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ohkento · 15 days

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Nightmares and Daydreams

!! SPOILERS FOR ASRA ROUTE !!

A.N. : my first ever writing piece published publically. And ofc it had to be asra <3 the loml. Inspired by @/vesuviaweekly 's weekly prompt 'Nightmares and Daydreams' .Could also be considered a piece inspired from the ongoing prompt 'The things that changed' but I will probably revisit the prompt via another piece. Will be tagging it for both , just to be safe. VERY heavy on headcanons (I can't even distinguish between the canon facts and the facts i headcanon anymore). ← to the point it may be ooc . Anyways , the MC here will share my MC's origin story (this is to make me write faster , motivation go brrr) but will be referred to as MC only and will use they/them pronouns. This post will specifically target dreams of asra . I will (possibly) make another post in future involving dreams of my MC (Riku). Trying different writing styles in the same post. Is that a good idea ? Probably not . Would i still do it? Of course.

C.W. : He/him pronouns for asra (to avoid confusion) ; NOT spoiler free ; death mention ; mc's aunt is mentioned (oc character) ; somewhat angst ; very much self indulgent content ; lovesick asra; english is not my first language so please be kind and make me aware of any mistakes you may spot while reading this.

"By clicking on 'keep reading' , you hereby confirm that you have read A.N. and C.W. as given above and therefore I (the creator of this post) will not be held accountable for your reading experience"

Asra Alnazar

Nightmares :

• (Before meeting MC) His nightmares followed similar themes. Some of these included the glimpses of his childhood , with his parents and suddenly they are leaving. His childhood home crumbling to floor. Him getting in trouble while playing on docks . Sometimes it included Muriel - his new friend. The visions of Muriel , too, disappearing some day or being disappointed in him in some way were a great burden for him. Some others included him not getting any food for a whole day or two ( but were they really nightmares if this was his reality?) and people being mean to him.

• His ways of comforting himself during such times were very limited. He would wake up with a jolt and startle Faust too. They both would later cuddle and squeeze together. To prevent getting bullied , he would act all mean in front of bullies and protect Muriel from them too. To avoid starvation, he would resort to petty stealing via magic. He would visit his 'gate' on especially rough nights seeking comfort from his patron arcana the Magician. He would use magic to create pretty scenarios to calm himself down .Muriel started to comfort him too once he found out about his nightmares.

• (After meeting MC) He started to visit the magic shop the day after his nightmares . MC's aunt was a kind lady . Being in her presence would remind Asra of home and comfort him in an odd way. But he liked it. Once he was good friends with MC , he would randomly crash into their bedroom for comfort and cuddles. He was loved in the magic shop. But to avoid getting attached to them , he would often go on 'trips' , only to return after being haunted by nightmares making him crave for a place to call a 'home'. His nightmares significantly decreased after getting close to MC.

• (Plague Era) In the initial stages of the spread of plague , he would often get nightmares about his friends catching the plague. Mc did a great job in reassuring him initially but as the situation in vesuvia worsened so did his nightmares. He could not be reassured. Which then led to 'the argument' that caused him and MC to separate.

• (After MC's death) After he got to know about MC's demise (and after his short trip (?) to lazaret ), his nightmares would now involve those tall chimneys he saw on the island. In his nightmares, he would wander around the crematory and would hear MC's voice calling him . He would always wake up in cold sweat after such nightmares and cry himself to sleep again .

• (Post U.E. route) After the fight against devil was won , he had MC with him now. Now no matter what nightmares he would experience , he would always wake up to comfort full of love from his love. Now the nightmares were manageable and even if some of them truly terrified him , he knew he could tackle anything and anyone. He could go against the world if required now that he had MC supporting him.

Daydreams :

• (Before meeting MC) Asra is a very creative person. At such a young age his daydreams would involve a safe place , lavish meals , running around with friends. He would also daydream about his parents returning someday and taking him with them. He would often try to create these 'daydream scenarios' play out in front of him via magic. This also helped him get better at magic.

• Once Muriel and him secured a safe place in the woods , he would ask Muriel to join him while he was playing out such scenarios. Muriel would often decline , but on the rare occasions he would join Asra , he would find himself entranced in asra's daydreams. Afterall he has a very creative imagination.

• (After meeting MC) after meeting MC in his stall at one of the bazaars of lucio's annual masquerade ball, his daydreams started to include more of MC as he got to know them more. Scenarios of them practicing magic together, taking classes from MC's aunt together, going on foraging trips to gather resources for the shop together. During masquerade ball season , when he would be making new masks (to keep up the inventory) for his annual stall , he would daydream about the different styles of masks and colours that would suit them . Asking Muriel for help while carving out masks and showing him his ideas via magic (the same way he used while daydreaming). It would all be so they (MC) could have more options to choose from. He would always daydream about them dancing at ball together. When he saw other couples in the ball doing different types of couple activities, it too would feed his daydream fuel.

