#rw barbeque

LONG POST AHEAD. I'M SO SORRY

I had to think about it for longer, because the simple answer would be "fun vibes middle-aged scug couple", but I also have a more elaborate one (never ask me about opinions because it'll end in multiple paragraphs explaining my headcanons and interpretations that are worthy of a few-chapter-long fanfics I'll never write)

First and foremost I see them as best friends who'd play fight a lot, bicker for fun and be generally chill with each other, with the addition of being a mostly-stable middle aged couple, that type of vibe. With how I picture their personalities, I think they'd just mix well by sharing the adventurous attitude of "act first, think later", enjoying taking on new challanges and not being afraid of risks.

I like to think of romance and relationships as really varied, both in media I make (fandom or OC content) and consume. These two just opened a door in my head to explore something with less emphasis on corny romance, hurt/comfort and lovey-dovey gestures, but with more focus on a bond formed on mutual understanding with no judgement, honesty and simply just wanting to spend time together and having each other's back (with lovey-dovey gestures sometimes sprinkled in-between. Why not). Not every relationship has to have the energy of highschool sweethearts who hold hands 24/7 and that's was an amazing realization to have at a certain point in my life as a creator, bwahaha

As much as I dig wholesome Artimand content where Gourmand is really caring and helps Arti heal with love and understanding, it doen't exactly fit my vision for the two. It kinda does but in a different way. I picture them as equal partners who talk about their problems with a heavier focus on fiding solutions aside from just comforting each other. I feel it supports them being mature indivuduals a lot more (and is way more helpful in the context of what Arti deals with) than just having one of them be the crutch for the other/babying someone who's struggling.

Whenever I think of this ship, it's always the case of throwing post-campagin Arti to meet mid-campaign Gourmand for probably obvious reasons - ain't no one dating someone who goes out of their way to murder people. This is where it all gets lengthy because we step into the territory of "why my headcanons for their personalities based on how I played them make them work"

I've always seen Gourmand as a great, ambitious leader with a lot of understanding and motivation to overall do good things and help others, but not a super responsible or consistent one, prone to acting on a whim and always trying to prove himself. Not out of any insecurity, just for the thrill of it, taking enjoyment out of simple things in life and being seen as a strong, fun guy (c'mon, look at all those in-game drawings where he's fighting lizards and vultures). I've always seen the food quest as this sort of grand challenge to take on in a new, unknown enviroment. Just to prove to himself he's still capable and talented as a treat, an adventure after which he could finally come back to his colony with many new (and probably a bit overblown) stories and a bunch of new flavors to bring into his cooking.

So imagine a straight-forward guy with a really positive attitude and most importantly - someone who thinks with their heart and trusts their gut and experience about things and people, moreover, doesn't dwell on things and doesn't analyze them in depth - if a simple solution works, then it's a good one.

Artificer is the more interesting case here because of how hard inserting her into any sort of relationship is with the trauma she experienced and the actions she took as a response.

I don't see her as 100% irredeemable, pure evil villain. I mean, I share the sentiment of her not being redeemable, but not in the most conventional way - the interesting question is, would there even be a way for her to redeem herself after murdering so many innocent Scavengers and their leader? How'd that play out in a case where she actually has regrets and would want to fix her mistakes?

I love to imagine Artificer not as someone who gets lost in her rage forever, but someone who's punished by the sheer realization, one she had a little too late, that:

1. she messed up so, SO BAD,

2. all she did never brought her any satisfaction, that "I was hurt so I will hurt you more and go for your beloved leader" was never "justice",

3. and there's no turning back from this.

I don't think she'd ever be accepted as the next leader after overthrowing the Cheiftain, she is not getting any respect out of the Scavengers - only fear and the aspiration to see her dead even more after that, from the braver ones at least. Nor would she be the one aspire to rule over the people she both despised and hurt. The only realistic option she has is leaving in shame and never coming back.

