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faceofpoe · 28 days ago

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On the highly contentious unraveling of Cassian Andor (and how season 2 is at its heart about his relationship with Luthen).

(This has nothing to do with justifying or not fuck-all about Rogue One Cassian beyond getting him to that beach, I'm an Andor girlie just working my head around what we've built and where it's going in the context of the show).

I had a lot of issues with arc 1, and some of those issues (like ducking around pillars at a wedding to have the hey we're gonna have to murder that guy talk or, why is Kleya even here?) are not going to go away BUT as someone whose brain wasn't exploded by season 1 until seeing the full big picture come together (Rix Road, beloved), I promised myself a full season rewatch to try to recalibrate.

I haven't rewatched yet, but let's have a 75% recalibration now that arcs 2 and 3 have led us where they have to much fandom furor, and mulling how we bring this whole thing together.

Which brings me back to: this season is at its heart about Cassian's relationship with Luthen, and his acceptance at the end of season 1 that Luthen was right, he's going to die fighting the Empire - so either kill me right now, or put me to good use fighting these bastards for real.

Season 2 came to us with a gigantic ask: engage with the negative space. We have to imagine how Cassian went from big wet bambi eyes above to Mr Earnest-Reassuring-Come-Into-The-Circle with Niya. Mr Empire's-Most-Wanted is sneaking into top secret facilities and doing it with confidence and -

Shit goes instantly sideways. This isn't even the right ship, did anybody know that?? (they didn't, obviously they didn't, they don't know what's gone wrong, and this is really important I think about the fallout of this arc). Cassian's off having a terrible time while Luthen and Kleya are spying and drinking on Chandrila and he doesn't check in and this isn't normal.

It's been a year+ since season 1. Partagaz tells Dedra she's been on the Axis hunt for "almost two years" I believe so presumably we've jumped decently down the calendar year for the 4bby arc.

I have a lot of feels on how Cassian's arc one story should have had more time to breathe, to make the losses punch harder at the end by showing him leaving home, etc, but perhaps that is also the point -

He's good at this; he's accepted his pact with Luthen, one day he'll die fighting - but they're tucked away safe. Brasso's looking out for everyone, Brasso who he tasked with looking out for Maarva if he could. We're meeting him on the high point of thinking he can have it both ways and... perhaps not fearing what happens back home, if this mission or that is the one from which he doesn't return. They'll pull through. This is perhaps his era of: the Cause comes first; we take what's left. And he's balancing it, or thinks he is anyway.

Dashing off home and having found that unraveled while he was having The Worst time on Yavin - captured by, theoretically, allies -

The balance is upended, and cue crisis of faith. Not in the Cause per se, but in Luthen. He gave his own life up to Luthen but now the situation has changed on multiple levels. He's rattled by the failure on Kleya & Luthen's end on Sienar, doesn't have Brasso, doesn't have this illusion of safety on Mina-Rau, Bix and Wilmon both get involved, but Cassian isn't handling it well. There's no "take what's left" when she's right there in the line of fire too. Bix questions his decisions in the field, Luthen... his exchange with Kleya in 2.6 is telling.

"This isn't the piece we need."

"We knew that already."

"I thought seeing it in person would make a difference."

Cassian is not the operative he was where we met him with Niya. Sending him to Ghorman is something of a confirmation of something they've clearly been realizing/discussing. Luthen going to check on Bix/put her to work/whatever was the deal there - this seems very much Not The Norm by her reaction, they don't have a lot of face-to-face contact I would guess - he's doing his own assessment of just what is the situation here. (In the most dickish way possible of course, my problematic beloved.)

Cassian's at this complicated intersection of having lost this comfortable place where he can risk and trust his family's safety. Luthen and Kleya are having their own meltdown over how chaotic their operation has become. Cassian... is probably thinking about that bad intel for Sienar and wondering when the next catastrophic fuck-up that isn't his fault is going to cost something else while Bix is over here being the far better adjusted one about just what war looks like and how unreasonable his mentality about her presence. And I'm really curious if we're meant to read in the sudden appearance of "I have friends everywhere" that this was an effort to avoid another experience like the Maya Pei Brigade.

And then Luthen asks him to see about stoking the flames on Ghorman. (I'm still trying to decide how I feel about the sort of 'having it both ways' aspect of Ghorman and provocation and 'it never mattered anyway the ending was already written.')

And Cassian says: "I'll sit this one out." He doesn't take the order, he decides he wants no part in it. And that is where the final fracture in kill me or take me in finally happens.

He doesn't trust the vision anymore. Doesn't trust that the inevitable tragedy will be worth something in the end. Is this fighting these bastards for real? And is starting, perhaps, to wonder if it was worth it at all, to walk back off that ship to Gangi Moon.

And somewhere in the next year, Cassian starts to come to terms apparently with the fact that he doesn't trust Luthen with his life anymore. But he's not quite all-in with Yavin and Draven either. He's maybe still grappling with the acceptance, or inevitability, or not, that the fight will claim his life in the end - and he's lost his faith in Luthen spending it well. Sometime in this time gap after arguing over Ghorman, the fallout with Cinta, getting shot and struggling with recovery... it unsettles him into retreating, ducking Luthen's calls, until Wilmon turns up with compelling incentive.

[insert Force-ex-machina plot here to heighten his internal struggle]

And at the root of their conversation before the Mon extraction is basically Cassian refusing the assertion from 1.4 - this end is not already written. His own decisions matter. Arcs 1 and 2 only validated his teenage understanding that rebellion is pointless and all they'll do is fight themselves one way or another and, Ghorman has validated his plea with Maarva that she can't beat them. People stand up, they die.

And he has a very similar sort of conversation with Luthen as he had with Maarva and gets much the same response. Still work to be done. Luthen doesn't ask Cassian to stay, but he gives him the "I can't go." They're done. Cassian's done.

[I have quarantined the unfolding of the Bix departure in my brain, Bix's story is now Tether, sorry, I hate it so much, and it could have very much worked without the Force healer Force-ex-machina of it and probably with different timing, anyway]

Anyway Bix pulls the "if you leave, it won't be for me."

So we the audience know of course that Cassian is going to stay. Ironically, perhaps, in a far less make-my-own-decisions friendly capacity within the military hierarchy than he ever was with Luthen. And it will be interesting to see how we meet him at the opening of arc 4. He's presumably got Wilmon and Vel and Melshi and K2SO. He's finally seen the Rebellion pull together; Bix ripped away his fantasy (and it is a fantasy, he knows it's a fantasy because it's played out already on Ferrix and Niamos and Mina-Rau) that there's somewhere safe they could get away from it all.

Will he trust Draven & co to spend his life for good again? Or perhaps he simply can't bring himself to care so much either way after all of the turmoil surrounding Ghorman and the fallout and Bix. Orders are orders and good soldiers follow orders and here he is now, slapped into a uniform with a rank on his chest (idk if he ever actually wears the uniform with rank insignia between all the amazing coats in R1 but you get me) and he'll play the part because what else is there?

But Luthen is still out there, against just about every prediction for how this season would unfold. Luthen is the one puzzling over Ghorman and Dedra, demanding the endgame. Luthen isn't finished.

And I guess the question is, since we know how this ends - what is the force the propels Cassian along to Kafrene to kick off the final mission?

Just a soldier following orders?

Or are we going to wrap this back around to that s1 claim and that pact and the extension of broken trust and give Luthen something of a chance to earn it back (possibly posthumously), in sending Cassian along to the meaningful death he promised?

#Did this need a write-up? No #Was it eating my brain? Yes #andor #andor season 2 #andor spoilers #andor season 2 spoilers #the way it was just common wisdom that Luthen had to die to propel Cassian on to Draven is just #we got something so much tastier and I am *chewing on it*#cannot believe we are taking both Luthen and Kleya into the final week and I am HERE

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unfortunate17 · 8 months ago

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Do you have any 🌶️ Wilmon headcanons?

Yes I do, but again nothing super specific!!

Also I know that this topic tends to piss people off, so if you’re sensitive about it, this is your warning not to proceed 🫵

At the core of Wilmon’s sexual dynamic, is the way they make each other feel (obv Saf 🙄).

