#more romantic than any of henry's 'love' letters

[rosepompadour]

anne boleyn and thomas wyatt, tarnish by katherine longshore He kisses me with the deep desperation of a drowning man. This kiss is a song of longing. "I love you," I whisper when he kisses my throat. I cannot say it loud enough for him to hear.

+

[aphroditelovesu]

Yan!Husband Henry VIII Headcanons (Romantic)

❝ 👑 — lady l: This has been in my draft for a while but I decided to finish it now lol. Hope you like it! Forgive me for any mistakes. ❤️🧡

❝tw: obsessive and possessive behavior, toxic relationship, mention of death perhaps.

❝👑pairing: yandere!henry viii x female!reader.

You had already dreamed of marrying a King, of becoming his Queen and giving birth to his heirs, a romantic fantasy that you and many other young women have dreamed of. They were mere fantasies of romance that you made up, but never really thought it would happen or become the obsession of one of the most infamous Kings in the history of England.

Your dreams remained as they were, dreams of a young lady. The King of the country where you lived was already married, so there wasn't much chance of you marrying him. Your family was of noble enough origin and had considerable wealth, but nothing too extravagant.

Until your older sister's marriage to a powerful man, close to the King. With that, your family immediately moved to the English Court, excited about their new status. Your father was particularly eager to marry you off to a powerful man as well.

Henry was dissatisfied with his wife, Anne, she had failed to conceive the much-desired male heir he so desperately wanted. His wandering eyes began to wander to the young women of the Court and when he laid eyes on you, he knew you would be the one to give him what he wanted.

Henry's captivating gazes seemed to follow you wherever you went and it began to unnerve you. A hint of excitement perhaps, but you knew it was a dangerous game to get involved with the King, especially when he was married.

Your parents were immensely happy with the King's interest in you. If you became his mistress, it would bring benefits and riches to your family. And when Henry got tired of you, you could perhaps marry a man with a noble title. Maybe a Duke or a Marquis.

But you didn't want to be his mistress or anyone's mistress. You wanted a husband and not a mere toy that he could always discard later. Your resistance angered your parents but attracted Henry even more. Your rejecting him has stirred him up, and bewitched him even more. Whenever you were in a room, Henry's eyes would be on you.

All of Henry’s attention was on you and you would be lying if you said you didn’t like it. He didn't even try to hide his affection for you, he sent you gifts and letters constantly. You reciprocated, sending him letters in return, but always remaining firm in your convictions.

Before long, Henry was deeply in love with you and quickly got rid off his current wife, Anne. When he asked you to marry him, shortly after his separation from Anne, you hesitated but accepted. You would finally become his and his alone.

Once you were married, Henry became more possessive than ever. He already didn't like the looks other gentlemen gave you, but now that you were officially his, it would be considered a crime of treason. And we know how he deals with betrayal.

You were his perfect Queen, so sweet and so, well, perfect. Henry makes a point of reminding you of that every day, about how perfect you were for him. He really was in love, so he kept on your side the whole time. His eyes remained only on you.

Henry truly values ​​you and your opinion. It is not a custom, but he would be willing to listen to your wishes and political opinions (if you have any) on matters of state. You are his Queen, after all. If it was your wish, if you were Catholic, Henry could even try to restore Catholicism in England.

He really loved you, maybe not in the conventional way, but he did. Henry would listen to your wishes, fulfill them and all he wants in return is his love. He will not tolerate people speaking ill of you and will condemn anyone who does so for treason.

Henry would be loyal to you, he would take care of you until your death. He wants to have children with you, a family, a male heir, but he also wants to be with you. He could be himself and not the King of England.

And when you finally gave him his long-awaited male heir, Henry knew he would never let you go or let anything happen to you. After all, you are his wife and his Queen. And Henry doesn't handle treason very well.

[henry-fox-biggest-stan]

It’s SO funny to me when I see movie fans writing alex as this daddy dom, himbo guy because Alex is so!!!

If you scream at him a little too loudly he’ll probably cry, just not in front of you. He falls in love really hard and deeply but it takes him so long to accept that he can also be loved hard and deeply! He has the highest grades ever 1) because he’s smart and 2) because he bases his self worth on making others proud, on being useful. He overworks himself, he runs to clear his head until his feet bleed, his coffee is bitter but so are his thoughts. He’s a softie, who writes his bf love letters and who probably giggles and kicks his feet while reading what henry writes back to him. He can absolutely destroy you in a debate, don’t even try to argue with him he’ll win each time. He talks a lot but he has never been listened to. His rivalry with Henry started with a bad meeting and also with constant comparison, because everyone compared them both, and it was just a constant reminder than Alex will never be enough. Henry was born on the spotlight, Alex wasn’t. Henry was white, Alex wasn’t. Henry had everyone’s support, Alex didn’t. *He is a jester and a devoted knight. He knows hundreds of fun facts and will tell you. He loves Texas despite the bad memories of his childhood and teen years it brings. He feels guilty for making his sister worry so much. He loves his mother despite everything, and she loves him too, but they have an unusual, almost unhealthy relationship. He needs to prove himself every minute of the day. He works as a distraction. He puts on a façade around everyone, golden boy, America’s heartthrob, no one sees his house key, his glasses, the hundreds of papers hidden under the windowsill, the pills stolen from Liam. Someone teach this man healthy coping mechanisms. He is a child of divorce, and this affects him more than he lets on. He is actually a huge nerd. He grew up poor. He was in denial about his sexuality for years. He definitely has abandonment issues. He might be impulsive sometimes (storming Kensington palace after being ghosted by Henry) but he usually thinks things through, and is very reasonable. He makes lists, tons of them. He has undiagnosed adhd and this has shaped him as a person in a way I can’t even describe. Before Henry, bea, and Pez, he didn’t have any friends aside from Nora and his sister. He grew up catholic. He is a romantic. And a dork. He is just as passionate about history as Henry is. But Nora makes friends, and Alex ends up with acquaintances who think they know him because they’ve read his profile in New York Magazine, and perfectly fine people with perfectly fine bodies who want to take him home from the bar. None of it is satisfying—it never has been, not really, but it never mattered as much as it does now that there’s the sharp counterpoint of Henry, who knows him. Henry who’s seen him in glasses and tolerates him at his most annoying and still kissed him like he wanted him, singularly, not the idea of him.

Always the talker, never the heard. Always good, never enough. Always ogled, never seen. Always the first son, never Alex.

[luvistqrzzz]

TRIVIA : LOVE — enhypen hyung line oneshot series

Finding love is not easy they say but what happens when you fall for someone at the most unexpected time in an unexpected way? — whisper a small oops and continue to fall further into the loophole of love.

aka the chronicles of a hopeless romantic soul

PAIRING && GENRE — hyung line x f!reader, can be read as stand alone oneshots, crack, ansgt, fluff, happy ending, more tba in individual fics

TAGLIST — open send an ask or comment to be added (you will be tagged for all the 4 fics) — @flwrshee @aosbie @rsmura @enhastolemyheart @yannew @sophiko22 @www-jungwon @nwjws @in-somnias-world @zzinyl @mrchweeee @ghostiiess @ilovecheese09

PERMANENT TAGLIST — @rikizm @str0l0gy @yenqa @heetoldme @crxzs @s00buwu @nhularin @bunreis @hysgf @mochamvgz @myonos — will be added in all parts

STATUS — to be released !!

AN — TYSM FLO @dollikis FOR THE MAIN BANNER ISTG SHE'S SUCH A GENIUS 🫶🏼🥹 I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF IT ILYSM FLO my banners for the rest of the fic look like shit 😻🤞🏼 i feel the general summary is so cringe ( if someone comes up w a better one then pls help 😭) ALSO the fics in the series are based on rom com books tbh ive been planning and editing the masterlist for the past two weeks ahaha so idk how to feel about it... technically im still on my writing hiatus but ill try to start working on the fics after exams,,, hope yall look forward to it hehe ^_^ !!

