#Imagine a phantom of the opera au that’s crazy

[oliverello]

Why did I just realize that the one blooper of a puppeteer making Rian sing, was from the Phantom of the Opera. Now I’m obligated to make art 🤬🤬🤬🤬

[chaos-bringer-13]

Well it was space as stars and planets in my mind (he could meditate by closing his normal eye and looking at cool space with his weird one) but now it's gonna be remote viewing because it's a cool idea. And he still can use it for looking at space - as soon as he learns to control it because he absolutely is just getting bombarded with random images. Poor boy. I hope he can stop it by closing that eye. He would cosplay as a pirate or put tape over Phantom's mask eye slot just to stop seeing stuff. Migraines are awful :(

(I liked your pun)

Omg a fic I'm gonna read it! (looks at a pile of fics I wanna read, pretends not to notice it)

The closest I've seen to this idea is an AU where Danny went blind and got lost in ghost zone after turning on the portal and he can only see ecto-infused things and uses his ice to see. He ends up in DC-universe and is thought to be a villain because he freezes a whole city Elsa style. I loved that idea so I'm happy that there is another take on Danny and his seeing of ecto-infused stuff

Duke! Yes! Danny bonding with Duke! They do not see auras the same. They argue about it. They're confused about it. They see auras wildly different and it's actually weirder when they see someone's aura the same way. They try to make a comparison table and find patterns. They fail but they still keep a table of comparisons on how they see batfamily and other mutual friends. There are bad drawings attached. They have the dumbest arguments about correct colors of people's souls. Every single time. It's their way of bonding.

I want you to know that I went to google to find out about shrimp colors and the first site I got was an article named "Shrimp do not see a kaleidoscope of colours, they are just really stupid" and I was distracted for several minutes because of laughing. And then I went into memes and laughed more.

I say they see shrimp colors. I don't mean it as colors that shrimp see (especially because it's sadly just a myth), I mean it as colors that they can't neither describe nor draw. They're stuck as the only people seeing it. They were extremely excited to meet each other because they thought they could finally share this experience and talk about those colors and show each other people with their favorite auras. They were disappointed to the point of almost crying when they found out that they still can't share it because they see it differently. They're still sad about it. They still show each other people with cool auras because often it's still cool even though different. They made up several words only for describing auras. They're not sure if they mean the same thing when they use those words. They still use them. They understand each other's aura vision better than anyone and yet not enough, not nearly perfect. Before meeting, when they just heard about each other, they thought it would be useful for finding people (for example if Duke saw someone's aura and not their face, Danny should have been able to recognize them) but it's useless. They still enjoy each other's company.

The Literal Phantom of the Opera (DpxDc prompt)

When Cassandra Cain first began taking ballet, her fellow dancers quickly warned her about the ghost haunting the theater.

"He likes to watch us. I see him looking down at the stage from the catwalk all the time."

"It looks like he stole one of the Phantom of the Opera masks last time a tour came through, but its been covered in stars!"

"I heard him when I was acting in Wicked. I was alone in the green room doing some last minute practice and I swear he was humming along while I was singing!"

"It was the phantom who stole my makeup from my dressing room I just know it!"

"Haley from front of house didn't believe he existed until they came backstage to grab supplies for seat repairs. I don't know what they saw, but now they refuse to go backstage."

"That ghost is evil. It pushed me down the stairs to the office and I tore my suit on the railing. Do you know how hard it is to find an all white suit on short notice? I'm lucky it didn't break my ankle!"

"We used to have balconies before the renovations. Sometimes it sounds like someone is moving inside the walls where they used to be."

"I'm not sure that the ghost is fully aware we're performers. A few years ago when Heathers was here, the actress for McNamara said that it felt like someone was hugging her after Lifeboat."

"I've seen him without the mask. His face looks like it was just... shredded. I only saw it once, but I'll never forget that face."

"I heard that he likes to mess with the equipment in the control booth."

Cass isn't sure that the ghost is real, but she is sure that the other dancers think he's real. They often gossip about the theater ghost in hushed whispers, knocking on wood at the very mention of him. Her teachers prefer not to talk about the ghost at all, but they don't deny its existence.

It's not until she is practicing alone on stage and feels eyes on her that she thinks there might be something to the ghost rumors.

[touchmycoat]

phantom!AU

just rewatched the 2004 phantom of the opera movie and jesus heck, thinking dramatic thoughts about christine!YQY and phantom!SJ where SJ escaped the Qiu House but bears the scars. In the shadows of the theater is the only place he can be around art and music and beauty, sometimes imagine himself excelling at the center of it (like he deserved) without being rudely awakened.

So there he hides, watching the boy he loves get trained, get adored. He's envious and resentful but he also can't bear to take any of it from YQY, not really. Instead, he wants YQY trapped. Qi-ge never came back for him? Left him in chains? Fine—YQY shall never be free from this theater he so dearly loves then. Every understudy gets injured, every interim show gets sabotaged. Qi-ge wants to shine then let him shine, let him never stop shining. There will never be a show in this theater again without YQY. The phantom loves him, the audience whispers. The theater ghost's obsession.

YQY, for his part, believes and doesn't believe. The evidence just hasn't been definitive, and it made no sense anyhow. Talent gets discovered among the orphan troupe they have coming in (Farewell My Concubine-style), a young man named Luo Binghe. He, like the other orphans, have been running crew and background cast for years, but in a recent ad hoc audition they discovered he has an amazing voice. LBH says he's been hearing a spirit of song, and has greatly benefited from the unintended tutelage. YQY, inspired and loving, takes him as an understudy. SJ, of course, finds out and is furious, especially seeing as SJ's the one LBH's been hearing, that SJ has been playing/singing to. SJ saw something of himself in LBH's isolation from the rest of the orphans and didn't think much of keeping the boy company, but now LBH's stabbed him in the back.

Here's where SY comes in. He transmigrates into Random Orphan No. 4's body and wakes up on an infirmary bed. Turns out, he's the first orphan who's supposed to die in LBH's stead when SJ comes for vengeance. He gets his second life and is like "hMM WOW WOULD SURE LOVE TO NOT GET MURDERED BY THE CRAZY GUY IN THE WALLS HOW CAN I CONVINCE MY NEW BEST FRIEND THIS SWEET LIL BOY TO FORGO HIS TALENT AND A CHANCE AT RECOGNITION SO HE DOESN'T GET SUCKED DOWN THE DRAINAGE PIPE OF BULLSHIT THAT THIS PLOT HAS IN STORE FOR HIM"

Because in the original story, SJ ends up burning half of LBH's face off. Grievously injured and desperate, LBH gets in turn abandoned by everyone who should've stuck by him and disappears, also, into the shadows. He's gone for a bit while YQY finally believes the phantom exists, he and SJ have their little confrontation and almost resolution, etc. But all that promptly goes to hell when LBH returns for his revenge, rips out SJ's tongue and leaves him to burn alive in a fire. YQY gets impaled by a chandelier, and LBH is the only one left standing. Faced with the choice of leaving the theater, LBH instead returns to the shadow and takes up the mantle of the phantom, repeating the cycle of trauma and harm because he knew how to do little else.

Yeah, that would suck. So how can SY stop this? He can't just take Binghe and run away 'cause apparently they're indentured servants and are actually pretty tightly guarded. Oh god, he has to get YQY and SJ together doesn't he, resolve all the issues between them but subtly so SJ doesn't lose his shit and murder SY or LBH. Something like that.

Oh and somewhere, there's kinda-Raoul!LQG. In the original he's a super minor character who existed just to give LBH some tiny hope and then completely rip it away when it would hurt LBH most—he and LBH met once when they were young, and Young Master Liu promised to buy and free LBH from his contract with the troupe (with some baby blushy cheesy talk about marriage and domestic shit after LBH's free). Unfortunately that was when the troupe was still traveling and LBH never saw LQG again. The first night that LBH got to perform (it was a surprise to everyone including SJ) LQG was in the audience, and LBH was later told that LQG had sent up an invitation to dinner or something.

But when SJ did his shitty thing and injured LBH, LBH went and asked if LQG's promise was true. LQG in turn said he's never met LBH in his life and there was no promise between them, driving LBH to spiral.

He's part of SY's potential escape, though SY thinks they can't really trust this asshole if he would renege on a promise the moment he sees LBH's face is ruined. They can totally use LQG though, can't they? So bingliushen shenanigans as heartbroken LBH believes LQG doesn't remember their promise, SY thinks LQG's an immoral jerk but they gotta be cool with him to secure their escape, and LQG genuinely has never seen LBH before in his life (the childhood promise was LMY sneaking out pretending to be him) but hey, these two seem to be pretty intent on his company for some reason, and they're like, nice, or whatever. Good company. And very good-looking. Hm, are they a couple? Hm...

