I can suck at remembering titles, but the universe (House of Earth), I think it is, where one would suppose there'd be more more of an imbalance between them, where Bruce is a slave and Kal one of Earth's conquering species...
There's that bit with a child Kal, forced into a situation no child should ever be in; where truth equals pain for themselves or someone else and so they shut up to avoid the pain but it's a denial of self that SCARS.
That was such a moment - psychologically at least- of child abuse, not just the dissociation, but the crisis moment where a child has to figure out survival trumps all. I was... happy's not the right word or even content, but the fact that it was left there, this ugly scar on Kal's psyche and because of who he is in that verse, it's not ...focused on. The exploration is oblique - you have to pay attention to realize all the reasons being Clark Kent ends up being so healing for him.
That was a proper balance of scars. The right age, the right kind of psychic trauma at injustice.
In this verse, there isn't that. And also Clark is so much more unsure of himself as well. He sees how Bruce lives his life, and yet he keeps setting himself up as a fling, to stay detached to avoid hurt - even as it's repeatedly pointed out that Bruce has let him in, in some cases more than anyone else. But Clark seems determined not to see it. And I hadn't guessed at it being a money thing - which makes some sense I suppose. But given, how Bruce chooses to live his life, and how this is obviously not -- some reckless week in Tijuana -- I've been thinking it's more Clark having no role models for a healthy queer/gay relationship and so not seeing what's there, because he doesn't expect to see the intimacies; aka internalized homophobia; they're not supposed to fit and match and have meet the parents moments and form their own family. That as much as Clark doesn't want to be a negative role model, he has no idea how to live a positive life. I mean even Billionaire Brucie's flirting and Reporter Clark's flushed demeanor doesn't have any real grounding for either set of fans. Clark doesn't flush for Brucie, he's oblivious. It's not positive, it's neutral. Almost a negative neutral, since he does flush for the ladies. It's a 'Country Kent is so 'pure' he can't figure out homosexuality is a thing'.
So yeah, that's where I thought you were going with that. Not so much the 'gee, Bruce has money'. Cause it's not like Clark doesn't know, hasn't seen Bruce sleep in crappy hotels, and on a crappy bus, and do crappy circuits. And even his known apartment is middle class at most. And Lex must be worth a whole set, and granted is their boss, but Clark doesn't seem to think about Lex's money other than 'salary'. So maybe that needs fluffing out. Cause yeah, Bruce has the cars, but other than that and his ability to manage his wardrobe? For me at least, there's been no there, there.
I was seriously thinking much more faint hints at difference in expectations in the relationship, with Bruce going 'this is real' and Clark all 'is this allowed to be real?'. Like, Clark thinks his relationship with Bruce is another level of kayfabe.
no subject
There's that bit with a child Kal, forced into a situation no child should ever be in; where truth equals pain for themselves or someone else and so they shut up to avoid the pain but it's a denial of self that SCARS.
That was such a moment - psychologically at least- of child abuse, not just the dissociation, but the crisis moment where a child has to figure out survival trumps all. I was... happy's not the right word or even content, but the fact that it was left there, this ugly scar on Kal's psyche and because of who he is in that verse, it's not ...focused on. The exploration is oblique - you have to pay attention to realize all the reasons being Clark Kent ends up being so healing for him.
That was a proper balance of scars. The right age, the right kind of psychic trauma at injustice.
In this verse, there isn't that. And also Clark is so much more unsure of himself as well. He sees how Bruce lives his life, and yet he keeps setting himself up as a fling, to stay detached to avoid hurt - even as it's repeatedly pointed out that Bruce has let him in, in some cases more than anyone else. But Clark seems determined not to see it. And I hadn't guessed at it being a money thing - which makes some sense I suppose. But given, how Bruce chooses to live his life, and how this is obviously not -- some reckless week in Tijuana -- I've been thinking it's more Clark having no role models for a healthy queer/gay relationship and so not seeing what's there, because he doesn't expect to see the intimacies; aka internalized homophobia; they're not supposed to fit and match and have meet the parents moments and form their own family. That as much as Clark doesn't want to be a negative role model, he has no idea how to live a positive life. I mean even Billionaire Brucie's flirting and Reporter Clark's flushed demeanor doesn't have any real grounding for either set of fans. Clark doesn't flush for Brucie, he's oblivious. It's not positive, it's neutral. Almost a negative neutral, since he does flush for the ladies. It's a 'Country Kent is so 'pure' he can't figure out homosexuality is a thing'.
So yeah, that's where I thought you were going with that. Not so much the 'gee, Bruce has money'. Cause it's not like Clark doesn't know, hasn't seen Bruce sleep in crappy hotels, and on a crappy bus, and do crappy circuits. And even his known apartment is middle class at most. And Lex must be worth a whole set, and granted is their boss, but Clark doesn't seem to think about Lex's money other than 'salary'. So maybe that needs fluffing out. Cause yeah, Bruce has the cars, but other than that and his ability to manage his wardrobe? For me at least, there's been no there, there.
I was seriously thinking much more faint hints at difference in expectations in the relationship, with Bruce going 'this is real' and Clark all 'is this allowed to be real?'. Like, Clark thinks his relationship with Bruce is another level of kayfabe.