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hauntingofhouses · 1 year ago

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Thinking about the crazy love triangle situation in Blue Eye Samurai and debating heavily with myself on how I'd like to see it conclude. And yeah this discussion can be thought of purely as shipping, headcanons, and fandom fun. But when analysing the show and engaging with it in a more in-depth, almost-literary level, it's impossible to dismiss who Mizu's potential love interests are and how different endgame romances would affect her character arc and the overall story and themes.

So in this post I'd like to look at the love triangle a bit more closely, and speculate on where the story will take this.

DISCLAIMER: It is my personal interpretation of the text that Mizu is non-binary—I use this as an umbrella term denoting any gender that does not adhere to the binary restrictions, norms, and expectations of what it means to be either a man or woman in a particular society; it's not just an androgynous "third gender" that exclusively uses they/them pronouns. Thus, while I personally believe Mizu is not strictly a cis woman, she does still identify with womanhood, despite definitely feeling a level of detachment from it due to living as a man for so long. With that being said, I will be using she/her pronouns for Mizu in this post, but please note that this is purely personal preference. Everyone is free to interpret the text the way they like. That's the fun of fiction. Now, without further ado, let's proceed.

Okay so, thinking about the pairings on a purely surface level, and even before i got into the show, I was pinning my hopes on some lesbianism going on between Mizu and Akemi, and the show does hint at this; in Ep1, during their first encounter in Kyoto, there is the famous slow-mo shot of their eyes meeting, Mizu's lips slightly parted as she is unable to tear her gaze away from Akemi, while sweet string music plays in the background. This is clear romantic framing, and a marker of attraction. If Mizu was a cishet man, there would be no question that this is a potential love interest.

But then, in the same episode, we meet Taigen, who is introduced to us firstly from hearing Akemi's father describe him as "a fierce and undefeated young samurai", the "best swordsman in the best school" and "a fisherman's son from Kohama [...] whose rise reminds [him] of [his] own."

In the next scene, we meet him in person as Akemi's fiance, and he seems sweet enough. He even gives her sweets! In exchange, Akemi gives him gold, and he feels a bit ashamed that he doesn't have anything better to offer her. But Akemi accepts him and his gift wholeheartedly and flirts with him a little, which makes him smile kinda shyly.

When Akemi confirms their engagement, Taigen is in disbelief because he has no status or noble background, but Akemi reassures him.

So from these first few scenes, we're introduced to Taigen as an honourable and strong samurai, but also as a man who is sweet and gentle with the woman he is about to marry, as well as aware of his own inferiority when compared to Akemi's high station.

Our view of him then changes as his true self is revealed: he is an arrogant and smug bastard among his peers, but more importantly, he is the terrible bully from Mizu's childhood.

And it is this side of Taigen--pompous jerk and unrepentant xenophobic bully--that we continue to see as the show goes on, and it's safe to say that this is his real self, sans any pretense of humility and modesty. Around anyone who isn't an outright superior in terms of class and power (ie. Akemi's father, the shogun), Taigen never hesitates to assert his own authority and "greatness."

But as the show goes on, he gets caught by Heiji Shindo's men, and then tortured. And that's when we see, okay, turns out he's not that bad. He's honourable; "honour" is not just meaningless and superficial pedantry for him, but an internalised, guiding principle.

He was a cruel asshat throughout Mizu's childhood, but in a prejudiced and xenophobic society, he was just playing by the rules. As a child, he knew he was at the bottom of society, but when met with someone even lower ranked than him (Mizu), he can project all those prejudices and insecurities onto someone else. This way of thinking--"if you can't beat 'em, join em"--is what allowed him to climb up the ranks despite being some dirt poor kid from an abusive household*.

*Well, that combined with his cismale privilege of course, because this would not be an option for a woman in similar circumstances.

Thus, his upholding of honour also exemplifies how Taigen embodies the ideals and rules of his society. His insistence on duelling Mizu is another more blatant example of this. He doesn't want revenge like Mizu does. He wants to be accepted by society, within the bounds that society has placed, and that means that his only two options following his defeat at the Shindo dojo were to either chase Mizu down and get his damn duel, or kill himself for his humiliating defeat.

Now! Moving on from Taigen, let's go back to the other end of this little love triangle: Akemi.

Mizu and Akemi only properly meet in Ep4. During their first meeting, when Akemi tries to poison Mizu in Madame Kaji's brothel, she compliments Mizu's eyes, calling them "beautiful."