[pixies-and-poets]

Ok Mario + Rabbids fans, I have a weird admission

I had this false memory that when you defeated the Phantom, he reverted back into his component parts (like became a common Rabbid and the gramophone and the Boo balloon again). Maybe because that happens with certain other bosses (come to think of it I can only remember for sure with Pirabbid Plant, so it probably only happened when they were merged with another living being which makes sense). Even though I played the game again over the summer I guess I just forgot to pay attention at that part because I STILL thought that's what happened and I even brought it up when I was streaming Sparks of Hope, lol.

It's only recently as we've been discussing headcanons and character stuff I went back to check let's plays and that definitely does NOT happen, he just stays as he is.

So like I had this long-standing headcanon that once he got a taste of being an opera singer who could talk and everything, and then had to go back to being a normal bwaaahing Rabbid, he absolutely could not stand it, it drove him crazy like one who has seen enlightenment and then had it removed, and I imagined him dragging his gramophone and protecting his little balloon, all over the mushroom kingdom until he could chase down Spawny again and beg him to recreate him into what he was before. Because everyone, including himself, wants him to be the character that he was, right? (Even if that also came with its own isolations and downsides)

BUT I guess they didn't need to happen.... though I still like it as a story, so, one more AU into the pile??

[mari-lair]

I don’t know if this had been done before, but have you made a terukane in that opera au version?? I’m sorry if this bothers you!

I have been procrastinating this one cause I had a lot of ideas! But no real good one.

It's been too long though, so I'll just rip the band-aid and write the take that is a bit wack, but is the one I like the most

The Minamotos are a rich family with many houses and prizes to their name. Most Minamotos became great investors, any place they monetize growing successful, so people were confused when the oldest son of the family brought an opera house rumored to be cursed by a phantom. 

Teru paid far too much attention to this bad investment, replacing the previous opera house manager and bringing with him a grumpy young man with no prestige to his name, declaring the strange young man his assistant manager.

Akane had caught his attention while Teru was still merely a patreon, noticing Akane never fails to visit such a high-end opera, always reserving the most expensive No.1 seat to be close to the stage while wearing lackluster clothes to this fancy event. Even when the curse was at its most dangerous, Akane still showed up, all alone, and still reserved the seat closest to the danger zone. Teru found his lack of accidents and lack of patronage despite his constant visits strange, unable to fully believe in his story that he “loves the ballerina, and will never miss any of her shows”, so Teru chalked him as a possible suspect, doing research by asking the opera members about him and searching his documents.

Bafflingly enough, he got reasons to believe the strange guest isn’t lying. The ballerina and he seem to have known each other for a while, he always pays for his tickets without any tricks, he has no connection with anyone else in the opera, and he has a high-end job at a bar, he just uses all his salary on these tickets instead of himself.

The more he learns about Akane, the more he gets the picture of a crazy young man with no regard for his safety and no urge to question the unnatural, very dedicated, and hard-working too: The perfect person to help him handle a haunted opera house without poking his nose in Teru’s business.

Teru pushes conversation with Akane in one of the opera shows, making sure to get his attention before the ballerina came. Akane is interested in his job offer but refuses to quit since he has a contract with the bar he works in and he takes his duties seriously, talking didn't change his mind, so Teru resorted to calling his boss and cheerfully bribing him to fire Akane.

Akane doesn’t want the job anymore, but since he will be unemployed by the end of the week, as Teru so nicely put it, he ends up accepting it for the good pay and the opportunity to be near Aoi. Still, he complains loudly about it, claiming Teru was an idiot to put all his money into the declining opera house and calling him all names possible. Unfortunately, Akane only gets to learn Teru will be the opera house's new manager, and his direct boss, after he already accepted the job. He doesn’t even get to be near his ballerina since the workload as the sole assistant in the giant opera house is ridiculous.

It's brutal work but akane gets used to it relatively quickly, falling into a routine.

It takes a while, but Akane starts to notice the manager disappears sometimes. 

He doesn't mind it at first, Teru is a busy and eccentric man after all, and what he does ceases to be his business once they are outside a professional work setting, but Akane subconsciously starts to take notice of weird things about the house, and about the manager, they stir in the back of his mind, growing into an almost crazed intrigue he is unaware it's festering. 

...Is it his imagination or has he never seen Teru outside the opera house? No matter how ridiculously late Akane stays up working, Teru is always by his side, always the one to stay until later.

Does Teru get tired? He never saw him so much as take a break, yet he has no eye bags. He never sees him eat either. It’s strange.

The first oddity that made Akane pause to acknowledge something is definitively weird about this place was when he voiced concerns about their low budget and the expenses of running the opera house, which was resolved the very next day, when a sudden wave of new sponsors showed interest in the opera. These new sponsors seemed to either have no identity or strange records that heavily insinuated they're already dead, well over a hundred years old. This leads him to a rabbit hole, learning even the opera house's most loyal patrons, such as Sumire and Hakubo, should be dead.

Teru only tells him to not worry about it when asked, not finding it weird or problematic.

That's what annoys Akane the most, nothing seems to phase or surprise Teru, it makes Akane feel like he already knows who the phantom thief is, he just doesn't say it.

This certainty Teru already knows everything hit its peak when Kou and Mitsuba disappear. For someone who deeply cares about his younger brother, it was infuriating to see him only play pretends at being confused and sad, showing no reaction outside the spotlights. They have a small argument, and while nothing is explicitly told, Akane is able to connect the dots and realize Teru not only knew from the start who poisoned their lead singer, but he helped the culprit escape, preparing a nice villa for the runaways.

It made him wonder why the Manager even brought this opera house. There was no way it was simply because Teru "like opera" as he claimed.

Before he knew it, Akane found himself trying to learn more about the manager instead of watching Aoi dance whenever he got free time.

[anubis-005]

Remember the fantastical, amazing hana harem art you made? I just realise how comedic the scenarios will be. Like the Hanako’s there were totally feared, loved, respected, adored, crushed on, AND OFC, ABSOLUTELY LUSTED OVER. IN EITHER POLITICAL OR PHYSICAL SENSE.

AND THEN, THEN, THE CANON!YASHIRO APPEARED.

THIS A BIT YOUNGER YET STILL A CUTE MESS YASHIRO NENE. WILL NOT ONLY JUST DEADASS REJECT THEM, BUT ALSO PROBABLY ROAST THEM BY SAYING NOT BEING HER TYPE WHILE ROCKING WITH THAT RED FACED AND TRYING HER BEST TO NOT SUCCUMB TO FANGIRLING MODE.

LIKE, SHE WAS SO USED TO HER TOLIET-BOUND SLIMEY PERVERTED GHOST THAT SHE FORGOT (OR DIDN’T KNOW YET) THAT THESE ALTERNATIVE VERSIONS OF HER FRIEND WERE LITERAL POWERHOUSES. LIKE??? ONE IS AN MFKING KING, THE OTHER TWO WERE LITERAL POWERFUL DEMONS, AND A REAL LIFE VAMPIRE??? AND THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA??? HELLO??

NENE, YOU ABSOLUTELY QUEEN, YOU ARE AN ADORABLE DUMBASS HAHAHHAHA

(and also only one of the people who can outrightly say no to their faces, but then again she is the alternative version of the love of their lives and absolutely adorable as heck)

For anyone who is curious the art in question is here 😄

That piece was crazy fun, I'm thrilled that you liked it so much. I wish I had more time to make it into a longer comic because I ADORE crossovers like that. And LORD you are so right, imagining all of them not only getting rejected but roasted is HILARIOUS 😂 Plus the inevitable bickering over her attention because of course they won't give up they're all Hanako pffft Also I always laugh at Hanako stumbling onto the scene. He's like "I'm jealous....of myself???" It'd probably be a little embarrassing for him that all the other versions of himself are thirsting for Nene. But then again, maybe he'd be pleased to know that they always find each other 🥺❤️

One day I should try to do a picture of every AU I can think of and then poor Nene will be trying not to drown in her sea of Hanakos bahaha

[doomstypewriter]

sorry things have been crazy but im back and maybe i should start using a signature or sth but:

firstly: could you elaborate on the carnival idea? because it sounds cool but im not fully sure what to imagine (bear with me ive only seen the phantom of the opera once several years ago) unless you think that would give away too much

leaving dead animals and destroying the chandelier and effectively half of the palazzo would certainly be very much in typical remus fashion sksksk

secondly again you dont have to use anything (let alone multiple things) i say but: i cant stop thinking about patton and romina awkwardly being each others beards and virginia and janus standing off to the side laughing at them

i also love the idea of them creating their own slang like ""talking"" and ""token of friendship"". if they made references to that i would laugh very hard

pirate intrulogical! pirate intrulogical! pirate intrulogical!

logan being a mad scientist of his era! suggesting outlandish things such as the earth revolving around the sun!

logan being perfectly respectable and janus thinking 'finally. someone normal' only for logan to turn around and be completely unhinged when he goes into science mode

remus essentially dreamily going 'i like your funny words magic man'

perhaps an an awkward "in a different universe were married" type of moment between rem and pat

patton deserves to be a little shit. as a treat.

maybe he could bond over it with his ex fiance

janus offering to nudge ppl down a flight of stairs and everyone screaming 'no' except for remus

janus making off with some costly vases or something and not even being discreet because 'what are you going to do about it romina? tell them im not really your fencing instructor and get both of us in trouble? thats what i fucking thought.'

patton returning the vases

me: i like prinxiety but i dont Love it

fem!prinxiety: exists

me: 👀

so like if they could have a tender moment or have a crumb of hurt/comfort, my gay little heart would probably implode

tbh i just generally need more of virginia sksks

and also if all of them were friends in the end id give you my first born

thirdly: how about "🏳️‍🌈🕰️" for my signature to symbolise my emotional investment in this gay history au or sth? idk sksk

Hi again!!! 