I think Wille is one of the few people on the planet that Simon feels entirely safe with, so he tends to expose his most unguarded, vulnerable self with him. Like Simon’s not the clingiest person on a day to day basis, but in bed he just wants to be held and taken care of and loved. I’ll die on the hill that Simon has a praise kink. He also trusts Wille completely to give him exactly what he wants. He for sure likes getting manhandled/tossed around if the number of times Wille just casually lifts him means anything 🙂‍↕️ And honestly, as he should, Simon knows he has a man he can trust and would do anything for him and he’s going to make full use of him.

On the other hand, I think Wille’s a lot more unsure about a lot of things in his day to day life - his place in the world, who he is, what he wants, etc., but seeing Simon melt in his arms inspires a sort of quiet confidence in him. It’s not an accident that he’s “in charge” in most of the intimate scenes we see in canon -> seeing Simon happy, being secure in their relationship and feelings, makes Wille feel good about himself, like he’s doing something right. I know he’s smug about how he has a normally collected & self assured Simon speechless and stuttering even though Simon always rolls his eyes at him for it 😭

TBH the only time Wille is hesitant/unsure in bed is when him & Simon are fighting or if he doesn’t feel secure in their love. Sex is definitely a comfort thing for both of them too, even when they’re fighting, and half the time Wille knows an argument is over bc Simon just crawls into his lap.

If we’re talking nitty gritty specifics:

- As I’ve stated, Simon’s clingier in bed

- I can’t even make anything up about their fave position bc it is so obviously Simon riding Wille 😭 ty for this knowledge Lisa it keeps me up at night 🤝

- They’re phone sex enthusiasts and Simon is a lot better at it than Wille (Wille can’t always see him properly when they do this so he gets hung up on that sometimes), but Wille is getting better!! And Simon’s obsessed with him so it’s not too much of an issue

- Wille likes to LOOK 👀. Simon on the other hand likes to hear Wille talk in his ear when they’re doing it bc Wille has a way of making even the cutest things sound downright filthy 🤗

- Simon’s obsessed with Wille’s hair

- Overall I think they’re relatively vanilla, but I can see overstimulation being a thing that Simon is super into, and Wille’s def not gonna complain about making Simon come over & over again 🤷‍♀️

#ask #there’s more I swear I’m just at work and my brain’s fried 💀

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wandrianule · 10 days ago

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Don't mind me, I'm just going to put Andor S2 and Rogue One in a blender. Then, I'm going to add divorce, co-parenting, healthy relationships, friendship, step-parents, moving on, a dash of angst, and complicated stuff. And we're going to mix it and let's explore how interesting it gets. Let's say...

Cassian evacuates his friends (yes, that includes Brasso, who very much survived that fall from his bike, because of course he did) to Coruscant to live in a safehouse until he can move them somewhere safer. B2EM0 was later picked up by Cassian.

Cassian and Bix give each other another chance and get back together. Not long after, they decide to get married which makes Brasso be concerned because he thinks neither are in the right head space for such a serious commitment but he doesn't say anything. Meanwhile, Wilmon just shrugs because adults are weird. In short, Brasso, Wilmon and B2 are witnesses to their impromptu wedding.

The marriage of one Cassian Andor and Bix Caleen is a mess. Both have a lot of baggage and their mindsets are in an unhealthy place. And it's... They're not okay. Add Bix finding out that they're having a baby to the mix plus the relocation to Yavin 4, and there's so much going on. At the same time, they think that the baby will help them get closer, except... It's doesn't. They try their best to keep their marriage, but eventually realize that it's not working so they make the hard decision to get divorced.

The divorce isn't the worse thing, rather it's actually a game changer. Because now, now they communicate better than they did when they were married. They're there for their child and they're good co-parents.

Brasso is there for both his friends. He also enjoys babysitting where he finishes his shift at Yavin 4's salvage yard for the Rebellion. Bix teases him because "Admit it, you enjoy being, uncle Brass." And Brasso just smiles.

(Later, much later, Brasso has the realization that he feels something more than friendship for Bix the one time he saw her forehead smeared with grease, humming a tune with her child on her hip as she tinkered with something, and thought she never looked more beautiful. Naturally, he doesn't say anything about his feelings. Because what is there to say? It's not like... Yeah, no... The best thing Brasso can do is continue being there for his friend).

Wilmon loves to carry the kid around whenever he visits and B2 is watchful of this new little human.

Bix and Brasso work together in salvaging and fixing up things. Brasso does the heavy lifting and Bix does the rest because she's good at her craft. And if her child needs babysitting, Brasso will watch over him.

Cassian comes and go like the flow of the tides. One moment he's here, then there and other times at the other edge of the galaxy. When he comes to Yavin 4, he visits and spends time with his family and friends. For Cassian, having a child was a very new experience he didn't know he'd have to embark, but he's doing good these days. Also, "Kay, please, stop reading parenting manuals during our missions, I know what I have to do."

What Cassian doesn't say is this: He doesn't tell about the things he's done, the assassinations he's committed for the Rebellion, the sabotage he has had to do and the times he's shed tears where there's no one else around, except Kay (who continually tells him he'll erase his databanks if he wishes to). He doesn't tell that his hands are stained red and there's nothing he can do about it. He doesn't say that he's tired and jaded, but that he'll do what must be done for the sake of the Rebellion.

But then, Operation Fracture happens. And Cassian suddenly disappears from the map. And things take a different turn. And so, things change in a whirlwind of chaos.

And as part of Operation Fracture, Jyn Erso is busted out of prison. Jyn Erso who hits Melshi with a shovel and then tries to escape. Jyn Erso who steals Cassian's blaster from his bag. Jyn Erso who challenges Cassian like no one else has done before. Jyn Erso who is constantly on his mind. Jyn Erso who reignites the fire he felt for the cause that had faded for so long. Jyn Erso, whom Cassian gathers an army for, and Jyn Erso who wraps her arms around him at what seems to be the end of the world.

Except somehow Rogue One manages to survive. They live. Not everyone survives, of course. But some live.

The moment Jyn finds out Cassian was married, had a child, and then got divorced, people are expecting the drama. In fact, there are bets about it. What they don't expect is Bix and Jyn getting along like a house on fire, and Jyn taking one look at their kid and being like, "Well, at least, he's prettier than you, Cassian." All Bix can do is laugh and laugh at the expression her ex makes.

Cassian and Jyn don't get together right away. They're friends and then best friends. They're like "uña y mugre" or "uña y carne" as Cassian's father used to say back in Fest about his best friend. They're partners, they're inseparable. They're a slow burn in the process of being something more.

Bix can't stop elbowing Cassian because "You're so bloody obvious. Just ask her on a date!" Meanwhile, Rogue One and Jyn's new friends at the Pathfinder can't stop telling her the same. It takes Cassian and Jyn some time to have the courage to ask each other out. Everyone is happy for them when they officially get together.

The little Andor is a menace. He's at that stage in life where you can't look away for a second because he'll probably be climbing the ladder to the X-wing fighter or jump off a cliff. Also, "Kay, will you stop giving me anxiety with the statistics?"

Brasso is amused at the little one's adventures. He's also the one the little Andor listens to when he tells him to stop. This causes Bix to be like, "You gotta teach me your tricks. He's a whirlwind!"

These days Brasso and Bix are closer than they've ever been. They work together like a well-oiled machine. "No, we're not together, Wilmon. What makes you ask that?" And "Dammit, Cassian, not you too! He's my bloody best friend!"

(It's not that Bix is in denial about feelings or anything. It's just... it's complicated, okay? Brasso is her ex-husband's best friend and also hers too, and they've known each other forever. She doesn't want to ruin their friendship. Also, it's not like he could ever feel the same).

(Wilmon thinks Brasso and Bix are idiots, and should just talk about things. Cassian also agrees with him, even though for him it's very strange but he wants his best friends to be happy too).

Everything turns out fine between Brasso and Bix. It just takes them time.

The war eventually ends. A lot of things happen as we all know, but all is well.

The little Andor grows up with a lot of uncles, aunts, a great stepdad and a kickarse stepmom, and awesome parents. K2 and B2 are around too (probably snipping at each other).

And that's it. That's the story. You can y'all add more if you want to. And if you feel inspired to write something similar, tag me so I can read it. Until then! 😁

#andor series #rogue one #cassian andor #bix caleen #jyn erso #brasso #rebelcaptain #brixo #bix x brasso #if you're reading this #so far #i hope you like it #this got really long #whoops my hand slipped #plot bunnies

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groenendaelfic · 1 year ago

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you know I wasn't going to comment on anything s3 in detail or write a super long divisive post because that's draining and tiring and I just want everyone to have fun and find joy in fandom in whatever way is best for them. And yet here we are. Who'd have thought?

