Seeing this type of discourse a lot sometimes in games in general with romancable companions I was wondering your take on this: the "everyone is playersexual" vs "companions have set sexualities of different types so some are locked off". I've seen good arguments for both and just curious about what you thought
I could give you the cheatcode answer which is, I'm bisexual so I make my love interests bisexual with a canon history of bisexuality which is also convenient in terms of game mechanics because it allows everyone to romance them 🤪
More seriously though, I don't see anything inherently lacking with "playersexual" love interests, but that depends entirely on how good the character writing is in all other aspects. If a companion is written well and they're playersexual, I think you'll find most people won't complain, because there's other substance to the character that the player can relate to or connect to or enjoy exploring. If a companion is playersexual and poorly written/shallow and just blindly attracted protagonist simply because they're the protagonist, though? That's usually when people get annoyed.
In terms of representation it is of course very meaningful to have stories and characters who make readers feel seen, in which case I also think it's good to have narratives where the love interests do feature set sexualities and gender identities that are informed by the setting. In that way, it's a very interesting bit of worldbuilding that the author can engage in. But of course the downside is that some people are unable to romance the character they want to romance without having to play as a certain gender, which may be frustrating especially if you're queer with very few options catered to you in most games, and now you're forced to play a straight character.
In the end, I don't think it's really a choice between the two. We can have games that do playersexual, we can have games that do specific sexualities, we can have games that make everyone bisexual hotties, etc. There's no need to fixate on which method is "better" because like you said, they both have pros and cons. We can have all the cakes and eat them too!
Aren't drabbles meant to be like, 100 words? If so, I went over that limit; oops. I guess this is more of a one-shot, then. Regardless, thank you for the ask, Anon! This was super fun to write.
"First Name Basis"
Nowhere to Hyde one-shot.
Prompt: patching up a wound.
Characters: Utterson and Hyde. This is hydeseek content, though you can read this platonically. But there's romantic implications, soooo... yeah.
CW: mentions of blood.
"It's just a scratch-" Utterson insists again, awkwardly cradling his injured arm from where he's seated.
"Shut it," Hyde snaps, though not with cruelty, rather with an agitated concern, "I'm the one who dragged you up that tree, I'm the reason you fell. I'm fixin' it."
Rifling through the cabinets of his small Soho apartment, Hyde wants to slap himself for not bothering to stock his place with proper medical equipment. You'd think that having the mind of a doctor within your skull would encourage such forward thinking, but nooo, Jekyll's a chemicals kinda guy. The only thoughts rattling around in their head are salts and bunsen burners and indulgences and-
"You did not drag me up that tree," Utterson corrects, "I followed you willingly."
"Only 'coz I refused to get down," Hyde grumbles, hissing a triumphant 'yes!' as he finally locates the bandages. Snatching them from the cabinet, he lets the little door slam shut without a care, focusing instead on rushing back to Utterson before anymore blood can trickle down his pale arm.
The lawyer's gaze tips to the side, his voice quiet, "Actually, it was because of what you were saying about the stars."
Hyde pauses from where he's crouched in front of Utterson's seat, fingers inches away from the man's skin, "Eh?"
"You describe them often, when we walk together," the lawyer's voice remains faint - shy, "and it occurred to me, recently, that I had never truly paid much mind to them before our encounters."
Hyde tilts his head curiously, taking Utterson's injured arm and beginning to bandage it as the lawyer continues his explanation, "Whenever you speak of the stars, you have this... life to your voice. Granted, you usually speak with a rather, uh, 'upbeat tone', but there's something else to it. I'm not certain if I can define it, but this fondness you hold for the stars... Well. It made me wonder if, perhaps, by getting closer to the stars, to observe them as you do... maybe..."
Finishing his bandage dressing, Hyde glances up to Utterson, finding that his eyes meet the lawyers. He holds this gaze for a while, emerald melting silver, before Utterson awkwardly clears his throat, grey eyes flitting away, "...Perhaps if I got closer to the stars, I could also become closer to you."
Oh. Hyde smirks: "Well, ain't that adorable."
A dusting of pink stains the lawyer's cheeks as his shoulders stiffen, "I-I do not know what you mean."
"Yeah you do," Hyde casually retorts, drinking in the flustered sight of the usually straight-faced gentleman. But he also notes Utterson's uncomfortable squirm, the way his shyness is slipping into an anxious unease... and he decides to spare the gent. The man did fall out of a tree for him, after all.
How to quell this rising tension? Well, there's always one method that works with Utterson: "Y'know, maybe I should've said it was utterly adorable? Or am I bark-ing up the wrong tree?"
The lawyer blinks, glancing back towards the fella still crouched in front of him. His lip quivers with the hint of a smile, "Those were terrible."
"Oh, c'mon," Hyde leans towards Utterson with a wide, smug grin, "Don't be a stick in the mud."