I am going to start addressing the signature, and yes! I love the pride flag and the clock. If you’re okay with it, I shall address you as R.C. (Rainbow Clock), given that finding the emojis on my laptop would be slightly impractical. 

The carnival, yes, I was thinking about having them go to Venice during the carnival to socialise, announce Patton and Romina’s engagement... When I say Phantom of the Opera I am specifically referring to two things: the mascarade scene and the part near the end when the giant chandelier of the theatre falls. 

In essence, the carnival would be an excuse to play with obscured identities and use them as a resource for characters to be able to sneak on each other. I would, of course, first have to check the timeline and origins for Venice’s carnival. I am also thinking about including Poveglia island as a location seeing that it was inhabited around the time the story is set and that could be useful.

I have ideas for what the dead animals could be for, like sending a message, but I’m thinking maybe I’ll subvert that and make something cooler and plot-twisty, we’ll see. 

 I intend to mercilessly milk their attempt at heterosexuality for laughs, so I’ll certainly have Virginia and Janus mentally laughing their asses off at them trying to look like a couple. Perhaps this can also be used as a way for Virginia and Janus to bond. 

I can make references to them talking about “talking” and sharing “tokens of friendship” and I will, you have my word. 

I’ll have Logan just go ahead and calculate the curvature of the earth, heck, I’ll even have him make the renaissance equivalent of the Antikythera mechanism because he’s worth it and because he can. The Kraken? Logan will be the first to suggest it may be a dork (slightly nsfw link so proceed with caution), yes, the whale kind, while the entire pirate crew is panicking thinking they’re about to be devoured by a giant monster just to go “huh” at his theory, and, yes, Remus will be absolutely delighted. 

To be honest, I love that Janus is relieved by Logan only to find him unhinged, but I’ll do you one better and have Janus not understand at all how Logan does some stuff. It must have an explanation (and it does, it’s science) but he can’t find it. The rest are inclined to believe it’s magic. 

Yes, it is going to be clear why Remus fell in love with Logan when he goes into science mode. And also!!! I am planning to write how they met, just say it involves saving someone from drowning and immediate fighting after that. 

The “we would be married” moment will happen and I’ll make it extra-awkward for you, with some comedy sprinkled on top. 

HMMMM. Patton and Remus teaming up for plot reasons seems very tempting. My mind is already coming up with stuff. Tension-building stuff. 

But, what if the solution ended up being nudging someone downstairs? I think Janus should get that, as a treat. (I’ll have them go “no” though, it can all fit). 

I’ll make the vase controversy happen. 

Well, would you care for some hurt/comfort prinxiety where one tends to the wounds of the other? 

Virginia is going to be the best character. Like, I can’t help it, whenever I write this AU she’s just the best thing going on, it’s what she does! 

Then I think you’ll owe me more than your firstborn because I have plans. I’ll settle for more of your lovely asks, though. 

If you have doubts about anything or any more ideas, ask right away. 

As always, thanks for the ask!!!!

Previous ask

Fic that's a prequel to this

[jimlingss]

The Colour of Our Voices [17]

Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 17.5 OR Chapter 18 [Finale]

➜ Words: 2.6k

➜ Genres: 98% Fluff, 2% Angst, Slice of Life, Broadway!AU

➜ Summary: He wasn’t supposed to hear. He wasn't supposed to know. But the instant Jimin came into your life and pulled the curtains back, you couldn't hide backstage anymore. You were no longer merely a phantom of the opera.

cr.

Taehyung shifts uncomfortably.   For how much he talked badly about the man to you, he didn’t expect Jimin to be in this state.   In Taehyung’s mind, Jimin would be like all the guys he’s ever known post-break up — enjoying life, going out to meet girls, arrogantly basking in his single status only to realize weeks later what he’s done and regret it once you’ve already moved on. Taehyung most certainly didn’t expect Jimin to look so worn down — arguably more than you. Unshaven, unshowered, dark circles, rugged and visibly exhausted.   It doesn’t seem like Jimin’s had a rebound or even considered it. And he doesn’t hide how hurt he is because of some wrong sense of masculinity where he feels a need to put up an iron barrier between him and his emotions. Jimin’s fully basking in his heartbreak and it’s brutal.   “Look, Taehyung.” The brunette starts slowly, hands in his lap. He never once touches the hot cup of coffee Taehyung bought for him. “I really appreciate the offer, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”   “Why not?”   “There’s just...too much history between us to be working together. I don’t think it’ll be good for either of us. We’re at a point in our lives…..where it would just be awkward. I don’t want to put her through that.”   “Hey, man. If it helps, she said it was fine by her,” Taehyung counters in an attempt to persuade him. “Y/N said she can be a professional about it and put all of your...issues to the side.”   Taehyung’s become the middleman of your communication line — trying his best to deliver what you’ve conveyed to him, trying to smooth it over, tell Jimin that it’s okay. But he doesn’t buy it.   Jimin fiddles with his finger with a downcast head. “I don’t think I can be professional.” He meets the man’s eyes timidly. “I think it’s best if you find someone else.”   There’s silence.   Taehyung releases a frustrated sigh. “You’re an absolute idiot, you know that?”   Jimin stares blankly at him, not once flinching from the insult. Taehyung stands up from his spot in the corner of the coffee shop. “And I don’t want an idiot like that on my team. It was nice seeing you, Jimin.” Taehyung grabs his coat from the back of the chair and snatches his coffee cup before angrily stomping out, leaving Jimin to bite the dust.   But as the bell of the cozy shop rings to signal his exit, and he’s met with the noise of New York’s traffic, the aspiring producer and director instantly regrets it.

“He really said that?”   “Yeah,” Taehyung sighs. “I told him that you didn’t care, but it didn’t change his mind.”   You fidget restlessly underneath the table, tugging the hem of your sleeves to go over your fingers. In the meanwhile, he leans back into the booth seat, sinking further in. He runs a hand over his face. “Every time I close my eyes, I envision you two and it’s driving me crazy. This is my first production ever and I want everything to be absolutely perfect. I want to follow my vision.”   “Yeah, I get it.” You give a sympathetic smile, shoulders slightly shrugging.   Suddenly Taehyung’s eyes glimmer. He leans forward, resting his arms on the table and even moves his drink aside. The way he’s intently staring at you makes you nervous. “Can you please talk to him, Y/N?”   “Pardon?”   “I can’t ask him again,” he says, “Jimin’s surprisingly stubborn and I told him he was an idiot like an idiot.” Taehyung adds in a whisper, “I know he would listen to you.”   There’s a held silence as you mull over the idea of confronting Jimin. And it makes you overwhelmingly uncomfortable. You haven’t spoken to him at all since your last argument, the one that ended your relationship, and you’re frankly not good with confrontation either.   It’s not a shocker that you immediately shy away at the idea. “Does it really have to be Jimin, Taehyung? You can’t imagine casting anyone else?”   “Yes,” he answers firmly. “I’ve thought about it and of course, I don’t want either of you to be uncomfortable. But I also want it to be perfect and frankly—” Taehyung tenderly smiles. “—nothing beats you and Jimin together. You’re the ultimate pair.”   You nibble on the bottom of your lip, hiding your trembling hands.   You want to fulfill Taehyung’s dream — you know he’s adamant for a reason. He even told you that he was able to finish his script because the pair of you were his inspiration, and you’re aware of how much it means to him. A big part of you longs to see Jimin too. You yearn to talk to him at least one last time and get some closure on your relationship together….   You just don’t know how to do it. You’re at a loss.   “Please,” he pleads, knowing this is full well a favour and he’ll owe you.   You shift uncomfortably. “How did he….look?”   You’re not sure what the sudden question means. It means too much — was Jimin happy about the offer? Did he find the idea of working with you disgusting? Did talking about you make him frown? Did he seem like he didn’t care at all? Or was he unwell? You wonder so much about him.   Taehyung smiles warmly. “He still loves you, if that’s what you’re asking.”

