#i love writing in hanzos pov

[c1trvswurld]

Writing about hanzo and genji is so healing because I like putting my own ideologies and contradicting perspectives and letting them duke it tf out. But I mention that first to talk about how a body horror aspect between their relationship could get played up for really interesting back and forth.

I saw a person a while ago analyze how hanzo in the dragons short knocks out humans and kills omnis because he has and inherent dislike or skepticism at omnics. And I can only imagine that's due to something ingrained in him since childhood ( and blends in with how the shimada clan seems to have very traditional ways). So it's interesting that hanzo has a constant reminder of what he ( I'm his pov) forced his brother to become this strange distant but still quite there version of himself.

And imagine the horror from genjis part. One second your getting slice and diced by your own brother that you've had hiccups with but still loved dearly. Next your awake with your body parts separated and stringed up and a stranger turning you into something you've been taught all your life to reject, and being told by her that this is your future if you wanna even get a chance to live

Something something how does one embrace change when it is sprung onto their very being and morphs them forever something something

[robo-cryptid]

What are some common writing mistakes you see in fic that are easily remediable? (also, i love your writing a lot & it has inspired me to start writing as well, sending much love!)

Starting from the bottom because THANK YOU. Inspiring other people to start creating too is probably the best compliment a writer can get. ;o;

As for "mistakes," I don't know if I'm qualified to answer, lol, but I guess one thing I see a lot (and deal with when I'm writing too!) would be using more words than you need. I talk about this a lot, but I don't think I've ever gotten specific about what I mean, so here we go. This answer got pretty long!

The first way I see this is in the "turned and went" category. I was betaing for someone who wanted me to help with pacing specifically, and we figured out together that what made it feel slow and stilted was that every few sentences, they'd use "he turned and went..." or "she stood and walked..." or something like that. You just don't need both verbs. Your readers will know that if the character was sitting and now they're walking, at some point they also stood up.

I also see a lot of overuse of modifying words. "Really," "somewhat," "a bit," etc. The banes of my personal existence are "just" and "a little." I have the words "just" and "a little" in my editing list so that I do a search and delete most instances of them before I post a fic, lol. It's a writing tic that I can't get rid of. A lot of these modifiers are unnecessary 99% of the time, and they clog up sentences so they take longer to read for no good reason.

Next would be over-describing. Sometimes you get into a fic, and the first thing you get is an immediate description of what a character looks like. Because it's fanfic, it's probably a character we've met before, so it's not strictly necessary to include at all. But sure, maybe your POV character is cataloging some details when they first meet. That happens, and it can be an easy way to imply some attraction if this is a romance. Still, they're probably not going to make a laundry list, like, "his hair was black and pulled back with one strand that hung in his face, and he had big brown eyes and a bold nose and great cheekbones, and he had a goatee, and now here's the full detailed list of everything he was wearing too." We also don't need to know every single object that's in a room, or what the journey from one place to another looks like, or the "hello, how are you?" parts of a conversation before they get to the meat of it, or where every person is standing if it's a whole group, etc. You only need enough details to ground your readers, and the details your POV character is most likely to notice. For example, I remain obsessed with Hanzo's huge, expressive eyes in the "Dragons" short, and also I'm just partial to brown eyes, lol, so I often have Cassidy notice their color and maybe that Hanzo's really muscular or something. But I don't give you a rundown of every detail of his face all at once, and you probably only get a quick sense of what he's wearing. Obviously, this is not a hard and fast rule. If your character is especially observant or obsessively detailed or something, having them do this can be a way of showing that. For some people, maybe they want the setting to feel like a character itself, so you'll get a lot more description to get people to really know the place. But in general, most of the time, you only need a quick handful of descriptors and you're good to go.

The other type of over-describing would be microinteractions. Fandom lives and breathes these things. This is probably the one I struggle with the most, too, lol. Fanfic writers give us every minor piece of body language in a conversation, and honestly, that can be fun to read and fun to write, but it can also get tedious fast. Do readers really need to know every time someone sighs? Probably not! In fact, a lot of them are skimming past those details altogether, lol.

I'm of the opinion generally that a desire to over-describe everything from characters' interactions to setting to clothing, and using a ton of words in the prose, is actually us as writers trying to control the readers' experience. Like we don't trust them to "get it" or have imaginations of their own, so we're micromanaging every detail. Not only does this not work (I have had readers who did not understand something I took pains to make extremely clear, and readers who picked up on subtle stuff I barely hinted at), but it's also a pain for you and the reader.

You have to know readers' experiences of your writing are going to be different than you intend. It doesn't make you a bad writer or communicator; it means readers aren't passive sponges, but actively bring their own interpretations, backgrounds, and baggage to what they read. You have to trust that most of the time most of your readers will get it and even enjoy filling in some details themselves, and you have to let go of that desire for control.

Anyway, my final piece of advice on this is that if you're worried about any of these issues, challenge yourself to trim as many words as possible from your fic. (You can paste it to a new document so you don't have to lose the old one!) Seriously, delete things until you're afraid the structural integrity is about to crumble. Then see how much of your fic still makes sense, and which parts might need some description put back in either for further clarity or simply for flavor. Learning to write to word maximums is, imo, as important as, if not more important than, learning to write lots of words.

[theshimadaslovers]

"I'm here" (Hanzo version)

Summary: You're exhausted, mentally, emotionally and physically, once you start crying for a silly thing, everything comes down like a waterfall. You breakdown. But...good thing you got your boyfriend.

Genre: Fluffly, drama, romance, partnership.

Warning: Mental health, strong language, breakdown.

You pov

"Dear diary,

This is my first time writing something so...I hope it works.

It has been years that I'm feeling unlucky, hopeless, not happy with my own self in many ways. I've veing fighting against every demon inside for ages, the way everyone's says for me to do it. I'm trying and why can no one notice?

My only escape from this feeling is, sometimes movies, series, video games and the most important...my boyfriend. I mean, we're not in a official relationship, but he practically live in my house and we sleep together, we cook together, do everything together and he's the only one who listen to every single word I say. I can see in his eyes... He's the one. Hanzo Shimada, my love, my light in the dark.

Everyone knows him as the grumpy old Shimada brother; but he's so much more than that! He pass trought so much pain to became who he is now and I'm with him on this road until my last breath. He saved me and I saved him.

Hanzo is out of town, again. Since he get accepted on Overwatch thanks to his brother, Genji, he's barely stay home. Missions and more missions; he's so important for the hope of every people on earth, I know, but...I miss him so much. I get so worried when he call me saying that Overwatch will have a mission against Talon...Only God knows what they could do with him, but I trust Jack Morrison with my soul to protect them.

And right now...I'm not feeling very well...

Hanzo...I need you save, my love."

-------------===========-------------------

You were home all alone, completely worry after Hanzo send you a message saying a bunch of stuff of the new mission against Talon, again. Your heart dropped in the moment you read about it.

"Hi, sweety, how are you doing? I hope you're fine...really, I miss you so much. I'm here to update you from our new and last mission, is been almost 3 months without seeing you, so... I'm kind a mess right now, is hard to focus.Talon is showing up again, so Jack is sending me, Genji, Soujorn and others to try to make them surrender on their own base, that actually we just find out a new one here in China. Is being months, honey... I barely called you. Hope you fine and I'm so sorry...I'll be back soon. I love you with my body and soul."

That was his last massage, weeks ago. You were scared, thinking about the worse and after reading the message again you felt a little of anguishing. Hanzo said to you; "If I disappear, don't worry, ok? I'll be only too busy to send some updates. Jack Morrison rules. Work first, women after and if something happened to me, they'll warn you". He never agreed with this, but, if a rules is given to Hanzo, he'll obey.

Well, Overwatch didn't call you, so...he's fine, right? Right.

You were working at your laptop, block the phone and tried to come back to your work and let a single tear fall from your eye. Wasn't enough, you notice that you would start crying out because of the worriers and stress, but once you always start crying, you don't stop. You try to focus, but the hiccups came and you breakdown on tears. Nonstop, out of nowhere. 2 minutes ago you were "fine"; Hanzo always ask you if you're fine, he knows you better than yourself. One of thr things he's the most scared of, is let you crying all alone... and that happened.

You turn off the computer and goes to the sofa crying out, scared about the situation and all alone. No one to hug you and help control your breath. Starts to talk with yourself, cursing every single second of shit that happens in your life, remembering things of the past and bringing back again. You could not control your body and thoughts.

You tried to control your breath and calm down, but was literally impossible! Is like your body needs that! To put everything out! But this is not so good, not now...All alone!

You cried, cried and cried, laying down on the sofa and hugging a pillow. What could you do? Absolutely nothing.

After one hour crying, you starts to settle down a little, pick up some papers and go back to the sofa still cursing everything and crying, now, in anger.

You could hear keys opening the door and you could only thing "Right now? Really?"...well, you could also see that as a miracle. Hanzo is home and you could hear his warm voice trought the house.

- Baby! I'm home! - He walks until the tv room where he saw you sat with red eyes, swollen face and blowing the nose like a elephant. The skile on his face became almost panic - Honey...what's wrong?

- I'm so sorry...! - You starts to cry again feeling guilty. Almost 3 months without seeing him and you welcome him like that?

- Hey! No no...! - He ran to the sofa sitting in front of you. - Hey, kawaii...What's wrong, uh? Tell me, sweety.

His voice were sweet, low and completely comfortable as always, even his accent dissapeared a little when he speak like that, became more...American british? Not a strong japanese accent.

He hold your face kissing your forehead, then looking at your eyes.

- Something happened? You can tell me, you know that.

- I'm...! I'm just tired...! I'm exhausted about everything, you know?! And...! And I was worried and now I'm thinking how suck I'm at everything! Looks like something put a fucking spell! A fucking dark cloud in my fucking head! Everything is just wrong...!

- Breath, y/n... -He holds your hand tightly. - You're out of control...Tell me...what happened first?

You stopped for a moment and looked at him in tears.

- I...! I was scared...! I read your last massage again!

- The Talon one? But hey...- He smiled getting up and sitting behind you. - I'm here...Is everything ok, sweety.

- Is not only you...! I feel so...so nothing! Like if a don't belong here.. ! I don't have friends, even my colleagues don't like me!

- No, baby, that's not true! - He hugged you tight kissing your neck - Why you think that?

- They always goes out together and never invites me...! Oh, baby, I'm so sorry...! - You hide your face in your hands - you must be so tired and I'm filing your head with shit!

- Y/n... -He called you with his chin on your shoulder. - I'm here because of you. I want to be here, it was my choice to sit here to listen to your "shits"

Hanzo hugs you tightly giving little pecks on your neck and shoulder.

- I'm a different man because of you and I must retribute everything, and because I want to...I love you, y/n. I won't and i can't promise that everything will soon be fine, the world is not helping us, but...I'm here. If you need me, your friend, your boyfriend, your partner...you ninja. - Both laughed. - Call me.

- But Jack doesn't let you use the phone before work.

- If I explain to him that you'll call in emergency times, he'll understand and...for you? I can break all the rules if it is necessary.

You felt butterflies in you stomach and Hanzo tells you for turn around a little bit; holding your legs under his arm and the tattoed one behind your back, holding you in a bride position while sitting on the sofa. He kissed your face everywhere making you laugh and calm down for good. He was the only one that could do that.

- I won't leave you like that...never. I came home a little earlier actually,I felt something...I swear. - He couldn't stop looking at you while talking. - I felt that you needed me, so I finished everything earlier and came.

- Your spirits told you? - You laughed a little feeling a headache. - You told me once that they're became also connected with me after... well...

- At the first time? - He smiled and you nodded. - That's true...I felt my arm shivering a little. So, sweetie...you see? You're part of me too. What you feel I can feel, not completely, but if you're in danger, I'll know.

You smiled laying your head on his chest feeling his heartbeat that made you fall asleep right there. Well...like I said, he's the one.

Hanzo picks you up and walks to the bedroom laying you down and then laying next to you, making caring on your face watching you in a deep sleep.

After Hanzo also fall asleep next to you, his phone starts to ring and he pick it up feeling a little lost.

- Moshi...? - Take a deep breath scratching his sleepy eyes.

- Hanzo? Is Jack Morrison, are you at home?

- Yes, sir... something happened? - Now he looked worry.

- Well, not really... but Genji is having his arm fixed so, there's no one to take care of the base. I need to leave in 1 hour to a reunion with generals and well, wanna see if you're free to come back and take care of the base, I'm kind worry with Reyes, he may try to do something.

While captain Morrison was talking, Hanzo could only look at you and take a deep breath before answer.

- Captain...Sir, I'm sorry but I can't.

- Oh, really? - Jack sounded surprised.- Normally you always say yes, but...something happened?

- I...I need time with y/n, sir.

- Ooh yeah! Of course! - Starting coughing in nervousness.- I forgot about your relationship with her, I apologize, soldier. No worries, I can call Cassidy or maybe Baptiste, someone has to be able to come back.

- I'll send a message to them, captain, they'll help for sure.

- Copy that, soldier...See ya and... good lucky with the girl...she's good for you, fella. You should have asked her hand already.

- Yes...- Hanzo laughed looking at you. - I will, captain...I'm ready for that.

--------

Art by: @chengongzi123

I don't know if you guys wanna a part 2 of this, I started to write this when I was I my worst so... it was just a idea mixed with feelings. Hope you at least enjoyed;3; It was just a silly little fanfic.

[vacantgodling]

I'm so sorry if you've talked about this part in Cage already (just lmk and I'll go find the post if there's one). But I think about Hanzo's intro in your fic almost daily. The cake. Cole's disbelief and confusion. The hostile banter between the two of them. Just how well you write characters and how easy it is to get invested in the stories you tell in general.

Uhhhh...oh, right. What inspired that whole scene? Was it something from the game itself? A reference? Just something awesome you imagined that would be sure to leave an impression?

