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genshin-impact-fics · 3 years

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Streamer!Genshin Reacting to Character!(Y/N) Dying in Game

!Warning!: Major character deaths & angst

Characters: Diluc, Venti, Childe, & Zhongli

Diluc:

It was a race to get inside one of the bases of the Abyss Order to put a stop to whatever plans they were in the process of executing that could potentially put many lives in danger. Diluc was rather calm while playing though it would be a lie to say that it wasn’t a bit annoying that the route to the domain was timed

It was once inside the domain did things pick up fast as it seemed to be a fighting wave system which after beating the first two rooms there was a short scene where in the end Lisa and Amber stayed behind to hold off the incoming enemies so the rest of the group could go further. It seemed like forever doing some of the puzzles to unlock the doors to reach the next fight

In that fourth room after the defeat of hilichurls and abyss mages did suddenly a short cut scene appear to show the appearance of an Abyss Lector. As remembering how much he hated fighting this guy in the spiral abyss he already knew what he was in for; however that was until your character stepped forward with your weapon ready. Diluc was actually sad to have to leave you behind as he was hoping that you’d be one of the characters that went with him to the very end

“I think I’ve watched enough shows and movies to know what this could be leading up to.” He’d comment to his viewers as he finally reached the destination where the Abyss Herald was. Finishing the fight triggered another cutscene as the traveler’s sibling appeared and was making their small speech, asking if the lives of the “friends” the traveler made were worth losing

Diluc is watching with a straight face as he kinda expected this but the who was what he wasn’t sure about and truthfully the only one he’d be truly heartbroken about is your death, but they wouldn’t kill you now of all times right? Wrong; soon the cutscene finally came across where they had left you and you were leaning against the wall extremely injured with your weapon laying beside you. Diluc is frowning cuz he has to watch you die now

Listening to your final words as you spoke to no one Diluc would sulk in his chair a little. In the last moment before your eyes closed, if you mentioned something about not getting to tell his character your true feelings it is visible that Diluc looks like he wants to cry(but he doesn't). Once the screen showed the mission complete he’d grab the plush he had of your character and hold it looking at his camera. “Of all the characters I thought were going to die, I wasn’t ready for it to be (y/n).” At that point he’d probably call it a day from there but he’d still talk to his viewers as he probably would watch the tribute videos that fans had already made

Venti:

Everything was in chaos as it looked like archon war 2 was going to be taking place, but this time it was a war between the Abyss Order and the Archons. He was heading to Mondstadt to help and to check on you. Dvalin was flying around sending attacks at the abyss members. “Ah traveler there you are!” The sound of your voice as you landed before him; as weird as it was to see you in your archon robes was odd but you looked so good! After a short conversation you had gone flying off and it was time to get back to fighting

Things were looking good as it seemed like they were winning against the abyss order though it wasn’t over yet. It was until up in the air did a cutscene starting showing you and the traveler’s sibling fighting going at it. Venti is so captivated by how serious and cool you look fighting, but it all changed when the sibling landed a blow that caused you to fall from the sky ending up falling into the Whispering Woods

Venti couldn’t run fast enough to get to the woods to check up on you but when he did the first thing he saw was the sibling standing before you. He’s already sad and yelling at the sibling for hurting you though it seemed that now he was there the sibling went and disappeared revealing the real condition you were in. “No, no, no! This better not mean (y/n)’s dying.” He’d say in denial as he’s already starting to cry a little

“A-Ah Windblume h-haha… Sorry you have to see me like this.” Even in a moment like this you gave him such a cheesy grin until you seemed to grimace in pain. “Unfortunately it seems like… This is it for me. As long as the winds blow I will always be with you, so please watch over Mondstadt for me.” Your words were making Venti cry as it was like back in your story quest but only ten times worse. And to think it was already painful as it was your next words that did him in. “Maybe in another life we will find each other again and maybe then we can be together.”

Watching you start to glow until you turned into partials of light till nothing of you was left, Venti is devastated. The chat is crying with him as he’s saying how awful it was that his sibling had killed the love of his life! His viewers are going to send him fanart and fics to look at that was an alternative that you lived in the game

Childe:

It was a big fight with the confrontation of the Fatui Harbingers, facing off against one of the other stronger members that blocked the path to proceed to seeing the Tsaritsa. The boss’ first stage was fine; however during the second stage it seemed after losing a certain amount of health the damage that Childe was dealing significantly decreased.

It was when the cutscene started that Childe was already dreading the foul legacy form he’d be facing this time. You suddenly came out of nowhere and already in your foul legacy form yourself Childe is going crazy over how cool you look; he’s also swooning at the fact that you’ve come to his rescue. The fighting progressed until you landed a successful hit that weakened the other harbinger; however, at that same time the other harbinger managed to hit you with a powerful attack

Childe is screaming at the sight of your mask breaking while you fell to the ground. He’s so glad that his character is running over to check on you instead of the fight picking right up, but he’s already feeling the feels hit him hard cuz he hates seeing you hurt. Seeing you back to normal, the damage you sustained was really bad; then the worst thought came to his mind. “This-This better not be what I think it is,” he’s saying not looking away from the screen listening to you weakly talk

“Haha don’t give me that look sweetie, I couldn’t just let this be where your journey ends.” Hearing those words and the nickname you used for his character was sad. “To think we’d be able to travel together more, but hey… Promise you won’t stop fighting and could you look after my siblings for me.” Childe is literally crying now that the reality of the situation is clear. If he gets a choice of dialog to choose from he is going to pick the choice that says that he pinky promises

If your character smiled at the choice he wanted to smile but he’s also just sad, you were dying in his character's arms. If you had given a small love confession in the little bit of life that was in you, he’s going to ugly sob and once the fight was starting again he needs to pause by going into his bag

Immediately he goes getting his big plush of you and coming back to hug it and cleaning his tears with his sleeve before looking at the camera. “I wasn’t ready for this, my baby!” He was not expecting to be losing you; he figured that some characters would possibly die but you were the last character he thought would be killed off in the game. There’s Fs in the chat all around and the crying emote; it’s sad boi hours in this chili’s. He doesn't wanna do the fight but also he gotta avenge you so this last stage fight was for you. Afterwards he’s gonna go look at fanart and video edits

Zhongli:

After helping some of the other nations and their archon’s fend off the abyss order it was time he headed to Liyue to find you. Of course as usual it wasn’t going to be as easy as running around the harbor until he got word from Xiao that you were in Cuijue Slope. So he headed over to help you before anything seriously bad could happen to you

Getting to the open area there you were fighting against the sibling as you were even in your archon robes. Going in and interrupting the fight his sibling clearly looked annoyed and proceeded to try to get him to side with them which of course he didn’t. A Herald appeared to allow the sibling to get away which the fight with the Herald commenced

Just when Zhongli finished up the fight thinking he had won it strangely went to a cutscene as his character and you started to talk; however it was when the fallen Herald came out of nowhere about to attack his character but must to his surprise you shielded him not only taking the hit, but also using your elemental burst to finish off the enemy. Zhongli is frowning at how badly you were hurt as he already has a bad feeling this wasn’t going to end good; the traveler was helping you sit up after having fallen over

“I’m glad to see that you aren’t hurt my friend.” You said as you certainly have seen better days. “Sadly I believe my time has come… Do not be sad dear friend, I have lived many many years… As knowing you has been life changing. Though rocks change from erosion, know that no time will change how I felt about you.” Your words broke his heart as you had such a soft expression on your face as your body began to glow and before he knew it you turned into particles of light and disappeared. He probably wouldn’t cry at most maybe a tear but he is clearly upset about your passing in game and would take a break to talk to his viewers and maybe look at the fanart that surprisingly had been put out already

#streamer au #streamer!genshin x character!reader #genshin x reader #genshin scenario #genshin imagines #genshin diluc #diluc x y/n #childe x reader #genshin tartagalia #genshin childe #venti the bard #genshin venti #venti x y/n #zhongli #genshin zhongli #zhongli x y/n #angst

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lollybliz · 4 years

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bout to make a Monster of a fic rec post here we go

heyo @jinx108! We’ll start with the complete ones because sometimes you’re just not in the mood to wait for the last chapter, you know? I don't remember details of all of these so i’m just going to copy the author’s summary rather than write my own. I am literally just going through my bookmarks, I got 400 of these to sort through. if ive talked to or am familiar with the author im gonna mention them, but if I mention you and you don't want me to have Please tell me and i’ll remove it.

If you’re not into spoilers Please Tread Carefully, I don't watch out for that stuff so I wont know to label it

1>Crushing Truth by Bunzuku: Tododeku. “Romance is hard enough for a teenager to understand when they have a good relationship role model. For Shoto, it takes two excited meddlers for him to even realize what his feelings really are.“

2>Disowned by b00mgh: tododeku + others. Unrated, some traumatic elements. “Shouto freaks out under a bridge and I use the word "grass" a lot more than I really should. Izuku does his stupid martyr thing and everyone makes continuous references to his propensity to break his bones. Aizawa goes "oh FUCK my kids are dying again" and his students use him as emotional (and physical) support. A friend requests angst, I say what kind, she say idk make someone get disowned and i say oh this I can absolutely provide my good buddy.”

3>cotton candy hands by @chonideno: Kiribaku. I will take Any excuse to rec this fic, its the most fluffy pile of feels Good Lord. also the first fic I ever bound into a physical book. “Studying to become a hero requires knowing how to take care of yourself. Sometimes you might need help on the way so if your crush offers to do your hair for you or to give you a well-deserved back rub, it'd be stupid to say no. A series of soft vignettes in which a love-struck Kirishima and a touch-starved Bakugou care for each other and it's definitely not making their hearts jump through hoops, they’re never this close to kissing, no, they're totally best friends bro“

4>Catching Sight of the Storm by neo7v: Kiribaku, tododeku. A considerable amount of Whump and related angst, and kinda sad tbh. “Blind. Quirkless. Useless.The first two things were stated clearly by the doctor that sat about five feet in front of Izuku. The third was a word that Kacchan called him everytime he failed to make the jump on whatever forest excursion they were on or when he ran into a tree because he hadn’t seen it. “I’m so, so sorry, Izuku.” Was his mom giving up on him already? But he could still be a hero if he tried hard enough, right? Quirkless or not. Blind or not. Just because Izuku was useless now didn’t mean he would stay that way forever, right? *** A Blind!Izuku AU”

5>Yell Heah by fakecharliebrown: Chatfic. M a n y pairings. technically complete, but part of an ongoing series. “Iida creates a group-chat for Class 1-A. It doesn't go as planned.“

6>Sunshine by Rosey_Note: BIG SAD. tw- failed suicide attempt. KiriKamiBaku. “They didn't deserve to put up with his crappy mood. Because Denki Kaminari did not feel like Sunshine right now. And they deserved sunshine. In fact, Denki didn't feel much of anything right now.“

7>Electric Connection by Onlymostydead: ShinKami. “Kaminari's quirk has always had... Weird side affects. Like his ADHD. And his constant energy. And his insomnia, which wouldn't leave him be right now, when he really needed to just get some sleep. But, thankfully, he has good friends.“

8>The Best (The Worst) by Onlymostydead: no romantic pairing. tw- rampant transphobia, both outside and internalized. “Bakugou Katsuki has known who he was since he was four years old. He was a boy, it was as simple as that. Around his friends, at school... But things couldn't just be that simple, could they?“

9>Lichtenberg Figures by Q_loves_you: no definite romantic pairing. “Kaminari Denki has a very powerful force of nature running through his body. Kaminari Denki doesn't want to hurt anybody. He doesn't always get what he wants, and "anybody" does generally include himself.“

10>Eventuality by KikaTouka: ill be honest I don't remember this one at all, I maaaay not have read it yet :/. anyway. ShinKami. “Shinsou learns more than just hero lessons after being transferred to 1-A.“

11>Pickup Lines for the Soul by MustardSoup: ShinKami. “Denki is twelve when he is flicking through the TV channels and lands on an old RomCom movie about soulmate marks – specifically the same type that he has. “I can’t believe I’ve had to walk around with a cheap pickup line written on my ankle my entire life because of you!” The leading lady yells at the leading man as he stares at her in awe. Denki laughs. “Oh no.” His mother says, watching him. “Oh no, indeed.” His sister repeats quietly.“

12>caught in my own web by @anxioussailorsoldier: ShinKami. “Shinsou needs some help after getting caught up in his capture weapon. Kaminari enters from stage left.“

13>not so summer love by nataliya: ShinKami. “Class 2-B’s common room, although typically quiet, was currently filled with five students—three slowly giving up on homework, one bitching about noise and another that rushes through the front door. “We’ve been waiting for you—” Mina starts, but Kaminari’s vaulting over the back of the couch, eyes wide as he practically buzzes out of his skin, emitting light like crazy as currents dazzle across strands of hair. “I have a big ugly crush,” He steps off the couch and onto the coffee table, much to Bakugou’s chagrin, “On big ugly Shinsou.””

