cahn | 18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 35

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In the previous post Charles II found AITA:

Look, I, m, believe in live and let live. (And in not going on my travels again. Had enough of that to last a life time.) Why can't everyone else around me be more chill? Instead, my wife refuses to employ my girlfriend, my girlfriend won't budge and accept another office, my brother is set on a course to piss off everyone (he WILL go on his travels again), and my oldest kid shows signs of wanting my job which is just not on, sorry to say. And don't get me started about Mom (thank God she's living abroad). What am I doing wrong? AITA?

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From:

cahn

For what it's worth: In a letter on 26 January 1676 to Azzolino Christina writes (in French) that she would never offend God or give Azzolino reason to take offense, but this "does not prevent me from loving you until death, and since piety relieves you from being my lover, then I relieve you from being my servant, for I shall live and die as your slave."

Aww. I platonically-ship it! :D

Well, me neither, but then again there's also an age gap of a similar size between Fritz and Voltaire. :)

Heeeee, true! I feel like Fritz/Voltaire is a special case because I kiiiiind of don't take them seriously as a ship and that's actually what attracts me about it? Like, they are just so over-the-top and I think they're hilarious and cute but also not a real canon ship but also Voltaire wrote a whole fanfic epistolary novel with super gay tropes. Like. What do you even do with these guys?? Even though age gap is usually really not my thing, here I'm kind of like, wow, age gap is the least of their worries!

Joan dying on the battle field is a fix it when compared to burning alive, but NOT FOR LOVE!

PREACH IT.

From:

selenak

Even though age gap is usually really not my thing, here I'm kind of like, wow, age gap is the least of their worries!

Not to mention that we all agreed ages ago that since neither of them would ever shut up, the most sexual thing that could ever have happened even under the best of circumstances would have been a hand job. :) (More seriously, I'm with Mildred in that I think hand kissing and mutual praise-plus-insult was it for them.

I kiiiiind of don't take them seriously as a ship

Whereas the same editor Richter who insists that Fritz loved three-years-older Fredersdorf as a father loved his son grudgingly declares Fritz/Voltaire to have been "an intellectual love affair" ("eine intellektuelle Liebesbeziehung"), though with Fritz as the woobie who did all the suffering in said intellectual romance and Voltaire as the heartless slut breaking our hero's heart. ("Begleiten wir den König eine Weile auf seinem Leidensweg.")

I think one reason why the age gap basically isn't a factor for Fritz/Voltaire, in addition to them not meeting in person until Fritz is nearly 30, is what appeals to me about this craziest of Frederician ships in general - they come across as equals in all regards (despite Fritz having all the social power, but that's only a factor in the pamphlet burning and Frankfurt arrest, not for the rest of their lives). Voltaire isn't more mature emotionally (is he ever). And I think Fritz means it when in one of the post 7 Years letters he writers "you're younger than me", referring to Voltaire's energy and unbroken ability to tackle new things and be creative. Voltaire might have complained he was at death's door from childhood onwards, but he truly had a remarkable life force, and Fritz was emotionally and physically exhausted after the 7 Years War in a way that had rapidly aged him in his own perception and others. Also, while Voltaire didn't have armies at his disposal, he did have words, and did he ever how to use them damagingly if he wanted so. So: equals, years of birth not withstanding.

From:

cahn

Voltaire isn't more mature emotionally (is he ever).

HAHAHAHAHAHA

what appeals to me about this craziest of Frederician ships in general - they come across as equals in all regards

Yes! That's so true -- what squicks me out about age gaps is the power differential, and that just super isn't a factor in this ship. (I imagine this is also why I tend to very much prefer my loyalty relationships as platonic or UST rather than as a straight ship -- though in this case, loyalty relationships are so my jam that I'm willing to put up with the power differential in the ship if I have to. But they never really are my OTP, whereas the platonic or UST-y versions are often my favorites.)