--@ceph-the-ghost-writer

CAGE ASK CAGE ASK!!!!

i’m hype i never thought i would see this day 🥹 firstly, thank you for your super kind words it really means the world to me that you would even give cage a read without being as hyper invested in ovw as i am LOL. that being said i’ve come to realize that i reeeeally love writing thinly veiled hostility (thanks amon & hya) and how the SMALLEST shred of internal willpower is the only thing keeping people from lashing out. TENSION it’s so deliciously fun to write—

BUT to answer your question it’s actually a little bit of column a, a little bit of column b. so, many many moons ago, blizz released a christmas comic kind of showcasing what many of the og characters do during christmas and there is a panel with hanzo looking at a christmas cake in japan.

christmas cake is a Thing in japan, it’s literally a special cake solely for christmas time and that (along with eating fried chicken from KFC, seriously people order christmas dinner months in advance from it) is kinda how the western idea of christmas got integrated into japanese society lol. now, it’s very possible that hanzo is only getting the cake because it’s christmas however, as a fan base people kind of ran with the idea that hanzo likes sweets. they could’ve just as easily had him going to get fried chicken which is Also apart of japanese christmas tradition, and up until that point lore for hanzo was So Goddamn Sparse that seeing him get cake was actually very… interesting, yknow? so, at least for me this tiny panel evolved into the idea that hanzo has a big sweet tooth because it says a lot about how he craves being cared for (sugar is sweet, so, he wants to be treated sweetly) and to be allowed to indulge (because as the eldest, growing up he was raised more strictly — which is canon fact he and genji have a lot of voice lines about it, and i imagine sneaking off to have sugar or sweet treats of some kind every once and awhile was the only real rebellion he was able to have) and i guess in some ways i want to illustrate a juxtaposition with his character Immediately to the audience.

like let’s say this was a novel on its own and you have no context to overwatch: you spend the first chapter with cole and genji yelling at each other about hanzo is or isn’t a monster, how he “killed” genji or injured him so badly that most of his entire body is made up of cybernetics and despite it all genji wants to forgive him. by showing hanzo upfront doing something absurd (sitting on a plane wing and eating CAKE of all things) it communicates to you that there is something… off about him, at least when it comes to cole’s knowledge and interpretation of him (since we’re in his pov).

it’s a nod to people who like overwatch and love hanzo liking sweets bc we are constantly starving for hanzo content so that sweets-loving fact is highly regarded.

but also, subconsciously i feel like it harks back to the idea of what truly “evil” person likes sweets? there’s an association with sweets of innocence, of yknow obviously sweetness, but i find that most people find sweets (subconsciously) to be disarming. what does it say when a dangerous killer like hanzo who you’re “supposed” to dislike, likes sweets? it throws you off and that’s one of the many things that throws cole off!

one of the things about the whole “oh the curtains are just blue” discourse is always the idea of what if they’re just blue and sure that could be true, but there’s usually a subconscious reasoning why writers describe things the way they do even if they don’t “mean” to impart that idea into something. very easily i could’ve had hanzo eating cake just as a nod to the comic panel but i like to think a lot of the times i’m quite Aware of why i’m describing things as they are: hanzo eating cake shows that he craves affection and understanding, but him sitting high off the ground and putting physical distance between himself and the rest of overwatch is literally showing how he puts a barrier between himself and what he craves. in a lot of the first chapters you’ll notice that i tend to put hanzo up high, and as the story progressing he starts staying closer and closer to the ground. YES this is a nod to his canon-in game-wall climb ability but it’s also a showcase of him literally closing the physical and mental distance between himself and the members of overwatch. allowing them closer and closer and trying to distance himself less.

sorry this is a whole rant and a half LMAO but i think very muchly about the mechanics of what i’m writing and why i’m showing certain things so thank you again for letting me impart some of my process on you lol :’)

[evasivaardilosa]

Most fics focus on just two or three characters. The ones I usually read at least. Specially oneshots, which I read the most, but I think a good amount of the last multichapters I’ve read where also like this, focused on two or three

My Second Chances 2.0 is clearly focused on three characters as well - Hanzo, Harumi and Kuai - but I want to give some light to some others. I think it will get at least one “chapter” (I’m still not sure if I will divide it in chapters) in mk1!Hanzo’s pov, and I don’t have anything planned for Tomas but it feels wrong to just ignore him completely while the whole rest of his family has something going. I do think the family dynamic of the Shirai Ryu should be just as important as the shippy stuff that is going on, and Hanzo’s arrival does affect all of them not only his future baes

(There will also be a little Bi-Han near the ending because I had to be all ambitious about the plot, and then I couldn’t just not try to at least fix things a little between the brothers. There is also some Hanzo & Liu Kang going on in the background that I may write a one shot about someday bc I didn’t plan it, it just happened and I loved it)

Not intentionally, but I happened to have been reading some multichapters that do focus on more than three characters. I didn’t realize it, at first, I was just noticing that something felt really neat about some fics I am reading and then I realized that this was a thing they had in common. I am binging one that has 7 main characters! And the neat thing I was struggling to word, is that the author manages to give enough attention to all of them, never seems to forget what one is doing, they all have conflicts that are intertwined

I was asking myself if I can do it. I obviously have work to do as I haven’t figured out what to do with everyone who is not in the throuple yet. But like, can I do it? Can I make it so people will read it and not thinking I am just shoving characters without caring about them?

We’ll find out. I still need to figure the voices for mk1!Hanzo and Tomas, though

[candlecoo]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Overwatch (Video Game) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada Characters: Jesse McCree, Hanzo Shimada, Hana "D.Va" Song, Genji Shimada, Fareeha "Pharah" Amari, Satya "Symmetra" Vaswani, Lúcio Correia dos Santos, Widowmaker | Amélie Lacroix, Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Ana Amari, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, Reinhardt Wilhelm Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, Pen Pals, Alcohol, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Miscommunication, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary:

College is the start of the rest of your life, pave new paths, and meet new people. But what happens when the guy in the next dorm over pisses you off? Obviously you vent to a stranger online. Who just so happens to be your annoying neighbor, opps.

Au where Jesse and Hanzo are neighbors in their dorm and hate eachother, but are oblivious to the fact that they've been pen pals for years.

Chapter two!!

Enjoy an optimistic Hanzo it wont last long

[ecchima]

The Sound of Silence

Summary:

In a world where everyone hears music whenever their soulmate does, two souls struggle to find their other halves.

As far as he can remember, Hanzo has always been deaf but it's ok, because he can still hear music in his head.

As far as Jesse can tell, he doesn't have a soulmate at all.

Words: 8,1k Rating: T Warning: none Note: thank you to @delanbie, the McHanzo sanctuary server and my beta Soap. This fic wouldn’t have been writen and published without them! Art: http://delanbie.tumblr.com/post/170956941912/all-the-art-i-did-for-soulmate-au-from-the-mchanzo

AO3

Since the day he was born, Hanzo has been living in a world of silence. For years, no one knew why the young heir to the well-known Shimada clan did not speak.

At first, his parents thought he was just a quiet child, and the elders thrilled that even as a baby, their new heir was well behaved. It did not last long. When they noticed that Hanzo was starting to fall behind the other kids his age, his family tried to make him speak at all costs. Finally, after many fruitless attempts, they brought him to the hospital where a poor nurse had to deliver them the fatal news: Hanzo was born deaf.

A deaf leader? What a disgrace. The day following the news, Sojiro was called in front of the elders. Within the next month, Hanzo’s mom was pregnant again and nine months later, Genji was born.

They ran tests on the newborn as soon as they could, and all of them came back negative.

It did not take long for the elders to proclaim Genji their new heir, leaving Hanzo in the shadows.

When he was seven, instead of being sent to school, Hanzo was asked to sit for hours and learn sign language properly. He had known basic words, to ask for food or tell his parents he was cold, but even a disowned member of the Shimada clan must be flawless, and so he learned.

It was hard at first, since Hanzo did not know many words in either sign language or Japanese, but it brought him great joy whenever his father would ask him how his day was and he could answer with his own words. Sometimes, one or both of his parents would take the class with him, making his day even better.

Because of this, Hanzo did not have friends but he had something else, something better: a voice singing in his head. He didn’t know why it was the only thing he could hear, or why he seemed to be the only one able to hear it, but it happened nonetheless. Sometimes during class, or over dinner, he could hear either a clear and soft voice or a loud and boisterous one singing.

As far as he could remember, the singing had always been there and so he never wondered nor asked where it came from, or why it was the only thing he could hear.

One night, after a nightmare, he started humming the tune of one of the songs he had heard, unable to hear his own voice but feeling the vibrations through his mouth. It soothed him to pretend he could hear the voice singing. But he hummed so loudly and out of tune that it woke Genji up, upsetting him.

Hanzo tried to apologize to his little brother but Genji had dashed out of the room, crying that Hanzo was being mean to him and keeping him up on purpose.

Of course no one understood what was happening; Hanzo had never tried to use his voice before. When he told them he was simply trying to replicate the song he could hear in his head, his parents looked at each other oddly. His mother started crying and his father laughed.

They told him to go back to bed, that they would explain tomorrow, but Hanzo lingered. The elders weren’t around and Genji was already falling back asleep in their parent’s bed. He looked up and signed, “Can I stay?”

His parents did not even hesitate, signing back, “Of course.”

The following day, they all sat under the cherry blossoms and Hanzo’s mother started telling a story while her husband signed it.

Long ago, a young fisherman man fell in love with a woman whose singing was so mesmerizing that it was said to bring fortune unto whoever listened to it. He loved her so much that he would come by her house every day with a new gift, even though he was not particularly rich. He would bring her fruits, flowers, and on very rare occasions, pearls he had found in the sea.

She kept every one of his presents, and insisted that he did not have to bring any more, that he could come see her whenever he wanted. But every time, the young man arrived with another present.

One day, there was a violent storm and the young man broke his arm. He was unable to work but kept on bringing gifts to the woman. She begged him to stop, to keep what little he had at least long enough for him to heal, but he stubbornly refused.

She proposed to him then, saying, “If I am your wife, you will have no need to court me anymore.” The young man could not refuse such a proposition.

They got married on a beautiful day, had one child they loved above everything else, and grew old together.

The people in the village said they were so in love, their souls must be bound together. But, as the time passed, their health started to decay. The man’s knees protested when carrying him and the woman’s hearing started to fade.

Saddened to see his wife unable to sing or listen to any kind of music, the now-old man prayed to the gods, begging them to give his own hearing to his wife so that she could be happy again.

Upon seeing such great love, the gods agreed that two souls bound to be lovers would be able to hear the same music as their other halves.

When his mother finished her tale, she looked at Hanzo and signed, “I am so happy to know there is someone out there for you.”

As Hanzo grew older and became fluent in Japanese Sign Language, he was asked to learn the American one as well. After all, Genji had to learn English, so why shouldn’t he? And since he was finally able to understand his tutors, why not teach him other things? He was a Shimada after all, and Shimadas must be flawless.

Between being deeply buried in his education, Genji just starting his own, and with clan matters taking up most of his parents’ time, Hanzo started to feel lonely. He couldn’t ask his non-disabled brother to come home early after school and deny him the joy of having friends outside of the family, nor could he stay behind his mother’s robes, so he did what lonely kids with a lot of free time do: he started to draw.

Drawing was a nice, silent and creative activity that Hanzo could practice on his own, and it gave him a way to express himself without signing. At first, the only things he wanted to draw were cool and impressive dragons, just like the ones in his family’s dojo. Then he tried his hand at sentai warriors because Genji would stay stuck to the TV screen on Saturday mornings, watching those superheroes kick butt.

Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes, and Hanzo was a fast learner with lots of free time. At nine years old, he won an artistic contest after Genji had submitted one of his drawings in secret. The elders were not pleased, but Hanzo had a proud smile stuck to his face for weeks.

One day, as he was experimenting with inks, Hanzo heard a young voice in his head singing a song he had never heard before. It was a happy tune, the sort of thing he could picture Genji humming. The song was accompanied by some sort of instrument, but it seemed like the person singing did not know how to play it because some of the notes sounded as though they did not belong. Like that time Hanzo tried to paint a blue sky but messed up his gradient.

That comparison made him pause and look at his sheets of expensive ink paper. What if he tried drawing the song in his head?

During the following years, Hanzo mastered both American and Chinese sign languages on top of his other studies. Frustrated by his dependence on his hands to communicate, he began to take lessons in lip reading and, encouraged by his tutor, started learning how to speak.

Reading lips was hard, and learning how to talk through only vibrations was even harder, but Hanzo could always count on the music in his head to cheer him up. After all, one day he would meet his soulmate and he wanted to be able to explain just how much their songs meant to him, how they inspired him to paint… And how they kept him going.

He may not have been able to hear what people were saying about him, but he was not blind. He could see their fake smiles and hypocrisy from miles away. They pretended to like him, to be proud of him, but they pitied him. The perfect heir, put aside because he could not hear, working so hard to learn. How sad.

Meanwhile, Genji started to show just how little he cared about the clan, and Hanzo knew an argument was brewing about whether or not he should have stayed the heir.

Soon after Genji’s first attempt at rebellion -he had dyed his hair a horrendous shade of green- his mother grew ill and died. His father, facing an increasing number of duties, was all too happy to bury himself deeper into work to drown out his sorrow.

The only thing that brought warmth to Hanzo’s cold and broken world was the music he could hear from his soulmate. But even that was growing more melancholic and sad. He could still hear the musical instrument -his soulmate getting better at it- but more often than not, the music was just a sad acapella. The notes weighed heavily on Hanzo’s soul.

He wished he could sing back to tell his soulmate he was there, that they would meet someday and live happily. But he knew that even if he could sing perfectly, the person he wanted to sing for wouldn’t hear it.

As Hanzo entered adulthood, the music in his head changed. After years of sorrowful tunes, the joy he had heard as a child began to come back. It started as a rare occurrence, one song here and there in the middle of long stretches of silence, but it was definitely coming back, bringing a palette of warm colors to Hanzo’s paintings that hadn’t been seen in a very long time.

Suddenly, life was bearable again. Not quite happy, but good enough. Hanzo started to exhibit his work, and the elders were too busy with Genji’s rebellion to advise him against it.

Success knocked at his door -the people loved his paintings, both the sad and the happy ones. The elders let it slide, pleased to have good publicity for a change.

A couple years before Hanzo turned thirty, he noticed the singing in his head was becoming muffled. The songs were happier and more frequent, but somewhat muted. At first, he thought it was himself paying less attention to it, but soon he realized he had trouble understanding the lyrics when he had once heard them as though his soulmate was sitting next to him.

He started to worry: what if his soulmate was ill? It could be that their strength was leaving them… What if the gods had decided that Hanzo did not deserve this person? He had never tried to leave the city to seek them out, after all.

The days passed and the music grew fainter each day, almost unnoticeably slowly. Anguish rendered Hanzo’s paintings tormented, tortuous. He started painting foggy forests and muddy water, giving the viewer the impression that they could get swallowed and lost.

People called them masterpieces; Hanzo called them nightmares.

The last song he heard from his soulmate reminded Hanzo of his mother’s funeral. It was muted, sad, and made him feel miserable. After that, there was nothing.

Hanzo had always been deaf, but for the first time in his life, he was truly left in silence.

The first few weeks of complete silence were bad but manageable; when it turned into months, Hanzo started to worry a lot more. What if his soulmate had died? What if that last macabre song had been played at their funeral?

Hanzo found the silence smothering, making it hard for him to get up in the morning, hard to wash up, hard to eat.

One day, Genji entered his room with a bounce in his step. Hanzo wasn’t sure just how long it had been since he last left his room, but seeing his little brother admittedly made him feel better. Until Genji really looked at him and his features scrunched up into a frown, sadness and worry evident in his eyes.

“Hanzo, what’s wrong?” Genji signed.

