#assertive wilmon

[raincitygirl76]

Editing to add great tags by @kikikiwi27498

no bc the power dynamic between simon and wilhelm is amazing. simon is this quiet, "poor", music nerd and wilhelm is not only a feisty badass but a literal fucking prince, yet wilhelm is the puppy-eyed romantic trying not to slip on his own drool blindly trailing behind simon while simon is the lil shit (endearing) who teases him and doesn't give a shit he technically has a higher status than himself in every single way and treats him like the dweeb he is❤️

[bluedalahorse]

Periodically I wonder what Young Royals fandom could have been if bad faith anon discourse about so many characters and plot points hadn’t been so Everywhere during the fandom’s heyday.

[the-words-we-sung]

Thoughts and pictures - S3E5

And we're getting into the hard episodes...

This first scene is sad and terrible. The shot of the broken glasses and pink condom, the background so dirty and creepy... And my poor Wilhelm trying to deal with this new knowledge about his brother...

"You could say that W's lack of communication became rhetorical. [...] Was it a conscious strategy by W? [...] Maybe he was just in the wrong place, and chance decided his place in world history." -> So I have no idea what Valter and Henry are talking about but it's interesting that they say that just after the scene with Wilhelm and Erik's "words" during the awful initiation. Was Erik in the wrong place at the wrong time? (Also lack of communication: the big issue of Wilmon this season...)

Sara being immediately so suspicious when she comes back home to see Micke all happy and energetic. But also her little hopeful smile when he tells her she can drive him to the test to calm her nerves 😞

His mother is "trying to keep all of that" from him? Really? While his father keeps telling him he needs to be ready to take over? Ludwig sucks. And again telling Wille how perfect Erik was, that he didn't have this "darkness inside of him". Can't he ever have a real conversation with his son? Annnnd hanging up right when Wille was asking about Erik. I am so heartbroken for him 😟

I hate this scene >< Wilhelm is so mean to Simon. He lashes at him immediately. Simon doesn't even have time to answer anything and Wille is already accusing him of judging Erik. I know he's angry and hurt and lost but I hate how mean he can be in these situations...

I think it's really the moment that I realized how hard it was starting to be for me to believe in them as a couple. They can't communicate. Wilhelm is so hurt and lashes out at Simon as a result. And I've seen a lot of people saying how it was between Simon and Crown Prince Wilhelm that the communication was off and impossible, not between Simon and Wille, but I disagree with that: Wilhelm here is not the Crown Prince, he's a grieving teenager who's brother's perfect image just got shattered to pieces. And they still can't manage to talk.

Sara waiting for Micke to pick her up... Another heartbreak ><

Why is Wilhelm convinced that Simon was judging Erik?? He really didn't. And please please please, can't you just go back to your therapy sessions with Boris? You so badly need them Wille :/

"It fits you perfectly." In which universe did this blazer fit him perfectly Linda? xD Why did they choose something so big?

Sara breaking down... I had hoped for maybe a bit more, like an honest conversation between her and Simon before he forgave her, but the scene was still cute.

Wilhelm wearing a simple black jumper: yes please. He looks so good.

And another cute scene between them to make us forget how fucked up their relationship is right now... ^^'

And see? Wilhelm can decide some things and have his voice heard. He did well during his birthday ceremony thingy but then put his foot down and refused to have August come to his birthday dinner. He didn't yell, was very calm and assertive, and Farima said okay. The idea that he would be completely stuck behind a script to follow as Crown Prince (and then King) is absurd to me. He has a voice. He can actually makes things happen/change. (Yes I will die on this hill 😆)

(Okay the girls are just so cute in their little uniforms 🥰)

Cuties being friendly again !!

Gosh the difference between how lively the dinner at school is compared to the stiffness and silence of the birthday dinner >< And Kristina, girl, wtf are you doing... I know you're still trying to deal with Erik's death but was it really necessary to bring up how perfect he was during your other son's birthday >< Can't you be there for him? Can't you try harder to help him? To just be his mother when it's his birthday and he's officially introducing his boyfriend to you? 😩

I don't hate this scene between August and Sara. I appreciate the development and to see where they both are at that moment. Also this shot is very pretty!

