#feeling suffocated by the whole dynamic-twins-duo thing

[godsfavoritescientist]

Building off of what I wrote in my fic "Sparks," I'm really compelled by the idea of Ford genuinely no longer being interested in sailing around in a boat with Stan by the time they were seniors in high school.

I like the idea of it not being just a symptom of the resentment that had been building between them, nor it being a dream of Ford's that only paled in comparison to west coast tech, but it being a genuine loss of interest on Ford's end. I think it complicates things even further in some really juicy ways.

Like, imagine going through high school slowly losing more and more interest in the dream you've shared with your twin and only friend ever since you were little kids. How do you break it to him? How do you explain it to him without making it sound like a rejection of him? Without it making him hate you?

How do you explain it without it feeling like a spit in the face to all the hard work he's put into a plan that started out as a way of him comforting you by telling you "it doesn't matter what people say about you, you're going to be an adventurer who sails away into the sunset and never has to hear their mockery ever again, and there will be babes and treasure and heroism, and then they'll all see how cool you really are!"

And all through high school you think to yourself, "he's going to move on to more realistic dreams any day now, and then I won't have to say anything about it!" But no matter how many times you mention something else he could do with his life that he seems interested in, or bring up the challenging logistics of traveling around long-term in a boat, he sounds just as committed to the childhood dream as ever, and completely oblivious to how apprehensive you sound.

So resentment grows, little by little. Because that's easier than confronting the soul-crushing levels of guilt that are building up inside of you, every time you don't take an opportunity to tell him you don't want to do the plan anymore. You don't have a single person in your life who modeled how to have difficult conversations for you. As far as you know, having this conversation with Stan would crush him into tiny little pieces and then he would hate you forever, and you can't stand the idea of losing the only friend you've ever had.

So tensions grow. A lack of interest turns into a bitter resentment that, if you were really being honest with yourself, is directed more at yourself than it is at Stan.

And then the falling-out happens, and it seems like you were proven right. Stan hates you now, and he's never going to forgive you for giving up on his dream. But two can play that game, so you try to hate him too. Because if you hate him too, then maybe it won't hurt as much that he never came back. That he never even turned up at school, or by the boat, or in through your bedroom window in the middle of the night. He knows what dad's like, and how he says impulsive exaggerated things when he's angry, and haven't you both dealt with his harsh words countless times before and been able to dust yourselves off and joke about it later? So why isn't he back at home, joking with you about how absurd your dad acted that night, being impossible and belligerent about ruining your dream, but at least now you're even, because you've ruined his dream too.

-

And now imagine you find out he risked the lives of everyone in existence to bring you back, right after you had accepted your fate was to die killing Bill. It would be terrifying and confusing and infuriating. If he cared so much, why didn't he do something to reconnect with you sooner? Why did he ignore you in favor of trying to make it big without you? Why didn't he take the infinitely safer and simpler action of reaching out to you without you having to track down his address and send a desperate plea for help? You were convinced that he didn't care enough to bother with you unless you had an important enough reason for him to come. But even then, he thought your plans were stupid. He didn't want anything to do with you, not even with the world at stake.

Did he save your life out of guilt? Does he pity you that much? It doesn't add up with what he did in the decade leading up to shoving you into the portal. And the dissonance between the version of him in your head that hates you, and the man who held out his arms to welcome you back to your home dimension, is so strong that you feel like you're being lied to again, like you're back in the depths of gaslighting and manipulation that Bill put you through, even though there's no way that's what Stan is trying to do... right? You can't figure it out, so you run away from it. You don't want to know the answer to whether or not Stan hates you, because you don't know which answer would hurt more, so you try to make him hate you more than ever, because at least then you would know for sure how he feels.

And in the end, after he sacrifices his memories for you, and for the world, things seem clearer. The layers upon layers of confusion and anger and hurt seem to have washed away like drawings in the sand, leaving behind the simple truth: that you two had an argument, and didn't move past it for forty years, and despite everything you put each other through, you both still want to re-connect.

So you sail away in a boat together.

And at first, it's wonderful. It's exactly what you want. It feels like an apology to Stan, and a thank-you for saving the world, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to heal the rift between you two, and it's good to be back on earth, and you wonder why you ever doubted the dream you two once had.