"It was like I was trying to memorize him — in case this was the last time I would ever see him." — (failed) STEPS TO NOT MISS YOUR EX

There were a lot of ways your sister's wedding could have gone wrong but none of them included you crossing paths with your ex who happened to be the assistant wedding planner.  Alternatively, where you were apparently "over" Lee Heeseung but an (almost) disastrous wedding made you think otherwise.

a luvistqrzzz rendition of save the date by morgan matson — [ read here ]

“Here's the thing about writing Happily Ever Afters: it helps if you believe in them.” — LETTERS TO YOU, ME AND THE BEACH

When a crippling writer’s block and an almost broke bank account forces you to move to an old family home, you didn’t expect to cross paths with your arch nemesis from high school, the ever obnoxious, Park Jay. But maybe the series of events that unfold during the summer could help you with a romantic book or two.

a luvistqrzzz rendition of beach read by emily henry — [ read here ]

“Note to self: Do not under any circumstances fall in love again.” — A 1000 WAYS BACK TO YOU

When Jake realizes he doesn't want to be (only) friends with you anymore, you are already moving halfway around the world and he's left alone on the other side of the line. Will it take two oblivious idiots 10 years and more than a hundred missed chances to see the feelings they've been hiding for long?

a luvistqrzzz rendition of where rainbows end by cecelia ahern — [ read here ]

"Well sure, who doesn't need a boyfriend? But realistically, those exotic creatures are hard to come by. At least a quality one.” — A STRANGER'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND CHRISTMAS

For Sunghoon, Christmas is like any other day, only a hundred times more crowded. But then he stumbles across a notebook at the local bookstore. A notebook full of... dares. As he and the anonymous author spend the entire Christmas eve swapping stories and dreams around the city of Seoul, where will it lead Sunghoon to?

a luvistqrzzz rendition of dash and lily's book of dares by rachel cohn and david levithan — [ read here ]

works belongs to @luvistqrzzz do not copy repost or translate my work

reblogs and feedback are heavily appreciated

networks- @hyfenet @enhanet @en-web @k-films

[yanderes-galore]

Molten Freddy yandere alphabet?

Oh no... him.

Been awhile since I acknowledged him, so here you go!

Yandere Alphabet - Molten Freddy

Pairing: Platonic/Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Sadism, Manipulation, Kidnapping, Marking mention, Blood, Violence, Forced companionship/relationship.

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

Molten Freddy is just as, if not more, sadistic and deranged as Funtime Freddy. His "love" is often chasing you around and forcing you into sadistic games. However, unlike Funtime Freddy, he realizes you're no fun dead.

Which means you can probably survive him more than his previous form.

Molten Freddy is incredibly intense due to his obsession mostly being related to your pain. He shows his "love" through scaring you and farming your fear. He's sadistic and sees you as his little toy.

In truth he's probably not as bad as Funtime Freddy since Ballora and Funtime Foxy act as a way to hold him back.

It's frustrating to him... but it keeps you safer than you would be without them.

Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

Messy. He sees this Pizza Place as just a new maze to have his fun with you in. If any other human, such as Michael or Henry, got close to you... well...

That just makes things even more fun.

Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

He'd be sadistic, scaring you and making marks on your skin. He likes to see your blood trickle down... yet knows when to stop when the other two inside him make him.

He may mock to tease you but overall just intends to "play".

Maybe he isn't always sadistic due to the other two? Maybe they'll force him to play nice for once. An order he reluctantly listens to.

In those cases he'll just wrap his wires around you. You feel as though you're caged by vines and are unable to move. He's actually rather heavy.

Then, while you're stuck, he'll ramble about how much he adores you.

Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?

Yes... yes he would.

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

Hard to tell when it comes to him. Ballora and Funtime Foxy clearly care a whole deal about you in general. That shows through Freddy.

In that case he ends up being vulnerable, often arguing with himself on what he wants to do with you. You certainly make him conflicted.

He isn't sure if he wants to hurt or care for you. Could he do both? He isn't sure....

So in a way, yes, you make him vulnerable and distracted.

Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?

Excited yet frustrated at the same time. He loves to chase you yet at the same time just wants to hold you still for himself. For the most part he'd enjoy it as it gives him a chance to break you.

Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

Yes, he loves watching you attempt to escape.

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

Again, when it comes to him, anything can count.

However, I'd say it's when he first abducts you. The moment you're left alone he drags you into the vents. Your screams and his giggles echoing through the system before things go silent.

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

He sees you two as a twisted form of "playmates". He wants to play with you forever... or up until you expire.

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

Yes and he finds lashing out much more fun.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

Giggly and oddly childish. However, it's all just a twisted form of sadistic affection. He would chase you around from the vents to follow and watch you.

Once he's able to he'd restrict you to try and "play" with you. There's times you'll see him argue with himself before going chipper again.

He acts oddly friendly and happy... despite what he's capable of.

Even when he wraps you in wires like a hug... you feel no comfort.

He doesn't really try to slowly get you to like him... he just appears and becomes your problem to deal with.

Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?

Nope, not really.

Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

Restraints, isolation, maybe even marking. He's sadistic... punishment is a game to him.

Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?

Many if not all.

Patience: How patient are they with their darling?

Not very patient.

Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?

Hard to say... I'd say he may lean more into being able to move on than not though.

Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?

No and no.

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

Hard to say, maybe curiosity and isolation?

Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?

Doesn't feel guilty, if anything he may tease you before Ballora and Funtime Foxy may make him leave you alone though.

Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?

He himself is very different from the classic yandere.

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

Sticking close to Michael to prevent abduction is a good way. Although... there isn't many ways to make him let you go.

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

Yes he would.

Not a worship yandere... but he feels he's going insane without you.

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

Not very long.

Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?

Unfortunately, yes.

[charlidos]

(Painting by Viggo, from the book "Sign Language", 2002.)

Back in the day, I didn't partake in any of the discussions around the LotR Fellowship and their intense, collective bromance. So I'm sure a lot of my current musings have been covered many times over before. But most of those discussions are gone, in forums long lost.

So, I'm really curious, what was the theory back then about this painting? I would love to know if there is an idea what O and H might stand for, (if not Orlando and Henry). The only thing I can think of, is O=oxygen and H=hydrogen. Since there are trees and nature pictured, and they need those...

But it does feels like such an improbable coincidence, that he would paint such a picture, with those letters, when he was in NZ and that it would be just random. (And there are couple more paintings with that O in it. Does it mean oxygen there too? Hmm.)

If we go with my idea, it could be an image of two trees in Viggo's life, sturdy and rooted. One being his son (H), the most important person in his life at that time. The other being Orlando (O), a new tree, but still a pillar of his world (or something cliche like that). Each tree has branches with some added pictures hanging from them, but it's unclear what they are. Or maybe Viggo is the tree, and Henry and Orlando are branches on HIS tree? I fail to fully read the words written, so they are no help. And I get no further in my interpretation.

If this is what Viggo intended, their story immediately becomes that epic, extremely romantic and tragic story it already is in my mind. Because if Orlando meant that much to him at that time, and they later lost touch, it's such misery.

And yeah, I'm writing romance novels in my head now. Or, poor 19th century romantic poetry. Or Viggo/Orlando fanfiction. Sappy, angsty and unbetaed. But quite intriguing and entertaining.

An added "evidence" of my theory:

This tattoo on Viggo's wrist, the letter "H" is for Henry, his son.

With this in mind, and how Viggo said back then that Henry was the most important person in his life, it's hard to come to any other conclusion than that the "H" in the painting is also for Henry.

And then it seems logical that the "O" should also be short for someone's name. I can't think of any other O in Viggo's life at that time...

However, when presented in a magazine back then, it's written that this painting is called "OH". It's a possibility I didn't consider before, that you can read O and H together and make an "oh!", like an exclamation. But then H doesn't stand for Henry, and I still think Henry is the most likely interpretation. And so, yeah.

( if you feel like joining me in this insanity, please. It's a little lonely diving into very, very old fandoms. I love comments and theories and discussions. )

[pridepages]

Purpose: Red, White, and Royal Blue

I just finished Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I have thoughts...

Here there be spoilers!

There’s very little that I could add to any conversation about Red, White, and Royal Blue. It’s beloved around the world. It was a Good Reads award winner. It’s about to get a movie adaptation. People just dipping their toes into queer lit are going to easily find it.

So I won’t gush to you about the zany plot of a First Son of the United States falling into an international love affair/sex scandal with a Prince of England. I won’t praise the lifelike characters you want to be friends with. I won’t delve into the dialogue that crackles off the page. I won’t even sell you on the happily ever after. (Even though all those things are present and healing for any queer reader in search of romcom bliss.)

Instead, I want to talk about just one line: “I love him on purpose.”

It’s such a strange idea--and one that bucks every tradition in romantic stories. We’re used to the idea of two people looking across the room, their eyes meet or perhaps their hands touch, and a spark ignites that will grow to an all-consuming fire. Lost to their passions, the lovers will have no choice but to follow the demands of their hearts even as it leads to the destruction of the life they once knew. We can only stand by and hope that, in the end, we’ll leave them somewhere safe and happy once wildfire passes.

It’s not that the passion between Henry and Alex isn’t smoking hot. On the contrary, there are scenes between them that could cause the pages to smolder! It’s just that there isn’t a sense of powerlessness. There are hands deliberately tending to the flame.

