#so genuine head-to-keys keysmash

[gothamcity-official]

Ninjas are Breaking the F**king Gargoyles

There are ninjas going around the city trying to fight Robin and Red Robin, with the rest of Colony getting in their way. But they are DESTROYING THE GARGOYLES and I swear to the gods I'm gonna kill one if they come near my wind3 1utksm m

[goth-albino-angel]

Yugiri's smile is everything. She has so many of them and they all mean different things. When she's relaxed, when she's excited, when she's confused, when she has no clue what's going on but everyone else is happy so she's happy, when she's relieved, when she's proud... She has so many different smiles and if Tumblr didn't have the 10 image rules, I would absolutely gush about every single one of them in detail. Unfortunately, if I do that, all of those posts will probably be eaten out of the tag, so instead, here are my top 10 favorite Yugiri smiles so far, images included. (Pre-Revenge episode 9)

10. Season One, Episode 2: The First Smile/ 9. Season One, Episode 10: The Sentimental Smile

Episode 2 is the first time we ever see Yugiri smile. Before this, she seemed relatively nonplussed or generally disinterested in pretty much everything going on. Even though she was in a different time period with complete strangers and a madman demanding her to be something she has no knowledge of, she was fairly calm. Then the first time we see her smile, it's when she sees something completely familiar. Her own face. Not only that, but she directs that smile toward the character that is going to become basically her little sister. The first one means so much and it's so important.

Within the same vein, her smile to Kotaro in episode 10 is one during an emotionally heavy moment. It's the first time he's hit an actual snag in his plans. Sakura's singular focus on the Arpino show rather than on the bigger picture of the group as a whole would have been a massive roadblock had she not realized her mistake.

Yugiri is the only one who properly realizes the reason they were sent into the mountains in the first place. Instead of simply sitting on the information, she's proactive about it and actually goes to discuss the problem with Kotaro. She wants to understand his reasoning so that she might be able to help him. And when she turns toward him, she also gives him the observations she's witnessed throughout her new life. This smile may be low on my list of favorites, but it's still unbelievably important.

...Also, when they released the preview image of this smile, my brain short-circuited for ten minutes, so it had to make it onto the list regardless.

8. Season Two, Episode One: The Professional Smile

This smile isn't much out of the ordinary for what we've come to expect of Yugiri, but it's on here because this was our first look at Yugiri after basically two years of very little. None of us knew how the group would come back, how the writing team had incorporated the unexpected pandemic, how things would play out, or what would be happening. The Promo showed Tae's hand flying off to knock off Sakura's head, but as 2018 displayed, the promos can't always be trusted. This showed that, even in this new world where she's only been awake for a year, she's putting her skills to use and working just as hard as the others. Thanks to the conversation from Episode 10 of the first season, we know she was trained as a geisha which would make service work much easier than it would be for the other girls.

I don't have too much to say on this one, to be honest. I do like that she's in softer lighting, as opposed to the others who were all surrounded by harsh lighting on their season two introductions. The softer lighting lends itself well to the lack of pigment and coloration in the girls' makeup, allowing Yugiri to look like she has some color, even if she still looks somewhat pale and tired. It doesn't give her quite the same sickly look the others have at their jobs. The red dress? 100/10. Perfect decision.

7. Season One, Episode Five: The Proud Smile

SHE. DOES. GYMNASTICS. She has every right to this smile! I did the math for this specific part of the episode and Yugiri got third place. The judges liked her rope aerobics so much, they shot her all the way to third place even though her distance was zero meters. It wouldn't have gotten her interviewed, but it would have at least put Franchouchou at the forefront. I still applaud Tae snagging first place, but Yugiri deserves some praise. She really did go face first into the mud on a bike and said, "Never again." She's so proud of herself. I'll be gushing about the actual gymnastics part in a different post a little later, too, but she definitely deserves to be proud of herself. I'm really gay...

6. Season One, Episode Four: The Cute Smile

Originally, this was just going to be me doing some keysmash version of a squeal or something, but there's something I'd like to draw attention to. I'm pretty sure that, by this point, Franchouchou only knows two songs. Yomigaere, which was supposed to be performed in episode 2, and Mezame Returner, which is what's being performed here. Of these two, Yugiri has more experience with this one, but from what the audience had been shown, it wasn't good experience.