This seems to genuinely take mizu off-guard for a second before she coolly plays along. We know that Mizu recognises Akemi from the get-go, and thus sees through Akemi's ploy from a mile away. It's also safe to assume she'd expected false flattery, because Mizu understands full well that this tactic is how women get what they want: by using their 'feminine wiles' and playing up their naivety and innocence. But even so, it's interesting that Mizu actually seems surprised by Akemi's compliment.

Then, after Mizu subtly taunts Akemi by lying about Taigen's death, she and Akemi have a bit of a scuffle, and then we get to Mizu saying this:

"Women in our world don't have a single good option. Except you, like some magical forest creature. You could have anything you want, but then you beg to eat trash."

(no screenshot because it's quite a long line but you get it)

Here we see Mizu's opinions on the marginalisation of (mostly poor and under-privileged) women stated outright, and underlying her words is also resentment. Because even though she and Akemi have shared experiences of female oppression, Mizu, unlike Akemi, was also poor, from a rural village, and is a racial minority. Mizu is triply oppressed, while Akemi only faces one primary form of oppression, and to someone as embittered by the world as Mizu is, to see Akemi "beg to eat trash" is a slap in the face, practically tone-deaf to the other injustices around her--injustices which Akemi has not shown much, or any, acknowledgement for at this point.

Then, after this scene, Mizu kills Kinuyo, and this unsettles her to a degree we've never seen from her before. She is visibly distraught, and the entire sequence hammers the theme of this episode (and arguably, a large portion of the show) into our heads: women in this world suffer. And even though Mizu is well aware of this fact, to commit this act is so visceral that is shakes her to her core, and it's what ultimately leads to the ambush of the Thousand Fangs.

But before the ambush, Mizu and Akemi talk a little again, and during this time Akemi taunts Mizu some more.

Right now, Mizu is exhausted to the point where (I believe) she even downs some sake, despite not usually drinking. Thus, worn down, she cuts Akemi's ropes and tells her, "Just go." Akemi recovers from her initial fear of Mizu's blade and taunts her some more, accurately seeing through Mizu's facade of coldness, recognising the raw anger there, and says this:

"I thought you had to be something special. Your face isn't even so scary. You're just... angry."

At this, Mizu is amused and compares Akemi to Taigen ("I see why he likes you. You're just like Taigen when we were children. A fucking brat.")

The reveal that Mizu and Taigen knew each other in childhood surprises Akemi, but before either of them can say more, everything goes to shit.

That's when we get to Ep5. This episode focuses primarily on Mizu, the central piece of this love triangle, and does the most out of all the episodes to shed some light on her character and goals, fleshing her out to be more than just the vengeful, highly proficient samurai we've seen thus far (symbolised by The Ronin), but also a person who is capable of love, domesticity and gentleness (symbolised by The Bride). But in the end, Mizu rejects both these ideals, instead becoming an Onryo, who is neither guided by pride/honour, nor love.

By 'reincarnating' into an Onryo, Mizu is able to win the day and save the women in the brothel. However, as she has now fully embraced her status as an Onryo, and is exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, she lets the Tokunobu clansmen take Akemi away while Akemi's screams echo in her ear.

Mizu says this choice is for Akemi's own good, that Akemi's better off; because Mizu is jaded and weary, and cannot afford the luxury of idealism, and thus must always be strictly practical and realistic. So of course that's why, in her view, yes, Akemi should not be wasting her time in a brothel where women are exploited and abused, nor should Akemi be so naive to think that her marriage with Taigen is even still possible. However, regardless of Mizu's views, it is not for her to decide, because though Akemi is privileged in some sense, she is still trapped and voiceless, and deserves the right to choose her own destiny.

But as it happens, in the end, though Akemi did not choose who she gets to marry, she DOES get to choose her next move when Edo burns down.

"I want to be great."

This one line is the key to her entire arc, which is only just beginning. We see she quickly has acquired the affection and good graces of the shogun's son after their wedding night and consummation, and with Madame Kaji and the girls now serving her, Akemi will only grow to become a prominent political player.

NOW, only after analysing the characters as they are within this season, only can we speculate how their arcs will continue as the show progresses.

First and foremost, I will reassert the popular opinion that Mizu and Akemi are foils. The climax (pun intended) of Ep7 illustrates this as it parallels the turning points in both Mizu's and Akemi's arcs:

Mizu melts the steel of all her loves and shames, the people she's collected: the broken blade wielded by both Chiaki and Taigen, Akemi's knife, Ringo's bell, Master Eiji's tongs - this symbolises her beginning to accept herself, and in doing so, also accepting the help of others;

Akemi consummates her marriage with Takayoshi Itoh, gains his affection, and cements her position as a woman in the shogun's palace - this symbolises her taking charge of her situation, no longer playing the damsel, but using her position to her advantage, empowering both herself and the underprivileged women around her.

