#and i feel like both of them would struggle to understand and verbalize how they're feeling and why this isn't working

[brotherwtf]

Age gap AU, how Gale and John deal with Bucky's PTSD?

I would say from a normal person stand point not well but to them they're thriving I think

John had done two tours, one in Vietnam and one during the Gulf war, a pilot of helicopters and fighter planes during both bombing campaigns, while not as gruesome as WWII would have been, he still has seen some shit

he'd seen his friends die, had to watch paratroopers and soldiers get burnt alive in burning forests, had heard the screams of soldiers dying, had seen planes go down like flies and could do nothing to protect them

when John and Gale had first met, John wasn't doing great, he had nightmares every night, slept with a knife under his pillow and a gun in the side drawer, his hands always shook and his brain couldn't convince itself that he was safe, he still felt like he was flying over enemy territory, dodging missiles and MiG's, always watching his six in case someone came up from behind, in short John was very much struggling when he met Gale

helping Gale helped to lessen the demons that haunted him at night, it was second nature almost to have someone rely on him, someone who needed him. It felt normal, almost, to have someone to protect, brought him back down to earth a little bit

he would still have nightmares, though, even after he and Gale starting living together and dating, and the first time he sprung up from his bed screaming with Gale laying beside him was a horrible night. Gale didn't quite understand what was going on, John barely talked about serving, so when he woke to John screaming beside him, thrashing his arms and blindly searching for something on his bedside table, but Gale just shushed him, sat up and held his arm, told John that it was okay, he's safe, he's going to be alright

and John looks manic, looks feral, almost, and Gale's horribly frightened because he's never seen this happen to anyone before, but by God he's going to stay by John's side and they're going to get through this

after a while, Gale's able to calm John down, a hand on his arm and on his back, keeping a respectable distance in case John lashes out again, telling him it's going to be alright, and John would nod his head, keel over into Gale's shoulder and breathe heavily, holding onto him with a vice grip that Gale refuses to admit hurts, he's going to be here for John no matter what

Gale manages to coax what he needs from John, what happens when he wakes up screaming, why he always looks behind him nervously in crowded areas, he doesn't ask John for the full story, only needs bits and pieces so that he can help John feel safe

Gale becomes a pro at it eventually, knows not to hold onto John whenever he wakes up thrashing, grabs his arms only so he doesn't flail around, forces John to look at him so he knows that he isn't in the skies over north Vietnam, he's here in bed with Gale, makes John look at him whenever they're in crowded places so he isn't constantly checking his six, a warm smile on Gale's face as he continues their mundane conversation to keep John distracted

some days are worse than others, especially after John's second tour he sometimes can go non-verbal for a whole day, stuck in a continuous loop of screams and whirring plane engines, but Gale knows to just talk through it, John will eventually find his voice through the mud

John copes healthier now, doesn't drink or smoke as much because he knows how much Gale doesn't like it, but it doesn't really matter, Gale's a better fix than any other vice he can get his hands on :))

these traumatized boys oh dear they're perfect for each other

[beauzos]

Amara is a really interesting character to me. she acts so fucking strange that i honestly thought there was a high chance that she was the ultimate bad guy in Turnabout Revolution lol. i don't know what they were going for with her honestly. i wanna explore her more in my writing eventually. because i can't give any of these characters a happy ending i can't help but feel like Amara and Nahyuta would butt heads, like, a lot. not that they don't love each other, because they really do, but i feel like they really would not understand each other.

Nahyuta grew up in a totally different world than Amara. his lived experiences are wildly different from hers. they'd probably argue about Dhurke, what he'd want, who "knows" him more, they'd argue about what the best thing to do for Khura'in is (which i feel Nahyuta wouldn't mind-- he shouldn't be able to do whatever he wants as regent, so he appreciates a dissenting opinion), they'd argue about Rayfa, about him and what he's doing with his life, so on. i feel like Amara would have very particular ideas of what she wants, thinks, and expects of Nahyuta, and Nahyuta is very much so... not what she expects, i think. like, she knew him probably a little as Nayna, but i don't think she ever really knew him.

and Nahyuta canonically doesn't talk about his feelings or what he's thinking and is very private, so he's not easy to know because i imagine he's still mentally on guard with basically everyone in his life because it's what he's used to. and he's not the beau ideal of a prince or leader. he's just a guy who grew up dirt poor in an isolated world suddenly thrust into great political power at the center of his nation. Amara probably has lofty expectations for her kids, and she's probably spent a long time daydreaming of what it'd be like if they could all be together again, and finding it not exactly as she expected, probably becomes rather upset.

i also think that Nahyuta gets along extremely well with Rayfa after they get used to each other, and i think that would mess with Amara too. that Rayfa connects so easily to Yuta, but she can't seem to connect with either of hers, even though she raised Rayfa the whole time! it's a lot of frustration and missed connections that no one is certain of how to fix. Amara means well, but i just get the vibe she's naturally overbearing and she'll keep running into walls with Yuta (and Rayfa, though they get along a lot better than her and Yuta) because of that.

and i can also see how it might feel so gutting that she and Nahyuta are so different and so constantly at odds when he resembles her so much. i'm sure people have always compared them and in the brief times when she was able to be in his life as a kid, i think she had high expectations of having a daughter child that is like an extension of herself-- and she hasn't yet let go of the idea of that. but Nahyuta is nothing if not his own person post-SOJ, so it'd be a struggle. on the opposite side, Nahyuta has always struggled with feeling like he's in Amara's shadow-- he looks nothing like his father, acts nothing like his father, and must constantly be compared to her because of his looks, this woman he never got to know, this woman who has almost never truly been in his life. he doesn't want to be compared to her.

what a mess.

i wanted to explore that frayed relationship a bit in Rebel Killer, but there was no real time, so i just kinda hinted at things being kinda awkward with them. but you know i'm kind of enamored with how awkward, unpleasant, and strange it'd be between them despite their best efforts bcs of the fic i was planning about Nahyuta and Amara when Yuty was a kid. i'll get back to that eventually, but i do wanna show what their dynamic is like post-SOJ eventually too, because i imagine it's very weird and hard for them to make sense of. they're trying, but they just can't understand each other quite yet.

[pumpkin-bats]

Falling For You - Portgas D. Ace Headcanons

Request by @ijustloveshingekinokyojin

How it was for Ace to fall for you, and when he finally realized what was happening.

-

You start off as friends and he misinterprets his feelings for you as just that at first. This doesn't last very long.

'I get excited when I see them, and my heart beats fast, and I smile a lot... that's because they're my best friend!"

He finds himself talking about you almost as much as he talks about Luffy and his friends point it out to him, which makes him become a bit more aware about what's going on with his feelings.

Still enjoys doing what you usually do as friends, except he quickly realizes that he prefers to do most of those things with just you.

It takes two specific things to happen to make him go from "this is friendship!" to "this is not friendship."

