#sigurd/riddle/hayato

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

One random funny shipping trope I like occasionally is when the same person ends up dating two members of the same family (either at the same time (dating the parent and their kid) or at different times (dating the parent/ancestor/elder and then dating the child/descendant/younger at a later date)

Some notable examples from my brain:

Urbosa x Botw Zelda's mother + Zelbosa

What can I say? I first saw the former on Twitter and loved the fanart/au ideas of this ship. Frankly, I like it on its own whether as an au where they got married/became partners, or even if it's a homoerotic friendship with unrequited feelings (on Urbosa's end at the very least).

As for the latter, it kind of just struck me when I first watched that memory in base botw where Urbosa is holding Zelda as she sleeps (tuckered out from surveying) and talks to Link about her. This scene really set Urbosa up as a comforting presence to Zelda, and the knowledge that Urbosa displays sets her up as someone just inherently close to her (or at least someone who has been watching her all this time)

Under the framework of this post though, I love to imagine that Urbosa either has/had a secret thing with Zelda's mother, watched over her diligently and tried to position herself as a helpful presence, and then once Zelda properly grew up and started to get older, feelings (on Zelda's side first) started to grow more uncertain. I'd like to think under this framework that once Zelda becomes an adult and comes to terms with these feelings, she becomes embarassed around Urbosa😂

Or, as someone I know once said "Don't you think it's funny? Urbosa had a thing with the mother and the daughter!"

I also can't help but think back to this post I saw on my for you page about how a "MILF" should specifically be a woman old enough to be your mother. So like. It's also funny to imagine like, a sweet childhood friends situation with past!Urbosa/Zelda's mom, but then Zelda being so down bad for a MILF with eventual Zelbosa

Botw Zelimpa + Zelpaya

Now, I've shipped Zelimpa in botw since Age of Calamity released. Real princess and her number one bodyguard kind of situation seemed to be going on there (for the record, I watched the trailer and played chapter 1 of that game). As for Paya/Zelda, I didn't really think much about it until I (1.) got into botw Zelimpa and (2.) went through Paya's diary in botw and it hit me that Paya could very plausibly be into both Zelda as well as Link.

Under the framework of this post, I really can't help but think of them like parallels to the movie Hook (Paralleling Peter/Wendy and Peter/Moira). In this case, it's funny to me to imagine Zelda having this deep bond and relationship between Impa during AoC era, and then 100 years later (post botw) when she finally meets Impa again, Impa introduces her to Paya. And while Zelda sort of slowly falls for Paya as they hang out and get to know each other and talk, the feelings hit Paya like cupid's arrow (I love you bi crisis Paya).

Nanago + Goyuu

This one sorta came about because (in addition to both of these ships) I like those aus where Nanami is Yuji's adoptive parent. And so it's funny to imagine a situation in which Nanago are exes and/or divorced, and then like years later Yuji and Gojo have one of those chance meeting x romcom romances where they both find out after the fact that Gojo was once with Nanami, but it ends up being Nanami who's the most annoyed and bothered about this situation in the end

Nanami really wishes his adoptive son would dump his ex's ass😂

Rigurd/Siguriddle + Hayariddle

This one's a bit different just because Hayato is Sigurd's reincarnation rather than Sigurd being Hayato's ancestor, but it’s close enough. And it's close enough because this is actually arguably pretty close to UR canon?😂

Like Riddle has an entire King and his most devoted servant/secretary thing going on. There is so much implying that Riddle was probably in love with him, if not that they actually were involved as a couple. And then after his lord (Sigurd) dies, he dutifully makes sure that his beloved's soul reincarnates properly. And then he watches over and protects Hayato (said reincarnation) as he grows up, sets his plans in motion and inserts himself into Hayato's life when Hayato turns 17, and then grows attached to him enough that when he finally ressurects his dear lord after centuries, he chooses his reincarnation over him. And if the ending of that manga tells me anything, it’s that Riddle really did get the King and his reincarnation 😂