All I wanted from season 3 was for Wilmon to talk to and with each other, to get to know each other (better) and to try to understand and support each other and grow together. To be a couple in love and working on their relationship, learning from each other. Them against the world, facing problems together as a team. I wanted romance and hugs and honesty, and all I got was them being horny. I mean don't get me wrong I love them being horny, but I don't want that to be their entire (positive) relationship and the only thing they have going for them as a couple. Please just have an actual, proper conversation with each other?

This post however is not about that. This post is about Kristina.

I hate what they did with her. I hate her entire character arc (if you can call it that) in s3. I hate what triggered her breakdown. I hate that instead of breaking the circle of abuse and emotional and physical neglect she no doubt suffered, she perpetuated it.

She left her son alone when he needed her most. When all he needed was a hug and a good long cry and the assurance that he's not alone, that she's there for him. That she understands. For someone (his family) to be there and listen and assure him that for them, Wille comes first. (I mean not all, he also needed proper therapy for one, but that'd have been a great and important start)

Wille is a child. Her child. Wille needed her and she failed him. She pushed him away and she sent him away and she left him alone.

(the same is true for Ludvig of course, it'd be extremely sexist etc to not put the exact same expectations and blame on him as well, but alas this post is only indirectly about him as everything always is at best)

However.

Her son is dead.

She's been groomed to believe her entire purpose in life is to be a mascot (which comes with very specific expectations and restrictions she herself said she struggled to adapt to) and to give birth to the next mascot.

I don't pity her for that, but that's still her entire identity and purpose in life. It's always been, and now the next mascot is dead and she has to burden the son she thought would be spared with it all, pun very much intended.

But let's return to my first point first. Her son is dead. Not just the next mascot. Her son.

Yes, Wille's brother died as well and I'll never make light of that. It's horrible and a grief and pain impossible to put into words. Especially as a kid or young teen. Wille needs all the support. Still.

It's not the same.

I know it's not the same because I know exactly what it's like. Both of it.

Granted I'm not a queen, but I did have a cousin who died aged sixteen. We lived in the same house their entire life and shared a bedroom for years. We were like siblings. It was my first time experiencing the death of a close loved one and it was horrible. We all struggled for a long time. Their siblings and I and the entire family, and they will never be forgotten, but it broke my aunt and uncle. Fifteen years later and they're still broken.

I also have two sons and a spouse who are dead (no I didn't lose them, I know exactly where they are) and I promise you it's not the same. A dead sibling is nothing like a dead child. (not that it's a competition)

I'm not going to talk about what it does to you internally, but I will tell you what you'll experience from the outside world when your family dies excitingly enough to make it to the local newspaper. Then feel free to multiply it by a large number of your own choosing when you're royalty and the entire country is looking at you and you've been groomed to never lose composure.

Everyone will call and show up and want to show their support and their condolences (that lasts until about a week or so after the funeral). And they will get two words in and break down and cry, each and every one of them, and then it's your job to console them and be strong and deal with all the arrangements and lawyers and bureaucracy. And it'll have to be you for most things no matter how supportive your family might be, because it's you who needs to sign shit and show the school a death certificate. Everyone will mean well, but it'll be everyone else who'll require reassurance and you who'll have no choice but to function because at first there's so much to do. So much. You won't have time to breathe until after the funeral, and after that there're still so much more to do and take care of you'd never have considered before. For weeks. You can ask someone else to drive you but it'll still be you who's required to show up and do the thing. Some things will drag out for months and more. You don't have time to break down and be weak. You can't afford to, because you also have a job and other responsibilities and a duty to your dead loved ones.

But then the day comes when it's 'over' and there's nothing more to do. Sure people still look at you with pity and whisper behind your back wherever you go and fall quiet, unsure how to react or what to say, because you're now the lady who lost her family in a freak accident, but everything and everyone else moves on. That's normal. It can't not. But it's that quiet after which is the most dangerous.

I hate that they made Kristina's breaking point her son publicly coming out as queer, renouncing following traditions without thought and admitting to having been in the video. I hate it so much, because that was a choice made with an entirely different motive behind the one I'll expound on now and I hate that. Don't instrumentalize grief and the loss of a child and sibling to further prove and underline your political agenda (which I agree with). It cheapens it and was very much unnecessary. We all would've gotten the point without it as well.

But you know what? I can't fault Kristina for that.

You don't know your breaking point until you reach it. It can be anything. There's a reason the saying goes 'the straw that broke the camel's back'. Everyone has a different one and they often feel very ridiculous to oneself (which is a very helpful feeling in that situation, believe me /s). I've talked to numerous people who've gone through something similar. In my support group and in grief counseling and group therapy. No one I've met had a 'logical' breaking point.

Mine came late last fall when I saw a robin outside my window. Yes a bird. We'd have one come every winter to eat the oats and raisins etc we put out for it, and my youngest would spend endless hours every day before dusk looking out that window waiting for the robin to come and eat for a few moments at a time, less if he started clapping out of excitement.

That was it. Boom. I was useless for the next seven weeks.

You don't let your grief overcome you. That isn't a choice. You don't choose not to function when a loved one dies. You don't choose to be depressed or to have the most ridiculous thing be your breaking point. You don't choose to be too strong to not let the grooming break you or to be too weak to be unable to break out of it. And you don't choose to be unable to sit at a birthday party and enjoy cake with a son you know you'll have to force into a role he never wanted, the one your dead son was supposed to fill.

Does that make Kristina any less of a shitty mom? No, of course not. Nor does it change anything for Wille. Kristina's grief shouldn't be Wille's concern. But you don't choose any of that, and the stronger you have to appear the farther you'll fall once you just can't hold it together anymore.

I grew up with a very large, multicultural extended family. There wasn't an hour I was awake at home as a kid when I wasn't hugged or kissed by a younger cousin or aunt or my mom (it was super annoying). We talked and still talk about everything. I married into a family which was a bit less physical and more Swedish in showing their affection, but they are still very open and loving and genuine. I had all the support I could ask for. They're the best and I couldn't have asked for more.

It's not enough. Your child is dead. And Kristina had none of that.

Is Kristina (and Ludvig) super annoying for going on and on and on about Erik and how perfect he was? About always bringing him up when they have a son right there who needs them desperately?

Yes. It annoyed me too. I kept catching myself being furious on Wille's behalf and Simon's with how Wille reacted to the not-comparison between Erik and Sara. But I understand Wille's reaction to Simon and I understand Kristina and Ludvig.

Because once your child / sibling / spouse / dog dies?

They become perfect. My oldest once poured syrup where he shouldn't (it was a Nordic winter night and the car was thirsty) resulting in us being out of our only car, our insurance laughing at us, and us unable to afford a new one. It cost a lot of money, my spouse almost their job and made our life a lot harder for well over a year. He was old enough to know better (and leave the house by himself to go outside and play). He never did anything wrong in his life. He was perfect. They were all perfect.

Erik? What we learn about him is horrifying, and it being normalized and dare I say institutionalized, with him probably not having second guessed his actions, makes it worse instead of better. I do believe Erik was the kind of guy who just didn't (care to) think and merely did what was expected without further thought. That doesn't make it better either, because those kinds of people are the ones who keep corrupt systems running. I might be wrong about his character entirely, but it doesn't matter, because as soon as he died he became perfect.

It's weird what death does to our perception of a loved one. Or maybe not. It's also weird what death does to our perception of everything, because suddenly everything will remind us of that person.

A cloud? A scent? A sound? Toilet paper? Kristina is at the stage where everything she sees and feels and smells and hears will remind her of Erik and his death. Of how he's dead and now Wille has to become him and that is the worst.

Also her son is dead.

No she can't just pull herself together and eat the damn cake. Everything she talks about is Erik because everything she currently is is Erik. Her son who is dead.

There is a reason this is such an often used trope in fiction.

Kristina spent all her life being told that her duty to the throne is her only purpose in life. Be queen. Represent Sweden. Produce an heir. Part of why she's as old as she is is no doubt because Pernilla August is awesome and you can't not hire her when that's an option, but nothing else in this show is a coincidence and done without thought, so I refuse to believe that Kristina hasn't always been meant to be an older mom.