The first thing that happened was when you both went out for lunch to hang out and you were talking about something that happened that you were really excited about. He was watching you normally for a while but started looking into your eyes and he suddenly couldn't hear a single thing you were saying. He was picking out the flecks of color in them that he never noticed before, until you snapped your fingers at him and he realized he wasn't paying attention that entire time. He didn't really understand what happened in the moment but he couldn't forget how your eyes looked a little bit like they had stardust in them when you spoke.

The second incident was when you were going for a walk at a park. You were talking and laughing with each other as usual and halfway through one particular joke you started bumping shoulders to be silly. In that moment he got the urge to hold your hand and intertwine your fingers. This hit him so hard it made him stop walking and verbally go "shit." He did not explain why he did this when you asked.

From then on it was a lot of glances your way. Every time you looked at him, he made eye contact. Even when you weren't looking at him, he couldn't help but look at you but a bit softer and more sappy than before.

Not holding your hand was the greatest struggle and you noticed that he tried to physically keep his distance from you. He doesn't explain why until you start dating a few months later.

A lot of offhanded compliments that he quickly tries to brush off. Sometimes he'd say something really sweet unintentionally that would make him so embarrassed with himself that he just walks away for a second before coming back and trying to move on from what he said.

Tries to hide his feelings from you for as long as possible.

[i-heart-hxh]

In all honesty why do you think Killua made the number two comment to Gon? I feel like he doesn’t realize how messed up that is to say to someone who has gone through extensive trauma trying to prove himself to a father who also put him in “second place” to something he deemed more important. It was hurtful and I don’t see how that can be repaired now. Even if they do reunite Gon is going to just step on eggshells and fear that even one slip up will cause Killua to just leave him again. Idk I just feel like separation wasn’t the solution here. They needed to talk and then stay together. But “taking a break” rarely works out for any relationship. It also sucks that Gon constantly told Killua how important he was to him but Killua NEVER returned this sentiment verbally so Gon’s just stuck thinking he’s a piece of shit who destroyed his most important relationship. Killua really did just say “screw Gon I have Alluka now”.

Hello!

I don't agree with this interpretation at all; to me, there are a number of complex reasons why Killua made that comment, and I don't think it will destroy their relationship by any means.

This post--In-Depth analysis on the Hidden Reasons behind Gon & Killua's separation scene (ep 147) Why Gon is 'Number 2'--is the best starting point for anyone trying to understand the separation, in my opinion. It's cohesive, uses supporting evidence from the series and demonstrates the careful wording used in the separation, and it makes more sense than any other interpretation I've read of why Killua would make such a comment to Gon. I keep referring back to this post because I truly think it holds keys to understanding the separation that other posts I've seen don't.

In addition to the insight provided in that post--where Killua is trying to put some distance between him and Gon for Gon's safety and well-being, essentially--I also think it's:

a) Partly how Killua is trying to steel himself to leave Gon, by telling himself, Gon, and Alluka that Alluka is his priority for now

b) Part of Killua's campaign of teasing Gon lightheartedly on the topic, to bring it up while at the same time downplaying the emotional effects of what happened between them--because when they're separating is not the right time for them to seriously address it or work through it

I do think the second place comment hurt Gon a little, but...Gon is already aware that he hurt Killua, and after his life was literally saved by Alluka (Nanika), being put in "second place" is not the worst outcome ever, honestly. Plus, it confirms he's still one of the most important people to Killua even after everything that happened between them! Killua is not saying Gon is trash to him now, even though it is a bit of a jab.

I've also said before that I think Togashi had Killua make this comment with awareness that we, as the audience, would be like, "Uh-huh Killua, sure, interesting of you to say this so shortly after you centered your entire life on him for basically the whole series and even seriously considered doing a lovers suicide with this guy..." We're most likely supposed to see it as Killua not being fully honest, even though Alluka does obviously mean a lot to Killua and by necessity she has to be his priority now. Plus, even Alluka herself says she'll give Killua back to Gon after a while. She must have some idea of how much Gon means to Killua, to be so willing to "give him back." I've said this before, but I see this line from Alluka about giving Killua back to Gon as a promise from Togashi to the audience that this isn't forever.

Gon isn't clueless; he knows Killua cares about him even though Killua struggles to express it verbally. The degree of trust and unspoken understanding between them in the dodgeball match is a good (albeit complicated) example of this. The two didn't communicate to the degree they needed to during Chimera Ant Arc, which makes sense because they're young and have their own issues and it was terribly traumatic for both for them, but they also have a good understanding of each other overall, and it's not giving Gon enough credit to assume he has no idea just because Killua hasn't said it. He doesn't know the full extent of Killua's feelings for him, certainly (I hope he will someday!), but he is aware Killua cares about him. Even when it comes to the separation, Killua expressing his pain shows that he still cares about Gon! He's saying that what happened still hurts, because he still cares! He's making light of it, but it's honestly a step in the right direction for him to be discussing it at all. If they can't be honest with each other about how what happened impacted them, they can't heal.

Of course it would be better for their relationship if they talked it out fully and came to some sort of resolution, but neither of them were in a place where they could do that quite yet. Killua is too closed up emotionally and hurting from seeing Gon essentially die in front of him, and Gon needs to recover from essentially throwing his life away and saying those things to Killua that we know he regrets. They do need some time apart to reflect and grow.

Are the two boys in a complicated emotional situation currently? Yes. Do I think this dooms them to never reconnect or heal their relationship? Absolutely not. I see their separation as more of a "We gotta go our separate ways for now because we both have things we have to deal with," (both externally and internally) than anything final. They agree to stay in touch, they express sadness at having to part, they make it clear several times that this is a temporary parting. Why make them clearly unsatisfied with having to part if they're not going to have an opportunity to make things right later?

[astronomical-bagel]

yo mutual i love ur tags fr because like u took the words right of my mouth i was so baffled how ppl would side with one more than the other because the autism pvp felt so real to me that i related to Both of them rlly a lot like. So much so it has cemented itself as rlly one of my fave scenes ever because it was a Step up for growth like that fight made them both better people . and it makes me mad ppl belittle toshiros experiences and like ignore his autism for the sake of pitting two bad bitches against each other Good Lord. The Nuance. There is Nuance. and ppl who ignore it just feels so personal to me as an autistic asian person who's been told that there's no way they're not "normal" like ive not been masking and not even like That well either.

Toshiro to me is like a similar vibe of Autism to Mob aka Shigeo Kageyama MP100 where he represses so much of his true feelings and opinions and emotions that he will just blow up one day (validly!!!) !!! like. let him be autistic in peace. not everything has to be a moral failure and not everything has to revolve around Laios just because hes the main character of Dunmeshi. Like they were both so relatable it hurts me...

not me spelling empathized as emphasized lmao

but yeah anyways I really interpret the shuro and laios conflict as just two autistic people who just don’t mesh naturally? At the very least, it’s a complication between two people with very different cultures.

