Henry Townshend (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
21st_sacrament) wrote2011-08-31 08:36 pm
21st_sacrament) wrote2011-08-31 08:36 pm
Entry tags:
My Alex/Henry shipping entry.
For once I am attempting eloquence about a ship, so.
This is in regards to my own personal headcanon and headcanon that has been shared with me, I will most likely be repeating myself from previous conversations/rambling discussions.
My Alex/Henry ship essay or:
Why Henry Townshend thinks Alex Shepherd is worth it.
caretaker | protector
-----> Both men have roles suited to their personalities that can be easily seen in their games. Alex is the most obvious, of a soldier, a guardian, a protector. A man who will fight, throw himself into the front and be comfortable there. Henry, in contrast, is more suited to the background, playing the supportive role that doesn't deal with the same forwardness or knocking of heads. Calling Henry's personality that of a caretaker seems so natural to me and the game was filled with too many incidents for me to think otherwise. Despite the distance between him and others, once it was closed among the victims there was no hesitation to try and save them, to comfort them to the best of his ability ("it's okay... it's just a dream"), all strangers and barely known acquaintances. I'll never forget his handling of Eileen when he finally found her in the Hospital world only to wake up terrified and thrashing and he put his arms around her to calm her down before she hurt herself further, his hands steady on her back and gently taking her hand to help her up. These things weren't hard for him to do, if anything, to him, they seemed like the only things he could do. The option of leaving others in trouble and in pain when knowing they need help is foreign to him (he was certainly gobsmacked when he discovered he had to leave Eileen behind whenever he wanted to travel back to his apartment). Despite his lack of attachment to most people, he's a compassionate individual, a problem solver, and doing nothing goes against his nature.
Henry has spent most of his life alone (and was none too lonely overall) and several results have come of it. He values his independence, his ability to be self-sufficient. Wanting, needing to be with or around someone is possible but strange, in the fact these feelings have surfaced very rarely in his life. He doesn't quite know how to share his life, himself with someone else and it can be confusing, worrying and centers around the fact he's not like everyone else and is all too aware of being unusual. Being thought of as odd or strange has been something he has been conscious of his whole life.
Being alone also means roadblocks and potholes produced from problems you have but don't know how to fix or improve yourself. Being alone means doing everything alone and it makes some things more difficult than others. There has never been anyone in Henry's life to truly offer him safety, security, a confidence in knowing things can be okay because it's not just up to him. All this time, Henry has only felt as safe as he can allow himself, based on his own limits and experiences. Alex opens up a world and wealth of security for him, because of his friendliness, his sociability, his loud, outgoing personality that has explored parts of the world Henry has yet to and not for a lack of trying. Henry loves to visit new places, to see new things but it's easy to stop himself, he's too tired, he's too unmotivated because he's too tired. Alex is that gentle nudge, the shoulder to lean on and hand to hold and when he goes out too far, he doesn't have to worry because has a lifeline to bring him back in, who understands and wants him to feel safe without the cost of missing out on something he enjoys.
Can this be smothering? For an adult man who has spent enough time figuring out what things work and what things don't, when he doesn't need help and hand holding only makes him feel inadequate, of course. There will be times where Alex needs to be to told to step off (stubborn is as stubborn does) but Henry won't ever snap or blow-up. There will be annoyance, there will be frustration but his ability to care also comes through in his measured personality. Being angry in response to something that he'll come to recognize is natural to Alex won't help and allow the root of the problem to be discussed ("...when you do that I don't feel like I can take care of myself. And if I can't take care of myself... how I am going to believe I can take care of you?")
I like to think of it this way; if the two of them were in a game together Alex would fight the monsters and Henry would draw the maps ♥
read my lips
-----> Quiet, shy, socially awkward, it's doubtful you'll walk away from a first meeting with Henry without knowledge of any one of these. He isn't the biggest talker and doesn't always express himself well. Often, when his expression does slip, he has a habit of covering his mouth or even his whole face. When the hesitation is broken through, Henry is a fine enough speaker but he doesn't go on very long and he's usually more content to listen to the other party. It can be hard to get him talking, push too hard, he'll only clam up further. Treating his quietness like a battle is the wrong way to go, poking and prodding only stresses him out and makes it easy for him to decide he doesn't want to be left in this type of situation with you again.