14>Blamed by coldandhotsoba: ShinKami. Tw- they fuckin kill a guy and its a lil nasty. “This was not how the day was supposed to end. They were supposed to end the day like they do most nights. Kaminari clutching onto him like a koala as he slept, wrapped in the millions of tacky blankets Kaminari had bought. Warm and safe in their bed. It was not supposed to end with both of them tied up in some cold metal room.“

15>Lightning Scars by Present-Mics-Scream (write_your_way_out): Shinkami. “It's hard to be confident in your abilities when you're surrounded by people with incredible quirks. Shinsou Hitoshi would know better than anyone. Sure, he was admitted to the hero course in his second year, but being admitted to the hero course, and keeping up with the rest of the class are two different things. Lucky for him, Kaminari is there to prove that the flashiest quirks come with the largest drawbacks.“

16>See No Evil, Hear No Evil by randomfan188: no romantic pairing. “Kaminari Denki is legally blind. When he forgets to wear his contacts and breaks down during math class, comfort appears in the strangest of ways.“

17>how not to enjoy the weather, an article by kaminari denki by dreamtowns: no defined romantic pairing. “If there was one thing Kaminari hated the most in a world wth villains, it would have to be thunderstorms.“

18>”Studying” by emmyrox22: ShinKami, EraserMic. “Shinsou and Kaminari have been “studying” together for a while (but not for school). Shinsou gets stopped by his dads on the way to another “study” session and mistakes are made“

19>Weaknesses by sunflowerstorm: ShinKami. “Kaminari's quirk and storms compliment each other in the worst way, but he's convinced he can deal with it on his own... until he really can't any longer. When Shinsou accidentally overhears Aizawa confronting Kaminari about recent changes in behaviour and hears about the hell his quirks been putting him through, he can't just pretend he never heard. He wants to help.“

20>it’s hurt denki hours by memeingfultrash: ShinKami + others. ““Certain members of our class are...under the impression that...you’re the traitor.” Denki’s body went cold and felt like he was going to short circuit. ~some of class 1a believes that denki is the traitor and avoid him”

21>Petition to replace Mineta with Shinsou- (signed by Kaminari Denki) by CharaTheQuartz: ShinKami + others. This is one of my favorites, I go back to reread it from time to time. It SAYS 41/42, but that's just a glitch cus chapter 36 doesn't exist for some reason, I talked to the author about it and its fine. “Mineta brings shame to the color purple. You know who does not bring shame to the rich color, but pride and sexual tension to one infatuated Kaminari Denki instead? Shinsou Hitoshi, aka sexy zombie man, aka the most perfect hunk of a man to walk planet earth, aka future husband. Shinsou has finally gotten his chance to prove himself to the hero course, and he did more than prove himself. The only question left unanswered is whether he will start in A or B, and how Kaminari can manipulate the end result.“

22>How to Get a Boyfriend (in Four Easy Steps!) by e1ana: ShinKami, EraserMic, + others. “Step 1: Get kicked out of the house by your homophobic parents. Step 2: Run headfirst into your brooding, mysterious crush. Step 3: Sleep in his dad’s (see: your homeroom teacher) house Step 4: Watch everything you thought you knew go to shit. This isn’t exactly the sweet, romantic plan that Kaminari Denki longed for. Will everything be ok, or will step 5 be to crash and burn?“

23>Bakugou and Todoroki’s Foolproof 5-Step Plan to Fuck with Mineta Minoru by Anubis_2701: Kiribaku, TodoDeku, + others. This is another one of my favorites, and the one I am currently folding and sewing into a physical book. you learn how to do funny things when bored and quarantined ig. “It was a simple enough idea; screw around with the resident bastard of Class 1-A to let him know that his medieval ways and perverted behaviour weren't going to be tolerated by even the most career-focused of UA's students. To say that things had snowballed was an understatement. Todoroki had no idea how he had ended up sitting on Bakugou's floor at 1 am, holding a dossier of incriminating material that would make the FBI slobber, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The long and short of it was, fuck Mineta.”

24>Colour Theory by chancellorxofxtrash: TodoBakuDeku. this one’s a series. “Midoriya/Bakugo/Todoroki slow burn soulmate AU. All three of them are nerds with their own emotional issues, trying to navigate their way through becoming heroes, and their own relationship with each other.“

25>Summer Sunshine by Mara97: TodoDeku. Ever want a Barbie in a mermaid tale/Bnha crossover? No? well here you go anyway! “Instead of worrying about college, Izuku spends his summer vacation finding out his father is, supposedly, a dead merman king and going on a quest to dethrone the current king, Endeavor. Along the way, Izuku becomes close to the three journeying with him, makes friends with strangers, starts crushing on an unattainable prince, and, in the end, learns to love himself. Oh, and he saves a kingdom, too.“

26>The snowflakes on our skin and the flames in our soul are one (and the same), my love by missunderstuffyou: TodoDeku, Kiribaku. this is one of the ones I keep a running reread comment going on. its at,,, 6, atm. “Before your quirk begins to present itself, the soulmate link comes through, and suddenly whatever you write upon your own skin appears on the body of your soulmate. As your soulmate writes to you, the emotions they feel follow through the ink.Izuku Midoriya is four years and a few months old when he first feels the slight ebbing in his arms. It doesn’t hurt… he can just feel something, and it’s enough to make him sprint into his mother’s arms screaming that his quirk is coming. She had been washing in the kitchen, and the sudden screech as her son rockets into her side is enough to make her jump with panic, immediately grabbing at him and looking for cuts and bumps before she understands his words and the stupidly bright, alight smile on his face with large, watery, hopeful eyes. Shoto Todoroki doesn’t feel his soulmate connection open up. It is drowned in the aches of a small body worked far too hard.“

27>It was dark inside the closet by Chad_Champion69420: Pre-ShinDeku? maybe? its tagged shindeku but like. it’ll make sense if you read it. “Midoriya is invited to a party. He and Shinsou decide to play a little trick on the rest of the party during Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

28>how to woo your local trash gremlin: a comprehensive guide by Todoroki shouto by wonhaebunny: TodoBaku. this is the fic that dragged me into todobaku, fun fact. “five times shouto tries to confess to bakugou, and one time he doesn't bother tryingaka: wikihow is a scam and bakugou is a terrible, terrible boy“

29>top ten photos taken right before disaster by Shookspeare: ShinDeku. “Izuku participates in a harmless prank, only to end up ruining it and running for dear life.“

30>Secrets to Share by pechebaie: no definite romantic pairing. “Kirishima comes out first, and nothing changes. Kirishima and Kaminari still hang out to complain about class and talk about boys - and sometimes girls, too, in Kaminari’s case; he still plans stupid pranks with Sero that get them sent to the principal’s or nurse’s office every time; Ashido still kicks his ass at Mario Kart without hesitation; and Bakugou doesn’t get angry at him any more than he usually does.“

31>What One Hides by Pinalinet: TodoDeku. “All Might gives class 1-A an unusual assignment that results in Midoriya Izuku and Todoroki Shouto attending a weekly acting class. But with a mysterious villain targeting individuals without Quirks, and a developing issue of Todoroki's own, an after-school assignment is the least of their worries.“

32>whether or not we’re fated, we’re meant to be by juurensha: KINDA SPOILERY. TodoDeku + others. “Todoroki didn’t have a soulmark for most of his life.His siblings all did, but up until the day of the U.A. entrance exam, he had shoved the idea aside. It’s not like they could help him anyway. And then a 9 appears on his chest, and a green-haired boy barrels into his life with a fire and ice soulmark on his arms, and suddenly Todoroki cares very much about all this could mean.”

33>The Midnight Shift by meiishu @meiishu @totallytodoroki (idk which you’d rather I attach so I went with both): ShinKami. ““Hey Toshi,” Denki says, and he laughs, clearly embarrassed. He’s got on a jean jacket that did him absolutely no help and a white tee shirt that is currently stuck to his torso. It’s got a pikachu design in the center. “By any chance, do you sell umbrellas?” “You really went out in this weather.” Hitoshi deadpans, instead of dignifying that with an answer. or hitoshi works the midnight shift at the gas station, which also doubles as a pokestop for pokemon go. of course, denki is a regular.”

34>Rock the House by AkabaneKayo: ShinKami. “It wasn’t just his bed. It was his entire fucking room shaking. Only one thought crossed his mind at that moment: “Holy shit. My room is haunted.”“

35>Technically, they’re morning kisses by CharaTheQuartz: ShinKami. “Most nights, Shinsou cannot fall sleep. Neither can Kaminari. It seems counterproductive to have a sleepover then, but they try to make it work. And they fail, but that is okay.“

36>someone to call mine by nearly_theyre: ShinKami, EraserMic “From: Me wish you were here, denks From: kitten 💛💘💛 what if i was tho? OR Four times Denki snuck into Hitoshi's room and one time he walked through the front door.“

37>Pretty by Onlymostydead (noticing some repeat authors? me too): no definite romantic pairing. “(Or, Kaminari still can't figure out bra clasps.) Kaminari has never really felt good about himself. Herself? Whichever way, not knowing doesn't make anything easier. Especially when he (she?) and Mina have their bodies swapped during training, and everything seems too right.“

38>If I offer you my hand, will you take it? by bleukitsune: Kiribaku. SPOILERY. ““Why?” Kirishima leaned back on his hands, trying to create some space between them. Too close. The ash-blond looked really nervous, his usually arrogant and cunning demeanor gone. “What do you see when you look at me? Kirishima is worried. Bakugou is hurting. After his confrontation with Midoriya, he finally reaches out to him. “

Theres way more but I haven't tagged them properly yet so that m a y come later if I can ever finish going through and adding my sorting tags.

and then a last few that Are Not Complete but im really very fond of them. not as many as id like to add, but my hands are getting tired tbh.

39>State of Mind by GuardianOfTheLoaf: no relationship YET but its looking like it’ll be either tododeku or shindeku, probably the former. EraserMic. tw- childhood neglect and severe depression. Izuku’s not a happy kid. “Izuku was a late bloomer, his quirk lying dormant until his tenth birthday when in a fit of emotion he grabs his mother and she disappears. With All Might slowly restoring his confidence Izuku begins the difficult journey into becoming a hero.“ 18/? chapters.

