the beautiful character study/whump potential of de-aging fics is *chefs kiss*
to be clear, in this instance de-aging would mean a character physically becoming their child self through magical or scientific shenanigans
although I was looking through Ao3 and stumbled on a fic where I thought the synopsis was describing baby Newt somehow falling through a portal to come hang out with adult him and Hermann. which I was of course, there for.
it turned out to be for a kid fic, where Hermann and Newts child came back in time, which is cool and all but like. THINK ABOUT IT.
would Newt be mean to his little self?? we're often mean to ourselves or people who are too much like us when we have Bad Self Esteem. Like children are generally more vulnerable and open than adults because they haven't learned all the defense mechanisms that our adult selves have cultivated. so just like. have baby Newt not get along with some of the staff and be super upset about it bc he hasn't figured out how to not give a shit about ppls opinions yet. or even better have all the ppdc crew love him immediately and have bby Newt overwhelmed by it, and he goes to hide in big Newts lab. Have Hermann claim child Newt as his charge to take care of. Have our resident good boy Raleigh bond the fuck out of that kid. Have cute De-Aging fics people!
