Biggles and love languages

[sholio]

sheron and I were talking about this.

For a refresher, the so-called love languages are:
- Touch
- Quality time (spending time with loved one)
- Words of affirmation
- Gifts
- Acts of service (doing things for the person)

And you can have different preferences that you like to give vs. receive.

What I ended up with was this:

Biggles:
Quality time. He's not really *that* into giving people things or doing things for them (although he can) but it's clear throughout the series that he absolutely loves spending time with people he cares about.
(As evidenced by his general tendency to pull people into his orbit ... and then closer into his orbit ... I mean, he eventually ends up working AND LIVING with his closest friends, and he seems to be in the process of also trying to do this with EvS towards the end of the series.)

This is definitely also the one he wants to receive. He just wants people he cares about to be nearby.

But also - words of affirmation are his other one (as a giver). I don't think he really cares all that much about receiving it personally, but he is very good at telling people they've done well, supporting and bolstering them.

EvS:
Gifts. See: homemade cake. See also: I will go to a Soviet Bloc country where I will probably die and bring back your 40-years-ago girlfriend in case it makes you happy. Also: I will bring you tidbits of intel about Soviet agents like a cat laying down mice on the doorstep.

It's a little hard to say whether this is his natural inclination or if it has to do with growing up rich and then not really feeling like he has much else to give, but it does seem to be the way he inclines. It's not just giving physical things, not even mostly that; it's just wanting to offer tangible gestures/things to make the other person happy.

As for his "receiver" tendencies - I KNOW HOW THIS SOUNDS but I really think words of affirmation and quality time are the ones he needs most. One thing that's clear throughout the series is how much he wants to have somewhere to belong and people to lean on; he just looks for it in the wrong places. He's absolutely starved for words of praise and gestures of affection, but he's too prickly to really want things done for him or given to him. Being near someone and being gently petted is what he wants, exactly like a prickly but affection-starved cat.

Discuss!

Comments

[sheron]

Heee! This is fun to think about. I think if I had to pick just one, I'd go:

Biggles: receive quality time, give words of affirmation

EvS: receive words of affirmation, give ....honestly I want to say quality time. I know this makes it shippier, but the reason he brings "gifts" is so that Biggles would come over and pick them up and they can reestablish contact

I mean if you think about the trajectory of it after Hatchet, it's first "EvS mentioned things to Raymond that Biggles might be interested in" (so Biggles has to visit him), "EvS might have info" (so Biggles has to visit him), "EvS sends mysterious letter inviting Biggles to restaurant" (after which they never stop having dinner dates)

So while he brings these intel "gifts", the goal isn't really to send Biggles on a wild chase or something. It's to re-establish contact. I think they both really get off on having those dinner dates

I know this sounds like I"m just trying to make it even shippier (look! their love languages match!) but it's because...they ARE that compatible in canon!

Remember that line from Looks Back?

“Great heavens! How time flies when I am with you. Everyone else has gone. The waiters are getting impatient. It’s time we were going.”

So yeah I like those 2 love languages for them. I can be convinced otherwise however! XD

[sholio]

This all makes sense to me too! I think I still lean more towards "gifts" with EvS - I think he just likes giving Biggles things, whether it's dungeon cake or a piece of intel - but he *does* clearly want Biggles to spend time with him as an outcome of that. <3333 And, regardless of where exactly you'd put their primary love language, I feel it's absolutely unambiguous that they are highly compatible.

“Great heavens! How time flies when I am with you. Everyone else has gone. The waiters are getting impatient. It’s time we were going.”

I KNOW, this still kills me. ;__; I love that it's total canon that they have those sorts of conversations where you completely lose track of time because you're so into the other person's company. HOW IS THIS ACTUAL CANON.

[sheron]

love that it's total canon that they have those sorts of conversations where you completely lose track of time because you're so into the other person's company. HOW IS THIS ACTUAL CANON.

How is any of their interaction actual cannon.

Best relationship arc.

[rachelmanija]

This sounds very plausible.