He opened his mouth to answer but could not muster the strength to use his voice. He felt tears form at the corners of his eyes, so he tried to wipe them with his sleeve only to find that he did not have the strength to do that either. So he simply cried.

He didn’t know when Genji sat on the bed to hug him, but once he had calmed enough to feel the world around him, he found himself holding onto his little brother like a lifeline. He was tired; he wanted to sleep and never wake up again, but when he gently pushed Genji to let him know he wanted to rest, his brother signed again.

“I don’t want to force you, but you seem like you need to talk about it.”

So Hanzo did. They sat there for hours as Hanzo spilled his heart, telling his younger brother everything about the music, how it had started to fade, how it had stopped for months and how hollow it had left him.

Genji stayed by his side, rubbing comforting circles on his shoulder through it all. Once he was done signing, Genji took ahold of his jaw, making him look up.

“You know what? The elders don’t need us and you could use a vacation. How does a trip to America sound?”

It took some time to convince Hanzo to leave Japan, then some more time to convince the elders that the vacation was very much needed while their continued presence in Japan was not. But when they finally landed in San Francisco, Hanzo felt some of the tension leave his body.

Genji did his best to give Hanzo the most amazing holiday he could and, in turn, Hanzo tried to be less of a burden on his younger brother. There were still bad days, but he was doing better overall so they decided to stay. They rented a nice, modern house by the sea and started what they called their “second life.”

The elders called about once a month to discuss their “allowance,” as if they were still children, but never asked them to come back. Eventually, Genji found a job as a martial arts instructor in hopes of cutting the bridge between them and the clan. Hanzo likewise began working as a Sign Language teacher and soon their “allowance” was cut off.

Their only link left with the clan was their aging and retired father, who was all too happy to call them both to pass the time.

Eventually, Hanzo took up his artistic hobbies again, painting various places in the city. He could see the pain in his brother’s eyes whenever he showed him his monochrome ink paintings, depicting the world as he saw it: cold, uninviting, and colorless. He refused to use color; the cheerful hues reminded him too much of a time he believed to be over, of a world where he knew someone was out there for him.

A few months after they made the decision to stay in San Francisco and almost a year after the overbearing silence had started, Hanzo found himself humming. He was in the middle of a class, watching his students -people of all ages and origins- practice conversing when it happened.

It came naturally to him, like getting back on a bicycle after winter had passed. That may be why he did not notice it until a bunch of his students looked at him with weird expressions on their faces. He turned to face them and signed, “Is something wrong?”

They looked at each other until one of his favorite students, a young mother learning the language to communicate with her deaf niece, signed back to him.

“It’s just,” she paused to choose her signs carefully, “we have never heard you hum before.”

Hanzo shot her an incredulous look. There was no way he could have been humming; he hadn’t even heard music since-

That’s when he noticed it, that barely audible and rusty hum in his head. A muted song morphing into whispered lyrics:

Fools, said I, you do not know Silence like a cancer grows Hear my words that I might teach you Take my arms that I might reach you But my words like silent raindrops fell

And echoed In the wells Of silence

The rusty voice faded back into a hum then, and Hanzo found himself unable to move. The voice was definitely deeper and harsher than he remembered, but it was there, his soulmate was there.

Hanzo let out a sob, unable to keep the tears from falling. His entire class was looking at him then, and the mother from earlier started to applaud. Soon, all of his students were clapping their hands, congratulating him. Even though they didn’t know the story, they could tell it had something to do with his soulmate and they knew just how important it was.

As soon as he could stand up and hold his phone, Hanzo excused himself to video call his younger brother. He started to cry again when he tried to deliver the news, making it impossible to talk. After ten minutes of fruitless tears, he received a text from Genji, asking Hanzo to join him at the dojo.

When he got there, Genji cut his class short and lead them both to a secluded booth in a café. He got them hot drinks and let Hanzo talk as long as he needed, not interrupting even once, which was a rather impressive feat for Genji.

When Hanzo was finished, Genji gave him a hug and insisted that Hanzo hum him the song.  He did, with hands on his temple and throat to better feel the vibrations. It was probably horrible, but Genji listened and thanked him nonetheless before telling him the name of the song: “The Sound of Silence.”

During the next few days, Hanzo heard humming and singing a lot, but there was no trace of a musical instrument. He didn’t know why his soulmate had been silent for so long or why the instrument was gone now, but he suspected a pretty bad accident or severe depression. He tried not to think too hard about it and just enjoy the simple knowledge that someone out there was meant for him and, more importantly, that he could hear them sing.

A week later, Hanzo was sitting in their living room, dozing off while Genji was watching a documentary. They had the subtitles off so he wouldn’t be distracted from the scenery, content to watch as colorful birds performed some kind of mating dance on the screen while his soulmate’s humming played in his head. He burrowed deeper into their comfortable sofa, ready to fall asleep, when suddenly the humming got very loud, startling him.

For a few minutes, the volume of the humming varied wildly before settling on a somewhat normal middle setting. That’s when he realized: his soulmate must be trying out hearing aids. Hanzo grabbed Genji’s shoulder then, shaking him in his excitement. His soulmate’s hearing was impaired; they would be able to relate when they finally met!

Hanzo talked too fast and had to repeat the signs more slowly for Genji, who then grinned and told him that he believed his own soulmate had hearing aids, too. Hanzo gasped, unaware that Genji had heard his soulmate at all. With all his personal turmoil during the past year, he hadn’t even thought to ask his younger brother about it. It was time to change that.

“You did not tell me about your soulmate,” he signed.

“Well, I went to your room the day I heard them for the first time so I could tell you about it but,” he paused and looked away. Hanzo shook his shoulder again, prompting him to continue. “But then I saw you in your bed, unwashed and with the biggest circles under your eyes; it just didn’t seem like the right moment.”

“Well, I am better now and I want to know.”

Genji smiled. “Let’s get started then!”

After that night, Hanzo made sure to regularly ask Genji about his soulmate, learning that once a month they would listen to calm instrumentals while checking their hearing aid settings, that they sometimes listened to music closer to Genji’s tastes, and that one time they had spent a day listening to musical pieces from different periods in chronological order.

“They seem to have a very curious nature,” Genji said over dinner. “Although I’ve never heard them sing or hum anything so it’s a bit weird.”

“Maybe they simply cannot speak,” Hanzo answered.

Genji shrugged it off, asking him about his own soulmate instead. “Do they still practice?”

“Yes.” Hanzo smiled. “They practice every day though they are still very far from how good they used to be. I wonder if they broke an arm.”

“You said they’ve been practicing for, what, a month?”

“A month and 28 days, actually.”

Genji laughed. “You have it so bad, brother! And you haven’t even met them!!!”

Hanzo smacked the back of his head, laughing. It felt so good to be close to his brother. They had never spent much time together as kids, mostly because of the language barrier.

Genji waved at him to get his attention before signing, “Did you make up your mind about the art gallery's offer?”

“I think I will accept it, although I will ask them if they can wait until I have a more… joyful piece to offer. If my soulmate lives in the area, I don’t want them to think I am gloomy.”

“I don’t think they live in the area; from what you’ve told me, they sing way too many country songs.” He laughed but put a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, brother. We’ll find them.”

As time passed, more and more art galleries called Hanzo -they even had to buy a device that could translate the audio into text- to ask if they could exhibit and sell a few of his paintings. Hanzo accepted every offer except when a deal wasn’t good enough, wanting nothing more than to become famous enough that his soulmate would one day see his paintings.

He still taught sign language classes but not as many. Now that he was becoming famous, he no longer needed the money, but he didn’t want to let it go completely as he’d found that he actually liked to teach.

One day, an association called him to ask if he could give art classes to hearing-impaired and mute teenagers and children, to which he immediately agreed because he knew how hard it could be to find a capable instructor. Even his family’s wealth hadn’t lured any deaf-friendly art teachers, and he had to learn to read lips before he was finally able to study with a professional.

Two years after Hanzo had settled in San Francisco -and about one year after he started to hear his soulmate again- the music played by the instrument in his head was almost flawless. But then something weird started to happen.

Every day, for a few hours, Hanzo would hear the instrument play a bunch of notes over and over again, testing new combinations and different rhythms before stopping then starting anew. He didn’t really know what was happening, and he guessed that his soulmate had just decided to practice a complicated song, but after a week, lyrics joined in and Hanzo realized: his soulmate was composing a song.

It was a soft melody, the kind that reminded Hanzo of watching snow fall through the window while snuggling under the kotatsu, but also the kind you wouldn’t mind listening to to drown your sorrow. The lyrics were often half-mumbled as his soulmate was still trying to write them, but after another week had passed, Hanzo heard the complete song for the first time.

It talked about silence, how lonely it felt and how they tried to forget it, how they sang to fill in the gaps. But what touched Hanzo the most was the ending.

When I found out after, That sounds could not reach me, Then I realized that maybe, Your silence wasn’t meant to hurt me.

Hanzo felt tears gather at the corner of his eyes -they understood. When they had partially lost their hearing, they had realized. And they composed a song for him about it.

During the following month, Hanzo heard that song a lot. He briefly wondered if his soulmate had recorded it, because most of the time it had exactly the same intonations and tempo, while it tended to be more relaxed and less controlled in the evenings.

Hanzo very rarely had things made for him when he was younger. Sure, his family learned sign language and bought him presents, but no one had ever crafted something just for him. He never had friends outside of the family and didn’t go to school, so he never even got chocolate for Valentine’s day like Genji did.

Having something as precious as a song gifted to him was so inspiring that he painted an entire polyptych of five canvases based on the song. They were the first and only pieces he refused to exhibit or sell, setting them up in his bedroom so that they would be the first and last things he saw every day.

As months passed, his soulmate composed more songs and Hanzo painted more pieces. He became so famous that a museum contacted him to ask if they could organize an exhibition of his works. It took some convincing from Genji, but eventually Hanzo accepted.

When he contacted them, they decided on a date and asked Hanzo if he could come to their city for the grand opening. It took some more convincing, but he eventually agreed. He had never gone very far from San Francisco and never left Hanamura when he still lived there; maybe a trip to a distant city would do him good.

All things considered, the city was nice. It was noisy and polluted, but lacked the chilly wind of San Francisco and the fake traditional look of Hanamura. It was like most US cities Hanzo had seen in photographs, with huge skyscrapers, geometric streets, and big squares.

He wasn’t particularly awed nor disappointed by the city, but they had some pretty interesting museums he wanted to check out. After meeting up with the organizers of his exhibit, he was given a free pass that was good for public transportation and entry to many museums. They informed him that some of his art pieces hadn’t arrived yet but should be there in time for the opening a week later, and asked him if he wanted to take a look and move any pieces around.

After spending a couple of hours in the aisle hosting his exhibit, Hanzo was invited to check out the rest of the museum. One of the organizers stayed with him, talking animatedly about their impressive collection from all over the world. More than once, Hanzo had to ask them to slow down and repeat themselves, but he didn’t mind the company. It was always nice to meet passionate people.

They explained that this particular museum had a big collaboration going with the local music academy, allowing students and teachers to study and handle the museum's collection of musical instruments from various historical eras and cultures, encouraging them to think outside the box. Once a month, a music teacher came to play in the halls so that museum visitors could hear how various instruments sounded and see how they were played. At the end of their visit, the organizer asked Hanzo if he would mind having a little concert at the end of the opening day. A newly-popular singer was in town, having just finished touring.

Hanzo had no reason to refuse; he had never been to a concert and likely would never go to one if not for this opportunity. He assured the organizer that he would be able to enjoy it as long as he was able to feel the vibrations, and that it would be all good as long as they reserved a private spot for him away from the crowd. They thanked him with a big smile and bid him farewell, telling him to enjoy the city before the opening day.

So he did just that, visiting the city’s zoo and many museums, even bringing Genji to one that was dedicated to superheroes around the world. He also ventured out a couple of times to enjoy the local nightlife.

The day before the event, Hanzo went to the laundromat down the street from their hotel. He liked to do his own laundry with his own detergent. The one used by the servants at Shimada castle had always reminded him of his mother too much. Then he moved to America and there was no one else to do it for him anyway, except maybe Genji, but he wouldn’t trust anyone who used the words “laundry” and “Genji” in the same sentence.

They had only been there for a week, but he was amazed to find just how many outfits his younger brother had stained with sweat, drinks, and sauces as he started to separate the bright colors from the light and dark ones, making three neat piles on a bench. He looked around the place, confirming that it was empty before he started humming his soulmate’s latest song to himself. It was one of Hanzo’s favorites even though it didn’t have lyrics yet. It was an upbeat and innocent tune, like a child talking about their crush.

He was unscrewing his bottle of detergent when someone grabbed his arm, almost making him drop it to the floor. He turned and glared at whoever almost made him spill his perfectly fine and expensive bottle only to be met with an equally angry face. The man who had interrupted him said something, but Hanzo was too surprised to really pay attention -what right had this man to shout at him? If anything, he should be the one shouting!

“I do not understand why you are angry at me,” Hanzo said slowly, a hand on his temple to help him speak. “I wasn’t the one rudely interrupting your laundry time.”

The man answered and this time Hanzo tried to follow what he was saying, but the words were spoken too quickly for him to catch, on top of what seemed to be an accent distorting the motion of his lips. Great.

“Could you articulate? I cannot understand a word you are saying.”

The man puffed up like an angry bird, his brows furrowing further. He started talking again and Hanzo tried really hard to focus on his lips, but despite his best efforts, he still couldn’t make out half the words. Something...play dumb...something? Hanzo frowned, did he sound condescending? He leaned back to look at the man’s face, ready to apologize and explain, only to find that the other’s frown was gone, replaced by huge, surprised eyes.

Hanzo took the time to look at the stranger in an attempt to finally understand what was going on. The man had big brown eyes framed by thick eyebrows, and hair so long it would have fallen into his eyes if he hadn’t worn a hat. A cowboy hat of all things; he must be from the desert, then.

Hanzo watched as the man’s full lips shaped into a big, round “Oh.” He must have finally understood that Hanzo was deaf, good. Then why did his expression turn so hopeful? The man then inhaled through his mouth, pursed his lips, and stood there expectantly.

Hanzo heard humming.

As much as he loved his soulmate’s songs, now wasn’t really the moment; he didn’t know what this man wanted with him and the music distracting him wouldn’t help. But then the man started swaying, and as he opened his mouth to take another breath, Hanzo’s eyes went wide.

The man before him was totally in sync with the humming in his head.

Hanzo watched, mesmerized as the stranger did it again and, without thinking, he laid a hand on the man’s chest to feel the vibrations. His soulmate let out a breathy laugh and sang the lyrics softly. For the first time in his life, Hanzo could hear what he was reading on the lips of another human being.

When I found out after, That sounds could not reach me, Then I realized that maybe, Your silence wasn’t meant to hurt me.

