Because no one can have everything, not even nations.
anonymous
February 15 2010, 02:45:42 UTC
Has anyone else read the classic Superman story "For The Man Who Has Everything"? It's an excellent tale about Superman being captured by the Black Mercy, a plant that slowly kills its captive by trapping them in a dream of their deepest heart's desire that they will never want to wake up from. For Superman, his heart's desire turns out to be living an ordinary life on Krypton with a wife and children. And it turns out that the only way to break free of the Black Mercy is to reject it or subconsciously warp the dream into a nightmare
( ... )
Oh, and I almost forgot to comment on dream!Iceland's uncharacteristic cheeriness - I wonder if that's supposed to signify that Denmark secretly wants Iceland to be more emotionally open as a part of his family too? Or if Iceland was more emotional when he was young? Or if it's one of the "off" signs that's going to clue Denmark into the whole thing not being real?
(And in case you were wondering just how good your fic is so far, apparently another anon got so excited about commenting on your fill that s/he misfired. That says a lot, I believe. :D)
Re: OP again
anonymous
February 17 2010, 23:13:41 UTC
You're very perceptive, anon! Dream!Iceland's massive OOCness is a bit of both Denmark secretly wishing he was more emotionally involved and wanting to go back to a time before he was matured enough to able to actively distance himself from Denmark. It's always been my headcanon that Denmark/Norway/Iceland once were a bit like a family, with Denmark as more of an outsider but still extremely fond of Iceland. That being said though, I didn't want Denmark's dream to be about drastically changing the ones he loves, and young kids are generally much more emotionally exuberant, hence why Iceland has reverted back to being so young. That way, Denmark can get the returned affection he's always craved without grown-up!Iceland needing to be changed so much.
And it is just one of the many things that will soon become obviously fake in his dream. Oh lordy, wait until he goes fishing with Sweden.
(And I saw that misfire! When I did and realized it was for my story, I dawww'd.)
I see, and everything you said makes complete sense. I'm very impressed with how much thought you've put into this, author!anon, especially about the "does he appreciate them for who they are in reality, or does he prefer what he wishes they could be like in his fantasy?" issue.
...Fishing with Sweden? Lordy, now I have to read this soon.
Re: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes [6a/??]
anonymous
February 18 2010, 04:44:35 UTC
HEY GUYS, ARE YOU SICK OF ME YET?
When the alarm goes off in the morning, the sun isn’t even up yet. He groans lowly and curls forward to bury his head under the blankets while Niels gropes for the beeping clock, effectively silencing it after a few seconds of sleep-drunk fumbling. He rolls over and prods at Mathias.
“Get up,” he mumbles thickly.
Mathias moans dramatically and squishes his face further into the pillow. Niels nudges him.
“C’mon, you’ve gotta get ready before they get here.”
“Nnnngggh…” Mathias flips over and wriggles closer to Niels. “S’cold.”
“It’s four in the morning, of course it’s cold.” He sighs.
Mathias matches his sigh and nuzzles his face in the crook of the barely conscious Norwegian’s neck. “Ten more minutes.”
“No, go get into the shower. They’ll be here soon and I am not going to be the one answering the door.” He reaches forward and pushes against Mathias’ chest. “And you’re hogging the covers.” He frowns when Mathias flinches. “Are you still sore
( ... )
Re: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes [6b/??]
anonymous
February 18 2010, 04:46:49 UTC
They make good time to the lake and better time still getting the boat unloaded. After unpacking their fishing poles and disembarking, the sky is a hazy purple, just enough light to illuminate the water, a thin layer of stubborn fog blanketing the whole valley. It’s still early and they are the only ones out in the small lake. Mathias is sure that will change later, but for the moment, he enjoys the comfortable stillness
( ... )
Re: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes [6c/??]
anonymous
February 18 2010, 04:48:33 UTC
Mathias pauses before laughing again. “That’s incredible.” He turns and punches the Swede’s shoulder lightly. “Ooh, remember the time in high school when we hid his homework in the girls locker room
( ... )
Re: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes [6d/??]
anonymous
February 18 2010, 04:50:09 UTC
After he towels off and takes a few long drinks, Berwald hands him a new hook and he re-casts his line and the two settle back into comfortable silence. The sun has fully raised, fog finally burned away, and more fishers have started to load their boats into the water. Mathias sighs, grinning, and leans back, his shoulders thudding into Berwald’s.
