Talon vs Thatcher

Recently, there has been a bit of a debate on who Tempest should have ended up with. The arguments on Lit were interesting: “Talon is like the husband away at war. By being with Thatcher she was betraying him! This is how it should be!” or “Talon and Tempest’s mating is like an arranged marriage.” (I am totally paraphrasing most of this, but I got the gist of the two sides, I’m sure.) It tickled me pink to see the debate and those torn between the two, and it feeds my soul to know that I caused it all. *insert evil cackle here*

So, let me admit something: I am totally one hundred percent Team Thatcher. He is flawed. He can be harsh, and odd, and just a little irritating at times. He lies, but everyone lies, and sometimes it’s hard to see what side he’s really on. He’s not tall, dark and handsome – he’s not even all that pretty. But he’s good and real and determined to do the right thing, even if people hate him for it. But let’s not cut Talon short, ‘kay? Talon has been asleep for over two-thousand years. He’s had no time to mature or develop. He’s been thrust into a completely foreign world than the one he grew up in. He’s the last of the Ancients, and his sworn enemy is taking over the world with little resistance. His allies fear him, and the only people he can depend upon are his human mate and Thatcher, a Raspan-Hybrid who just so happens to be the son of the Raspan hell-bent on decimating the human race.

Also, let me put it this way: if I had made Thatcher and Tempest a couple, the story would not have played out like it needed to. For awhile, I tried to write the story with Thatch and Temp as the romantic main couple, but things just fell apart. Talon became an unnecessary third wheel – and a broody, irritating one at that! – and the story wasn’t the same. But with Tempest and Talon a couple, it leaves Thatcher to go off and do the dirty, gritty things that at heart he truly loves doing – and besides, he’s got a war to end. He couldn’t save the world if he was rolling the furs with Tempest, hmm? ;)

Food for thought,

L.A.