Vintaker + R!Ciel/Undertaker

I haven't actually read far enough into BB to know a lot of details, but all I need to know is that the Undertaker may have been implied to be involved with generations of phantomhives, that he did canonically hang with Vincent, and that he's like the Sebastian to R!Ciel. Funny to imagine him involved with the father, and so too his precious dead heir that the undertaker went through the trouble of trying to bring back

Lansoni + King Sonic/Galahad

If you follow me you may have already seen me posting about them but regardless

Satbk is the only continuity where a version of Shadow (Lancelot in this case) is arguably Silver's (Galahad's) dad. I will be completely real with you it is so funny to imagine King Arthur "Sonic" Pendragon being involved in a relationship with two of his knights, both of which just so happen to be father and son. Shenanigans abound. It's funny to imagine

[xionsshadow-ciel]

Ship bingo

*The wheel spins again*

Uhhhhhhh

Riddle/Hayato

Sigurd/Riddle/Hayato

Hiren/Dante

You have brought an mini essay onto your doorstep. Most of this will be under the cut for length and spoilers reasons. If you haven't read Undertaker Riddle, I suggest you do cuz nothing in this will make sense if you don't.

First! Starting with the main pair who drive this wonderful manga, Riddle/Hayato.

There is something so DELIGHTFULLY interesting about them. Could be the fact that the funky contracts Undertakes have are basically mini engagement rings. Could be the fact that both parties share part of their souls with the other.