“How long has it been since we did this?” He smiles. “Just us, I mean.”
Berwald shrugs. “S’been a while.”
“What’s up with that?” He elbows the Swede playfully. “I don’t get to see my baby brother enough.”
Berwald rolls his eyes, but nods. “W’should do it more often.”
Mathias sighs again and turns back to the water. “Definitely. This is fun, I’m glad we came.”
Berwald smiles.
“M’ too.”
--
We’ve officially entered the Negaverse, my friends. Sweden is willingly hanging out with Denmark and making plans to do it again. As with the last chapter, there is something in this part there is glaringly wrong with the situation, though it slightly more subtle than the last
( ... )
Re: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes [6d/??]
anonymous
February 18 2010, 05:38:36 UTC
Sick of you? Never! Keep going, keep going. This Negaverse is a fun place to be. Alternatively, damn Denmark. Your fantasies really highlight how depressing your life actually is.
Re: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes [6d/??]
anonymous
February 18 2010, 05:50:49 UTC
Happiest nation on Earth?
Only when people are looking.
I've always sort of had this idea Denmark is really happy on the surface, but then is very vulnerable and lonely when he isn't maintaining a happy face. Poor guy. :(
Re: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes [6d/??]
anonymous
February 18 2010, 05:47:41 UTC
Anon, this story is turning out so amazing! I adore the fluffy, AU dream, but then I remember back to the actual story and it makes me sad! I love it so far!
I'm also amazed that you chose the same human name for Ice that my sister and I had decided on!
Why on earth would I be sick of you, author!anon? You're giving me a wonderful fill that's everything I could have hoped for! The tone is perfect and you don't hammer it into our heads that there's something inherently wrong about Denmark's dreams but let us pick up on it ourselves. And of course, the true pathos of the story is that the nature of Denmark's dreams alone reveal just how far removed his real life is from the life he truly wants. I never considered Denmark as a possibility for this fill when I first typed up the prompt, but now that I really think about it, what better nation to base the story around than the nation who's supposed to be the happiest one in the world (similar to how Superman is the man who's supposed to have everything)?
I'm not quite as sure about what's glaringly wrong in this part, but I get the distinct impression that Sweden is being a bit too open and talkative with Denmark. Not as blatant as Iceland's "cheerful child" characterization in the previous part, but still pretty noticeable. Denmark is
( ... )
When I saw your prompt, I immediately went to Denmark, haha. I've been collecting fanart of the Nordics since they were introduced, and it seems that in most of the fanworks, Denmark is always very cheerful while the rest of them are just really irritated with him most of the time, or at least very removed from him. And since the Nordics are the only characters that we've ever really seen interact with him, it makes me think they're his only real friends, which would make him extremely emotionally attached to them, but miserable at the same time since they obviously don't return the feelings. I think the cheerfulness is genuine, but still sort of his way of coping
( ... )
Re: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes [7a/??]
anonymous
February 18 2010, 17:02:28 UTC
Back again. Oh lordy, this is turning into a beast of a fic. I had only planned on a oneshot at first, haha.
Just for some preemptive clarification, this chapter is happening at the same time as the previous two, just in the real world instead of Denmark’s head. So, technically, we’re back tracking a bit. But not very much, I promise!
My beta also asked my why I’m not using their human names except for in the dream sequences. This is because I wanted to make a clear distinction between the two settings: real life, where they are nations, and dreamscapes, where they are humans. I’m sorry if that confused anyone!Norway spends a long time just watching Denmark sleep. He does his best to remain passive, his hands planted firmly in his lap and his mouth fixed in a bored line, but he can’t help the way his stomach flips every time the Black Mercy forces it’s slippery tendrils further into Denmark’s unaware body. Most of his upper chest is covered by a twisted network of the thick tentacles, some above the skin, criss-crossing each other
( ... )
Re: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes [7b/??]
anonymous
February 18 2010, 17:03:58 UTC
He exhales loudly. “What did you do to yourself, you idiot?” He mutters, leaning his elbow against the case. Below him, the Black Mercy continues to beat and Denmark’s eyes continue to twitch and flutter, completely silent and still. Norway taps the clear top impatiently.
“For heavens sake, Denmark, would you please shut up for once? I’m trying to read.”