And another bad scene between Wilhelm and Simon... Why does Wille keep being so mean? Again I know he's hurting so much but fuck. Why can't they actually talk to each other? Well, why can't Wille actually talk to Simon?

This scene between Wilhelm and his parents was so fucking important. So fucking needed. I'm just sad that it happened so late in the season. And that it didn't really change anything.

What can I say about this last scene? Edvin and Omar are incredibly good actors, their tear-streaked faces are heartbreaking. Simon breaking up with him was expected I guess at this point. It was really getting hard to believe in their relationship... But what a terrible moment to do it! I wanted something cute out of a scene when they're both in pajamas and sweatpants in Wille's bed 😩

So it is "easier" to watch these episodes now that I know exactly what's gonna happen, but it doesn't really make me like them more >< This episode was probably the first one that made me dislike Wilmon as a couple. And it's not a fun thing to realize ><

I'll try to wrap up this rewatch tomorrow with the last episode! (And I'm already trying to think about how I will deal with rewatching the whole show in the future, because this season is not giving me the happy happy butterflies that the 2 first did ><)

[skibasyndrome]

It's really refreshing to read your wilmon and their sex dynamics. I like how you never put them in boxes but let them do their own, versatile thing. I'm sad most wilmon fans don't appreciate it but your assertive top Simon is the hottest thing ever

Oooooh, thank you so so so much dearest anon, that is so kind of you to say!!!!!! 😭🥹💜💜💜💜💜

And it's so lovely to hear that this resonates with people, that really, really does mean so much to me 💜 I just like to think that they'd do whatever, slip into whatever dynamic suits them best and makes them feel good in the moment, based on mood, emotions, whatever else.

And thank youuuu 😭���😭😭😭😭😭 yeah, ngl... I mean idk what fic(s) you are referring to specifically, but I have a few where Simon is more dom-y and I love them a lot, because ahhh. Something about Wille being a bit of a mess and able to do that safely because Simon's got him?? Big fan of that. I try not to look at "trends" of what people prefer to read (also because I want to keep all kinds of strict top/bottom discourse as far from me as possible) but... yeah... Some things definitely seem to be more well received than others, and that has to be okay and I gotta accept that, but it does make me wonder sometimes.

But asks like yours really do mean a lot and are very encouraging, thank you so much for seeing the vision and for enjoying even those less loved fics 💜💜💜

[strawberryfaced]

What are your fave scenes in s3? ☺️

im so glad u asked anon .. ive been waiting to find an excuse to talk abt this. ….

ep2: ok so in ep2 i’m sooooo obsessed with the tiny scene where simon puts his head on wille’s shoulder like a little dog or something. there’s just something sooo innocent and wholesome about it. but then there’s also wille and august’s fight and oh my god. the way wille almost killed him just because he said a few words to his bf… like calm down but also i support u. then again I actually have found myself kinda rooting for august this season so… kinda yikes too. and oh my god wait wait i have to talk about simon’s new song. FIRST OF FUCKING ALL THE REFERENCE TO REVOLUTION BY ELIAS (which im coincidentally listening to right now)??? AND THEN ALSO HIS LITTLE CHUCKLE WHEN HE GETS THR POSITIVE COMMENTS (which are absolutely deserved. it needs to be on Spotify right now) THAT SCENE. I LOVE SIMON. BUT THEN AGAIN NOT EVEN THR BEST PART BECAUSE I INOW IT WS SAD BUT WHEN WILLE CALLED SIMON TELLING HIM HE NEEDED TO DELETE THR VIDEO HIS LITTLE OKAY… !!//&&

ep3: for ep3 firstly the pre-camp scene when wille picks up simon. the “big boy”. IM CRYING. and the hammock scene …….. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. but oh my god do not even get me fuckinf started on the rave scene. that one frame of wilmon. roshella and frederika’s jealousy (ok personally i am not a stella nor frederika fan. the way they treat Felice is an absolute no but still that scene killed me). BUT ALSO WILMON’s TENT FIGHT??? I MEAN LIKE. THE SHUSHING. WILLE REFERENCINF SIMON SELLIG TO AUGUST. ABSOLUTELY. FOUL. ok but the one that really did it for me was simon and linda comfort scene. i cried during that scene. i love love love linda and simon so much no one will get it.