Maybe she had fertility issues. Maybe she for whatever reason didn't want kids and put it off for as long as she could. She's certainly not maternal. Unlike every other woman her generation, no one ever expected her to be maternal. That's not her job.

Quite the opposite. Kristina is old enough to have been raised at a time when royal mothers weren't expected to have any hand in raising their children except for approving (or rather disapproving chosen) nannies and playmates and tutors and the like. She was very likely the first female heir apparent, or maybe she was simply the heir because she had no (male) siblings. Either way her job was always to be a monarch, not a woman or a mother. That's what staff is for. That's not an excuse, but it does explain her as a character.

She was groomed and forced herself to adjust (I do believe forced is the right word, because unlike Erik she seems to (have) be(en) a lot more like Wille than she'd like to admit). She had to be strong and queen and represent Sweden. And then her son and heir died and she failed at both.

I do believe Erik was always the 'easier' child, doing what he was told and taking only the freedoms he knew he'd be granted, while Wille is willful, argues, has a temper and his own head. (that doesn't mean Erik was happier or better adjusted)

And now Erik is dead and Wille has to fit the mold. Wille who got to go to a normal school and clubbing and was let to run wild with little preparation for the role he'd someday have to support his brother with. Arguments can be made that Kristina and everyone else never cared about Wille until they needed him, but I'd like to think she meant well and gave him the freedom she could, and because she is a bad parent she thought she was being kind, and because she is queen no one told her otherwise until it became a problem.

Kristina has never been a good parent, and I honestly believe saying someone meant well is an insult and not an excuse, but I do believe she tried the best with what she knew, the best she could.

It wasn't enough, it was the opposite of enough, but she tried and her breakdown is not a weakness but something which was a long time in coming.

She's not maternal. Her job wasn't to be maternal. Her job is to be a mascot and have other people make sure the next mascot is fed and watered and able to perform. Her being too brainwashed to see how horrifying that is does not make her innocent or any less of a bad mother, but why would she think of acting any other way?

She's ashamed of her breakdown. She can't be weak. Not in front of the nation and not in front of her son and heir. Wille can learn and grow and change. Everyone can and it's never too late, but Kristina here is meant to be what Wille risks becoming if he doesn't, if he gives up and becomes a thoughtless mascot.

Kristina is not a victim and I can't forgive her for being a shit mom, but she's also not the devil. She's a mother who lost her child, and she's spent her whole life being told that the worst thing she can do is to appear weak.

Well guess what? At one point that simply doesn't work anymore.

This post by the lovely @voldiebeth is what motivated me to write a similar one. I originally planned on reblogging and merely adding my own thoughts, and I did talk to her before posting, but then it became something even more personal than originally planned, and considering the difficulty of the subject I found myself more comfortable making this a standalone post. I know that's not proper tumblr etiquette, but please bear with me. Many thanks to @voldiebeth for motivating me to put my convoluted thoughts and feelings in writing and order them a bit. It was very cathartic.

#On an entirely different point #I'll never be able to wrap my head around how Farima of all people turned out to be the best kindest and most functioning adult around #despite representing a dysfunctional system #Followed by Micke of all people?#Every other adult was crap!#Ramirez might get a tiny #hypocritical bonus point #but Boris you too!#what was that?#Your job did not end with Wille giving his speech!#oh and I'm not asking for condolences #that is not the point of this post #yr s3 spoilers #queen kristina #young royals meta #young royals analysis #young royals #random ramblings

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grapehyasynth · 1 year ago

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young royals fic rec, 24/?

i’m (slowly) working my way through the wilmon tag on ao3 and thought that as i go i might shout out some fics i enjoy along the way! i've tagged authors where i knew their tumblr url, but please feel free to tag folks or dm me if you know ones i've missed!

see all my rec lists here

1. all i know is i can't let go by @tooindecisivetopickaurl - So, wanting to kiss Wille—it wasn’t nothing. It was a kind of warmth he hadn’t felt in years, like he could lay down all his worries for a little while and everything would somehow be alright. He didn’t know whether that was terrifying or the closest thing to magic he’d ever experienced.

2. Hetero of the Year by @girls-are-weird - Prince Wilhelm is nominated for the Hetero of the Year award at the QX Gay Gala. In response, he freaks out. Simon, his popstar friend who's been pining for him for the better part of a year, worries this might mean Wille's secretly homophobic. After all, what other reason could there be for him to get so upset?

3. I Want You to Want Me by SkuldTheNorn - After they got together on film night, there still are some things to clear up. Wille and Simon try their best to talk it out. Featuring a spot of making out, a hickey, unexpected insecurities and errant thoughts about boners. (Sequel to Study of a Prince in Pink and All Kinds of Ways to Be)

4. have i known you for twenty seconds or twenty years? by @prince-simon - Still basking in the novelty of their relationship, Wille and Simon celebrate their first New Year's Eve together.

5. One, two, three, four, five, sex on my mind by @pagegirlintraining and @the-amber-fox - When Wille first sees Simon, the rest of the world simply fades away. Which would be romantic and all, if it didn’t lead to him blindly stumbling into the sex shop Simon works at. Once he figures out his mistake, it’s already too late. But Wille wouldn’t be Wille if he let that stop him from pursuing the most beautiful boy he’s ever seen.

6. swaying as the room burned down by @altruistic-meme - the last moments that Wilhelm and Simon thought they would ever get to have, set in the time between s2e5 and s2e6

#young royals #yr fic rec

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caramelpenguin · 9 months ago

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Wilmon

Simon knows what's coming, it's nothing new.

Simon knows what's coming, it's nothing new. He'd experienced it with Noah, and then with Leon- how fingers brushing and contagious giggling and ankles interlocking and fond looks from across the room gradually transforms like the changing of the seasons into the nervous energy of the present, of a few weeks into the relationship where both people question the stability.

Wilhelm tries to hide it. It's smooth when he removes his arm and swift when he turns his head, and it's casual when he shifts away slightly. Simon won't ever know if Wille's purposefully not in the same room as him when August picks on his clothes or skin or family. It's different to the Wille behind closed doors, who's unbridled and unapologetic with his affection and lingering touches, who presses honey kisses into the corners of his body and whispers sweet nothings into his curls.

At first, it's small. Simon slowly spends less time in Wille's dorm , making excuses about chores. Then, when Wille subtly moves away in public, Simon will shift away entirely, and he avoids the searching glance. When August walks in, he leaves the room and returns to sit somewhere else.

It's not new, it's not entirely unexpected. But it hurts like a bleeding wound.

#young royals #wilmon #yr ficlet #yr drabble #hmmhh not a fan

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littlecarjaflame · 25 days ago

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And once again, a few jumbled thoughts on Andor nobody asked about. (Huge spoilers ahead).

I expected to cry in the last episode. I did not expect it to be at the scene of Cassian watering his plants. Like the baby did not make me feel much of anything, but the plants? It was such a small, human thing to do - water your plants before you leave. As if he was off to a business trip.

On that note, I feel that S2 of Andor was at its strongest when it... wasn't about Andor. It felt like it it was kind of fumbling around when it came to Cassian. He didn't have that much screen time (for the titular character) in S1, but in S2 it felt like they kept him around because they had to? He didn't actually have much to do here.

Same goes for Bix and Wilmon. I never cared too much for either of those, but they felt kind of redundant this season. I hated Bix's decision to leave at first, but the final scene kind of made me okay with it. If she was pregnant when she left, her decision made so much more sense. And Wilmon... I am still not sure what he was about. He seemed to stumble through the plot without having much of an impact.

While she has never been a character I paid much attention to, they did Cinta dirty. If I had a nickel for every lesbian killed by a stray bullet as soon as they (re)entered a happy relationship, I would have three nickles, which isn't much... you know the rest (see The 100, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). And this is coming from a person who is by no means sensitive to these sort of things.

On the other hand, all the other characters stuck the landing to perfection. Syrill, Dedra, Luthen, Kleyia, Mon - all those characters had near perfect arcs and endings this season.

Syrill Karn is one of the scariest men I have seen on TV lately. He seems so wimpy and weak and easily manipulated, but the ease and speed with which he turns violent the moment he gets angry is genuinely terrifying. I have seen people speculating that he would become a Rebel, if he had survived Ghorman, but I do not think so. I think he would have strangled Dedra and took her place.