His soulmate smiled warmly at him and pointed at his ear, where Hanzo could see a small transparent device. He could already feel the tears spilling all over his cheeks as he choked out a weak, “I know.”

Hanzo felt his soulmate slowly drawing him in for a hug and rubbing soothing circles on his shoulder blades. He held onto him tightly, trying -and failing- to stop staining the man’s plaid shirt with tears. The humming picked back up and Hanzo found himself so comfortable he never wanted this moment to end.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours until the man gently pushed Hanzo away and cupped his cheek, carefully articulating.

“You ok?”

Hanzo wiped his eyes with his palm and nodded with a smile. He didn’t trust himself to speak through the emotional train wreck this meeting turned out to be.

“May I take you out for coffee?”

Hanzo’s smile grew bigger and he nodded again before taking his phone out, opening a new notes sheet and typing, “I don’t think I can focus enough to speak rn, do you know sign language?” He pointed his phone towards his soulmate so he could read the message.

The man looked up from the phone. “Not enough to have a conversation, but I can give you my number.”

Hanzo nodded and opened up his contact information, turning his phone towards his soulmate again. The man entered the number into his own phone, a big smile splitting his face in two. A few seconds later, Hanzo received a text from an unknown number saying, “Hanzo, huh? That’s a pretty name. Mine’s Jesse :)”

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Jesse. I would love to get coffee once I am done cleaning all these shirts,” he typed, hit send and then gestured at the two remaining piles of dirty laundry he came to wash.

Jesse chuckled and nodded, pointing at his own pile of clothes before typing his answer. “Fortunately, I have some cleaning to do myself. How about I keep you company?”

When Hanzo came back to the hotel at the end of the day, Genji immediately jumped on him, asking him what took so long. He grinned, lifted his chin and signed, “I may or may not have met an amazing man whose name is Jesse McCree.”

“Jesse McCree… The singer?” Genji signed and then stopped, his mouth slowly forming a perfect, round O. “HOOOOOOLY SHIT!!! IS YOUR SOULMATE JESSE MCCREE???!” He probably shouted, signing along with his words. “Hanzo, that’s amazing! They were talking about him on TV just yesterday!!”

“They also talked about me on TV,” he pouted.

“Hanzo, please. They only mentioned you once in passing because of the exhibit. This guy just finished a tour on the West Coast!” Genji slid a hand through his hair, the movement of his shoulders indicating a sigh. “I cannot believe your soulmate is a popular singer, I always thought you’d end up with one of those hobos who thinks they're cool because they wear dreadlocks and walk barefoot.”

“Wow, thanks, Genji,” Hanzo signed, eyebrows raised in disbelief. “I never thought your soulmate would be a disappointment, but I am starting to believe they could very well be an old uni teacher.”

“Now you’re just being mean.”

Hanzo crossed his arms and raised a brow, his face the perfect picture of “Oh, really?”

“Alright, I deserved it. Now tell me! How did you meet? How was he? Does he really dress like that unironically?”

“I will tell you everything, but dinner first, if you don’t mind.”

The next day, Genji insisted on being there for the grand opening of Hanzo’s exhibit, bragging to every single person he met that he had been the first one in their family to believe his brother had a real talent for art, making Hanzo’s eyes roll.

A few people recognized him and stopped to chat, with Genji helping translate when they spoke too fast. It was nice to hear which paintings they liked most, or which technique they preferred. A lot of them were art students, and a few others were hearing-impaired or deaf. He was surprised when an old Japanese man stopped by to tell him that he had been following Hanzo’s career ever since he won his first artistic contest in Hanamura.

He told Hanzo that he had been a member of the jury, and that he hadn’t known he was a Shimada until he showed up to claim his prize flanked by four bodyguards. He also told him how relieved he had been when he saw Hanzo’s huge smile and his brother loudly clapping to congratulate him, that he thought they were good kids then.

When the old man excused himself so that he could continue looking at the pieces displayed, Hanzo gave his most respectful bow and thanked him for taking the time to come over and chat. In the corner of his eye, he saw Genji do the same.

Around lunch time, Hanzo felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He fished it out and let a happy sigh escape him when he saw a text from Jesse.

“Hey! Organizers said I need to be there around 3pm, wanna grab lunch in the area? :)”

“Sure, do you have a place in mind? We’ll join you there.”

“We? You are full of secrets, Mister Shimada ✨” Hanzo laughed and had already started replying when a new text arrived. “How does Bacon Bros. Diner sound? It’s on 5th”

“What kind of name is that? :’) I can’t stop laughing, people are looking at me.”

“Just two bros having dinner. 5 feet apart because they’re not gay :^D”

“Except we’re gay”

“We’ll just have to eat only one foot apart then!”

Hanzo snickered and quickly typed his answer. “Perfect, meet you there in 15 minutes?”

“Sounds good to me! Can’t wait to see you again ♥”

Genji was almost more excited about the lunch date than Hanzo. When confronted about it, he pretended it was because he wanted to meet someone famous, but Hanzo knew him too well to believe that. Genji wasn’t exactly what he would call a “fan” of Jesse’s songs, being more into kpop, and Hanzo knew his brother had met his share of famous people back in Hanamura.

Lunch went well. Jesse and Genji got along pretty well despite a few embarrassing questions about each other’s fashion choices, and soon they were walking back towards the museum. A few people stopped them on the street, asking if they could take a picture with Jesse. A couple of them also inquired about Hanzo and Genji, but Jesse just put a finger to his lips and said it was a secret they could find hints about at the museum.

They arrived an hour and a half before Jesse had to be present for the last adjustments, so Hanzo invited him to check out the exhibition. The first pieces were sketches and studies from when he was a child. He explained that back when Genji didn’t know sign language very well, he found it easier to express himself through art, and that it was also an entertaining way to pass the time. In turn, Jesse told him a bit about his own childhood and how his mom always told him that music was important because it was his only link with his soulmate. He joked about not being very good at anything besides singing, and Hanzo assured him that he would be the judge of that.

Then they moved on to the paintings he did when he’d thought it would be nice if, when he met his soulmate, he could have something to give them the same way they gave him their comforting music. Jesse put a hand over his heart then and mimed being struck by Cupid, but Hanzo could tell he was genuinely touched.

As they kept walking through the exhibition, the pieces grew colder. Hanzo explained that he painted them around the time Jesse stopped playing the guitar -he was so happy he could finally give a name to that instrument- and sang his sad acapellas. Jesse explained that he stopped playing after his mother died, and that he got into trouble a lot in those days. He didn’t go into much detail, but it was clear Jesse was ashamed of that time period. It was okay though, they would have a lot of time to talk about it after they knew each other better.

Soon, they reached the warm sunsets and soft ambiance paintings Hanzo did when he started having his work exhibited in Japan. He turned to Jesse expectantly and the man explained that after a lot of trouble, one man saw potential in him and plucked his sorry ass out of the desert dirt. It wasn’t quite the freedom he craved, but things were getting better for him. The man who saw potential in him found out he could play the guitar and encouraged him to pick it back up. Hanzo also learned that around that time Jesse joined the army.

“I just didn’t wanna be no trouble to him, especially after all he did for me. I never finished school so there wasn’t much else I could do anyway,” he said sheepishly.

Hanzo hummed, probably too loudly. “I can relate to that.”

They walked into another room then, and Jesse froze only a few steps in. The room displayed all of Hanzo’s misty and darker paintings. They were a testament to his mastery in his field, but they all held an engulfing sadness that always made him shiver. He looked up at Jesse’s face, the perfect picture of shock and hurt. Hanzo’s eyes were fixed on the man next to him, who touched the tiny transparent device in his ear.

“Are those-”

“From when I noticed the music was becoming weaker? Yes.”

They didn’t linger in that room for long, too many dark memories for the both of them. Again, there would be time for that later.

They exited into a hall displaying the few pieces Hanzo drew when he moved to San Francisco. He told Jesse that Genji was the one to insist they move to America, and that those were hard times for him but the distance between himself and the rest of his family had done him good. He talked about how he started to teach sign language for a living and how he managed to get his life back in order.

He stopped in front of the last painting. “I thought you were dead,” he said.

“I’m sorry, Hanzo, I didn’t want this. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know.” He smiled before facing Jesse. “The day I finally heard you again, I was in the middle of a class. My students were practicing and I was watching over them like I always do. At some point, I noticed that a few of them had stopped conversing and were looking at me. They said I was humming.”

When Hanzo noticed the tears gathering at the corner of Jesse’s eyes, he gave him a side hug and patted his back. He felt the other lean into him so he kept his arm wrapped around Jesse as they walked all the way to the last room.

It was by far the largest of the entire exhibit, showcasing big polyptychs with bright colors. Hanzo stopped in front of each piece inspired by one of Jesse’s songs and tried to explain which song it belonged to. At one point, he tried to hum the melody instead but since Jesse was right next to him, he could hear himself and it just freaked him out too much.

“One more thing we’ll have time to work on,” Jesse joked, turning towards the next painting. “I was touched when you told me the paintings were based on the music you could hear from me, but these,” he paused, his shoulders moving along with a deep breath, “these are based on things I created. The songs I compose are mighty personal and I have no words to tell you how touched I am.”

“Did you notice? The set of paintings I made for the first song you composed for me are not in this room.”

Jesse paused and looked around, then back at Hanzo. “Where are they, then? Is there some kind of secret room we missed?”

Hanzo smirked. “Come over to my house in San Francisco and I will gladly show them to you. They are way too precious for me to trust anyone touching them.”

Jesse took off his hat and placed it over his heart, looking Hanzo straight in the eyes. “I think my heart just stopped.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon by an improvised stage outside. Jesse explained a few music things to Hanzo and showed him around behind the scenes. At one point, he convinced Hanzo to try playing the guitar. It was awful, his big fingers stumbling over unfamiliar chords. He didn’t know whether he was more frustrated or exhilarated that he was able to hear every single one of his mistakes.

About an hour before the concert, Hanzo was called to his VIP spot where the organizers had left a small bench with a sandwich and a water bottle for him. He was soon joined by Genji who had bought a bag of muffins for the two of them. Of course, his little brother asked to know every single detail of his and Jesse’s “date,” which Hanzo was all too happy to talk about.

A few minutes before the show, Genji joined the crowd, proclaiming that concerts were only good when you could smell everyone’s armpits and feel all those sweaty bodies pressed close to the stage. When Hanzo remarked that it sounded pretty gross, Genji shrugged and signed, “It’s half the charm,” with a toothy grin.

When Jesse arrived on stage and all the people started waving their arms, Hanzo moved his bench to get a little closer. He could see Jesse approach the microphone while clumsily signing, “Tonight is special. The man who paint are in this museum is deaf. I question his brother to sign along the lyrics of my songs.” Hanzo’s eyes widened as Genji jumped on stage and bowed, taking the signing over.

It had always been something to hear Jesse sing inside his head, but it was something entirely different to experience it live. Hanzo had a blast, not only listening to the music but also feeling the vibrations of it, making him feel like he was melting into the music, like he was part of the songs.

After the last song, Jesse leaned in to the microphone again and Hanzo looked to Genji for translation.

“I hope you had a blast tonight because I dedicate this concert to my soulmate, whose paintings are exhibited in this museum starting today!” Both the man on stage and the people in the crowd turned towards him. “Hanzo, darling, I am proud to be your soulmate,” Jesse signed as he spoke.

Hanzo rushed up and jumped onto the stage as fast as he could, throwing himself into Jesse’s arms. Their first kiss was captured by hundreds of cameras as they held each other on stage, but they didn’t care. They were finally united, happy.

[punprincess321]

Mchanzo reddit story!

(This is a sequel to the r/prorevenge story I made a few months ago, I accidentally deleted the original draft of this post so this new version is probably a lot better. This will be from Jesse's POV this time, hope you enjoy! Disclaimer: I made Jesse religious here because I can't look at a cowboy without thinking that they go to church, country music mentions God a lot so blame my fave genre for this interpretation if it bugs you. If you have any subreddits you want Hanzo and Jesse to write to, drop an ask and tell me the context of the sub, I'll find videos covering stories from that sub so I find inspiration)

My husband posted this story a few weeks ago and I decided to browse this website, reading all these stories reminded me of a certain person that me and my darling cherry blossom have had to deal with since we moved to town. I'd recommend reading his story first to get some context.

After I proposed to my husband, I found us a house in the town where I grew up, it was perfect for us since we planned to adopt kids the moment we got settled in. (Here's a pic of the place for those who are interested.) After we bought the place, I had a lot of renovations to take care of and we had already agreed we wanted three kids so I got to work.

I fixed the roof, redid the insulation, replaced floorboards and of course I got rid of the God awful green and painted the house a nice clean white, we sectioned off three rooms for the kids and planned to have them help decorate but we got things ready for them with twin beds, dressers and nightstands. I decided to put in a large back fence and gate for safety and privacy reasons, since Hubby and I like to do target practice and we didn't want stray bullets or arrows flying (my husband is an archer).

All that was left was the landscaping, now the front fence was very flimsy so I put in a new one and the front fence and gate is important: the fence was made with black iron and goes up to an adult mans chest if he's over 5'9 and it's got decorative spikes on top, the gate is in between two white brick pillars with lamps on top of each, the gate's made of the same black iron bars as the fence and has a lock for security, our mailbox is attached to one of the pillars since we keep the gate locked the mailman can't get to our door.

Now one day I was in the front yard with Hubby, we had planted a cherry blossom tree from Japan in the front yard and my husband was watering it, I was tending to my rose garden that was next to the front steps when we heard a voice at the gate... This was the day we met Denise. (H: Hubby, D: demon Denise, Me: me)

D: Hello!~

Me: *turns around to face her* Howdy ma'am.

H: Greetings.

D: I'm Denise, I live next door.

Me: Nice to meet ya. *tips my hat to her* Sorry we haven't been able to introduce ourselves earlier, we've been trying to fix the place up and haven't had much downtime.

D: It looks nice, but this gate and fence makes it seems so unwelcoming.

H: Well we plan to have children around here so it's mostly for their safety.

D: Aw! It must be so nice to have friends and family with kids!

Me: Oh, no ma'am it's for our own kids, we're gonna be adopting soon and want to keep them safe.

D: Wait, you're together? Like as in Gay?

H: Yes, we got married a couple months ago. *shows his ring proudly*

Denise went quiet and looked at us weirdly before she said goodbye and walked away, I then remembered that there aren't always going to be people in Texas who approve of same-sex couples, I told Hubby that Denise is probably not going to be a reoccurring visitor in our lives. Oh how wrong I was...

We soon visited the orphanage and we decided on Ivy, Cory and Tracy, Hubby and I made the orphanage aware of our choice and we prepared the rooms, I replaced one of the beds with a crib for Tracy and we babyproofed EVERYTHING. After we were set up, we brought the kids home, Ivy loved the loft bedroom (She basically has her own apartment on the top floor) and Cory loved how close his room was to Tracy.