Both laios and toshiro are people who don’t exactly fit in. On shuro’s side, the source of his ‘otherness’ is a little redirected (is that the word?) because his status and nationality already set him apart on the island, but even back home he was reserved and didn’t socialize well. He struggles to connect with others and has a hard time being sincere!!! the argument between him and laios isn’t an evil neurotypical vs blorbo autistic, it’s conflict-avoidant autistic vs social cue blind autistic!

There isn’t really a right or wrong side here, Shuro tried communicating in the way he knew how, but he and laios just simply don’t understand each other’s languages. Their fight is a reset for the both of them; now they each know a vital fact about each other! Laios knows that Shuro has a hard time verbalizing discomfort, and shuro now knows that Laios needs to be told things to understand them. Now they can both find a middle ground and properly compromise between their two opposites.

and it’s important to note that if laios did know he was making shuro uncomfortable, he would stop as best as he knew how, all the way. This guy takes boundaries seriously, as long as there are clear lines to what those boundaries are. And he’s attentive to other’s needs! (See: him and chilchucks friendship. They understand each other very well, I could write a whole meta on it)

Now that he and shuro are seeing eye to eye, their friendship can now progress in a healthier fashion! This fight isn’t the end of the world. (Honestly having a fist fight is like third base to me but we won’t speak of that) Toshiro isn’t evil, he’s just a really cool foil to Laios, and their disagreement serves to establish important parts of their characters and to progress both their character arcs 👍

[cheeekycharchar]

LOVE LANGUAGE AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS

"But you understood me."

French is universally known as "the language of love".

Crowley remarks that they're both fluent in every language.

Aziraphale prides himself on his self-taught French speaking abilities even though he's obviously terrible at it.

Crowley speaks it with natural ease.

MEANWHILE….

Aziraphale is an angel who struggles with expressing his true feelings/what is truly on his mind..

Crowley is a demon who expresses his feelings and what's on his mind a little too easily..

AND THEY KEEP HAVING THESE MISCOMMUNICATIONS.

In 6000+years, Aziraphale had always known he could get his point across to Crowley in one way or another but..

it's that damned S2E6 final scene that he finally realizes that he can't get Crowley to understand him when he needs him to the most.

"I don't think you understand what I'm offering you."

"I understand. I think I understand a whole lot better than you do."

Just like earlier with the French.

Aziraphale thinks he's speaking perfectly coherently.

But Crowley is trying to, yet again, point out that he's incomprehensible at that moment.

"What's with the French?"

"I learned that the hard way."

..AND YOU'RE GONNA LEARN THE HARD WAY AGAIN, MY DEAREST ANGEL D:

Aziraphale's ignorance to just how bad his communication skills can be at times is such a big problem- not saying Crowley hasn't said the wrong thing now and again either- but the way the show keeps pointing out Aziraphale's bad French despite him being an immortal being that is supposedly fluent in all languages.. except French (aka the very human language of love) that both of them struggle with- except Crowley is always faster on the uptake than Aziraphale in that manner.

Love is its own type of communication.

It's something that is not only said with words but with actions.

I could write an entire essay of all the ways Crowley and Aziraphale have shown each other how much they love each other through their thousands of years together.

But it's once they try to put it into words.. they falter.

"And I would like to spend..."

I just hope in S3, they finally learn how to understand each other's love language.

It's something truly beautiful and tragic that our Ineffable Husbands love each other so damn much but struggle to verbalize it to one another and be understood properly.

Which causes those missed communications.. and breaks our hearts...

[maximotts]

rereading ph and i was wondering…what would happen if like one of them went too far? like they actually scared/hurt the reader like very seriously?

Interesting that you ask such a thing! I have draft currently where someone asked something similar and it's got a scenario where Nat goes too far with Wanda, but I have yet to approach the subject with reader involved.

I apologize, this is going to be a bit long, but I guess it's more of a set of headcanons than a fic so uh.. bon apetit, hurt/comfort situation lovers

private hire au masterlist.

Honestly, it would depend on a lot of things: how close Wanda and Natasha are to reader when it happens, where they are (i.e. is it a public scolding that's more emotional or is it something in private/the bedroom), and who it is that actually hurts them.

Assuming they're in the current place ( game night ) when reader gets hurt, Wanda and Natasha would care a lot and want to right it as best they know how. Which.. is still not always the healthiest.

If it were Wanda...

Say she was tearing into you so harshly in front of other people that maybe you break down and cry or even just run away depending on the setting because really, who wants to cry in front of strangers, she would feel terrible.

Devastated honestly, Wanda's much more afraid of you pulling away than Natasha is; she needs you to see her as a constant safe space for anything and always wants to be the one you run towards, never from.

If it was during a meeting she couldn't immediately leave, Wanda would handle everything as quickly as possible, but in the meantime she's getting someone to check on you. Preferably Nat, but if she's too far, most likely it'd be Bucky or Sam. Anyone who she knows would keep you out of harm's way, but continue to keep an eye on you for her.

Because you never really have a chance to slip away.

As soon as possible, Wanda'd get to wherever you fled, putting on her gentlest demeanor, hoping you're not upset enough with her that she has to apologize.

But when she sees you're shying away from her, Wanda's heart breaks.

Again, we've seen it before a bit in forgive and (don't) forget, but Wanda hates thinking she's upset you enough to push you away.

She'd get you the world if you asked, anything to coax you into talking to her and helping her understand where she went wrong because she needs to fix it. It'll eat away at her if you don't at least start to forgive her by the end of the day.

But then if you get hurt during sex with her...

She's apologetic instantly, but much more in tune to your physical and mental state than if it was just verbal like above.

Wanda's such a touchy person she'd want to hold you so bad, but understands if you need time to come back to reality.

There's tons of reassurance though, especially while she's cleaning you up and getting you into a cozy space, "You did so well, dove. I should've checked in earlier."

And there's not a second where she lets you try to take the blame; she won't hear of it.

Speaking of blame, even if it were a pure accident Wanda would take on so much guilt. She struggles a lot with knowing whether or not she's making the right decisions (as best you can as a mob boss) and tries very hard not to hurt anyone.

Seeing you hurt by her own hands makes her lose so much trust in herself. So much so that she might not trust being around you without someone else around.

Wanda would only get close with Natasha around and even if both of you try assuring her you'll be okay in time, she's terrified that she hurt someone she cares so deeply about.

For Natasha, it's a bit of a different story...

Nat says hurtful shit all the time, it's just a part of dealing with her.

If she's the one who notices you upset, she'll ignore your reactions easily, knowing you're not brave enough to outright leave. Even if you did, she's tracked down much worse targets than a young girl with nowhere to go.

She'll wait it out as long as she can, hoping you'll give up and leave your room once you calm down so you can both move past it.