Henry isn't the toughest nut to crack, not if you take some time to get to know him. Rather transparent, it's clear talking about his work, his photographs will open him right up, art, places to go or see. Mundane things aren't a hassle, neither are topics that don't pry into his personal life, it's when talking about his feelings, his hopes, his desires he shuts down and it isn't because he can't but because he doesn't want to. Directly related to his comfort levels, they have to be unusually high and the closer you are to him the more likely you are to be able to provide that level.
Henry is a funny thing, while there will always be that social awkwardness, he handles encounters with strangers infinitely better. People who aren't meant to be a part of his life, who visit and take their leave just like that, there is less pressure, less worry compared to those he likes and certainly compared to those he is attracted to. His shyness cranks up, the pregnant pauses show up, he stutters and becomes flustered easily. Being with people he likes means devoting time, energy, attention to them and opening up ample opportunity for them to see him. He very much wants to impress them, to be thought well of, and can't help but become consciously aware of every fidget and stammer when he's with them. He's never more vulnerable when he's this shy and he doesn't know what to say. Unlike Henry, Alex does have the gift of gab and talking comes easily to him, along with teasing and if there's ever a way to deliver attention to someone it's by teasing. Henry doesn't know how to handle attention, even once he's learned it comes from a good place, an affectionate one at that. It's a way to learn, to be reminded he's being seen, from someone who means him no harm and no ill-will and he needs this, the knowledge someone is spending just as much time watching him.
The bulk of Henry's communication in intimacy is non-verbal and being with Alex, someone who is very tactile in his own right, is infinitely one of the best things Henry could ever ask for. Over time he'll grow more comfortable in talking and sharing with him but in the meantime he has touch to fall back on, to replace the times where he could say I like you and not become nervous and tongue-tied. Being physical with someone familiar to him is easier than using words, where he doesn't have to worry about opening up his mouth and saying something wrong. Alex will tease him, laugh at his shyness, but never reprimand him for how he is, ever tell him there's something wrong with him for not wanting to talk and the teasing becomes an acceptance, that he knows him. That it's okay.
if it's broke...
-----> It's impossible to come out of a Silent Hill game unscarred, especially when you are the protagonist. The good end doesn't spare you, not from the memories of everything you saw, everything you did. Needless to say, there's a part of Henry that's broken to bits after the end of The Room. Chances are, he was already a little broken before becoming trapped in that hideous nightmare and with that said, there are simply things about Henry that just are.
If Henry is looking for anything from a person, it's acceptance. The one thing he doesn't want (and people have tried) is for someone to fix him, mold him into what he should be. If he talked more, if he was louder, bolder, aggressive and out there he'd be happier, just like everyone else. Except he doesn't want to be and he won't ever be. It's not who he is and nothing will turn him off more. He doesn't want to be punished for not smiling even when he's happy and feels good. When he would rather sit and listen to someone for hours, when he'd rather have an evening of being tired and cozy at home, when he's quiet and prefers not to say anything at all, when he doesn't want to be confrontational when he knows if his temper truly goes off he can break down all the walls he's built, when he fails to meet the expectations piled onto him before getting to know him...
He can be tired and he can sink into silence. Sometimes he'll have trouble breaking it but when he has something to say he will. Henry knows he can be better, better at things he personally strives for and it's there that if he receives support, gentle nudges, they are appreciated. Becoming the best person he can only be, much like that week he was trapped in his room taught him, he needs to go out more, he needs to see more. He's willing, with a companion he's even more willing. For Henry, Alex is a gateway to opportunity wrapped in a fiery but sweet Aries personality with the reassurance that he won't ever give up as long as Henry wants to try.