The next day we took the kids shopping so they could pick out decorations and toys for their rooms, Cory immediately went for a train set table and Ivy was eyeballing the crafts and video games so I left Hubby with the younglings while I got Ivy a gaming console with three games and some craft supplies to make jewelry and temporary tattoos.

We got home and while Hubby and I watched Cory try to push the box with his train table to the front door (he actually managed to get it to the stairs), I noticed a letter poking out of our mailbox so while Hubby was busy helping Ivy bring her things inside, I walked over to the mailbox and pulled out the letter, I was holding Tracy who was asleep and when I opened that letter... I was so glad Tracy was a baby who couldn't read because if she had woken up and been able to see what was on that paper, I think she would have been scarred for life...

The letter was extremely hateful, calling my husband anti-asian slurs and calling me anti Hispanic and Native slurs (I'm white with tan skin, I have Hispanic roots but I guess the sender couldn't make up their mind) it was filled with homophobic comments about both of us, there was even a couple threats of bodily harm and even death, a lot of talk about God gave it away that the person who sent it was probably religious.

I put the note in my pocket and went inside, I helped Hubby set up Cory's toys and I put Tracy in her crib so she could nap, we helped Ivy set up her console and once that was all taken care of, we went to the kitchen to prepare dinner, that was when I showed my husband the note... We looked at each other in worry and decided to go to the police.

Unfortunately since we didn't know the sender the police were useless, we decided to try and forget about the hurtful letter and we tucked it away in our home office in case we ever found out who sent the letter. We quickly found out who it was the very next day...

That morning, Ivy woke up early due to nightmares about her family (we've gotten her help for them) and decided to sit outside on the porch with her phone and a cup of tea, apparently traumatized teenagers aren't the only ones up at 5AM because Denise was right at the front gate not long after Ivy stepped outside. This is what Ivy told me when I woke up:

D: Good morning dearie!~

Ivy: *still shaken by her nightmare* Uh... Hi?

D: Can you come here please?

Ivy: No thank you, I'm fine here. *sips her tea*

D: it's important, it's about the *Hispanic slur* and the *Asian slur* *homophobic slur*'s inside that house. (She was talking about me and Hubby)

Ivy: Excuse me?

Now Ivy was very emotionally fragile at the time and us being two of the first adults to show her decency and kindness made her latch on, after only a week being with us if she had woken from a nightmare she would come to our room and climb into bed with us like a toddler, oftentimes times we'd wake up and see her between us with tear marks on her face.

That being said, Ivy didn't want anyone speaking badly about us.

Ivy: Take that back. Now.

D: W-What?...

Ivy: Those men are the kindest people I know, take back what you said about them or I'll come over there and make you.

D: How dare you!

Ivy: Keep your voice down, there's people in this neighborhood who are trying to sleep.

Ivy didn't bother to entertain Denise any longer and came back inside, when we got up she explained to us what happened. Hubby and I should've known it would be her... We started ignoring Denise and just focused on living our lives.

Unfortunately we couldn't get away from Denise, I'm Christian and I started attending church on Sundays, Hubby was a bit uncomfortable with religion so I didn't push my beliefs onto him and I wanted the kids to be agnostic so they could choose their own beliefs and Ivy was straight up Atheist but she didn't voice it to me as I'm what she labelled "lovable religious goof" (lol what?)

When I joined the church, I soon found out that it was the same church Denise the devil went to, the first service I attended she saw me and afterwards the priest, Father Joe, approached me.

FJ: Good day my child.

Me: Howdy Father, mighty fine preach ya gave today.

FJ: Thank you, I was hoping to ask of your purpose for why you joined our church?

Me: I just wanted to follow God's path like my mama showed me.

FJ: Odd, sister Denise came to me saying you were living a dangerous life of sin.

Me: Oh my G-... Father, I'm just tryna live my life, love my husband and kids, work to keep em happy and pray I'm doin' it well. If that's somethin' I can't do here, I'll find another church without hassle.

FJ: Anyone is welcome in the house of God, your husband and children are free to come to us if they so wish.

I honestly felt like crying when Father Joe said that to me, I had been kicked out of so many churches that I thought I'd be reading my bible at home for the rest of my life. I thanked Father Joe and went home, Denise was waiting outside on her porch watching me, I flashed the bible the church had given me and flipped her off as I went inside.

Now Denise was pissed about me going to church with her but what really got her goat was that I made friends with a lot of the church goers, our kids would play together in our backyard and on the street, Hubby actually befriended some of them too and Ivy got some business doing temporary tattoos on the teens.

Now it was a bit around this time that Ivy's family started causing trouble, I had to make the fence electric to protect her but somehow the power kept shutting off, someone apparently took an axe to the power box (we already know who as she came demanding we give her axe back).

But Denise had the nerve to try and help Ivy's family get her back, she gave them the name of Ivy's school, her favourite hang out spots around town and the bus route she took to school! When Ivy's family fell apart, I dismantled the electrical system on the fence but I replaced it with a less noticeable one that can't be messed with by outside interference.

Denise then had the balls to come yell at me that she knew I made up lies about Ivy's family and ruined their lives, and that she was trying to save Ivy from us. I swear I don't know how I kept myself from killing her that day.

I filed a restraining order against Denise so she couldn't interact with my property, husband or kids, if she tried to interfere in any of our lives she would be arrested. That made Denise back off, she ignored me at church functions and when I was out gardening. It was peaceful. For a year.

I had gotten a big payday from my last novel and I decided to do something big, I swear hubby and the kids almost tackled me when I told them we're getting a pool. Cory and hubby were the biggest helpers in planning, it became an even split between kids splash park and adult relaxation retreat.

I would watch over the construction of the pool and every time I glanced over at Denise's house, I saw her staring from her bedroom window. The pool was soon completed and I decided my family would be the first to christen it, I invited my adoptive sisters and hubby's brother for a pool party.

Now my sisters are actually my teammates from the military but they were there when I first joined and made me feel like family, the amount of times they pulled me into their slumber parties is probably in the hundreds. I'll give them nicknames for ease of identifying them.

Sister 1: Flash

Sister 2: Falcon

Sister 3: Angel

Hubby's brother: Ninja

Flash had decided to bring her girlfriend along which was even better as I wanted my kids to meet as much of their new family as possible. Ivy was a little nervous about meeting other women because of her mother but Falcon was great with her and made her feel comfortable.

I fired up the grill and got cooking, Ivy was sitting in the shade doodling in her sketchbook with Angel next to her, Cory was swimming with Falcon, Flash and her girlfriend in the pool, and hubby was talking with Ninja while holding Tracy. I had just handed out food when the doorbell rang which made everyone freeze, the front gate was locked and the electric fence was on...

I grabbed my gun and went to the front door, I looked through the peephole and saw no one there, but the front gate had been busted open... Then I heard Ivy scream out back.

I ran to the backyard and saw three men holding shotguns, hubby was holding the kids close and my sisters had their weapons on the men, Flash's girlfriend was also protecting the children and Ninja was also armed with his throwing stars, I pulled out my phone to call 911 but one guy shot at me, I quickly shot back.

The gunfire gave hubby and Flash's girlfriend enough time to get the kids inside while my sisters, Ninja and I held the men at gunpoint, Hubby made the 911 call and police arrived within 10 minutes. (it felt like hours)

The cops quickly got the men to surrender and we were told they were part of a hate group mostly known for their white pointed hats... Someone had paid them to break onto our property, kill us, and take our children! The only thing that the trio didn't expect was that they were walking into a picnic with five decorated and armed military soldiers.

I asked the police to see if they could get the men to expose who hired them and they said they would try before driving off, I was just about to walk back into my property when I heard the rapid clacking of heels and then WHAM! A punch right to the side of my face, I even got a cut on my cheek from the bitch's ring.

Denise was in my face screaming hateful shit like there was no tomorrow, she even had the gall to slap me! I won't write down everything she said because half of it was plain nonsense but the base of it was all LGBT people, immigrants, black people, and those who aren't Christian or religious should be killed in the worst ways possible. (I noticed hubby covering Cory's ears.) But she admitted to being the one who hired the men throughout her rant.

I finally decided to tell her my opinion;

"Denise, I remember our first meeting pretty well, my husband and I were polite, we never said anything negative about you or your own family so what gives you the right to do the same to us? We turned a blind eye to your letter, I ignored the fact you tried to get me thrown outta church, it took all of my mental strength to get ONLY a restraining order on you after what you did to my daughter. But this is the last, motherfucking straw... You endangered me, my husband, my kids, my brother in-law and my sisters. I am going to be calling the police and you're going to prison because like it or not, your shitty views are a fucking crime."

I wanted to hit her so bad but lucky for me Falcon handled that because she walked over and gave Denise the best bitch slap I've ever seen.

I went inside and called the police and told them what happened, hubby took pictures of the cut and bruise on my cheek from Denise punching me as evidence and that's where things went silent. The next day I was replacing the lock on the gate when Ivy came running outside to show me something on her phone, one of our neighbors had filmed the entire incident and uploaded it to the internet!

Now apparently the video reached local news, and soon went all over the country, a lot of people were coming out of the woodwork in support but they didn't have to as Denise was already facing the music.

Denise was kicked out of the church for her hateful and unchristian behavior, she's soon going to court for conspiracy to commit murder, and apparently the demon was married! Wanna know what else? I ALWAYS SAW A DIFFERENT MAN COME TO HER HOUSE EACH WEEK! Our fence gave us privacy but it sure didn't give her any because I once saw her getting it from behind in her kitchen!!!! XD

Apparently Denise's adultery was discovered in the video, after we parted, the guy hadn't stopped recording and saw Denise's guy of the week show up! The church had known but didn't say anything, they didn't have to... Denise's husband was in the Navy and had been gone for a looooong time, so when he came home to surprise her...

Hubby and I were having iced tea on the porch and we saw the guy of the week hightail it out of there half naked with plates being thrown at him and that screaming was hysterical as he learned EVERYTHING. Good on you sir for going to your parent's house.

So now that brings us to now. Denise is faithless, divorced, shunned, and will soon be homeless after prison as the bank is foreclosing on her house soon, hopefully the new neighbors will be more tolerable.

[cosmicangst]

WRITING MASTERPOST

ao3 / fic tag / pp meta / tot meta / joseimuke meta

shinkane

➳ here, and where you are (wip) pride and prejudice/regency au where akane and shinya flirt by intellectually bullying each other until they fall in love

[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

➳ honeymoon period (complete) some vague universe where everything is all right and akane and shinya are two newlyweds basking in domestic bliss

[ 1 ] [ 2 ]

➳ la petite mort (wip) akane and shinya have a one night stand that inexplicably lasts for more than one night. canon-divergent

[ 1 ]

➳ like real people do (oneshot) akane goes to a compatibility-match date but ends up getting hamburgers with shinya instead. canonverse

➳ like tears in rain / eight seconds left in overtime (two-shot) shinya hallucinates. often. it says a lot that he’s known her ghost longer than her. canon-divergent

➳ a loose bolt of a complete machine (oneshot) he’s human and she’s not. the former fact is questionable. blade runner au

➳ photokeratitis (oneshot) wherever she goes, the skeletons follow. akane runs away with shinya and nearly drowns. canon-divergent

➳ four things plus one thing fic where shinya deals with his jealousy throughout the years (oneshot)

➳ that childhood au where shinya is completely oblivious to his own feelings (oneshot)

➳ that one reincarnation au where shinya is stuck in a tragic sorta time loop (oneshot)

➳ that one where they discuss the possibility of alternate universes. this is like the prologue of all my fics lol. canonverse (oneshot)

➳ that one where she dies and he destroys a city. second pov. yep, i know. (oneshot)

➳ that post-pp:fi lunch date that was promised (oneshot)

➳ that san junipero au where aspiring writer, akane, visits the afterlife to write about the late famed detective kougami (wip)

[ 1 ]

➳ date night post-pp3 (oneshot)

ginaka

➳ first impressions (oneshot) introspection on nobuchika and his changing relationship with his inspector. canonverse

➳ the only words i know (oneshot) akane and nobuchika and months-long foreplay. canonverse. mildly explicit.

➳ that one au where teenage friends--nobuchika, akane, shinya and shuusei--go to an amusement park (oneshot)

➳ that one where they’re in an established relationship and have to learn how to confront each other during fights. canonverse (oneshot)

other psycho-pass

➳ that appreciation fic for father’s day reflecting on masaoka tomomi and his many children. canonverse (oneshot)

➳ that buzzfeed unsolved au where kagari is ryan and kougami is shane (complete)

[ 1 ] [ 2 ]

➳ that post-pp1 missing scene where akane and yayoi grieve for a lost friend through baking. canonverse (oneshot)

other fandoms

➳ [dragon age] a prayer in a burning church (oneshot) cullen rutherford unfortunately believes in fate and the herald’s first words to him are written on his palm. soulmates au

➳ [the legend of korra] that college au where korra and korvira become reluctant roommates

➳ [mass effect] that canon divergence where a miserable and terminally single shepard and garrus meet and bond during a wedding

➳ [nightshade] beginners (oneshot) 10k smut post-game where hanzo and enju address their insecurities and bang each other for the first time

➳ [persona 3] lather, rinse, repeat. (oneshot) akihiko and how he fell in love with death. second pov warning

➳ [tears of themis] no rules in breakable heaven (wip) a college-aged rosa attends a party and ends up getting rescued by an off-duty darius morgan. explicit 10k smut.

[ 1 ]

➳ [x-men] there aren’t any more guns in the valley (oneshot) logan, and his many lives. fox canonverse. second pov warning again lol

drabbles (aka too short to merit a spot above)

➳ psycho pass:

[ginaka] nobuchika wants to tell her something desperately

[shinkane] akane bakes. shinya flirts.

[shinkane] college au where akane is the t.a. and shinya is the professor and you fill in the blanks

[shinkane] akane and shinya become an aunt and uncle respectively 

[shinkane] if poetry, not music, be the food of love

[shinkane] that feeling you get when you get that one hug from a specific person

[shinkane] shinya comes to a realization as akane annoys him with snow

[shinkane] sibyl!akane vs. kougami

[shinkane] that one where they act like schoolchildren and annoy ginoza

[shinkane] that one where they get some fucking sleep 

[shinkane] that one where they reunite in the middle of a gunfight in the forest

[shinkane] that other au where they elope and live in a cottage

[shinkane] that vague pining shit of unresolved relationships you think about in the middle of the night

[sugino] the tragedy of martyrs and bad endings

➳ other:

[cheese in the trap] that one where in ho marvels at sul’s laughter

[northisnotup]

7 and 19 for the fic writing meme pls. And then if there’s one that you wish someone would ask but they haven’t yet, that one too! Ty ty

7. Which part of writing do you struggle with most? 

Transitional scenes/sentences/sequences - 100% its the getting to a place from a place, type shit that I struggle with most. And making time skips seem natural. And telling a story in a non-straightforward way. 