• While away on trips , he would daydream of bringing MC with him. To explore new places, meet new people, experience new experiences together. When the longing became too much to bear for him alone , he would return to meet them.

• (After MC's death) Daydreams were his only escape from the reality. He had no one he could rely on anymore. He would daydream about MC coming back , of him bringing MC back. He daydreamed about seeing MC again after all this time , about the time spent and what could have been. He would choose moments from his life and daydream about changing the course of how things happened, how things should have happened. He daydreamed about all that mattered to him and still there was nothing he could do to make that happen. Except being patient. Except searching for ways he could bring them back. Except daydreaming about successfully finding a way to bring them back. All because he had a creative imagination.

• (Post U.E. route) Now that everything was right , he finally dared to daydream about a future . A future where MC was present. A future where his parents were there . A future where he had people he could rely on. A future he could not wait to experience. Now his daydreams were filled with plans. Plans he would make to make his loved ones happy. Now his daydreams were not an escape, but just creative thoughts. Of course it did not happen immediately but eventually he leaned to control them. His creative thoughts help bring happiness in his loved ones lives now. His plans are always very detailed making everyone surprised when he finally decides to execute them. Why wouldn't they be surprised? Afterall he does have a very creative imagination.

That was fun to write ! I am so proud of it! Possibly my next post will be a Asra × Riku fic.

#nightmares and daydreams #asra alnazar #asra the arcana #asra the magician #asra #asra headcanons #the arcana imagines #the arcana scenarios #asra × apprentice #asra × reader #asra × mc #asra fluff #asra angst #the arcana headcanons #things that changed #nightmares & daydreams #vesuvia weekly #vesuviaweekly #vesuvia weekly prompt

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sokkastyles · 4 months

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One aspect of Ozai's abuse of Zuko that I've talked about before (that is also present in Toph's parents' abuse of her) is financial dependence, and I just realized the connection there to Zuko looking uncomfortable in "Nightmares and Daydreams" at being waited on by servants. It's not just that he isn't used to it anymore, it's not just that he's started to realize how the cost of his wealth has affected the world, it's also that those things keep him dependent upon Ozai.

Remember how helpless Zuko was at surviving on his own at the beginning of season two, and how this made him all the more desperate to go home?

Contrast this with book three Zuko who realizes that there is no reason to take a palanquin to Mai's house when he can walk there. The more Zuko relies on unnecessary servants, the less independence he has, and the more he feels like he owes Ozai and has an obligation to stay there, the harder it is to leave. No wonder Zuko looks uncomfortable being waited on leading up to his decision to finally leave on his own.

We know that "Nightmares and Daydreams" is the episode where Zuko finally is able to make that decision. We don't see it happen onscreen, but there are so many things that lead up to it that happen in this episode, a big one being the war meeting. But we also see Zuko in this episode realizing he doesn't need the trappings of a life with his abuser, things he once thought he couldn't live without.

#zuko #ozai #nightmares and daydreams #abuse cw

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zukosdualdao · 23 days

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“if my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool.”

i find this line (this whole interaction, really) interesting for a few different reasons. i’ve seen it said that this seems like a weird moment for zuko, who we’ll come to learn is desperately trying to earn his father’s approval, love, and acceptance, to be so combative about his father’s plan and to say something so critical here, but i actually don’t see it as very contradictory. for one thing, his father isn’t here, and while zhao is acting as an extension of ozai of sorts, and there is risk involved in saying something like this to someone who clearly outranks zuko in status due to his banishment, there is a difference in how one might talk ABOUT their abuser to someone else vs. how they’d talK TO their actual abuser. (it’s noteworthy, too, that zhao’s response is only a snide, derisive comment, not even a threat to tell ozai what zuko’s said, because he sees zuko’s opinion (and, well, existence) as mattering so little it wouldn’t be worth the time it’d take.) also, abused children are notoriously, harmfully adept at cognitive dissonance. zuko thinking his father’s war plans are bad doesn’t change that he wants his father’s love and respect (though it is an early sign of the differences between them, and a subtle acknowledgment that zuko doesn’t actually see his father as a good leader.)

also, though, i think that it demonstrates a clear defining trait that’s been there since zuko’s childhood: he often cannot bite his tongue when he has Thoughts (TM), even when it’d be much safer for him to do so.

