Q & A

A Q & A regarding my selfship with Nazhir! All questions are from this post! More may be added later on, but we'll see...!

I will be switching between using first person or referring to Nerine by name depending on which makes the question easier to answer.

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1. briefly introduce your yume ship! is it romantic, platonic, familial, or something else?

AZnerine is Complex Yuri (it starts off as a situationship of sorts but is evenually romantic). What happens when a former king finds the one person who remains from a kingdom she effectively betrayed over 3000 years ago? Well... a lot of complicated things, really. One wants to feel as if she is redeemed, the other has been stewing in anger for centuries, but her sense of anger and her sense of desire have melted together.

2. how did you and your comfort character(s) meet?

In canon: Nerine was once a servant within AZ's castle. They knew each other... kind of. Nerine had grown up within his same village, but AZ was not social at all. He seemed to ignore the world around him... but there was something about him that seemed ethereal to Nerine, who had later developed a crush on him. But he did not see her... their only real interaction with one another while AZ was king was when he gifted her a music box, as well as the key she now wears around her neck. He did not intend the music box for her in particular- he had made it, he no longer wanted it. She just happened to be in the right place at the right time... it is something AZ barely remembers, but the same cannot be said for Nerine.

3000 years later, AZ reunited with Floette after an event in which he kinda sorta showing her the depths of his selfishness and indifference, thus leading to her leaving him. AZ is now trying to find a new purpose in his eternal life... he never made plans for what he should do after finally finding Floette again. Passing through Lumiose, he sees something glitter around a woman's neck...he recognizes the usual shape of the key, similar to that of the ultimate weapon, yet made for a much more moundane purpose. He knew it was one he crafted, for his keys utilized the unique shape of those that were created by his mother before him, who had worked as a locksmith until her death. The woman passes from his sight before he can say anything, but now he desperately needs to find out who she was!!

(Luckily for him, she's pretty famous around Lumiose.... and things continue from there.)

IRL: I played Pkmn XY for the first time around its release date in 2014 (I even still have my original game file on a copy of Y), and like a lot of people I was slightly underwhelmed by it... in recent years, however, I had a really intense urge to replay it, partly because I was curious if it was really as weak of a game as I remembered it being. In July 2023 I decided to download a copy of Pokemon X through Completely Legal Means and well. I remember thinking to myself like "Hmm I remember AZ being an interesting character but underutilized by the game and not very acknowleged in fan works. It would be fun to do a yumeship with him but we'll see if it happens."
...................I completely forgot about this thought until August where I saw a post about him... and the rest is history! By the way, the anniversary date for AZnerine is August 8th, 2023.

(Going off on a longer tangent here, while I've selfshipped with a few different characters, but outside of Theseus & Asterius I would tend to lose interest in them very quickly. AZ is the first other than those two whose managed to stick with me this long, and even though it's only been a few months I do feel an intense connection with him...!)

3. what is the dynamic between you and your comfort character(s)?

3000 years ago, they were a king and a peasant. But now, those roles have essentially been reversed... Nerine is a wealthy socialite (who hates socializing), and AZ, to the uninitiated, is simply a strangely tall mysterious vagabond. Early into their relationship, Nerine spends a lot of time taking care of AZ... not because she was in a way subservient to him in the past (she is far to stubborn and headstrong for any of that nowadays), but bdcause she feels a sense of obligation. He very clearly has not been taking care of himself, and for several reasons, Nerine finds this unaccpetable! "you're spent all this time looking for Floette, and now all you're going to do is make her sick with worry!", she says!
Nerine may be considered a classic tsundere archetype. Acting pouty and stubborn and angry because she (not so secretly) cares quite a lot. AZ didn't complain about Nerine's fussiness though, or that she was very domineering. While AZ is good at emotional vulnerability, he often skirted around his actual needs, partly because he hadn't yet learned that selfishness is not inherently a bad thing... and it certainly isn't selfish to want to take charge sometimes when he sees Nerine pushing herself too hard.

It takes awhile before both of them get better at voicing their needs and desires... but their relationship does go kind of fast too, partly due to both of them being very touch starved- being physical and touching and holding one another (and doing a lot more than just that but that's between me and god) means a lot to both of them.
There is an inheren intimacy to them even before this, however... Nerine is the only person in the world to call AZ by his true name, Nazhir.

4. how would you and your comfort character(s) describe each other?

From Nerine: "He's stubborn and often self centered... and he does not deny these flaws within himself. His honesty is his most admirable trait. I can... appreciate the fact that he is willing to be open with me, about his emotions and such. I do wish he'd be more willing to let himself rest, however."

From AZ: "Nerine may refer to me as stubborn... but between the two of us, I would say that she is the more stubborn. Her determination is an unyielding thing. She is also much kinder than she seems, and much more generous. I am glad to know her as intimately as I do."

5. who is better at cooking?

For a dish that is filling, delicious, and flavourful, Nerine is the better chef. It's not that AZ is a bad chef- it's just that he's never bothered with learning more than the necessities. He's only cared about making food that is nutrious, filling, and not much more than just that. If he decided to learn how to make more elaborate dishes, he would have an easy time of it... and Nerine will surely motivate him towards that goal. After all, she can't be cooking for him all the time.