At first, Alex tries to convince himself that his connection with Henry is purely physical. But if so, he didn’t have to go through the effort of writing Henry page upon page of--let’s face it--love letters. That requires intent. That demands purpose.

As their relationship proceeds, Alex and Henry are forced to make choices: whether or not to live honestly and openly, even though they will bear the consequences. But every time they are portrayed as active agents. They could choose to deny themselves and each other. But they choose not to. And that is real power.

For a long time, one of the slogans associated with the LGBTQIA+ community was: ‘born this way.’ The idea was to fight homophobia by arguing that we can’t help who we are--no one chooses to be gay. But human identity is more complicated than can be contained in a soundbite. And I worry that this line of argument reduces us to impulses, which can be a way to disempower us.

No one can choose their sexuality or gender identity, but painting us as helpless ‘victims’ of our natures is dehumanizing. The best, the truest kinds of love are ones that we nurture and we grow--ones that we choose. That’s how we create our circles of found family. That’s how we figure out who we are and how we want to present to the world. In a lot of ways, flying under the rainbow flag is all about making choices. 

Not everyone can make the choice to live out loudly and proudly like Alex and Henry. But every one of us is out here making choices: today, I will come out. Today, I need to go stealth. Today, I will celebrate living my best gay life in my friendly community. Today, I will hang on another day in the closet in hope for a better tomorrow. All of those choices--and all the many more in between--are brave. And all of them belong to you.

Whether you are in, out, or navigating the in-betweens that most of us face at some point or another, know that the choice is yours to make. Your safety, your happiness, your life ultimately belong to you. Don’t let the world make you feel helpless. Find ways, be they small or large, to claim your agency.

Here’s to everyone out there who is learning every day how to love yourself, love others, love your life--and love it all on purpose.

[james-vi-stan-blog]

to your knowledge, did King James ever abuse George in some way? I’ve seen people throw that word around

tw abuse, child abuse, coercion, violence against animals and stuff

It depends on what you mean by abuse. If you consider a severely power-differentiated relationship abuse, then the whole thing is abusive, but also every interpersonal relationship in the 17th century is abusive.

I don’t know of any reported instance of James hitting George, nor of overt sexual coercion (though we know very little about their bedroom life, such as it is possible for historians to argue that they never had sex, although this is a minority view now). James was VERY into marrying off his courtiers, including his favorites, and when George married Katherine, while James still expected George to be constantly at his side, he encouraged them to go at it and make babies. Most of James’s favorites seem to have transitioned out of sleeping with him, and he remained very affectionate with them. Also, remember how James called Carr not wanting to sleep with him “a mere unkindness”? He was hurt, and I read those words as being whiny and guilt trip-y, but it’s not like he was demanding constant service. (Also, many historians think George was probably not having sex with James towards the end of James’s reign simply because James was very sick. Yet this is the period of James’s most intensely romantic letters.)

James, we should remember, hated violence (at least between humans) and had trauma over being shouted at. This doesn’t mean he would never perpetuate it. He did have a temper (nothing like Henry VIII levels though). He led armies, personally oversaw torture, sentenced people to brutal death, etc. — although in this period these would be seen as just actions that a moral king should do, protecting his people against criminals and outlaws. James was popularly criticized for being too soft.

There is an oft-repeated story about him trying to strike a teenage Henry Frederick with his cane during a hunt. This would have been considered acceptable discipline for a father to mete on his son, if “justified” by bad behavior. However, Henry Frederick simply rode off and most of the hunting party went with him, signaling that the prince was more popular than the king and James was not considered justified in this case. (Though, I heard this story told once where HENRY FREDERICK is the one who tried to hit JAMES.)

James and George did argue with raised voices, James publically snubbed George during problem periods of their relationship, but I don’t know that these would really be “abuse” rather than conflict. There is the aspect of the power differential, where George has to grovel and apologize to get James to forgive him, because James was the king. However, James very readily gave his forgiveness (and not just to George, he was generally very eager to forgive any of his friends or favorites for anything if they promised him their love).

Robert Carr DID yell at James, and the main thrust of James’s extremely long feelingsdump letter to him was that he felt hurt and betrayed that Carr wanted to “hold him by awe” (fear) “rather than by love”. So James felt Carr was controlling him by threats and angry outbursts, which James resented, saying that he would do anything for Carr for love, but if he felt he was being taken for granted and Carr was bullying him, that that love would swiftly turn to hate.

(Of course, we must remember that James was a divine right king, so we should be suspicious of his characterization of Carr’s behavior. When James is this massively entitled, such that he genuinely thinks it is a religious sin to resist his will, is he correctly perceiving this situation? Is he overreacting to a relatively modest drawing of boundaries by Carr? I’m inclined to think James genuinely felt betrayed and Carr really was yelling at him and scaring him, but we can’t fully trust James’s perspective.)

So, the short answer is, I don’t know of any instance between James and George that is unambiguously abuse, although of course their whole relationship is colored by power and manipulation. But I’m not a historian or biographer or anything. I’m just a James enjoyer, constantly learning new things, so there could have been an instance somewhere, I simply haven’t learned of it yet.

In the Mary & George trailer, there’s an instance of James wiping George’s face with blood, but this is not from violence against humans; this is a ritual of the deer hunt, where the leader of the hunt (James) marks his companions with the fresh blood of the kill. So this is an act of favor and weird homoerotic intimacy rather than violence towards George.

[richmond-rex]

It’s Henry VII’s deathday so I’m getting emotional about his marriage – which was, after all, one of the most important parts of his life.

Personally, I think Henry VII and Elizabeth of York probably had one of the most successful royal marriages in medieval England? They were heirs to two warring families and were meant to successfully unite them and they did; and in doing so, they literally began a new dynasty together. They had seven children and seemed to love them immensely. Across their 17-year marriage, there is no recorded estrangement or disagreement between them (apart from that very playful and funny ‘quarrel’ about Catherine of Aragon’s letter). He was faithful to her; they were faithful to each other(*more on that at the end of the ask). Literally every account we have (apart from those ambassadors who are applying generalized belief about the relations between a mother-in-law and a wife to Elizabeth and Margaret Beaufort’s evidently cordial relationship) indicate a harmonious marriage, and we know they comforted each other very gently after their heir’s death. He was utterly grief-stricken after her death and mourned her every year; his reaction was very visceral and shocking to his contemporaries and that speaks volumes.

Idk where the idea of their marriage being dissatisfying or him being “oppressive” (like you quoted in your post from a few days ago) comes from. I don’t think the view is very prevalent currently, thankfully, but it’s still very irritating. Personally, apart from Ricardian nonsense, I think part of it may come from the general idea that he married her to cement and unite their claims, which automatically gives one the general impression of a calculated alliance – which it was! It was arranged by their mothers and beneficial to both their families. Most medieval marriages were like that; Elizabeth’s parents & maternal grandparents and Henry’s paternal grandparents were rare exceptions. I think it’s very lovely that despite this, they managed to build such a solid partnership and loving family. I think people also tend to take the idea that he overthrew her dynasty in a negative context which is ridiculous because, as you’ve mentioned, her vaunted uncle was the one who usurped her brothers’ throne, bastardized her siblings, humiliated her mother, and tried his best to ruin her father’s memory. Henry VII, in overthrowing him, was allied with her father’s supporters to restore Elizabeth to the throne as his consort, and he got immense support because of that. Wouldn’t Elizabeth have been exceedingly well-disposed towards him; wouldn’t she have wanted him to win?

We can’t objectively say that any centuries-old marriage was happy or passionately romantic, of course, but it is clear that theirs was mutually fond, pleasant, respectful and dynastically beneficial. What more can one ask for? I read a quote about Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville (I can’t remember where, rip), and I think it applies for Henry VII and Elizabeth of York just as well: “A happy marriage? Who can say for certain. But it was undoubtedly a successful one”.

In my opinion, I think Elizabeth’s queenship may have been very bittersweet for her at times: by all accounts she loved her husband and children, and her queenship and marriage was a victory for her father and brothers’ supporters, but I think it’s reasonable to speculate if she sometimes mourned about what was taken from her family (by her uncle) and wondered/wished for what could have been (her little brother on the throne and the continuation of their dynasty). This has little to nothing to do with her relationship with Henry (he would sympathize! His uncle was also overthrown, although that’s obviously not the same as two 12-year & 9-year-old boys imprisoned and murdered by their own uncle and shouldn’t be treated as such) and I think that would be interesting and believable to explore in historical fiction rather than inventing random problems for Henry and Elizabeth’s marriage that, more often than not, are directly contradicted by evidence.