How do you differentiate between a gift and an act of service? Providing intel and rescuing Marie seem like they could be either.

[sheron]

Acts of service generally seem to be doing something that your partner doesn't want to do instead of them. Like for example if Biggles really hated a particular part of his job and EvS took over doing it for him so he wouldn't have to.

Whereas gifts, inexpensive or otherwise, are more like bringing the person something that made you think of them. "There's this treasure lying on the bottom of the pacific ocean, maybe Biggles would like to know" is the most wide interpretation of it though XD

Of course there are many overlaps! Most people aren't just one thing anyway, but it's fun to speculate.

[scioscribe]

“Great heavens! How time flies when I am with you. Everyone else has gone. The waiters are getting impatient. It’s time we were going.”

Every now and then I think of this line and my heart just sings.

[sheron]

I knoooooow. I love that we canonically see how much they enjoy one another's company.

Plus the fact that Bertie and Ginger haven't even heard of Marie, while Biggles is baring his soul to Erich during their dinners speaks to the quality of their conversations. They aren't just sitting there talking about the weather!

They're just completely and totally into one another and I love it.

[philomytha]

For a book that's crammed full of shippy lines, that one is a standout!

[sheron]

"my first thought was of you" gets me as well :D

[scioscribe]

The love languages concept is so delightfully helpful for shipfic (and friendship fic, for that matter).

I also feel like "acts of service" is a good fit for EvS--like "gifts," it works as a slant on him going off to rescue Marie partly, and it also goes nicely with him definitively refusing to kill Biggles in cold blood. (I love how many of my ships can come down to "it's very romantic that X refuses to cold-bloodedly murder Y.") He's got kind of a self-abnegating, chivalric approach to it where I can completely buy that his hypothetical dream scenario is to do something grandly romantic for Biggles and either die in the process or else have Biggles never even know it was him. Which doesn't mean that's actually what would make him happiest--I feel like he should totally be spoiled with affection and appreciation, no matter how much it flusters him--but I feel like he's got so many walls up that that's his go-to option.

And now I really want a story where Biggles finds out that von Stalhein secretly did something bizarrely self-sacrificing for him while they were still technically enemies, because I feel like that completely checks out. "I can't take him up on his constant offers to just go over to his side and hang out, but I can refuse to give up information on him while being tortured even though he's definitely my enemy. Totally my enemy. In conclusion, enemy."

[sholio]

And now I really want a story where Biggles finds out that von Stalhein secretly did something bizarrely self-sacrificing for him while they were still technically enemies, because I feel like that completely checks out. "I can't take him up on his constant offers to just go over to his side and hang out, but I can refuse to give up information on him while being tortured even though he's definitely my enemy. Totally my enemy. In conclusion, enemy."

THANK YOU FOR THIS, I now want to request this in every exchange ever. This is glorious. It's even actual canon - when he gets sent to a gulag for refusing to kill Biggles - so it makes total sense that he might have done other things like this years ago, because that's entirely sane and reasonable.

Imagine Biggles's reaction to finding out that EvS, behind the scenes and occasionally at great cost to himself, has been protecting him for YEARS. It's even a beautiful inverse of Biggles refusing to let anyone arrest him and defending him to anyone who will hold still for 5 minutes. Biggles probably *is* responsible for EvS not being arrested at least half a dozen times, as well as outright saving his life in Foreign Legionnaire. I now really want Biggles's reaction to finding out that EvS has also done this for him on multiple occasions ...

[philomytha]

Aha! This is the other reason why EvS's career was never all that successful despite his many talents, he kept sabotaging it because Biggles needed secretly rescuing.

Meanwhile Biggles has been informing everyone that they have absolutely no evidence against EvS, definitely none at all, none of that stuff counts as evidence that's just what I happened to see, for years... Raymond can take a hint :-D

[sheron]

I secretly want to write that canon AU where EvS was an MI9 agent during WW2 XD

He's got kind of a self-abnegating, chivalric approach to it where I can completely buy that his hypothetical dream scenario is to do something grandly romantic for Biggles and either die in the process or else have Biggles never even know it was him. Which doesn't mean that's actually what would make him happiest--I feel like he should totally be spoiled with affection and appreciation, no matter how much it flusters him--but I feel like he's got so many walls up that that's his go-to option.