But god forbid, Wanda talks to you while you're still upset because then Nat knows she's in for it and now not only does she have to apologize, she has to deal with her angry wife.

Part of her apology entails her awkwardly telling you to brush it off because you know she didn't mean it and even though what she said still hurts, you've got to nod and say okay. Nat's not going to give you a better apology than what she's already offered.

Natasha sees you shying away from her just as quickly as Wanda does, but it doesn't bother her and she'd rather wait until you judge her as harmless yourself instead of coaxing you back to her like Wanda does.

If it's a physical incident...

Natasha tends to be notoriously terrible with words, but when it comes to actions, she'll make sure to right her wrongs.

Not much horrifies her besides hurting someone helpless and removed as she can be with you at times, Nat cares for you a lot and she's well aware of how much power she wields over you.

Consequently, when you get hurt on her watch, by her own misjudgment, she's the most protective you've ever seen her.

She'll bandage any wounds, even ice bruises you shyly insist you don't mind, shushing you each time you even try to diminish the pain you're in.

Because you fully expect her to tell you to brush it off like she does when she says something mean, even speaking up to tell her you're hurt is a struggle, having been scared she'd advise you to suck it up.

And Natasha hates that. So much.

After that, she tries her hardest to be gentler to you. Helping you along as you recover, fetching you whatever you happen to mention you need even faster than Wanda can... the whole nine yards.

Anything to show you she never relishes in causing you real harm.

This doesn't really mention how much it'd affect Wanda to see you hurt, but she'd be livid with Natasha, her own possessive nature wanting to huddle you away from her wife while she nursed to back to health.

But after some persistence, you convince Wanda to let Natasha help which does honestly surprise Natasha given how attached she knows you are to the brunette.

Even just that little bit of reassurance renews Natasha's confidence that she hasn't completely fucked up her relationship with you which yes, is something she worries about whenever accidents happen.

[vegaseatsass]

Reality tv is so fucking dangerous for me because my brain still whirs as if I'm watching fictional characters but I'm NOT and I should NOT be blorbofying or armchair diagnosing these irl human beings, it's simply safer for me to never ever engage. Tl;dr my god the exes on His Man 3 have eaten my mind, I can't stop thinking about them. I won't share REAL PERSON HEADCANONS (basically: who pings as neuroatypical) but I went from thinking Myeongkyun was the most hilarious entertaining television figure I'd seen in years to being really truly gutted for him and his like, slow struggling emotional processing which makes him sooooo frustratingly opaque even though he is trying, and his fuckboy affect which is so deceptive for how confusingly deeply (but just. sloooooowly) he actually feels. Youngjoon has been my favorite contestant this entire time (well, Youngjoon and Seungjin but let's not get me started on how it feels to watch Seungjin go untreasured episode after episode) and Hanmin jumped way up there in episodes 7 and 8 too because who knew he was the absolute kindest and most supportive and emotionally intelligent person in that entire house, I'm rooting SO HARD for him and Youngjoon I think they're such a crazy good match for each other augh. So the thing I find so compelling about Myeongkyun and Youngjoon's conflict is that it's really easy for me to understand where both of them were coming from; as absolutely maddening as it is to imagine being in Youngjoon's shoes and trying with so much hyperverbal self-awareness to reach some kind of clarity and just being hit in the face again and again with Myeongkyun's blase opaqueness, I really DO think they were both trying super hard and in good faith in that exhausting conversation! It understandably didn't FEEL that way to Youngjoon, as Myeongkyun led him in circle after circle, but I'm seriously like unhinged with how much I feel for Myeongkyun rn and his visible overwhelm. When Youngjoon was about to leave and tell Myeongkyun to figure things out on his own and Myeongkyun told him it's actually easier for him !!! to sort through his feelings with him there !!!! that's such an admittance, he absolutely was trying that whole time but what comes out of his mouth is sooooooooo not intelligible and thus as infuriating as humanly possible for Youngjoon, this incredibly verbal, emotionally analytic overthinker. They're such a bad match lmao and it's so so sad that Myeongkyun just assumed their relationship was moving as slowly as his feelings do and not that he was fully ghosted dklfjslkdfja I can just see BOTH THEIR SIDES I'm almost always on the side of the person who is like "how was I supposed to know what you ghosting me meant? I kept contacting you because I just thought you were busy!" vs. the ghoster who is all ugh dude why couldn't you read the room? but if Myeongkyun has always been like this - answering a direct question with "Maybe I'm ENTJ!" or "I don't want to tell you" or munch munch munching and "mmm"-ing and blinking and never ever answering what he was actually asked - it's pretty easy to understand why Youngjoon would assume this is a guy who neither cares about nor requires direct communication of any kind.

Lol sorry I've never posted into this tag before and this is a super incoherent blur of feelings before I go offline for the next two days but I just have to get it out of my system because I don't think I've ever had a reality show change my perception of somebody as much as Myeongkyun just like. Visibly hanging on by a thread while saying all the absolute wrong things in his stupid cool guy voice. and then breaking down as soon as he was alone. did. "Dating Minseon is... a possibility" went from sounding like a half-assed non-commitment to me, to Myeongkyun very seriously working through his feelings at his regular slow slow speed, and I'm fully rooting for them as well atp.

I wish this season had more friendship and less shady secret missions because everyone is so miserable... including me, who is sitting here typing nonsense instead of posting about my safely fictional characters.

[bobbinalong]

I’m really confused.

You posted that Damijons make Damian out to be mean, abrasive and ‘feral’ but you tweeted today or a couple days ago that Damian is genuinely horrible to Jon, so much so that Clark should keep Damian, a child, he understands is very traumatized, away from Jon.

You also preferenced it by saying that you love Damian so you know that your statement was inherently anti-Damian…? So you dislike Damian? You don’t have to like Damian but you can’t say one thing and then the other. Is it bad to say that Damian is mean and abrasive? Or is Damian so mean and abrasive that he should be kept away from Jon? Which is it?

Also, your mutuals were agreeing with you. People who also often kind of allude to the idea that Damian feels nothing for Jon and they lack chemistry. Why insinuate Damian is emotionless when Super Sons literally has multiple Damian focused plot points where Jon gets harmed and Damian freaks out; proving he cares for him.

So do you really think Damian should be seperated from Jon, like they shouldn’t be friends?

The important part of the tweet you're referencing is the "IN SUPER SONS" one. It's also important to note that I made this complaint five issues into my re-read, so it was more of a flippant observation, not yet a proper critique of the run or Tomasi's writing.

As far a actual critique goes, at no point has that been about Damian as a character or Jon and Damian's friendship as a whole, because I love both of those when they're written well, it has always, ALWAYS been about how Tomasi writes them in these books.