“i see two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue.”

this is obviously a reference to zuko speaking out at the war meeting, but my interpretation is that zuko, at least to some degree, has always been like that. the war meeting was the first time it had such severe consequences because of the context, but he’s always struggled with the kind of tight-lipped demeanor he was supposed to display. he wasn’t ever trying to be disobedient, and a lot of the time it probably just slipped out, but i think it’s fundamentally another way in which he cannot conform to the standards set for him.

(it’s also one (of many, many) reason he’s so miserable when he goes back home in book three. he’s finally figured out how to conform to these expectations. he chooses his words carefully as ozai reveals the lie azula told. he’s “the perfect prince” at the meeting, and even when he starts to express doubts—“that’s not exactly what i…”—azula interrupts and he pulls himself back. but he hates it. he’s ashamed of it. because as he’ll tell mai at the end of that episode, he wasn’t being true to who he is.)

#atla rewatch ‘24 #zuko #the southern air temple #the awakening #nightmares and daydreams

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stardust948 · 5 months

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[Nightmares and Daydreams deleted scene]

Sokka, wearing the Wang Fire beard: How are you?

Aang: I'm doing good.

Sokka: That's good! What brings you here?

Aang: I'm doing bad.

#atla #sokka #wang fire #aang #nightmares and daydreams #source: tumblr #incorrect quotes #atla incorrect quotes

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bittersweetsymphonie666 · 8 months

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You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it.

#mood #deep thinking #me #spruch #nightmares and daydreams #black and white #poem #spotify

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lerouxmp · 5 months

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Closed starter for @mpxmaxim

Running was something he rather enjoyed. Dressed in his favorite outerwear of teal and black, he took to exploring the island on a more urban level, keeping to the pedestrian paths and expertly avoiding getting in anyone's way. While he enjoyed the scenery and getting to know Mount Phoenix, he had not expected for someone to take up running alongside him. The unexpected company elicited a double-take from Leto who certainly did not expect the stranger to intentionally keep pace with him, but rather than stop or pick up speed in order to escape this person, his social anxiety kicked in and he just kept casting them awkward side-glances as he continued down another street.

#mpxmaxim #nightmares and daydreams

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sweetpandulce · 8 months

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i love thsc so much that i actually started dreaming about it, about 2 months ago, it went from minor mentions of new games(not real ;c) to the whole dream being only about henry stickmin

i dunno, thought i would share. i usually have some pretty wild dreams, i sometimes can do my own things willingly in them, its nice. whats not is that most are nightmares 😾.

#henry stickmin collection #stickman #digital art #the henry stickmin collection #henry stickmin #art #henry stickmin fanart #thsc #thsc fanart #extremely silly #dreams #nightmares and daydreams #vivid dreams

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mycollectioncloud · 6 months

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Eyes Open.

Awake at night Unable to sleep Even if I'm tired

Look at the time Rationalize it's What I used to do

"I'd be up now" The difference is home Once again I say

Is it really? After a while The damage is done

Anxiety And I'm waiting for...? One day I will know

Falling asleep Slowly I think, my Hopes and fears in tow

#new poets society #poets on tumblr #original poetry #new poets on tumblr #original poem #new poets corner #original poets on tumblr #new poets community #new poetry #poets on life #short poem #short poetry #night owl #late night #nighttime #night time #poems on tumblr #poem #nightmares and daydreams

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theowritesfiction · 1 year

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‘Nightmares and Daydreams’

Okay, I should stop giving Sokka grief about the tight schedule, but... but... they arrived to the rendezvous point 4 days early??? omg and Sokka was acting like a tyrant about every slight delay earlier? Jeez... but okay, I'm done.

It was interesting to see Zuko almost starting to enjoy the court life, the adoration of the crowd and pampering by the servants. Zuko throwing a little tantrum to Azula about not being invited to the war meeting... actually makes sense that as the designated heir, his presence would be expected without any special invitation, so as much as the antis want to see Azula playing mind games, the events later reveal that yet again Azula does not lie, and everyone is waiting for Zuko at the meeting. But since it seems that Ozai has not been exactly showering Zuko with attention after his return, it's no wonder that it sends Zuko spiraling, worrying about losing Ozai's approval and not even Mai can cheer him up. And after the meeting which was everything Zuko once again thought he wanted, he's still not happy. (smh at Maiko antis wondering why Mai is sometimes frustrated with Zuko... who wouldn't be when he can't even articulate what he wants)

Aang's is worried about not being ready to face the Fire Lord - but he hasn't thought about what he will do if he defeats the Fire Lord? Even though it's literally the same dilemma as during the Sozin's comet? Strange.

