff like that. Maybe they butt heads about that and its rivals to lovers. OR hatefuck to lovers, because Balor sees an opportunity to put Eiland in his place via domination. Or like I suggested in my original post Eiland just ends up with a crush on him because he's rugged and mysterious and worldly, and Balor sees easy prey in the innocent dork.
No matter how it starts, I think where things would really develop is as they uncover more about the other person.
Balor learns that Eiland actually grew up pretty neglected, and expected to meet a specific mold established for him long ago. Try as he might he never could outmatch his sister, who everyone compared him to. He felt really lost until he found his purpose in studying archaeology and architecture, and it was like a switch flipped within him. He wouldn't let anyone try to tell him what to do with his life anymore. He would speak up for what he wanted, because he had wasted so much of his life already doing what was expected of him (hence where the brattiness comes from).
Eiland learns from Balor that the world is not fair, and a darker place than he imagines. I don't want to speculate about Balor's potential trauma but I imagine it would make Eiland view the Capital and maybe even his family in a different light. Actually it might give him a new passion for making things right in the world now, rather than getting lost in the past and treating it like a different world.
I think they'd level each other out, with Balor grounding Eiland and Eiland giving him hope and whimsy. They would absolutely have dorky moments together. Imagine the Dnd night where Balor takes over as DM except behind the scenes they have recently gotten together, and Eiland is so proud of him for taking over. But Balor is lovingly exasperated with his silly archaeologist boyfriend who keeps trying to avoid fighting lmao.
WE NEED BILAND! Let me know what yall think
PS Check out this lovely fanart that inspired the first post. I dont think its meant to be ship art but it instantly had a gay lightbulb going off in my brain