This is how Damian acts towards Jon (again, in Super Sons) before Clark says he wants them to spend more time together, not including moments where Jon gave as good as he got, but even in those, Damian is pretty consistently portrayed as the instigator and Jon as the one retaliating.

He is acting horribly and even after this occasionally like he doesn't care for or respect Jon as a person and Clark knowing where this behaviour comes from doesn't mean he should want his kid exposed to someone who regularly insults and disrespects him.

Again, though, none of this is because of who Damian is as a character but because of how Tomasi perceives and writes him. His Damian's smart and he likes to banter and Tomasi sucks at writing smart kids and friendly banter, at least in the Super Sons books, so Damian being a little catty or mean, which is in line with is character in my opinion and would be fine, turns into him throwing Jon off of buildings. That's not frenemy behaviour, that's just a general disregard for Jon's well-being.

I've also at no point denied there were sweet moments in these books; there are and plenty of them, but that just means it bugs me even more when Tomasi goes back to having Damian slap Jon around. Again, it's inconsistent and I don't like it. Which I also said on Twitter but that may have been after you sent this ask:

Both Jon and Damian are characterized very inconsistently throughout Super Sons and Adventures of the Super Sons (I haven't reached Challenge on my re-read yet, so for now it's excluded from this criticism). Damian deeply cares for Jon in one issue, says he'll protect him, has fun with him, gets mad when anyone else hurts him but he keeps going back to slapping him around, verbally and physically, and this is never portrayed as any kind of internal struggle, there's no "I care for this kid I don't want to care for so I'm lashing out at him" (which frankly, at this point in his development, isn't even a conflict he should have but at least it would be something), it's just. He's good friends with Jon in one issue and thinks it's funny to have a statue of his dad beat him up in the next and I don't particularly enjoy that.

Super Sons is just not all that, man, I'm sorry.

Tomasi writes Damian well in the parts of Batman and Robin (2011) I've read (had to stop because I was getting too emotional lol), but that might be because that one's co-written by Patrick Gleason, who wrote the Damian book (Robin: Son of Batman), as far as I'm concerned. Robin (2021) I liked, too, and I hear the current Batman and Robin is delivering some good Damian, too, as is his new Black Label book. So yeah, I like Damian. I just don't like how Tomasi writes him in Super Sons specifically.

As for the Jon and Damian friendship, it's very well written in Superman: Son of Kal-El, they're fun in Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons, the Dynomutt - Super Sons issue in the DC Meets Hanna-Barbera book is neat, as are Trick or Treat and Back to School, they're adorable in that one Holiday Special and I like Tomasi's Superman & Robin Special, once again weirdly pointing toward this being a Super Sons specific issue. So yeah, I like their friendship. I just don't like how Tomasi writes it in Super Sons specifically.

And going all the way back to your first point, yeah, certain DMJNs/Super Sons fans DO portray Damian as a horrible feral demon. Probably because all they've read are the Super Sons books, which, I think I've made that clear, are not the best books to get a solid grasp on Damian. That critique was about how fandom (and not just the Super Sons fandom, either, the Batfandom, too) perceives and portrays him and I think I've done a decent job at not falling into that same trap with my fanart, so I'm not sure why you bring that up.

I don't think Damian is some horrible irredeemable character from hell. Never have. I adore him. Here's some proof.

Which I know is entirely unnecessary, I just felt like sharing some fanart at the end of this.

As for my mutuals, I don't speak for them, but both of the people agreeing with that particular tweet have previously talked about liking Damian and his dynamic with Jon, their critique, just as mine, seems to be usually aimed at the way Tomasi depicts him and them in Super Sons, where, again Damian does often seem like he doesn't care for Jon. Except for when he cares a lot. Which, again, isn't his fault, since he's lines on paper and Tomasi's the one making him act this way. Which brings me back to the inconsistency being what bugs me most, so I'm just talking in circles now.

Anyway, I don't know what you were trying to accomplish with this message, anon. If it was to rob me of half an hour to explain myself unnecessarily, congrats, I guess.

[kairithemang0]

Saf t4t au! (inspired by my short conversation with the lovely @the-pipster-pin)

They're both afab, Curt is transmasc (he/him) and Owen is gender nonconforming (he/they) but leans more masculine. Curt's always known he's trans, his mom is slightly aware of it but never brought it up when he was younger. His plan was to go stealth, to start his life anew. Then he joined ASS and that took a turn. Then comes Owen, who Curt sees and just knows he's like him. They become close, and eventually come out to each other and get together. Owen is not only Curt's partner, but his rock, the one person he trusts to talk to about how terrible he feels about his gender and what he's faced through it. Owen listens, he's good at that. He lets Curt talk, knowing he's the only one Curt can ever talk to about this. Owen himself has his own dysphoria, but he copes with it better than Curt, who's practically drowning in it at some points.

Then comes the fall. Curt's rock is gone, his dysphoria gets worse, and he has no one to talk to about it. His mom knows, but she doesn't understand in the way Owen did. Meanwhile Owen in Chimera is living his best life. He's got a new face, new name, people who if they do judge him for it don't verbalize it. He's a valuable asset to them, therefore they put their bigotry aside to get him to stay with them.

I think Curt finds himself opening up to Tatiana about it, I don't know if she's cis in this or not but honestly transfem Tatiana? He lets himself talk to her, he opens up about him being trans in the same way he did with Owen. He finds that letting himself be open about it helps. Curt's haunted by his deadname, it's on every document and every mission briefing. Everyone in ASS calls him it and the only person he'd ever hear call him Curt was Owen. He absolutely loved the way Owen said his name, I know in the show Owen uses Curt's name a ton and I think for this he'd use it a lot because he knows how happy it makes Curt to hear it. At the staircase scene he uses it to taunt him, to bring him down. To say "I got everything I wanted to feel comfortable, and you were left with nothing because of what you did". Owen got what he needed, a whole new face, a new name, new people who would call him what he wanted to be called. And Curt was left with pain because he let Owen fall. I think Owen in the end would've been almost glad he fell, or at least said he was glad. He got to feel comfortable, while watching Curt struggle to keep himself afloat. While he's the DMA he only uses Curt's deadname, it hurts Owen to say it because the idea of Curt not being Curt is disgusting to him. But one, he needs to keep up the act, and two, knowing the internal pain it's causing hurt to hear him say it is thrilling. Still, it leaves a sour taste in his mouth, and he decides to use Mega for the most part because saying Curt's deadname feels gross.

Curt's deadname is Mariah by the way. Mariah Mega. Fem swap au my beloved lets just give them those actors <3. Idk if Owen's deadname would be Bryce or not, I think he'd like that name enough not to change it because it's not really feminine, who knows maybe his name has just always been Owen.

[emmabirb8]

As much as I absolutely adore the Nandermo relationship dynamic, it can be so frustrating sometimes.