Wang Fire as Aang's therapist, and the scream pillow sheep - highlights of the episode. As was Aang starting to hallucinate Momo and Appa speaking and eventually fighting. Now that was epic and hilarious.

Take a look at this prime example of boyfriend material. For the whole icky 'forever girl' nightmare, I'm slapping Aang with 40 Jerk Points. But why, you might ask, it's just a dream. Yeah, but it's utterly gross, so... actually, it's annoying me even when I think about it after watching the episode, so 60 Jerk Points it is.

As you can see, I don't have much to say about this episode. The Fire Nation scenes are good, but they are too short to leave an impact and Aang's fear of the upcoming confrontation is approached humorously, instead of being taken too seriously. I think it's an okay episode, but to me personally, one of the weakest of the season.

Jerk Points for Book 3:

Zuko - 410 Aang – 250 Roku - 100 Hide, Sokka - 80 King Kuei - 60 Toph - 50

#my atla rewatch #atla book 3 #nightmares and daydreams #tw aang

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euesworld · 2 years

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"She's a daydream dressed as a nightmare, cause if you didn't know her.. you would probably be scared."

But if you see through her facade, you would see that she is Zeus packing a lightning rod.. or Hercules, the woman version and she's just right for me - eUë

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sokkastyles · 2 years

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I'm sorry but I just read a post saying that Zuko is so awful to Azula for, among other things, not being grateful that she "reassured" him about the war meeting in "Nightmares and Daydreams," and y'all. Y'all. I'm screaming. Please understand what gaslighting is.

I've written before about how Ozai is manipulating Zuko in this episode, how Zuko is deliberately not explicitly invited to the war meeting so that Ozai can play on what he knows his insecurities are and keep him guessing, then invites him at the last second by sending guards to tell him he's late, so Zuko can feel overjoyed at his father's "generosity."

Because Zuko is the scapegoat, Ozai can't make him feel too important even as he praises him, so he gives him a sort of backhanded reward that also serves to remind his son that Ozai is in control of where he goes and how he's expected to feel. Ozai knows damn well why Zuko would feel unwelcome at the war meeting, and Azula does, too. And if Zuko had assumed he was invited and shown up early, I have no doubt Ozai would have found some other way to subtly punish him, because that's what emotionally manipulative parents do. It's not about what Zuko does, it's about Ozai wanting to be in control.

And when Zuko goes to confront Azula about the meeting, after Mai casually mentions it to Zuko, Azula plays it off like she has no idea why Zuko is there, although she likely would know already, considering that she was the one who told Mai about the meeting. Azula is smart enough and manipulative enough that she very well might have mentioned the war meeting to Mai exactly hoping she would mention it to Zuko, or she could be just playing Zuko's insecurities to her advantage on the spot when the opportunity presents itself, like we see her do repeatedly, but she's definitely not reassuring him in the scene, nor does Zuko feel reassured.

Azula: Hello, Zu-zu. If you've come for a royal hair-combing, I'm afraid you'll have to wait.

Zuko: So I guess there's a big war meeting coming up, huh? And apparently I'm not welcome there.

Azula: What do you mean, of course you're welcome there.

Zuko: Oh, yeah? I guess that's why no one bothered to tell me about it.

Azula: Oh, Zuko, don't be so dramatic. I'm certain dad wants you there. You probably just weren't invited because it's so obvious that you're supposed to be there.

Again, Azula KNOWS why Zuko feels unwelcome there. She's perfectly aware not only of what happened the last time Zuko went to a war meeting, but also why Zuko would have insecurities around it. But what she says is pretty characteristic gaslighting, invalidating his feelings when he does tell her what is bothering him. "Don't be so dramatic." Plus the idea that he wasn't told because it's so obvious is meant to not only play on his self doubt but blame him for feeling that way. Again, there is very good reason why Zuko would be nervous about going to another war meeting after he was burned and banished for speaking out at one he wasn't supposed to be at before.

The thing is, Azula is right when she says it's obvious that Zuko should be there, but that was also true when Zuko was thirteen, and he knew it, which was why he made Iroh let him in in the first place. Azula and Zuko both know that Zuko should feel welcome there, and that it should be obvious. But the fact that it isn't obvious is a sign of how Zuko is treated in his family.