WHATEVER IT IS. They are gay by default in my eyes. Despite Riddle never doing more than kissing Hayato's ring finger to make the contract ring appear (which is so funny when you read the pilot. Like The tamer version is in the pilot. How is it TAMER in the pilot for the manga?), the two are like basically a married couple? But like the old bickering phase is first and then the honeymoon phase at the end? AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THAT ENDING?! Just,,, LOOK these two are an item. Do not separate thing if you will. Which is sorta funny how often Riddle fucks off to god knows where in the manga.

~~~

Next!! Dante/Hiren!! The second gayest thing in Undertaker Riddle.

I Almost marked down "They're Exes" thanks to the Dante is kidnapped arc, but decided against it. Cuz Dante doesn't even know what a Hiren is. While Hiren is just,,, he's going to be okay but he will break down and cry if Dante looked at him sideways.

These two are literally do not separate. While Hayato gets sorta antsy when Riddle runs off, that's because Hayato is functionally useless without Riddle by his side. Dante got fucking KIDNAPPED, and Hiren's response was to cry and wail like a toddler who dropped their ice cream on the floor before impulsively and (accidentally) kidnapping Hayato on a quest to find Dante.

Hiren is like THE POOR MEOW MEOW. You feel bad for him like seeing a kitten in a downpour. But the second he finds Dante (and almost dies before recovering thanks to Hayato) he goes from poor kitten in the rain to just sopping wet kitten. And then he almost single handily murders like 3 people. Stopping short ONLY because Dante never explicitly told him to kill them and was merely protecting his beloved.

Once they are properly back together as contracted undertaker partners, (which HIREN BABY, THE WAY YOU DID THAT WAS SO FUCKING DANGEROUS. YOU WERE LITERALLY GONNA DIE TO.) they work SEAMLESSLY together. Hiren is like brutal on the battle field, while Dante is verbally the most abrasive man out there.

Of course, I should mention how Roen basically says that Dante is gay to his face. Pointing out that he's "changed" and he's acting like a guy who has a wife and kids basically. Before questioning if it is Hiren, and Dante getting sorta defensive before being drugged. Poor Dante.

They are so gay, the both of them. And the official art makes me feral out here okay?

~~

Sigurd/Riddle/Hayato. I saved the best and MOST SPOILERY ship for last.

OKAY. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE MANGA, GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM. THIS WILL BE SPOILERS FOR THE FINAL ARC. THE WHOLE MANGA IS ONLY 46 CHAPTERS LONG. GO READ IT.

With that being SAID. They are exes, there is attempted murder on Hayato and successful murder on Sigurd. Hayato and Sigurd literally share a soul, so they are basically the same guy. Hayato and Riddle are literally fated to be enemies due to how the plot works and yet same foes for Sigurd and Riddle w/ Hayato. Riddle is SO codependent on Sigurd. Man refused to let anyone in after the king's death so he couldn't become distracted from his goals. Riddle's devotion to both Sigurd and Hayato is just---- MMM. It's so painful. They are sweet as much as they are toxic. And Thematically? It's just perfect.

We good? Cool.

Now this is literally JUST canon for the manga! Straight up, this is how Riddle sees his and Hayato's... situationship. Riddle is doing EVERYTHING with Hayato to get his former Boyfriend/Husband/King back on the throne and destroying the catacombs together.

Riddle and Hayato end up having a proper funeral for Sigurd, and all ends well ya know? But that WHOLE final battle is just, so gay. Especially since Sigurd looks like Hayato in his late 20s. Like idk man, seems sorta fruity to me, but maybe I'm tripping.

(I would have a picture, but there isn't a picture of them together in color. Shame really.)

[smartzelda]

For the Shipping bingo card:

Sigurd/Riddle

Mikamatsu

Ienzo/Sephiroth

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

You manufacture situations in which I can talk I love you

ㅤ

Sigurd/Riddle

An actual bingo for once??? Their POWER

So uh if you haven't read Undertaker Riddle yet and you don't want to be spoiled I heavily suggest you look away because there's no way to talk about them without spoilers

Anyways BY GOD

You wanna talk King and his knight? Try king and his most loyal secretary

French revolution came to town and on his way to hell Sigurd stopped his soul and was like "I see myself in you (affectionate derogatory)" and then gave Riddle his current name. Very "If you have nothing to live for then live for me" this whole situation kinda is for them

But oh god the DRAMA

Sigurd has been King for so long that he doesn't believe things can get better and that the human world just keeps going downhill, so because of his unique position of being so detached from so long he decides that the only way to fix everything is to shake things up

To which "shake things up" means use his power to swap the positions of the real world and hell

And so Riddle has past decided he'd do anything for him, HOWEVER

Sigurd instructs Riddle in the event that he fails, Riddle is to be the one to kill him so he can make sure his soul reincarnates so that Sigurd can have another chance. And YEAH Riddle does it! But by god does he have tangible feelings about it! All of the other undertakers who knew him at this time describe it as if Riddle was never really the same after that

Heck Riddle was so broken up after that that Roen ended up curating a seemingly onesided love where he wished to live domestically with Riddle and make him happy so he'd never look so sad again

Riddle is so devoted to Sigurd's plan that he plays the long game, and orchestrates practically everything, so he can tear Sigurd out of Hayato and see him again