(*Personally, I really don’t think fidelity should be a major factor in judging success or love in medieval marriages, tbh, especially considering the fact that couples were meant to abstain from sexual relations during pregnancies, and at least in England, chastity & control were considered hallmarks of masculinity/kingship. I think individual personalities (and libidos, I guess) probably mattered a lot more. I’ve read about lots of medieval marriages which were loving and successful despite infidelities, and many which were faithful but not necessarily passionate or romantic. It depends. In Henry and Elizabeth’s case, though, taken together with everything we know, it’s one of the many reasons why their marriage was a success).

Hi! Belated for his deathday but yeah, his marriage to Elizabeth of York was a major aspect of his kingship and I don't say it only in regard to the fact that her family supporters became his supporters or that her claim legitimised his claim in turn, all of which are true. In my opinion, his relationship with Elizabeth gave a very specific symbolic meaning to his kingship which we can see embodied in the family portrait he commissioned after her death: she was the princess to his St George, a saint he evoked as inspiration from the very first time he stepped back in Britain. Interestingly, Elizabeth seems to have thought of him in those terms too, going by the presents she created for him with her own hands, all related to knighthood and the Order of the Garter. It's so very interesting, especially if you include that poem she may have written!

Their marriage was very significant because it was not just the marriage of someone with Yorkist ancestry marrying someone with Lancastrian ancestry — I'm always saying 'Yorkist' and 'Lancastrian' were political positions of allegiance to Edward IV or Henry VI, respectively, not blood relations — but because their marriage involved people whose close relatives had actively tried to kill each other. Elizabeth's father executed Henry's grandfather and half-uncle. Henry's other uncle publicly swore to get revenge on Elizabeth's father. Their father figures (Jasper and Edward) literally fought against each other on the battlefield. Edward IV marrying Eleanor of Castile or Richard marrying Joanna of Portugal would not be unifying York and Lancaster because no matter their degree of ancestry from John of Gaunt, their families had never fought for Lancaster (Henry VI) in the first place.

Elizabeth's father was the cause of Henry growing up as a hostage in a Yorkist family and then spending his youth imprisoned in exile, surely their union was something else in personal terms? The very fact that he came to her and her family's 'rescue' so to speak was a thing in itself. That was a major movement of reconciliation and healing that dictated their relationship — and collective healing at that as the Crowland Chronicle thought of and that surely other contemporaries thought of too. They got along very well in public and I would say they got along very well privately too, judging by that account of the news of Arthur's death, and the presents they gifted each other. Their dynastic marriage was probably facilitated by this sort of mutual attraction and affection.

It's weird that people use Francis Bacon so much to talk about Henry VII. Bacon, the same person who said Henry didn't even have personal pastimes to amuse himself with (he did.... tennis, gambling, hunting, reading, court revels and music—it's all recorded in his account books), also claimed Henry truly was 'nothing uxurious' and was never able to love his wife because 'even though she was beautiful, gentle and fruitful', she was also a Yorkist and according to Bacon, Henry's aversion to Yorkists was so strong it was also present 'in his chamber and bed'. Bacon was the first one to put forward the theory that Henry didn't want Elizabeth to be crowned until she gave him a son because he disliked sharing the spotlight and didn't want people to think she was a sovereign ruler.... even though at no point did people actually raise her standard in that direction. There is literal evidence that Henry was planning her coronation from the beginning and we know plenty of reasons why she couldn't be crowned before 1487, but most historians still repeat Bacon's jealousy and distrust theory.

Nowadays the consensus seems to be that although affectionate, Henry was dynastically/politically oppressive with Elizabeth of York as though he didn't allow her to meddle in politics—which she did, especially in diplomatic matters and court affairs—denoting a lack of knowledge on what the office of a queen consort actually involved. Although we have voices such as Anna Duch and Michelle Beer who have emphasised Elizabeth's participation in politics, it still seems to be the norm to call Elizabeth of York a 'trophy wife' whose only role was to produce children, even though the very historians who call her a trophy wife also argue she was active in politics so like..... which is it.gif? Bacon said Henry could not 'endure any mention of the Lady Elizabeth' yet her symbols and her image were included extensively along his own so? That theory doesn't seem to ring true.

I think the most laughable arguments I've seen as to Henry's oppressiveness was Laynesmith's claim that he chose to crown Elizabeth on St Katherine of Alexandria's day to make people remember female rule was bad—not, mind you, because St Katherine was the most popular female saint in medieval England, a particular role model for women, or because of St Katherine's special role as the bride of Christ, symbols that were much likelier to jump to people's mind. Another laughable claim I've seen is that Elizabeth was never a patroness of Queen's College because Henry didn't allow her due to Richard's participation as a patron there—nevermind that the college's very founders were Henry's aunt Margaret of Anjou and Elizabeth's mother, Elizabeth Woodville. If there was someone who was associated with that college, it certainly was those two, not Richard! The fact that Elizabeth didn't become a patroness most likely had nothing to do with Henry's approval and was probably a personal choice, for example, to support monasteries and nunneries—which she did—instead of colleges.

Do you see what I'm talking about when I mention Henry's historical reputation as a miserly and oppressive husband? Facts, big or small, are read under that light to corroborate the idea.

Elizabeth's queenship might have been bittersweet at times, such as the times she rewarded one of her late brother's former servants, but it was also a very personal victory that put her into an enviable position compared to other queens consort. She never had to leave the places she grew up in, she was surrounded by her own family, old servants and people who spoke her native tongue. Unlike so many queens who had to say goodbye to their personal retinue after their marriage, which happened, in varying degrees, to Anne of Bohemia, Joan of Navarre, and even her own daughter Mary Tudor in France, Elizabeth increased the number of positions her personal servants could occupy, including the Prince of Wales' own household. She was able to support her sisters to a degree that would be impossible if she had not become queen of her own birth country. I think Elizabeth would very much be aware of that, that her life in France for example would have been much more isolating, as Charlotte of Savoy's was.

Those are all political aspects that were also personal ones, and when we compare them with other personal aspects such as her own intimate relationship with the king, I think it's safe to say she got a good deal in the end, even though her husband's reign was not an easy-breezy time either. She, of course, was not shy to show her support for him, from vouching for him with the pope and other sovereigns to personally consoling him in difficult times. As one historian said, Henry seems to have drawn great strength from her support. In my opinion, their marriage is quite an extraordinary story of love (from duty-bound to familial to romantic) in difficult times.

P.S.: yes, Henry was nothing special in not taking mistresses—that was the default option for medieval English kings who were moulded on St Edward the Confessor's example, and Henry would have been very much aware of the expectations involved in the office he sought. He seems to have blended his performance of kingship with his personal piety, bringing back public acts associated with sacred kingship such as the touching for the king's evil. Henry would have been aware that kings of England were expected to be chaste, and again, politically speaking would know it was not in his best interests to disrespect his wife. All of that not counting his personality, which might indeed have been genuinely monogamic.

[you-cant-spell-subtext-without]

RWRB - thoughts

Already did this on the bird, so might as well retype it here:

Some thoughts on Red White and Royal Blue, and why I feel a little disappointed in some of the reactions I've seen because I need to caffeinate and also type this out into the void.

I want to preface this by saying that obviously we all consume and experience media in a vast myriad of unique and different ways, and my opinions aren't stated for the purpose of diminishing or belittling anyone else's. If you read this & disagree that's your right!

I went into RWRB expecting it to be NOTHING like the book (for ex I was aware major characters had been cut and some exposition revised). Also, the book is generally better than the adaptation - that's my mantra (w exception of Good Omens and Sandman; the Neil Gaiman effect is strong).

What I did NOT expect was how MONUMENTALLY touched I would be by such open, romantic, and intimate representation of a m/m love story on my screen. There are multiple scenes between Alex & Henry in RWRB that I have never seen so touchingly depicted before (and perhaps I'm missing other movies that do it! Drop them in the replies!) RWRB earns that R rating but it does so in such a gorgeous way - it show cases the love of these two men as a beautiful, NORMALIZED thing.

I know, you're saying - that's the bare minimum!

And it is. But, the state of our world, especially when it comes to the representation and the rights of our community - is such that I feel the need to take joy in even what is the bare minimum for people like us. (Speaking of people like us - the B in LGBTQ plus is not a silent letter!!) You can read about the importance both Casey and the director of RWRB placed on bi rep in this film in this piece.

A very important example is the sex scene in the movie, which is likely the most explicit m/m sex scene I've seen in a mass distributed highly promoted film since - ever? This is important because it's done ROMANTICALLY. And mind you - it's still leaps and bounds from explicit sex scenes in a het rom com film, which is why it's so important that we have this.

