straightforwardly (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
straightforwardly) wrote2020-12-15 08:26 pm
straightforwardly) wrote2020-12-15 08:26 pm
Entry tags:
232 | help, Frederique/Iolanthe feelings are overflowing
Have a post full of various Rose of Segunda (and, specifically, Frederique/Iolanthe) things that I’ve been thinking about over the past couple of days!
► Today, I was struck by how much the thought of running away together must have been on the forefronts of their minds.
Before I go any further, I should say that what inspired this train of thought was me thinking about this particular exchange that happens in the Thorns of War demo (and specifically in the “loveless marriage with the prince” route if Iolanthe tells Frederique that marrying the prince was the worst decision she’d ever made in her life:
So I was having feelings about that (his concern for her! how her only objections are on a practical level and not an emotional one!), when all of a sudden it occurred to me that the two of them… talk about/turn to the idea of running away together fairly frequently—and quickly—across different routes and situations?
They quite literally run away together in both the platonic and romantic ending (though the platonic one is more of a temporary escapade) —and Frederique comments more than once on the idea of them running off together; both seriously (as in the demo), and (as I recalled only after I started thinking about this more seriously) in a more lighthearted way in the very beginning of the game, when he suggests that they just stay in Tivoli instead of heading to the palace:
But honestly, what specifically makes me think of it as something which they both are thinking about in some part of their mind is how it plays out in the romantic ending.
Specifically, their get-together goes like this: they get threatened with being parted from each other on a semi-permanent basis, Frederique asks Iolanthe if she’s truly fine with that idea, and if you choose the “no” option, Frederique confesses his feelings (for the first time!!), and Iolanthe immediately responds to that confession with this:
And that’s it! That’s the extent of their “maybe we should run away together?” conversation—Iolanthe (as seen above) responds to his confession as though their running away together is already a given, and the rest of the scene is given over to their euphoria over actually getting together.
I’m not sure if I’m expressing myself very well, but basically: how easily and swiftly the two of them treat running away together as a given once they get together, combined with the other references they make to the idea, makes me feel like this isn’t the first time that either of them have thought about it—that, in fact, it’s an idea, or wish, or urge, or desire that’s been lingering in their hearts and minds for a while, until circumstances—in this case, a confession and the threat of being parted—turns that thought into not just plan, but action.
God, I still have so much more to say about these two (and feel like this thought could be expanded on more), but it’s late and (despite it being in the middle of the post) this is actually the last section to be written, so—I think I’m going to leave it here for now for the sake of actually posting this!
► While listening to music on my morning commute, Imogen Heap’s “Goodnight & Go” came up on my playlist, and—I know it’s a fairly overused song on fanmixes (or was, last I kept up with them), but these lines really caught my attention.
“It's impossible to ignore you / Oh, must you make me laugh so much? / It's bad enough we get along so well / Say goodnight and go”
Like… there’s too many mentions of the modern day for it to be an overall perfect fit for Frederique/Iolanthe (and I wouldn’t say that the rest of the lyrics are particularly apt even if you remove the modern day mentions), but those particular lines? Strongly, overpoweringly appropriate. They laugh together so much! Most of their route-specific interactions take place in late night visits before Frederique goes back to his own room to sleep! And It's bad enough we get along so well —I’ll be damned if that doesn’t instantly make me think of this:
As well, as you know, how “whoops my sibling and I might be a little too close” might be the most understandable reason for why something might be worried about getting along really well with someone who makes them really happy.
► Speaking of media that reminds me of Frederique/Iolanthe: this Louise Glück poem!
Look, there’s all those canonical forehead kisses, and also the YEARNING! ♥_♥ This is absolutely going to be an epigraph to a fic—maybe even the next one I start, depending on what I’m in the mood to work on after I finish editing my post-canon first time fic.
NEXT TIME: I really need to get around to talking about my love of the bee scene! AND ALSO THE THORNS OF WAR DEMO, because I (as parts of this post imply), have feelings. And also my thoughts on Iolanthe’s personality, since I did my first hellion!Iolanthe playthrough on Sunday! Look at me, trying to force posting accountability on myself.
► Today, I was struck by how much the thought of running away together must have been on the forefronts of their minds.