Terrible people are interesting, thinking of ways to punish them (or not!) is even more fun. And I feel like Artificer would suffer more than enough knowing she sealed her fate with unfixable mistakes. Her children aren't coming back, she's not getting any sense of closure or satisfaction, not even an ending - ascension is off the table too. I feel like this is a bigger burden to carry than any conventional physical harm or death.

Then comes a question of what to do in life after such events and with such baggage. If she can't make it up to anyone, does she just punish herself further by sulking in self-hatered? Is there even a moment where she could feel she has the right to say "okay I suffered enough, I can allow myself to be happy and live normally now"? Is there a way to reach that point if she can't fix what she had destroyed? There are no right answers to those questions, no one qualified to answer them from an objective standpoint.

But, after all, she's still a person that lives here and now like everyone else, with feelings, regrets and A LOT of shame. There's no way to tell when someone suffered enough for their mistakes and it's all in Artificer's own hands to make the choice to move on, or at least allow herself to live a normal life after all of that - being left to decide everything about herself alone instead of having some sort of punishment from above to endure with humility is also a terrible scenario to be in.

And I feel like Gourmand is someone who could open Arti's eyes to that. When I think about his attitude, I envision someone who, while aware of her past sins, sees the current Artificer as a really capable, reliable friend, who has a lot of useful skills and talents. He'd come to a simple conclusion - that she's better off being this instead of just acting like the shadow of her mistakes, both to herself and everyone around.

I imagine them starting off as really loose pals that'd meet on their travels, with the more apathetic Artificer slowly warming up to be more honest with Gourmand, a simple, understanding guy who just emits this absurd, contagious optimism. And despite him being more straight-forward and far from someone who'd ponder morality in depth, I feel like he could raise an important question to Artificer - whether she really thinks that not doing anything bad ever again is better than maybe trying to finally do something good. (I actually made a short three-panel comic about that question for my anthro AU. It's in the DC server but I never posted it here on Tumblr)

That's something I think only a guy who's willing to take the risk of offering help to a literal wanted criminal, because he trusts his gut that this is the right choice, could say.

There's no "redemption" for Artificer who'll always be tormented by her past, but maybe there's a future for her in a slugcat colony where she can at least lend a helping hand and live by her partner's side. There is a place for tales about mindless violence, revenge and justice, but there's also place for tales where things are a bit more messy and you can't really measure when someone's worthy of moving on or suffering in pain forever. That's also interesting to think about and I think Artificer's character is a perfect canvas for that sort of exploration. The game gives you just enough room to really ponder where "the point of no return" even is and what it could mean in what context.

working on a map part, i think this works pretty well as a standalone illustration!

this is actually a redraw/polished ver from some months ago because i wasnt satisfied with the old version anymore:

hey!! So, this has been on my mind for a little while. In a nutshell, as of now, we have 5 characters (Survivor, Monk, Gourmand, Artificer and Rivulet) (this WILL change overtime) that you can ask things or make do things (obviously nothing insane!) ! This has a story that'll move by overtime, changing the responses and the conditions of the characters.

Intro; the five characters you can currently ask! You can also ask me, the blog owner, about things related to the askblog. Please mention who you're asking, whether it's ooc or for the story, and point out potential joke asks! Whether you are anon or not, you will only exist as a presence that the slugcats feel but can't quite explain. You can observe them, ask them things, ect. They can't really understand your existence though.

All of the information you need to know is under the cut!

Gourmand x Artificer

Shipnames

ArtiGourm, Artimand, Gourficer, GourmIificer, GourtIficer, ArtiGourm, ArtiMand, Barbecue, Barbeque, Bbq, MeatPie, Spicy Bun, SpicyBun, Popcorn, GourmIficer, Burnt Pastry, Overcooked

Shiptags

artificer x gourmand, gourmand x artificer, rw artificer x gourmand, rw gourmand x artificer, artigourm, artimand, gourmtificer, gourtificer, rw artigourm, rw artimand, rw barbecue, barbecue rw, rw barbeque, barbeque rw, rw bbq, bbq rw, rw meatpie, rw spicy bun, rw spicybun, rw popcorn

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