Hi, so I need an advice? I started shipping Albus and James (thanks to you :D) but part of me just can't let go of the feeling "this is wrong", which leads to a constant feeling of guilt, I know that it's fictional, but... Anyway, it's okay if you don't want to answer this, I hope I won't offend you with this ask :/
Ah, I’m so glad that you’re shipping them now too! They’re so fucking special, aren’t they? They love each other with a fire and a gentleness that surpasses anything else
I understand that it can be hard to get behind consensual sibling ships (or any “controversial” ship that flouts social mores), but for me, I’ve never felt guilty about it because I can firmly shut the door on my fictional world and keep it from bleeding into my real life and my belief system. As real as they feel to me, Al and James aren’t real, and thus they aren’t subject to the laws that govern our reality. In our fictional world, they can be together and it can be gentle and sweet and good without it hurting anyone. This would be an entirely different case if they were real people, of course, but since they aren’t and will never be, we can’t draw any parallels. Fiction doesn’t have to correspond to reality, nor should it. People often use it to explore darker themes that frighten, alarm, or intrigue them, using this safe, controlled space to make sense of the world around them
I know these ships aren’t for everyone, but for me, they work. And I actually like that sense of wrongness. I like morally grey ships that are pure passion, ships that challenge and shock you, ships with a pulse. Brotters is by far my sweetest ship like this, but it’s still “wrong” in the sense that it challenges our preconceived notions about which fictional characters can be paired together, and I find that conflict fascinating. It draws me in and makes me want to explore these characters even more, makes me want to examine why they’re ready to risk it all to be together and how they’ll navigate such a difficult situation. And even more than that, with Brotters, I love seeing how all that turmoil and guilt pales in comparison to the love, support, and trust woven between them. Al would be so upset that I’m calling their relationship “wrong” because he doesn’t see it that way at all. James is the one person he trusts with his life, the person who he can always count on to protect him, the person who shows him the colors around him when everything seems grey. James is his light and his inspiration, and he considers his love for James to be the best, brightest part of him
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which ships feel right to you. Shipping should be about you- you’re choosing to read/write/draw/hc/engage with these characters in your free time, so you should focus on what makes you happy and what inspires you and then pursue it. Shipping culture can be toxic and can compound any guilt you already feel (*shakes fist at fandom police*), but really, fic is about fictional characters and fictional realities, and we need to give ourselves a break in regards to what we enjoy reading. If you like Brotters and can grapple with the guilt or channel it into your understanding of the characters (they feel guilty too, after all), then that’s awesome and I am so happy to welcome you to our ship! If it gets to be too uncomfortable, that’s completely valid and understandable and you don’t have to read them. Fic is about escapism, exploration, and for some people, recovery, and thus no one else can tell you what to read or enjoy. You’re in charge, and only you know what you feel and what you can handle
I’m sorry you’re feeling so guilty about them, and if you want to discuss this further, you can message me or send me an ask off anon and I’ll respond privately. I have a lot of thoughts on controversial ships, the fantasy/reality divide, and Brotters in particular, so I’m always up for discussing this :)
