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somberdragoon · 9 days ago

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more paulpat headcanons!!!!

here are some more miscellaneous headcanons I have for Patrick and Paul :)!! no art this time because i'm lazy

feel free to submit any asks if you want to see how i handle certain aspects of their relationship in my canon!!

Who cooks? Patrick and Paul are both absolutely horrible cooks. As Patrick's family was extremely wealthy and relied on maids/personal chefs, Patrick never really learned how to cook. However, Patrick tried his best to learn once Paul moved in and they started dating (Patrick wanted to impress Paul, whom he held to an impossibly high standard). Regardless, his cooking expertise ends at making omelettes and toast. Patrick will often buy high-end ingredients and health foods, but can't really prepare them properly, so the food he makes ends up being bland/like rabbit food. Patrick would end up throwing ingredients together for nutritional value rather than taste.

(more under cut)

Paul is sort of on the other end of the spectrum. Traumatized by his parents' total inability to cook anything outside the spectrum of "grey", Paul has a tendency to be... "creative" with his food. In utter desperation to avoid blandness, he'll often oversalt/overspice or create strange combinations (stoner food... but as his regular meals. A remnant of his fratbro days!). Paul's food is sort of hit or miss -- sometimes he creates something that tastes incredible, but his misses are not fit for human consumption. In terms of cooking, Paul is marginally better than Patrick. This isn't saying much. They usually order takeout, but Patrick is steadily improving his culinary skills (Paul is a lost cause because he thinks his cooking is flawless).

Song that reminds you of them? Pink Floyd - One of My Turns (accurate portrayal of Patrick's mental state)

David Byrne - Everyone's in Love with You (I think it shows off Patrick's obsessive envy of Paul pretty well -- that need to be him, have him, kill him? and the frustration that arises when Paul gets the societal approval Patrick so desperately craves)

Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen (more for Patrick and his belief system, but I'm still putting this here)

Heavenly - Mark Angel (this one is mostly for funnies and isn't really how I write MY Paul, but it's cute imagining Patrick and Paul to this song -- Patrick being a "bad boy" stereotype while Paul goes along with it because he's into it. NEED someone to make an amv or something please it's so fujopilled)

Of Montreal - Beware Our Nubile Miscreants (reminds me a lot of how I write my Paul — a hedonist at first glance that is objectified by many of the people he meets/seen as sort of a paragon/idol — but really someone that is constantly battling his self-loathing. kind of shows paul’s flight/fawn instinct as well, his internalized homophobia)

Who wants kids? It's sort of canon via the Ampsych2000 emails that Patrick is a good father, which I find pretty sweet :)! I imagine that Patrick absolutely wanted kids from the start. At first, it's a milestone he just wants to check off his legacy -- something he's "supposed to do" after settling down with a high society woman -- but things go awry when Patrick realizes he wants to spend the rest of his life with Paul. As he's made to reconsider his plans for the future/departure from heteronormative status quo, he sees having children as less of a responsibility and more of a return to his humanity. It's sort of important that Patrick's domestic life is framed in this manner -- he's not settling down because it's what he's supposed to do, but because it's a departure from the cynicism of yuppie culture. There is no societal gain from Patrick being in a homosexual relationship and adopting kids in said relationship. The only gain to be had is strictly internal (Patrick's happiness) and this is enough for him to overlook the detriment to his reputation (character development!).

Paul never really thought of himself as a man that could be a father, and has always viewed children as hindrances. He'd equated having children and being married to a dead bedroom, so he wanted to avoid that fate at all costs. However, after spending years dating Patrick, Paul eventually found value in relationships that were not strictly sexual (Paul was able trust Patrick -- it felt obvious that Patrick valued Paul romantically and not just sexually, which offered Paul a sense of security). It took a lot of insufferable, passive-aggressive pleading from Patrick, but Paul eventually agreed to have kids.

(Posting about their kids in another text post!)