Before I go any further, I should say that what inspired this train of thought was me thinking about this particular exchange that happens in the Thorns of War demo (and specifically in the “loveless marriage with the prince” route if Iolanthe tells Frederique that marrying the prince was the worst decision she’d ever made in her life:
So I was having feelings about that (his concern for her! how her only objections are on a practical level and not an emotional one!), when all of a sudden it occurred to me that the two of them… talk about/turn to the idea of running away together fairly frequently—and quickly—across different routes and situations?
They quite literally run away together in both the platonic and romantic ending (though the platonic one is more of a temporary escapade) —and Frederique comments more than once on the idea of them running off together; both seriously (as in the demo), and (as I recalled only after I started thinking about this more seriously) in a more lighthearted way in the very beginning of the game, when he suggests that they just stay in Tivoli instead of heading to the palace:
But honestly, what specifically makes me think of it as something which they both are thinking about in some part of their mind is how it plays out in the romantic ending.
Specifically, their get-together goes like this: they get threatened with being parted from each other on a semi-permanent basis, Frederique asks Iolanthe if she’s truly fine with that idea, and if you choose the “no” option, Frederique confesses his feelings (for the first time!!), and Iolanthe immediately responds to that confession with this:
And that’s it! That’s the extent of their “maybe we should run away together?” conversation—Iolanthe (as seen above) responds to his confession as though their running away together is already a given, and the rest of the scene is given over to their euphoria over actually getting together.
I’m not sure if I’m expressing myself very well, but basically: how easily and swiftly the two of them treat running away together as a given once they get together, combined with the other references they make to the idea, makes me feel like this isn’t the first time that either of them have thought about it—that, in fact, it’s an idea, or wish, or urge, or desire that’s been lingering in their hearts and minds for a while, until circumstances—in this case, a confession and the threat of being parted—turns that thought into not just plan, but action.
God, I still have so much more to say about these two (and feel like this thought could be expanded on more), but it’s late and (despite it being in the middle of the post) this is actually the last section to be written, so—I think I’m going to leave it here for now for the sake of actually posting this!
► While listening to music on my morning commute, Imogen Heap’s “Goodnight & Go” came up on my playlist, and—I know it’s a fairly overused song on fanmixes (or was, last I kept up with them), but these lines really caught my attention.
“It's impossible to ignore you / Oh, must you make me laugh so much? / It's bad enough we get along so well / Say goodnight and go”
Like… there’s too many mentions of the modern day for it to be an overall perfect fit for Frederique/Iolanthe (and I wouldn’t say that the rest of the lyrics are particularly apt even if you remove the modern day mentions), but those particular lines? Strongly, overpoweringly appropriate. They laugh together so much! Most of their route-specific interactions take place in late night visits before Frederique goes back to his own room to sleep! And It's bad enough we get along so well —I’ll be damned if that doesn’t instantly make me think of this:
As well, as you know, how “whoops my sibling and I might be a little too close” might be the most understandable reason for why something might be worried about getting along really well with someone who makes them really happy.
► Speaking of media that reminds me of Frederique/Iolanthe: this Louise Glück poem!
You came to the side of the bed
and sat staring at me.
Then you kissed me-I felt
hot wax on my forehead.
I wanted it to leave a mark:
that’s how I knew I loved you.
Because I wanted to be burned, stamped,
to have something in the end-
I drew the gown over my head;
a red flush covered my face and shoulders.
It will run its course, the course of fire,
setting a cold coin on the forehead, between the eyes.
You lay beside me; your hand moved over my face
as though you had felt it also-
you must have known, then, how I wanted you.
We will always know that, you and I.
The proof will be my body.
—“The Encounter” by Louise Glück
Look, there’s all those canonical forehead kisses, and also the YEARNING! ♥_♥ This is absolutely going to be an epigraph to a fic—maybe even the next one I start, depending on what I’m in the mood to work on after I finish editing my post-canon first time fic.
NEXT TIME: I really need to get around to talking about my love of the bee scene! AND ALSO THE THORNS OF WAR DEMO, because I (as parts of this post imply), have feelings. And also my thoughts on Iolanthe’s personality, since I did my first hellion!Iolanthe playthrough on Sunday! Look at me, trying to force posting accountability on myself.