These are thus two directly contrasting, diverging journeys:

Mizu's arc moves inward (yin). It is an internal path of self-love and self-discovery, focused on finding peace and tranquility inside herself, and this involves allowing herself to let others into her life, opening herself up to friendship and empathy once more.

Akemi's arc moves outward (yang), it is an external path of growth, transforming from a naive, caged princess to a powerful woman and a force to be reckoned with.

Akemi is always dressed in red, even her eyes are a bit of a reddish-brown rather than brown-black like most other characters, and in her penultimate scene she stands against a backdrop of flames. She is fire: quick-tempered, passionate, full of energy. Red is powerful, authoritative, and in eastern cultures, it is associated with prosperity.

Mizu is blue: her eyes, her sword, her clothes. She is also named after water; it's where she goes to recover, reflect and meditate. Water is fluid like a brook weaving around a stone in its path, always changing and adapting, it is graceful, it is beautiful and ruthless, tranquil yet swift.

Thus, in the future, I expect we will see plenty of political manoeuvring and intrigue in Akemi's plotline, where she fully embraces control of her life, and begins to take action to help others as well, realising that her own oppression is just one piece in a much larger picture. Her main conflict is with society.

In direct contrast, Mizu's main conflict is with herself. She must realise that her desire for vengeance is a projection of her own deep-rooted self-hatred. Her arc must move towards unpacking her feelings and trauma so she can be at peace with herself and allow space for love in her heart. Because as we saw in Ep5, Mizu had come extremely close to achieving peace and joy, as she had not only loved Mikio, but also had briefly believed that Mikio had loved her (and accepted her for who she is) as well.

Thus, assuming the story is not planned as a tragedy, Mizu will likely end up getting her vengeance, but it will not satisfy her, because it is not what she needs. What she needs is to let go of the Onryo within her and to reconcile both The Ronin and The Bride within herself, as she is both a fighter and a lover, but not a monster.

(Edit: I recommend checking out this post by @stylographic-blue-rhapsody for a much clearer analysis about Mizu'a symbolism as Ronin, Bride and Onryo!)

And now that we've mostly covered each of the characters individually, we can finally get to the main point of this post: the love triangle.

Let's talk about Option A: Akemi.

As I covered extensively earlier, Mizu and Akemi are foils, a yin-yang pair. But while they play off each other very well in a thematic sense, I personally believe that a serious romance between them will be more complicated if they become endgame. This is because Akemi's natural resolution is to embrace a position of power and influence, where she has both freedom and control over herself and to make much-needed changes in a prejudiced society. Meanwhile, Mizu's natural resolution is the opposite; her happy ending would to find a peaceful life where she is safe and free from prying eyes, and able to be her true self.

Thus, it would make very little sense for Akemi to forfeit power and run away with Mizu and start a humble life together. Akemi wants to be great, and that is absolutely what she deserves. On the other end of the spectrum, it would also make little sense for Mizu to dedicate her life in service of Akemi, such as acting as a bodyguard or something similar, because a life in a palace full of court intrigue and conspiracies is far from what Mizu needs to be happy.

With that being said, if Mizu/Akemi is endgame, and assuming their overarching character arcs do not shift directions, their love story would likely be either tragic, doomed, or bittersweet. I do absolutely love this type of story because personally I'm a sucker for catharsis, so it would be very interesting if the writers do decide to take this route.

Also, as a note, please do not take this as me dunking on this pairing. This is just my personal opinion and analysis and I completely understand if you disagree!

Then, of course, we have Option B: Taigen.

Between Akemi and Mizu, Taigen is a bit of a free-floater here, because Season 1 leaves off at a point where his arc is very ambiguous as to where it's headed. While Akemi climbs for greatness and Mizu goes on a journey across the ocean to (presumably) discover more about her heritage, we have little clues about where Taigen is headed. And if I'm being honest, I'm sure he has no idea either! He still hasn't reclaimed his honour, so he would be unable to rejoin the Shindo Dojo; he's been rejected by Akemi; and while he showed loyalty to the shogun, the shogun is now dead, and all the shogun's men who had witnessed his "humiliating" death were left to die by Lady Itoh, who is now pulling the strings within the palace.

Therefore, Taigen has very few options here.