You heave a deep breath, standing isolated in the corridor, hand hovering against his door.   Your fingers are curled together, fist formed with your knuckles ready to knock. But you hesitate. This didn't used to be so hard. You could still envision it — the door swinging open, your eyes that would lift to meet his, the soft smile would spread into his cheeks.   Your arm lowers.   You’re overwhelmed with a sense of dejection, knowing that it's not what you'll see. Jimin's probably not even home. You don't know why you think he'll be here and not in some girl's bed.   You sigh, eyes stinging painfully, and you walk away, returning back into your apartment. You can’t talk to Jimin like you promised Taehyung — it’s too difficult.   There’s a sudden need for fresh air that captures you whole. A need to breathe properly. To gasp for air. You swore that you wouldn’t cry anymore, so in an attempt to compose yourself and fill your ears with sounds other than the white noise of your empty home, you stagger across your living room and slide open the balcony doors.    You step out onto the chilly balcony and grasp the railing as you watch the distant lights of the city, the mosaic colours that seem to blur together. The street near you is lit with dim post lamps while the ones farther away blur. You listen to the sound of cars rushing past in the far-off roads. It’s not so noisy as it is soft background noise.    This is the city that never sleeps, that seems to come alive at night. It’s a city that you’ve grown to both love and hate. But it’s missing someone’s company to make the view all the better.   As if you’ve just called the devil inside your mind, you’re suddenly interrupted by the sound of hinges sliding. You turn to your right. Your breath hitches. Your heart stutters in your chest. You’re frozen in your movements. You meet wide eyes in the hue of deep honey.   “I....”   “Um....”   The brunette boy that you've been yearning to see, materializing in front of you like a mere mirage. But he's real. “S-Sorry.” He turns his body, hitching his thumb awkwardly over his shoulder. “I didn't know you were out here.”   “O-oh. It's okay,” you call out quickly before he can step back inside his apartment and vanish again. Jimin shifts to look at you, and you divert your vision elsewhere, beginning to sweat, palms becoming clammy. “You can stay. If you want. I...don't mind.”   “Oh, okay.” Jimin clears his throat and steps forward to lean on the railing of his own balcony, hands clasped together loosely, eyes on the horizon. He goes quiet, mesmerized by the city lights, but he can’t enjoy it when the silence is so stiff.    You can’t help staring at him from the corner of your eye.   You muster your courage. “The…”   “Pardon?” Jimin swivels his head over.   “The weather's nice tonight, huh?!” you say louder, straining your throat so you can be heard, nearly shouting. You offer a smile but it comes out too tense and unfamiliar.   Yet, a rush of air leaves his nose in a subtle snort. Jimin looks forward at the night city and blackened sky that shows no stars with a more genuine smile, cheeks rosy. You can see it from the warm lights that pour out from inside his home, the dim yellow luminescence that sheds through the glass window doors from his kitchen. “Yeah, it's nice.”   You can't help staring at his profile, how his brows knit together. He doesn't look like he's been eating well or taking care of himself. “I'm surprised to see you.” Your eyes soften as they meet his again. “I just thought...you were living somewhere else now.”   “No,” he whispers. “I've always been here.”   “Oh.”   “Where else am I supposed to go?” Jimin gives a tender smile that’s saddened at the corners.   “I don't know,” you murmur.   “I heard you got into Taehyung's production,” Jimin mentions and your face heats with the way he gazes at you. “Congratulations, Y/N.”   The way he calls your name — how the syllables roll off his tongue — the way his plush mouth forms — it sounds so melodic. You missed it dearly. You missed him.   “Thank you.” You stay polite, trying to conceal just how much you’ve longed for this moment, to see and speak to him again. “Taehyung wants to apologize, by the way. He wanted me to tell you that he was sorry. And he still wants you to be the main lead.”   Jimin fiddles with his fingers. “I...don't think that's a good idea, considering our history. And now you're with Taehyung. I just don't think it'll be....the best environment for me to work in. I'm sorry, Y/N.”   “Wait.” You turn to him fully. The two of you are across from each other on your balconies but it still feels like too much distance. “What do you mean?”   “I don't think it'll be a good idea for either of us if we—”   “I'm not with Taehyung,” you interrupt, smiling at him.    The boy’s mouth draws into an ‘o’. “Oh.”   You grin at him, laughing — it unintentionally bubbles out of you, natural like there was no separation between you and Jimin, like there’s no need for this self-imposed awkwardness. “I haven't been with anyone since....”   Jimin matches your grin, finding it too infectious to resist. “Same here.”   It’s your turn to be surprised. “Really?”   “Yeah, why?” Jimin scoffs mischievously. “Did you expect me to get busy already?”   You shrug. “I expected you to have a long line up of girls. You're practically Casanova.”   He bursts out laughing. “Since when?”    “Well it's no secret you're popular with girls, Park,” you playfully tease. “You're likable and charming. Everyone and their mothers like you.”   “Yeah, but none of them are you.”   Jimin says it so forthrightly. Bold. He didn't need to think about it. To him, it was factual.   And it makes your heart stutter in your chest.   “You....shouldn't say that.”   “Why not?” Jimin gazes at you and cocks his head to the side, the corners of his mouth lifting gingerly. “It's true, isn't it?”   It goes quiet again with you unsure of how to respond, of what to say. Slowly, you slowly gain the bravery to meet his eyes again to discover that Jimin’s been smiling tenderly. His lips part to ask—    “Is it bad that I'm still in love with you?”   “It isn't,” you reply to him earnestly, and inhale and exhale a staggering breath. “Is....it a bad thing that I'm still in love in with you?”   There’s a beat of silence.   Then, Jimin crumbles. His civil exterior breaks down. His eyes become glossy, shoulders slumped with a downcast head. That knot that you hate forms between his brows again.    “I'm sorry.”   “Hey…”   “I'm sorry,” he repeats like it’s never enough no matter how many times he says it. “I know it means nothing now, but I'm an idiot. Taehyung's right. I'm an idiot.”   “Hey, it's not your fault,” you interject in the middle of his apologies. “You know that. It was because our schedules didn't work and we were stressed and things...just happened.”   If the both of you have to play the blame game then you're equally responsible for letting your relationship turn to shambles. You should've asked about him more, comforted him more, talked to him. You didn't know he felt so guilty about doing the things he wanted to while compromising you. It takes two, and somewhere along the way, you relied too much on him and his promises.   “I made the mistake of taking you for granted.”   “You don't take me for granted, Jimin.” You smile at him, knowing him well after spending nearly a year together now. He’s always thinking about you — if he didn't, he would've never felt bad or guilty.   “When I asked you what's the point of us......I didn't mean to make it seem like I was going to break up with you. I've never even thought about that. Not once. I want to be with you, Y/N. Forever, if you'll let me.”   You smile gently.   There’s no need for him to explain every single thing he said, to scrutinize every detail spoken in the heat of the moment that he's been thinking about for the past month and regrets. The pair of you know that the other person's already sorry for their part in the ruin of the relationship. He doesn't need to make it so painful, so tell him that it's okay and you say it as many times as he needs it.   You’ve already forgiven him thirty minutes after you told him to get out of the apartment, and all you've longed for in the past weeks was to talk to him again. “It was just bad timing, Jimin.”   Jimin goes quiet, staring off at the skyline with you.   “Is the timing good now?” he asks, sincerely, searching your expression.   You smile at him, murmuring above the lull of the city, “I think so. Do you?”   “Yeah....I do.” He’s enchanted, staring at you, but after a moment, he focuses again. Jimin clears his throat. “There's this movie, in, uh, the theater near us, you know the one down the block? I've been meaning to watch it — it's a romance action, didn't get great reviews online, but it looked promising to me, um, who knows, really, I have bad taste in movies, you know that. But if you aren’t busy tonight, I know this is r-really abrupt, so it's fine if you don't want to but, um, uh, would you like to go—?”   “I'd love to, Jimin.” You laugh warmly, dissipating his nervousness.   Jimin grins — it’s a date, an attempt for the two of you starting afresh together.

[oveliagirlhaditright]

If You Love Something, Let It Go

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34024771

A oneshot where Neku and Shiki are Erik (the Phantom) and Christine from "The Phantom of the Opera." AU.

Shiki had been kidnapped by Neku, essentially.

And of course she had. She’d known that that had been her situation for a while now.

