#I signed up for a ship where both halves of my problematic ship got called out for the problematic things they did and/or said to each other

[demented-dukey]

"Reasons Why I Ship RemRom" Masterlist

(Companion to "Reasons Why I Shouldn’t Ship Remrom" Masterlist)

I keep getting asked why I ship Rem/Rom, or why anyone would ship Rem/Rom. So. Here’s a list of possible reasons (You can also find more information about why people ship fictional incest on Fanlore.org).

Some apply to me personally, some do not, but I will use the term “I/Me” in all of the following sentences (in no particular order, numbered for ease of reference):

1. Because Thomas likes the theory that all Sanders Sides ships are an expression of self-love. Thomas’s quotes from the live stream include him saying, "What are my thoughts on sides ships? Guys, I really don't care." "I think that, in the realm of fanfiction, you guys, like, you guys do what you're doing. I'm not here to squash or rain on anybody's parade." "I don't like to stifle people's creativity in that aspect. Fanfiction, you guys, do whatever creatively is in your heart."

2. Because it’s just conceptual. Joan said in a Tumblr post that they were brothers conceptually, NOT biologically, in the same way Patton is a dad or Logan is a teacher. It’s a concept or trope, like the phrase “brothers in arms”, so that Remus could allude to Thomas’s dreams and the biblical quotes.

3. Because they are NOT really brothers. It isn’t really incest. All the sides are equally fictional. They split from the same original idea, so technically that makes them clones, or selfcest. They might call themselves brothers, but it’s just a nickname, I don’t feel like they’re brothers. Thomas and Joan have said multiple times that the sides are not separate personalities - Character Thomas does not have DID - all of the sides are just aspects of a single personality, so any pairing of any of the sides is just elaborate masturbation or selfcest.

4. Because they ARE really brothers/twins. Yes, I think this is incest, and I ship it anyway. Twins are hot, and incest is kinky. There is a whole porn industry cashing in on the idea that siblings are hot, and twins are even hotter. Relationships are built on shared experiences, and brothers have that in spades!

5. Because it DOESN’T MATTER whether or not they are brothers. I don’t really care about whether it’s incest or not, I would still ship Remus and Roman either way. I like each of their characters, and I like exploring the dynamic of how they would match each other in a romantic relationship.

6. Because canon was made to be broken. Maybe they’re brothers in canon, but people write fanfic in all kinds of different AUs where the characters are all kinds of different creatures with all kinds of different relationships. Why can’t I write something where they aren’t related and they fall in love?

7. Because technically Remus and Roman are two halves of the same fusion. To borrow from “Steven Universe” for a second, Sapphire and Ruby form Garnet, and that’s totally acceptable. But what happens when you reverse it? What if Garnet was created first, and then they split into Sapphire and Ruby? Is it then Not Okay? Why? The basic premise is still exactly the same - Garnet is still a whole being/relationship/experience, and Sapphire and Ruby are what happens when you split Garnet up into separate halves. Why is combining a fusion okay, but splitting one is not? The fusion of Thomas was split to form Morality, Logic, Creativity, etc. We now know that Creativity was split again to form Roman and Remus. Therefore, shipping Roman and Remus is no more incestual than any other two sides.

8. Because Remus and Roman are literally ~soulmates~.  In Plato’s story of soulmates, the story goes that humans originally had four arms, four legs, and a single head made of two faces. Zeus split the humans in half, and each human would forever long for his/her other half; the other half of his/her soul. It’s fate that they are drawn to each other!

9. Because fuck you, that’s why. I don’t have to explain myself to you. Who do you think you are, the Purity Police? Fuck you.

10. Because of “Reasons” that I don’t feel comfortable sharing. I have my reasons, and I demand my privacy. I do not require anyone’s stamp of approval. My reasons are mine.

11. Because of petty spite. There have been so, so many anti-ship posts telling me not to ship them that now I ship them out of spite. I wasn’t even thinking about the pairing until the antis put it in my head. The more people tell me I can’t, the more I want to. I’m wacky like that.

12. Because RemRom is forbidden fruit. I’m attracted to things that are forbidden. If this is wrong, then I don’t wanna be right!