Which brings me to Dedra Meero herself. I envisioned many endings for her, mostly her either dying or rising through the ranks of the Empire victorious. Her being branded a spy and ending up in an Imperial prison is better than any of my theories.

I am sorry we didn't see more of Leida and Perrin. I would love to know what happened to them.

Even though I get the criticisms that there are no non-human characters in the show, and it is a pity, the Star Wars universe has never felt bigger to me, and it is because Andor takes time to build and show different cultures. From the close-knit community of Ferrix, to the highly complicated traditions of Chandrilla, to the history and precarious economic position of Ghorman... I am a complete sucker for fantasy/sci-fi cultures and was disproporionately happy to see fictional wedding customs of Chandrilla.

I, as an amateur writer myself, always tend to judge the writing of anything I see or read. And this show nails the writing perfectly. It sets up things so that it can deliver an absolute bombshell using three or four words. Who are you? Never more than twelve. I could make an entire writing workshop built around these two lines. And bonus? The lines in themselves are extremely simple and natural in the situation. It's no profound insight into the universe, nothing to be used as a tagline, and yet they carry so much weight in the moment, so many meanings, and layers...

And the writing is so good that it makes you feel something for everyone. My heart clenched at the sight of Eedy Karn mourning her son. I could respect Partagaz for writing his own ending, and I felt sad when I saw him sitting in the briefing room, at the place he had ruled for years, as his rule crumbled. I felt sorry for Syrill and Dedra when they were betrayed be the system they wholeheartedly believed in. How good do you have to be to make your viewers feel sad for the villains?

On the other hand, the writing never cringed away from showing the good guys do bad things. Be it Luthen sacrificing people left and right, Mon Mothma basically selling her daughter and sacrificing her old friend, Cassian ruthlessly going for the kill when needed... The Rebels fight as dirty as the Empire, only without the power.

All and all, while Andor has its flaws, it still remains one of the most adult, nuanced and complex piece of entertainment I have seen in years. And, despite some stumbles, one of the best written. In the past years, I have a habit of playing some small game while watching TV shows or movies (like Sudoku or similar). I did not do anything like this with Andor. When I started season 2, I wanted to watch only one episode before tackling some of my chores, but before I knew it, ep3 was ending. I haven't been that captivated by something in years!

#andor #andor spoilers #andor season 2 #I am not okay

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amailboxlemur · 1 year ago

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Simon thoughts for season 3

My poor poor baby 💔💔💔💔

I love Simon. So much. And this season… he’s really going through it. Like the Erik bombshell really took over in episode 5 but up until then I genuinely think Simon was even more of a main character than Wille. I’m so glad they brought him back to the forefront this season.

Right off the bat, Simon is uncomfortable this season. He wants the trial? Settlement? Legal process? To just be over with. He hates that his classmates are staring at him. He wishes Wille gave him a heads up before the speech so he could have prepared himself.

His family life is a mess. Linda has finally clocked what’s going on and doesn’t trust him. Like I get it, he did steal and sell drugs. But also, he’s not using and more than anything he just got himself into a messed up situation. And it feels unfair that she missed what was going on for so long but now that she knows she’s acting like Simon is CURRENTLY drug dealing. Seeing him breakdown to Linda was absolutely heart wrenching, I’ve been waiting for the Simon breakdown and Omar did not disappoint.

And he’s not speaking to Sara. After doing everything to protect her for years she’s betrayed him in the worst way. I also think it’s interesting that they really leaned into SARA hating Micke and Simon only cut him off for her sake. After she comes home crying when Micke disappoints yet again it seems they’re on the path to mending their relationship but we’re not there yet.

Then there’s the online hate. It’s so easy to fall prey to the endless stream of negativity. Wille doesn’t understand, it’s always been his life and he’s probably at least somewhat accustomed to tuning it out. So Simon feels so alone in this. I also think the “the ones that like me only like me because I’m with wille” comment is very telling. It probably feels so fake and shallow to him. There’s also the “typical Latino” comment which… ick. I can’t imagine that’s the only comment of the sort out there.

So what does Simon do? He tries to carve out some positivity. He posts his song and receives some good comments immediately. He meets a young child who looks up to him. And gets a call right away from Wille that kind of… deflates his good mood. Why is Wille being left to “handle” Simon. And I can understand Wille trying to be gentle about it, but Simon just doesn’t understand the “rules” of the Royal court. It’s just an all around mess.

And then it gets worse. He starts getting hate comments even on his song. The kids at school are making fun of him. He even says he doesn’t love singing anymore which breaks my heart because music has always defined Simon. He gets a rock thrown through his window!! And the police are saying “ah yes, probably just a prank”.

No wonder he deletes his social media, no wonder he’s deleting himself. Nothing he does is right. The moment he gives in and joins the hillerska protest is so heartbreaking. From now on, these are the only ideals he gets to stand up for.

But he’s still insecure about his place with Wille. When Wille is distant after finding out about Erik, Simon immediately thinks he’s the problem, that he’s asking too many questions about what to wear to Wille’s birthday.

I want wilmon endgame. I believe in wilmon endgame. But Simon absolutely needed to take that pause at the end of episode 5. I hope they can save what they have without breaking up first. I hope they can have a genuinely honest all cards on the table conversation. I hope Simon can really let himself be fully vulnerable. And I hope to god wille listens, hears him and moves heaven and earth to make the situation better for Simon. Because the way it’s been going isn’t working.

I also can’t post this without a massive WOW to Omar’s acting this season. The role of Simon has always been complex but subtle. This season he really brings it with the big emotions.

#young royals #yr s3 spoilers #simon eriksson #omar rudberg

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skibasyndrome · 5 months ago

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Hi! About fic suggestions, what about, instead of the beloved trope enemies to lovers, the inverse and much less talked about lovers to enemies?

What are your thoughts on ABO?

Hiii! Thank you so much for sending the suggestions 💜

👀👀👀 oh that is DELICIOUS and needs to happen actually 👀👀👀 the tension of enemies plus the fact that these two used to be as intimate as possible 👀👀👀 Simon looking into the eyes that he spent hours staring into, that, a long time ago, he saw pain in and adoration and pleasure in, and finding nothing but disdain now 😫

Okay, my toxic trait is that I lowkey REALLY want to write wilmon fighting and screaming at each other some day. Like. Backing each other up against the wall and spitting insults at each other only to pause when they're chest to chest and suddenly feeling each other's breath on their lips type of shit 👀 and the hate sex!!! the hate sex!!! the I-can't-stand-you-for-the-things-you-did-to-me-and-I-hate-that-I-still-want-you sex?????? 👀 I'm afraid I won't be able to keep them away from each other for too too long, but realistically... neither did they stay away from each other for long in canon.

I actually drafted out a little, very unhinged, idea for angry sex for kinktober that I haven't gotten around to writing yet. Screenshot under the read more cut.

As for ABO (and these are purely my own personal thoughts on it as a reader/writer, I don't think anyone is wrong for enjoying this trope, I think all fiction has its place in the world and I love that there are so many different things!)

I'm afraid that, as a reader, I've never really had ABO fully work for me :/ I know there's surely some out there that tries to deconstruct some aspects of the concept, but I think there's something about the... hm... inherent biological essentialism that comes with it that just rubs me the wrong way? I've read my fair share of almost offensively essentializing ABO fanfic, especially when I was younger. I have a similarly complicated relationship with certain types of the soulmate trope. I think I just need a certain (actually, a pretty high, lol) level of free will and intention in my love stories to fully enjoy them I think. I'm also not 100% informed on all the lore that goes into ABO, but idk. I feel like the only way I could write it would be something like, idk. This alpha is failing at doing typical alpha shit, damn, how do we deal with that (the answer is: he gets to be as un-alpha as he wants to and then falls in love along the way or something like that. Ooooor something that goes a bit into forbidden love/starcrossed lovers territory, where despite being expected to marry/be with another person (complementary to his own a/b/o status), one of the two (most likely Wille probably, his family situation could in some scenarios make an arranged marriage plot plausible) just... refuses to do that. Because actually he's in love with Simon, who he should not be attracted to technically, according to the "rules" of the universe. So yeah 😅 Lots of thoughts there, hope I managed to make them make sense.