And when considering his role in the story is as Mizu's begrudging ally, his arc will undoubtedly be focused on unlearning his xenophobia and misogyny, the latter of which we have not seen yet, but is surely present. Now, whether he will do this in Mizu's presence or absence will be unknown until we see Season 2. Following the Season 1 finale, he might return to Kohama and wait for Mizu there as he learns humility and remorse over his past cruelty; or maybe he will follow Mizu to London, and the two of them will continue to butt heads until he finally admits to himself that he cares for Mizu more than he would like to admit. There is no room for doubt that his growing feelings for Mizu are more-than-platonic, because we all saw him get turned on by sparring with her in Ep7 lol. Thus, regardless of the exact choice he makes, I am sure that his overall arc will be focused on redeeming his character.

Now, when it comes go redeeming him, I know there are many who simply don't want him redeemed because he was such a jerk to Mizu, and while yes I agree he was awful, I do believe there is also nuance to his character.

Previously I've discussed in great detail the colour and elemental symbolism with Mizu and Akemi, but have yet to touch on how they relate to Taigen. So, let's talk about that for a second.

While Akemi is red and Mizu is blue, Taigen is green.

Green is a complementary colour to Akemi's red. Complementary colours are directly opposite each other in the colour wheel; when mixed, they neutralise each other, but when put side-by-side, they form a pleasing and impactful contrast that boosts the brightness and prominence of both colours. This mirrors Taigen and Akemi's relationship. They are an "ideal" pair because they complement each other very well, and bring out each other's most prominent traits. Mizu's comment about their similar "brattiness" comes to mind here.

Green is also an analogous colour with Mizu's blue. These colours are sitting right next to each other on the colour wheel; their natural similarity makes it easy for them to form a cohesive overall appearance, but using both in equal amounts will make a design overwhelming and too busy. Thus, the best way to use analogous colours is to make one the dominant colour, while the other will serve as an accent. I feel this also speaks to the dynamic in Taigen and Mizu's relationship. They came from the space place, both from nothing; they're both strong fighters who love the sport, and work well together when fighting side-by-side; however, they butt heads too easily, mirroring how analogous colours can be too overwhelming when used in equal amounts. Thus, to work together in harmony, one has to be the dominant colour, while the other serves as the accent. In this case, the dominant force would be Mizu, as she is the protagonist of the story, while the accent would be Taigen.

By fulfilling this role as an "accent" to Mizu, Taigen's character would easily be slotted in as a the love interest. This is in contrast with a Mizu/Akemi relationship, whereby Akemi is Mizu's foil before she is Mizu's love interest. This is because, by being a love interest, a character usually takes a backseat in the story, serving the plot and the themes by playing a purely supportive role, and this is not possible in Akemi's case because her character exists to parallel and contrast Mizu (red and blue), and not to support her.

It is possible to serve as a supporting love interest in Taigen's case however. And this is because he, unlike the other characters, does not currently have a definitive place within the story. He initially served the plot as an antagonistic force, but now as he is slowly unlearning his prejudices and becoming a better person, he can no longer serve the story by acting purely as a rival.

Instead, he will serve the story by literally supporting Mizu. And this relates to Taigen being earth, which is steady, firm and reliable, unwavering in loyalty and principles, hardworking and rooted in stability, which is seen in Taigen's staunch and inflexible obedience to the traditions and rules of society. These traits are what make him a perfect samurai, but not a good man. However, unlike most people in their world, Taigen is still capable of change and redemption, which is why Mizu says that he has the potential to be great. Not great by way of power or glory, but great in character. Already, he is honourable to a fault, and does not betray Mizu even after she technically robbed him of everything he was striving towards. And when he was shot by an arrow in the chasm, he did not hesitate a second to tell Mizu to use him as a human shield and save herself.

The trigger for his redemption is Mizu. If she had never beat him in that duel, Taigen would live on to become a man like Akemi's father. Cruel, power-hungry, controlling, conservative. But through Mizu, Taigen's sharp edges are ground down, much like water that wears down the stones in a river.

Where Mizu and Akemi's possible love story would be a clash of wills, full of passion and even heartbreak, a possible love story between Mizu and Taigen would be the wearing down of souls. Mizu would make Taigen a better person, and in turn Taigen would dedicate his full respect and support to Mizu as his equal, thus getting her to slowly open up and love herself. Already, Taigen has grown enough to admit (begrudgingly, and in his own Taigen way) that Mizu is better than him; though, clearly, he still has a long way to go, as he still calls Mizu a demon shortly after that.

But basically, Taigen is a very simple man (his main goal now is "to be happy"), and Mizu has great depths that he cannot yet fathom. For this love story to work, it has to begin with Taigen changing for the better. If he succeeds in that, and is able to accept Mizu for all her complexities, I believe that they will make a formidable pair. And though he'd likely still throw a jab or snarky remark at Mizu every now and then, I think he'd come tl wholeheartedly admire Mizu as a brilliant swordsman and a kind soul. Thus, should things work out and this be endgame, Taigen would be able to provide Mizu with what Mikio could not: an idyllic life that is not built on a lie, but mutual trust, respect, admiration, and equality.