And that whole event is a BUNDLE of devotion and betrayal and angst holy christ

Do you ever spend centuries following the person you care about most, even after they're dead, and everything goes perfectly except by the time you see him again you've also fallen for his reincarnation and his reincarnation's humanity so you have to be the one to end your beloved once more but you also betray your other beloved in the process because you feel as if you should be eternally punished?

God damn, Riddle

Anyways they're married they're divorced they're married again they're having sexual intimacy in secret they're best pals they're soulmates they have tension they have an unexplained scene in front of a mirror where they're hugging��

ㅤ

Ooooh haha Mikamatsu I never get to talk about them

Two in a row?? CRAZY

Okay I bet you're wondering how a certified rarepair could get so many squares

Well, let's begin with where this ship began for me

Anyone who knows me knows I used to end up with a lot of ships that center around the same person, but wouldn't include the third ship in what would make it a triangle (for example, like liking xxc x sl and xxc x xy, but not xy x xxc). Now, however I tend to be more open to that "secret third ship".

All this to say that I sorta entertained the idea when I was already shipping mikalight and matsulight

But anyways. One day I got to thinking about the death note ending (be aware that I wasn't aware at the time that the manga ending was different)

Or, more specifically, an au in which Mikami lived after yellow box (which I am aware now is canon). I had seen the manga panels of how Matsuda felt about Light after all this, so I thought about them both having feelings about Light.

And that created an angsty Mikamatsu au where Matsuda visits Mikami in prison to learn about what he knew about Light at first, so both of them learn about parts of Light they didn’t know through each other, bond over his death, kiss and yeah

That was the gateway, and now they're everything to me

They're perfect for angst, aus where they were roommates during the events in canon or met at the gym. They're perfect for child raising aus and bonding over the same guy

And yes, they would get sexually intimate with the same guy (Light) in my head

Everything I enjoy about them is made up but oh the what ifs oh the possibilities. Throwing Matsuda’s sweetness and Mikami’s devotion into everything

Also if you haven't already or I convinced you...read these fics

This one is Xion's. It's a fairy-tale au and I adore it:

And this one is just ah so so sweet man I love it:

ㅤ

And now for the one no one expected!

Ienzo/Xexion x Sephiroth

So you all might be sitting here wondering

Why

Why them? An utter crackship

Well, some of you are aware of a funky au I have that has leagues of lore and worldbuilding and only two fics, the most self indulgent au in my catalog.

That au, is the Twilight Prince au.

What I have learned through fandom is that if you make the situation in which the characters interact, you can make up almost any ship that no one would have thought up otherwise, and you can make it believable by giving them a dynamic.

So, in the business of maybe getting some of you to understand the why, I will explain a bit of the au that no one but my beloved best friend knows about

Now, the aus "Twilight Prince" in question, is Riku from Kingdom Hearts. I had to think up family structures for characters in this au, and so because I love dumb things like this, Xion and I came up with the idea of having the other Rikus as Riku's siblings, and Sephiroth as the current King of the Twilight.

So, yes. One of those "Sephiroth is Riku's dad" aus😂

The next family structure I had to think up was Kairi's. You see, Kairi kingdom hearts is the current young adult queen of Hyrule. She's trying to facilitate peace between Hyrule and the realm of twilight. In the renga fic for the au, I made references to their being war and tensions, so of course I had to figure out how that all came about.

Thus I decided that Ansem the Wise would be Kairi's grandfather, because I decided that, well, he would be my choice for making tensions and the war worse. Through this, I put some structure into the castle staff. Even is head royal scientist and has a secret but not so secret thing going on with Ansem tw. Kairi needed parents. Ienzo is practically the Ansem tw/Even adopted child in kh canon. Ansem tw practically pays high status women to sleep with him until he can produce an heir (Ienzo).

So, long story short. Kairi is Ienzo's test tube baby, Ansem tw is super controlling during Ienzo's short reign as King. Ienzo doesn't really love being King anyways and feels trapped. When Kairi comes of age and is decently prepared he fakes his death and passes the Kingdom on to her (she is aware of this btw)

And so, King Ienzo rebrands himself as Zexion, royal scientist (after splitting for a while and learning more before ending up working his way up through the castle of course).

Now, keep in mind. The people don't know he's the same guy. To most of the people, Zexion isn't incredibly well known. The castle family structure? They're aware by now, but they can't do anything about it. So, they allow Zexion to go on trips to the Twilight Realm on Royal business (or basically, Twili King Sephiroth and Queen Kairi both allow the other to handpick people to send across borders under supervision, and Zexion is there for scientific reasons).

Now, Sephiroth isn't stupid either. He knows Zexion is the presumed dead King Ienzo.

And pretty much what happens is they sorta end up in this will they won’t they relationship where they're passive aggressive to each other but also Sephiroth invites Ienzo to what's practically a private Twili spa and yeah tensions go up and things just...begin for them. Sephiroth is a bit hopelessly attracted, Ienzo is definitely ace and arospec

I love them