Christmas Spirits (Part 4)

[concupiscence66]

Title:  Christmas Spirits
Author:  Concupid
Pairing:  Dan/Jones
Rating:  PG-13
Warnings:  references to mild violence, language
Summary:  Dan moves from uncomfortable situation to uncomfortable situation and learns very little.
Author’s note:  I tried to finish it, but each section got a bit too long and I had to give in.  One more chapter!

Comments

[stitchsweet]

The Christmas tree mannequin sounds like something straight out of one of Noel's paintings!! I'm also loving that Jones is depicted wearing a marshmallow gown to his and Dan's wedding. Can't wait for this whole thing to wrap up like a nice present!!

[concupiscence66]

I am not sure why I imagined the mannequin tree, but once it was in my head it just felt right!

[worriedeye]

Sorry - i should have commented ages ago, I've been very slack. I've really been enjoying this one - and this chapter was lovely with the gingerbread houses and mannequin tree. Also write anything that talks about encouraging and bringing out a child's creativity and you've got my instant attention. Maya's a star.

[concupiscence66]

It is never too late for a lovely comment! (Maya is partially inspired by my own bossy and weirdly creative child)

[concupiscence66]

Poor Jones. Always the dj, never the bride.

[bluestocking79]

Wow, Maya is really lobbying hard for that wedding! It is natural for kids to be fascinated with things like babies and weddings and to want to encourage the people they know to have those things, but I really think that everything here really underscores the fact that the only person in Dan's life who doesn't already know that he's in a real relationship with Jones is Dan. The bit in the flashback where Dan thinks about what he'd always assumed his life would entail really nails it: he really has just never thought about what he actually WANTS, just about whether he's fulfilling objectives and requirements that he... doesn't even particularly care about. But he always feels like a failure for not achieving them, instead of recognizing what he HAS achieved and DOES have and does want out of life. Jones makes him feel alive, capable, comfortable, excited--and isn't that the important stuff

[concupiscence66]

I can imagine how excited Nathan was for a moment to see Dan in the same outfit. Up until he was being strangled, he must have felt such a connection to Dan. I am fascinated by Dan and Nathan because Dan should have the upper hand. Claire can use Nathan to her own ends but it doesn't seem to occur to Dan to try and use Nathan's admiration in any way. We talk a lot about Dan the cynic, but he's also kind of a wide-eyed (figuratively!) manchild who can't manipulate a situation to save his life so he ends up being tossed around by the whims of others. Including Maya's!

[bluestocking79]

OMG, totally. It was Dan's nightmare and Nathan's dream, to be mirror images of each other!

I really, really like the way you're exploring Dan's manchild-ness in this story, because yes, it's a big part of him and why he is the way he is, but people always focus on the cynicism and misanthropy instead. You're right: Dan should TOTALLY have the upper hand with Nathan, but it never seems to dawn on Dan that he has this built-in power that he could use. I really get the feeling that Dan feels he has little to no sense of agency, like things just happen to him or are done to him, and he is mostly powerless to take control of the situation. Even Maya intimidates him with her self-assuredness! He still has a really undefined sense of who he is and what he wants, so most people with a strong and defined sense of self and purpose seem to remind him of how much he feels he's lacking there.