Yes, absolutely, agreed on all of this!

[scioscribe]

I secretly want to write that canon AU where EvS was an MI9 agent during WW2 XD

You absolutely should! I crave this.

[sholio]

I desperately want this fic to exist in the world. Frustratingly, I don't feel up to writing it myself, but I want to be able to read it. ;___;

[sholio]

Also:

He's got kind of a self-abnegating, chivalric approach to it where I can completely buy that his hypothetical dream scenario is to do something grandly romantic for Biggles and either die in the process or else have Biggles never even know it was him. Which doesn't mean that's actually what would make him happiest--I feel like he should totally be spoiled with affection and appreciation, no matter how much it flusters him--but I feel like he's got so many walls up that that's his go-to option.

1000% this, and this is now making me want a time loop fic in which EvS keeps heroically/tragically sacrificing himself and Biggles keeps trying to stop him.

[rachelmanija]

YES PLEASE.

[rachelmanija]

Biggles finds out that von Stalhein secretly did something bizarrely self-sacrificing for him while they were still technically enemies

I mean, he got himself sent to a gulag for him! It completely checks out.

his hypothetical dream scenario is to do something grandly romantic for Biggles and either die in the process or else have Biggles never even know it was him.

Oh yes, absolutely.

[philomytha]

Biggles is quite often described as touching his friends, taking their arm or clutching at their sleeve depending on the situation, I find it easy to see him as a very tactile person. And yes, he absolutely wants to spend time with his people, romantically and in friendship.

There's a lot of overlap between gifts and acts of service, I'm not sure where EvS falls on that continuum. I do remain utterly delighted by the fact that he straight-up told Biggles he went to rescue Marie because he was looking forwards to seeing Biggles's face when he reunited them.

[scioscribe]

Biggles should certainly first alarm EvS with casual, affectionate touching and then totally tame him with it. Again, the stray cat thing.

[sholio]

He is SUCH a stray cat. I love it.

[sholio]

I have this headcanon that Biggles, given half a chance, would turn into an absolute cuddler, like he's got a whole lifetime's pent-up cuddling to make up for. Sorry, EvS, I hope you're prepared to have a Biggles draped on you constantly.

[chanter1944]

So, I'm one of those who got lured into this fandom entirely canonblind, and am now a liiiiittle bit hooked on all the excellent fic going around. XD Whoops?

Anyway, Biggles and von Stalhein are pretty well covered *glances down comment threads* but you've got me wondering about the other three! Again, canonblind, so other people's reads on Algie, Bertie, and Ginger are very likely going to carry more weight than mine, and hmm. Passingly curious about Marie now too, as far as this concept goes.

[sholio]

Hi there! :D The Biggles-ification spreads. xD

For Algy, I have a strong read on him as an "acts of service" person, although honestly I'm not entirely sure how much of that is actual, canonical Algy and how much of it is that he's often written in fic as the person who is the support system for the other characters.

I'm genuinely not sure about Ginger and Bertie, and welcome anyone else's input on this! I think for Ginger it might be touch or quality time. Bertie I really don't know about! It's not that he isn't close to the others, but it's hard for me to say if there's a scene where I can really get a good read on how he shows affection. Mmmmmaybe words of affirmation? One thing I notice Bertie doing a lot is backing down from any confrontation at all with the others, with a "you're right and I'm wrong, sorry" kind of reaction; I think he's really worried about throwing his weight around due to having a social class advantage and ends up trying to smooth things over whenever he can because of that.

[sheron]

Hee!

If you've enjoyed the fic, I definitely recommend you check out "Biggles Flies East" as their first meeting because it's worth reading XD

I agree with sholio on "acts of service" for Algy and probably Ginger too. I'd vote "words of affirmation" for Bertie, on a gut feel.