"Hmm, you certainly had to stretch for that one," the gentleman relaxes back into his chair, "Wood you like a hand?"
"Ha! No worries, I ain't stump-ed just yet." Hyde shrugs, noting how Utterson's smile has grown. Time to go for gold, then: "In fact, I've got a question for you. What's the best way to make a tree laugh?"
"I don't know," the lawyer eagerly indulges, "What's the best way to-"
"You tell it acorn-y joke!" Hyde cuts in excitedly. In response, Utterson snorts with laughter. Perfect!
Together, the pair of them chuckle, Hyde admiring the sound of the lawyer's laugh. It's a rare thing to hear, so it's always something to appreciate whenever the man can coax it out of Utterson, can get him to drop that stiff persona all Victorian gentleman's train themselves to have. When Utterson relaxes - when he and Hyde can just be themselves without judgement or care - that's when their meet-ups are at their best. That's when the stars shine brightly against the darkness of the night sky.
Amidst his laughter, the lawyer speaks, sounding so fond whilst grinning with closed eyes, "Oh, Edward, since when did you learn such--"
Hyde doesn't hear the rest of what Utterson says. He's caught on one word, ensnared by the sound of a name, shocked so much by it that he stares at the lawyer with mouth agape and emerald eyes blinking rapidly.
Edward. Edward. "Y-You just called me..."
"Hm?" Utterson's chuckles falter, ceasing awkwardly, "Did I say...? Oh. D-Did you not want me to call you-?"
"No, that's not what I meant!" Hyde insists, making a sweeping gesture with his hands as if to shove the mere thought aside, "It's just... no-one's ever called me by my name before. Like, okay, everyone calls me Hyde of course, but Edward?"
Not even Henry Jekyll has called his other self by that name. Edward Hyde only has a full name for legal purposes, to have a complete title to write on wills and cheques. No-one was ever expected to actually call him by his first name - in Victorian society, everyone and their mother just went by their surnames, purely for the sake of formalities. There were few exceptions to this societal rule: parents to children, husbands to wives, and... friends to cherished friends.
"Is it... is it alright?" Utterson timidly queries, "To call you that in private?"
Hyde's brow furrows as he thoroughly thinks it through, stroking at his jaw in contemplation, turning over the name 'Edward' within his mind. So many names within this skull; Henry... Jekyll... Hyde... "Does this mean I can call you Gabriel?"
The lawyer doesn't vocally react, but his expression alone communicates his startled bewilderment.
"Yeah!" Hyde grins, nodding frantically to himself, "Gabriel, or- OH! GABE! I'm calling you Gabe!"
"Gabe-?!" Utterson wrinkles his nose like a disgruntled rabbit.
The other fella bursts into laughter, smirking wildly up at the lawyer, leaning crossed arms atop Utterson's knees, "Don't you think 'Gabriel' just sounds so pretentious? A shortened name would suit yah, really!"
The lawyer sighs, voice exasperated, "Edward... please, no..."
Hyde pouts, "Fiiine. Gabriel it is. But you get the privilege of calling me Eddie, if you want to."
Utterson doesn't respond immediately, silver eyes drifting downwards, having realised how close Hyde is to him. The crouched fella expects to be pushed away, to be asked as politely as possible (for an embarrassed Victorian gentleman) to remove his arms from the lawyer's legs... But instead: "If you would prefer that I call you Eddie, then I can certainly do that."
Heart full of starlight, Hyde grins, "Dang. Maybe I should've made you fall for me sooner. ...O-Out of the tree, of course."
The lawyer's lips twitch with a hint of a smile, "Of course."
It just seems more natural to me? Because Obi-wan, who has never been chosen, doing the choosing? Mr. Infinite Sadness, who could not save his master or the woman he would have left the Order for? Whose only worth is in what he can do for others? I don't get that vibe from him. Why would this bright, brilliant, tempestuous man love him of all people? Preposterous.
we also see him pursue padmé pretty doggedly in aotc, so that may be why it seems so much more natural to me? i agree, i can't really conceptualize a Jedi Obi-Wan (non sith, non dark, non modern au) openly pursuing Anakin. he seems more the type to pine without ever even thinking about actually doing something about his feelings.
but even then, i don't particularly care for obi-wan realizing his feelings first idk why exactly it's just one of my intricacies and eccentracies, if obi-wan with all of his infinite sadness, is to fall for anakin, i need anakin to be there to meet him. it's too sad for me otherwise!
how do I tell the people I care the most that they’re technically my parental parent-parent compared to my actual birth parents…’cause, why do I always be “happi, happi, happi” whenever I talk to them? :^
…
maybe I’m just a smol bean baby who thinks that way 🤨
…bean babeh :3
(one of my friends call me the bean bebeh of the group :0)