13. Because... I don’t know? I just kinda want to, and I don’t know why? Not everyone sits down and makes lists of justifications of why they ship what they ship. Why should I have to have a reason? Who decides what reasons are “valid enough”? I’m really a big ball of confusion as to the ‘why’, all I know is that I want to see the boys kiss. Isn’t that enough of a reason? I think, therefore I am?

14. Because the Prince and the Duke are both Royalty. Royalty and Incest go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly! Everybody knows royalty only marries other royalty, and all those generations of inbreeding makes it hard to find royalty that isn’t incest, am I rite?

15. Because Moxiety is an acceptable ship, but RemRom is “controversial”. Moxiety is as much incestual as RemRom. Patton/Virgil have a Father/Son vibe going for them. They’ve referred to each other in canon as “kiddo” and “popstar”, and multiple times Patton has called Virgil his “child”. But both platonic and romantic relationships are still combined under the same “Moxiety” tag, and it is accepted and welcomed in the fandom despite the incestual undertones.

16. Because it’s simple math. If Thomas Sanders is hot, then 2x Thomas Sanders is twice as hot, right?

17. Because of Rule 34 of the internet. If a thing exists, then porn of it is on the internet. Somebody’s gonna ship it, so it mineswell be me.

18. Because I have Intrusive Thoughts. I already have a little Remus in my head, and writing about the sick, twisted things he whispers to me is the only way I can tire him out so I can get some peace and rest.

19. Because I AM an Incest Survivor. I have been through a traumatic experience, and reading/writing about it in a fictional setting helps me process my trauma.

20. Because I am NOT an Incest Survivor. Science has proven that reading fiction can help boost your empathy by practicing your ability to see the world through other people’s eyes, whether it be the author's or a character's. I’ve never experienced incest, but I want to be better able to empathize with people who have. I also read Abusive/Unsympathetic!Character fanfic so I can recognize warning signs, and so I know how to act in order to not be abusive to others in Real Life.

21. Because Incest is bad/dirty/wrong/gross. I like dark topics, and I find it interesting to explore taboo subjects in fiction. Murder is wrong, child abuse is wrong, but fiction is still written about them. Topics that are “wrong” are still worthy topics to write about - nay, they are even MORESO worthy of being written about in fiction because they are so taboo and not talked about in real life!

22. Because Incest between Consenting Adults is NOT wrong. I don’t think it's “hot” or “kinky” or anything. I just think it's okay for two consenting adults who are related to be in a relationship if it's love.

23. Because Fiction does not equal Reality. Fiction is a safe space to explore topics that would be horrific in real life. Murder Mystery writers do not kill people in real life, and I don’t condone or commit incest in real life. 

24. Because too much self-censorship is exhausting and can be damaging over time. It stifles creativity when I’m constantly scrutinizing and discarding every idea for being immoral and problematic. I already have these thoughts, and repressing them doesn't help.

25. Because censorship is a slippery, slippery slope. Where do we draw the lines, and who gets to decide? Where does it stop? If the characters become step-siblings because their parents got married, is it still incest? How long do two people have to live in close physical and emotional proximity before it crosses that line? Is it okay to ship clones, because they are exactly the same person, and it’s basically just masturbation? How long do clones have to live separate lives and have separate experiences before they become indistinguishable from twins, and it’s no longer okay to ship them? Is it homophobic to take a slash pairing and genderswap only one of the people? What if I headcanon one of the characters as trans, does that make turning a slash pairing into a het pairing okay now? Is it okay to make a canon straight character gay, but not okay to make a canon gay character straight? What if I headcanon a gay character as bi, then is it okay to put them in a “straight” relationship? Can I ship same-age teenagers, or is that pedophilia? Or is it okay to ship them, as long as it’s not explicit?

26. Because Remus would ship it. Look me in the eye and tell me there is a single kink or taboo Remus, Duke of Unicorn Porn, wouldn’t be 100% in support of. I dare you.

I think I got the most popular reasons? If any pro-shippers have reasons I’m missing and want added to the list, let me know.