Send me things (scenarios, tropes, themes, etc.) that you'd like me to write a fic about <3

and a small snip of my very rough draft mentioned above:

#anon #answered #sorry for yapping so much aaaaaah

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notalotgoingonatthisinstant · 2 years ago

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May I offer you all some Wilmon in these AO3-is-down trying times? We'll get through this withdrawal 😭

Growing up, Simon didn’t stop to think much if he wanted kids or not. He loved his family, loved his sister, loved his mum, (loved his dad,) loved getting to see his little cousins grow over videocalls from South America – but he never stopped to think about himself.

He remembers a fleeting thought he had once, when he was very young, around twelve or thirteen, and figured out he was definitely gay, that it would take some extra steps to have children. He would never have them on accident. He couldn’t decide overnight, talk to his partner, and start trying the next day with a real possibility of making a baby on that very same day.

Then he put that thought inside a mental folder and left it there for the longest time.

He believes that it’s a natural progression to start thinking about it again once you’re in a committed relationship, even if it’s to decide it’s not for you. But he is aware that his thought process wasn’t the same as everyone else’s.

It started with random mental images, when he and Wille got out of school and into the world – well, the world and the military. Back when Simon was studying and working to afford his own flat in Stockholm and, some nights, he would have Wille there on his couch, in his small living room, laughing over a stupid series they’d put on, or pouring coffee for him the next morning.

He would watch Wille shrug on a suit jacket, looking very dapper for the morning meeting, and accept his goodbye kiss. Then Simon would finish gulping down breakfast, put on his flannel shirt, and leave his flat fifteen minutes later. He would lock the door behind him and wonder how earlier he would have to wake up if he had to drop kids with someone, or would they have a nanny? Or maybe Wille would take them?

The thoughts assaulted him without warning and were gone just as quickly. During Wille’s trips, how would Simon manage alone? What if they were both travelling? Could Wille’s children even travel with him? He remembered something about how two heirs straight in line for the throne couldn’t take the same mean of transportation, for safety reasons, which is why Wille didn’t travel with his mother, but did that apply to a toddler?

Simon didn’t ask for the longest time as well, because he didn’t want to open that discussion. He wanted to know if Erik had travelled with his mother when he was a baby; his fingers itched to google it, find pictures or articles, just so he could know.

But he didn’t ask, because back then he wasn’t even sure if he could take the pressure of marrying Wille, even though he was doing nothing to stop that natural progression.

The thoughts would come and go. Sometimes, they disappeared for months on end and Simon would just live his life and worry about more pressing matters, like his uni finals or Sara’s recent breakup. Other times, they would come in the form of his children having panic attacks over being in line for the throne.

Moving into the palace with Wille drew a line in his life, which is why he didn’t do it lightly. It definitely took longer than it would if Wille weren’t the fucking Crown Prince, because Simon felt ready to move in with him straight out of school. But he had spent his years weighting the pros and cons and decided Wille was worth everything and that they could figure it out together.

Living with him in one of the royal palaces, and therefore having more money to spare, brought a wave of baby thoughts to Simon’s mind. They had all this space, all this money, all this support. Surely it wouldn’t be too hard? He knew, rationally, that money would never be a problem, but Simon would have a hand in supporting his own children, and now he was feeling like he could reach that point.

He began to understand, then, how rich people’s minds work. Simon was working, but with a better job and a better salary, and he didn’t have to pay rent. He didn’t have to pay for cleaning supplies or spend one day a week scrubbing his flat. He spent a lot less on groceries, because food simply appeared in the kitchen cabinets and in the fridge. He didn’t have to pay water or electricity bills.

He had all this money monthly deposited into his account and he didn’t have to spend even half of it, which meant it only grew, even with taxes. It got to a point when Wille told him he should have a talk with the royal accountant, to learn how to put it in better funds and investments. To learn how much he had to spare for his own enjoyment.

It turned out to be a ridiculous amount. Nothing compared to the numbers he had pried from Wille about the royal accounts, but a ridiculous amount for a twenty-three-year-old working-class man from Bjärstad just beginning his career. Probably enough, if he braved into that line of thinking, to raise a kid.

One day, almost a year later, Queen Kristina nonchalantly talked about the Act of Succession over brunch, when they were discussing the christening of the daughter of one of Wille’s second cousins. Simon had never bothered to read the Act of Succession, because that had felt too big, so he learnt it for the first time in her voice while buttering a piece of toast.

She started by saying that the heirs have to belong to the Church of Sweden and profess “pure evangelical faith”, whatever that means. Wille doesn’t exactly do that apart from his cross necklace, but Simon didn’t point that out.

The heirs must be born in wedlock from a marriage approved by the monarch, and they must be brought up in Sweden. It’s an absolute primogeniture.

By then, Simon knew he was going to marry Wille. He had known from the moment he had moved into the palace, because why would he make that decision if he didn’t plan to marry him? And he knew Wille wanted to marry him, too. And he figured that Kristina approved, otherwise she wouldn’t even let Simon into her palace.

Simon also figured that she didn’t give that talk because she was afraid of illegitimate heirs – because, honestly, Wille wasn’t going to run around cheating on him and getting people pregnant. No, Simon was pretty sure that she was saying that to remind them that they needed to get engaged. Simon knew she was getting restless after seven years; Sweden was getting restless, if the tabloids and tweets were anything to go by.

So, when he was twenty-four and Wille had just turned twenty-five, Wille made a show of proposing and giving him his grandfather’s ring. Simon cried, even though he had been expecting it. From then on, his mind was pretty preoccupied with the wedding and everything it entailed.

A wedding and a marriage, in their situation, very much entailed future children, but neither of them focused on that.

They had one conversation the summer after they got engaged. Kristina had been particularly generous with the talk about grandchildren that day, like she couldn’t wait to have them, which was the same thing she spewed every time since her 60th birthday earlier that year.

“I don’t know why she’s so insistent now,” Wille said when they climbed into bed. “She had Erik at thirty-one. That’s enough time away for us.”

Simon didn’t answer immediately because, for one of the first and only times, he could see her point of view clearly and didn’t disagree with it.

She had to ensure heirs, sure, and turning sixty probably put life into perspective for her. But also, the monarchy had never done this, the whole gay Crown Prince couple. Were there any laws that needed changing? Would the kids need to be biologically Wille’s or would adoption be just as valid? And who knew how long that process would take. Maybe they did need to start thinking about it then so they could have a legitimate kid by thirty-one.

Simon was quiet for too long, lost in thought, and Wille pushed up against the pillows so he was more vertical. He spoke softly, “Hey, I know you’ve… mentioned it before, but… do you really want kids? I mean, I– I don’t really have much of a choice, but you do.”

Simon raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Who else would you have them with?”

“I don’t want them with anyone but you,” he shrugged. “But it’s too big of a thing to push on you on top of everything else.”

Sensing Wille’s anxiety spiking, Simon also rearranged his pillows to face him better in a more sat up position. “Wille. I knew I would have to have kids if I married you.”

“Still…”

“I was fully aware of it.”

“I don’t want to force you.”

“You’re not forcing me to do anything,” he scooted closer and took his hand. “Do you feel forced?”

Wille shrugged again, taking some time to choose his words. “In a way. Mamma always drilled it into our heads that we needed to produce heirs. After Erik died… the last remaining chance I had to refuse went with him. She doesn’t want to pass on the lineage to her sister’s side, so I guess I just grew up always knowing I was going to have children. I never stopped to think in any other way.”

“You should, though.”

“No,” Wille shook his head. “I promise it’s okay. I do want children, so it’s okay. Still don’t know how to go about it, but… I want them. Do you?” he finished, a hint of nerves in his voice.

“I do,” Simon answered honestly, “I’m not going to lie and say that the fact that I want a life with you, the fucking heir to a country, doesn’t come into play, because that’s too big to ignore. But I think it’d be cool to have a few babies with you,” he smiled. “Just a few, though. No more than three, for fuck’s sake.”

It got Wille laughing, which is Simon’s goal in conversations with him ninety-nine percent of the time, and the subject was mostly dropped.

It was dropped between the two of them for the time being, but their parents didn’t have the same idea. Cousins started having kids occasionally. Simon has a distant cousin on his dad’s side and news somehow travelled to his mum about his baby being born. Apart from Wille’s second cousin who had the christening, his first cousin Eleonora gave birth to a bubbly baby boy as well.

The comparison was even worse because they are mostly “older cousins” in their families, born from the eldest sibling. In their generation, Simon is only second to Sara on his mum’s side, and Sara had barely even started another relationship, nowhere near ready for children. Wille is also the second, since Erik died, behind only Eleonora in age. That, in their parents’ minds, automatically meant that they were supposed to start the new generation before everyone else, and they were already late.