But then, after the first long journey you spend on the sea together, when you get back home to dry land, Stan is already talking about planning your next adventure out on the open sea. He recaps every adventure you had on the first trip, over and over again, and he wants to chat with you all through the morning and long into the night, and you don't have the words to explain to yourself that you don't have enough social battery for this, and suddenly you're slipping back into the horrifyingly familiar feeling of Stan being overbearing and needing space from him and how could you think that? How could you think that about him after everything he's done for you and everything he's forgiven you for? But the longer this goes on, the more you realize that you still don't want to spend the rest of your life sailing around with Stan. It's great fun in moderation, but the idea of your whole life revolving around Stan and going on adventures with Stan and being in a boat with Stan with no time to be by yourself thinking about your own things and figuring out your own dreams makes your skin crawl with a claustrophobic kind of panic that you still don't know how to put into words forty years after the first time this feeling grabbed you by the throat and ruined your friendship with Stanley.

But the first time this happened, it nearly ruined his life forever. You can't let yourself feel this. You don't feel this. You're happy to spend the rest of your life fulfilling Stan's lifelong dream, and making up for the time you crushed his dream, and sure, maybe he crushed your dream once too, and maybe it would be nice for him to support your dreams like you're now doing for him, but you can't say that. He saved the universe, and it would be horrible and ungrateful and cruel for you to try to voice these feelings, especially when you don't know how to voice your feelings without it making other people feel like you twisted a knife into their gut. So you try to pretend the feeling isn't there.

You go out on a boat with Stan again. You planned out another incredible journey together, and this should be fun, and you should be happy about this, but the unspoken feeling you shoved as far down in yourself as it could possibly go is eating you alive. The worst part? Stan is starting to notice. You have never been good at hiding your emotions. The trick to it has always been to convince yourself you don't feel it at all, and not think about it, and that has always worked like a charm. But whenever the emotion claws its way back up to the forefront of your mind, you can tell Stan knows something is wrong. So you can't even give him the happy ending he deserves. You can't even convince him that you want to be here on the open seas forever with him, like he deserves. And you keep trying and trying to hide it, but Stan keeps asking in roundabout ways, like "You're being awfully quiet, sixer," and "whats that look on your face?" and eventually it comes exploding out of you like a shaken-up soda bottle dropped on its cap.

And then it's like you're back at home in New Jersey again, standing in the living room while dad grabs Stanley by the shirt. It all comes pouring out of you, in the worst possible way, with the worst possible phrasing, like a pandora's box of monstrousness, and Stan tries to fight back against the sting of your words, but you're made out of acid and you're burning through him and you can see it on his face, and there's never any coming back from this, not this time, you'll just have to either jump into the ocean or become a monster forever, so Stan can hate you more easily again, and-

-and at the end of the outburst, you're still on a boat in the middle of nowhere in the ocean with your brother, in dangerous waters, and you have things to do to keep the boat running smoothly.

You can't run away from him. He can't run away from you. You're stuck here for at least a couple more weeks, even if you turned around and sailed back towards shore right away.

-

And the thing that compels me so much here, despite how unbelievably angsty it all is, is that it sets up a situation wherein the Stans might end up forced to actually address the decades of resentment and confusion and wanting-to-reconnect-throughout-it-all that they thought they could gloss over and heal with enough time spent adventuring together on a boat. They might end up forced to actually address the crux of the issue that drove them apart in the first place: Ford wanting a little more space to feel like his own person, and to feel like he's able to have his own dreams, too.

It wouldn't happen easily, nor right away, but if they were stuck together on a little boat in the middle of nowhere surrounded by magical creatures they have to protect each other from in order to make it back home alive, then after they had one fight where they brought up all the things they silently agreed to never bring up again, it would probably happen many more times, and each time it would leave them both angrier at each other than ever, until eventually something honest slipped through amidst all the saying-anything-except-what-they-mean bickering. And once enough of these honest moments slipped through, then they would have a thread to tug on to start to unravel the gargantuan knot of their decades of unresolved conflicts.