Normalizing intimate contact between couples other than those who are heterosexual is monumentally important. I for one would hate to see any negativity leveled at this film due to the (fair & justified!) disappointment folks may be having because it's different from the books take away from that very important aspect. (Also why aren't we talking about the trans rep?! Aneesh Sheth stole the show for me as Amy).

I think that's where my feelings of sadness ab some of the reactions are stemming from. I had similar thoughts when folks were upset over S&B not being identical to the books as well, but it feels even more vital for us to celebrate RWRB for everything it brings to the table and to our community instead of focusing on what its missing from the books.

I am very grateful to have a story like RWRB in existence, and I hope it leads to many more, because queer love is beautiful in all aspects, and it deserves to be seen and celebrated in ALL mediums.

[tinylilemrys]

Lonely In London

Relationship:

Trent Crimm/Ted Lasso

Additional Tags:

Angst and Romance | Romcommunism | Friends to Lovers | Romantic Comedy | Alternate Universe – Canon Divergence

Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Summary:

Henry, worried about how lonely his dad seems to be in London, writes into an advice podcast for some help. A podcast run by an ex-colleague of Trent's – one that he listens to religiously. If Trent falls a little for 'Lonely In London' because he reminds him of Ted, well that's just coincidence. An homage to romcommunism, largely based on 'Sleepless In Seattle' with a few others thrown in for good measure.

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

CHAPTER 2

It's ridiculously early on a Wednesday morning when Ted next hears from the podcast.

Dear Ted Lasso (The Ted Lasso???)

Firstly, allow me to apologise if you were hoping to remain anonymous in our correspondence. Your full name is in the email address you used to email us, and I come from a journalism background so not much gets past me. Rest assured that if you are indeed the Manager of AFC Richmond (as the context clues from your letter seem to confirm) your secret is safe with us.

This is just to ask if you would be alright with us setting up a forwarding address for emails from our listeners. We weren't anticipating you being as popular with our listeners as you are, but our inbox is flooded at the moment and seeing as the whole format of our show is dependent on the emails we receive from our listeners, it's making it difficult for us to navigate our normal mail between all the mail addressed specifically to you.

So far, from what I've seen, all of these emails seem to be from lovely people would like to commiserate about that shared feeling of loneliness. That said I cannot guarantee that every email is going to be as innocent. You wouldn't believe the shit we get in our inbox sometimes. Please take this into account when making your decision.

All that's left to say is thank you again for your letter. The episode that featured it has been our most successful by quite a margin and has boosted our subscriber base substatially. I understand that this was likely not your intention when emailing us, but I wanted to thank you for it anyway.

Wishing you all the best for your future adventures in the world of romance. I'd throw my hat in the ring myself if I wasn't such a raging lesbian.

Kind regards, Lauren Miller Content Coordinator, Help I'm So Sad Podcast Breakneck Media Network

Ted reads and rereads the email chuckling each time. It's the best thing he's received for a while. Whoever this Lauren is, he think he'd enjoy shooting the shit with her over a pint. And maybe it's just a particular way journalists write, but some of the bite in her writing reminds him of Trent's.

Which reminds him – he's promised Henry he would do something.

Howdy! Glad to hear Anabelle's safely back in London with you! No pressure if you're busy or if you don't want to, but Henry's been asking when we can get ice-cream with the Crimms again, and I promised I'd ask. It would be nice to talk at any rate. I have some ideas about Richmond that I'd love to pick your brain about as someone who knows far more about this sport I find myself coaching than I do. Let me know. 🌻

He almost second guesses the sunflower, but it's a standard part of their correspondence now, ever since Trent first started reacting to his messages that way and Ted started sending them back. He doesn't know if it counts as flirting, but it's on the border of it enough that he doesn't mind taking the risk.

He's just about to respond to the email when his phone dings next to him.

Anabelle (and I) would love that. She hasn't stopped talking about Henry since last time. She's told me she thinks he's the coolest person ever. In so many words. Let me know when you're free. My schedule is astoundingly open at the moment.

Ted grins.

How about tomorrow around 3? I've heard it's going to be a scorcher of a day by your wilting English standards.

Nice try. You've told me before that it's only barely warmer there on average than it is here. You don't get to play the American superiority card on this one.

(3 tomorrow sounds lovely, though.)

Mr Crimm, practically everything in your royalty-having, tea-loving, swearing-as-affection little country is winning me over. At least let me cling to the one or two things that I still pretend to completely love about America. 🤠🦅

(Looking forward to it🌻)

He worries for a while that he's playing too far into the realm of flirting and scaring Trent off. But then his phone dings again.

Fair enough. It's a small price to pay to hold onto Richmond's secret weapon.

(Likewise. 🌻)

He grins like an idiot and turns back to his email. He's riding such a high now that he can't even be that worried about the whackadoos he might be letting into his inbox as he types his reply to Lauren.

Hi Lauren

Thank you for your discretion. I'm not as worried about myself as I am about the wellbeing of my club and my son, who's staying with me for the summer. So your silence on the matter of me writing in continues to be appreciated.

Please go ahead and set up the forwarding address. Y'all have been so kind to my son and me with the advice, the least I can do is make sure that your inbox isn't a nightmare to navigate.

Also, do y'all have a physical address? I would really love to come by and drop off something small to say thanks.

Hoping to hear from you soon.

Lonely In London (Ted Lasso if you're nasty)

He doesn't bother waiting for a response before setting to work baking a batch of shortbread. Worse comes to worst, he'll give the batch to Trent, who, although Ted knows will never admit it, has a soft spot for it as much as Anabelle does.

Maybe he'll set some aside for Trent anyway.

He's just considering the merits of making a second batch when Henry stumbles out from the bedroom adorable and sleep-tousled, clutching his favourite duck plushie.

"Hey, Bud," he says, throwing an arm around Henry as he comes to say good morning. "Did you sleep well?"

Henry nods and rubs his eyes.

"Are you making your Rebecca cookies?" he asks.

"Yes and no," Ted replies. "Yes, it's those cookies. No, they're not actually for Rebecca. I thought we could take a trip to the Help I'm So Sad studio to give them a batch to say thanks for all their kind advice. What do you think?"

"Yeah!" says Henry, suddenly wide awake. "Can I help?"

"Of course. Why don't you go shower and change quick and we'll make the next batch together?"

"Okay!" he says, dropping his toy on the counter and bounding off with all the enthusiasm of a pre-season Dani Rojas.

"Oh boy, Quackstopher, just wait till he hears we're also getting ice-cream with Trent and Anabelle again tomorrow," he says to the abandoned duck, loud enough that Henry will hear it.

"We are?" he says, racing back into the room.

"Tomorrow," Ted laughs. "Go get today going and we'll get cracking on making some for them too, okay?"

Henry gives a little excited squeal in the place of words and runs off to the bathroom.

For a small moment, Ted can't imagine why he ever needed to write into a show called Help I'm So Sad in the first place.

***

Not since the early days of fancying Shaun has Trent put this much thought into choosing an outfit for something that isn't even a date. But here he is, putting on and removing items of clothing. Changing into and out of jeans. Trying to figure out what provides the maximum amount of looking good while simultaneously looking like he didn't put much effort into putting it together.

"Belle-Belle," he says, turning around to the corner where Anabelle is playing a few of her Barbies to get her opinion on two of his shirts. "Should I wear the pink shirt or the blue one?"

"Pink!" says Anabelle, holding up her Barbie in what Trent assumes is an explanation if the hot pink dress is anything to go on.

"Well, that's on me for asking the four-year-old who doesn’t believe in any other colour, I guess," laughs Trent. "Thanks, Squish."

He wears the pink shirt and is rewarded an hour later with a massive moustachioed grin.

"Nice shirt, TC," says Ted, pulling him into a friendly hug. "The colour suits you."

"Thanks, Ted," he says, hoping that between the glare of the sun and Ted's dark glasses his blush is obscured enough that Ted doesn't notice it. "You're looking well yourself."

"Aw, shucks," says Ted. "Don't get me all flustered now."

Henry steps forward to shake his hand and hand over a box of what Trent, to his delight, suspects might be a batch of his famous shortbread.

"Hi, Teddy! Hi Henry!" says Anabelle excitedly and Ted honest-to-god gets down on his haunches to talk to her.

"Well hey there, always-swell Anabelle," he says. "How's Thursday been treating you so far?"

"Good," says Anabelle, suddenly shy. "I've brought my Barbies and Daddy says we're getting ice-cream."

"That we are," says Ted. "Just as soon as I figure out how I'm getting up again."