40>Izuku Eats His Problems by CosmicAce: ShinDeku. Izuku’s a flerkin, what more could you want? “His whole life, Izuku Midoriya was taught to keep his powers, his Quirk, hidden from the world. His kind were feared, hunted to near extinction because of it. He just wants to show people he’s different. That he can be a HERO. And nothing is going to stop him. Even if his Quirk IS like an eldritch abomination.“ 43/? chapters

and then probably my current favorite bnha fic- although it fights with Apertum Mortem for that spot but that ones d a r k and not here-

41>family of the year by periiwren: EraserMic. “Hitoshi is done. Done with moving around every few months to a couple that will scrutinize him and eventually dump him right back where he started. Good thing he’s well past his strike limit now- at least he can stay in one place, be content to age out of the system and finish out his training with Aizawa. Maybe transfer into the hero course, maybe be a hero- but none of that was guaranteed. The only thing for sure was that he was going to stay in that center for the rest of his childhood. Or so he thought- because Aizawa Shouta and Yamada Hizashi have other plans.“ 24/? chapters. we’ve been informed that this one’s gonne be l o n g and im Very Grateful.

42>Here There Be Dragons by here_and_there: pre-ShinDeku. “Izuku looked at the small circle Aizawa had motioned to in front of them. "I won't fit," he whispered, thinking. He raised his hand, tentatively. Sighing, Aizawa grumbled, "What?" "I-I have a question. Actually, two." His teacher just stared at him, unimpressed. Izuku continued. "Can we activate our quirks before we step into the ring?" Aizawa looked up into the sky, muttering something Izuku didn't hear. "If you must." "O-Okay. Uh, second question. You said we have to stay inside the circle, right?" "Yes." The man looked disappointed, not only in Izuku but in himself for letting the kid speak. "Great. Uh... does that include tails?"“ 6/? chapters.

43>Another Option by sandersonsister: TodoBakuDeku, Touya/Hawks, Dabi/Hawks. Potentially Spoilery, depends on whether horikoshi has the guts to confirm Touya. this one is waiting around the corner with a baseball bat, its really cute, and then r e a l l y painful. it might be getting better though. maybe. it might be getting worse. “When Touya stops his mother from hurting Shouto, he decides enough is enough. He needs to get out of this house and he's taking his baby brother with him.“ 33/? chapters.

That's it i’m done for now, oof. maybe ill edit more onto this post later, maybe i’ll just make another one. hope some of these work!

#fic rec #bnha #mha #tododeku #todobakudeku #kiribaku #shinkami #shindeku #erasermic #To Be Continued

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heart2jeno · 4 years

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the stars we saw that day

▸ 💌 : u:mi is writing … ✎♡

꒰ 26.02.27 ꒱— i tried posting this a few days ago but it literally ? just collected dust and a measly 2 notes so i’m guessing something went wrong when i switched from posting it on mobile to later editing it on desktop. be a peach and pretend this is the first time i’m posting this... heh, enjoy the fic <3 !

a sexc one-shot for my favourite scorpio on this website @jaenocide

. . . 🌙 ⭐️ 🚀 . . .

₊˚. one (1) new incoming rq┊📥 !!

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄╮

❑ band au …

❑ enemies to lovers …

❑ prompt 1 : “ are you sure this

is legal ? ”

❑ member : RENJUN of NCT

↷… 🌙ˀˀ | opening FILE . . . ꒱ - - - - ☆

“you’re late.”

you dropped your schoolbag onto one of the plastic chairs against the wall, with a thump, and rolled your eyes, “and you’re already getting on my nerves,” is what you would have retorted, if you had had the energy to do so.

there were so many other things that you’d rather be doing. it was obvious that you hadn’t been given the choice of who you were meeting in one of the school’s tiny secluded practice-rooms after classes because the guy currently scowling daggers at your back would definitely not have been one of your choices—for obvious reasons.

if you had been given your way, you would never even have to see his face at all. so, naturally, when you looked over your shoulder, you returned his icy glare with one of your own, “my bad. ‘didn’t realise you’d be here counting down the minutes.”

his laugh was humorless, “don’t flatter yourself.” as he moved to the wall-piano in the corner of the room, he continued, “i wouldn’t be crying over my keys if you hadn’t show up.”

huang renjun: the art department’s favourite student, pianist protégée, beloved by every teacher who had ever had the absolute delight of having him in their class, the biggest pain-in-your-ass—only to name a few of the names that he’s accumulated during his years at the school on the outskirts of seoul.

no one ever really knew why the two of you couldn’t stand eachother; it had always been that way, for as long as anyone could remember.

☄︎. *. ˖⋆࿐໋₊

if you thought back on it—which you hardly ever found yourself doing—the first memory you had of huang renjun was back in elementary, when you had just transferred.

he had looked at you strangely—as if you were out-of-place, like an alien or something like that—the moment he had sat opposite you at the same table during class. you remember how he had murmured something behind his hand to jeno who sat beside him. they had kept glancing across at you throughout the lesson, muttering under their breaths.

during recess that day, you had stood on tiptoe and peered into the reflection of one of the school building’s window, wondering if your mum had braided your hair unevenly or if there were remnants of the cupcake you had eaten earlier in the day around your mouth. neither had seemed to be the case—which had only left you even more confused.

what had made you certain that huang renjun hated you was when he landed you your first ever lunch-time detention, in your last year of elementary.

the two of you, as well as your best-friends: donghyuck ‘haechan,’ jeno and jaemin (who had been renjun’s best friends first and still were—although admitting that you shared anything with renjun left a foul taste in your mouth) had sat on the same table in maths.

you had walked into the classroom, after break, to see renjun already sat down. usually, during lessons you’d ignore his presence as best as you could. you would pretend not to hear his ‘help’ whenever you struggled with the worksheet, prefering to soldier on; it wasn’t as if you’d feel any joy giving renjun the satisfaction of knowing more than you do.

but you had been quick to notice the sketchbook—your sketchbook—held in his greasy little hands. you must have forgotten to put it back inside your bag, the lesson before. his eyes had risen from examining the open pages and they widened when he registered you standing in the doorway.

as you stormed towards him, renjun’s mouth had opened to say something; it was as fruitless as trying to calm a raging tempest.

“give me that,” you seethed, snatching the book from him; your face felt like it was burning. the things you drew weren’t stuff that would get you in trouble but they were rather—well, looking back on it—weird: pretty schoolgirls with brightly-coloured hair sitting on yellow grass beneath a purple-coloured sky, mermaids on rocks akin to the candy of the same name beneath a gatorade waterfall, forest elves with the ability to control different elements. they were fantasy or sci-fi drawings, taking inspiration from the stories you made up in your head during daydreams, or from the stories you’d read at night when you were supposed to be sleeping. none of which you planned to sit down and share with renjun.

he had tried to say something again, bristling at your tone, but you didn’t allow him an opening, “haven’t you ever heard of a thing called privacy?” you quickly placed your sketchbook safely in your bag, making sure it was secured, before glowering at him, “paws off, brace-face.”you remember the surge of satisfaction that had coursed through you, when you watched how quickly his face became red.

after renjun had gotten his braces, you had overheard donghyuck call him the name, playfully nudging him in the arm. you didn’t think it would be enough to rile him up but it wasn’t soon after that when he stuck his hand up in the air to tell the teacher about what you had called him. you had stubbornly refused to apologise which resulted in a lunch-time spent writing lines of ‘i shall not name-call’ until your hand ached.

before you had started playing the guitar for the band, you had taken private violin lessons; since they were at your highschool, your music instructor would pair you and the other violinists up with the pianists for the end of month evaluation, because there weren’t that many of you altogether in the department. you didn’t mind, when you were paired with the care-free jaemin who smiled whenever he watched you play and let you sit beside him on the bench as he practiced his new arrangement. you may have even confessed that he gave you butterflies whenever he laughed at your bad jokes.

but there were a few months where you would be partnered with none other than renjun—who you felt was the only one who hated you more than the universe seemed to.

the pair of you played well enough during performances; in the words of your instructor who would even go as far as pulling the two of you aside afterwards, “it could even secure a place in the annual competition held in the city.” every time, the two of you would thank him stiffly, as if doing anything more would give the other a sort of advantage in your long-standing dispute.

to you, the thought of performing on stage would be a wonderful step-up from playing in the school’s small practice room littered with broken instruments on the shelves and the ancient piano stuffed in one corner (all giving the room a foul timeworn odour that hung in the air, even with the door open)—was welcomed, even—but with renjun? not a chance.

⋆·˚ ༘ * 🔭

“whatever,” you muttered, turning your back on him again and putting your case on one of the other plastic chairs. as you crouched down to unclasp it, you registered the sound of a page turning behind you and you took out your violin and bow. although you’d never admit it out loud, it wasn’t an exaggeration that renjun was a talented pianist. maybe if he did ever compete in the national piano competition, he’d even make it to the finals. maybe. your grip tightens on the neck of your violin as you brace yourself for an hour of torture (practice) with huang renjun.

that was in highschool.

“hey.”

you had graduated three years ago. yet here you were.

you poked your tongue into the inside of your cheek, before letting it sweep over your teeth. not taking your gaze off the window and the scenery that rolled past as the car drove through the city, you muttered, “what.”

there’s a pause—which you knew meant that he’s taking a moment to study you. you’re past the point of caring what went on in renjun’s head when he saw you; if anything you wished he’d be less keen to voice them aloud.

“i thought you did well earlier.”

you tensed in your seat, despite knowing better than to rise to the bait he had once again cast out to sea. of course, he always managed to haul an abundance, by the end of the day. when you didn’t respond, he took it as a cue to continue—or he didn’t care and continued anyway (you assumed the latter.) “what you said almost made me blush,” you could practically see the mocking smirk on his face, imprinted on the inside of your eyelids, as you closed your eyes and took a deep breath.

you finally turned your head to glare daggers, which seemed to only harmlessly glance off him, as he continued, “almost. although, of course, we both know better,” your skin crawled when he patted your hand in mock-affection, “don’t we, baby?”

you would have assumed that the two of you would have grown out of your childish war by now, especially after your whole ‘rise-to-fame,’ but no, you still hated everything about huang renjun: how he always had to have the last word, always had a remark on the tip of his tongue with a glint in his eye, always laughed at you like there’s a joke you’re not aware of.

but, most of all—especially now—you hated the feeling you got in your stomach whenever he looked at you so... so lovingly: like a million butterflies laid dormant there until he started talking with that look on his face—like they only took flight at his beck and call. you hated it—you hated it all.

you couldn’t decide which one made you feel worse: the fact, you knew as well as him, that it’s all a fabricated lie or the fact that it still managed to affect you so deeply, despite that piece of knowledge.

you see: if someone had told you, during the days when you used to practice in one of your school’s cramped music-rooms, that, a few years down the line, your band would be signed to one of the biggest entertainment companies in korea, you would have called them crazy; if they had continued and said that you and renjun would quickly be known as the country’s beloved ‘star couple,’ you may have punched them square in the nose.

yet here you were, being driven home after the day’s schedule—which had included an interview for one of the biggest magazines in south korea.

you had felt like the interview had been less professional than it should have been; it focused more on your adored ‘relationship’ with renjun, rather than the promotion of your group’s new album. it included questions like ‘when did the two of you realise you loved eachother?’ and ‘what’s your favourite thing about the other person?’

there had been many instances where you had had to resist the overwhelming urge to throttle both renjun, when he watched you with more of a taunting smirk than a lover’s smile, and the interviewer who had clearly been far more keen on hearing his answer than yours.

does a person have to blink that much? you remember asking youself, as you watched the interviewer lean unnecessarily closer to renjun and bat her eyes, as he was answering one of the questions about how often you get into arguments (”rarely ever, we never disagree on things” bullshit, huang.) instead of letting your disgust slip through, you secure your mask and play the role of the meek girlfriend, giggling at your boyfriend’s answer.

you had dipped your head slightly and bit your lip, trying to stop yourself from smiling, as a thought came to mind; our fans won’t be too happy when they notice this, in the video. while they’re easily deceived by yours and renjun’s ‘romance,’ they could pick up on many other things: including smitten interviewers.

your supporters were dedicated, often even extreme—and it was both their upbringing and in some cases, their ultimate flaw. despite yourself, you couldn’t wait to read the comments about this interview, in a few days.

pinching the skin on your wrist wasn’t enough to distract you from renjun’s presence anymore; not when you had to always hold his hand or link arms whilst walking around in public, because of the cameras flashing wherever you went in order to capture and report every detail to this media and the other; there even had to be the occasional kiss, if they had been particularly quiet and needed something new to gush about, like a child being rewarded with a treat for being so well-behaved.

sickening, how so many people get a thrill from a deluded sense of control over celebrities’ personal lives and relationships; as if we’re nothing but dolls. even if your relationship was fake—it wasn’t as if these people knew that. you supposed it was your company’s fault, for making you and renjun parade around like two stupid lovebirds as well as your own fault for letting them. but, hey, business is business.

to the public, you were two enamoured young stars who couldn’t wait until they were behind closed doors to display their desire for eachother. in reality, his hand on your wrist, as you waited for your transport after finishing the day’s schedule, was actually to keep you from writhing away: as if his touch physically scalded. when you leaned in to ‘lovingly whisper’ into his ear during music awards, you were actually hissing warnings about what would happen once you get back to the dorms if he kept getting on your nerves.