Political beliefs? Values? This segment will be shorter because I'm politically illiterate, but these men are obviously not politically correct. In economic aspect, both Patrick and Paul share conservative beliefs (to varying degrees). Patrick and Paul differ most with social beliefs (Paul is slightly more progressive. Paul was active in the gay scene/a frequent cruiser before meeting Patrick, while Patrick had no experience). Patrick is a registered republican, though he knows to appeal to liberal audiences for peak societal conformity (though Patrick does end up looking like a maniac whenever he tries to argue "both sides.") Patrick holds prejudice for anyone that doesn't fit the "white heterosexual American male" standard, but he doesn't actually possess that much conviction in his hatred (it's more of a casual disgust imposed by what his society deems "unacceptable" for the time). After he has children/settles down with Paul, Patrick becomes significantly more open-minded. Patrick's desire to be a better father and husband quells some of his prejudices. Being in a gay relationship and having an Asian daughter also makes being racist and homophobic pretty difficult.

Paul is an independent, and thinks "both sides are equally bad." He genuinely holds no hatred in his heart, but can be quite callous and ignorant. Paul is apolitical and is convinced that a vote for either candidate will lead to the same conclusion. He does hold more respect for lower class folks as Paul grew up middle class and earned his way to his wealth, but also thinks all people should be able to work their way out of poverty because Paul was able to (he's the type of guy who thinks discrimination is a thing of the past, even though he quite literally gets discriminated at work for being Jewish. Paul claims to have thick skin!). Paul holds more of a "workaholic" mindset, and being able to improve himself and move on has been one of the only tethers to his sanity. Paul realizing that nothing really matters at Pierce and Pierce other than superficial gain is slowly driving him crazy. It's lonely at the top.

Paul cares a lot for his family and friends, and doesn't tolerate discrimination if he or someone he loves is affected. However, it's out of sight, out of mind for him, and Paul couldn't care less about the struggles of the world if he or his loved ones are not at risk. Patrick takes every slur against Paul or his kids very personally, and goes rabid whenever they're targeted.

Love language?

Though it's easy for people to assume that Patrick's love language lies in gift-giving/material objects, gifting Patrick an expensive item is actually one of the worst ways to earn his affection. If it's a good, expensive gift that Patrick actually yearns for, he'll seethe about not being the one to buy it himself/loathe the other person for "humiliating" him. If it's a low quality gift, he'll view it as an insult (though this is a safer route to go). Meanwhile, Paul could be bought to some extent. Paul isn't as insecure as Patrick is (or, at least, is insecure in a different way) so Paul gladly accepts all gifts. It's a nicer touch if it comes with a sentimental note, but Paul doesn't mind being showered in diamonds.

Paul's love languages are mainly words of affirmation (Paul really likes it when Patrick calls him petnames) and quality time. Patrick also deeply enjoys quality time, and is a sucker for anything sentimental (Paul thinks too much sentimentality is gag-inducing. Patrick would too, but he has a soft spot for Paul).

Who kissed who first/milestones? As mentioned in the first textpost, Patrick and Paul started out best friends. Paul was the one who came onto Patrick first, and was the one to kiss him for the first time. I would say it follows the "x (Paul) fell first, y (Patrick) fell harder" dynamic, but it doesn't fit that cleanly. Paul was mostly doing it out of sexual thrill at first, while Patrick was smitten from the start. It took a while for Paul to work up the same amount of romantic love for Patrick, while Patrick thought Paul was into him (unreliable narrator moment) from the start. Paul isn't a very trusting person, so it took some time for Patrick to win him over. Paul also confessed his feelings to Patrick first (Patrick probably would have held it in forever because Patrick was still new to the whole being gay thing). Patrick would be the one to propose to Paul. It's a small, intimate proposal done somewhere private, mostly because Patrick is petrified of anyone seeing.

Tastes in media?

Paul's taste in music is 80s dad rock heavy (AC/DC, REM, Guns n' Roses), with some jazz thrown in there because his parents were big jazz fans. Very generic, though Patrick is just devoid of taste. It's canon that Patrick's favorite band is Talking Heads, and he enjoys a lot of the bigger acts from around the time. Patrick would listen to anything he deemed as "cerebral" enough and crowd-pleasing (honestly anything music reviews would mention). Patrick probably would not enjoy any "foreign" music (read: not white) because he's a racist asshole. Patrick enjoys watching gore films and consumes a lot of erotica, mainly to provoke some emotion in himself. This hobby would turn redundant after meeting Paul, as Patrick is finally able to feel something. Paul is mainly into low quality entertainment, and enjoys watching reality TV, sitcoms, and romcoms. His taste in media can be described as "aggressively heterosexual." The first time they saw a Broadway show together (La Cage, in 1987) Patrick held Paul's hand the whole time. Patrick tends to lean on Paul or hold his hand whenever they're watching something together. Patrick doesn't even seem to notice it half the time -- it's instinctual.