ep4: wilmon flirting during the inspection. no further notes . anyways sara and her dad bonding driving singing scene. I didn’t include most of sara’s scenes in my favourite scenes but oh my god can I just say sara, august, and micke this season I loved their stories sos so much. and the singing while driving scene. it hurt me. because as much as I hate to admit it micke reminds me of my own dad (and wille. wille this season. when I watched some of his scenes I got fully afraid). so yeah that’s really important to me!! ok anyway there is also the baking scene. no further notes on this one too. OK BUT THE HALLWAY MAKEOUT I SCREAMED. WHAT. I really really really need edvin and omar’s commentary on this one.

ep4: not many fave scenes in this one but my favourite scene in this ep was probably the one after simon’s home was broke into and wille runs to him and embraces him in a hug. no kissing, no sneaky flirting (as much as I love those things) just pure warmth and love and care. I loved it.

ep5: actually ep5 Broke me but since young royals is just so amazing I still managed to have favourite scenes in this one. first is the music room fight. yes yes I know it was terrible but it was terrible and I loved it. I just really loved the intensity here and it was such a huge contrast from the previous seasons too because tbh s1 and s2 to me were mostly like wille being obsessed with simon and simon being an amazing confident assertive boyfriend. but this season…. this scene… it changed. wille’s angry so much and it’s like simon is just trying his best. he’s sacrificed some of his own feelings to care for wille’s (not saying he didn’t do that previous seasons) it was biggggg. ALSO THE MORNING HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I LOVE YOU WILMON. oh OH OH AND THEN AUGUST GIVING SAFA THE LETTER. like I said previously i actually am kind of rooting for august this season and sara I love her screen time so much she’s such an interesting character. so the combo of this … it was crazy. and I honestly really enjoyed the way sara just hugged august it made me smile very hard but ngl the kiss was abit too much for me. i think that was like…not good of them to do. last but not least wilmon birthday fight. can i just say. the whole cast in that scene were amazing. you know the famous fallen angel painting. that was how amazing edvin’s acting was. it was so so intense. and simon/omar .. i respect them so much in that scene. anyways we’re not gonna talk abt the bed scene because that doesn’t exist in my little head anymore :)

okay that was it i believe. both waiting for and watching the last episode will probably include a lot of crying. but u know it is what it is!! we rock this shit right!! i love young royals with my whole heart and to the anon that sent me this ask im so so sorry for dumping all this on u but thank u for letting me talk :3 n to anyone else who saw this if u read even one paragraph of this i love you

[hanna-kin]

Wilmon and hands season 2

I love how they kept the focus on Wilmon and hands in season 2.

Even if they had a lot less really intimate scenes and much more focus on their separate development, them touching and holding hands remained a focal point in season 2.

Even in Wille's dream it's a prominent and important aspect of the intimacy they share. To touch and be touched is so important for Wille.

And it's one of the last thing he dreams of before waking up - holding Simon's hand tenderly.

Then their hands touch by accident (or was it an accident) and you can basically feel the charge that runs through them.

How many memories run through their heads before Simon pulls away. Because Simon is hurting and he's realising just how hard it is to be near Wille. How much it will hurt and how much he can't ignore the pain.

So he pulls away because he's protecting himself and his heart. And then after this he asks Wille for space.

And I think this moment is so much more powerful because of the distance between them through season 2.

Even though Simon has pushed him away before, Wille is still reaching out.

There's a bit of hesitation but at the same time he feels assertive. As if he knows that there's hope for them now.

But he's slow and careful so that Simon has the chance to pull away if he oversteps his boundaries . It's still on Simon's terms but even if it is Wille is still managing to show Simon what he wants.

And this time Simon is not pulling away at all.

It's such a beautiful moment where they are both trying to figure out what will happen to then. They are bringing comfort to each other again. They are trying to be on the same page even if it's difficult because Simon needs to go to the police to bring himself justice and for Wille that has huge consequences.

He'll have to give up on the freedom he's just realised he will be able to have.

It should feel hopeless, it should drive them apart even more.

But it doesn't at all. Because they are being honest and communicating with eachother and most of all. They understand eachother and listen to eachother.