TL;DR Henry emphasis pairings essay of my heart.
TL;DR THIS SHIP /SCREAMS
This is in regards to my own personal headcanon and headcanon that has been shared with me, I will most likely be repeating myself from previous conversations/rambling discussions.
My Alex/Henry ship essay or:
Why Henry Townshend thinks Alex Shepherd is worth it.
caretaker | protector
-----> Both men have roles suited to their personalities that can be easily seen in their games. Alex is the most obvious, of a soldier, a guardian, a protector. A man who will fight, throw himself into the front and be comfortable there. Henry, in contrast, is more suited to the background, playing the supportive role that doesn't deal with the same forwardness or knocking of heads. Calling Henry's personality that of a caretaker seems so natural to me and the game was filled with too many incidents for me to think otherwise. Despite the distance between him and others, once it was closed among the victims there was no hesitation to try and save them, to comfort them to the best of his ability ("it's okay... it's just a dream"), all strangers and barely known acquaintances. I'll never forget his handling of Eileen when he finally found her in the Hospital world only to wake up terrified and thrashing and he put his arms around her to calm her down before she hurt herself further, his hands steady on her back and gently taking her hand to help her up. These things weren't hard for him to do, if anything, to him, they seemed like the only things he could do. The option of leaving others in trouble and in pain when knowing they need help is foreign to him (he was certainly gobsmacked when he discovered he had to leave Eileen behind whenever he wanted to travel back to his apartment). Despite his lack of attachment to most people, he's a compassionate individual, a problem solver, and doing nothing goes against his nature.
Henry has spent most of his life alone (and was none too lonely overall) and several results have come of it. He values his independence, his ability to be self-sufficient. Wanting, needing to be with or around someone is possible but strange, in the fact these feelings have surfaced very rarely in his life. He doesn't quite know how to share his life, himself with someone else and it can be confusing, worrying and centers around the fact he's not like everyone else and is all too aware of being unusual. Being thought of as odd or strange has been something he has been conscious of his whole life.
Being alone also means roadblocks and potholes produced from problems you have but don't know how to fix or improve yourself. Being alone means doing everything alone and it makes some things more difficult than others. There has never been anyone in Henry's life to truly offer him safety, security, a confidence in knowing things can be okay because it's not just up to him. All this time, Henry has only felt as safe as he can allow himself, based on his own limits and experiences. Alex opens up a world and wealth of security for him, because of his friendliness, his sociability, his loud, outgoing personality that has explored parts of the world Henry has yet to and not for a lack of trying. Henry loves to visit new places, to see new things but it's easy to stop himself, he's too tired, he's too unmotivated because he's too tired. Alex is that gentle nudge, the shoulder to lean on and hand to hold and when he goes out too far, he doesn't have to worry because has a lifeline to bring him back in, who understands and wants him to feel safe without the cost of missing out on something he enjoys.
Can this be smothering? For an adult man who has spent enough time figuring out what things work and what things don't, when he doesn't need help and hand holding only makes him feel inadequate, of course. There will be times where Alex needs to be to told to step off (stubborn is as stubborn does) but Henry won't ever snap or blow-up. There will be annoyance, there will be frustration but his ability to care also comes through in his measured personality. Being angry in response to something that he'll come to recognize is natural to Alex won't help and allow the root of the problem to be discussed ("...when you do that I don't feel like I can take care of myself. And if I can't take care of myself... how I am going to believe I can take care of you?")
I like to think of it this way; if the two of them were in a game together Alex would fight the monsters and Henry would draw the maps ♥
read my lips
-----> Quiet, shy, socially awkward, it's doubtful you'll walk away from a first meeting with Henry without knowledge of any one of these. He isn't the biggest talker and doesn't always express himself well. Often, when his expression does slip, he has a habit of covering his mouth or even his whole face. When the hesitation is broken through, Henry is a fine enough speaker but he doesn't go on very long and he's usually more content to listen to the other party. It can be hard to get him talking, push too hard, he'll only clam up further. Treating his quietness like a battle is the wrong way to go, poking and prodding only stresses him out and makes it easy for him to decide he doesn't want to be left in this type of situation with you again.