And then, eventually, maybe Stan could learn that he can have a good friendship with his brother without needing to be glued to him at the hip, and Ford needing a certain amount of alone time doesn't mean he dislikes him or wants to abandon him, and Ford could learn that he can be honest and have a meaningful connection with someone without it driving them away and making them hate him.

#succumbed to the stan twins angst visions and wrote 2000 words about this #ford pines #ford meta #this turned into a character analysis that almost reads like a fic #godswriting #<- i need to change my writing tag to this #something bothers me a little bit about the solution to their conflict being 'ford appreciates stan more now so he is now fine with- #-boat adventures with stan'. to me it leaves the initial conflict of 'he doesnt want to do that anymore' unresolved #obviously you could easily argue that ford never stopped wanting to go on boat adventures with stan and he just couldnt justify it to- #-himself when compared to the opportunity at west coast tech. but that has one less layer of conflict #compared to the possibility that he truly was not interested in boat adventures anymore. ESPECIALLY if its a manifestation of him #feeling suffocated by the whole dynamic-twins-duo thing #its normal to start wanting a little bit more space especially at that age. to want to have space to figure out who you are #the healthy thing would have been them talking about it and figuring out a compromise. like 'when ford needs space he can spend a few hours #-alone without stan being worried the whole time that it means ford hates him' and 'we still spend x amount of time working on the boat and #-we still chat on the way to and from school every day and hang out at the beach on weekends' #like of fucking course it was never about hating stan or about wanting to get away from him because of who he is as a person! #he literally just wanted to have a little bit of breathing room to be his own separate person. he just didn't know how to put it into words #I really think the crux of it all was them not knowing how to navigate that balance between independence and identity while staying close #so ford misattributing/reducing that feeling to 'I dont have the exact same dream as stan anymore. why does he still have that dream. oh no #feels like a good way of giving that conflict a tangible aspect to it thats easy for the stans to point at and talk about as a way of- #-alluding to the REAL core of the conflict between them. #and of course the show never says 'they sail around the world for the rest of their lives 24/7' so it's not like it Actually Conflicts with #-my interpretation of the conflict and how it should be resolved. but since its the last thing we see happen between them when theyre given #their happy ending. I feel compelled to say 'hey I know them living in the shack together and traveling in a boat every single year sounds- #-really fun and like a satisfying ending but I think they should have a Little Bit more space from eachother than that. Hanging out almost- #-daily but not literally being in the same house and same boat for the rest of their lives. bc if stan was ok with ford asking for that- #-little bit of space and if ford didnt panic and isolate himself from everyone whenever he needs like one hour of alone time? that would- #-feel like a big piece of the puzzle fitting into place for their conflict resolution and growth as characters. to me #and I think they deserve to have all the tied-up-loose-ends and resolved-conflicts and character-growth in the world.

[spookysanta]

e. a.

Summary: Ethan and Ari—the best of friends. (Or, “how Ethan parents when (Y/N) isn’t around”)

Pairing: Dad!Ethan Dolan xReader

WARNINGS: literally you’ll be smothered with fluff

this is my first full-length dad!efeet fic. damn. ANYWAY i’m writing other shit don’t ask when it’ll be up bc idk!! :)

UNEDITED.

***

Listen. No one’s gonna ever deny this fact, but the Dolan boys love their kids more than anything. Their little girls are the best thing that’d ever happened to them. Ethan thinks his little girl is the best of all the little girls that ever existed, and Grayson would argue that logic with him for hours. But the fact is that they’re both pretty great.

Arielle’s getting to the age where her daddy is her favorite person and object. Person, because duh, it’s her daddy; and object, because she uses him as a vessel for her entertainment: she climbs his body, she jumps on his lap, and, her favorite thing to do, pull on his hair.

He doesn’t like any of these things but they keep the otherwise loud child quiet so he doesn’t complain much.

She likes to spend time with Ethan because she gets aways with doing things her mom wouldn’t let her do. Things like jumping on the bed, or eating on the couch.

But her favorite thing to do was drinking daddy’s soda.