6. Who is better at organizing?

Nerine!! It's genuinely a hobby for her she thinks it is so much fun. AZ participates too though, he's very used to long and often tedious tasks.

7. who is more athletic?

AZ, by pure technicality... he has spent many years walking, and his legs are strong due to it. He wouldn't call himself athletic though, as this has been mostly out of necessity (and these days, his old leg injury keeps him from traveling as far as he'd like). Nerine meanwhile... she's lazybones. She likes to lay down and sleep.

9. who gets tired faster?

Nerine is out of shape, but AZ suffers from some chronic pain... they both get tired rather fast, just for different reasons.

10. who gets more excited about special occasions (birthdays, holidays, etc)?

Nerine is serious about holidays. She has all kinds of ornaments to decorate with, and loves the process of setting them up. AZ doesn't quite get the appeal, but finds it very sweet regardless.

11. who is better at planning surprises/keeping secrets?

AZ is better at keeping secrets, partly because he talks far less than Nerie does (as much as she would like to think otherwise). When he has something planned for Nerine, she'll be completely ignorant of it until the day comes.

12. what is something about you that your comfort character(s) don’t know?

They don't know about my maximum silly girl swag.

13. what is something about you that ONLY your comfort character(s) know?

...Wouldn't be much of a secret anymore if I put it down here now would it!!

14. what are three ways in which you have changed since meeting your comfort character(s)?

Within the AZnerine lore... Nerines learns to start trusting people more, allowing others in. Vulnerability and communication and such.

As for me myself... it may sound silly, but being with AZ has made it a bit easier for me to talk about the grief I have experienced in my past.

15. what are three ways in which your comfort character(s) have changed since meeting you?

AZ learns the importance of human connection and that selfishness is not an inherently bad thing. He learns to foregive himself too.

16. what is your favourite thing about your comfort character(s)?

Awhile ago I saw an old post describing Nazhir as an "elderly bishounen" and I agree- though he is meant to look "aged" (even though he looks to be in his 50s at the oldest if you ask me...), and despite being a King In Rags... there's still a sense of elegance to his appearance. Also, I like his pouty frown and his wide nose. Outside of his appearance, I like how he seems... sincere? I dunno how to explain it. He's not the type to explain himself clearly all the time, preferring stories and metaphor, but he is always honest. He takes responsbility for what he's done, even if he doesn't always understand why the consequences arose... hmm... diagnosing him with autism as we speak.

17. what is your comfort character(s)’s favourite thing about you?

He likes that I'm small compared to him because he is a pervert. He likes that I'm stubborn and headstrong and at times too opionated. He likes that I have such a strong interest in ancient history and how it influences my art and writing. And he likes that I'm cute :~)

18. what is your favourite moment featuring your comfort character(s) in the media they come from?

I like when he gets locked inside a cage :~)

(Joking (kind of). But I do think it's interesting how he tells his story as a story. As if it were something that happened to someone else. Does he feel a disconnect with the past? Is it a way of avoiding the feelings of guilt he has? Maybe at this point it is nothing more than a story, a past event that has melded into the world's mythology, something debated by scholars but never once considered true...)

19. do you have alternate universes of your yume ship? tell us more about them!

A few different AUs...

• Fairytale AU: In this AU AZ is a kelpie and Nerine is a fairy. This AU is meant to be in a crossover setting with Diathesterius.
• Godhood AU: This AU is more... adult orientated, so I'll rarely, if ever, discuss it publicly. In this AU, AZ is a god of duality, and Nerine is his temple maiden.
• Greek Mythology AU: You see, AZ would made a really good fucked up Greek king whose hubris costs him greatly.

There is also "medieval fantasy 90s anime" au and a "slightly horny sci-fi comedy 90s anime" AU, those are also crossovers with Diathesterius.

20. what nicknames do you and your comfort character(s) have for each other?

Nerine is NAWT a bitch who does nicknames she calls Nazhir by his name and that is all! AZ will call Nerine "Neri" sometimes though, usually when he's feeling particularly tender...

21. if you had to describe your yume ship with one song, which song would it be?

This song to me represents a midpoint in AZ and Nerine's relationships. The feeling of loneliness and alienation come pouring out in a way that is intense and nearly unbearable... The diver's wife sees her lover out searching for pearls amongst the tides, but she does not feel like a priority to him. Yet she watches for him, is unable to even think about straying from him... perhaps if she can reach that pearl at the very depths of the ocean that is her love, he will see her as well.

22. where do you want to be with your comfort character(s) in three years?

That's a long time isn't it... I decided to officially marry Theseus & Asterius to mark our three years together... so if AZ and I make it that far, I'll likely do the same for him. Otherwise... well... this is a silly long-term goal, but I'd like to get a good job so I can get custom plushies of the three of them... and my inserts too, later on.

23. if there was a book written about you and your comfort character(s), what would the title be?

Maybe something like The King at the End of the World. Or something to do with haunting and crows and what not... I'm not so good at titling things, you know.

Mini Nerine: @/hook_front (twt) / Mini AZNerine: @/Kyureimus (twt)