#diaval x maleficent

[claustarkalways]

MALEFICENT 3 is confirmed

MALEVAL FANS IS TIME TO RISE AND SHINE

[r0yalqueen]

You’re my valentine 💘

[vampyrekat]

cant believe i forgot about maleficent and her emo boytoy omg thank you for cleansing the timeline🫶

I am so pleased to bless the timeline with a fine vintage ship, come join me in savoring it. I checked out the novelization on a whim (commuting) and I was like, oh right! I forgot this movie and specifically this ship was made in a lab for my brain. So now I've rewatched the film and I'm lost in the sauce.

I love that Maleficent/Diaval is the story of two people accidentally raising a baby into a teenager together and the whole time Maleficent is oblivious (not her fault! she has bigger things going on!) while Diaval is like "that's my wife, she's terrifying. i love her. <3" Even when Aurora meets them properly as a 15 year old, Maleficent is Going Through It™ while Diaval is just so hype to finally introduce himself to his child.

Pictured above: moments that really did a number on me. He raised this kid and now he gets to finally meet her properly and they're both so delighted by it while Maleficent watches from the corner like }:-(

I really feel like the most beautiful and unique part of it is the genuine backtalk; Diaval might start out subservient and he certainly maintains that position but as time goes on he proves himself perfectly willing to correct or backtalk Maleficent. He basically functions as a reminder of her heart and moral compass while she is recovering from her hurt (and subsequent revenge bender) and it's delightful to watch because you rarely see a position where a male character is so open and honest while the woman gets to have the delicious redemption arc. Maleficent is going through an enemies-to-godfamily relationship arc with Aurora while Diaval is patiently waiting for her to realize he's got heart eyes (AND for her to realize she does actually love Aurora, that's another great element, he realizes this LONG before Maleficent does and tries to gently nudge her over to that revelation). But also this:

He really said "I am just pretending to be afraid of you; I know you won't hurt me even if you push me around" and he was right. What a lovely thing to be playing out as the B or maybe C-plot. There's enough insane drama happening, it's nice that there's something a little lighter and more steady in the background of the story.

Another thing I was musing on through the book and film -- as much as I adore found family and platonic love, it's nice to see a story where a victim of what is clearly coded as sexual assault and is at least intimate partner violence finds love again. I know Maleficent & Diaval isn't technically 'canon', but again, the film was juggling enough relationship arcs with Maleficent & Aurora and Maleficent & Stefan. It's okay, in my eyes, for the romance element to be subtext, when it's clearly still important and given some narrative space and weight.

I had a more coherent thought but finally found a gif of just this moment (thank you, @raainstorms, you spoil us all) so instead you get this. I love it. Maleficent really said "go defend our kid who I haven't realized yet is our kid" and Diaval said "understood". Never proposed but nevertheless they've been married for years.

"Who fell first vs. who fell harder" is defunct. "Which one is the evil minion who adopted the baby on sight and who is the Evil Empress who had to slowly realize they love the baby" is the vintage yardstick everything else has to measure up to. I will read 100,000 fanfics of Maleficent only belatedly realizing that somewhere in the process of acquiring her goddaughter she also acquired a husband. Maybe she acquired the husband first, she certainly does not know. Diaval understands this and is okay with it, Aurora probably doesn't understand in the slightest how her godmother did not pick up on anything.

And the sequel! I realized after reading some other posts that I did NOT remember the sequel correctly because my memories are "fairy genocide and also Diaval and Maleficent are co-parenting". Apparently somewhere in there Maleficent is shoved into a love triangle with two men who are not her long-term boytoy/coparent/external moral compass, which is ridiculous, because the film ends with them attending their daughter's wedding in matching outfits.

If Maleficent 3 (boo hiss at Disney, make something new, cowards) isn't about Aurora parent trapping them I am going to riot in the street.

TL;DR: My roommate described maleval as this post and I have not been able to shake it from my mind because it really, really fits:

[starfish-locks]

Maleficent Lockscreens

Requested by: Anon

°Reblog/ like if you save

[stabbydragon]

My favourite ship dynamic is a morally grey character who prefers to avoid violence but will absolutely commit murder without remorse if they think it's the most convenient way to solve their problem

x

A wise sage-like character with a much better moral compass who's constantly following them around, giving them stern glares when they're about to be violent, lecturing them on how, "murdering people is wrong and you shouldn't do it," but is 100% ready to help hide the body

Bonus points if the first one is the brightest, bubbliest person ever and has no tragic backstory whatsoever.

[darklinaforever]

Me, desperately hoping that we'll one day have a Maleficent 3 that will finally give us the Maleficent and Diaval (Maleval) realization that I've been dreaming about since seeing the first movie !

Seriously, let Aurora's parents finally get their true love with each other !

[angelxcre]

missing them

[idontknowwhatimdoinglol]

Some maleval fanart for yall. I can't draw so it kinda sucks but it turned out pretty cute 🖤

[d-dormant]

[misterrttegrimborn]

Poor girl...

(my edit)

[zenrexiel]

"D-Diaval?.." "Mistress, I served you for more than years." As he kissed the back of her hand gentle yet softly.

[darkfeyfanatic]

Diaval and Maleficent in matching long skirts.

[r0yalqueen]

Scars

[mistressofevilsblog]

“ a pesar de haber acabado con la vida de quién fue su primer amor, el mismo que se aprovechó de la confianza que se le ortogó y quién le hurtó sus alas solo por un título en el reino. el daño en el corazón de la hada oscura seguía tan vivo como intacto, sin mencionar que los recuerdos en su mente seguían rondando por su cabeza sin descanso. reviviendo el dolor una y otra vez.

por ende 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 afirma que el amor no existe, desde su perspectiva es el sentimiento mas doloroso y a su vez destructivo como al pasar sus manos por el hierro.

sí de algo estaba segura, es que no cometería el error de volver a entregar su corazon a ningún hombre. ”

[scribblermerlin]