It feels like they feel hope for the first time in months. Both of them.

And then we have their final moment together. Such a beautiful scene.

They hold eachothers hand, they comfort eachother, they are on the same page and Simon most definitely helps Wille be brave. Even if they are litterally ten meters away from everyone else in a wide open corridor they are not afraid to be affectionate and show their love.

It's such a beautiful and tender moment for them.

The more I think and a analyse this season the more I fall in love with it!

[skibasyndrome]

Hi Simon !

I'm very curious about the murderer on the run, but even more about greek heros AU !!! 👀👀👀

(I was wondering myself who they could be, but Achille and Patoclus of The song of Achille work so well for them I can't imagine anybody else !)

Margot!!! Thank you for much for asking 💜💜💜

Ohhhh I said something about both already, but since I have more """""snippets"""" (messages I spammed @themarsbar with) for murderers on the run, here you go: ngl, posting just... crappy lil snippets is a little bit cathartic for the perfectionist in me

[Wille comes back to their hiding place - turns out he got hurt on the way] But he stumbles into their hideout clutching a bundles up piece of fabric against his arm or shoulder and Simon who's been sitting in some corner, still pissed at some fight they had earlier comes rushing towards him as soon as he realizes what's going on. And maybe Wille first wants to fight him, because he can handle this, he's /fine/, he's always handled stuff himself and he doesn't need Simon to give a shit, but maybe Simon gets a little louder and tells him to stop whining and let him do this, because he /knows/ how to handle this (mom's a nurse and all) and maybe Wille is sitting on a chair or couch or something and Simon is standing over him and then Simon grips his head so Wille can't avoid looking at his eyes the way he's been doing more and more recently and, well, that works. Because once Simon has Wille's face in his hands and has him looking him in the eyes Wille is very quiet, so Simon can say something assertive like "you can continue being an asshole to me after I made sure you don't get sepsis. you won't owe me any gratitude" and. well. Wille is quiet then, nodding when Simon lets go of his face to go collect some utensils.

Ask me about my WIPs <3

PS: ahhhhhhhhh, @grapehyasynth and @themarsbar were literally talking about just that the other day!!! the wilmon x song of achilles potential!!!!!!

[raincitygirl76]

Reblogging again because of the new addition by @margotdanslebois which brings up an important point re consent. And because I have news (not directly) from Rojda Sekersoz about how the Wilmon intimate scene in 1.04 was specifically structured to make consent extra clear. Rojda directed 1.04.

Hmmm, that is actually a good point from @margotdanslebois re: Simon kissing Wilhelm a second time outside the horror movie in 1.02. Anybody want to weigh in? It’s past midnight in my time zone and I desperately need to go to sleep. But perhaps mutuals in other time zones can come up with thoughts on this. Because I LOVE the first kiss(es) scene in 1.02. I want to continue to be able to love it, even if it’s a more complex scene than I thought at first.

Oh, and on the matter of consent, I heard on….someone’s Tumblr, that Rojda Sekersoz (the conceptual director in pre-production and S1, and director of episodes 1.01, 1.02, 1.04, 2.01, and 2.02). Where was I? got lost in parentheses. Point is, Rojda directed 1.04, including the first time scene, and had something interesting to say in an interview about consent.

In the first time scene, we all saw Wilhelm being quite assertive and very much taking the initiative. Apparently that was dreamed up between Rojda and the intimacy coordinator Sara Aarhusis to make it clear Wilhelm was consenting. They were concerned if Wilhelm weren’t as assertive in that scene, the consent could be considered iffy. Because less than 12 hours earlier, Wilhelm had been drunk and high as a kite.

Him taking such an active role in that intimate scene was to make it clear that he had indeed already sobered up enough to give meaningful consent. And that Simon was NOT taking advantage of Wilhelm while he was still in a state of altered consciousness.

I’m so glad YR is the kind of show where the director and the intimacy coordinator realize this is a potential issue, and take steps to mitigate it. Because a lot of shows wouldn’t have thought about it even for five seconds.

As my identified reference about Sara and August, I have a question for you about the end of s1.

When Sara goes to August's room to confront him, they end up kissing. Before I saw S2, I thought Sara was not really consenting, giving the way she looks away. I thought August was taking avantage of her.