She’s almost four now, so she’s got a bit more of a vocabulary and can communicate what she wants better. And that’s gotten Ethan into trouble a couple times, like today, because when he was drinking a cup of Sprite and let out a nice “ahhh” after a big gulp, she somehow knew that that’s the sound he makes when he drinks soda. And Arielle now loves soda (because of Ethan). So she says, “Daddy, I want soda.”

And of course, it’ll happen when (Y/N)’s around and naturally she’ll look at him. Why would Arielle know about soda if she can’t read and they don’t keep soda in the house?

And then that becomes a whole thing between the parents, but the little girl doesn’t care at all, because all that matters right now is daddy’s soda. “Daddy,” Arielle said again from the backseat as they drove to the (Y/L/N) family reunion one afternoon, completely ignoring (Y/N)’s scolding of her husband. “I want soda.”

“Just wait, Ari,” he replied, also ignoring his wife.

“No!” (Y/N) exclaimed. “Don’t give her soda! It’ll give her cavities.”

“Oh my God, (Y/N). It’s one sip, she’ll be fine.” The streetlight turned red and Ethan stopped the car, putting the gear in “neutral” and grabbing the large cup of Sprite from the cupholder and reaching behind the seat to put the straw to Ari’s lips. “Here, bubby.”

She took a big sip, Ethan having to pull the cup away so he could drive once the light turned green. She shivered. “Ooh, daddy, mommy! It’s cold soda!”

And (Y/N) had to admit, that was cute. She chuckled. “Yeah, bug?”

“Mhm. It’s spicy, too.”

Ethan snorted. “Spicy?”

“Uh-huh.”

***

In the mornings, Ethan’s job is to get Ari dressed and clean and ready for the day, so that when (Y/N) got back from work they could all do things together as a family. So when she wakes up ungodly late (inherited from her daddy), the first thing they do together is—“Potty!”

Ethan jumped awake. This morning, she’d gotten up early, managed to get out of her crib and get into her mommy and daddy’s room. “Ari?” He responded, because surely their toddler couldn’t’ve gotten out of her crib and bedroom by herself. But she had, and she was particulary proud of herself that she did. “What’s wrong?”

“Potty, daddy.” She whispered. Because when someone’s sleeping you have to be quiet. “Gotta go potty.”

He stood up from the bed, picking up the little girl who was wearing her mommy’s high school P.E. t-shirt, and carried her to the bathroom, escorting her to her potty and letting her do her business.

“Finished.” She mumbled after a yawn.

“C’mon, come wash your hands.”

“Kay.” She got up and went to the sink, stepping up on the Dora stepstool and washing her hands with the foaming hand soap. When she finished washing her hands, she left the bathroom and climbed up onto her mommy and daddy’s bed and laid down with her bum in the air, as she’s always done since Ethan could remember.

He cleaned out her potty and set it back on the floor next to the shower. After washing his hands, he came back into the room and got back into bed, pulling the covers over Ari’s body and his own.

“Daddy.” She mumbled, voice muffled by the cotton pillowcase her head was stuffed into. “I’m tired.”

“So go back to sleep.” He replied with a chuckle. “We don’t have to go anywhere until mommy gets back from work.”

“And then what?”

“And then we’ll—can you get your head out of the pillow? You sound like you’re about to suffocate.” She sat up and flopped over onto her back, resting her folded hands on her tummy like Ethan was. “We’re gonna go to Uncle Gray’s house for dinner.”

“Will GiGi be there?”

Oh Lord, Ethan thought. GiGi and Ari together were a dynamic duo; they did everything together. Whenever Gray or his wife would take GiGi to the park, they’d call Ethan and (Y/N) so that Ari could come along. He’d be more ecstatic about letting her go with his brother if it wasn’t at nine a.m. and he didn’t have to fight with her to get up. “Yeah.”

“And Grant?” Grant, the newest addition to the Dolan family, had the most empathy from Ethan. Because he was only a few months old, he was a spectacle for Ari because “babies look weird” according to her.

He agrees with that logic, but since he’s had a kid, he doesn’t say it out loud anymore.

When Ari’s there and Grant’s awake, she liked to poke him cheecks and tummy and squeeze his nose. Ethan doesn’t know why, (Y/N) doesn’t know why, and Grayson and his wife don’t know why. Hell, GiGi doesn’t know why.