Or hey, maybe they could both make their own dojo together! I don't know.

(Edit: This post by @rinandsketches does a great job at delving into Taigen's character and a potential Mizu/Taigen relationship if you'd like to read more about this angle!)

Now, as I move on from Taigen, there are a couple more options on how to resolve this love triangle and that includes Option C: Ringo.

In this option, Mizu does not have an endgame romance with either Akemi or Taigen. In this route, she finds peace and love through friendship, solidarity, and a found family between herself, Ringo and Master Eiji—a bunch of outcasts in society who make a strong trifecta of sword-makers.

Also, as an aside while I'm talking about Ringo, I'd like to point out that I believe his element is air and his colour is a neutral grey; he is talkative, easy-going, wise, curious, light on his feet (stealthy) and free-spirited, which are all traits linked to air, and traits that complement Mizu nicely, as he is capable of getting Mizu to open up and trust others again, while Mizu helps him reach his true potential for greatness.

And finally, there's Option D: Polyamory.

This is basically an "all of the above" option, in which everyone wins and it's a super duper happy ending. It would also be awesome to get some polyamorous representation, and seeing the dynamic between Akemi/Mizu/Taigen play out would be very entertaining and refreshing. So, you never know, this just might be the true endgame!

AAAAND with that, I close my extremely long analysis of what is essentially Mizu's love life. Whatever the final outcome of this love triangle though, I just hope it will be well-written and satisfying to all the characters' respective arcs. (Also I just want Mizu to be HAPPY goddamn it because she deserves the world and her coochie eaten out)

Now, I highly doubt anyone will read any of this (especially not until the end!) but that's fine. I just have so many thoughts and feelings about this show and I just needed to get this out of my system lol! But if by some miracle you did read this far, I wholeheartedly welcome any sharing of thoughts and ideas because man am I obsessed with this show! But of course, if we have an opposing opinions, please be respectful when letting me know; I am very open to friendly discussions.

#blue eye samurai #mizu x taigen #mizu x akemi #mizu blue eye samurai #mizu x akemi x taigen #blue eye samurai meta #also if you ask me PERSONALLY. based on my own analysis which you can read above. personally i'm placing my bets on option b (mizutaigen)#and this is simply bcs i think mizu deserves nice things and that includes getting dicked down and pampered and worshipped #whoops who said that #also mizu deserves to live a life where she can hand taigen's ass to him on a daily basis. ykwim.#BUT i am def open to a change of opinion regarding the mizuakemi rship as the story progresses #i just dont want the writers to reduce akemi into nothing but a love interest for mizu #the only way i can see a happy mizuakemi endgame scenario is if blue eye samurai becomes purely an angsty romance story #in which case then yes i fully endorse the akemi ending <3 #but that would probs require a whole genre overhaul? bcs currently the show is firstly an action-epic where the romance is just a subplot #but even tho i dont reeeeally want a mizuakemi endgame i still DEF want mizu & akemi to be romantically and/or sexually involved plsss <3 #like they cant have that slow-mo shot between the two of them as their first encounter and NOT DO ANYTHING W IT!!!#also i want mizu to be at LEAST a little sapphic plsplspls #shut up haydar #meta dissertations.pdf #haydar's fandom posts #i wrote this whole thing while delirious and covid positive

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ancha-aus · 4 months ago

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RealAgeAU Drabble - Rebuilding

You all have been so kind <3 It isn't much but I figured we need a win :D Here is the win :D

There will probably come another drabble between this one and the last one about Dream dealing with all he learned but I wanted fluff so we going out of order again!

First Drabble Prev Drabble Next Drabble

No edits or beta. We just having fun <3

*------------------*

Dream hums as he packs some snacks. He had been waiting impatiently for this day. Cross had texted him that the meeting would have to wait as it were the holidays with them in their universe.

But! Those have finally passed!

Which means…

Dream grins as he checks his own little present. He is excited to see Nightmare. See how his now little brother is doing.

It still hurts to not be the one to look after Nightmare. But Dream had managed to at least accept that for now.

Too much had happened between them for them to just pick things up as they were. And Dream will admit that he is a little afraid that he will end up letting the memories cloud his own judgement and behaviour concerning Nightmare.

So. They are taking small steps! Kind of like playdates.

Dream hadn’t minded the name much. It is cute. Even if he is still sad it is needed.

Dream takes a deep breath and hugs his bag close “Baby steps Dream. Just take small steps.”