💫༉‧₊˚✧

you seize the opportunity to slip away from the eyes of producers and camera crew, as they finally move on to bombard haechan with questions and commands for another new promotion video. he notices you just as you’re about to leave and jokingly mouths a dramatic, “save me.”

you laugh silently and give him the thumbs-up, before backing out of the room. you make your way down the corridor and up the flight of stairs, the sound of your echoing steps drastically different to the constant chatter and background noise that you had grown so accustomed to. making it to the top, you barely hesitate, as you open the door to the building’s rooftop.

when you step out into the night, you close your eyes and—for the first time in what feels like forever—take a deep breath. you savour the cool air entering your lungs, as your muscles relax—you didn’t even realise how tense you had been. this life was everything you and your group had dreamed of: money, fame, parties with a-listers almost every weekend… so why did you feel so worn out by it all?

you tilt your head up to the inky sky, feeling infinitely small beneath the sparse pinpricks of light that shone above—out of reach, yet impossible to miss. a reminder. a comfort. your worries momentarily drift away on the cool wind, as the night embraces you, like an old friend. if only for a few minutes, until someone is sent to find you. it’s only when you open your eyes again that you notice someone perched on the ledge, their legs dangling over.

renjun’s silhouette was framed by the bright lights of soul: the office towers, shopping district and apartment buildings that made up the inner-city in the distance. had he felt like he had to get away for a while, the way you had?

he jumps at the sound of the door that slams shut behind you, his upper-body whipping around to find the cause of the noise. when he realises that it’s only you and not one of the production members who probably wouldn’t stop irritating him, he visibly relaxes and turns back around. some part of you is relieved that he would gladly tolerate your company over the crew’s—but, then again, you’d prefer him over their constant commands and orders too. and that said alot... right?

a slim beam of light shoots out from where your ‘boyfriend’ sits and you watch it dart across the towering buildings a distance away, “is that a… laser?”

he hums.

“are you sure this is legal?” you ask as you sit beside him on the ledge, maintaining a respectful distance—more for your own comfort than his. you continue watching the dancing light, “i mean, you might distract a pilot… or something.”

he’s silent for several moments, the laser-pen falling slack in his hand, “hm… nah, ‘don’t think so,” he gives you a sidewards-glance, noting your furrowed brow. he runs his fingers through his hair which you notice is now peaking behind his ears and down the nape of his neck, into the collar of his shirt.

if things were different, you may have even reached out to play with a few strands or ask him if he was thinking of growing it out. but, instead, your fingers remain curled into fists on your lap and your mouth stays shut as he resumes pointing the laser at seoul’s inner-city. it was surprising that the crimson beam was able to project that far.

“cut it out,” you finally sigh, after a few moments of awkward silence, ignoring his noise of protest as you snatch the pen from his hand and pocket it.

“you’ve never been any fun,” he murmurs, running his hands over his face before rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

at a sidewards glance, you realise renjun is bare-faced, without the usual thin layer of makeup and styled hair. he looks as tired as you feel. so he’s just been up here, all this time. as you steal a few more glances at him, you wonder if, maybe, your hectic schedule was taking its toll on someone else as well.

you quickly catch yourself staring, longer than you really should be, when he meets your eye. you avert your gaze to the city ahead, ignoring the heat rising in your cheeks.

“so you couldn’t stand it down there either, huh?” renjun says, if only to fill the silence stretching between the two of you. out of the corner of your peripheral vision, you can see him still watching you.

“just needed some air,” you say, shrugging.

he hums, clasping his hands in his lap. out of the corner of your eye, you can see him tapping a knuckle with his finger—a habit of his.

you both lapse into another stifling silence and, after a while, your eyes lift up to the sky; you strain to catch a glimpse of any stars.

renjun watches you, the corners of his mouth curving up into a small smile as he says, “it’s disappointing.” your eyes slide to meet his as he says, “you’ve heard of light pollution, right?”

“i was in your geo class, idiot.”

“well you wouldn’t blame me if i thought you didn’t pay a lot of attention,” after a beat, he quickly adds, “idiot.”

your eyes crinkle as you laugh, shaking your shoulders.

“i’m serious,” his intonation lilts off at the end, making it sound like he’s whining, “i swear you spent more time sleeping than actually taking notes.”

“i took tons of notes!” of course, you’re lying.

although you used to do your best to pay attention in class, you couldn’t help but fall asleep or stare out of the window or pay attention to anything else other than the lesson—it wasn’t your fault that the class was so boring.

what came as a surprise were the notes you discovered in your locker between classes which went over everything from the lesson before, delivered without fail. you didn’t know who left the neatly-organised notes, because you didn’t recognise the handwriting, whenever you compared it to your friends’.

the smile he flashes catches you off-guard.

it’s not like the ones that don’t reach his eyes—the ones you have forever been accustomed to—or the ones he gave you when there were thousands of cameras and eyes trained to capture every move that the pair of you made. those smiles were fake, dripping of unbearingly sweet honey which the oblivious public lapped up and simply couldn’t get enough of.

yet it isn’t the blatantly aggravating smirks he’d flash your way after delivering a biting remark about how well you sang his praises for an interview.

no, this smile is unlike the two masks he usually wears and discards. it seems… genuine? you can’t explain the feeling in your stomach at the sight.

“you mean, my notes?”

of course, they were his. your face burns as the realisation washes over you—or, more accurately, crashes into you like a tsunami wave. you mentally curse yourself for your stupidity as well as the irony of it all.

you had never tried to look at his writing, unless it was to quickly scrutinise the little notes he’d made on his music sheets which he begrudgingly shared with you during duet practices all those years ago. you had never really given it much thought. now you feel stupid for never doing so.

upon seeing your reaction, he takes your silence in stride—and laughs. the butterflies take flight in your stomach when you realise he’s not mocking you; you even smile weakly.

you’re not surprised at renjun’s reaction, before he muses aloud, “woah. ‘didn’t know you could do that.”

your smile falters. instinctively, your mouth works faster than your brain and you quickly retort, “well you don’t really give me many reasons to, do you?”

now it’s your turn to be surprised, as he simply tilts his head back, laughing up at the night sky. the sound is melodical and makes the fluttering in your stomach harder to ignore. you laugh weakly, the new situation catching you off-guard. are you seriously hiding on a rooftop and joking around with huang renjun? and were you… enjoying it?

“i bet i’m gonna wake up soon,” he says, as if reading your mind, after the laughter dies down. it’s a lot less awkward than it had been only moments before. “we’ll be at eachother’s throats again by tomorrow,” he quirks a brow at you for confirmation, “right?”

you hum, scratching your cheek with the knuckle of a finger, “maybe.”

“i mean,” he glances at you before staring down at his laced figers, “…why are we like this?”

you don’t have to ask him to be more specific, “i… i dunno,” you laugh dryly, fiddling with the laser-pen in your pocket, “you’ve hated me since day one.”

“what?” you would have thought he was goading you, if you hadn’t seen the shock that immediately crosses his features. he shoots you a puzzled look.

“you did,” you insist, trying hard to convince yourself that you were being logical, especially after his unexpected reaction, “remember? elementary school. miss kim’s class.” he tilts his head, like a confused puppy, brows furrowed as you continue to jog his memory, “you sat next to jeno and kept looking at me like—like i was something gross that you stepped in!”

“what?” renjun repeats, laughing breathily as he shakes his head, “no, that’s not true.” he looks at you, running his hand through his hair again. he searches your expression, “oh come on, y/n” hearing him say your name so casually makes your heart skip a beat. what is happening to you? “you were a new girl and…” his gaze falls to his hands again, as he mutters, “and… you were... cute…” he seems to be surprised by his own words, as he scratches the nape of his neck, his eyes suddenly avoiding your direction.

he did not just say that. he couldn’t have; out of all the things you were expecting, that was not one of them, “you’re joking.”

he gives you a pointed glance; as if the answer has been obvious, “if you asked jeno, he’d humiliate me,” quickly, he adds, “if he still remembers… which i doubt. i made him swear not to say anything.”

a supressed memory resurfaces, of jeno back in elementary: he had told you once that renjun had a crush on you. because of how unbelievable it seemed, you had iced him out for a solid week—similar to how you ignored renjun—for telling you such an unfunny joke, until he admitted that he had lied and apologised. maybe he hadn’t been lying afterall.

“oh,” you say quietly, before it fully sinks in and you put your face in your hands, “oh.”

renjun had never hated you. he had never insulted you first; if anything, he only ever lashed back in self-defence. it had been your fault for misunderstanding on that first day. while you were sat there feeling self-conscious, renjun had been talking to jeno throughout that lesson because he had thought you were cute.

renjun can’t help but smile at the way your voice came out muffled. “so you get it now?”

you reach out, weakly slapping his arm in embarrassment; he makes an equally weak attempt to dodge it, laughing again.

“god…” you rub your face, feeling like it was burning up again; this had to be the third time you’ve embarrassed yourself tonight. the crushing realisation of how different things could have been, if you hadn’t been so stupid, had you hiding your face in your hands again and shaking your head, “i’m…” your laugh is muffled, “i’m so sorry for…” you waved a hand between the two of you, “all of this.”

for the second time tonight, you’re pleasantly suprised when renjun only smiles up at the stars and shakes his head, looking lax, “well, better late than never,” he shoots you a playful grin, “ten years late than never.”

you slap his arm again, laughing, “stop that.”

in the end, or the beginning—whichever way you want to look at it—the thing that resolved your ten-year cat-and-dog relationship built over a misunderstanding was a fateful encounter on a rooftop and, under a light-polluted sky, you realised that you love everything about huang renjun.

you love how he talks so passionately about his different theories, especially the one about other universes existing at the same time as ours (“like. y/n. imagine that, in some other universe, we’re not even sitting on this rooftop. or that this rooftop never even existed. crazy, huh?”) as well as the possibility of alien life (“we haven’t even fully explored the ocean. who’s to say that aliens aren’t out there? or… already living amongst us?”)

you love how interested he had been, when you told him about the stories behind the drawings he had remembered from your sketchbook; he even described some of his own childhood drawings which were just as (and maybe even more) eccentric.

he has the sharp wit and humour to make you laugh until your sides hurt, especially on that memorable night which had been the first of many: you had had to hold his arm to stop yourself from accidentally falling off, as you writhed around; it proved to be almost useless, because renjun had been hysterical as well. both of your laughter rang in the night—and neither of you even had enough awareness to feel the cold.

but, most of all, you love the feeling you get in your stomach whenever he looks at you; those butterflies that take flight whenever he says your name. everything you had thought you knew about him was wrong—and your heart melts whenever you remember how he had been waiting for you to realise. maybe it had to take ten years, for the two of you to get to where you are now.

jeno gives you a wide-eyed look when he catches you cuddled up to renjun at the dorm, one night. passing the two of you on the sofa, he asks, “is this a hidden camera prank?” his eyes dart around, searching the corners of the room and even jokingly lifting up the bowl of cereal that he was carrying to inspect the bottom of it.

renjun grabs the cushion you had been hugging and you make a small sound of protest, before simply reaching to the side to grab another one. you laugh as you catch sight of jeno dodging the one thrown at him by the older boy and his free hand which moved to protect his cereal from spilling, “hey! you don’t have to hurt the lucky charms!”

as he saunters off to his room, he calls out, “i did try to tell you that he liked you, y/n!”

you reach out to the laser-pen on the coffee-table in front of the sofa and flash the light into jeno’s eyes, when he looks over his shoulder at the two of you. you laugh along with renjun as he yells in surprise and quickly shuts his door with a snap before any more harm can be done to him or his lucky charms.

huang renjun and y/n l/n: the nation’s beloved it-couple or, in your eyes, two people with a lot of time to make up for.

you believe that the two of you will get there, eventually—and hopefully it takes less than another ten years.