But she does, because in her mind, he’s squishy—and you poke squishy things, don’t you?

And there’s the almighty statement that emerges from her mouth after they’d left and were on the way home. “Daddy, I want a baby brother.”

The first time she’d said that (Y/N) choked on her coffee.

And (Y/N) and Ethan had made a pact since before they got married. “One kid.” She told him when they decided to try for a baby. “That’s it. If we get lucky and have twins, great, but I’m only going through this pregnancy thing once.”

And Ari voicing her want for a baby brother (an alien in her eyes) was right around the time Grant was about to be born. And he thought, well, maybe if I take her to the delivery room and she’s reminded of what having a newborn was like, maybe she’ll want another kid.

That didn’t happen.

He tried though.

***

“Daddy,” Ari grumbled when she was awoken from her nap on the couch. “Daddy, I want apple.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm.” She let him—emphasis on let him; she does not like to be bothered when she’s woken up—pick her up and take her to the kitchen. He set her in her chair, going into the refrigerator and grabbing the container of apple slices that he’d cut yesterday for this specific moment. He made sure the peel of the slices were removed, putting them on a plate and setting them in front of her. “Thank you, daddy.”

“You’re welcome, bubs.”

They sat in the kitchen in a comfortable silence, him just being there so she wouldn’t worry about where he is—because that happens a lot more than you’d think. “Daddy?”

“Hm?” He looked up from an article he was reading on Buzzfeed. “What’s up?”

“I wanna watch tv.”

He’s not supposed to let her watch tv while she eats because she gets distracted easily, according to (Y/N). But she was at work, and what she won’t know won’t kill her. So he took the plate and the kid and sat down on the couch, putting her in his lap and letting her lean into his warmth. He turned on Blue’s Clues, which, as he’d learned from watching, was nothing like the version he grew up on. He didn’t complain though, because she was quiet and content and was actually not distracted for once.

(Y/N) got home from work about forty minutes later, unlocking the door and calling out a “hello?” into the atmosphere of the house. She didn’t get a response, though she saw Ethan’s truck in the driveway. She walked further into the house and entering the living room she could’ve died at the sight.

Ethan was slouched on the couch with Ari laid across his body, a protective arm around her while she hugged him. Her head was tucked into his chin, a thumb in her mouth. (Y/N) took notice of the two of them sleeping soundly, taking a blanket off the back of the recliner and draping it over them. She decided to join them a bit later after she’d had a chance to decompress from a stressful day.

As she walked toward the steps, she’d heard him groan—a telltale sign that he was waking up. She couldn’t even count the amount of times she’d been woken up by the loud grunts of Ethan Dolan. “Baby?” He mumbled, eyes halfway opened.

“Hey, hun.” She crept her way back to where they were, pecking his lips and peppering kisses on Ari’s cheek. “Just got in.”

“Okay. ‘M gonna wake her in a few, she must’ve dozed off.”

“And I wonder who she got that from, Mr. Lazy Bones.”

“Ha-ha.”

***

“Daddy, I don’t wanna go to bed.”

“For the last time: no Disney tomorrow if you don’t go to bed. I mean it.”

He didn’t mean that.

He’d take her to the moon if she really wanted him to; but someone has to have the authority, because (Y/N) says he’s just as much of a kid as their daughter is. “No Disney tomorrow if you don’t lay down and go to sleep.”

“Can I sleep in your bed?”

He sighed. This always happens when she’s trying to prolong sleep: she’ll whine and complain about how she doesn’t want to go to bed, then she’ll get in Ethan and (Y/N)’s bed and be asleep in ten minutes. “Ari, when are you gonna sleep in your own bed?”

“I do!”

“No, no. When are you going to sleep in your bed without sleeping in mommy and daddy’s?”

“Oh... I dunno. But you keep the bad dreams away.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He kept holding her in his arms, feeling her body begin to settle. “They don’t like you.”

He chuckled. “I don’t think they’ll want your big, scary dad to get them, huh? Same with the boogey man.”