Even when she tried to convince herself that she was Hades and Persephone-ing it with him of her own free will—for the greater good, in fear of what he might do otherwise—the back of Shiki’s mind knew that this was the case.

And even when her heart ended up sympathizing with him something fierce.

But if she was a hostage, more or less… and she was the Persephone to his Hades, Shiki supposed there were worse places for her to be.

This “House on the Lake”, that he’d fashioned for himself on the Shibuya River was quite lovely, all things considered.

Earlier, when Beat had been fretting on whether Shiki really loved him or not—when she’d explained to him everything that had been going on--he’d quite keenly asked if it wasn’t every girl’s fantasy to be with someone who fashioned themselves a king of such a place.

And while Shiki missed her freedom—missed being above ground and perhaps the flowers there most of all—she supposed she could understand what Beat had meant in that moment.

Neku had made a lovely domain here, all things considered (she wondered where he got the yen for all the candles, but she figured it had to be coming out of the money he’d swindled out of Def Märch’s hands). And Shiki’s room here, too—the one that he’d allowed her to create—was quite lovely, she had to admit.

“You should eat more, Shiki,” Neku scolded her now, but good-naturedly, she knew, as the two of them ate dinner together. “You tried too hard to be your friend Eri. And she’s anorexically thin, and having health problems for it now. And you followed that trend for nearly as long as she did. If you don’t turn it around now, I’m worried it’ll be the same for you.”

Part of Shiki wanted to snap at Neku here. Because she knew he didn’t like Eri. He thought that she was airheaded and conceded, and was getting roles that Shiki herself should have been. And Shiki despised that Neku felt this way about her best friend. She despised Neku a lot, actually. And it was crazy to think that she’d once thought that he was her Angel…

But at the same time, she knew that he was just concerned for her and genuinely trying to help. In a twisted way, everything he did was for her. And you couldn’t help but be in awe at that love sometimes, despite yourself.

Especially when, after Shiki’s parents had died, Shiki had thought she’d never again have that feeling from anyone again.

But then Neku had come into her life with such powerful feelings for her… far too powerful for her to handle.

There was a darkness to those feelings from him, she knew. And on nights when Shiki could almost make herself forget about the people Neku had killed to get her her singing parts (because he didn’t know better, as he’d never been shown a better way, her empathetic heart knew), and the terror he surrounded her with in general, she found herself wishing that he had fallen in love with someone other than her. Someone better than she could be. Because that darkness did exist within Shiki—she had experienced in some of her and Neku’s arguments, for one thing—but it scared her and she didn’t know how to fully unlock it… And she knew that it was best, for so many reasons, that she did not.

“That’s sweet, Neku… I’ll try and eat more. Especially if you’re going to go as far as to try and get ice cream for me or something. I know you really don’t like the stuff, save for mint chocolate chip.”

“Of course Neku doesn’t like ice cream most of the time, Shiki. It messes with one’s singing. You should know that better than anyone,” Neku was blinking at Shiki like she had lost her mind… and it was honestly kind of cute. And Shiki found herself somehow giggling for it.

She was almost taken back to the first night she’d been here… before she’d known that her Angel and Neku were also the Phantom of the Opera, and she’d just known that her Angel—the one who had given her voice lessons, and who sang so beautifully—was this “Neku person”, who was suddenly standing before her… and they’d blissfully sang the night away, before it had all gone to Hell.

Even with how things had gone between them since then, there were times where they could almost recreate that moment.

Sometimes.

And Shiki got the feeling that today was going to be one of them.

And it made her glad… for so many reasons, of course! She was thrilled to know that she would be safe with Neku for another day, and he wouldn’t go off the deep end and doom all of Shibuya over her! And she relished in getting to be with her friend again… but she felt awful in that, maybe Beat’s worries about her and Neku’s relationship weren’t always unfounded. But she couldn’t think about sweet Beat right now! She had to think of the here and now, Shiki reminded herself, as she tried not to panic and begin having her arms wave frantically.

“Speaking of singing… can we sing tonight, Neku?” Shiki asked cautiously. There were some nights where this was a “no”, surprisingly, because Neku was too caught up in his most recent compositions or one of his moods to entertain the idea. But that didn’t seem to be an issue tonight.

“I’d have it no other way, Shiki. You know me,” Neku whispered to her, as he helped her out of her chair and took Shiki’s hand, so he could lead her over to his study.

Once there, Shiki sat down on the couch that looked like a pair of pink lips that Neku had brought in to his home only for her—as it wasn’t his style at all—and it made Shiki belatedly realize that it wasn’t just her own room here that she’d decorated… and just how much of a life she did have here… and if that meant she should be feeling guilty about certain decisions she was in the process of making right now.

But Neku brought Shiki out of that funk by beginning to play a piece that had a lot of winds to it. And he played how it would sound via the horn, and then the trombone, and finally the trumpet, before he finally sang the tune for her, so Shiki could imagine how it would all sound coming together.

And Shiki listened on, mesmerized, as it began to make her heart flutter and feel like it was going to beat free of its ribcage. This piece was lighter than Neku’s usual work… and she wondered what the change was for, but she certainly wasn’t complaining as he sang to her in his high tenor.

When Shiki had first heard Neku’s speaking voice, she had been astonished that he could sing as high as he did—and that higher notes were actually easier for him—but it just went to show what incredible range the genius had. And she knew some people just were like that, with their talking voices and singing voices being way different. Everyone was different, and it was a beautiful world that way… and that was why Shiki was fighting so hard to protect it.

“Neku,” Shiki moaned in pleasure at the song, getting to her feet once she thought he was done with the piece. “Your voice, combined with those instruments, is really going to be something! Here, let me play one of them, so you can just sing! But what- what was all of that for? It reminds me of something, but I can’t put my finger on wha-”

“…Does it remind you of the sound of lace rubbing together? Because it was somewhat supposed to. You once said you would have liked to be a seamstress, right, Shiki? So, this song is my gift to you.” And Shiki would remember, later on, he’d been looking at her then with the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. But if that had partially been because he’d been crying, she didn’t know. She just didn’t know.

“Neku… what are you saying?” Shiki demanded now. As much as she wished he would have a change of heart and let her go—and not have Shibuya’s safety be dependent on her staying with him—she honestly didn’t think Neku had learned enough or changed enough for him to do that.

And the way he was now digging into his face with his nails, in his self-hatred at his deformity, seemed to be proof of that.

Shiki gently took his hand in her own, and simply held it as it shook to get him to stop. And it was a testament to how far they’d come together, that he let her do this and didn’t harm her for the action right now.

But then Neku looked at Shiki with the most tragic eyes that she had ever seen… and she didn’t exactly know what she was feeling when he did so, but it was something. She felt something in the pit of her stomach, and she- “I’m saying that, as much as I’d like to keep you—and for my fake little ring to stay on your finger—I know the odds. So, if you do escape and make it as a seamstress with your Beat… remember me and this song, I guess, Angel.”

And not at all knowing what had possessed her in this moment, Shiki leaned forward to kiss Neku on the lips for what was surprisingly a sweet kiss.

And she breathed out his name, “Neku,” while he cried for her bliss, and for so many other reasons, she knew.

Author’s Note: When I was writing this, I actually wasn’t planning on the ending being the moment where Neku/the Phantom lets Shiki/Christine go. But maybe it is. It works for it perfectly in this fic and it can be. -shrugs-

Also… I’m PRETTY sure this a modern day retelling of the Phantom of the Opera somehow, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be whatever time you want it to be.

[ladyartemisia28]

Say Amen (Saturday Night)Chapter 4

Pairings: Prinxiety, side Logicality, Platonic Moxiety, Platonic/Family Logince.

Warnings: Cursing?

Words:4179

Summary: Sanders Sides Human College AU

Chapter 4- Nine in the Afternoon

~

Author’s Note- Very advised to get a hold of the song Welcome to the Black Parade- by My Chemical Romance.

~

After they finished gathering their things, Roman led Virgil out to the parking lot.

He slowly shuffled his feet as he caught up to Roman who walked up to open the trunk of a very nice red car. The symbol on the front of the car was a large L.

Virgil raised his eyes up from the ground to look at the vehicle with wide eyes.

“This is your car?” he roughly tossed his bag in the back set

“Yeah, I was hoping for a Lamborghini.” Roman joked with a wink as gently placed his bag in the trunk.

Virgil attempted silence small bitter voice in his head.

“When I was 14 and my cousin, Adora, got her Quiñceanera. She chose me to be her chambelán de honor or chosen escort. I was SOOOOOO JEALOUS!” He dramatically flourished with his hands as he grabbed the trunk lid and closed it shut. “So to bribe me my parents told me that they'd get me a car a year early.”

“Sorry but I have to ask, but I...I'm not sure what it is?” Virgil asked

“Oh uh, sorry” Roman apologized with a smile.