#renjun #huang renjun #nct renjun #nct huang renjun #nct #nct dream #nct 00 line #renjun x reader #nct x reader #nct dream x reader #nct fluff #nct dream fluff #nct 00 line fluff #kpop fluff #kpop

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forever-forgotten-angel · 6 years

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To Be Named Strip Club Fic (Chapter 3)

Warning: I am currently planning this to have some Thomas/Virgil romantic elements, if that’s not your thing please move on and have a wonderful day! In addition, this story involves strippers and will likely have some explicit content at some point, so if that isn’t your thing, also please move on and have a wonderful day! Summary: Sanders Sides Strip Club AU, with a newbie Virgil who still isn’t sure about performing in front of actual people and protective club owner Thomas who just wants his employees to be happy and reach their full potential.

Pairings: Patton/Emile, Logan/Roman, Thomas/Virgil, Virgil/Remy, possibly Thomas/Virgil/Remy depending on how things go. More couples may be added.

It’s back and hopefully better than ever! Sorry it took so long! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Thomas Sanders was having quite the lovely night so far.

He’d gotten to perform, there hadn’t been any issues at the club, he’d gotten all of his paperwork caught up, the pizza place he frequented had made an extra pizza and given it to him free, and now he was on his way back to his club to eat said pizza with his newest employee.

He smiled as he thought of Virgil. He’d been about to give up on searching for a new helper for the club and just deal as they had been after two hours of disastrous interviews (and having to stop Roman from punching someone who had taken a dig at Logan) when Patton had walked in with the man. He’d been so respectful of Patton and he looked to be capable of performing the tasks Thomas might need (mostly it was just restocking the bar, cleaning up, setting certain things up, that sort of thing) so Thomas had hired him on impulse.

He hadn’t regretted it. Virgil got along well with all the other employees, or famILY members as Patton would say. He was a great help and never complained about working late or anything. He had never been anything but kind and respectful to the performers. And while he didn’t really interact with the customers a lot, he was polite when he did.

Not to mention how much Thomas himself liked the employee. He was witty, caring, funny, and yeah okay absolutely gorgeous to look at. Thomas was constantly reminded that he was very gay whenever the man was around. His good looks combined with his sarcastic but sweet personality made him irresistible to the club owner. It was honestly a struggle not to drag the man up to his office, bend him over his desk, fuck him until he can’t see straight, and then spend hours cuddling and kissing and taking care of him. Luckily for him, his willpower had held out, so far at least.

Now Thomas really didn’t have a problem with relationships in the workplace. That was obvious considering half of his employees were dating each other. Roman and Logan, Joan and Talyn, and Ember and Octavian. Plus, Patton and Emile weren’t together yet, but everyone knew it was coming soon. No, the problem he had was he didn’t want the fact that he was Virgil’s boss to sway his decision in any way. So he’d decided to wait on making a move until he knew Virgil was fully comfortable with him.

Don’t get him wrong, even if he wasn’t interested in Virgil he still would have insisted on driving him to and from work, while the club wasn’t in a terrible area of the city, it wasn’t in the greatest area either and he didn’t want one of his employees walking around alone at night. But it was also an excuse to get to hang out with him and get to know him better. Plus it led to times like this, where the fact that he was already waiting for Virgil gave him an opportunity to spend even more time with him.

He arrives back at the club quicker than he’d expected due to not having to wait for the pizza and manages to get through the door without dropping said pizza. He makes his way into the main area of the club and looks around for Virgil. He doesn’t see him at first, causing a frown to grow on his face. Surely Virgil wouldn’t have just left? His eyes continue to scan the room until he spots his employee.

He’s at the top of one of the poles. Thomas is surprised, but his frown turns into a smile knowing at least Virgil is still there. The other man had never shown any interest in trying out the poles before, but Thomas supposed anyone would get curious eventually. He’s about to call out to Virgil when he sees him start to slide down the pole. He rushes forward, worried the other is going to fall, only to freeze in shock when he catches himself perfectly and spins around the pole using only his legs before flipping upside down and switching to using his arms, twirling around the pole until he’s back at the top.

Thomas stares in shock. That is not the type of move someone who was just curious could pull off. That’s the type of move someone who’d trained and performed for quite a while did. Which means Virgil had trained and performed pole dancing for some unknown amount of time prior to working here. And he was good. Really good. Now Thomas would like to say the first thing he thought when he saw this was how good it would be for the club to have another wonderful performer, and how it could bring in more business. In all actuality though his first thought was just…

D A M N.

He’d already thought Virgil was hot, but this? He looked incredible working his way up and down the pole, and he wasn’t even wearing the typical stripper outfit. He was still in his hoodie and jeans (and the fact that he was able to hold onto the pole with his legs without the friction of skin was impressive in and of itself). His second thought still wasn’t about the club, but about how many more positions he could think of now that he could see how flexible Virgil is. Then he thought of the club though, and that Virgil would be a really good performer. Right after that.

He quietly makes his way towards the stage and creeps onto it, his eyes never leaving the dancing form in front of them. He sets the pizza down at Jahmal’s station and continues to walk to the center of the stage where the poles were until he was only a few feet away. He watches entranced as Virgil spins, flips, and slides in time with the beat of the song until he’s finished. Silence fills the room as he just stares in awe for a moment. Then he beings to clap.

He sees Virgil lose grip and instantly darts forward, catching the other man before he hits the ground. Virgil is tense in his arms and it takes him a minute before he looks up at Thomas. His dark blue eyes widen and he looks paler than usual.

“H-hi Thomas. You’re back sooner than I th-thought you’d be.” Thomas raises an eyebrow. “They had a pizza ready and gave it to me so I didn’t have to wait.” Virgil nods in understanding. “That’s nice.” Thomas nods back, eyebrow still raised. “Yep. So are we just going to ignore the elephant in the room here?” Virgil shrugs in his arms. He sighs and brings it up himself. “How come you never told me that you could dance like that?”

Virgil shifts a bit, looking uncomfortable. “It never came up?” Thomas gives him a look. “I own a strip club. A strip club that you work for. And you never thought to tell me that you were a performer.” Virgil jerks his head back and forth instantly. “I’m not a performer.”

Thomas lets out a huff. “Really? My eyes tell me differently.” Virgil continues to shake his head. “No. No, you don’t understand. I mean I can…” Virgil trails off, gesturing to the poles. “But I don’t perform. I never have.” Thomas’ other eyebrow joins the one that is already raised. “Why the heck not? You’re really good. I’d pay to see you.” A blush breaks out over Virgil’s cheeks. He seems to consider it for a moment before shaking his head again. “No, I could never perform. On stage. In front of an audience. With people….watching. Just no.” Thomas gives him a ‘go on’ look. “I’d screw it up. Everyone would hate me.” Virgil’s tone indicated he thought this should be obvious. “Verge, no one would hate you. You just have to get out of your own head. I bet once you actually get up there it will be a lot easier than you think.” Virgil’s eyes go wide and they contain a look that says he thinks Thomas is insane. “Once I….No! No, no, no.”

“Virgil, you’d be amazing!” The man in his arms side. “Thomas, I can’t.” Thomas looked him in the eyes. “Yes you can. Virgil, my audience, any audience, would love you. Pat, Lo, Ro, and I can teach you how a typical performance works here. You can do any routine you want to any song you want, I’ll leave that up to you. It would be great for this place and I think it would be good for you too. You looked like you were enjoying yourself up there." Virgil let out a sharp breath. “Yeah, I….I love the actual dancing….but the crowd…” Virgil let the sentence trail off. “Virgil, I get it. You don’t think I was nervous the first time I danced here? But the crowd is not as bad as you think.” Virgil sighs a bit, still anxious. “Thomas, I work here....” He started but trailed off. “You’d make more money as a performer.” Thomas pointed out when Virgil didn’t continue. “Or, everyone hates me and I make no money then or after because I won’t be able to show my face here again so I’ll have to quit and find another job with new people and-” Thomas cut him off before he could get too worked.

"Well how about I make you a deal then? You dance one performance, just one, and if anyone hates you and you feel too embarrassed to work here anymore I'll pay you your current salary without you working at all until you’re out of college." Virgil's eyebrows shot up. "You really want to risk that?" Thomas gave him what he hoped came off as a teasing 'I know something you don't' kind of smile. "There's no risk at all. You dance like you just did and I'm going to have people begging me to make you a regular performer." Virgil looked disbelieving, but the determination to not perform wavered in his eyes for the first time.

“I wouldn’t get to see you anymore...or the other employees. I mean Patton’s like my best friend now so…” Thomas was touched and smiled softly at the man he was holding. “It’s adorable that you think you’re ever getting rid of Patton now. Or any of the rest of us. We can all still hang out. And you can even use the poes when no one is here if you want. But that is if it even goes badly which it will not because you are a beautiful dancer and everyone is going to adore you.” Virgil seems to be warming up to the idea a bit more, but still hesitant. “I don’t know Thomas. I’d like to say yes but I just don’t know if I can handle it.”

“I believe you can. Please just give it a try.” Virgil gives him an unreadable look. “Are you trying to use the puppy eyes on me?” Thomas shakes his head. “Wait, would the puppy eyes work?” Virgil immediately averts his gaze from Thomas. “......Noooooo.”

Thomas gives his best puppy look complete with big pleading eyes and a pouting lip. Virgil refuses to look at him so he shifts his arms so he can use one of his hands to guide Virgil’s face back to looking towards him (which coincidentally pulls him further into Thomas’ chest). He hears Virgil mutter something that sounded suspiciously like ‘Too damn adorable, fuck me.’ under his breath (which Thomas is really hoping he heard right because he would be more than happy to oblige that request). “Alright. I guess I can try just one performance.”

A large grin grows on Thomas’ face. “Awesome. You can go on next Friday. Should give plenty of time to prepare. You’re going to be amazing!” Virgil huffs and rolls his eyes, though the effect is ruined by the red coloring on his cheeks. “Whatever.” Thomas laughs fondly at his antics. “Ummmm Thomas?” Thomas hums in response. “You can put me down now?” Oh, right. Too bad, he had been so focussed on getting Virgil to perform that he hadn’t even really fully enjoyed having the man in his arms. Oh well. Some other time, he hoped at least. Just to make it last a bit longer he carries him over to where the pizza was, grabs it and put it on top of Virgil and then carries him to the bar where he places him down in a stool. Virgil’s blush has grown darker, Thomas noted.