There are all these interested writing devices that I think are so cool, but I am so hesitant to every use them because as a reader, I hate feeling confused by a narrative. Like, I just finished Ancillary Justice, and the beginning, the first book, the narration jumps back and forth between time periods and narrative styles and it’s very confusing! It was frustrating to continue with this very detailed world that doesn’t hold your hand with the introduction to it and that is the last thing that I want my readers to feel - like they have to hold on until the story gets good or less confusing. 

19. Who is the easiest/hardest character for you to write about? Why? 

From the writing I’ve done in the last few years, I would say that so far, the hardest character I’ve chosen to write from the POV of are Hanzo and Rita. 

Something I discovered over the last year is that I like telling a story from a specific point of view. And I like that point of view to influence how the story feels. When I write for Penumbra, I really, desperately want the reader to be able to hear the narration in the narrators voice. Like, my stories where Juno is the POV character should FEEL like Juno is telling the story, even through 2nd person instead of first.

Hanzo Shimada is a very self-contained character. He is a complete and utter mess but all that mess is hidden under a strict and disciplined image. He’s proud and arrogant and hides behind polite social mores. At least, this is my version of the character, because we have very little to go off of in canon. I struggle with Hanzo because I don’t know how far to push him, or where or when to let his pride get the best of him, to push his arrogance into cruelty or to let condescending indulgence run rampant. I want to write him as kind, and he isn’t. He’s polite, but that’s not the same thing, and even then, only when it suits him. 

Rita is. God, Rita is hard. She’s smart and she’s kind and she’s self-doubting, and she’s loving and she would tell you all of that but only as she relates to her favourite shows because it’s easier for her to view and interpret the world through a lens of unreality. And that! Is a heck of a thing to have in common with a character from a podcast, especially when you are aware it’s a fault of that character.  

So far, I think Juno has been the easiest character to write for, because I have such a good handle on his voice and because I feel I understand him, but like with all of my characters I struggle with having him made bad choices. 

10. Do you enjoy writing dialogue, plot or exposition most? 

Okay, cards on the table here: I LOVE writing dialogue. Often, the inspiration for my fics comes from a single line of dialogue or an exchange I want to write and the whole fic comes out of that. When I plan fics in the shower, it’s dialogue exchanges that I plan. But when I get to writing, I often worry that I am writing TOO MUCH dialogue and then have to write oodles of internal monologue, description and exposition to make up for the dialogue. 

That being said, I feel I am BEST at writing exposition. But I love dialogue. 

[ichigo-daifuku]

The Bride's Letter

SLBP Fanfiction [Read on AO3]

Tokugawa Ieyasu/MC

The newly married Lady Tokugawa receives a letter.

Canon Divergent AU, Epistolary Fiction

Set in The Bride's Memories, Soft as the Waning Moon

Word Count: ~690

Dear Lady Tokugawa,

I hope this letter finds you well. If it did, then let me offer you my best wishes on your marriage. I am thankful that Master Hanzo has safely delivered this letter to you. At this point, it would be safe to assume that the Tokugawa Clan is now allied with yours through your union with Lord Ieyasu. I won't pretend and say that I know exactly how you feel about the situation. We are from different worlds. But I know that it takes a lot… not to run away and simply leave everything behind. I admire your bravery.

Maybe you are in Hamamatsu. There's also a possibility that you are already in Sunpu. No matter where you are, I hope you are well and comfortable. If there's anything you need, Lord Tadatsugu will always be there to help you. It is the same with Toramatsu. He is one of the kindest people I have ever met. You will find a friend in him. Lord Tadakatsu may come off as a little strange, but know that he is an excellent warrior with the most loyal heart. Have you received one of Lord Yasumasa’s infamous sneers? He’s always like that. Still, you can be sure that he holds your husband and the whole clan in very high regard.

As for Lord Ieyasu…

By now, you must have realized how much of an unorthodox conversationalist Lord Ieyasu is. At times, his words are sharp as thorns. He lashes out to the world easily… so as to shield his heart that has been broken many times before. He is excellent at pretending. It is most difficult to determine when he means what he says and when he doesn’t. His actions speak louder than his words. Spend time with him and you will know the difference between his poison smile and his real, happy smile. It is a sight to behold.

Please… take care of him. He won't let you. He just won’t. He doesn't let anyone take care of him. He has his moments, those days when every little thing seems unpleasant to him. But most of the time, all he needs is a cup of his favorite tea and a plate of strawberry daifuku. Maybe sea bream tempura, too. If there will come a day when you suddenly feel the inclination to cook his favorites for him, there is a book in the kitchen all about them. The maids will be most happy to assist you in any way should you need help.

Lord Ieyasu is ambitious. Divine Rule… I can only imagine why he decided to be the one to pursue it. But what I do know is that, one day, he will put this country back together. I hope you will get to witness that moment right by his side. Still, he may lose his way from time to time and take up his old habit of sacrificing his heart in the process. Take his hand and guide him, as his wife. I hope you become the person in his life no one could ever be. Together, the two of you will be a force to be reckoned with and achieve what others believe as the impossible.  

Once more, my sincerest felicitations on your matrimony. May the two of you lead long, prosperous lives together. I pray that you will be blessed with countless victories and that the years ahead will be filled with everlasting happiness. One day, if you find it in you that you love him—truly and completely—hold him tightly and never let go. I wish you all the best.

  Yours truly,

On a second thought, it matters not who I am. But if I may ask you for a final favor, would you please take care of the flowers for me? That is, if they are still in the garden. I heard they should be watered carefully at the roots. Vegetables aren't suitable as fertilizer, either. You may prune the leaves they no longer need. If you end up taking care of them, you have my gratitude. Soon, the flowers will bloom.

Took a break from writing… by writing something shorter. What. This was so random... (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)

Again, this was a Canon Divergent AU. This is not what will happen in the Part 2 of the Event Story. Trust me. :)

Shameless Plug: If you like Ieyasu, I previously wrote a longer fic in his POV titled Heartstrings. Check it out if you're interested!

As always, thanks for reading!

Ichigo Daifuku's Masterlist

[literalloserforhanzo]

Happy Late Birthday ♥

Hanzo x Reader Oneshot  ♥

Short summary: Hanzo is a busy man and misses readers birthday. To make up for it, he plans out something special for her.  WARNING! EXTREME CHEESE AND FLUFF!!!  This fic is dedicated for mah lovely friend Viri <3 (who’s bday was last month lol)

________________________________________

“Mrs (Y/L/N)!”

“Yes Sophia?”

“Did I write this right?”

The little girl handed you her exercise booklet.

Your eyes glided from the top to the bottom of the paper curiously, scanning it for spelling and grammar errors.

“You did a good job for your first essay, I found something though. You got the tenses mixed up here “ you pointed towards a word, “ and here.

Go back to the pages we read together last lesson and correct it before class ends. “

Sophia took her booklet back and nodded, before she turned around and walked back to her seat.

With a sigh you checked your watch and quickly after, you peeked at your phone.

No messages.

Nothing.

The view upset you, but it was no surprise. People wouldn't want to bother you at work and the majority of your friends were at work themselves. Especially the person, whose message you were awaiting the most, would be the last in terms of capability to answer.

He was most likely busy snapping someone's neck or piercing their skull with an arrow.

The thought of that sent a shiver through your spine.

Your best friend was an undercover agent for the government, basically the one, who does the dirtiest work. Everybody thinks, that those who work such jobs are cold hearted monsters, far from human and reckless in any way possible and to someone who'd only get to know him briefly, the description would be spot on, but as someone,who actually means something to him, you have more than enough reasons to negate those accusations.

There aren't enough synonyms for lovely and caring, to gather a description of this man you called your best friend.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a group of girls' loud chats and laughter in the corner of the class room, which quickly found an end once you met their gigglish looks with a raised brow and the obnoxiously loud clearing of your throat.

It was one in the afternoon and you just finished writing the homework onto the blackboard for the students to copy, when you realized, that something was off. Usually one or two students were already eager to leave minutes before the end and had their stuff packed to run off, once the bell rang. For some reason, all of them were strangely calm and their items were still spread all over the tables, as if they were still up to something. You washed your hands to get rid of the chalk dust on your fingers and returned back to your table, when suddenly all the children got up and formed a semicircle around you and began singing.

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday Mrs. (Y/L/N),

Happy Birthday to you!”

The children began to cheer and the two class representatives handed you a bouquet of flowers and a small packed gift, you were asked to open right away. You ripped open the paper and your pupils widened instantly. You were holding a set of extremely expensive paint brushes.

“This is so lovely! Thank you all so much! I can't believe you planned this all alone!”

The children looked at each other in joy and with proud expressions due to your praise.

Even though you were a language teacher, your love for art and painting was known amongst both your colleagues and your students.

Thanking your class a few more times, you hugged each student, before they eagerly packed their belongings and made their way out of the class room.

By the time the last student left you were done packing as well. You locked the classroom and walked to your car. With a thud, you closed the door and breathed out, enjoying the sudden silence as the voices of playing children were no longer in your ears.

The brushes were something you always hesitated to buy, since they were really, really pricey but now, they were yours and your mind was already flooded with ideas of what to paint first. It's been a while that you discovered them and toyed around with the thought of a purchase, literally telling everyone about how good they are, hoping to receive them as a present. As always, your genius plan worked as intended.

You couldn't wait to show them to your best friend of to surprise him with a really good painting.

Unfortunately the joy of thinking about said action vanished as fast as it appeared. He wasn't in town. Probably not even in the same country or continent. His work was top secret and he said you would be better off knowing less. You were absolutely clueless, about where he was at the moment or when he would come back, it was common for some of his duties to take longer than expected. You had just wished, that maybe this time he would be back in time. You decided not to linger on sad thoughts and drove to your parents place, who were awaiting you impatiently.

One week later.

Hanzo's POV

It's morning.

“Excellent work like always Mr.Shimada. Just like I expected it from a man like you.”

You got up from your bowing position and looked into the eyes of your boss.

“You honor me!”

“We sent that naïve simpleton our regards, they won't get in our way any time soon.”

You nodded in agreement, not knowing what else to add.

“Well well.... you look tired. The mission is over, you may go home unless you still have anything to say.”

You shook your head. “No, I am finished.”

“There is a limousine waiting to escort you home.”

You bowed down again. “Thank you.”

“You're always so formal. I guess that's a sign that you're parents raised you well.”

Your boss groaned. “Speaking of parents... I totally forgot that I have to call my wife's mother today. I guess it has to be another golden Rolex this year unless I want to hear complaints for months … Every birthday my wife wants something even more extra ordinary for her mother. I just wish she would leave me out of her plans each time.”

Birthday..... Oh god …. Oh no … OH NO!

“Sir , would you please tell me what today's date is?”

Your boss looked at you in confusion.

“It's the xx.xx, why?”

Your pupils tightened. God damn it. How could you forget.

“Sir is it possible,for the driver to bring me to another place?”

“Of course Mr.Shimada, would you first explain to me why though?”

You began explaining.

(Y/N) POV

“Ah dang it, thirteen percent.”

You had forgotten to plug your phone into the charger over night as you had fallen asleep on the couch.

Annoyed, that you couldn't scroll through the latest news as the first thing of the day, you got up and rubbed your eye. Making your way to the charger, you stepped on a piece of paper on the floor.

“Huh?” You picked it up and recognized the flyer of the city's art gallery. You placed it on the kitchen table and turned on the coffee machine while wondering where you left your charger. Ever since your birthday you were very busy with work, so you had barely any time left to look after yourself or your apartment. You decided to take a day off all tasks and catch up with what you had neglected lately.

At the breakfast table you decided to take a look into the flyer before you would drop it into the trash can. There were three exhibitions this month. Two rather boring ones and one that caught your eye, the one about ancient east-asian art. You remembered bringing the flyer home so you wouldn't forget to book the tickets for you and your best friend but the both of you forgot about it in the end and now it was too late, since it was not only the last day but most likely already booked out.

Sighing you dropped the paper into the trash can and took a sip of your coffee.

You missed him and It was becoming annoying. You knew he was good at his job and not all of it was cruel so he enjoyed it aswell. It paid well so he had a life free of worries, you couldn't complain either, as his best friend you out of everyone enjoyed that fact the most. Unfortunately all the gifts and pleasures coming along with his job were no substitute for his constant absence. Missions could take up to two months sometimes. The worst thing was when he suddenly disappeared for three and  a half months, without being able to notify you. It was an emergency and he was called in during another mission. Lucky for the both of you, that never occurred again.  

It was true, you despised his job. It consumed so much of his time one couldn't call it a life. You saw him so little amounts of time, it was ridiculous. You knew him since high school, yet nothing had developed further than a good friendship. Sometimes you would point the finger towards yourself, after all you encouraged him into taking the job offer he received after winning an award for his combat skills. You didn't know it would end up this way. If only you had known.

Unlike your best friend, who had nothing else in mind but studying, to ensure a bright future for himself, you sensed your feelings for him pretty early on but decided to keep them to yourself.

Multiple girls had confessed to him and he turned all of them down, saying he had no time for a relationship because of his studies. You knew better than doing the same mistake, you didn't want to risk losing the friendship you had built up during those three years. You eventually became the person he shared everything with but that was about it. He was very reserved and you were afraid to lose him. Your jobs didn't leave much time for the two of you to spend together. There was no solid ground for a relationship and you started to doubt that there would ever be, no matter how many times your hugs would last for minutes, no matter how often his face would be mere centimetres away from yours while watching movies or going to amusement parks together. No matter how often the two of you would look at each other blushing when you were asked how long you were dating already.  

Louder than necessary, you placed the mug onto the table and closed your eyes. Oh when would he finally come back and be in your arms again, so you could tell him how much you missed him.

Opening your eyes, you remembered your plans for today. You got up from your chair and brought your dishes into the kitchen.

Later that evening.

“Yeah, yeah dad I will call you back later, I need to bring the groceries home and I need both hands for that, love you, byee!”

Sighing you hung up the call and got out of your car. You took your goodies out of the trunk and closed the door.

Your neighbour greeted you at the door and held it open for you, since you had both hands full of bags. You thanked the woman and waited for the elevator to arrive. Inside it you eyed yourself in the mirror. You had lost some weight lately, partly because you planned to in first place and partly because eating alone was just not the same. You looked into your own eyes. It really was overdue for you to take care of yourself again, you hadn't seen yourself this pretty in a while now, just keeping your appearance up as much as necessary.

Bing!

You walked out of the elevator and placed the groceries in front of your door to find your keys, which had fallen to the bottom of your purse. You opened the door and closed it with your leg, quickly took off your shoes and walked into the kitchen to unpack the bags. You were done and decided to take a seat on the sofa and relax in front of the TV for a moment. As you walked into the living room, you immediately realized, that something was off. The chair you had breakfast on today, was missing. Confused you walked around the room, back into the kitchen and suddenly towards your bedroom.