Virgil hummed as a response.

“It's the big birthday that Cis Latina girls get when they turn into 'women'. Silly and patriarchal, I know!” Roman added with a open palms gesture when he saw the eyebrow raise that Virgil gave. “But it was so fun, so fancy and beautiful!”

Roman pushed the key fob to unlock the car and they got themselves settled in.

“It's fucked up that other genders don't get anything like that.”

“Yeah I even stole the catalogue that she picked her dress out of. I cut out my favourites and glued my face on them. Put them all up and down my mirror.” Roman said with a proud smile remembering the happy memories.

Images of Roman in slinky cocktail dresses rushed into Virgil's mind. His face dropped to a small frown as he struggled to stop that particular train of thought.

Roman was unsure if he had said something that upset Virgil to make him clam up again.

"Uh you can pick the music if you'd like?” Roman offered as a break in the sudden silence. “CD's are in the middle.”

He waited for Virgil to buckle himself in before he pulled his car out of the parking lot. Virgil went through all the preset radio stations before opening the middle console.

“CD's? I would have thought that you would have your car set up with Spotify or Pandora or something like that?” he said as he opened opened the console and looked through the collection

“Eh, CD's are great. No commercials for long car trips. ”

All of the Cds were for musicals, a few that he had heard of like Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and Guys and Dolls. And some that Virgil didn't know, Dear Evan Hanson, Six the Musical, and...Legally Blonde? He did not know that that was a musical.

Then he spotted one that Roman had mentioned.

“Um, any suggestions from Heathers? You said that I might like this the 7/11 song?”  

“I usually go through the whole thing in order....but I suggest for you, Track number 4.”

“Could I get some context?” Virgil asked as he pressed the button for the track number.

“The uh, 7/11 scene in the movie...But in song.” Roman offered with a bit of a smug smile.

“I probably should have guessed that.” he admitted with a grumble.

Virgil closed his eyes as he listened to the song and imagined the scene in his head.

Just like in the Heathers movie JD was recounting to Veronica how he travelled all over the place because of his father. And because of that he didn't feel like he was able to connect to the people and places. No place felt like home, except for 7/11.

It was always a weird scene in Virgil's opinion. Like JD is just opening up to this person he just met and telling her his very strong feelings about a convenience store and Slushies.

Even though it was strange Virgil had to admit, it was a good song. Parts of the song were a little to close to home, like “When the voice in your head says you're better off dead”.

“So what do you think? ”

“Yeah I get it. Its good.”

“That's all?”  Roman asked exasperatedly

“I guess I was expecting something different???”

“Like what?”

“I just thought that JD was going to be a little more intense. Like crazy sounding or something?”

“Ah what YOU are searching for is 'Meant to Be Yours' number 17.”

He pressed the button until he reached the number and sat back in his seat to listen.

~

“So is that was you were expecting?” Roman asked as they exited the car after arriving at the store.

“Yeah, it was” Virgil smiled “Real Intense.”

The pair stopped after they reached to threshold to get their bearings.

“I get so lost in here.” Roman complained with a slight whine to his voice. “I don't usually do the grocery shopping.

Before Virgil could comment Roman continued.

“Lo likes to go to make sure that the budget is kept tight, but he's been so busy with his job. He just got his a new taker for his math tutoring.”

“So Logan's your brother?” Virgil

“My brother, well Step brother. My Mama married his Papa. When I was old enough to remember that I was getting a new family, but young enough that it's no longer weird.” Roman offered a little bit more information than necessary.

Roman briefly considered mentioning that he was at the party and Virgil had briefly seen him, but he didn't want to bring up the previous night.

At lest he didn't want to bring it up first.

They were getting along so well that he didn't want to make Virgil uncomfortable.

“Really, I grew up with him so he is my brother. Soooooo do you have any siblings?” Roman began to play with the sleeves of his jacket as he attempted a more personal question.

“Uh yeah, a older sister” he muttered.

“And her name is...?”

“Melantha,” he responded with little inflection “she prefers to be called Missy.”

“Melantha?! WOW, huh! Did your parents just grab a baby name book and open a page at random for ALL their kids!” Roman teased with a mocking laugh as they arrived at the Dairy and Juice section.  

“Yeah haha, Virgil's got a weird name. I've NEVER heard that before.” Virgil rolled his eyes as his tone changed from frosty to salty. “You know Roman isn't really the most common name either.”

“I am far from COMMON! Besides I wasn't saying your name was BAD! It is 'strange and usual like you'.” Roman winked as he tried to steer their conversation back to more friendly waters.

“Quoting Beetljuice at me? You'll have to do better than that.” Virgil grinned in spite of himself as he grabbed a six pack of orange drink and placed it in the cart.

“Come on you gotta give a guy some credit for remembering what your interests are right?”

“Yeah I guess” he said with a reluctantly happier tone.

“Hey do you see the Almond Milk?” Roman asked after he finished his scan bottles and cartons.

“Uh no, I think that might be over in the Organic or like Vegan section. Why does your brother have you on a specialized diet as well as his, what was it? His extremist water agenda? What does that even mean?” Virgil chuckled as he took the cart from Roman and led him toward the other end of the store.

“It's just what I call his super weird thing about getting enough water everyday. And yeah he does keep our kitchen stocked with a lot of green veggies. Also he checks to sure I kept up a sleep schedule”

Virgil's eyebrows rose in surprise at hearing all things.

“Yikes, he sounds like a bit of a control freak...”

“Yeah he is sometimes. Like I have hide my Butterfinger stash from him.” Roman complained. “He's not as bad I make him sound...NEVER tell him I told you that.”  

Roman went over to the shelf and looked over the choices, Soy, Almond, Lactose- Free lined the shelves.

“Oh and to answer why the special milk, I'm THINKING of starting the Paleo diet right now. My brother has no influence on this though, just want to try and see what works. I might try Keto if this one doesn't work for me.

“ah right.” Virgil nodded eyes slightly widened hoping that the look on his face didn't betrayal the fact that he did NOT know what the heck a Paleo or a Keto diet meant.

~

Virgil felt heard a chime from his pocket so he pulled out his phone.

“Hey I'm going to get this.” he shook his phone up to show Roman before he stepped away from the cold of the meat section.

Roman nodded in return as he turned to look at the selection of skinless chicken.

Virgil got a message from Green_Tea_Gay on his Instagram account, Anxious_On_Main.

'Hey so that “Study Partner” is a hot piece!'

'Remy do you have a point' Virgil replied

'Gurl do you know? have you seen his pics? HOW is he Single!!'

After the three little dots disappeared in their place were several pictures

His face reddened as he looked at the pictures of the previously mentioned selfies. Roman wearing tight jeans in front of a mirror with his backside captured on the camera. Another with him laying on his stomach caught at an angle getting his short clad behind in shot.

He quickly glanced over to Roman, who was still distracted.

He looked back at him phone and quickly texted back.

'Don't send me those!'

'They are posted to the public! I didn't hack his phone'

'I don't care, no more pics of his butt'

'K'

Just about the time he was going to put his phone back into his pocket another chime stopped him.

The next series of pictures were of Roman exercising posing with a dumbbell doing a curl, stretching, and other gym activities,  

And the last was Roman in swimwear that exposed more skin than he thought was allowed outside of certain websites.

His body felt instant heat and he looked and took a few calming breaths before returning to message Remy.

'I said no more pics!'

'Sis you told me no pics of his ass'

'DO NOT SEND PICTURES OF ROMAN SANDERSON!'

'Easy there Baby! No need to get your knickers in a twist. I'm just trying to help. Look at what you will be missing if you don't Snatch. That. Up!'

'What the hell Rem! We are NOT getting together! He is not into me.'

'Nah sweetie, you should have been paying more attention. That is totally a smitten kitten'

'You are the worst'

'No I am literally the best and you two are soooo getting together. Don't worry I know I made my point.'

'You asshole'

'Enjoy the pictures ;)'

~

Roman noticed that after he returned from his handling of his phone business Virgil had gotten quiet again and seemed to shift his gaze away from Roman.

'Did I spent too much time with the chicken?'

They walked down to the breakfast aisle.

As Virgil picked up some a box of Count Chocula cereal Roman slowed the cart to a stop behind him.

“You can only get this one around this time of year” he looked at it with a fondness that made Roman's stomach flip.

“So what are you planning on making?” Roman asked as he leaned his arms on the handle bar of the cart.

“Making? Uh, nothing, just like a bowl of cereal.... like with milk...from a cow” Virgil tilted his head to one side.

Confusion on his face as he held up the box and gave it a shake.

Roman could feel heat creep over his face, he was very caught off guard by the unexpected softness on Virgil's face.