He makes a big show of not being able to get up despite Anabelle and Henry's best efforts to pull him to his feet, and Trent is too charmed to even be embarrassed by the number of people watching them. Or the old lady who mutters "sweet little family" a few feet away. Let them believe that this is his dorky partner. Trent should be so lucky.

He's hit with the realisation that he's so in love it almost physically hurts.

With one last hoist, Anabelle and Henry succeed in getting Ted to his feet and when Ted loses his balance a little in the momentum, Trent is only too happy to catch and steady him. Ted, to Trent's surprise, does actually look slightly flustered for a moment, before seemingly shaking it off

"And that's why in our business we say 'teamwork makes the dream work'," Ted laughs. "Good job, squad. High-fives all round."

After a round of high-fives, they make their way into the ice-cream parlour to place their orders.

"Sorry for causing a scene out there," says Ted softly. Now that his sunglasses are folded and hanging from the buttons of his polo shirt, Trent can see his expression is a little sheepish. "It's just, I know Henry enjoys that game. He's had a busy morning and he's a little tuckered out and grumpy to boot. I thought it would pull him out of his funk a little."

"Well, it seems to have done the trick," says Trent, smiling as he looks over at a nearby table where Henry and Anabelle are playing Barbies together. "Once again Ted Lasso's unconventional methods save the day."

"Now, Trent Crimm, that's not fair. You know I'm no match for your flattering prose." He winces as though he's over-spoken. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up your old job. Even in passing."

"It's okay to bring up my job, Ted," he says, with a gentle smile. "My time as a journalist may be at an end, but I couldn't stop being a writer if I tried."

"Fair enough," says Ted, looking relieved. "Have you given any thought to what you're going to do now?"

"As a matter of fact, I've just successfully pitched another book idea to my publisher," Trent replies.

"Well, hell, look at you go. Trent Crim, the unstoppable. What's it about?"

Trent might actually perish in the intensity of that smile.

"I was actually hoping to write about AFC Richmond." It's his turn to look sheepish, but Ted, if possible, looks even more delighted. "After all, it's a big year for you being back in the Premier League and all. And so many people, myself included, are rooting for you. Win or lose, it's sure to be a good story."

"That's a great idea," says Ted, looking genuinely delighted. "Keeley and Rebecca have been busting their butts trying to think of ways to boost our image. This is exactly the kind of thing they've been looking for."

"Yes, well, I'm still only going to write the truth. If it's a shocker of a season, I'll write it that way. Though maybe not as acerbically as I once did." says Trent, feeling somewhat self-conscious. "I don't think it will be a shocker of a season though."

"Oh yeah? How do you figure that?"

"Because in the years I've known you, Ted Lasso, I have yet to see you shy away from a challenge," says Trent. He's on the very knife's edge of plummeting into admitting everything he feels for this ridiculous, perfect man. "And I have yet to see a challenge that could best you."

He's said too much. He can't bring himself to look up now. Instead he watches as Ted scuffs a red trainer along the edge of a tile.

"Well, TC," he says in a voice barely above a whisper, "that's just about the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.

"Don't get too used to it," says Trent, feeling the conversation getting away from him into dangerous waters. "Deep down I'm still the bitter old journalist I was a few months ago."

"And I wouldn't have you any other way."

There's no time to unpack that particular statement because it’s at that moment they make it to the front of the queue. By the time they've transported their orders to the table, the conversation has shifted from the tenuous place it was to Henry's one-on-one training with Jamie Tartt and how Roy Kent has even joined for a session or two. Trent wonders if Henry can even comprehend at his age how lucky he is to be getting this kind of input.

To balance out the conversation, Ted asks Anabelle about her time in Scotland and is rewarded with an entertaining but practically indecipherable four-year-old's story that Trent thinks might line up with the trip to see the highland cows Shaun told him about. Ted, to his credit, attempts to follow every word, asking follow-up questions that would make even the most hardened of journalists proud.

If Trent was under any illusions that he could spend time with Ted without his feelings growing more intense each time, today has put paid to that. Trent couldn't be more taken with him, and the idea that he might still fall deeper is as wonderful as it is terrifying.

He's allowed a moment of reprieve by Anabelle accidentally upending her tub of ice-cream and bursting into very noisy tears. Ted immediately volunteers to run and get both a wad of serviettes and a replacement for her. Henry, proving he's every bit his father's son, immediately offers Anabelle some of his ice-cream and her sobs abruptly stop. Trent watches the two of them fondly. They get along so well. It could be so easy. He just wishes Ted could see it the way he does.

Ted's phone chimes on the table where he's left it. In the years to come, Trent will swear he didn't mean to do it. He'll blame it on his almost automatic journalistic instincts. He'll claim it was a compulsion he was still in the process of working out of his system.

That doesn't change the fact that he looks down at Ted's phone in time to catch an email. An email that starts "Dear Lonely In London…"

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Trent's instincts are almost never wrong. It's how he got as far as he did as a journalist. It's what made him so good at sniffing out sources in other papers. He recognises people in writing the way other people recognise faces in a crowd.

He was always going to fall in love with Lonely In London because Lonely In London was always Ted Fucking Lasso.

And he's not stupid. The final pieces of the puzzle are fitting into place. The banter that's teetered on flirting all these years. The actual flirting they were doing right before placing their order today. The way it always stops short of actually going anywhere.

He's Ted's PR nightmare crush. And that, more than anything, is what's so fucked about this situation.

It takes all of his carefully honed deceptive skills to pretend to be calm for the rest of the afternoon, but it's murder. And Ted, Lonely In London Ted, blissfully unaware, joking, just-having-a-grand-day-out-with-the-kids Ted, has absolutely no idea how much more damage he's accidentally done to Trent's poor heart.

Trent grabs a huge glob of ice-cream with the shitty plastic spoon, hoping the inevitable headache will help distract him from his gloom for a while.

Because, really, what do you do when you've come so close to everything you've ever wanted, only for it still to be so far out of your reach?

Despair, thinks Trent, as the ice-cream hits.

Next Chapter

[theyaregayyourhonor]

But why Max? Asked the girl and couldn't stop thinking about it ever since

In s4 why Max is the one getting Vecna'd (I know why but let me finish)

They could have write the hero cliché, because Mike already calling Jane his hero, so why didn't they personalized it? Jane was his hero because she saved the workd twice. When s4 Mike and Dustin talk about their girlfriend Dustin talks about how Suzie changed his D to an A, Mike brags about Jane saving the world twice. Why didn't he say ' Did your girlfriend ever levitate you?' or 'Did your girlfriend ever broke your bully arm?' or 'Did your girlfriend ever saved your life with her amazing powers?'

Why didn't he personalized it? I know first it doesn't seem much and 'My girlfriend saved the world!' sounds better but that's not what he says he says

'You do realize El saved the world, twice'

We know Mike's girlfriend is Jane so why didn't he say 'You do realize my girlfriend saved the world twice'

Because that would personalized it. But that answer, you can place it in an argument about superheros and it would fit. Mike talks about Jane, his girlfriend as she was a superhero, his favourite superhero, but you don't date your heros, your a fan of them

Also Jane in her letter write twice as happy, which is a lie;

I don't know about you but I find it intresting that they used the word twice, just this two time. Jane could've say 'just as happy' or 'happier' but she said twice (maybe I'm reading into it but still I find this interesting)

By s4 we never had the cliché of the hero saving the love intrest and that being a big plot point. Most of the time the love interest being saved is tied to a plot twist or a major clue or something we missed. It totally has the BIG BAD monologue of how they became what they are and in what and how the hero shaped them and similar to the BIG BAD. In s4 we do have this but with Max

Like I said they could've write any type of way s4 and it would've been a cute and romantic moment which makes moodswings endgame. If Jane ends up saving Mike the way she saved Max it would've been romantic and swipe away byler, it wouldn't leave room for doubt, but they choose Max

Why?

Because after Hopper she is the most important person in Jane's life. In s3 moodswings broke up and Jane before and after that spends her time with Max and she is living. She is happy and full and she just loves being with her. Not even talking about the fact that she has Hopper. Hop not-dies and she confinds in Mike but in s4 they have a break up (From, Mike was a break up you can't change my mind) and who does Jane finds herself thinking/worrying about? Max

In the knew-lab and after it her main focus is Max she is the one that Jane has a need to fight for. She willing to do anything to save her, not even talking about this:

That's what every BIG BAD said to the hero before they bring in the love intrest to kill them

And who does Vecna bring in? Mike?