Norway scowls at his reflection in the glass. He’s never seen the Dane hold still for this long and there is something somehow wrong about it. During meetings, he picks at his fingers and chews on his pens. When he reads, he bounces his knee or taps his foot. Even when he sleeps, Denmark moves constantly; shifting, turning, and stretching his arms out to grasp at the empty space on the bed until he inevitably wakes up late. Norway hates rooming with him during conferences because the consistent movement keeps him up all night
( ... )
Re: A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes [7c/??]
anonymous
February 18 2010, 17:05:18 UTC
He glares at the glass case from his position beside it. He shakes his head and begins to silently chastise himself when a soft knocking resounds through the room and Japan trudges inside, eyes bagged and face haggard
( ... )
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(And in case you were wondering just how good your fic is so far, apparently another anon got so excited about commenting on your fill that s/he misfired. That says a lot, I believe. :D)
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And it is just one of the many things that will soon become obviously fake in his dream. Oh lordy, wait until he goes fishing with Sweden.
(And I saw that misfire! When I did and realized it was for my story, I dawww'd.)
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...Fishing with Sweden? Lordy, now I have to read this soon.
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When the alarm goes off in the morning, the sun isn’t even up yet. He groans lowly and curls forward to bury his head under the blankets while Niels gropes for the beeping clock, effectively silencing it after a few seconds of sleep-drunk fumbling. He rolls over and prods at Mathias.
“Get up,” he mumbles thickly.
Mathias moans dramatically and squishes his face further into the pillow. Niels nudges him.
“C’mon, you’ve gotta get ready before they get here.”
“Nnnngggh…” Mathias flips over and wriggles closer to Niels. “S’cold.”
“It’s four in the morning, of course it’s cold.” He sighs.
Mathias matches his sigh and nuzzles his face in the crook of the barely conscious Norwegian’s neck. “Ten more minutes.”
“No, go get into the shower. They’ll be here soon and I am not going to be the one answering the door.” He reaches forward and pushes against Mathias’ chest. “And you’re hogging the covers.” He frowns when Mathias flinches. “Are you still sore ( ... )
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“How long has it been since we did this?” He smiles. “Just us, I mean.”
Berwald shrugs. “S’been a while.”
“What’s up with that?” He elbows the Swede playfully. “I don’t get to see my baby brother enough.”
Berwald rolls his eyes, but nods. “W’should do it more often.”
Mathias sighs again and turns back to the water. “Definitely. This is fun, I’m glad we came.”
Berwald smiles.
“M’ too.”
--
We’ve officially entered the Negaverse, my friends. Sweden is willingly hanging out with Denmark and making plans to do it again. As with the last chapter, there is something in this part there is glaringly wrong with the situation, though it slightly more subtle than the last ( ... )
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Only when people are looking.
I've always sort of had this idea Denmark is really happy on the surface, but then is very vulnerable and lonely when he isn't maintaining a happy face. Poor guy. :(
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I'm also amazed that you chose the same human name for Ice that my sister and I had decided on!
captcha: possible feeling Awwww! ;_;
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I'm not quite as sure about what's glaringly wrong in this part, but I get the distinct impression that Sweden is being a bit too open and talkative with Denmark. Not as blatant as Iceland's "cheerful child" characterization in the previous part, but still pretty noticeable. Denmark is ( ... )
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Just for some preemptive clarification, this chapter is happening at the same time as the previous two, just in the real world instead of Denmark’s head. So, technically, we’re back tracking a bit. But not very much, I promise!
My beta also asked my why I’m not using their human names except for in the dream sequences. This is because I wanted to make a clear distinction between the two settings: real life, where they are nations, and dreamscapes, where they are humans. I’m sorry if that confused anyone!Norway spends a long time just watching Denmark sleep. He does his best to remain passive, his hands planted firmly in his lap and his mouth fixed in a bored line, but he can’t help the way his stomach flips every time the Black Mercy forces it’s slippery tendrils further into Denmark’s unaware body. Most of his upper chest is covered by a twisted network of the thick tentacles, some above the skin, criss-crossing each other ( ... )
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“For heavens sake, Denmark, would you please shut up for once? I’m trying to read.”
Norway scowls at his reflection in the glass. He’s never seen the Dane hold still for this long and there is something somehow wrong about it. During meetings, he picks at his fingers and chews on his pens. When he reads, he bounces his knee or taps his foot. Even when he sleeps, Denmark moves constantly; shifting, turning, and stretching his arms out to grasp at the empty space on the bed until he inevitably wakes up late. Norway hates rooming with him during conferences because the consistent movement keeps him up all night ( ... )
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