'Shit!...now he thinks I'm an idiot who doesn't know how to eat cereal!'

~

Virgil turned around and did not see Roman's flushed face as he hide his own.

Basic cereal... I guess I could be making something with it like a cereal bar or something? A cake? Maybe? It isnt very impressive...and it's probably not on the platleo diet or whatever it was...

They stood in awkward silence until Virgil turned back around.

“I guess that cereal isn't something that YOU would be eating.” he looked at the cart. “From what I see here, you eat like you are going to be in the next Avengers movie or something.”

“Thanks, I mean I try.” Roman said with his eyes downwards as his body did an uncharacteristic shy sway.

“Yeah, I gues if you workout half as much as you take all those pictures, you could get away with more than the occasional  Butterfinger.” Virgil's eyes widened as he realized what he had said.

'.. shut up! shut up! shut up!'

Roman's head snapped up to look at Virgil.

“You've seen my gyms pictures?” Roman asked in a whisper.

“Ah Yeah that's like all over your Instagram page,” he attempted to sound super casual

He did not sound casual.

Like at all

They felt a charged moment between them and the longer it went on the longer they were unsure of who was going to break the silence.

Roman took it upon himself to interrupt the quiet as he tool the box of chocolate cereal in hand.

“I like the marshmallow bats.” he said with sheepish smile.

~

When they returned to the car they loaded Roman's groceries into the trunk and Virgil's bags into the back seat. Then they got themselves settled in their seats.

“SO where am I uh dropping you off?” Roman asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.

“I live in the dorms," Virgil asked as he started his usual habit of checking all the radio stations. “You don't?”

He found a song that he seemed to like on one of stations, Roman recognized it as a song by Imagine Dragons.

“I live in a apartment a little bit away from the college, with Logan.”

“Um, I live in the north dorms.” Virgil said as he a small bit of nervousness as took his thumbnail between his teeth. “With Patton, my best friend.”

After that song ended, a G piano note began the next song. Roman vaguely recognized it from somewhere he couldn't place. He figured when it got to the singing part he would be able to identify it.

~

Virgil tensed out of both excitement and fear.

He was about to embarrassed himself in front of Roman.  At lest Roman was driving so he wouldn't be stared at. So he took a breath and let himself focus on the lyrics.  

“When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city” Virgil sang out beautifully. “To see a marching band”

Roman's jaw dropped and his breath stilled. He felt like he was going to swoon.

He was so very grateful that they were at a red stoplight.

“He said, son, when you grow up Would you be the saviour of the broken The beaten, and the damned? He said, will you defeat them Your demons and all the non-believers?”

Virgil sang with closed eyes losing himself in the song. While Roman's heart thumped hard in his chest and he felt an assortment of warring emotions.

“The plans that they have made? Because one day I'll leave you A phantom to lead you in the summer To join the black parade”

As the song picked up in tempo Roman realized where he had heard this song before. He remembered that he had a few friends who were into My Chemical Romance, it was 'Welcome to the Black Parade'.

“When I was a young boy My father took me into the city To see a marching band He said, son, when you grow up Will you be the savior of the broken The beaten, and the damned?”

Virgil continued a little more intensely. As the song got more upbeat Roman joined Virgil in singing and continued his drive toward the dorm.  

“Sometimes I get the feeling She's watching over me And other times I feel like I should go”

Virgil eyes popped wide open and he smiled.

“And through it all The rise and fall The bodies in the streets And when you're gone, we want you all to know

We'll carry on, we'll carry on And though you're dead and gone, believe me Your memory will carry on We'll carry on And in my heart I can't contain it The anthem won't explain it”

As Roman turned a corner they continued to sing together

“A world that sends you reeling From decimated dreams Your misery and hate will kill us all So paint it black And take it back Let's shout it loud and clear Defiant to the end We hear the call”

Roman followed the music with dramatic hand gestures as he continued driving with his left hand. Even Virgil joined in with less dramatic the hand motions.  

“To carry on We'll carry on And though you're dead and gone, believe me Your memory will carry on We'll carry on And though you're broken and defeated Your weary widow marches”

Virgil sang with a full grinning face, his relief at Roman joining him in singing the song had caused him to relax and he was able to sing louder with more feeling.

“On and on, we carry through the fears (Oh, oh, oh) Disappointed faces of your peers (Oh, oh, oh)”  

Take a look at me 'Cause I could not care at all”

Roman held onto the note at the end for a bit. Virgil continued on with the lyrics

Do or die, you'll never make me Because the world will never take my heart Go and try, you'll never break me We want it all, we wanna play this part I won't explain or say I'm sorry I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scar Give a cheer for all the broken Listen here, because it's who we are I'm just a man, I'm not a hero Just a boy, who had to sing this song I'm just a man, I'm not a hero I don't care

They arrived at the dorms parking lot and Roman parked.

We'll carry on We'll carry on And though you're dead and gone believe me Your memory will carry on You'll carry on

And though you're broken and defeated Your weary widow marches on

Roman contuined his singing the longer held notes as they song concluded.

Do or die, you'll never make me Because the world will never take my heart Go and try, you'll never break me We want it all, we wanna play this part (We'll carry on) Do or die, you'll never make me (We'll carry on) Because the world will never take my heart (We'll carry on) Go and try, you'll never break me (We'll carry) We want it all, we wanna play this part (We'll carry on)

“We'll carry on!”

They both sang as the song ended to the sounds of drums.

At the conclusion of the song both Virgil and Roman were out of breath and grinning.

~

Roman felt his heart race.

He had thought that he had experienced maximum attraction that morning toward Virgil. But he was very wrong.

'Damnit Virgil why does your voice have to sound like sexy melted chocolate!'

He fought every instinct to just lean over and initiate a vehicular makeout session.        

Roman caught a brief glimpse of Virgil's eyes peak out from underneath his bangs and he gave him a very full smile.

~

Virgil nervously took a glance at Roman from underneath his dark hair.

Roman had the brightest and most authentic smile that Virgil thought he ever saw on his face.

It wasn't like Virgil thought that Roman faked his other smiles, the feelings of joy and friendliness were not false. But it seemed a lot of the other smiles that Roman gave seemed too perfect, Virgil guessed he practised his expressions in front of a mirror.      

This smile was of shear amazement, it was pointed in Virgil's direction. Like he could not believe what he heard, it caused Virgil to feel an annoying sensation in his chest.

“I didn't know you could sing” Roman spoke softly breaking the silence.

~

“Uh sure I guess I can sing a tune here or there.” Virgil shrugged with a dismissive sigh.

“I think its more than that!” Roman attempted to offer him a very sincere compliment.

“Yeah I'm not about to sell out stadiums anytime.” Virgil chuckled at the thought.

'I wish you were in a band. I'd buy all your albums. Be front row in your concerts, I'd....shit I can't tell him any of this!'

“So My Chemical Romance huh?” Roman said with a wide smirk.

“What about it?!”

“They are like the most cliché Emo band ever.” Roman snickered.

“Ah cliche? Really YOU want to go there do you?!” Virgil said

“Whatever do you mean by that?” Roman asked with a raised eyebrow.

“For a theatre kid you would think you'd dress a bit more stylish or something?” Virgil attempted to say with an indifferent air.

“What like take the costume from Hot Mikado out around the quad?”

“Absolute no clue what that is.” Virgil laughed as he exited the vehicle.

“It's....never mind that. I have only dressed subtly to spare those around me. ” Roman responded as he walked to back of the car. “How would anyone be able to concentrate on their schooling if I were to show up in full regalia?!”

“Full Regalia, huh, you sure think highly of yourself don't you? I'm not sure you should be bragging quite so much.”

“Is that a formal challenge?” Roman felt his racing heart in his chest in the midst of their back and forth.

“Not sure how impressive you'll actually be, but I'll keep an open mind, I guess.” Virgil shrugged with a small smirk as he began to take out the bags.

'I'll show him'

Roman noticed a few heavier bags that he could chivalrously offer to help him with.

“I can help you carry some of your groceries to your dorm?”

“Ah you just want an excuse to come to my room.” Virgil teased in a deep low voice  as he waited for Roman to banter back.

“YES YOU BET I DO!!!!....play it cool, Roman play it cool!'

“N...no...! I uh... as a gentleman I ... have to help anyone I see that is in need...” Roman sputtered out before he took ahold of small package of bagels “You ...you have... you have to carry..lots there.”

~

Virgil read his flustering as a rejection of his flirtation.

“No thanks! I got it! ” he quickly and loudly shouted in a panic as he took the bag out of Roman's hands.

Virgil thought that he and Roman had just shared a moment together.

'You just were imaging it! You shouldn't have believed Remy, you complete moron! ' He sling his messenger bag over his shoulder.