No, the writers for some reason didn't had Vecna bring Mike in, it's Max

Also Jane face:

And after that Henry/001/Vecna went on about they creator how he is no monster but man, how Jane played into him becaming dimensiondemonlord and how similar the two of them and how they are not

So the writers ended up making the BIG BAD bring in Max instead of Mike, making the time Max and Jane spend together as the source of her strength to keep on fighting, not Mike's weak, half-assed monologue AND had Max and Jane reunite this way in Max's mind:

I am not saying that Max is more important to Jane than Mike. The writers do

Max and Jane relationship is deeper and more meaning full than what she has with her boyfriend and because of that Max was a target of Vecna

Because he wants his revenge on Jane

And he took Max

Not Mike

[arthurmorganwateringhole]

Opening Up the Western Pt 2: The Origins of a Misunderstood Masculinity

[Last edit August 17]

If you read my first essay on why RDR2 Cowboy game is so appealing to a non-traditional audience, then you're probably aware that a lot of this game's appeal is due to Arthur and how the game writers constructed his masculinity. When I tried to think of a proper metaphor for Arthur, really the only thing that comes to mind is a nesting doll -- he's one thing on the outside, but the moment you open up, there's a smaller, more fragile part of him to unpack. He might appear like the typical strong, rugged, masculine cowboy icon that we've come to associate with the Western genre, but his artistic sensibilities and romanticized coding show there's more than meets the eye.

So we've talked about consumption, the historical figure of the Romantic, and how both 19th-century phenomena factor into Arthur's construction as a tragic albeit sexy hero-figure. But what about real examples? Are there real individuals in history who lend themselves to Arthur Morgan, enlivening him, fleshing him out, and ascribing to him all the hurts and scars of an emotionally rich life?

In this essay, I want to talk about a widely misunderstood (thanks to the American public school system and generally people's unwillingness to read) figure of American history: the transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau.

The Unread American Hero: Thoreau and his Philosophy

If you took AP language and composition in an American high school, you're probably aware of who Henry David Thoreau is.

"Oh yeah," you might say, "that guy who ran away to Walden pond because fuck government, right? Don't libertarians love him because he hates society?"

And as you cleverly pat yourself on the back for recalling your teenage internalization of an incompetent high school teacher's lesson, you promptly tuck Thoreau back away into the annals of subconscious memory, happy to let such a toxic masculinist figure wither away with the Founding Fathers and Mark Twain.

Oh dear reader, you couldn't be any more wrong.

So who is Henry David Thoreau? Most people know him as a transcendentalist thinker and naturalist -- a branch of American philosophy that coincided and interacted with late romanticism, the European counterpart of this individualist strain of thought focused on the sublime and the incomprehensible. Less known are more trivial facts. For one, Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817 as the middle child. The most notable of his siblings, John Thoreau, would later figure in his writings and his philosophy in a really significant way.

As a teen, he fell in love with a young Ellen Sewall -- a daughter of a pastor who disapproved of her flirtations with Henry. When Henry proposed to Ellen, the father stopped their engagement and forbade correspondence due to Thoreau's aimless pursuits in philosophy and naturalism.

One thing most people don't know is that the Thoreau's were plagued, literally. None of Henry's siblings ever married or had children, mostly because they died from consumption before they could live out their lives. Thoreau would later die from consumption as well in 1862. He spent his last days in Minnesota, working with indigenous people and seeking to improve his health in the Midwest's cleaner air.

Yet the death that most impacted Henry was that of his older brother John, who died of Tuberculosis in 1842 at the ripe age of 27. Henry and John had been close as brothers. They had gone on fishing trips (one of which remains on record in one of his journals, in which they fished for sturgeon. More notably, Henry, despite loving Maine and the Northeast corridor of America, had plans to move west with his brother, as seen in one of his letters to his brother:

Transcript of the highlighted part:

"I have a proposal to make. Suppose by the time you are released we should start in company for the West, and there either establish a school jointly, or procure ourselves separate situations. Suppose, moreover, you should get ready to start previous to leaving Taunton, to save time. Go I must, at all events. Dr. Jarvis enumerates nearly a dozen schools which I could have,—all such as would suit you equally well.[4] I wish you would write soon about this. It is high season to start. The canals are now open, and traveling comparatively cheap. I think I can borrow the cash in this town. There's nothing like trying."

Note the improvisational quality of their hare-brained plan (borrowing money without specifying from whom or how; a mentor telling Henry of the greater number of schools he could start; the eagerness shared by our own Arthur Morgan to set out West in search of brighter futures). Needless to say, the brothers were the best of friends, and Henry took his untimely passing hard.

When John passed, HDT experiences a sort of vicarious death-wish. Scholar Branka Arsic describes this psychosomatic episode as such:

"The most intense challenge to Thoreau’s understanding of grief and commitment to loss came from personal experience. On January 11, 1842, his brother John died. Thoreau reacted to that death by means of the very grief Emerson thought impossible, by ravaging his body, developing symptoms of John’s illness...—as if wanting to die his brother’s death in an effort to defy the boundaries between survivor and the dead." (Bird Relics 30)

The loss was so great, that unconsciously his body began to emulate the violent death of his brother via lockjaw (a complication from tuberculosis). He began to deteriorate physically and mentally, and some scholars even note the fragmented syntax of his writings in this time.

Yet with loss comes the potential for change and renewal. Henry David Thoreau relocated to the remote Walden Pond, where he sought to observe and exist alongside animals partly in protest against the existence of slavery in the nation and partly to heal and mourn the death of his brother John (and later on, his sister Helen in 1848). There was no antisocial impulse; no libertarian shirking of one's civic duties for taxation. HDT only wanted to protest the institutionalization of chattel slavery and rebuild life after it had so spectacularly crumbled in the span of a few short years.

In Walden, Henry will begin philosophizing on nature, death, and the singularity of individual life that will form the groundwork for his transcendental thinking. In one of his letters to a friend, HDT writes the following:

"Soon after John’s death I listened to a music- box, and if, at any time, that event had seemed inconsistent with the beauty and harmony of the universe, it was then gently constrained into the placid course of nature by those steady notes, in mild and unoffended tone. . . . But I find these things more strange than sad to me. What right have I to grieve, who have not ceased to wonder? We feel at first as if some opportunities of kindness and sympathy were lost, but learn afterward that any pure grief is ample recompense for all. That is, if we are faithful;- for a just grief is but sympathy with the soul that disposes events, and is as natural as the resin on Arabian trees.— Only nature has a right to grieve perpetually, for she only is innocent." (Letters to Miss Lucy Brown, March 1842)

In a moment of quiet self-reflection, Thoreau beautifully structures a rich emotional life modeled after one he finds in nature and in non-human tonality (the music box). Perpetual grief -- that grief which belongs to nature -- is what he aspires, for human grief is not perpetual. It's fleeting. One day, he will move on from his brother John's death, and HDT considers this faithless (compared to the 'faithful' perpetual grief as natural as 'the resin on Arabian trees'). This isn't to say that Thoreau wanted to maintain a constant melancholic mindset, so much as he was loathe to forget his brother; to forget the singularity of his brother's soul and existence, and as some readers of Walden will suggest, he will begin to extend this sort of sympathy to other, non-human animals. Most notably, Thoreau will develop an affinity for birds, and his observations and sketches of these creatures will form the basis for his thinking.

A lot of high schools teach Thoreau by framing Walden and Civil Disobedience as libertarian acts of individual self-assertion; that freedom can only be gained by separating from the shackles of society, but in truth, Thoreau was an abolitionist who hated that society shackled a population simply for their race. He was a sweet, sensitive soul who feared the day he would stop mourning his brother and, later on, his siblings. He spent his hours sketching birds, trees, and other natural phenomena, and he constantly made visits to nearby villages, where he was often made fun of for his unusual clothing. Yes, Thoreau was ridiculed often by city folk because he fashioned his own clothes to better navigate the woods of Concord.

Arthur and Henry - the intertwined mythos

After that brief history lesson, I'm sure you're wondering... What does this have to do with Arthur Morgan, or Red Dead for that matter? As a reminder, the argument of this essay is that Arthur is based on Henry David Thoreau, and both men are equally misunderstood by society writ large in the service of using their image, reputation, and actions to contrive some artificial idea of a strong, rugged masculinity when in reality, they were both tender individuals who had a soft affinity for nature.

One thing most high school students miss out on when Walden is taught, is Thoreau's journal and sketches. Just take a look at some of these images (please don't circulate as I had my partner secretly take photos of this in a VERY exclusive archive and I don't want to get him in trouble).

(an entry from one of Thoreau's journals)

Look at this sketch of Thoreau of a sideways tree

Does it... remind you of anything at all from Red Dead?

...

...

(credit to @papaue00 for the high quality images)

Apart from superficial similarities, they were both in love with a woman out of their socioeconomic league, whose father ended the courtship; they both died from consumption; their last days were spent with indigenous groups; they have a brother(figure) named John; they both had a dream to go out west; loved nature; didn't really hate civilization so much as wish nature was more valued; wrote beautifully on the people who touched their lives...

