#anyways happy pride have some rants about old pirate man and his more than a friend friend

[ohlookitsthearkhamknight]

In honor of Pride Month I think its fair to absolutely lose it over these panels again

Everytime I get back to these panels its just so overwheming.

Over the entire series we see Slade love and be loved but it doesnt really last does it? All these women even addi but it never lasts it always dies out. They or Slade always leaves. Someone always leaves be it on purpose or not.

Except Wintergreen.

Out of all of them hell even Addi herself sometimes, Wintergreen has dealt with SO much shit from slade directly and or indirectly.

He of all people has more than enough reason to leave, turn around and never come back. He could leave him, rat him out, hell even kill him but he doesnt. Through everything he stays. Even when he has every reason even when it kills him. And thats just not something you see. I mean srsly. Show me another comic from that time period that had a man who at times could be horrible that had a bestfriend someone who stuck through everything for them. Someone who even without labeling it LOVED them. Because be honest with yourself. You dont stick with someone forever, be there for them for everything if you dont care, if you don't love them. And it could be platonic it could be more who cares. Its still insanely obvicous that Slade snd Billy cared so much about each other that even people around them, EVEN PAT WHO WAS ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH SLADE AT THE TIME SAW IT.

Another thing about these 2 pages that will ALWAYS have me losing it is the conversation between pat and slade and the last 3 panels afterwards.

The conversation: Slade asks Pat to tell him about billy. Not only does he ask what kind of man he is the one question that stands out to me is "were we really that close". Then Pat answers that they were so close that it didnt even seem like just friends anymore because of how much they cared for each other. because be honest. It would have to take a lot of love to deal with what they deal with. She even adds that billy cares for him more than a friend and also says not in a fatherly way either. Even mentions if she didn't know any better she would think they were gay.

Panel 1: Slade and Pat sleep together after the entire conversation. The thing is the entire conversation leading up to them sleeping together was not about pat, its not about her and Slade, no its about Slade and WINTERGREEN. Even after everything said and done Slade doesnt talk. Pat just falls alseep after.

Panel 2: still no words are said but with a sleeping pat we see a wide awake slade. Hes obviously thinking but about what. Hes turned toward the right looking ahead deep in thought and this is where the 3rd panel rips my heart into pieces

Panel 3: Wintergreen is also wide awake in bed. Unlike slade though he isnt turned toward the right no he is turned toward the left. Almost as if he and slade are staring at each other. Still while no words are said nothing is written its very obvious this means something. It means alot. An entire conversation. Thinking about their closness. Their relationship. What they mean to each other.

And the most heartbreaking thing here. Is that Slade doesnt remember Wintergreen in this moment. When asked pat could have said something like. Oh. Bestfriend. Father figure. But no. She told the truth. She told as how everyone saw it. Wintergreen was more than just s friend. He loved slade. And however that may be taken HE LOVED SLADE. And Slade loved him.

There are so many more examples i could bring up. So many more times that showed how much there was between these 2. I wish this was something comic writers understood today. To make 2 characters and their relationship so interesting you have to show its good and bad sides. You need to show how they complete each other. How they help and mold each other. Even right here with unwritten words we see so much emotion. We see all the unwritten words. We see such a strong bond that you dont have to guess about anything. Another thing today is that this is before times were more accepting and i do truely wonder if this were to be written today what they could do with it. What would become of them. Because i think we can all agree slade is at his very best when with wintergreen. A common theme. Without wintergreen Slade just cant exist. Deathstroke can but slade needs his friend thats more than just a friend. He needs someone he loves. He needs his compass. And at this point billy doesnt just represent morals. He represents the very thing about slade. Love. Whether that be family friend whatever. How ever you look at it. Slades very thing is his love. For everyone around him. Its what makes him, him. Its what makes and breaks Slade and Deathstroke.

Anyways 3am rant over. Dont like it move on.