Then he draped the loops of the several other bags onto each elbow crook. And then took another bag into his left hand.

As he struggled to stuff the bagel bag into an already full bag, Roman again attempted to offer help.

“It's not a problem!” Roman gestured to the bagels.

“NO! I got it” Virgil just wanted to disappear as quickly as he could. He then placed the plastic of the bag in between his teeth.

“Cee Ou ENESAH.” Virgil shouted through clenched teeth as he retreated.

“Uh yeah.” Roman spoke to an empty damp parking lot. “see you”

~

Author's Note

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE SO SORRY for the long wait!

The long pause was due to new job and lack of constant access to a working computer.

I think I will still have a job later after the situation clears, but I am unsure....

I

ANYWAYS!

What do people think of me backtracking and converting all of the mentions of DEE to JAE? It won't be too much trouble as he has not even appeared yet.

~

Taglist: (PS YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!)

@tatesinclairr

@love-is-the-fear-of-loss

@misslilidelaney

@ishoulddyemyhairthatcolour

@dwbh888

@violetshovel

@sadgayisme​

[kaeltale]

Fanfic Writer Appreciation Day: Fic Rec Monster-List

Norse Mythology (not Marvel):

Sigyn's Saga (series) by Fialleril: Rated T, Graphic Depictions of Violence [Loki/Sigyn, Genderqueer Character, Friendship/Love, Innuendo] “Norse myth from Sigyn's perspective.”

riddles in the dark (series) by Fialleril: Rated G [Fenrir, Jörmungand, Hel, Character Studies, Metaphors, Riddles] “A series of metaphorical takes on Loki's three monster children, to the tune of riddles from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.”

The Witcher (games and/or novels):

No Monopoly on Altruism (WIP) by kinirohana: Rated G [Dettlaff/Regis, Drabble Sequence, Accidental Plot] “100 word drabbles for the rarest of rare pairs. Starting in the days where Dettlaff is resuscitating Regis after his dissolution by Vilgefortz.”

It Takes A Hansa by jikanet_tanaka: Rated T [Child OMC, Milva, Angoulême, Regis, Cahir, Dandelion, Geralt, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies] “In a kinder, better world, on a cold winter morning, Maria Barring's child is welcomed to the world by his exhausted mother and his overly giddy auntie Angoulême. Oh, and by his four dads. Overly self-indulgent AU where everybody survives, and Milva's kid gets to be raised by the most epic family of all time.”

Love and Rhetoric (series) by a_sparrows_fall: Rated E [Regis/Geralt, Hurt / Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Minor Character Death, Blood Drinking, Addiction, Withdrawal, Questionable translation of dead languages] “Geralt doesn’t want Regis to leave Toussaint. Not yet. They have unfinished business… if only they can both avoid the ghosts of their pasts.”

Blood Ties (WIP) by Dordean: Not Rated [Ciri & Regis, Friendship/Love, What if Ciri had other options, Minor Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, Long live the Queen] “’A grey pebble in the mill-cog of destiny. You, who spilled blood; you, who drank blood. The crossroads now lay ahead. What will you choose: freedom or power? To succumb to your fate - or to shape it? Safety of idleness, or courage: to act, to fight for who you are? You are at the crossroads. Choose.’ Ciri on the Path, Regis in exile; but that is not the end - for either of them.”

Unsaid by a_sparrows_fall: Rated M [Regis/Geralt, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Telepathic Bond, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Dialogue] “’And then he hears it. A voice in his head. Definitely not his own. A man’s voice: soft, scared, and just a little bit posh. Oh, dear, it says.’ A soulmate AU, where soulmates form a telepathic bond. Based heavily on the novels.“

Misethere by astolat: Rated E [Geralt/Emhyr, Consent Issues, Sex Pollen, Infidelity, War, Seduction] “Emhyr was looking at him for once, with a strange expression. ‘I have misjudged you,’ he said, sounding irritated actually: how dare Geralt surprise him. ‘I get that a lot,’ Geralt said.”

Young Wolves by dreadelion: Rated M [Eskel/Geralt, Friends to Lovers, Trans Male Character, Illustrated] “A collection of illustrated ficlets, showing Geralt and Eskel's friendship through the ages, from first meetings to best friends to something more.”

Absolution by Taricha: Rated G [Dettlaff & Anarietta, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Post-Blood and Wine] “Dettlaff keeps coming into Anna Henrietta's room at night, and she cannot find a way to make him stay away.”

Sherlock Holmes (BBC=Johnlock, ACD=Holmes/Watson):

Electric Pink Hand Grenade by BeautifulFiction: Rated E [Johnlock, Sickfic] “’If Sherlock's brain is a hard drive, then these attacks are an electro-magnetic pulse.’ Sherlock Holmes does not do anything by half, not even a migraine. It falls to John to witness one of the greatest minds he has ever known tear itself apart, and he must do his best to help Sherlock pick up the pieces.”

The Progress of Sherlock Holmes by ivyblossom: Rated E [Johnlock, John Watson/Mary Morstan, author chooses not to add other plot tags in order to not give the plot away, but if you are sensitive about difficult relationship issues, consider yourself warned] “’I had,’ he said, ‘come to an entirely erroneous conclusion, my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is to reason from insufficient data.’“

Within the Narrative by Dale Pike (yesiamTHATdalepike): Rated M [Johnlock, Angst, Tragedy, Comedy] [This fic was NOT written by Mark Gatiss. Beware of Fourth Wall Breaks, Sock-puppets, and a chaotic evil author who’s really chaotic good, but had to learn a hard lesson in social ethics] “Rated by Proper Dave to be his Fourth-Favourite-Sherlock-Fic of all time. A boring story, with certainly an element of comedy, about the stuff between the lines.”

Alone On the Water by Mad_Lori: Rated G, Major Character Death [Johnlock, Euthanasia, Deathfic, Love Confessions, Grief] [VERY IMPORTANT: TAKE THE TAG WARNINGS SERIOUSLY] “Sherlock Holmes never expected to live a long life, but he never imagined that it would end like this.”

Albion and the Woodsman by Glenmore: Not Rated [Johnlock, Parentlock, Drug Use, Depression, walking around the world] [Mary Is Not Good] “Post Series 3. Sherlock and John are devastated after Mary Morstan makes her final moves. Sherlock relapses at the crack house, John walks around the world ...and a lot happens in between. Parentlock, in the good way.”

Since First I Saw Your Face (WIP) by Stavia_Scott_Grayson: Rated M [Holmes/Watson, Friends to Lovers, Victorian Sherlock Holmes, Pining, Resolved sexual and romantic tension - eventually, Victorian Attitudes] [non-fictional characters, historical references and events] “During the Great Hiatus, Holmes, studying in Tibet, reflects on his first meeting with Dr John Watson.”

Mass Effect:

Red Streak (WIP) by ThunderheadFred: Rated E, Major Character Death [Fem!Shep/Garrus, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Canon, First Contact War] “During the surrender of Shanxi, ex-Marine Hannah Shepard agrees to parley with the fleet captain of the invading turian Blackwatch. Two decades later, Hannah's daughter Jane lives in the shadow of that infamous truce.”

Pretty Taste For Paradox by ThunderheadFred: Rated M [Fem!Shep/Mordin, ASMR, Angst, Romantic Friendship, Asexual Relationship, Slow Burn] “After being resurrected by Cerberus, Shepard is a raw nerve, a stranger in her own skin. Why else would the never-ending nattering of Professor Mordin Solus send a shiver down her spine?”

Dragon Age:

The Strongest Force and Tempering Justice (two-part series) by WritingByNight: Rated M [Fem!Hawke/Anders, Fem!Hawke/Justice, Angst/Romance, OT3] “Hawke never did give the impression that crazy was her turn-off. - A short post-game tale of love and madness.” and “Justice said he disapproved of the obsession with Hawke. He did not say he disliked her.”

An Apostate? Me? by Sarah1281: Rated T [Fem!Hawke & Carver, eventual Fem!Hawke/Anders, Humor/Parody] “Emma Hawke has never been the most subtle or sane of apostates, much to the annoyance of the brother that can only watch in amazement and horror as she stumbles her way from refugee to noble to champion in a city as bizarre as she.”

Phantom of the Opera (Gaston Leroux):

The Chain Unbroken by inkblottales: Rated T [Erik/Christine, Romance/Suspense] “Erik is the architect of his own destiny - or so he thinks. Will Christine breach his defenses? Will the enemies who wish to destroy him succeed?”

Naruto (oh gawd, this list is going way into my past...):

How & Why by randomsomeone: Rated M [Gaara/Sakura, Romance] [This was the first fanfic I ever read that really stuck with me] “A psychological war gets completely out of control. Lust doesn't cut it and love doesn't just happen, so how else can it work?”