And they were responsible for the country’s next leader, so no pressure.

Their initial deal, as a couple, was to revisit the conversation when they felt like it. Apart from outside pressure, the two of them didn’t have the urge, the need for children right away. It was always something for some day. Something for eventually. Something for when we’re not drowning in royal adulthood.

Simon doesn’t know what triggers it. Maybe he isn’t as immune to the passage of time as he thought, or maybe the comments start getting to him. Either way, those assaulting mental images have been building up in frequency and complexity, until one day Simon finds himself slowly pacing one of their spare bedrooms in Haga Palace, a week before his twenty-ninth birthday.

That is how Wille finds him near dinnertime, after calling out for him a couple of times. “Hey, what’re you doing hiding in here?”

Simon doesn’t answer immediately. Wille is still dressed in his daily formal clothes, having just come home, and Simon’s eyes automatically pan up and down his body, even with his head kilometres away. He sees Wille stepping closer to greet him, but lets his eyes lose focus. He interrupts Wille’s leaning in when he finally speaks. “Do you think this is too far away from our room?”

At Wille’s head tilt that he catches with the corner of his eyes, Simon meets his gaze. Wille asks, “What do you mean?”

Simon knows what he himself means, although he finds it hard to say out loud. Sure, they don’t have a solid plan laid out, but he recalls Wille talking about how his mum had Erik at thirty-one and also how Simon himself rolled his eyes at Queen Kristina’s half-playful remark about giving them five years to have children since their wedding. It has only been half that long.

(Linda had Sara at twenty-three.)

“I mean,” he picks his words carefully, feeling restless and needing to continue walking around and gesticulating, “this room’s got one of the prettiest views of the garden, with the cherry tree, and it faces south, so it’s got sunlight year-round. And I know there are, like, three more guest rooms like this along the corridor, but they’re all so big, no matter how much stuff we try to put in them, but also, is this too far away from our room? And it would be weird to have a few guest bedrooms and random rooms between ours and…” his voice trails off.

Slowly, an amused smile grows on Wille’s face. “You’re asking if this is too far away to walk in the middle of the night every two hours? Because yes.” Wille steps closer to him again, drawing Simon to a stop so he can comb a hand through his curls. “You’ve been worrying your pretty mind about this all day?”

“No, not just today,” Simon confesses, and then bites his lip briefly. “And I’m not… worrying, I’m… brainstorming.”

“Brainstorming.”

“Yes.”

“Simon,” Wille says with the same amused smile, “we’ve got another four potential bedrooms by our room, if you’d be willing to turn the music room and the gaming room. It even beats your limit of three kids. Why are you pacing the tiniest guest bedroom we have?”

Wille’s idea of tiny has never been the same as Simon’s.

Simon sighs and lets his shoulders drop. “Because… I don’t know,” he mutters, averting his gaze. “This room is… cosy. It’s…” He looks around. “Can you imagine a baby in one of those rooms? It’s ridiculous. They’re way too big for a baby. But then, what if when they grow up they resent us for not putting them in a bigger room? Do we just– Do we move their bedrooms? Is that what happened with you and Erik? Did you guys have smaller bedrooms closer to your parents when you were super young? Is that how this works? Because it would be weird to change their bedrooms. Wouldn’t it? I feel like it would. But I can’t think of a single room in this godforsaken palace that is appropriate for both a tiny baby and a rebellious teenager.”

Simon has lived in five bedrooms in his almost thirty years of life, but they changed when he changed houses. First, his childhood room in his parents’ flat, before his mum had saved enough money to move them out. Then in the house where his mum still lives. Then his Stockholm flat. Then the Drottningholm apartments. And now Haga (before he eventually moves back to Drottningholm someday). He can’t really picture moving inside the same place.

During the speech, Wille doesn’t lose his playful air, and Simon has no idea how. Maybe he is being ridiculous and there is a simple solution right in front of him, but he feels like, whatever he chooses, it will somehow be wrong, both from a parenting point of view and a royal point of view. He can’t say he is the best prince Sweden has ever had.

“Simon,” Wille says his name again, in that endearing way only he can, “why would it be weird to change their bedrooms as they grow? We’ve moved houses before and it wasn’t weird. People do that.”

“We’re adults, Wille, and we didn’t move inside the same house.”

“I did,” he shrugs. “I mean, I don’t remember much but, back when we lived at the Royal Palace, before my grandfather died, I know I had a room closer to my parents and then, at some point, I was moved closer to Erik. Then we were put in an adjacent wing to them when we moved to Drottningholm when I was seven, and I moved again when you came to live with me.”

All he is saying makes sense in a practical sort of way, and Simon knows Wille moved inside Drottningholm. Of course, if your house is a literal palace with hundreds of different apartments and available rooms, you can just… move from one side to the other and it will be like moving houses. You don’t keep the new-born in the same place as the sixteen-year-old heir. It makes sense. However, Simon grew up with the notion of His Room. People rent, buy, and build regular houses with those things in mind.

Simon frowns. “You were moved to that different wing when you were seven?”

Wille mirrors him. “Yes…?”

“You were a little kid and, when you guys moved, your parents put you in a completely different wing?”

“It’s not a different wing – it’s within the same apartments, just in a different portion of them, but it’s honestly not that far.”

Simon thinks back to sharing a thin wall with his sister and his parents’ room. “I’ve been there. It’s very fucking far.”

“No, it’s not.”

“It’s very far for a seven-year-old child to be from his parents.” Simon sighs, frustrated, and looks around. “And this is definitely too far as well. I just… This is smaller. It’s more fit for a baby.”

Now, Wille has dropped the playfulness and is instead searching Simon’s face with a more serious expression. He raises a hand and caresses his cheek, in an attempt to calm down his rambles, and it works, taking away a bit of concern with each swipe.

Simon knows how he sounds like right now, so he crosses his arms and doesn’t meet his eyes. “I’m just… I’m brainstorming.”

Wille raises his eyebrows. “You weren’t brainstorming a few months ago.”

Simon shrugs, unsure of what he wants to say, unsure if he wants to start that discussion. To be honest, fucking terrified of opening up that line of discussion. Terrified of what they will tell him about how to raise his kids. Terrified of having to fight on every decision, even as small as wanting his children’s bedroom close to his.

“Hey.”

The whisper startles him into meeting Wille’s eyes.

“How about we talk over dinner? I’m starving, and I know you get cranky when you don’t eat,” he finishes with a slight upturn of his lips.

Simon wants to be petty and argue that he isn’t cranky right now, even though he very much is, although not because of hunger, but he finally lets himself register the fact that his husband is home with him after busy days for them both and how amazing that feels. How their guards aren’t inside with them and they can put on pyjamas and make a mess in the kitchen if they feel like it. And Simon feels like it.

An involuntary smile tries to creep up on Simon’s lips. He fights it, shoving Wille’s shoulder for good measure, and he is drawn back into a bone-crushing hug, which makes it really hard not to smile.

They do eventually talk very seriously about it later that night. Simon confesses that something in him is growing space and that that space is starting to feel empty. It’s not like he feels his life is empty – he is extremely happy to be living with someone he loves and being able to use the privilege of the royal name to do charitable work that is important to him –, but maybe, in a little while, he will crave more.

Wille watches him talk, and Simon realises he has got a dreamy expression on his face by the end of it. When questioned, Wille simply says that hearing him go on about having kids with him makes his heart burst and that it awakens something in him as well. There is definitely something about seeing your significant other around kids or talking about kids; Simon can verify. He knows he very nearly had a heart attack when he had to see, with his own two eyes, Wille playing with Eleonora’s son and glowing while doing it. So, he gets what Wille is saying.

With all the excitement of it, there is the downside. Simon knows he would be feeling uneasy even if he hadn’t entered the Royal Family, because his own dad wasn’t the best at being a dad. Plus, how does one even go about being a parent? How much will he actually sleep? How do you not fuck up a child?

He had entered the Royal Family, though, and married the heir apparent. Just his luck that it means he needs to have A Meeting™ with his mother-in-law/boss to say he wants to have kids.

He and Wille have a gameplay sort of ready, because they know they need to present a united front in this. Part of that involves having the meeting on their own turf, with their own rules about the attendees and level of formality.