Patrick is a true crime fanatic and enjoys reading true crime novels. This and Patrick's general horror fascination used to creep Paul out a lot, but after years of dating Paul now just thinks Patrick is "special" (autistic). It's a guilty pleasure for him, but Patrick is also obsessed with Star Trek.

Jealousy?

Patrick and Paul are both deeply insecure men. While Paul feels like he's innately not good enough to keep Patrick due to relationship trauma, Patrick's all-consuming envy has him believing that everyone is conspiring to take Paul away from him. They're both deeply jealous men due to their insecurity, and won't be having any threesomes anytime soon.

#patpaul #american psycho #paul allen #patrick bateman #patrick bateman x paul allen #paulpat #dorsiashipping #dorsia boyfriends #paul owen #headcanon

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somberdragoon · 1 month ago

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PatPaul lore!!

So, after writing Dance Yrself Clean and my other fics on Ao3, I've come up with my own backstories for Patrick and Paul. This post details their issues, upbringing, and how it's all relevant to Dance Yrself Clean. Enjoy this 2k text post lol CW for mentions of rape, SA, suicidal thoughts, abuse

Paul Allen: Paul was an insufferable jock in his highschool years and a fratbro in his college years. He's always generally been well-liked + the life of the party. Was always hooking up with girls because he had horrible committment issues. Has melllowed out significantly in his adulthood, far less of a dick for brains but still quite the hedonist. A little ignorant, will occasionally make insensitive comments but he genuinely doesn't have any hatred in his heart (think: well-meaning white guy). Not the best person to go to for mental health issues (Paul is pretty mentally ill himself, has clinical depression/suicidal thoughts + literally no dignity + will tout insensitive solutions to mental health problems)..... (more under the cut.)

Despite his jock childhood, he was always quite brilliant (got into Stuyvesant high school, to his parents' pride) and landed his position at P&P purely on merit (...and "sweet talking", but that doesn't count).

Paul's childhood home was in Forest Hills, Queens! His family were middle class. He lived in a three bedroom house with his parents and three siblings growing up (two older brothers, one younger sister. Paul shared a room with his younger sister). Paul had tons of boy band posters/male underwear ad cutouts taped to his walls, but he was so masc when he was a teen that his parents didn't suspect anything (meanwhile, his siblings always knew Paul was queer). Paul's upbringing was pretty standard, he's close with his parents and siblings despite moving out. Paul's relationship with his parents wasn't perfect (he got beatings) but they'd reconcile as he got older.

Jewish, but mostly in culture rather than religion. Does not keep kosher (lol). Didn't really think much of his religion/upbringing until the guys at work kept making anti-semetic comments.

Paul got into a can of worms at Yale. Started experimenting with his bisexuality, but was taken advantage of frequently (Paul was still kind of naive at this time), subjected to sexual hazing when joining his fraternity. Paul would also use sexual favors to get connections (part of how he landed P&P) but make sure this is portrayed as traumatic and imbalanced. This would form much of his relationship trauma. It gets to the extent that Paul becomes utterly desperate for someone to show him any sort of kindness -> turns to hypersexuality because he believes that this is the only way he could get anyone to care about him. Important note, Paul believes everything is his fault and doesn't think he's a victim.

Is obsessed with Patrick to the point that it's horribly pathetic. He's never had someone love him back to this extent/a relationship this meaningful, so Paul is desperate to keep Patrick his. Paul had thought Patrick was a loser when they were first dating, insisted to himself that he wouldn't fall for him, but Paul was completely wooed by Patrick's care for him. Paul knows that Patrick is insane, but tries his best to support him (Paul doesn't sound the most sympathetic, would probably call Patrick a schizo, use abrasive terms, but Paul means well). Paul doesn't think any of Patrick's murders are real, just a byproduct of a deeply sick mind (Paul loves him anyway).