She nodded quietly, letting out a soft yawn. “Sleep in your bed? Just for a little bit?”

“Alright, fine.” He carried her into his bedroom, setting her in the middle of the bed, next to (Y/N), who would wonder why Ari was there but already knowing the answer, she didn’t say anything. He took up the rest of the space, letting the sleepy toddler climb over him like she usually does. One would think she’d grow tired of sleeping on her daddy’s (hairy) chest so often, but he assumes that she sleeps the soundest when she’s with him. “Comfy?”

“Mhm.” She hummed with her thumb in her mouth. She pulled it out to say a, “Comfy, cozy.”

“Good.” He pulled the covers up over the three of them, (Y/N) turning off the lamp on the nightstand and keeping the tv on. “Goodnight, my sweet girls.”

“Goodnight daddy!” mumbled the child.

“Goodnight, daddy.” (Y/N) cooed in his ear seductively, kissing the lobe before laying down to sleep.

He cut her a glare, as if to remind her that there was a child laying across his body and to not awaken anything within him. He allowed himself to get comfortable, watching bits and pieces of Family Guy to keep him entertained as he tried to doze off. But about ten minutes later, instead of hearing snores, he heard in a quiet voice:

“Daddy, I’m thirsty.”

“You want some water?”

“No, daddy. I want some soda.”

He glanced over at his wife who was sleeping soundly, then looked down at the little girl that made his heart flutter. “You know you’re bot supposed to have any soda, especially not this late.”

“But daddy, I just want a little bit.”

He had to give in.. his little girl was dying of thirst, he had no choice! “Fine. Let’s get some soda.”

He took her down to the kitchen, setting her on the counter by the fridge. Then he opened the fridge, taking out the half-empty bottle of Sprite he’d just-so-happened to have stored, getting a straw out the drawer, and holding the straw to her lips.

She swallowed happily, a satisfied ahhhh leaving her lips. She giggled. “Mm. I like soda.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded gleefully. “Yeah.”

“Is it spicy, bubby?”

“Yeah. It’s spicy.”

He had to laugh. He put the soda away, taking Ari back downstairs and laying her back down. “Okay. Now, bed.”

“Okay daddy.” She kissed his cheek, cold lips buttoned against his beard. “Love you.”

“I love you too, princess.”

#dolan twins #dolan fandom #dolan tuesday #dolan imagines #planet dolan #ethan dolan #grayson and ethan #ethan dolan x black girl #ethan dolan x poc #ethan dolan fic #ethan dolan x reader #ethan dolan imagine #dad! fic #dad!ethan dolan #dad!fic #arielle dolan #arielle lisa dolan

[tuanntuanntuann]

GEMINI/PISCES COMPATIBILITY

When Gemini and Pisces come together for love or any kind of relationship, it’s surreal and also moody! But these two commitment-phobes actually find common ground together, and this relationship could really withstand the test of time. A Gemini-Pisces relationship is equally harmonizing, since both of your signs represent duality.

Gemini and Pisces: Your compatibility clicks and clashes

Where you click: Welcome to the surreal world. You both prefer fantasy over reality, and will quickly become one another’s creative muse. Both signs are prone to mood swings, so this matchup can be a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride. You’re both “dual” signs—Gemini is symbolized by the Twins, and Pisces by two Fish swimming away from each other. As a result, it can feel like there are four people in this relationship…none of whom can every make a decision that sticks! If you can get past your commitment-phobia, this can be an enduring match that inspires legendary works of art.

Where you clash: On most days, Gemini grooves to a club-friendly dance mix while Pisces longs to plunge into a deep house track. Can you discover a common beat? Pisces can find Gemini superficial at times, while Gemini wishes Pisces would just lighten up already! On a constant quest for “The One,” you can both overanalyze a partner instead of just sitting still and enjoying the moment. Your home can also turn into a den of chaos and clutter. You’re both pack rats and will need to purge your collections regularly—or set up an eBay store to create extra income for your nights on the town.

Gemini is air and Pisces is water

Head and heart combine—or collide—when you pair a talkative air sign with a touchy-feely water sign. The temperaments of these two elements are wildly different. Air signs love change, variety and novelty while sentimental water signs seek security, comfort and nostalgia. One of you is all about the new, while the other cherishes the old. You’ll have to learn to appreciate this major difference. Otherwise, you could quickly feel like you have nothing in common!