They enjoy their pizza even though it’s a little cold now, and spend a while chatting. Thomas learns how Virgil first started pole-dancing and how he trained. He tells Virgil a bit more about his own experiences too. They talk for a good while after they’ve finished their pizza and Virgil quickly finished what little he had left to sweep up before his impromptu dance and they head out to Thomas’ car together, ready to go home.

They don’t talk about dancing, or the club, or anything really notable in particular as Thomas drives to Virgil’s apartment to drop him off. Virgil grabs his bag and gets out of the car. He thanks Thomas for the ride like he does every day even though Thomas has told him he really doesn’t have to. He is about to shut the door when Thomas call after him.

“Hey Verge!” The other pauses in closing the door and peeks his head back in. “Yeah?” Thomas only allows himself a moment of nervousness before blurting out what he wants to say. “Would you like to go out with me sometime? Just to clarify, I mean go out with me on a date. Romantically. As boyfriends.” Virgil stares at him in shock, saying nothing. Thomas’ anxiety builds a bit and he begins to ramble. “I know it’s a little different, because I’m your boss, but I don’t want that to affect your decision at all. I won’t hold it against you if you say no, we can just continue on as we have been. I was actually going to wait a bit longer before asking, just to make sure you were comfortable with me and all, but after people see the way you dance, you are going to get tons of people offering to be your boyfriend so I figured I should get mine in before they do.” He finished with a nervous but genuine smile towards Virgil. “Yes.” The nervousness falls away as the smile grows bigger.

“Really? Because you know you don’t have to if you don’t w-” He doesn’t get to finish as he is cut off by Virgil leaning in and kissing him. He is quick to kiss back, his hands automatically coming up to cup Virgil’s face. The kiss is light at first but as Virgil goes to pull back Thomas automatically licks his own lips, his tongue just brushing Virgil’s leaving ones. And then suddenly Virgil’s lips aren’t leaving but pressing back to his harder than the first time, slightly parted for Thomas’ tongue to slip through. Virgil climbs back into the passenger seat so he’s not at such an odd angle and puts his hands on Thomas’ waist. Their hands start to wander slightly as the kisses grow more heated, the two of them barely stopping to take a breath before starting up again. Virgil’s lips were so soft and warm against his and he tasted so good. Thomas wants to taste every inch of his body until the Virgil is begging him for more than just his lips and tongue. That will have to wait for, but he won’t forget about it.

He settle for pulling Virgil over the middle of the seats and sitting him down on his lap. Their kisses continue, brief breaks to pant out a breath or two in between until Virgil accidentally moves the wrong way and the car horn goes off. Virgil startles instantly and darts forward into Thomas’ arms, hugging against him tightly until he realizes what the noise was and settles again. He pulls away from Thomas with a sheepish look. Thomas can’t help but find it adorable.

Figuring it’s better to end things there before they rush into something they’ll regret, Thomas helps Virgil crawl back over the middle of the seats and the other gets out of the car again, though this time he is noticeably more flush. He picks up his bag from where he left it on the ground just outside the car and goes through it quickly checking on his things. Thomas assumes this must just be an instinct of his as even as wrapped up in each other as they were, they would have noticed someone coming that close to the car. He seems satisfied after a moment and looks back up at Thomas. “Does Tuesday night work for you?” The hoodie-clad man asks to Thomas’ confusion. “Tuesday night?” Virgil nods back. “For our date?” Thomas smiles brightly at Virgil who has a slightly anxious expression as he shifts from foot to foot. “Tuesday night is perfect. Pick you up at seven?” Virgil look of anxiety fades into a relieved looking smile. “Sure. Goodnight Thomas.” Virgil goes to shut the door as Thomas call back to him. “Goodnight boyfriend!” He blows Virgil a kiss through the window which the other pretends to catch, rolling his eyes while doing so. He’s still smiling though, which takes out any bite the eye roll might have had. Thomas waits until Virgil has safely entered his apartment building before driving off.

He thinks back on his the night's events as he drives towards his own home. He’d gotten to perform, was given free pizza, saw Virgil dance and god was it gorgeous, gained a new performer for his club for at least one night (hopefully more, he thought to himself as he made a mental note to save himself a seat as close to the stage as possible next Friday), eaten pizza with his crush, asked said crush out and got a positive response, and last but certainly not least he’d had a wonderful makeout session with his new boyfriend.

Yes, Thomas Sanders was most definitely having a lovely night.

Taglist: @organizeddiscord, @nightmarejasmine, @mariniacipher, @bubblycricket, @nico-ksanders, @anxiousangel121, @detroit-become-pan, @lesliealiceinwonderland, @tinashrader, @ab-artist, @dont-rain-on-my-gay-parade, @romanslunchbox, @jani-bunny54, @themarauders1 , @patheticlilkiddo , @aroundofaceapplesauce , @theunoriginaldaisy

#sanders sides #thomas sanders #virgil sanders #thvi #thomas/virgil #Strip Club Fic

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seyaryminamoto · 5 years

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Rejoice! Long-Winded Anon is here with another question. You have dedicated a lot of time and chapter space developing the side characters more than many fics usually would because most authors focus much more on the main characters, bending or even sacrificing other in-universe elements to fit their preferred vision, as shipping fics often do. But you take much more care writing other characters. Was that planned? Or spontaneous in the flow of plotting and world building?

On great measure it’s spontaneous, but it’s mainly because the story has required it. I will say, I did have a lot of canon characters presence when the story started out. Often readers seemed to be just thrilled to recognize old characters in new roles, and I had been working, up until then, with the notion that the more canon characters I used, the happier I’d keep everyone, pretty much.

So, all the way back in the first arc we had Shoji, a one-time character in canon, from the Headband, taking up a recurring role in the story as clerk in the Grand Royal Dome. Likewise, Song was a one-time canon character and she took on a role that turned her into a constant presence in the story, with her own development and relationships with the main characters. Smellerbee has only featured for one chapter, but she was there anyhow. Piandao trains Sokka, same role he had in canon, but for a longer period of time and eventually vanishes for yet-to-be-revealed plot reasons. Chan and Ruon Jian had roles too, Chan a relatively brief one so far, Ruon Jian a constant but background role nonetheless: marrying Mai off to a completely unknown character could have been an easier way out, but offering a one-time canon character further relevance actually might intrigue certain readers, I guessed. There’s June’s very controversial role from early on in the story too, Toph’s first sponsor is the same guy who was hired by her parents to track her down in canon, Xin Fu. Jet’s initial appearance is brief, even if his hypnosis might have helped many readers guess he’d come back for more eventually. Even Haru, who yes, is relevant in canon but he only shows up in a few episodes regardless, gets a bigger role here as Ty Lee’s gladiator. The hammer-wielding earthbender from Zuko Alone? He’s the Twin Hammer, the earthbender Sokka fights in Garsai’s Arena, and the first earthbender he defeats.

Yeah, there were lots of less important characters even at the early stages of the story, and several OCs who didn’t amount to much. Smellerbee’s sponsor? Literally got his name from a brand of eggrolls that they used to sell in my country XD Hosang bite-sized eggrolls were so nice… and as I needed a name, that came to mind and he was her sponsor. The Spawn of the Volcano is also an OC, as is the Hallowed Rock and frankly nearly every gladiator who’s not easily identifiable. But many unfamiliar and new characters, like Kuan, Aonu and Renzhi, Kino, Tiang, Seethus, the homeless people Azula helps, Haiyan and Yang, the entirety of the Blue Pack, Hina, most gladiators introduced after Haru…? Practically all of them are outright OCs, and that’s because I really felt I would have been stretching believability past an excessive point if somehow I kept choosing to repurpose characters who had showed up in canon at some point.

To put things simply… Miyuki and the Herbalist couldn’t have showed up if I didn’t have Sokka and Azula traveling to the Herbalist Institute. Aunt Wu as well, along with Meng, couldn’t have showed up believably in the story if they didn’t go to Makapu. Even Jeong Jeong is very deliberately operating in the northwestern Earth Kingdom because that is where Aang finds him in canon. If I’d featured them in locations that were completely incompatible with who they were established to be in canon, I would have been hurting the story rather than enriching it.

So I can’t, for instance, have Onji and Hide and Shoji and basically all of Aang’s classmates from the Headband moving to the Capital when they all lived in an island in the outskirts of the Fire Nation, because yeah, maybe some would have moved away (like Shoji did)! But would they all travel and move away to the same places? Would they all choose professions that coincidentally would align with whatever Sokka and Azula are up to at the moment, so that they’re relevant to the story somehow? Seems like a stretch, doesn’t it?

I really think I just reached a point where I couldn’t stretch believability so far without risking the story’s integrity. I couldn’t just make Hide Azula’s Guard Captain, for example, when all logic dictates that there should be lots of competent firebenders and soldiers in the Fire Nation who would be far more suited for the role than a completely common boy who showed no special aptitudes in canon other than being an annoying teacher’s pet. Hide apparently would have grown to be in the military, says the Wikia, but how many soldiers does the Fire Nation military have? Soooo many… and why would we not get to know them? Why should we only stick to the ones we met through canon, when there are already so few of those and most of them wouldn’t suit the role of Azula’s Guard Captain anyhow?

That logic steered me towards OCs over canon characters in the later stages of the story. Kino, Aonu, Renzhi, Yang, Haiyan, the entire Blue Pack, Hina, Rhone, Seethus… they’re all new characters, but as long as they fit in the roles the story needs them to fulfill, there’s no real reason for them to feel out of place the way they could if I was forcing them in, the way some writers do with overpowered OCs who break all logic in the setting they’re written into. Rhone, in particular, received far from a warm welcome when I introduced his character, but his character is an answer to a question canon brought up but didn’t really address at all: Yon Rha confirmed in the Southern Raiders that there WAS a leak of information in the South Pole that enabled them to figure out there was one last waterbender there. Canon never addressed this. I’m not going to pretend my way of addressing it is the one way to go… but it’s something. Likewise, Sokka’s increasing popularity would only logically result in him developing a fanclub like the one we saw for Suki early on in the story: why should the characters in that fanclub be anyone we already knew? There are so many people living in the Capital, lots of them unknown in canon, but they’re there. Is it more reasonable for common people who live in a city to be part of this club, or for people like, I don’t know, Star, to move all the way from Ba Sing Se only to fawn all over Sokka in the Fire Nation Capital? Which option makes more sense, ultimately?

And that’s really where my logic went in the end. ATLA did a decent job at showing us the common, ordinary folk who make a living in their world despite the chaotic war. Those are the people Aang helped often, and they didn’t all need some insanely exaggerated reason to be where they were, or to be who they were. Had I dragged them out of their natural living spaces, like for instance making Jin into a gladiator? It would have been ridiculous to no end. Her role and story work in Gladiator because it feels plausible within what canon established for her. And that’s how I’ve tried to keep it for all the canon characters I use. If there are no canon characters who can fulfill a certain role? Then an OC it is!

I admit, it was a lot of fun repurposing characters, but stories like mine reach a point where you can’t really do that believably anymore. I think starting off with as many canon characters in relevant roles as possible did help a lot with capturing the interest of readers who were intrigued by how much the world they knew from ATLA had changed in this setting, but it wasn’t sustainable to do that forever.