For now he has a little brother to see and cuddle. Dream’s goal at the moment is to convince Nightmare that Dream does love him. Dream figured that is a good first step over trying to convince him that he had always loved him.

Dream texts the gang that he is going to the meeting spot before leaving the phone in his house. He knows people can track phones and stuff and he is not leading anyone to his little brother.

Dream concentrates his staff and powers and connects to the ride universe. He steps through and looks around.

It seems that this universe has a small town at least. Probably a locked universe than. As the gang doesn’t take risks. A locked one without knowledge about the multiverse, and probably far away from anyone who may have seen any skeletons.

Dream hums as he skips through the beautiful little winter wonderland town. The snow is nice and fluffy and the many coloured lights are beautiful. There are little stalls with some things for sale and Dream can see a little frozen lake in the distance. Oh! Maybe he and Nightmare can go ice skating?

Blue taught Dream all about it after Dream admitted that he never actually experienced winter. Which was weird to Blue as he grew up in a snowy town. They drag Ink along and had a lot of fun.

Dream snickers as he now knows why Blue had been so pushy about dragging Ink along too. But playing matchmaker is for later!

Dream looks around and grins as he spots the others. Seems like it is just Dust and Cross today with Nightmare. Dream rushes to their side and can’t help but think back to the first time he heard about their ‘child.’.

Back then Dream had still believed the worst of Nightmare. When the actual proof that Nightmare had always just been himself had been right in front of him.

Dream really needed to learn to look fully at situations before making decisions.

But that is for later. He happily goes over to Dust, Cross and Nightmare. Nightmare is sitting on Cross’s lap and seems to be people watching. He is wearing a large jacket, very thick looking pants and snow boats. Not to forget an adorable frog beanie.

No doubt to protect the scars on his skull and keep him warm.

Dream smiles “Hey guys!”

Dust looks at him bored and nods as greeting. Cross gives a small smile back “Hey Dream.”

Nightmare looks away from the people and shoots him a tiny smile “Hey…”

It was already so worth it. All the effort and work and careful steps. Because his brother finally smiled at him again. It may be after Gyftmas but Dream knows this is the best gift he could have gotten.

Dust gets up first and takes Nightmare over as Cross carefully rights himself.

Dream snickers to himself.

Cross looks confused as he gets up after one of his feet sliding a little bit “What?”

Dream shakes his skull before smiling “It is just… remember how the last time I met you guys with Nightmare you guys said he was yours?” he grins more “Apparently you were telling the truth after all.” Even if it is still hard to not have Nightmare with him. It is getting easier to accept the gang as his twins parents. It is just the obvious care they show. How to are so careful with him. It is hard to not see this as something good for his brother.

Cross sputters as he blushes slightly embarrassed.

Nightmare blinks and tilts his skull “I remember that.” He looks at Cross with a frown “You are not good at improv.”

Cross sputters again and looks with betrayal at Nightmare “Nightlight!”

That is another thing. Their nickname for his brother? Their little nightlight? Adorable. 10 out of 10. Dream will not let anyone interfere.

Dust chuckles and shoots Cross an amused look “Still ended up being right.” even more amused “Even about the relationship.”

Cross looks even more embarrassed as he looks to the side “If I had known I would get bullied I wouldn’t have come.”

Dust hums and shoots Nightmare a look. Nightmare looks back with a doubtful look and Dust nods “I agree Nightmare. He is bluffing.” More amused at Cross “You would have come either way.” Then Dust walks a bit closer and pulls Cross’s skull down a bit to enable him to easily kiss his cheek.

That is something Dream still needs to get used to. The four of them dating. It is just not something Dream had expected! Thought that is because of the fact that Dream only knew them when fighting. Who knows?! Maybe they had been dating for years and Dream just never knew- wait.

Dream gives them a strict look “You guys better keep it at handholding and kissing in front of Nightmare.”

Nightmare frowns at Dream “I know that kinda stuff!”

Dream sighs and gets a faraway look “How far I have fallen to let my little brother see those sinful things when he is just a baby.”

Nightmare pouts as he huffs “We fought before!”

Dust laughs and just nuzzles the grumpy baby. Cross grins amused as well “Yeah so sinful. Premarital handholding.” Which just causes Dust to snort again as Nightmare pouts.

Dream smiles and giggles “Sorry sorry.” He looks at Nightmare “It is great to see you again. How were your holidays?”

Nightmare keeps pouting and thinks for a moment before relaxing a bit “They were nice. We had food and did some stuff around town. Looking at things.” He looks back at Dream “How was Gyftmas?”