Making Zuko deliberately feel unwanted but then acting like he has no reason to feel that way is emotional abuse - and Azula saying she's sure Zuko is wanted is a sharp contrast to what she said to him before, that she was sure Ozai would never want him back and mocked him for believing it, a lie she herself told him. It's no wonder he doesn't trust her now, why he says she "always lies" when she uses a mixture of truth and lies to manipulate his feelings and leave him confused. He has no way of knowing whether what she's saying is another lie meant to hurt him, especially when the last time he went to a war meeting, he wound up permanently scarred. The last time he believed Azula when she said Ozai wanted him, he wound up almost being captured, almost being killed, and finally back where he wanted to be, but even more miserable than before because he's aware that he's not safe in his own home.

And Zuko feeling doubt is showing a sign of weakness that he's not supposed to show as the prince, which Azula makes clear to him here as well. So Azula's words here also serve to reinforce Zuko's insecurities further, to remind him of how he doesn't measure up, while also reinforcing Ozai's gaslighting of Zuko.

Zuko: Well, were you invited?

Azula: Of course, I'm the princess.

Zuko: And I'm the prince.

Azula: Exactly, so stop acting like a paranoid child. Just go to the meeting.

Zuko: Forget it, I'm not going.

Azula insults him and invalidates his feelings again, and her own confidence in her role as the princess contrasts sharply with Zuko's doubt. Zuko wants to be treated like he's the prince because he's aware that he's not being treated the same as Azula, but even trying to ask for fair treatment is a sign of weakness in this game. Remember what Azula tells Long Feng about true power, and how it's something inherent, not won? This conversation, like many of the ones she has with Zuko, is a power play, and she knows she's already won.

It's also worth noting that Azula at fourteen is absolutely, unquestionably sure that she is invited to the war meeting, whereas Zuko at only a year younger had to convince Iroh to let him in. Azula in this scene talks like she's been going to war meetings for years. So it's not just Zuko's obvious trauma related to what happened in the war meeting when he is thirteen that is bothering him, here, it's his growing realization that his father is manipulating him, that nothing he does will ever be enough, and that he'll always have to play these emotional games to fight to feel like a part of his family. He doesn't feel reassured because that's abuse, and I don't think people understand how traumatizing this kind of thing is, even without the very real threat to Zuko's physical safety because of the fact that his father hurt him before in a way that was utterly manipulative. It isn't just Zuko's trauma over being burned but the fact that he never knows how to feel or whether he will be safe, and anything he says is something that can be seized on as a chance to cause him physical or emotional harm.

What I will give Azula here is that for all her intelligence, she never seems to realize that Ozai is manipulating her, too, which is part of what makes her a tragic character, but she's not stupid enough to not know why Zuko feels unwelcome. Like she does many times, she uses his trauma and insecurities to make sure he knows that she's the superior sibling in their father's eyes. It's also a way to invalidate his trauma by acting like he has no reason to feel the way he feels, even though she definitely does know why he feels that way. But she dismisses his feelings because to her, that's a weakness to be exploited.

Even Mai worries for Zuko's emotional state when he talks about the war meeting, and feels guilty for bringing it up because she assumed he was invited, but it's clear in her voice that she realizes what is going on by Zuko's reaction, and that she actually does care and tries to reassure him, even though she doesn't do a very good job. Contrast that with the way Azula insults her brother, invalidates his feelings, and tells him he's acting like a child for being traumatized and knowing that he's being manipulated but feeling helpless to do anything about it.

Zuko ends his conversation with Azula saying that he's not going to go to the war meeting at all because, far from being reassured, the conversation just made him feel more uneasy and more unwelcome, and it was meant to. I don't think it really matters to Azula whether Zuko goes or doesn't go, because either way she's assured of her own place as the superior sibling, although that is, of course, only a shallow victory as well.

This is why when Zuko does sit in on the war meeting, next to a father and sister who do everything to fuel his anxieties and play on his emotions, he feels like he can't speak up, and when he does, his words are twisted by both Ozai and Azula.

Again, Azula is still a victim here because she doesn't realize that Ozai is manipulating her as well, and any victory she has over Zuko for Ozai's favor is ultimately shallow because Ozai can and does drop her like a hot potato when she's no longer of use to him, but she's not trying to reassure Zuko and her words are not meant to be reassuring, nor do they make Zuko feel reassured. Zuko doesn't feel grateful to Azula here because he's not stupid, and he's beginning to realize he shouldn't have to put up with this kind of crap. Which is why the war meeting and everything that happens surrounding it is the big turning point in him finally getting the courage to stand up to his father. Of course it's also realizing how his nation's actions have harmed the world, but without the strength to stand up for himself he might have kept following Ozai's orders out of fear, or because, like Azula, hurting others was the only way to cope with his own pain and lack of control of his life.

#zuko #azula #ozai #nightmares and daydreams #abuse cw

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