#so... in my defense... the pose was cool and someone else egged me on

[nightinpinkunderwear]

my first Harsha

[castlebyersafterdark]

you don't have to post this and not to add more pressure but I'd love a titanic au from you, I definitely trust you with it. would wait a long time for it! I love your idea for it and every other version I've seen doesn't twist the story to make it byler like for eg the french girls painting scene, they'd have mike all demure and dainty like rose and it's like... nooo imagine how different it is for two men of the time period! it's so much more interesting how will would feel there blushing at what he's drawing and how risqué it is.

someone did start writing a titanic au but right in the tags they're like "no smut no sexual attraction" like ugh why even fucking bother! in this au it's part of the thrill, I stopped reading because the lack of chemistry is upsetting when people in the fandom can't let go of being scared to have byler attracted to each other very simply.

I am going to post this and hope it's ok, just because it's worth talking about. Not to pick on anyone but it's important (and also to say) - no one HAS to write sex scenes or include anything explicit in their stories, but to specifically deny the mere concept of attraction and pose it as dirty and shameful, how dare you even THINK someone like ME would consider that... it's a problem. Especially considering the nature of the relationship people claim to be fans of so much. What is the damn point of loving these boys and wanting to create based on them? Their story is about overcoming shame and loving yourself and loving someone else... the fact that being gay means a man being ATTRACTED to other men and loving other men is the reason it's such a struggle to begin with and when fans deny that is even an aspect of them? Homophobic. We have to call it what it is, sorry. I was so meek and coddling about this fandom before but hmmmmmmn no more of that. I’ve established my view.

No one needs to talk about the stuff we do here in this corner as deeply and as graphically as we do, but we have to stand up and say OK, well, you don't have to participate or engage but we're not dirty or wrong for doing so. Sexuality is a neutral concept. Goal point.

Anyway, Titanic. It's such a specific pillar in our modern pop culture. I think it's expected with writing this AU, that a whirlwind romance is going to include something physical, some aspect of passionate attraction and probably sex. We don't need 1:1 retellings, but it's a part of it. Combining the class conflict of the movie with a sexuality struggle would be sooooo good and is why I'm interested in eventually maybe writing this. AU based on a familiar territory is cool to try to make work for the pairing. You gotta change things, not copy/paste characters onto a boat.

It's Titanic, there's gonna be a sketching scene, and Will is actually an artist. Make this vulnerable moment fit the characters personality and story. Maybe this is the first time he's ever allowed himself to Look, to be alone with a naked man. Mike might have teased him about the nudes in Will's sketchbook earlier in the story, and a defensive, flustered Will would have been quick to explain it was just a study during some art class, but also a somber moment of him admitting not being able to afford art school anymore, his only remaining money being used for his ticket for the voyage. And so, this is the first time Mike's allowed himself to feel vulnerable, to allow himself to succumb to what he wants, to acknowledge his sexuality in practical terms or something. I'd think it started as simply sitting for a sketch and the TENSION of Will shyly asking Mike to continue removing clothes as he works on what he truly wants to draw, and drawing out the process of Mike baring himself to Will. A true muse. It doesn't make as much sense for Mike to slink into the room and simply drop a robe. You gotta factor setting and character and time period and how we get these two men to go from strangers to lovers in a meaningful way. That's how I'd write the story.

Last thing on my WIP list currently, but I'm really interested in trying in the far future!!