time to spam you all with thoughts about regency au! arvell that i was plotting as I de-weeded the garden
- takes place in 1816, the year without a summer because dear god is that time period both interesting fiction wise and awful reality wise
- clavell is a sunday school teacher, not upper crust but quite firmly middle class. arven lives with him and helps out with the school, primarily teaching the girls while clavell teaches the boys.
-arven's still trans, although in this time period that's going to look very different to modern day transness, and arven v much does not have the vocab for it
- arven came into his care after turo decided he wanted to go off and explore the new world. there were letters at first, but those soon petered out and its been years since the last one
- arven thinks he's abandoned him and died in some far off country. clavell secretly agrees that he's dead but refuses to say so out loud to try and keep arven's spirits up
- but 1816 arrives. crop failures. famine among their poorer students. food riots. the pittance clavell and arven get from the church doesn't stretch as far and they're only keeping their head above board because arven is spending hours foraging for edible plants and hunting small game.
- clavell had started to think that arven is of marrying age and he aught to arrange a match, but the famine of 1816 really accelerates that thought process, clavell wanting arven to have a better life where he doesn't have to be three steps from starvation, even though a secret part of him wants arven to never leave and for clavell to provide for him forever and ever.
- arven does not agree. sure he'll put on dresses and go to parties if clavell asks him to, and somewhere in his head he knows he aught to marry but he doesn't want to be a wife, and he certainly doesn't want to leave clavell.
- like, that's his old man!! clavell's looked after him since he was a kid!! without arven foraging for food he might starve!! his father might be a bounder but arven firmly refuses to abandon his old man in his time of need. he absolutely loves clavell and each time clavell tries to set him up with someone he gets more and more upset.
- there's also Complicated Gender Feelings because clavell lets him wear breeches when he's foraging, and providing for his family in a traditionally masculine role is very gender euphoric
- i think the breaking point is when arven comes across clavell counting out his money and budgeting and worrying that he wouldn't have enough to send arven to the city for the season. arven stops him and tells him in no uncertain terms that he is not going to send him away, and the only person arven had any interest in marrying was him.
- clavell is soooo conflicted about this because his heart is absolutely rejoicing that his love is returned, but he is so worried because he cdnt provide for arven like he aught, given the whole famine situation. he does try and dissuade arven and tells him he's old, he cant give him the life he deserves, etc etc etc
- arven's response to that is to sit on him and refuse to move until clavell kisses him and stops being stupid. there is an awful lot more kissing that follows. 😈