#young royals #my fics #wilmon #it's a little taste for you guys okay #i'm going through withdrawal right now and thought we could have one (01) happy thing #even if i can never write them 100% happy oops-

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controversialhottakes · 1 year ago

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Apparently these are unpopular opinions but I don't want Wilmon to be endgame and I don't want Wilhelm to abdicate. (I think the show might be heading down the Wilmon endgame + abdication route but I can't imagine them doing it in a way which would feel satisfying to me personally.)

All I could think about throughout the whole season was how unsuitable for each other these two are. They're so different, and I don't just mean their backgrounds, I mean every single thing about them. Their personalities (this one is huuuuge), their values, apparently even their interests since after 3 seasons I can't really name a single thing they both genuinely enjoy (maybe rowing? or was Simon there for a reason? can't remember), unless we count sex which... fair but a rather shaky framework if a long-term relationship is what you're after.

What do they even talk about? Other than Simon hating the system which Wilhelm is at the very centre of. Or the fact that they don't understand each other because Wilhelm is too privileged and Simon is too big a socialist. And while I hate the phrasing I do agree with the sentiment wholeheartedly because it's actually absolutely 100% true. What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is a conflict of interest. Plain and simple.

One thing that was very clear from the very beginning is that Simon doesn't understand what a relationship with a crown prince entails and that he's really not the kind of person who'd want or should be in such a relationship. He cares too much about other people's opinions, which isn't necessarily bad in and of itself, but people are going to have a lot of opinions if you're dating someone in the public eye, especially the future king, and they're going to be nasty af. Because they can. It's just the reality, nothing you can do about it.

I know a lot of people say that he didn't get media training and so on and so forth. And it is very true and valid. However, a lot of this boils down to his personality. You don't need media training to know that reading comments is a bad idea, let alone replying to them. To me, it's just common sense, and I know he's only 16, but even though it's been a while, I do still remember being 16 and my mindset (on this subject) has not changed since then. Especially if you know you're going to take it to heart, you shouldn't even be looking at the bs people post online.

Simon doesn't fit into Wilhelm's world not because he's poor. He doesn't fit into Wilhelm's world because his personality and values simply don't work in this context. How do you even begin to solve a problem like this? You just can't.

Simon has a very strong personality and even stronger beliefs. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, it's admirable, but this creates so many problems that are virtually unsolvable. If you watch the series (not just the third season, it's been shown consistently), Simon needs Wilhelm to agree with him. And he wants Wilhelm to do it openly and preferably to feel about it as strongly as he does. Which simply isn't going to happen. In order for this to work, Simon would have to change his entire personality and that would be just awful.

Re: Wilhelm abdicating. You don't make a decision like that at the age of 17. Because this is literally life-changing and there's no going back. His brother just died. His mother is having a nervous breakdown. His father is absolutely helpless. You work through all of that first.

Correct me if I'm wrong but it's only been a couple of months since the accident. Oh and now Wilhelm finds out that his brother was human and not some perfect Disney prince. And he gets front row seats to his always-unnaturally-composed mother's descent into literal madness. Just imagine how terrifying it must feel. This boy is going through a lot, this is not the time to be making huge decisions.

I genuinely believe that Wilhelm would make a great king. Keep in mind that for 16 years, it never occured to him that he might have to do this. This was dropped on him like a bag of cement, together with the news that his older brother, whom he worshipped, was dead. All things considered, he's doing great. Come to think of it, Erik's death is the root of 99% of Wilhelm's current problems. Like he said, he never got to grieve and now on top of that he thinks that his brother was an arsehole and would have hated him for dating another boy. But I think Wilhelm finding out about what happened at the initiation is actually going to help him heal.

Wilhelm abidicating just feels too much like giving in, like he was running away from his problems which is a bit OOC. And it would feel like he was doing it for Simon which is such a bad idea on so many levels. I can't put into words how stupid it would be and, as impulsive as he can get at times, Wilhelm doesn't strike me as the kind of person to just completely fail to think of consequences of his actions when it comes to something this big. I can't for the life of me explain why, but he does come across as rather level-headed and sensible, specially for a 16/17-year-old going through what he's been going through. Certain... incidents... aside (the rifle... yeah, the hell were you thinking? you need to chill out and let it go). Season 2 was peak recklessness, he seems a bit more mellow and settled now. Although breaking up with Simon might turn out to be the final straw, yikes...

#young royals #young royals spoilers #young royals season 3 #wilmon #dont get me wrong wilhelm made some very questionable decisions #but i feel so fucking bad for him i cant even be angry about it #i dont get why people seem to hate him so much #like be real what did you expect him to do #try and convince me that you wouldnt have had a full blown nervous breakdown ages ago if you were in his place

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faceofpoe · 1 month ago

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Have you figured out a way to reconcile the “Brasso giving Kellen cover” thing yet? I like the idea of it as a character moment for Brasso, but I can’t seem to make logical sense of it. It’s bothering me!

The way I see it, Brasso has to be taking a (very risky) guess as to what Kellen has said to the Imperials. There are essentially three options there: (1) Kellen has actually ratted them out, (2) Kellen has actively tried to protect them by saying there aren’t any undocumented workers there, or at least any that he knows of, or (3) Kellen has said nothing one way or another.

If #1, Brasso’s outburst I guess helps Kellen by confirming his loyalty to the Empire. Why Brasso would want to help Kellen in that case is another question, but maybe he’s compassionate enough to imagine Kellen not feeling like he had a choice, in order to protect his own family. But also why would the outburst be *necessary* in that scenario?

If #2, Brasso’s outburst would actually out Kellen as having lied to the Imperials. Doesn’t that actually make things worse for Kellen, while also not helping Brasso and his people?

If #3, (which if I were Brasso I would guess was the most likely thing to have happened by that point) then Brasso’s outburst would, at best, indicate that Brasso sees Kellen as loyal to the Empire and likely to have given them up. But it’s still outing Kellen as having known about Brasso & co’s immigration status, and wouldn’t the Imperials then be angry and suspicious about the fact that Kellen hadn’t given them up right away?

Am I missing something here?

Ha okay. *sweats*

So I don't think there's any ambiguity in how we're meant to read the scene. I do think *ducks* it's kind of shit writing tbh.

From the audience perspective, Kellen having sold them out at this moment doesn't really make sense unless it's just sort of... supplementary.

The imperial team came to this (...council?) early because the lieutenant set his attention on Bix. I don't think this is debatable? They come rolling up, he gives instructions to set the team up, and then takes his man to go find her right away. That's why they've changed plans. 'Husband' is off world. It's middle of the work day, he's hoping to catch her alone and off guard.

The troopers only catch Brasso because he's looking for Wilmon who is where he is because he's expecting the later departure. It's just the shit combination of circumstances but I think ultimately can be pinned back on the lieutenant. So what/when is Kellen to have said to sell them out?

From a 'what is Brasso thinking?' standpoint -

I think your option 3 is probably what we're meant to understand but what you're missing is the *nudge wink* aspect of the fact that the councils *can't* get through the harvest without the extra help. So we get this chaotic sort of inventory/inspection where they'll fuck with people who act guilty but largely seem to let the ones who keep their heads down slide. All the emphasis on how running is the big thing that's getting people caught out.

With Brasso's outburst it's important to remember how it starts - one of the imperials going 'hey wait isn't he one of the mechs?' Not 'oh is THAT one of them?' as if they've just been discussing the legality of the labor here but the suspicion is just dawning on this particular dude, I think. They've found someone sneaking around so they're guilty of something and 'hey wait isn't this one one of yours?'

Kellen freezes. Because yeah he's in as much a corner as anyone at this point.

So what Brasso accomplishes is to *distance* them. He so quickly throws the accusation out there and the wording he uses - you use us up and turn us in (something like that) - he is not painting the picture of their relationship we saw, where Brasso & co are part of the big family, sitting down to meals with the whole group and clearly very comfortable and never mind the lengths we've been watching Kellen go to to bring them information and then an out.

What I think in the end his outburst accomplishes is to establish - okay maybe Kellen didn't say anything right now. But he sure is the sort of bastard who *would* he was just waiting to get through the harvest. Gotta have the grain, ya know.

That's the only way I can reconcile it because again - I don't think the progression of events or the moment itself is ambiguous at all. Subtle, but not ambiguous. It's just... kind of a weak script moment.

#andor #andor season 2 #andor spoilers #andor season 2 spoilers

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