Like, Nandor loves Guillermo so so much, but he is too emotionally stunted and repressed to actively show him that in ways that Guillermo can understand, so Guillermo believes he doesn't feel the same way he does. That disconnect becomes even stronger with Nandor's tendency to reject Guillermo's efforts to show him how he feels, especially when he denies Guillermo's attempts for something as simple as a hug every single time. Because of this frustration and because Nandor is often dismissive, aloof, and emotionally closed off, Guillermo lashes out and strains what intimacy they do have, not even realizing how he's hurting his own chances of forming a deeper connection by doing so.

Meanwhile, Nandor does actually express his feelings in LOTS of different instances in his own himbo way, but because Guillermo isn't responding positively to those ways Nandor has found, Nandor is likewise led to believe Guillermo doesn't love him back. (Most everybody has figured this out, but that's why he's held out so long on making Guillermo into a vampire - in Nandor's mind, if Guillermo doesn't love him, he won't stay, but he will stick around if he wants Nandor to sire him.) It's a quintessential version of "the love is requited (very, very requited), they're both just idiots" trope. It's just that the "idiots'' part stems from a total lack of proper communication, both verbal and nonverbal, on both ends.�� 

See, these bitches are so intensely in love with each other, but they haven't quite figured out that they speak different languages when it comes to attempting to express that love. And I don't just mean that they utilize different love languages either (though Nandor tends to gravitate toward gift giving while Guillermo goes for acts of service). Both of them have actually expressed some form of each of the five love languages to each other at different points through the series. No, what I mean is that, being as repressed as they are, they each are at a point where they need direct, explicit, and blatantly obvious signals from the other to truly believe the love is requited. Buuuttt neither has yet found what those signals should be, partially because they each struggle with verbalizing their feelings (esp to each other's faces) and partially because they each require different signals to really get it. 

Nandor focuses on gift giving and taking action, such as saving Guillermo's life on multiple occasions and trying to make him more happy/comfortable in his role as familiar and bodyguard in various ways. And for someone so repressed and hesitant, that's great! He's at least developed some techniques over the years of showing how he feels. However, in order to convey those feelings to Guillermo clearly, he needs to be more emotionally vulnerable with him and express himself through words as well as actions. Stating his feelings directly is key for Guillermo in particular - it's been shown/implied at least a couple of times when they've had arguments that Guillermo would prefer Nandor be up front and direct about what he's thinking and feeling. And obviously, another important step would be for Nandor to stop his habit of rejecting Guillermo's advances and allow him to follow through on attempts to show his affection (such as through hugging - damn it Nandor, let Guillermo fucking hug you). 

On the other hand, Guillermo focuses on acts of service as well as taking action, such as becoming a vampire slayer in order to keep Nandor safe despite the fact he loves vampires. The problem with Guillermo's expressions is that for the most part, Nandor doesn't perceive his service and actions as indications of love. Nandor thinks Guillermo is only fulfilling his familiar and bodyguard duties and doesn't know or understand the full extent of how above and beyond Guillermo has always gone for his sake out of devotion and love. So for Guillermo to really get it through Nandor's head that he loves him, he needs to make a point to do activities with Nandor outside of his working hours as a familiar/bodyguard, and verbally say that he wants to spend time with him as a "friend" and not just go through the motions of his usual duties. This way, Nandor will (hopefully) understand that Guillermo values their time together and wants to be around him even outside of performing as a servant. And ofc, he ALSO needs to be more emotionally vulnerable and talk more openly with Nandor.

I'm obviously not a therapist, but I think this would fix them. At the very least, it would finally set them in the right direction of realizing and accepting their love for each other and doing something about it. Preferably in the form of Guillermo railing Nandor against that snazzy new bar of his until they both see stars. 💖💖💖

[tadpolesonalgae]

sticking to the headcanon that feyre has a baby face bc it tickles my heart to think that when elain or nesta sees feyre sleeping/painting/just zoning out or smth for a flicker of a moment it feels like they're looking at their baby sister no different from their teenage years and their heart feels molten to think about everything they all went through and how their little sister fucking died and elain would just goes up to feyre and kisses her forehead and feyre just kinda looks at her with a confused smile, or if it's nesta she'd probably just abruptly get up and leave just to come back with a blanket to drape over a sleeping feyre and ugh can u tell that im obsessed with the messy dynamic of siblings that have never learnt or have been allowed to be soft with each other yet they can't help but care about each other deeply and have moments where that love shines through-

(sorry it's just whenever i see fics taking place around acosf and that inevitably jagged relationship between the sisters gets portrayed (whether directly or implied) i feel so many things that i feel like im going to explode bc... i wonder if seeing nesta drowning herself in alcohol and sex maybe reminded feyre of her time utm when she was essentially forced to get drugged/drunk and had no one to protect her from being sexualized by a bunch of strangers, or if nesta's knee jerk reaction towards lucien was so violent bc it felt like just another fae male trying to take away one of her younger sisters and the last time that happened they came back having already died, or if elain finds comfort in nuala and cerridwen so easily bc being able to bake or tend to the gardens together is something she wanted to do with her sisters back when they lived in the cabin...🥲)

Oh my gosh I think I would have liked to see something like this in a bonus chapter? I saw someone making a post about how Elain made a point to say how both her and Nesta failed Feyre in letting her go out into the woods and Feyre just wanting to start again because of how their situation was forced on them so it made things much more complex in their relationship and added way too many struggles for them to have a chance to get through it peacefully/happily :/

It feels also believable they might do something like that too since the whole family seems kind of unable to express themselves verbally and—as someone has nicely pointed out before—seem to only show their love for one another through acts of extreme sacrifice.

Even better if Feyre doesn’t understand what’s going on, just every so often she notices this weird softness popping up from both of them and she’s like ??? But also it’s nice and she wouldn’t ask them not to do it.

And I hadn’t thought of those parallels before but it’s kind of sweet to think those might be reasons behind some of their instinctive reactions—from having seen others suffer or experienced it themselves in a similar way and instinctively wanting to protect/prevent someone else from experiencing it too? There’s so much about the books that I’m almost happy wasn’t touched on because it leaves it open for discussion and will allow creativity to thrive!!!

[edwinspaynes]

Payneland 3, 19, 26?

3. Hot and Steamy or Soft and Tender?

Soft and tender and I take literally 0 criticism on this. "Edwin wants to feel safe" is literally his essence per the comics, and he's very clearly someone who needs a lot of tender affection after a LOT of hell-related trauma (and internalized self-hate for being gay). Charles wants to be treated with soft care after his abuse and he also is deeply worried about hurting people, namely Edwin, and would take ANY chance he gets to be soft and gentle and tender with him. They're the single most tender ship in existence. (I actually get genuinely pissed off with some people's NSFW headcanons for them, I've blocked people over this before. Lol.)

