#perclin

idk I was just thinking about how Franklin is more open with his crush on Percy... with the first limerick he reads being very clearly about him liking Percy, and him saying that he's read it to the maids and servants already. something about his limericks being more vulgar but much more true to the heart because of that? because he's not afraid of censoring himself.

and then on the other hand, how Percy is also clearly in love but tries to hide it with his poem. because (as Luke confirmed in the q&a) he has internalized homophobia, so he tries to disguise his true feelings with fancy words and stuff. and that's why he struggles with writing poems later in the show, because he's trying to hide his true feelings.

and when he's at the poetry reading, trying to read one of Franklin's limericks, its sort of like him trying to be who he really is, but he gets scared (internalized homophobia again).

Percy is trying to maintain this image of himself as straight man, which means that he has to overthink his poems in order to not reveal it by accident. Franklin tells him that the best poems Percy has written were about love, and I think that's why he's struggling a lot, because he's scared to write about love, because he'd have to admit to himself that he was gay. whereas Franklin is much more open with his own queerness and therefore his poems are much clearer and allow him to express himself more openly (even to the point of inventing his own words, because he feels free to deviate from the norm).

also, Percy is always very enthusiastic to hear Franklin's limericks, because it's a glimpse into a life that he's preventing himself from living. because Franklin's writing is so free and not censored, because Franklin isn't afraid of who he is. for example, when Franklin suggests that Percy might woo two women, he's very shocked and slightly disgusted by that thought (I wonder why), but when Franklin mentions he has a poem about that, he immediately gets excited and asks him to read it.

Percy finds freedom in Franklin's poems, because they're the expressions of queerness that he wants to be able to write. He tells the sisters that he read Franklin's poem at the event because "poetry should be about love." because Franklin's poems show that he loves and accepts himself, which something Percy struggles with.

also, I think Percy tried to read one of Franklin's at the event because he loves Franklin (even if he didn't realize it at that point), so all of his poetry felt like it came from a place of love, to him.

I drew them instead of sleeping :D

I just think they’re neat