#isaak

We bare bears :)

Let me start this by prefixing that dragons don't have as rigid concepts about relationships and sexuality as humans do. They don't even use labels as much, unless the individual prefers, so they operate on the logic that when they know they want something, they simply go for it without making much of a fuss about it. That goes for if the prefer to mingle with others of the same sex or other, want a permanent romantic relationship with someone, keep something as 'casual' without strings attached or even if they want multiple partners. They have the complete freedom to just explore and find out by themselves what they prefer. And as a result, some are very self assured in their identity, while others are still trying to figure it out.

So here's a couple I have on the top of my head:

- Gavin is a loud and proud Gay dragon. The kind where he's a shameless flirt and exudes confidence from every scale. But shockingly, if someone tries to bite back at him, he can stutter easily. He's very self assured in his own masculinity, so whenever he tries to show off to someone in particular, that's his way to drop the hint that he's interested in them. Much like how birds of paradise try to court, expect with less dancing and more flexing.

- Trondo is Unlabed, but that's because he's not at all picky with his tastes. He can easily be a lady's man and then be a man's man without hesitation. He might have actually had at least one night stand with half of the dragons in the Peace Keeper clan, but he will neither confirm nor deny it. He just likes to keep his options open, especially if it means he'll have some fun.

- Kelvin is AroAce, since from the times he was a hatchling, he took one good look at the tomfooleries others would get into when they had crushes and immediately he had a feeling that kind of stuff was not his thing. As he got older, those feelings only became stronger. His only 'love' it's his work, so please do not disturb him with such nonsense.

- Isaak goes by Queer, since he doesn't exactly know how to describe his preferences, but he knows for fact he isn't straight considering he's in a relationship with Halvor. However, he does like to experiment often with his pronouns, so some days he goes by He/Him, other times it's He/Them, sometimes he prefers fully Them/They and it can also work with She/It/Them. Gender is just a mere concept and they like to try every shade of it.

They were crusaders alongside Charlie and Matty but they kind of had their own thing going on so the paths didn't cross super much initially.

Isaak was the first to die on the battlefield actually, which prompted Vargamor to appear to him and offer him another chance at life if he pledged his allegiance to her as his heathen saint. Isaak, however, is SO steadfastly catholic that he said no, he's gonna bleed out on his own terms thank you very much.

So Vargamor was like hm. Alright. Hey James!

And James said yes immediately because he's religious alright, but he's also deeply in love with Isaak and he'd do anything for that man. So Vargamor got James' soul instead and still brought Isaak back bc hey, a deal's a deal.

This is also why she went for that approach to get her hands on Charlie later on, she didn't exactly expect for Matthew to come to her of his own accord as a result but hey. Two for the price of one there!

Anyway, Isaak and James continue on their merry crusade and like. It becomes blatantly clear they're in love with each other, except Isaak is not dealing well at all bc he's absolutely terrified of letting himself succumb to that kind of sin.

James, however, is a little self-serving and also he wants Isaak to be loved without having to suffer, so he basically says, Isaak. If I steal your rosary from you, and I take it by force, did you commit a sin because you let me have it?

And Isaak says ....no?

And James takes the rosary from him and goes good. I'm not talking about the rosary.

So essentially they do manage, as long as they keep up the pretense that James is totally making Isaak do this, right. He's totally got no other choice, really, James is totally not the one person who best knows the difference between Isaak saying no(no) and no(yes).

Anyways they do a bunch of mental gymnastics, each in their own way, to keep this operation going right. They're doing FINE.

There's also Peter btw, he shares their tent and just witnesses all of this, much to his chagrin, but hey. He's not about to get involved, he's just gonna grit his teeth and carry on.

So eventually bc James is not concerned with his own sins at all and really only cares to keep Isaak from being (perceived as) sinful, the church authorities are like bro. This is your one and only warning to get your shit together right now, stop whatever it is you're doing and submit to our fucking rules.

James however does not do that bc what he needs is to keep Isaak safe above all else, and if he needs to get punished for it, fine.

And punished he will be, because the church decides he's entirely too unwilling to listen to them, which is dangerous if you're the church and wanna keep up your authority, so they sentence him to death on the pyre. Mainly for the dramatics honestly.

So up on the wood pile James goes and Isaak is in the crowd absolutely distraught to the bone because he doesn't know that James sold his soul to a heathen saint back on the battlefield. All he knows is that the love of his life whom he never even told that this is what he is, is about to die a horrible death because he decided Isaak was worth it to become this much of a sinner.

And then they do the whole "you are sentenced to death because you're evilbad and you're going to die and go to hell for it" spiel, at the end of which Isaak can no longer bear it.

So our little tortured catholic soul climbs on the pyre where James is tied up and kisses him straight on the mouth because for fuck's sake, he loves this man and if James is going to hell for this, so is Isaak. Isaak can't save him, but he can go where James is going.

So Isaak gets tied to the pyre as well, hey efficiency right, they set the whole thing on fire and presto, there they go.

Except James is part of Vargamor's pack now. He's a wolf under her protection and as such he can survive a lot more than Isaak can. So he lives, though badly burned.

And he goes to Vargamor afterwards like "please, let me die, let me be with Isaak" and she's like lol no. This was the deal, James. Your soul, in servitude to me, for his life. I can't make him immortal, if he dies after I brought him back that's not my problem.

James of course does not like that one bit and attempts to attack her, except that's a really, really bad idea and is also how Attila learned that you do NOT openly defy Vargamor if you're meant to heed her.

James spends some miserable decades on a metaphorical (and sometimes literal) very short leash in Vargamor's pack, until one day he's just kind of left by himself to wander aimlessly through the countryside and he comes across a very, very old man.

This old man takes one look at him and goes, oh my Lord. James. I don't know what you did or how it made you end up here, but I know it wasn't a good thing and I also know that you did it for Isaak at some point in time.

And James is like, please. Can you just kill me man, I can't do this anymore.

And the old man says I can try, but I'm too old to bury you.

So James digs out his own grave and carves a stake from a treebranch, and then he goes to lie down and hands Peter the stake, and Peter promises to put Isaak's rosary right over James' heart before filling the grave back up. Because of course James kept that. It used to be silver, but the fire turned it black.

And that is how the crusader companions reunite in death :)

Love, Yours Truly! (based on the original song)