Do you think she was "enjoying it" at that time, but maybe was wondering what was happening ?

Thanks for your ask! I’m happy to be your sargust expert.

And now to address your question. It’s an uncomfortable question to answer, but I’ll do my best to answer it all the same. Content note that we’re about to get into discussing consent and other difficult topics related to sexuality.

Generally my read on the situation is: yes, Sara consented. At the same time, she’s conflicted about her feelings for August in that scene, so I think what we’re seeing when she looks away is her struggling with her feelings about her desires.

While we talk a lot about the more positive depictions of sexual behavior in Young Royals, one thing that’s true about the show is that it actually depicts a range of sexual behaviors. Earlier in season 1, we have Simon nervously but happily kissing Wilhelm on movie night, but we also have Felice showing up at August’s room and initiating a hookup not out of desire but out of feelings of anger and insecurity. Felice and August both consent to the latter encounter, but both of them do so while in a negative headspace. Sara’s encounter with August in 1.6 occupies a sort of middle space between these two extremes. This is even evident by how the scene is blocked and directed. Sara showing up at August’s door reminds us of the way Felice shows up, but her first tentative kisses remind us of Simon on movie night. Sara does feel genuine desire—she’s the one who initiates the kissing, at first—but she’s also struggling with that desire and what it means for her understanding of herself, her relationship with her family, etc.

Another piece of important context for the confrontation scene is that both Sara and August are in not the best headspace. August has been grappling with the fact that he betrayed his core value of discretion released the video, and a lot of the buried resentment he feels toward Wilhelm has come to the surface. This is coming on the heels of August barely avoiding being kicked out of Hillerska after not being able to pay his boarding feels. Sara encountered her father in person on Lucia night—something caused by Simon going behind her back—and her house is now being hounded by journalists and her mom is threatening to pull her out of a school where she’s finally made friends. While neither of them is in as awful or traumatic a place as Wilhelm or Simon, for obvious reasons, I don’t imagine either of them has been sleeping well or taking care of themselves. This is likely something that’s cutting down on their usual inhibitions, and their decisions are driven partially by bad mental health/a stress response.

Regardless of the fact that Sara consents, I also think we’re meant to feel uncomfortable in that scene because we know how quickly things could go in a negative direction where Sara’s consent is disregarded. We know August’s views of women are crap. He has a lot more privilege, between the two of them, and he’s physically taller and stronger than Sara. If I recall (I’m trying not to rewatch the scene right now so I don’t accidentally rewatch Young Royals when I need to get work done) we even see him lift Sara up and put her on his desk. In a more idealized/less realistic teen drama, the directors might have tried to turn this into a ~sexy move~ via camera work, lighting, and sound mixing. But here it’s merely a demonstration of physical strength, and one that Sara’s not initially expecting. I don’t think Sara’s feeling threatened or coerced, in that moment, even if she’s surprised and even if all of this physical contact is new to her—I imagine season 2 would have played out very differently if she had felt that way—but I do think that we, as audience members, are supposed to feel the possibility of that threat, and worry for her.

(Something I also have considered in season 2 is the way that Sara is initiating a lot of the physical contact at the beginning of season 2, while also knowing August’s secret. Theoretically she could have blackmailed him into hooking up with her by threatening to go to the police with information. She doesn’t attempt to blackmail him, and August consents to physical contact with her even when he’s surprised by it. But the context in which Sara kisses August in 2.2 is supposed to bring this idea into our head, I think. Maybe. I go back and forth on what the writers want us to think there.)

Another way to think about these scenes, also, is that some sex educators recognize multiple categories of consent. For instance, Angela Chen recognizes four in her book on asexuality. Chen would probably label Sara’s consent in 1.6 as willing, but not enthusiastic. Likewise with August’s consent in 2.2.

Tl;dr consent is a complex topic and different sex educators have different paradigms about consent. Young Royals wholly acknowledges the importance of consent in sexual situations, while also acknowledging that not everyone who consents does so at perfect times, or with pure, uninterrupted feelings of love and desire in their heart. And I think being aware of that makes it easier to interpret scenes like the one above.

Hope this answers your question! There really are a lot of emotional layers to this show.