𝜗 ˚̣̣̣ byler x black swan au ℘
⊹ mike with nina sayer's plotline. walk with me. instead of striving for the textbook defenition of perfection, he uses dance as a means of escapism—from his past, from the need to conform to others' expectations, to everything. he is haunted by the love he never gave and he channels that hurt into every spin and jump. he dosen't do it out of leisure or enjoyment; he does it for the surge of ecstasy it fils him with. but this depth of devotion to his craft eventually spirals into obsession.
⊹ i myself believe mike would thrive as a figure skater and not a hockey player because let's be honest his scrawny ass is not capable of body-slamming a man his height onto the ice. he would redefine elegance in the world of performance arts. you know what i mean. moving on.
⊹ as he climbs through the ranks of the company he has a long-term contract with in the hopes of getting cast as his dream role, he begins to see things. himself as the black swan—bloodshot eyes devoid of all emotion, each movement he makes too sharp, too cunning. perhaps a parallel to vecna showing him his worst fears? (loss of passion/spark)
⊹ in the film, nina's overbearing mother's "protective" tendencies border on predatory, and she is often portrayed talking down to her as if she were a child. karen wheeler my sweet girl wouldn't be like that. ted on the other hand was highly against mike going into ballet in the first place. he claims that if his only son were to throw his life away on account of a childish whim, he might as well be the best at what he does. and he's made some homophobic comments on the "feminine" nature of the profession. yes, he announced this over a family dinner, in a mildly threatening voice.
⊹ mike gets thrown off his vigorous routine when a new dancer enters the studio. he knew it was over for the second he saw that boy. he was so effortless in garnering the attention of everyone in the room. he was the white swan. mike felt a weight drop in his stomach as this boy—will was his name, he'd overheard—danced flawlessly to every hike in the music's melody, every plunge of the beat. it wasn't even a competition. it was annoying how his laughter filled the room and how his deep eyes seemed to smile at him from across the room.
⊹ when he realizes his feelings towards will don't comprise of jealousy alone, his visions worsen. how could he allow such a shallow distraction wade him away from the role he'd been working towards for years now? after a particularly draining rehearsal, he exits a bathroom stall to find "wh⊹re" written on the mirror in a strikingly bright shade of red lipstick. we wipes at it with a sheet of cloth desperately because that couldn't be right. they couldn't be right about him.
⊹ the natalie portman mila kunis bedroom scene after the club but it's byler. could be lesbyler. could just be byler. do whatever you want. oh, and it's a gay bar in this au. will claims mike needs to let loose and take a much deserved break from rehearsals and the night ends with them laying side-by-side on mike's bed.
⊹ and winona ryder is in black swan! so for the sake of narrative continuity, let's say she and will are mother and son here as well.