Were you going crazy? You opened the door of your bedroom and your jaw dropped. The chair was there, on it, an enormous plush of your favourite animal. Around it, the words “Happy Birthday”

had been arranged with light strings. Three huge boxes were placed on your bed, wrapped in shiny paper with bows all over. You walked over to your pile of surprises and a card caught your eye.

“Happy Birthday (Y/N)!

I'm sorry for being late, I hope you forgive me.

I'll be picking you up at three, thirty .

Be ready!

Hanzo”

You smiled and shook your head. That's all he had to say after three weeks? This man ….

You wanted to open one of the boxes but then your watch caught your eye. It was already two fifty!

And you still had to shower and dress up! This was going to be a special day after all!

You dropped the present onto your bed and quickly ran towards the bathroom.

Twenty five minutes later you were checking your phone nervously. A last glance into your pocket mirror reassured you, that you were in fact, looking gorgeous. Not knowing what surprise he had in store, you dressed elegant enough to fit a fancy dinner but casual enough, not to stand out if he'd just take you to the cinema.  The doorbell rang and you shot up from your seat, rehearsing your greeting. Something about this was special. It didn't feel like the last times he came back. It was completely different. You opened the door and your heart began beating like crazy. Your eyes locked for a few seconds, the two of you eyeing each other after this long time, before indulging in a very long, tight hug.

“Happy belated birthday.”

“You were gone for way too long.”

“I know.”

“Do you have any idea how much I missed you?”

“I'm sorry.”

“You better are!”

You ended the hug giving him the most ridiculous angry expression, causing the both of you to laugh about it.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, mind telling me where we are going?”

“Hmmm no, you'll have to be patient, birthday girl!”

He took your hand and the both of you walked outside.

In front of your apartment, something had caught a few passengers eye, and yours as well the moment you walked out of the door.

A really beautiful Mercedes was parked in front of the door, shining in the midsts of the regular sized cars.

“You didn't have to ….”

He grinned widely. “But I wanted to.”

The passengers stepped aside as he held the door open for you to step in. You shook your head and took a seat. Hanzo closed the door and walked over to the drivers seat.

“I really don't want to know the price of this car, do I?”

“No, and it's nothing you need to worried about anyway.”

The low buzz of the car began and he started driving.

“How did you like your presents?” He looked over to you and smiled slightly.

“I don't know.” You shrugged,  “I haven't opened them yet.”

Hanzo raised a brow.

“Why not ?”

“I barely had time left when I came home. Besides, I wanted to open them with you there.”

You looked over to him, the corners of his lips slightly rose.

“Alright, we'll open them later then.”

Minutes later, the two of you arrived at a lively part of the city and parked the car.

He opened the door for you and he took your hand to guide you to your destination.

You stopped in front of the art gallery and he looked at you, curiously.

“Why did we stop? What are we gonna do here?”

“What do you think?” He grinned.

“I don't know? All I wanted to see was the east asian art but it's sold o-”

Hanzo waving with two tickets, cut you off mid sentence.

“We should go in, it's the last day and we still have much to see.”

This man....He was full of surprises and mysteries. You had no idea how he managed to get the tickets but you couldn't care less. You were too busy being exited about the exhibition.

Time flew by as you looked at what felt like a never ending collection of ancient art. You were amazed and mesmerized by each one of them, wishing you were allowed to take pictures of all the details and individual paintings.

As you had reached the end of the exhibition you walked into a small room, arranged to be a store.

The post card section magically attracted you like a spell. Scanning the cards for some of the beautiful pieces you saw in the exhibition, a blue card caught your attention.

The blue print was met by a golden dragon, treated with a dark golden fish pattern. It looked extremely pretty and royal and reminded you of your best friends family emblem and the tattoo on his arm. You picked it up and turned around to show it to him, he would love it ! But he was nowhere to be seen. You scanned the entire room, just to be told by the saleswoman, that he got a phone call and walked out already. Sighing you looked at the post card again. Maybe it was too much to be expected but you wished to have him just for yourself, an entire day. It would've been too perfect if that day could be the day, you celebrated your birthday.

Your decision to not let that thought drag you down and just enjoy what you have, guided you to the register. You bought the post card together with a notebook and a few other cards. As you were paying the items the woman asked if you also wanted to take a look at the tie pins, since one of them would match your boyfriend so well. You didn't know what you were supposed to ask the lady first, why she thought you two were dating or why the hell the souvenir store would sell tie pins.

“The gold in the tie pin would suit the golden shine in his eyes.” She smiled.

“You are right, the shade also matches his suit perfectly, I'll take it. But …. he's not my boyfriend, what made you think that?”

The woman covered her mouth and then giggled.

“The way he looked at you, it just …. reminded me of the way my father used to look at my mother.  I don't think I've seen more love in somebody's eyes before.” She laughed nervously at your surprised expression before handing you the little paper bag with your newly purchased goods.

“Have a nice day” she said , “and oh, … I don't think my eyes were lying to me when I saw him.“ She winked at you and you smiled brightly as you stepped through the door.

Hanzo dropped his phone in his pocket and rushed towards you, as you walked out of the entrance.

“I'm sorry (Y/N)! It was an urgent call from my boss but everything is alright now.” He smiled.

“So show me what you got!” He tried lurking into the small bag but you quickly hid it behind your back. “Hmm you'll have to wait until later.”

Your playful grin made him raise a brow.

“Anyway, walking for 3 hours straight made me sooo hungry,

can we stop somewhere nearby and grab something to eat?” you asked him, resting a hand on your stomach.

“I know a good place.” He said smiling. “But it's not nearby.”

You huffed in dismay and followed him to the car.

He didn't lie, it really wasn't close by. While you were admiring the view on the highway , his phone started buzzing very loudly next to you. Your body's reaction to the surprising sound and your nosiness were quicker than your will to respect his privacy so you took a glance on the screen of his phone. Your heart twitched slightly as you saw an unknown name of another woman light up on the display. You didn't remember him having any female colleagues or any girl named Rosie in his family. Who was she? Wasn't he always telling you everything? How come you never heard of this new friend of him? The car ride went awkwardly silent from then on. Luckily, you quickly met your destination soon after.

Hanzo stepped out of the car and walked towards your door to open it for you, you decided to use the time to quickly drop the little package with the pin into your purse. The door opened.

“I don't think I've ever been in this part of the town before, where are we?” You asked, as you stepped outside the car, hoping he'd take your hand again.

“I have only been here before once, they just finished building new houses and stores around in this area so it's not quite known yet. That should change soon thought, you'll find out why, once we're inside.”

He gave you a promising look before offering you his hand. You were glad but also surprised, he rarely held your hand , usually he'd only go that far some times when he walked you home at night and creepy people would  pass by you.

Hanzo guided you towards the entrance of what looked like the most fancy restaurant you had seen from up close. The two of you went eating out quiet often but nothing could reach up to this. It was cute of him to go out of his way for you but it was very unusual of him to make things this extravagant.

You entered the restaurant and your jaw dropped. It looked similar to a ball room but with beautifully shaped chairs and tables. The lights at the hight ceiling were surrounded by shiny chandeliers.

After naming himself to the receptionist, Hanzo was greeted with a bow and the two of you were lead to a small stairway at the side of the desk. Your friend asked you to go first and you walked up the stairs quickly, curious of what was awaiting you upstairs.

About halfway there, you realised the slight wind meeting your face and you suspected to be led to the rooftop of the building. Your suspicions were true and you couldn't believe your eyes. It was beautiful. The rooftop was rather small and looked like a very lovely balcony. There was only one table and two chairs were placed around it, facing each other.

The fence was surrounded by garlands of roses and the most powerful source of light, next to the two lanterns at the staircase, was the dark red candle in the middle of the table.

A waiter placed two menus on either side of the table and went downstairs quickly afterwards, leaving an electronic bell behind. Still admiring your surroundings and the marvellous view at the city's shining buildings, the night lights and their reflections in the sea, you took your seat and decided to read the menu as your hunger was at its peak.

“I really can't decide, if I want to settle for a pizza, or if I'd like to try something new. The baked chicken sounds soo tasty.”

“I am really tempted by the chicken aswell” Hanzo sighed. “But the grilled salmon sounds just as good.”

“How about....”

Hanzo's eyes slided from the menu to meet yours. “I choose the chicken and you take the salmon? And we try from each other?”

Hanzo nodded and smiled. “Sounds like a good idea to me.” His sudden smile made you blush and you tried to hide it quickly, by ringing the bell for the waiter and deciding on a beverage.

After giving your orders by the polite man in the suit, the two of you picked up on any news regarding your families and quickly after, you excused yourself, to go to the bathroom.

Leaving your stall, a woman passed by you to the sink next to yours to wash her hands. A moment later you recognized her. She was the wife of some TV celebrity . So this place was more than simply fancy looking? It must be serving very nice food as well, you thought to yourself.

The receptionist guided you to the stairway again and you began walking but stopped right before your head, peeked out of the entrance. Hanzo was speaking to somebody. Probably on the phone. You didn't want to spy on him but your curiosity was taking over you, as you wondered who would be calling him this time of the day.

“Yes , everything went as planned, thank you for everything again, Agasa san!”

Agasa san? That was his boss' name, so it was a work related call? But it sounded less formal...

“I can't thank you enough for your help sir and don't forget to deliver my thanks to Rosie aswell, you were right, your wife really is talented at planning surprises. I don't think I would've managed to gather all the right things in time without her help.”

You smiled brightly.

“Yes, yes, and no that was nothing. It's my job after all. Have a great evening sir.”

“Excuse me m'am, your dinner.”

You turned around in confusion just to meet the slightly uncomfortable waiter standing at the entrance, waiting for you to leave the staircase so he can deliver the dishes.

Embarrassed, you hurried to your seat, pretending not to know anything and enjoying your delicious dinner.

The fifth sip of champagne later, your plates were empty and your bellies filled.

The place was quiet and peaceful and the two of you were simply enjoying the moment of silence before Hanzo's phone gave off a silent buzz, making his eyes expand.

“It is time...” He whispered and turned off his phone.

“Time for what?” You asked , as he got up from his seat and asked you to follow him to the fence.

“There is a festival today, at the beach over there. “

Exited you waited for him to end his sentence. “And if I'm not wrong, there should be a fi-”

Hanzo was cut off by the loud chanting of people counting down from three in unison, before ten rockets shot up in the air, on the other side of the sea, dissolving in bright lights and sparkles in the sky.

You were mesmerized by the beauty of the colours and the lights, you didn't notice Hanzo looking at you the entire time instead, watching the fireworks out of the reflection in your eyes.

The rhythm of the fireworks lost it's steadiness and you looked over to Hanzo, causing him to quickly look away after you caught him staring. This made you remember the words of the woman in the store and the Pin.

“Ah, I've got something to give you.”

You quickly walked to the table and took the pin out of your purse, hiding the package behind your back as you turned around, to watch him take a sip of his champagne nervously.

“Close your eyes!” you requested as you slowly walked towards him.

“Why?” He asked.

Gosh, such a stupid question. He was really nervous all of the sudden, but why?

“Just do it, It's a surprise.”

Hanzo breathed in sharply and closed his eyes.

“Do I need to hold out my hands or anything? “

You were now standing right In front of him, unpacking the pin.

“No, just stand still.”

He swallowed hard as your voice determined, how close you were standing in front of him.

Taking his tie into your hand, you slided the fabric between the two parts of the pin and softened the fabric of his shirt causing his hands to shiver slightly.

“You may open your eyes.”

He opened his eyes and looked down. A smile marked his lips.

“The color of the pin is so beautiful. The gold really shines even thought its a bit dark. I love it! And the pattern ...”

He looked at you. “Where did you get it? I don't think I've ever seen a pin this beautiful anywhere before.”

You grinned. “The store section of the exhibition.”

“Uhm.... you're joking right?”

“No”

“Why would they sell tie pins?”

“I don't know” You laughed. “But hey, I guess that's were you'd find such beautiful tie pins.”

The both of you laughed slightly before you became so silent you heard each other breathe.

“Oh you moved and now it's uneven.”

You rearranged the tie pin and he looked down to watch you do so. Again you flat out the fabric of his shirt but your hands remained on his chest. You didn't want to take your hands off him, ever.

You wished this moment could last forever. Just you and Hanzo. No phones buzzing, bosses calling, other voices interrupting. You didn't notice you were staring at his chest, caught in your thoughts, until you heard Hanzo, call out your name.

His hands slid on top of yours, his thumb brushing over your remarkably smaller hands, his eyes locked onto yours.

“Happy Birthday.”

He smiled at you, hoping he had made up for the time, the two of you lost during his time working.

“Thank you for everything Hanzo, the presents, ... the exhibition, the dinner , …the time with you.”

You smiled and were surprised, that he wasn't anymore.

“I wish I could spend all of my time with you.”

Before you could think of an answer to that, he continued.

“I love you.”

your lips parted as the heavy blush on your cheeks gave off the answer to his proposal.

There were so many emotions going through you at this moment. Your thoughts travelled back to the moment you met him, the first time you spend your afternoon together. Every single time your heart beat fast because of him rushed by your mind, filling your stomach with a million butterflies and your heart with a strong rush of joy and an even bigger rush of relief.

“I want to be with you, (Y/N).”

Softly, you freed your hands from his, travelling up to rest your fingers on his cheeks, closing the gap between your lips, as they met each other , unwilling to ever part. His arms pulled you closer to his, making you able to feel his chest on yours.

Your lips finally distanced for a longer period, allowing you to breathe and look up at him and reply.

“I love you too Hanzo. I want to be with you for ever.”

His eyes closed for a second and a relieved huff left him, causing you to giggle. So that was, what he was nervous about?

Your finger brushed his cheek and his beard, curving his sharp jaw before he came closer to you, to place a kiss on your forehead.

He held onto you very strongly.

“I'm so happy and so ….” He looked away for a moment.

“Relieved?”

“Yes.” He replied, looking back into your eyes.

Your soft lips marked his right cheek with a kiss.

“How could I possibly say no to you, you are all I wanted and more.”

“You're exaggerating.”

“I'm not. You're the loveliest man I know and have ever known. On top of that, you're the best friend one could have and absolute husband material.”

He was startled.

“Hus-”

You cut him off with another kiss, slightly biting his lower lip.

This wasn't the last kiss of it's kind that night. The day began with Hanzo in your mind and ended with him by your side.

Extra :

Hanzo looked at his laptop screen in anger of not finding what he was looking for , before taking a look at the time and hurriedly putting on his clothes. His phone rang and he cursed whoever was calling in that moment of a rush.

“Hey Genji I'm busy , can I call you back later?”

“It's only a small question Hanzo.”