So on and so on...

Both Arthur Morgan and Henry David Thoreau play with our idea of the iconic Man of the West. Their lives disavow the adherence to a toxic masculinist vision of the cowboy so constantly disseminated in mainstream media. Their journals hide a sensitive interiority that is rich with emotions and observations.

I believe these parallels and similarities are more deliberate than incidental. There is no way Rockstar just coincidentally made them this similar, and besides, the deliberate allusion to Henry David Thoreau (whose writing is already referenced via the stand-in for transcendental philosophers via Evelyn Miller (ironically, Miller's actions seem to mirror what MOST americans think Henry David Thoreau did with his life, by escaping university to retreat to the woods out of an inability to understand fellow man when in truth, Thoreau was just grieving). It makes sense too, given how Evelyn Miller self-destructs in search of an ideal, whereas Thoreau spent his last days attuned with others and wanting to help, sort of like Arthur Morgan.

And in the end, all this seems like a clever commentary on what America actually is: the stuff of myths, oppression, and violence; and the untenable ideal encapsulated via the gentle souls whose lives are all too brief. This tension between the ideal and the real serves to undercut what characters like Dutch believe 'freedom' or 'equality' means. The people who lived this reality died striving for the impossible, but their goals live on through the lives they touched.

[wamtorical]

Ethel and Henry's marriage was arranged by their parents in order to set up a financially stable lifestyle for future generations. Framed: 1888.

Ethel Emmeline Pence

Occupation : Housewife Traits : Family Orientated, Emotional, Romantic

Born in 1848, Ethel grew up a well-mannered young lady, ready to face what fate had in store for her - even if her 'fate' was obviously predetermined. Nevertheless, after marrying Henry, Ethel was overjoyed to be pregnant and took care of fragile Elmer as if someone was out to get him at every second. Ethel's desire for additional children left Henry feeling apprehensive; he claimed it was an unnecessary act of filthiness, 'the deed had been done' and 'much more fooling around would not do anyone any good'. Elmer's eventual escape left Ethel in a deep sorrow, feeling her son had left the nest too early. However, she knew that was only because had it gone Henry's way, Elmer would have never left the nest. She exchanges letters with Elmer and loves to hear about how him and Claudia are doing. Come late 1890, Ethel finds herself bearing the child of another after feeding into her curiosity of other men and attempting to seek the affection she'd never once recieved. In an ironically fortunate event, the child failed to make it. Though Ethel was in silent mourning for a while, she found closure in her grandson - Leroy Pence - who was named after her own unborn son.

Henry Stewart Pence

Occupation : Business man Traits : Hot Headed, High Maintenance, Unappeasable

Born 2 years after Ethel in the midst of 1850, Henry was a cold, stone-hearted man straight out the womb who'd refused to show much emotion unless he was outright enraged. Others despised him and Henry knew it, but in his society that wasn't a problem - Money was what defined you as an individual, and the Pence's had plenty to spare. Love on another note was foolish to Henry, and Ethel - who's father worked alongside his own - was who he'd, out of any woman, would consider last of all. Fussy, talkative and emotional. There was one person, however, Henry cared about in a more pure, genuine manner. John Calvert met Henry when they were 13. Henry's parents were seeking a brand new kitchen boy and the two clicked instantly (To which Henry's parents didn't take too well). Once Henry wedded Ethel, John was pronounced their Butler, just so Henry could have someone's company he actually enjoyed. Sometimes he'd caught himself thinking absurd nonsense such as the desire to live with John rather than Ethel, though he'd be lying if he said it hadn't sounded nice. Point still stood; John wasn't even upper class! Like brothers they were, or rather, he convinced himself they were. John loved Elmer like his own son, to which Henry didn't mind one bit. He didn't have time for Elmer, what he did mind however was John's decision to retire once he'd found out what Elmer had done. Suddenly, for the first time in his life, Henry started to care very much. The fortune, Elmer, the humiliation; None of it was enough to invoke such strong emotions within him like John's depart had. Unbeknownst to Henry was the true reason he'd felt so strongly.

[bottomlessabyssposts]

"Mike don't deserve Will" -> BUT does Mike even want to be with Will in first place???? bc Will wasn't even sure Mike want to be his friend anymore in s4, can you imagine his face in s5 if El and Mike broke up, Mike goes to Will "ei my great love story, which I ignore you for a year for, didn't work but ei, you need me right? and i don't mind swing in your way so" ????? what is it Will a backup plan since plan a didn't work? The second choice, after El? exactly what he was to herny☠️ It will be an horrible writing and a disservice to both Will and Mike's characters. Mike need an arc where he accept the person who he is, forgive himself and stop to push himself in the perfect boyfriend role. Without, any romantic relationship for him would be forced. In this context I said "Will deserves better" bc Will deserves to be the first choice, at the moment he definitely doesn't feels like that with Mike.

have good evening<3

First things first, hello anon. :)

There is a whole lack of understanding of Mike's character in your comment, assuming that he's using Will as a plan B ?? Which is. Not true.

"Does Mike even want to be with Will in the first place" -> Absolutely ! Mike apologized as soon as he could to Will, and made amends with him. He VALUES their friendship, and even states that "Hawkins is not the same without Will". Whether it is romantic or platonic, Mike wants Will in his life.

"El is my great love story, which I ignore you a year for" -> first I'd like to point out it wasn't even a full year. The Byers left at the end of summer, and Mike visited in March... so... not a full year. Also, the whole "ignoring Will" thing lasted no more than three weeks, I believe. Lastly, Mike called (Dustin said Mike complained that the phone was always busy, meaning he called MULTIPLE times), and we know he called Will because he communicated with El through letters. It's unfair to say he "ignored" Will during their separation because Will didn't call, and I do not blame him. But it's time to see both sides, I think.

"Didn't work for El, but you need me so— and I don't swing your way" WHY would you assume he would EVER play with Will's feelings like this ? If Mike WASN'T remotely attracted to Will and knew of Will's love for him, he wouldn't do that, because Will is his best friend. Will is his own category. This is also clearly ignoring Mike's queer-coding and evidence of his own love for Will and ?? What ??

Also, while there is a lot of parallels between Henry and Mike, this one is clearly not it what are you saying 😭 Will has ALWAYS been Mike's priority. In s2, Mike pushed everything away to stay by Will's side, and even gave up on calling El on the talkie. Will has always been Mike's world and was never a second option, especially not to El. -> Mike was desperately trying to act as normal as possible, due to his own internalized homophobia.

The disservice for both of their characters would be that they NEVER know how much the other loves them. Mike's character arc is indeed to realize how important he is, but he can absolutely achieve this with Will by his side. Will is, has always been, and will ALWAYS be Mike's first choice. Mike approached him to be friends, and that was the best thing he's ever done, isn't it?

All in all anon, Mike absolutely can have both a boyfriend, and a better mindset.

Good evening. :)

[willel]

I was thinking: why didn’t El look shocked and said she never stopped believing Hopper was alive? And why did we see Joyce mourning Bob in S3 but not Hop in S4? I’m sure I’m giving the writers too much credit but what if these weird writing choices were deliberate? Maybe Joyce shares with El some abilities, in her case it’s limited to feeling things about the ppl she loves that others ppl don’t, even if her rational self persuades her of the opposite. She said she lost Hop for 8 months, bc it is what happened but part of her didn’t fully believe he was gone forever. That’s why reading the ransom letter was more a relief than a shock, like it was a confirmation of something she expected somehow. I just feel like the Byers, El and Henry have something in common in their ability to perceive things.

For Joyce, we must remember Joyce and Hopper weren't actually dating. We're to believe Joyce had been in a romantic relationship with Bob for almost a year. In some parts of her mind, she even wanted to move away with him and live as a family somewhere else.

Like, obviously she has/had deep feelings for Hopper in S2,S3, and S4 but it wasn't quite the same.

Secondly, S4 hardly touched on ANY of the Byers. We literally got like, 2 or 3 scenes of them in California before everything went awry. Compare that to season 2 and even the beginning bits of season 3? They gave us much more to chew on.

For all we know she was mourning Hopper. We just never got to see it. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️

As for El and even Joyce, I guess they just really had their doubts. You know how I say Joyce has an almost supernatural level of intuition? Well... maybe it's true. Joyce and El never truly believed Hopper was dead. For Joyce it's easy, she just followed the "Never saw his body, not even the ashes" logic. Maybe El felt Joyce's doubt, or Joyce expressed her doubts openly so El doubted it too. Who knows.