Dream makes a so-so motions “It was alright. There was this big party which I just visited to show my face. Afterwards I went back to Blue’s with Ink and the three of us and Blue’s brother had a bit of a more private celebration.” Which included Dream trying to push Blue and Ink under the mistletoe. He was kind of successful as Dream managed to get them under there. But Ink just stared at the little plant before proclaiming he had an idea for a drawing and he rushed off.

Dream and Blue drunk some whiskey after that together with Stretch.

Nightmare tilts his skull “I thought you liked the big parties?”

Dream shrugs as he walks with the family “They are okay. Mostly because it used to just give me a lot of energy thanks to all the positive emotions going around. Nowadays they are more of a hassle than anything.” He rolls his eye lights “People keep demanding I do the things nad stuff I used to do. Honestly some people never learn.”

Dust and Cross nod in agreement as Nightmare shrugs “Some people don’t want to learn. Can’t make them.”

Dream nods “Very true. But tell me how have you been!” and he looks hopeful.

Nightmare thinks for a moment before slowly starting to talk about how the winter hit and so there is a lot of snow. He mentions he doesn’t like the cold but the snow is pretty. And that his classes are going better.

Nightmare huffs unhappily “Math is still stupid.”

Cross looks amused “Just need to practise is Night. You will get it eventually.”

This actually surprises Dream a lot “But you had about a thousand calculations and stuff about the balance in your office.”

Nightmare makes some motions before sighing “It is different now…”

Dust actually speaks again “We think it is because he is a child again. The boost made him older using god magic. We wouldn’t be surprised if it changed him in some other things as well. Like how his magic had a different colour. It could have also assisted a lot with the way he thougth about things.”

Dream nods “Like an aid? Or a cheat sheet?”

Dust shrugs but nods.

Cross shrugs himself “We aren’t sure. It isn’t like we can test it and Nightmare thought that was just who he was.”

Nightmare nods “It felt like me. Not like I was still six. I felt like an adult… I think.”

Dream smiles “Well. It doesn’t matter now. We can just assume the magic aided you with everything.”

Nightmare shoots him a considering look before smiling a tiny bit again “Yeah.”

They get into town and Dream looks hopeful at Nightmare and Dust as he mutters “I was wondering… If I could… Could I please hold Nightmare again?”

Dust thinks for a moment and looks down at Nightmare. Nightmare gives him a nod. Which causes Dust to give him a nod and carefully hand Nightmare over.

Dream pulls Nightmare as close against him as he can while still being gentle. Nightmare is still healing. He almost died and got very hurt. Dream has to make sure he is careful.

Dream smiles as he nuzzles Nightmare softly “I am so happy to see you again. I love you.” I love you so much Nighty.

Nightmare hums and just hugs him back.

Their souls may no longer be in sync as they used to be but at least it seems that Dream’s hugs also mean something to Nightmare. Which may be all Dream gets but he will hold unto it greedily.

It just feels so good to have Nightmare near. To be able to hold and hug him.

They just let him hold his tiny twin. Enjoy the feeling of him close again. Dream never gets over this. He hadn’t realised how much he had missed his brother’s hugs until he finally got one again. He wonders if that is what starving feels like.

They sit down on a bench and Dream just asks his brother things. As long as Nightmare is open to it Dream is trying to get to know him again. Learn what he likes and dislikes. Which books he reads and which movies he watches.

Dream has heard so many facts about bats.

Nightmare tilts his skull “Gyftmas, or Christmas isn’t as much of a present holiday in our universe.” Their universe. The place the called home and settled. The very same that Error hid again and refuses to give the new coordinates to.

Dream frowns “So you didn’t get presents?”

Nightmare looks a bit shyer “I did get stuff!” then he looks embarrassed and crosses his arms “Dads are still used to giving gifts and stuff.”

Cross nods “We got him a few small things…” he rubs his neck “It was a special happening! A holiday! It seems criminal to not get him things!”

Dream laughs and nods “Oh I fully agree…” and he slowly rises his little present “I promise it isn’t a lot… just a present… Happy Gyftmas.” It is the first holiday where he has his brother with him again.

Nightmare stares with shock at the present before looking slightly panicked at Dust and Cross before muttering “I didn’t… I didn’t get anything… I didn’t know…”

Dream just hugs his little brother closer “I know. It is okay. Maybe I shouldn’t have surprised you…” or maybe he should have asked any of the four if this was okay?! He just wanted to surprise Nighty with something. “I just wanted to give you something okay? That is it.” he holds Nightmare close and smiles “You already gave me this chance Nighty… There isn’t anything else I want.”