9. How are their personalities different?

Oh, they're different in TONS of ways! I could list all of them, since they're such unique individuals, and I love that for them. But I don't want to sit here all day, so here are three ways that I think their differing personalities interact in a relationship (queerplatonic or romantic!)

Charles is insecure about the side of himself that he shows the world. Edwin is insecure about himself and who he is inside, deep down. Because of this, it takes Charles some time to be comfortable behaving in a way that feels natural to him - solely because he doesn't want to hurt Edwin. Edwin struggles because he doesn't want Charles to perceive the core of himself negatively. Eventually, I think they'd have a talk about this and conclude that, yup, they love the ugliest parts of each other. But yup.

Edwin's very analytical - his organized, structured intelligence is a strength. He's meticulous and detail-oriented. Charles, while smart, is VERY unstructured. He cannot organize to save his life. He notices details, obviously, as a detective, but he's way more impulsive. Edwin asks questions first; Charles shoots first. This discrepancy has gotten them into several pickles. But it's also their biggest strength as a duo - Charles makes the decisions that make Edwin freeze, and Edwin does the meticulously organized research that Charles struggles with.

Edwin is compassionate and kind, but he struggles to understand others' feelings. His normal meter is also way off from his stint in Hell. Charles, on the other hand, is a bit more emotional/soft because of what he's gone through, and it makes him more in tune with others' feelings. Charles comforts Edwin when he's sad before Edwin even knows why he's upset. Edwin comforts Charles extremely well, but only if Charles verbally expresses that there is an issue he is upset about.

Oh, fuck. I misread your number. Well, that's an extra!

19. How do they deal with being away from each other for a long time?

They lowkey don't. They never separate; they never have to. I think if they did, they would literally just shut down. Anxiety nightmares on both ends. Crystal and Niko would have to do a lot to get them through the period of separation. They also would definitely attempt to get to each other after like, half an hour apart. It would go poorly.

26. How do they comfort each other?

YESSSS best question.

Charles spends a lot of time joking around with Edwin, trying to distract him by making him smile. Cheering him up, you know? He finds little places in their area that he thinks Edwin would like and takes him on fun little dates there until he forgets all of his troubles and woes. Even if it doesn't make the problem go away, it makes Edwin smile and reminds him that, yes, there is a person who loves him no matter what.

Edwin is a little bit insecure about giving comfort, but he of course does it for Charles (which we see a bit of in the show!) I like him adjusting his clothes and touching him a bit because that's something Charles likes even if it's not his own love language. I think he also just sits down and calmly talks through the problem with Charles. He asks beforehand if Charles wants to be solutions-oriented or just get some compassion, because otherwise he dives headlong into problem-solving mode (that Charles doesn't always want.) He's great to talk to.

[lestweforget5]

friend! 14, 20 and 38 from the ship asks 🥰

Thank you for the ask!! 🫶

Beneath the cut because this got a bit long:

14. Do they enjoy PDA, or are they more private with affection?

Millie and Brady are both more private about their affection, stemming both from who they are as people and from how their relationship began at Thorpe Abbotts where they had to keep it secret lest they get in trouble with the brass. So in public, Millie would probably tuck her hand into the crook of his elbow if they're walking somewhere. If they're standing close to each other at a party or at church, he probably has his arm around her waist or has his hand on the small of her back. A chaste kiss if they separate. Those sorts of things, but nothing more expressive than that.

(And being around fellow members of the 100th does not qualify as being in public.)

20. How do they comfort each other when one of them is upset? Is this method of comfort effective?

For Millie, a lot of her struggles after the war all center around the aftermath of what she went through in Germany and her resulting PTSD, not that it was called that then. Isolation, crowds, doctors, shouting, loud noises generally (especially something like fireworks/a backfiring car), dogs (for a while), etc. Because he fought, too, was a POW, too, Brady has an intimate understanding of those struggles from first-hand experience--and second-hand knowledge of what Millie went through before, because she eventually tells him a lot of what happened, if not every gory detail, since before is not a secret she can take with her into their marriage and hope that it ends well.

For Millie, Brady just being there at all is comforting. Even in the worst of a flashback, she almost always recognizes him--or, at least, will probably recognize the lingering scent of pipe-smoke that sticks to his clothes, and that scent can help bring her out of an episode. And he's very good at figuring out what she needs, even if she isn't able to verbalize that, whether that's

getting her out of a loud and crowded situation and home to peace and quiet

putting some music on to give her something else to focus on

cuddling (🥺) and just holding her until she feels like facing the world again

narrating what's he doing for her/about to do, which also helps her ground herself and gives her advance warning if she's feeling jumpy

38. Who's got a quicker temper?

Brady, definitely. It is not a hot temper, but a cool biting one, which makes it all the more ... intimidating/terrifying if you're on the wrong end. I'm reminded of this passage from A Wing and a Prayer (p. 47):

Over intercom, I hear Lieutenant John D. Brady, quiet-like. “Keissling, the supers don’t get the slots till Checkpoint Able. This is Brady, and I am coming in on top of you. If you don’t get out of the way of this expensive part of the U.S. Air Corps, I am going to smash the living shit out of you.”

[scalproie]

for OTP asks. SubScorp: 9, 17, 51, 60. KazJun: 25, 26, 33, 51?

me thinking about love: hahaha yesss this owns

me getting asks and now having to put my thoughts in words: wait oh god

Anyway. Subscorp:

9. What are their thoughts on having children?

A child of their own? Nah. Kuai has enough maturity to realize that while he is a good teacher, he would not be a good father, both bc of his lifestyle and his lack of experience. Out of the two it'd be Hanzo who'd be more likely to consider children, but he's already been burned once (eh.) and considering how hard it is for him to move on, it'd be years into the relationship before he would see himself raise a child with someone else again, and by that point he and Kuai would be too old. And besides he already has been able to place his paternal projection onto Takeda, so he's good.

17. Who’s more likely to pull the other in by the waist and kiss them passionately?

Hanzo. I see Kuai as someone who is extremely in control of his actions, out of discipline, out of fear, take your pick. I see him as someone who will keep his emotions in check even if it causes him to yearn to death, him doing smth that intense out of passion, while not downright impossible, is very unlikely to me unless its under very extreme and unusual circumstances. Hanzo on the other hand. Hanzo feels. Hanzo acts. If a situation arise where he feels a strong need to pull his lover by the waist and kiss him (most likely in the aftermath of a battle, both covered in blood and surrounded by dead bodies), by god he's going to do it.

51. What’s a non verbal way they say I love you?

Its looking for ways to spend more time together, like one forcing himself to wake up in the early morning to go sit in the gardens next to the other who wanted to hear nature wake up and feel the first rays of sunlight, or the other struggling to stay awake much later than he's used to at night because he does not want the interesting conversation they're having to end. Its making small meaningful gifts to each other as clan leaders that feel so personal to them bc they knew each other as individuals first before as figureheads. Its the small comments that they've managed to redeem their own clan in the other's eyes, and that said clan doesnt bring them pain as it once had because its embodied by the one who lead it and they have nothing but positive things to say about each other.