Henry isn't the toughest nut to crack, not if you take some time to get to know him. Rather transparent, it's clear talking about his work, his photographs will open him right up, art, places to go or see. Mundane things aren't a hassle, neither are topics that don't pry into his personal life, it's when talking about his feelings, his hopes, his desires he shuts down and it isn't because he can't but because he doesn't want to. Directly related to his comfort levels, they have to be unusually high and the closer you are to him the more likely you are to be able to provide that level.
Henry is a funny thing, while there will always be that social awkwardness, he handles encounters with strangers infinitely better. People who aren't meant to be a part of his life, who visit and take their leave just like that, there is less pressure, less worry compared to those he likes and certainly compared to those he is attracted to. His shyness cranks up, the pregnant pauses show up, he stutters and becomes flustered easily. Being with people he likes means devoting time, energy, attention to them and opening up ample opportunity for them to see him. He very much wants to impress them, to be thought well of, and can't help but become consciously aware of every fidget and stammer when he's with them. He's never more vulnerable when he's this shy and he doesn't know what to say. Unlike Henry, Alex does have the gift of gab and talking comes easily to him, along with teasing and if there's ever a way to deliver attention to someone it's by teasing. Henry doesn't know how to handle attention, even once he's learned it comes from a good place, an affectionate one at that. It's a way to learn, to be reminded he's being seen, from someone who means him no harm and no ill-will and he needs this, the knowledge someone is spending just as much time watching him.
The bulk of Henry's communication in intimacy is non-verbal and being with Alex, someone who is very tactile in his own right, is infinitely one of the best things Henry could ever ask for. Over time he'll grow more comfortable in talking and sharing with him but in the meantime he has touch to fall back on, to replace the times where he could say I like you and not become nervous and tongue-tied. Being physical with someone familiar to him is easier than using words, where he doesn't have to worry about opening up his mouth and saying something wrong. Alex will tease him, laugh at his shyness, but never reprimand him for how he is, ever tell him there's something wrong with him for not wanting to talk and the teasing becomes an acceptance, that he knows him. That it's okay.
if it's broke...
-----> It's impossible to come out of a Silent Hill game unscarred, especially when you are the protagonist. The good end doesn't spare you, not from the memories of everything you saw, everything you did. Needless to say, there's a part of Henry that's broken to bits after the end of The Room. Chances are, he was already a little broken before becoming trapped in that hideous nightmare and with that said, there are simply things about Henry that just are.
If Henry is looking for anything from a person, it's acceptance. The one thing he doesn't want (and people have tried) is for someone to fix him, mold him into what he should be. If he talked more, if he was louder, bolder, aggressive and out there he'd be happier, just like everyone else. Except he doesn't want to be and he won't ever be. It's not who he is and nothing will turn him off more. He doesn't want to be punished for not smiling even when he's happy and feels good. When he would rather sit and listen to someone for hours, when he'd rather have an evening of being tired and cozy at home, when he's quiet and prefers not to say anything at all, when he doesn't want to be confrontational when he knows if his temper truly goes off he can break down all the walls he's built, when he fails to meet the expectations piled onto him before getting to know him...
He can be tired and he can sink into silence. Sometimes he'll have trouble breaking it but when he has something to say he will. Henry knows he can be better, better at things he personally strives for and it's there that if he receives support, gentle nudges, they are appreciated. Becoming the best person he can only be, much like that week he was trapped in his room taught him, he needs to go out more, he needs to see more. He's willing, with a companion he's even more willing. For Henry, Alex is a gateway to opportunity wrapped in a fiery but sweet Aries personality with the reassurance that he won't ever give up as long as Henry wants to try.
TL;DR Henry emphasis pairings essay of my heart.
TL;DR THIS SHIP /SCREAMS