Before and during the events of Dance Yrself Clean, Paul is utterly miserable, hates his job and his coworkers and sort of wants to die but finds solace with Patrick. The two live in Patrick's apartment! Patrick brought him over when they started dating. Patrick refused to live in Paul's apartment because it was so much nicer than his own (Patrick does not say that this is the reason, makes up bullshit excuses) and was stubborn enough that Paul eventually just moved to Patrick's instead. Patrick absolutely loves their arrangement.

Canon divergence occurs when: Paul eagerly greets Patrick at Evelyn's Christmas party while trying to get away from a creepy guy. This is a major change, as Paul is actually "interested" in Patrick this time, actually tries to make sure their exchanges go well. Paul cuts the sleazebag act this time at their date at Texarkana, and instead rambles about how empty his life is (Patrick relates, and this stops him from killing Paul. Patrick feels seen by Paul at this moment). Paul thinks Patrick is funny, thinks it's hilarious how Patrick doesn't know how much of a loser he is. On the other hand, Patrick thinks Paul is genuinely into him and grows deeply infatuated with him as they become friends (Patrick really idolizes him). Patrick thinks Paul is deeply genuine, actually has meaningful conversations with him and starts feeling strange things (love!). Patrick frantically fights off these feelings at first, mostly because he's never felt anything like this for another person, acts really mean to him just as he starts falling because Patrick is terrified of feelings. This doesn't last long because Paul becomes noticeably distant and Patrick immediately stops because he doesn't want Paul to leave. KEY DETAIL: Patrick never once thinks of Paul as "girllike" (to add to the theme of Paul being Patrick's escape from a conformist society). He always perceives Paul as masculine, an archetype of the perfect man, but, and this is important, with a soul.

They hook up. Patrick insists it's a brotherhood thing (???) to justify it, while Paul is just really horny. Patrick and Paul become friends with benefits, but it's pretty obvious Patrick wants more despite not wanting to admit it (Paul doesn't want more, he has committment issues and think this will end horribly). Patrick doesn't actually deal with a lot of internalized homophobia because he's more concerned about having feelings rather than having feelings for a man. Patrick's homophobia is actually mostly just performative (he tones it up/down depending on who he's with). The romantic tension eventually becomes too much to bear and Paul reluctantly confesses to Patrick (who eagerly agrees). Patrick breaks up with Evelyn without much thought, Paul and Meredith weren't really on the best terms anyway so he has no trouble ending things with her either (Meredith was always distant, Paul was a bastard, kept cheating on her.). Patrick and Paul's relationship is not the healthiest objectively speaking (Patrick cycles between periods of deep affection and neglect, their communication is horrible. Patrick is deeply mentally unstable. Paul constantly waits for the other shoe to drop and is on edge because of past relationship trauma, expects their relationship to fail eventually) but this is the healthiest relationship both men have been in. Patrick has absolutely no idea their relationship is unhealthy, sugarcoats everything and thinks their relationship is this perfect thing. Paul is a little aware that things are unhealthy, but doesn't really care because this is the best treatment he's ever had in a relationship.

Dance Yrself Clean is the culmination of all of these insecurities and unaddressed problems. Patrick and Paul can no longer push all their issues under the rug, this fic is meant to show the fallout that occurs (is salvaging their relationship worth it?). At this point in their relationship, Patrick is just starting to open up to Paul because he knows Paul prefers him when he actually gives a shit (it's pretty difficult for him, he hates being vulnerable). Paul's insecurity/jealousy/trauma plays a large part here. Paul keeps thinking Patrick is out screwing someone else, but when he thinks he sees actual proof of the cheating he's unable to deal (Paul thought his worst fears were just that: fears. He's crushed when he realizes Patrick would actually betray him like everyone else has). There are indications of Paul's non-commital nature in the earlier chapters, but Paul's relationship with Patrick has made him unhealthily clingy around him (utter refusal to cut things off this time, a total 180 of his previous attitude). Paul holds out hope that things will return to normal and stays with Patrick purely for that reason, but Patrick's hysterical outbursts make it really hard for Paul to stay.