60. Who pulls the other closer when they’re sleeping?

Both. You get to sleep next to the one (1) person who does not suffer for the unnatural temperature of your body, and you both have potential nightmare-inducing trauma, and you have been denied intimacy for most of your life either bc it was forbidden or bc it was torn from you. I bet theyre both unconsciously clingy.

Kazjun:

25. Do they have any hobbies they share?

Sparring is an obvious one. Kazuya said himself that fighting is a huge part of his life and Jun's strength does not come from nowhere, what better way for them to bond than to clash their family's opposite style against each other? As for their personal ones, I dont think Jun would understand sneaker-collecting nor would Kazuya understand bird-watching, but Jun would indulge Kazuya should he chose to open up and share that interest with her, and Kaz definitely does not have the patience for bird-watching but I could see him at the very least see the appeal of forest-bathing, even in a self-interested way.

26. What are their vices?

Kazuya is a pile of vices in a purple snakeskin trenchcoat. Jun's vice is Kazuya. Her choosing to love him and wishing for his wellbeing while knowing fully well he is not a good person who has hurt others (and as of t8, by his own admission in the first chapter, only death will make him stop) is the only thing that stops her from being a perfect, morally correct character. But that does not make her a bad person and that does make the love wrong or any less real.

33. Who’s the better cook?

So you'd THINK that with Jun's infamous cooking skills, I would say Kaz, right? Wrong. I think Kaz never had any reason to cook a single day in his life but still has some rudimentary cooking skills for his own personal gain. They're equally bad but with their abilities combined they'd be able to cook one (1) decent meal.

51. What’s a non verbal way they say I love you?

For Kazuya, it's literally just trying. His world begin and ends with himself, any positive actions he could take for someone else will usually only be done if he get some hidden self-interest out of it. So him doing anything small for someone else, because he find them worthy of being aknowledged (most likely for their strength, bc power is EVERYTHING to him), because he doesnt view it as a weakness to connect them to himself, because he views their happiness as beneficial for him, aka make him happy in return, is the loudest he can be that he loves someone. Like I dont even have to try with this one, that's literally just his t8 ending??? Like he is NOT the type to say "I love you" outloud in the first place but you can just see in his ending that holy shit, he loves Jun, he loves her. For Jun, it's coming back. Jun will try, but she will not return to someone whom she does not love at the cost of her wellbeing, it's literally the lesson she tells Jin: "Your wellbeing is important to those who love you, so for their sake, you have to take care of yourself". So her coming back to someone, her staying with someone, is the biggest proof of love I think you can get from her. And Jun is just as lonely as Kazuya? But its the way they deal with loneliness that make them such a match: Jun is someone who endlessly gives and Kazuya is someone who endlessly takes, but with Kazuya, Jun has something to get if she's staying with him, and with Jun, Kazuya has something to give if he wants her to stay. Ying Yang once again.

[tj-dragonblade]

*knock knock knock* ❄️☃️🎄 Asking for 24 for the Spotify Wrapped!!!

24 - Dance With the Dragon by Dark Sarah

Congratulations, you've landed on one of the songs that's officially on my list of Songs That Would Make Great Dreamling Fics (That I'll Never Write)! Based entirely on the video linked above and the story that it's part of, this would be a fantasy AU where the vibes are 'Labyrinth meets Alice in Wonderland' with hints of Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and Hades and Persephone sprinkled over for flavor.

The basic idea is that Hob is trapped in some alternate reality and trying to collect a key from each realm he passes through to be able to get back to his own reality. No idea at this juncture what the first realm/key would be - maybe something with the fae, maybe hell, idk. The second realm is Dream's. Do I want to keep to the source and make him a dragon who lost his wings for hubris and arrogance and got banished from the 'upper world' to rule this dark 'underworld'? Maybe, but that's also very Lucifer-ish. So maybe I'd blend in something closer to his canon. In any case. Hob tries to sneak into Dream's castle, get the key, sneak out. He does not succeed and is taken before Dream. There is antagonistic chemistry. There is sneering haughty-in-my-superiority taunting and 'let's be reasonable' demands. There is at least one challenge set, there is Hob as a 'guest' of Dream's until he completes the challenge ('So I'm a prisoner, then.' 'Oh no, you may leave any time you like, but you will gain no key until you complete my challenge.' 'But what good is leaving without the key, when I'll just be stuck here forever??' 'I fail to see how that is my problem'), there is continued verbal fencing and sparring and building UST as Hob struggles with the challenge, there is an elaborate ball (masquerade?) held, there is a waltz charged with so much tension and raging attraction it's a wonder the room doesn't spontaneously combust. There is at least one moment of 'Oh no under different circumstances this could be More™️' and genuine understanding/connection between them. In the end, Hob finally succeeds at the challenge, earns the key and departs on a note of uneasy flirtation - Dream bowing and kissing his hand in farewell as he acknowledges his defeat, lingering intense smirky eye-contact as Hob goes, that kind of thing.

Potentially this can go on, if I continue the thread of the source storyline but lean on Dream's canon for details. Perhaps collecting the three keys would give him the means to restore Orpheus/free Orpheus/something to do with Orpheus, and he's never had the means to collect the other two keys on his own, but now that Hob has collected the first and second, if Dream accompanies him while he collects the third, they can both use the keys to achieve their ends - Hob to go back to his own world and Dream to restore Orpheus. So Dream leaves Lucienne in charge of the realm and follows after Hob, catches up to him, proposes they cooperate etc; they quest for the third key and finally resolve that UST in the process. When they get the third key, and present it to let's say the Fates, they're told they cannot both claim reward - and they put the choice to Dream, his lover or his son. Let Hob go back to his world/his regular life, or be 'selfish' and choose to cash in for his own goal instead. It could end here with Dream choosing to let Hob go, which could be passing a test by the Fates and as reward for passing he still gets to save/restore Orpheus. Or, the longer and angstier version, he chooses Orpheus and thereby casts Hob into yet another alternate realm, and the next leg of the story is Dream's quest to find Hob again and seek his forgiveness, and find a way to get him home. Hob can't exactly fault Dream for choosing his son over this outsider human that he's started sleeping with, but it still hurts, still feels on some level like betrayal, and while he might like to freely offer forgiveness it's more plausible that there will have to be some earning done. Eventually of course they reconcile and find a way to get Hob home and then of course establish a means by which they can continue to cross worlds to see each other.

Anyway this is far more a mental exercise in mapping one story to another and seeing where they might translate than it is a viable fic idea; it's far too grand in scope and not nearly detailed enough for me to realistically take it on. Mostly I just want the enemies-to-lovers fraught-with-tension ballroom dancing scene.

Spotify Wrapped Askmeme Post