Nightmare still looks unsure as he stares at the present. Cross rubs Nighty’s cheek “It is okay Nightlight. If you want we can check the stalls?”

Nightmare looks at the stalls and nods “yeah.” He holds his hands out to Cross and Cross takes him back. Dream is sad to let go of him but doesn’t fight it as Cross and Nightmare move towards the stalls.

Dream frowns at the present “I shouldn’t have surprised him.”

Dust snorts “You are fine. Nightmare just still has this idea that he owns people things when he gets stuff. We are still working on it.”

Dream blinks and thinks “Oh… is that why you guys gave him gifts for the last holiday?”

Dust nods “Yup. He is still learning to just be a kid again.”

Dream laughs and nods “I can’t imagine how hard that is…” For Nightmare to have to unlearn 500 years of trauma and responsibilities.

Dust shrugs “We are making progress.”

They sit in silence as they wait. Dust is very quiet and Dream rubs his hands. He is still not sued to Dust. He is just so eerily quiet and unmoving. Almost like a statue, and Dream can know as he used to be one.

The first few times Dream tried to fill the silence but nothing what he said seemed to be able to pull Dust into a conversation. Maybe Dust just doesn’t want to talk to him or maybe Dust is just quiet. Dream isn’t sure.

A memory enters his mind and Dream gets ready “I euh… had a question.”

Dust hums and waits.

Dream takes a deep breath “Have you guys been to Dreamtale? And… euh… have you seen any of us per chance?”

Dust thinks for a moment before nodding.

Dream shoots upright “Seriously?! Was Nightmare little at that point?” another nod.

Dream leans back and mutters “So I wasn’t going insane?”

Dust snorts and shoots him a look “Nightmare saw you through a window and he said you saw him too. Calling him ‘Nighty’ and he made a break for it.” and he looks back forwards.

Dream just leans back. Holy shit. All this time he thought it was somekind of magical hallucination or something. Nope. His actual brother. Dream can’t believe it. He went back to Dreamtale to get answers. And he got his answers but again he hadn’t considered what the sighting could mean.

At least Dream will excuse himself for just assuming it was a hallucination. Who would assume that it is your actual brother who was an adult the last time you knowingly saw him!?

Which is when Cross and Nightmare return to them. As soon as they get near Nightmare holds out a present. It is packed with the generic holiday wrapping paper and Dream happily takes the present after which he gives his own back to Nightmare.

Dream takes care to unwrap the gift and smiles at the small snowglobe. It has this town in it with the lake and Dream smiles happily at Nightmare “I love it.” and he isn’t even kidding. This place now holds a special place in his soul. A reminder is very nice to have. He will think of this moment each time he sees it.

Nightmare looks away embarrassed and shrugs as he opens the present only to stare.

Dream looks nervously at the small wooden bat he had tried to carve. He rubs his arm “I am still getting back into it… But well… You really like bats…” and they used to carve each other these statues…

Nightmare traces the carved wood and holds it close. A soft thanks is muttered and Dream feels himself relax. Nightmare always gets this shy about things he liked, even when they were kids together.

They end up relocating to the lake to get away from the other people. Only to see a small stall renting out ice skates and a few people skating.

Dream smiles at Nightmare “Want to learn how to skate? I can teach you!”

Nightmare frowns as he thinks it over. Dust and Cross share a look and seem to speak without making any sounds before both nodding. Apparently they are accepting of the idea! Great!

Nightmare looks up at his two dads and Cross smiles “I can’t skate myself.”

Dust rolls his eyes “I can. While Dream teaches you Night I will teach Cross.”

Dream looks confused at Dust “You can skate?”

Dust shrugs “Snowdin.”

Right. Of course. Duh.

They get four pair of skates and Dust helps Nightmare with his, and afterwards helps Cross with his as well. Cross looks deeply embarrassed as he mutters “Just never skated before…”

Dust shrugs “it is fine.”

They get to the lake and Dream is quick to focus all his attention on Nightmare. He helps him stand and find his balance and then a slowly helps him move a tiny bit.

It takes a while but soon enough Nightmare is smiling and having fun as they skate. Dream grins and happily shows off his moves to Nightmare when he has his balance.

Dream smiles as he just enjoys his day. And he hopes he will get many more just like this.

*------------------*

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Oh also. @spotaus haha almost forgot to add you that time!

#utmv #realageau #nightmare sans #deaged nightmare #dust sans #cross sans #dream sans #Some fluff of the boys interacting <3 #Also some info on the Blue has a crush on Ink situation #They haven't made progress yet :(#and yeah. Dream is making big steps even if he doesn't see it.#So just some nice bonding and interactions between them all! They deserve it <3

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