As for focusing more on canon characters than on OCs, I’m pretty sure I’ve done that, on the most part. Perhaps the only exceptions for it are characters like Rui Shi, Xin Long and Kino, but other than them I think the core cast of the story is comprised by canon characters. I guess I might be forgetting someone important, I don’t know anymore xD but as to why OCs get attention where they would just be standing in the background in many other stories… I guess because I’m not a big fan of static characters with little to no personality. Not to say all my OCs have personalities, pretty sure I have some terribly flat ones xD but I do want my characters to feel like real people with lives of their own, whether OCs or not. So when Dong cries a river because his girlfriend Yumiko dumped him, he feels like a character whose life didn’t just begin as soon as Azula stepped into his room to inspect it. When Kino airs his grievances to Aang and Katara about how his fellow soldiers ignore him no matter what he does, he also feels like someone who’s had struggles, however ridiculous they were, before he got to know them. When Haiyan and Yang have no money because they eloped and have been struggling to get on their feet ever since, it’s clear they’re going through their own problems too. Rui Shi may not have any issues of that magnitude, but he has a very obvious difficulty: his charge makes his life unnecessarily difficult ever since she got it into her head to get a gladiator :’D And there’s next to no reason for him to be pleased for that.

Ultimately, writing an OC is no different from writing a canon character as long as you let them have lives of their own, even if simple lives. And that’s what has guided me into writing this story and the characters featuring in it as I have.

#gladiator #ocs #... secret to ocs maybe?#I dunno #anyways people need to be less afraid of using OCs if they really need them #especially in coherent roles #where you can't have anyone else #also um I've added a fuckton of my old OCs into the story since ages ago #obviously not a lot of people know or can even notice because most of them are unknown BUT #one day I'm gonna draw 'em #in all their forms (?)#because I need practice on clip art studio whatsitsname #and that's my best idea for it #so HAHAHAHA #OC SPREE GALORE ONE DAY #MARK MY WORDS!!!#long-winded anon

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itslulu42 · 6 years

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Asphyxiation

The last of my LJ fics from 2009 that I’m finally posting here because it is seasonally appropriate.

I wrote it when I was out of my mind on cold medication and people really liked it. I guess that says something about my writing. XD The final version is almost identical to the rough draft in my notebook.

Banner for my nostalgia and because I gotta delete that LJ soon. :D

Story behind the cut for you lovelies.

The thing that Sakura despised the most about the war was the smell; it was a putrid, clinging stench that was unique unto itself. Elemental jutsu would leave behind the acrid scent of ash and iron, odors that burned at her nose and lungs. War was dead bodies in various stages of decay that reached forth with ghostly arms to choke her and the taste of wasted energy on her tongue.

When Sakura first arrived, she had expected the horrific injuries; she had anticipated the exhaustion that would wear at her body and mind. She hadn’t anticipated the smell, one that would inundate her mind, cling to her skin, and taint the flavor of her bland food. Her only saving grace was that Suna had developed a seal to keep the fetid smell out of the tents.

Sakura cursed Iwa and Naruto’s steadfast dedication to Gaara. If they hadn’t been such close allies she wouldn’t be here at all. Suna was in no shape to fight Iwa; most of the jounin were still young and lacked the experience. As such, Naruto had sent over several squads over and they were doing their best to bring the battle to a swift end. But Iwa’s experience was making it difficult to gain any advantage and as the weeks passed, Sakura was having a difficult time seeing an end in sight.

The four months made her feel as if she had aged twenty; it was full of sleepless nights and ripped bleeding flesh. Her body was constantly tense, waiting for another crack of rock breaking or the horn that was the sign of Iwa’s advance. Sakura had at some point developed a tick in her right eye and every glimpse in the mirror made her more unrecognizable. Soon Sai’s nickname for her was going to be more truth than a lie. It was just another thought added to her heavy heart.

Sakura thought she was over such vain trivialities.

The horn outside Sakura’s tent blared and she knew that the latest advance had retreated. She grabbed the scrap of cloth she used as a mask and wrapped it around her nose and mouth. Once in place, Sakura exited her tent and made her way across the compound. The smell was still there, filling her mouth and throat. She stopped to gag, huffing through her mouth until her body adjusted to the exposure. Her eye gave another tick as some of the sand cracked underneath her feet. She waved at the dirty ninja returning from the battle.

“Injured?” Sakura asked them.

“None,” replied a Sand Ninja, a man she knew by sight alone.

“What?” Sakura’s widened in surprise. Iwa was full of ruthless fighters and the injuries they caused were many and severe. Most ninjas were put on rotation so they could recover from their injuries, Sakura being one of the few who had been present the entire time.

The ninja shrugged. “It’s New Year’s Eve. Both sides are on a truce for twelve hours.”

“You don’t actually believe them, do you?” Sakura asked. “They’re hoping you become drunk so everyone is vulnerable.”

But the men continued without a word, making their way to the tent that contained the jars of desperately made alcohol from random bits of rations.

Annoyed, she walked to the captain’s tent, determined to give him a piece of her mind. What sort of hair-brained leader was he?

“Kakashi?” Sakura came to a halt once she recognized the back of his scruffy head.

He raised a gloved hand, his back to her as he stood up from his chair. “I thought you were stationed here.”

“Did you make that announcement about the truce? And where is the captain? You know that is only going to make the men drink and become careless.” Her eye gave another twitch as she removed her mask and placed it on a table.

“Well, I hardly think that—damn." Kakashi had turned around mid-sentence.

“What?”

"Er...nothing,” Kakashi replied in an unconvincing tone.

“What?”

“Ahh…” He cleared his throat. “You've changed a bit.”

“I haven’t changed that much,” Sakura retorted as he approached her. Kakashi raised his hand to pluck at her hair. “What are you doing? Stop it, Kakashi!”

“It’s grey,” he replied in astonishment as he peered at the strand between his fingers. “And your eye has been twitching since you walked in.”

Sakura pressed her lips together in displeasure. Part of her wanted to rage in anger because Kakashi was so inconsiderate, but she couldn’t muster the energy. He stared at her. She stared back.

“Huh…Every five minutes your eye gives a little tick.” Kakashi leaned forward to peer at her closer. “It’s like you can tell time by it.”

“You’re so rude,” replied Sakura as she crossed her arms.

“The war hasn’t been kind to you.” Kakashi made his way over to the table and patted it invitation as he sat upon it. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. The war isn’t kind on anyone. You’ve changed and it caught me by surprise.”

Sakura shuffled over and sat down next to him. She wiped at a crusty orange stain on her uniform as she gathered her thoughts. “It’s the waiting that gets to me, those moments after the advance and I have to wait for the injured to start coming. And then when they do arrive, I don’t quite know where to start.” She stared at her feet, noting that the soles were beginning to fall apart again.

Sakura saw Kakashi’s s boots from the corner of her eye and marveled that they weren’t covered in mud or blood. She could feel the familiarity of his presence returning to her, that longing that had seized her body every time he had passed her in the street. And that was only when she looked at his boots.

Kakashi hummed. “I’m sure the grey will fade away when you get home.”

“I hope,” she confessed. It was only a few strands, but that was already too much. “So are you certain the truce will hold?”

“I’m hoping Iwa goes back on their word. Otherwise, all of the traps I set up on the field and the fresh wave of troops waiting for them would have been for nothing.”

Sakura felt her eye tremble as she sighed in relief. Of course, there was more to the plan.

Kakashi looked at the clock. “The next time your eye twitches, it will be a new year.”

“Shut up, Kakashi.” She raised one hand to rub at the furrow that has formed in her brow and her nose caught a whiff of the disinfectant she has been using the past few months. It had crept into every crevice of her hands to dry it out and peel away her skin. Kakashi was stationed at another location of the front, but he looked the same. In the village he was considered aloof and taciturn, some believed him unfeeling. But in a shabby tent out in the battlefield he looked like a pantheon of confidence and stability. It was unfair that Kakashi grew more virtuous in a war and she deteriorated like a poorly made toy.

Kakashi’s head was turned to the side and his headband was blocking his view of her. Sakura’s eye twitched once more and her renewed adoration burned in her lungs and heart. She leaned forward to tug down his mask and kissed him. It was an awkward thing, his head was in the process of turning and their teeth collide together and she has caught part of his top lip but none of his bottom. She tried to redeem herself by readjusting but he pulled back and the moment was over.

Astonishment was etched all over his face. “You kissed me.”

The corners of Sakura’s mouth tucked into another frown and she wonders if she will smile before she forgets how to do so. “I know that.”

“Why?”

Sakura turned away and shuffled back to her spot by the table. “It’s the New Year. I thought that it would be clever and kind of sexy or something.” Normally, she would be plotting her escape from shame by now, but she’s too weary to put forth the effort.

“Well, it wasn’t. It was terrible.”

“I know.” She tried to smile, but all that she can make is a painful grimace, her cheeks aching with the effort. “I could try again.”

Kakashi shook his head. “I don’t recommend that.”

“Oh.” She stared at her hands in her lap. It was just as well, one only gets a single chance at a New Year’s kiss anyway. Sakura’s embarrassment caused her lungs to burn again even though she is the safety of the tent. Kakashi had the worst possible reaction, short of posting an international flyer on how much he hated her. She sat next to him in an uncomfortable silence.

Sakura stayed because dying of embarrassment next to him was better than being alone with a tent and a drink.

So deep in her thoughts, Sakura failed to notice Kakashi move closer. But she caught a whiff of his smell, the scent of ozone and cleanliness. There was a brief glimpse of the stubble around his mouth before his lips pressed against hers. He tongue swooped in as she opened her mouth in shock. Kakashi’s hands tangled in her hair as he stole her breathe away.

The horn outside the tent blared, and Sakura knew Iwa had fallen into Kakashi’s trap. He pulled away from her, a mischievous smile on his lips that caused her heart to stutter. Sakura felt the pressure inside of her slacken as he spoke.

“Happy Monday.”

#kakasaku #my fanfiction

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singingwordwright · 7 years

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Shadowhunters recap - s2ep19 “Hail and Farewell”

SHADOWHUNTERS Recaps Intro and Masterlist

These recaps may contain spoilers from the books (that may or may not happen in the show.) Proceed at your own risk.

Recap and meta under the cut.

I thought this was a really great way to lead into the episode. Throughout the season, we’ve seen this steady progression of Sebastian unraveling (yes, I know he’s actually Jonathan, but in the books he adopts the Sebastian identity For Reasons and others have a hard time thinking of him as anything else For Reasons, so we’re going with that.) His plans have been thwarted at every turn, with the possible exception of getting Valentine away from Clave custody, and that didn’t turn out the way he intended either.

In fact, it’s only gotten worse since he decided not to banish Valentine to Edom after all, because now Valentine is getting in his head all the time, chipping away at whatever is left of his sanity, preying on his need for approbation, manipulating him into playing by Valentine’s rules.

It makes you wonder what his plans were for AFTER he banished Valentine to Edom. What was his next step if he’d followed through there? Did he intend to just settle into an “ordinary” Shadowhunter life as Sebastian Verlac and hope he was never found out?

Clary claiming she knew something was off about Sebastian—since when? Since she pretty much started confiding in him the instant he showed up at the Institute? Other than being put off by his romantic attentions, what indication did she ever give that she didn’t think he was A-OK?

Still LOVE seeing badass Izzy back in the field.

The dialogue about the “possessing” demon (like, is that the name of the subspecies? Because it’s spoken as if it’s the name and yet it’s more of a description) like the one that killed Jocelyn was a little clunky (like, when were we ever given an indication that the one that killed Jocelyn could take control of dead bodies?) But it did serve its purpose in establishing that Valentine can still control demons with the Mortal Cup. Which we the viewers already knew, but apparently the characters needed it confirmed somehow?

I did hate seeing that final indignity visited upon poor Sebastian Verlac, though. He didn’t deserve that.

I thought this shot of Izzy and Clary responding with “hail and farewell” was interesting because of the difference in their faces. Clary recites the words, but Izzy closes hers, and her face is much more intent.