Patrick spirals as Paul accuses him of cheating, it becomes evident that Patrick is way too dependent on Paul. Patrick also has slight themes of self-sabotage, idolizes Paul so much he feels as if he doesn't deserve him. His character progression devolves a little (Patrick went from opening up to Paul to saying horrible things to him when Paul confronts him). Not spoiling anything further, but the character arcs will be resolved in the last chapter.

Still ironing out what happens after Dance Yrself Clean, but they get married eventually :) Patrick is very close with Paul's parents because they're so sweet to him/remind him of Paul. Paul is half-convinced Patrick is only with him because he wants his parents. Paul's parents are very hospitable, treat Patrick as one of their own and admire his success. Things are FAR more stable and healthy as they age, date for longer, and eventually get married.

Patrick Bateman:

Patrick wasn't a geek or outcast when he was younger, but he was certainly not well-liked (people could sense that there was something off with him and stayed far away). Patrick was a very quiet child, but was still able to worm his way into in-groups because of his rich dad. There were deep themes of loneliness and isolation throughout his life, Patrick could never truly connect with people (due to his pretention, mental illness, but also because the people in his social circle were all so very vapid). Patrick grew up with his brother, Sean, and his parents. His parents didn't really raise him, and enlisted the help of nannies and maids to do most of the housework/child-rearing. Sean and Patrick were closer in childhood, but had a falling out as they grew older. Patrick was a protective figure to Sean when they were younger (Patrick had been raped by his father around the age of 14, but he's repressed the memory so hard he doesn't recall it at all. Still, a protective urge/distaste of his father remained) The repressed memory would manifest into his adolescent and adult psychotic episodes in the form of imagined sexual violence against women (this is how I explain away Patrick canonically being a rapist.. he doesn't actually do these things in my fanon pls). Patrick and Sean fell out because Patrick was always his father's favorite while Sean was nothing more than a loser. They were both deeply attention/love-hungry, and Patrick constantly being preferred over Sean kind of broke something in Sean. Sean would lash out, causing Patrick to grow exhausted of him. Patrick still holds some (minimal) affection for Sean, while Sean loathes Patrick.

Patrick has ASPD, NPD, psychotic episodes... it's all a bit unclear because Patrick doesn't have actual diagnoses. Regardless, he always had violent tendencies and would torture/kill small animals when he was younger. Patrick has trouble with social cues. Patrick attended Phillips Exeter Academy for prep school, and grew up in a lavish Long Island estate. His parents were filthy rich, Patrick got his job at P&P/got into Harvard because of his father. Because of this, Patrick never really had to try. Patrick's childhood was horrible -- there was a lot of domestic violence at home, his parents were only staying with each other out of obligation. While Patrick's father was a violent, narcissistic man, Patrick's mother was deeply unstable/suicidal (Patrick would take more after his father, Sean to his mother). Important to note, there was no "lesser evil" here. Both of Patrick's parents were responsible in creating this hostile household.

Patrick and his family are Irish-American and catholic. No one but Patrick's mother remain religious.

Patrick is obsessed with Paul, views him as an escape from his yuppie hell. Paul is different -- middle class, crass, holds sympathy for others, a man that Patrick has very homosexual feelings for, but not too different. Paul is still conventionally attractive, intelligent, and incredibly charismatic, so Paul's differences don't completely scare Patrick off. Patrick is aware of Paul's suicidal thoughts and depressive episodes, and is concerned for him. Patrick is a horrible person to go to for mental health issues, but they comfort each other in their own way (sex, canoodling, dates). Patrick's fantasies of murdering Paul are manifestations of his own emotional constipation. Patrick has no idea how to handle being in love with someone this deeply, has previously filed all of his strong emotional responses under "intense bloodlust."

Before and during the events of Dance Yrself Clean, Patrick is starting to be more vulnerable with Paul, and so thinks that they're perfect (Patrick's father had never shown any emotional vulnerability). Patrick, surprisingly, has been thinking less about work and more about Paul. He's eager to come home to him every day, they've created somewhat of a domestic arrangement. Patrick is happy for the first time in his life.

#american psycho #patrick bateman x paul allen #dorsiashipping #patrick bateman #paul allen #character study #fanart #paul owen #dorsia boyfriends #paulpat #patpaul #sean bateman #rules of attraction #my art #headcanon

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