Your social habits may need some tweaking to make this work. Water signs don’t trust easily, and tend to roll with a tight-knit clique—many of whom they’ve known since childhood. By contrast, air signs never met a stranger and are constantly introducing you to their latest BFFs. The water sign might be jealous or threatened by all of these newcomers, while the air sign feels suffocated and bored by seeing the same old faces. Compromise is key. The water sign partner will have to be more open to new people and experiences, going with the flow. The air sign will have to embrace tradition and develop more emotional sensitivity.

The benefits of this match is an opportunity for growth. Since water signs can be TOO “in their feelings,” the cooler, rational air sign partner can teach them the power of detaching. The water sign will learn how to take things less personally, laugh at themselves and lighten up. In exchange, the water sign can teach the glib air sign to dive into their depths more, rather than being overly superficial or turning everything into a joke. The water sign may create a cozy, beautiful home, while the air sign fills it with interesting guests, music and art. Both of these elements can be “culture vultures,” and may bond of dissecting a documentary film, singing karaoke (you both could have encyclopedic knowledge of lyrics) or even traveling.

There are four elements in astrology: fire, earth, air and water. Each one plays an important role in the greater whole of humankind. A love match with someone from of a different astrological element can be challenging, but also a beautiful opportunity to evolve. After all, differences push you both to grow and step outside of your own experience.

Gemini and Pisces are both mutable signs

In astrology, the “qualities” or “triplicities” reveal the role you play in a relationship or collaboration. Are you a starter, a doer or a finisher? Do you like to take charge and have a plan, or do you prefer to go with the flow? In the case of two mutable signs, it’s non-stop variety and spontaneity. This can make life a grand adventure—one week you’re in Bali, the next you’re in Berlin—but you can also get totally ungrounded as a duo. Who’s gonna create the structure in this relationship? (Zero hands raised.) Making a decision (or even committing!) can also be difficult, since neither of you likes to be locked into anything permanent. This is the couple that’s together for decades, but never “gets around” to marrying. The idea of freedom actually serves as a binding agent between the two of you. (Case study: the mutable match of Sagittarius Brad Pitt and Gemini Angelina Jolie was a global-citizen love story until they relented to tradition and tied the knot.) Sure it’s a bit of a paradox, but that’s the way your signs like it. Mutable signs specialize in communication and discovery. Together, you can be lifelong learners who never run out of topics to talk about. On a bad day, you can be argumentative, flaky and overbooked—your own separate lives may be stuffed to the gills with too many projects, plans and friends, making it hard to find enough quality time together. Be careful not to scatter your energy and spread yourselves too thin in this love match.

Gemini is yang and Pisces is yin

In astrology, every sign has a “polarity”: you’re either yin (feminine) or yang (masculine).  In your sign match, Pisces is a receptive yin sign and Gemini is an assertive yang sign. When you play to your strengths, you balance each other out, each on contributing a different but complementary skill set. When things are off, you can become polarized. The yin sign can be too passive (or passive-aggressive) and sacrificing, while the yang sign may act domineering, aggressive and selfish. To rebalance, the yin sign needs to work on being more open, direct and confident, while the yang sign should cultivate more patience, tolerance and sensitivity.

Gemini and Pisces are square (three signs apart)

In astrology love matches, we also measure compatibility by the aspect, or distance, between the two signs. Your signs are square, or three signs apart. Mommy and daddy issues, anyone? The square aspect is a harsh, 90-degree angle between two signs that creates a push-pull dynamic. It’s the relationship that helps you work through issues with a difficult parent, usually by reactivating old, painful wounds. There can be power struggles and clashing agendas. Don’t expect to kick back and put your feet up in this match. The dynamic tension will keep you active and keyed up. Of course, that could be exactly what you want. The opportunity of the “square” aspect is to teach you how to compromise with an equally strong-willed partner. When you strike that delicate balance, you can make an undeniable “power couple”—a true force to be reckoned with.

#tuann insights