It reminded me a lot of the times that I, as a person who isn’t Catholic, have attended mass with Catholic friends.

It says a lot about the disparity in their upbringing. They’re both Shadowhunters, yes, but for Clary, being raised as a mundane, this is a foreign custom that she participates in out of politeness. She’s trying to adopt it but she doesn’t really feel it. Izzy, however, is legitimately devout. This is part of her cultural identity, and these words, this rite, is sacred to her.

Which makes the utter scorn with which she uses them at the end of the episode all that much more powerful.

I literally spent this entire scene moaning “nooo, don’t tell anyone about the Mirror!” but of course they do. Which I kinda-sorta get because of course they need to get guards on the lake, but surely they should know by now that the Clave has more leaks than a sieve? Not to pat myself on the back, but I think the suggestion Maryse made in the short fic I posted last week, of notifying the werewolf packs in Idris and convincing them to patrol the lake, was far more sensible.

Admittedly, that could be because I’ve read the synopsis for s2ep20 and know there’s a traitor somewhere.

This scene is meant to give us the impression that Imogen might be that traitor, I suspect, but I’m 99% certain that’s a red herring. First of all, there’s simply no way she’s going to work with Valentine. She truly and sincerely despises him. Second, one of Jace’s family members turns out to be a traitor? Haven’t we already gone to this well a few too many times?

I actually suspect Imogen might die next week, though, because Inquistor Herondale in the books was long dead by this point (she dies immediately after realizing Jace is her grandson) and during the sequence of events in the books that the show is presently modeling itself after, Inquisitor Aldertree (who had taken her place) is killed by Valentine. Let’s hope Imogen’s death isn’t a gruesome as that one was.

So, Imogen here says “I’ll speak to Consul Malachi.” Let’s get into that, shall we?

The anti-Downworld/Nephilim-supremacist rant voiceover in the promo for next week’s episode is, in fact, Malachi Dieudonné. I didn’t originally recognize him as a character from the books because Izzy refers to him in s2ep15 ‘Councillor Dieudonné’ (closed captioning says ‘Consul Dieudonné’ but it sounded like ‘Councillor’ when I watched it) and in the books he’s called Consul Malachi. So Imogen referring to him as Consul Malachi here is the first time I put it together.

In the books, yes, Malachi is a traitor, and clearly he is going to be on the show as well. But on the show, we have literally ZERO investment in this character. Until now, he’s had two lines and, like, three seconds of screen time. So I don’t see what payoff there is, on a storytelling level, to making him the traitor—or at least the only one. Also, they’ve already given Malachi away in both the promo for the next episode and the promo stills they released. So I suspect this is a diversion to keep us from suspecting another traitor, one who will be more of a surprise.

My money is still on Robert.

I really love Luke sort of calling Magnus out here and Magnus replying. I wish Luke hadn’t backed down.

I especially love the look Raphael shot Luke when Luke invoked Alec’s name. Like, “Wow, really? You’re going there?”

I feel for Magnus, and yet I’m really glad to see the Downworlders prioritizing the Downworld over the Shadowhunters right now. Despite their misgivings and personal stakes in all this, even Luke and Raphael have their priorities in the right place here.

Can someone please give me one single rational reason why Clary and Jace are in this meeting?

Izzy I can see. She’s sort of functioned as Alec’s co-host/goodwill ambassador for previous Downworld cabinet meetings. But Jace and Clary serve absolutely no function in this meeting, and Clary specifically has been in the shadow world less than two months so what the hell is she doing attending high-level political meetings, sassing off to foreign dignitaries for no other reason than she’s still sulky over what happened the last time she saw the Seelie Queen?

A lot of people see Magnus’s expressions in this scene as being derision aimed at Alec, but I don’t agree. I think they’re irritation over the fact that he can’t respond when he wants to, as he’s clearly been ordered not to speak. “Such is the nature of our agreement.” He has to let the Seelie Queen do all the talking. Raphael and Luke are clearly under the same condition.

His behavior in this scene isn’t him being salty at Alec. It’s him being uncomfortable and frustrated with the position he’s been forced into. It’s meant to show us that he’s not sanguine about this new state of affairs in the slightest.

ETA: I take this back. Given the sneak peek of s2ep20, clearly he really is still salty at Alec. Which is sort of giving me whiplash because he wasn’t angry any longer at the end of s2ep18, just sad. So why is he back to that angry place now? I don’t get it.

Don’t get me started on the fact that, after watching Alec go through this, Clary and Jace look at each other, rather than Alec who must be suffering under what is happening.

Don’t get me started on the fact that we haven’t seen Jace express a single word of concern about anything having to do with Alec since season 2B began. Apparently their renewed connection from season 2A is gone and we’re back to Jace being about himself and his drama all the time and taking Alec for granted.

I really did like this moment between Clary and Luke. Because it demonstrated two things. 1) that they still love each other and 2) that Luke is no longer letting his love for Clary drive him to neglect his pack. And Clary…actually understands that. Respects it. Who is this new Clary who recognizes the bigger picture (at least some of the time?)

What’s interesting, though, is that despite the Seelie Queen giving the Shadowhunters a definitive “no” on their request to help hunt for Valentine, Luke and Raphael leave the meeting clearly intending to do exactly that. And the Seelie Queen orders the warlocks to put up wards around the City. So…what exactly did her refusal in the council meeting accomplish?

“We’re going to do exactly what you’re asking us to do, but we’re not going to help you do it or work with you in doing it.” I’m not sure I understand what the point of that is, except to establish a new power dynamic and antagonize the Clave.

Can we take a moment to admire the staging of this shot with Izzy and Raphael? Her standing in the sunlight, him carefully in the shadows. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again; I’m firmly pro-Rizzy, as long as the toxic mutual-addiction thing isn’t an element. I like this ship. I know it’s not endgame, but as long as they’re both dealt with respectfully at the end of it, I can get behind it.

But if this shot isn’t a metaphor for the issues they face if they go there, I don’t know what is.

Simon and Maia are so adorable. I just wish I knew how the producers plan on wrapping up their romance plotline without (just like Izzy and Raphael) treating one of them disrespectfully. Because I just don’t want to see that.

Maia eating off the plate going out to the customers just kills me. If only Ollie knew… But again, who are these people who operate and work at the Jade Wolf, that apparently all these werewolves going in and out of their kitchen getting into shit isn’t a big deal?

“I know that asking you for a favor right now might be a little awkward…” OMG what is this? Is Clary actually demonstrating…self-awareness? Really?

*sniffle* I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.

I adore Simon so much. There is just not a petty bone in his body, even when no one would blame him if there were.

What I would like to know is if Clary ran this plan to send Simon as an emissary to the Seelie Queen past Alec and got his okay with it. Because, like, maybe she should stay OUT of issues of shadow world diplomacy until someone tags her in on it?

I can’t. I just can’t. This hurts too damn much. I need it to be Monday already and I need my boys to be all right. Sweartagod if they leave us this way over the hiatus I will…well, I don’t know what I’ll do, but I know that my enthusiasm for this episode was severely dampened by the Malec break-up and if they remain broken up over the hiatus, I will probably have a very hard time mustering enough enthusiasm to tune in for Season 3.

Look, I’m old. I’ve been battered and bruised and I’ve learned through many painful experiences that if the pain of rooting for your favorite characters and ships starts outweighing the enjoyment, it’s time to bail.

Madzie! Catarina! I love them both and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing them more in Season 3. I was really hoping that Catarina would try to talk Magnus out of gambling on the Seelie Queen, but nope, she’s just that ride or die. No questions asked, she’s in.

“Thank you for coming.” Magnus thanks her! He doesn’t take for granted that she’ll just jump to. *heart eyes*

It’s interesting to me how Magnus tends to pull his face more, make more over-the-top facial expressions, when he’s not with Alec. This is much more the Magnus was saw in Season 1. Even here with Catarina, right now when everything is so raw, his walls are up and that’s one of the signs of it.

I’m trying to decide whether or not I’m in favor of them making Sebastian so fixated on Valentine’s approval. It’s a bit woobie-fying, isn’t it? Like, are they saying that Sebastian could have been saved, if not for Valentine’s poisonous influence? Jocelyn didn’t seem to think so; she believed he was evil from birth. Are they trying to set up a redemption arc for him? Or merely foreshadowing what turns out to be his fatal weakness (letting Jace goad him about being the “favorite son” ultimately leads to his downfall.)

Apropos of nothing, is it just me or does it look like that Circle member on the right might be pregnant? No real point to that, just sort of thinking of what it must be like to be a pregnant Shadowhunter, particularly in time of war. We know Maryse was in the Circle when she was pregnant with Alec (she’s lucky Valentine didn’t try any experiments on her) and was conducting raids with the Circle still when Alec was just a baby.

And Valentine wouldn’t scruple to use pregnant women as canon fodder, either, would he?

They’ve done better with the Seelie ears this season than they did first season. I can still see a seam where the prosthetic is glued on, but it’s not nearly as messy as Meliorn’s were in season 1.

I do love that Simon gives so few fucks that he just sasses back to the Seelie Queen. Which I know is maybe a little hypocritical of me, since I was irritated that Clary was doing that earlier, but the difference is, Clary was in a diplomatic meeting and shouldn’t have been taking pot shots.

This was a gorgeously filmed scene. I admit it, for someone who has been spectacularly unmoved by Clace overall, I was feeling it a bit here. Part of it may just be how beautifully it was shot, part of it may be because Clary hasn’t been irritating me nearly as much the past couple episodes, but I think what really got me was the embrace. Not a kiss, not passion, just…intimacy. Closeness. The protective way Jace was holding her and sense of safety and contentment Clary radiated in his arms. A respite in the middle of chaos. A moment when the world melts away. The need to wrap yourself around someone and just be pressed against them and just be in that moment.

That’s a very visceral thing and actually speaks to me a lot more than a kiss would have done.

I almost asked who made the portal but then I remembered Clary’s rune.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Valentine make canon fodder out of innocents, but at least when he made Forsaken in season 1 he took volunteers (admittedly they were people who were sick and dying and didn’t have much choice.)

I and many others have already remarked on the way Jace assumes Alec would want to probe about his drama with Clary when he apparently hasn’t taken even a second to notice what Alec is going through. I don’t like these sorts of inconsistencies. Either they have this bond, and it goes both ways, or they don’t. Alec seems to be very consistently attentive to whatever Jace is going through, but Jace is hit-and-miss with Alec, and I really don’t want the writing to take them back to a place where Jace is taking Alec for granted the way they did in season 1.

I don’t have much to say about the ensuing fight sequences. Lots of Fighty McFight and Princess Stabbity stuff. They were amazing, ALL the characters got to have badass moments. And one lesson Valentine apparently taught Jace that he’s been playing close to the vest is the ability to talk his way inside someone’s head and manipulate them into playing by his rules.

I loved that Izzy got to confront Sebastian, though I do wish they’d kept the touch from the books where she amputated his hand with her whip. That would have been awesome, and sort of a parallel to Jace doing the same thing to Hodge after Hodge betrayed them at the end of Season 1 (though, maybe that’s why they didn’t go there again.)

I will say, though, apparently Jace actually missed the spot where he could sever Sebastian’s spine, because otherwise Sebastian wouldn’t be able to stand upright here and grab him by the neck for their final tussle. His legs should have buckled the instant that sword went through him, if his spine was severed.

And, again, see the beginning of this write-up for why the disdain with which Izzy delivers the words “Hail and farewell” here is so amazing.

I can’t even imagine what the Seelie Queen thinks she’s going to accomplish by kidnapping Maia. Clearly it has something to do with wanting Simon to capitulate, but how exactly?

And what could Valentine possibly be offering her here at the end?

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters meta #meta #s2ep19 #recaps #s2b

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