SIGH

“Yes?”

“You're planning to move out of your current apartment? Why? And why into a place so big? Is there anything I need to know?”

“How ...”

“You were still logged in on my PC so your browser history showed up while I was trying to find a website. I can't because the list is full of houses....Now tell me why you want to move into a house so big on your own?”

“Genji I ….

Me and (Y/N) are dating now.”

there was a small moment of silence before his brother bursted out loud cheers.

“FINALLY! Me and mum and everyone else have been waiting forever! Took you long enough to confess. Or her, I doubt it was you.”

Genji laughed and Hanzo snarled annoyed.

“What do you mean mom and the others? And what do you mean forever? Also I should let you know I asked her out after spending a really nice date with her, don't you dare ridicule me like that.”

“You took her out on a fancy date? Are you really my nerdy brother who only knows work and studies?”

“Yes and I am gonna be late to my next fancy date with her if you don't answer my questions and make it quick!”

“I can't believe you didn't know, that we were all waiting for the two of you to finally find each other. I always wanted to drop hints and lecture you about how to finally approach her, back in high school but mother told me to let it happen naturally. She probably cursed herself secretly when she saw, how nothing happened over the many years.” Genji laughed again.

“Well congratulations, you two wanted me to engage romantically with my best friend, now what is it about the others?”

“Oh not just us two, the entire class felt like you guys would marry one day. Or do you think it was a coincidence, that you were supposed to play the main roles in the play in eleventh grade?! You didn't get the role for your honourable acting skills brother.“

Embarrassed, Hanzo walked past his wardrobe as he forgot his watch on his desk, stopping at your high school graduation picture.

“Hanzo ? H e l l o ?”

“Yes, yes sorry, I  got to go now, I'll call you tomorrow alright?”

“Yes, I'll be waiting, ….gosh I can't wait to tell mum, she will probably cry. Bye Brother!”

“Bye.”

[robo-cryptid]

5, 18 and 27 for ao3 wrapped!

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

Lmao, The Rest is Gravy. I knew it was cursed. It's impossible not to know it's cursed. But I didn't expect the curse to get quite so many people shouting "mustard?!" at me. 10/10 would do again.

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Hanzo remains a perennial problem, because it is hard to strike the write balance of "grr mean" and emotionally constipated and still kind of funny. But also, really any time I write Disco Elysium fic from Harry's POV. I love the game script style with all his internal voices, but it's also such a challenge.

27. What do you listen to while writing?

I don't usually listen to music while writing. It kind of doesn't occur to me except back when I would stream for Patreon, etc. (also shout out to people who joined me on those streams bc watching someone else write has got to be as thrilling as watching paint dry, but sometimes I needed company to motivate me). I have been known to write to Carley Rae Jepsen songs, though.

[rubyleeray]

Hanzo and His Double Black Diamond Route

Aka the Yandere route we have all been waiting for! Here is my take on Hanzo’s route and why I believe it is the best writing we have seen in SLBP so far. I’m gonna ramble a lot, mention spoilers, and include some screenshots so be warned!

Firstly, what do I mean by Double Black Diamond Route? It’s a term used in skiing for trail that is more intense/difficult and should only be attempted by advanced skiers. Now please don’t get me wrong, I am not questioning anyone’s intelligence or reading comprehension if they dislike Hanzo’s route, so don’t come for me.  I just want to offer my take and insights on this route which features the most complicated writing and complex character we have seen to date in SLBP. The previous route/lord that held that title was Ieyasu and what do you know? He’s a major part in Hanzo’s route! 

Also I should mention that I have only played the Light Ending Arc so far but I will be playing the Shadow end after I finish Genya. 

Now that all that is out of the way -

HOLY SHIT I LOVED THIS ROUTE SO MUCH! It’s the best Yandere route I have ever played and for those of you that have seen the games I have on rotation, you know I love and know my yanderes.  My favourite thing about this route is actually the MC. I found her insufferable in the joint prologue and throughout Sakuya’s entire route to be frank, but WOW did she impress me in Hanzo’s route! Her growth and development are all I ask of a good story and not only did she change and grow but EVERYONE else does too - including Hanzo, Ieyasu, and Tadatsugu who conquers his fear of snakes with Haku (cutest gd scene). 

I also really like that she is mature and while she is inexperienced, she doesn’t kink shame herself like most MCs would(more on that later). 

Another thing I loved about this route were the blurred lines between reality and lies. I firmly believe and will go to my grave believing that almost nothing out of Hanzo’s mouth was a lie and that he only said it was because that was easier/what he was used to believing up until that point. The way the writers perfectly executed these intricacies just makes me so envious. I’m going to discuss THAT CHAPTER below but I just want to say - the biggest proof  that Hanzo isn’t lying about everything/all the time/possibly anything?! comes in the form of almost every one of his actions. A few examples off the top of my head:  

-He is a doctor to Ieyasu, the maids, and the townspeople. Sure he could gain something from being close to Ieyasu (but what exactly?) but the Townspeople and Maids? “Information” and/or “Boredom” are not enough motive to be so giving for so long in my opinion. Plus we have nothing concrete saying he was ever planning to betray Ieyasu ever before MC came along. 

-Stopping MC from murdering Nobunaga proves he cared about at least ONE of if not all the following: The entire country, Ieyasu, MC, Nobunaga. 

-Offering to teach MC everything she needs to know be a better ninja, person, and healer. If his only motive really was boredom(?), pot-stirring(?), deception(?) he wouldn’t have to teach her anything but being a better ninja. The dots just don’t connect! 

Hanzo’s Second Crossroads I’m telling you this as your friend - YOU NEED TO BUY AT LEAST THE CG - My heart STOPPED!  OH. MY. GOD. I swear I did a Jim from The Office look around the room because I couldn’t believe how hot and wild and kinky and dangerous it all felt. 

This is a scene I will never forget so long as I goddamn live! MC is about to leave for her mission and Hanzo is wishing her well and then suddenly he gets really emotional and cuddles her. Then he covers her eyes and puts a knife to her throat!?!?!?! AND SHE LOVES IT!

In Yandere routes moments like this (not that any other scene I can think of come close tbh) can come off Stockholm Syndrome-y but not this; it felt so right and so good! MC acknowledges the absurdity of the situation but what is most important in that moment to her is that Hanzo is actually expressing genuine feelings and they are of the same love MC feels for him. He’s just being his Extra AF self about it. I really just want to give the writers a standing ovation for this. It was the perfect mix of angst and beauty and sensuality. Also further proof he ain’t lyin If he really was the shady lying bitch he claimed to be - he would not be wearing a “soft” smile here when she can’t see - there are 8000 other adjectives that could have been used here but soft was the choice (Because he LOVES HER). The same can also be said of his choice of thinking of her as “small but mighty.” A shady bitch just tricking MC would’t think of her this way.

Hanzo Locking MC Up

This is the first scene I have scene where a Yandere’s actions were completely justified. MC was essentially about to light Japan on fire with war for the sake of her idea of revenge. Her clan doesn’t even care about revenge, they care about survival and rebirth. MC was so blinded by her anger and couldn’t see the bigger picture. Hanzo stopping her helped, but she really needed the time to cool off and unpack her feelings in order to be able to see the bigger picture.    Now Hanzo was a bit of a bitch letting her go so far but I firmly believe he didnt think she would be able to when push came to murder and when she DID, this was one of the first times he realized she wasn’t his puppet.

Chapter 12 - The Betrayal

I know a lot of people are going to be the most confused by this chapter - initially I was too but I screenshotted basically the whole thing and have read it over and over again so here is my interpretation.

“The” Betrayal is misleading from the start because there are several depending on which POV you choose to look at. Ieyasu’s trust is betrayed by MC and Hanzo by association when MC fails her mission, Ieyasu is then again betrayed by Hanzo when Hanzo attacks/poisons him, MC is betrayed by Hotaru her little flower giving friend, MC is betrayed by Hanzo when he poisons Ieyasu, Hanzo is betrayed by Ieyasu for giving up on the battle, Hanzo is betrayed by MC for not agreeing to run away with him after she said she would, and finally Hanzo is betrayed again by both of them for not doing what he said/thought they would do after he betrayed them (Ieyasu covering for him, and MC loving him despite everything).  It’s a LOT to process and makes me think of the party scene from the movie The Room. 

Now obviously the key betrayal comes from Hanzo attacking Ieyasu but why did Hanzo do it? Honestly - I don’t know if there is any one solid reason, but my theory is that he feels like MC’s failed mission would result in both Hanzo and MC’s deaths so he attacks Ieyasu KNOWING MC will step up and prove not only her value as a healer but her loyalty to Ieyasu and the entire clan. I firmly believe he was presenting her with options - 1) To run away with him after (which he said before and says after) or 2) Stay in Mikawa safely. The writers don’t really provide any definitive answers but one thing you know by the end of the route is that Hanzo feels in extremes. He loves big and he hurts big so that alone is enough to make me feel like my theory is the answer. Hanzo & Ieyasu

I LOVED IEYASU IN THIS ROUTE SO MUCH! This is my second favourite Ieyasu now (first being Ieyasu in Yukimura Act 2). The dynamic between Hanzo and Ieyasu is an absolute TREAT. What a unique relationship! They’re my new favourite duo!  RANDOM FAVOURITE  MOMENTS - The scene where he’s rubbing the bandaged wounds he inflicted and MC moans...like - THERE ARE NO WORDS! I feel like with this and what was essentially knife play in the crossroads, this is as kinky as the writers have gone and I am 100% here for it. 

(Also shady bitch liars aren’t capable of feeling regret so this scene is ALSO proof that Hanzo isn’t just a manipulative liar!) 

-The entire epilogue scene where he’s dangling you in front of Ieyasu and complaining about the attention you show Ieyasu. 

-When he gets jealous over you calling Kiyohiro by name.

-When Ieyasu wishes MC well! -When he asks you to “Live for him and only him” and it’s actually romantic!? Like sure this was during his self-proclaimed “living a lie” phase but you can TELL it’s a genuine ask.  -When he gets jealous of the moon lmao idiot

-Drunk Tadatsugu being shamed by Hanzo after he asks where you are headed off to and Hanzo implies you are going to the toilet.  -THIS

 - and THIS

So that’s the long and short of it!

I went in expecting Hanzo to be a one note shady bitch that has an unrealistic and unbelievable change of heart but he was the exact opposite of that! He is really sweet and caring especially for a ninja and there are so many layers to him I’ll never get bored!  This is one of my new favourite routes and I look forward to playing his bad end and writing with him as my new muse!  

Reminders: You are totally welcome to disagree with me and feel how you want to feel about Hanzo, I just really wanted to put my observations as a writer out there.  Also at the end of the day, this is just a game. I see  people forgetting this or taking it too seriously calling characters abusers or rapists etc and trying to make people feel bad for enjoying them or their stories.  You can like what you want to like and have the right to not feel shamed for it and any actions you take in a game do NOT reflect choices or actions you would make in real life. It’s all just fun and fantasy. 

Don’t listen to people like that and don’t be one of those people. If you’ve made it this far, thank you and I love you!

[mataglap]

@robo-cryptid tagged me here, and I’m still suspicious and not entirely sure she wasn’t throwing shade because since when do I love to talk about my writing so much...? --- but okay, why not. Beats working when I’m still half asleep.

What are the themes of your current WIP(s)? Why does your current WIP(s) matter and whose voice is it explained in?

I’m going to preface this with saying that none of my WIPs “matter”, because I write fanfiction, not scientific dissertations. ;)

The first and most important WIP I have at the moment is One Man’s Hero, which started as a “hey, what if Overwatch were actual MCU-style superheroes” and organically developed from there. I’m having a lot of fun translating certain characters’ skillsets and personalities into a superhero universe, and even more fun building on the implications:

- Genji’s ‘death’ in the context of Hanzo’s superpower, - McCree’s formative years in the context of his own superpower, - McCree and Hanzo’s relationship in the context of both their superpowers, - and so on, and so on.

Finally, the story is written from Hanzo’s POV, because it’s first and foremost a story about Hanzo, who thinks he’s a monster (and maybe he is?), but becomes a hero (or does he?)

Bonus: The title of the story, if it’s not immediately obvious, comes from the old adage “one man’s hero is another man’s villain”.

Apart from OMH, I also have:

- A third installment of the Binary ‘verse (it began as a PWP based on kiss prompts for a meme, and now I love it too much to stop). This one utilizes an unrelated angsty prompt I saw somewhere and immediately decided I have to write it: ‘I love you’ said before we jumped’. It’s from McCree’s POV, like the previous stories, and the general theme of the series (apart from all the porn) is an attempt to depict Hanzo and McCree --- but Hanzo in particular --- as close to their canon personalities as possible. I wrote a lot of softer, reformed Hanzo in the past, and I felt an increasing need to write him the way he comes off in canon, little of it as there is between the Overwatch story, Overwatch voicelines and even HotS voicelines (which are mostly silly and over the top, but still paint a certain picture).

- A barely-started short Pirate AU. Yeah, you read that right. Pirate AU. I saw a gorgeous pirate McHanzo picture drawn by @mctiddiezo and my brain immediately went “GO ON?” There isn’t really a theme to this one, other than Yay Pirates. It’s silly.

- A mer!Hanzo AU that exists as a long series of notes from conversations with @coinin after @vimeddiee posted their NSFW mer-McHanzo art. The theme is, basically, “I don’t understand y’all’s fascination with mermaids at all, but coinin talked me into it, so I’ll write you mermaids alright. Man-eating mermaids with a LOT of teeth.”

I’m gonna tag @icecreambeach, and use this opportunity to remind you all that while I can’t fill every prompt I get, either because I have not enough time or because the prompt doesn’t resonate with me enough, I always welcome prompts. As long as you’re okay with throwing them into a black hole that might or might not spit something out in return.

[jujutsugojou]

so while i was trying to fall asleep at 3:30am last night i got an idea for a mchanzo fic. tell me if this is something anyone would be interested in reading?

it’s from hanzos pov and basically it starts about a couple of months or so after the dragons short. genji left hanzo a phone number to contact to ‘take him up on his offer’. hanzo has no idea what the offer really is. he doesn’t know genji is a part of the newly recalled overwatch. hanzo hasn’t contacted genji yet. he’s still trying to come to terms with everything and all that shit. while he’s thinking about it he continues to take mercenary contracts and one day he gets contacted about killing mccree by someone who wants mccree’s bounty, and that his pay will be a portion of the bounty money. hanzo accepts and starts to compile information on mccree, stalking him and shit. he doesn’t realize that he’s becoming enamored with mccree, but finds him putting off the actual takedown for much longer than usual. shit happens, they meet up, they fall in love and all that jazz. that’s all i’ll say so i dont spoil anything if i ever do write it. so basically it’s the whole ‘assassin falls in love with his mark’ trope.

would anyone be interested in that? or has it already been done?