Memorizing the lyrics would have been the easy part for her. It's that a good portion of the dance practice was also spent helping Lily get the steps down and potentially calming her frustrations. Then the performance itself would have been a complete disaster if Junko and Ai hadn't gotten over themselves at the last minute to finally help.

This is the first successful performance of Mezame Returner we're witnessing and it's clear the group's had more practice since then. You can see how excited and happy Yugiri is here because this one is actually going well. They had a bit more time to prepare, the two lead roles were actually involved this time, and the audience also was clearly enjoying the performance. She's so happy and it's just so heart-warming to see. Yes, even with the CGI. Don't @ me, she looks adorable.

5. Season One, Episode Seven: The Sassy Smile

This one also was just going to be a squealing keysmash thing, but again, I have something to point out. Look how much more confident she is now that Junko and Ai have, once again, gotten over themselves. Yugiri sees the effect that Junko stepping in had on the others and just like the rest of the group, her movements are more relaxed and free.

It's more obvious, actually, if you look at the way the other girls are moving directly after Junko helps Ai up in comparison to how Yugiri is moving. She did a spin while waiting for Sakura and Lily to finish their segment, and she could be cheeky during her own. She sensed that the tension had mostly dissolved and because of that, she allowed herself to relax and could properly throw herself into the performance. When she throws out this smile and wink, it's not actually directed at the audience. It's Yugiri telling the others that they've got this without breaking the performance.

4. Season Two, Episode Four: The Gentle Smiles

I put both of these here because Yugiri's just... so... caring? So much of what she does is passive that you don't realize just how much work she puts into relieving the stress from the other girls until long after the problem has been resolved.

In the first, she's speaking to Sakura. No doubt, Yugiri probably noticed how worried Sakura was about Junko. Even though Sakura was trying not to let the others catch on just how anxious she really was, Yugiri still knew that something was bothering Sakura as well as Junko. Yugiri knew that the key to easing Junko's mind lay in placating Sakura first. She's seen what happens to them all when they fall apart and she wants to avoid that at all costs. So, Yugiri lifts Sakura's spirits and gives her back the fire and determination to make a great performance.

In the second, Yugiri is watching Junko eat. Unlike the others, it's clear Yugiri knows that Junko is in much higher spirits than when last they saw her. Junko would likely have still been a stuttering, quivering mess otherwise, but she wasn't stuttering and her actions were purposeful and self-assured. Yugiri is very observant. She would have caught on that something had happened to make Junko feel better. What makes this smile even better is that she's not the least bit disappointed. The reason she made dinner was to help Junko, but she doesn't view the meal as a waste of time. She's so focused on other people, that she's happy Junko is feeling better at all and even offers her different platters to help keep her mood up.

These are high on the list for two reasons. One, they're a show of just how much Yugiri does for her girls. Two, YUGIRI COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS HEADCANON CONFIRMED BITCHEEEESSS!!! I GOT ONE RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!

3. Season Two, Episode Six: The Affectionate Smile

I will be completely honest, I have no idea why this one is as high as it is. I admit, I did spend three hours replaying this single thirty second scene because it's really sweet and Yugiri and Tae don't interact very often, so seeing Yugiri not only be worried for Tae, but also be immediately reassured that Tae would be fine was just something my heart didn't know it needed until it had it. The sheer level of affection Yugiri shows toward Tae is too adorable. Especially since Yugiri usually only has moments like those with Sakura and, to a lesser extent, Lily. This smile's really cute, it's in the middle of a wholesome scene, and it made me love both Yugiri and Tae that much more.

2. Season One, Episode Three: The Excited Smile

Once again, an entry that was going to be a simple squealing keysmash until I realized there was something to point out here as well. This is the first smile we ever see from Yugiri that's genuinely enthusiastic. She has plenty of them, especially during her performances, but this is our first time seeing her fully incorporate herself into the group as an actual member and actually look excited to do something with the others. This was an omen of adorable things to come and damn did it deliver.

Honorable Mentions.

I'm only going to touch on each of these briefly because to be honest, there are a LOT of smiles I could've picked.

The first one is from episode 6 when the group is talking about their very first meet-and-greet. Lily asks Yugiri if she's keeping up okay, and Yugiri remarks that she's taking things as they come. This was a small look into the kind of character she is. As I mentioned before, she's very passive in the way she operates, but that's to the benefit of those she cares for. This is her admitting that she doesn't want to be a problem and it's just sweet that even though Lily is worried about her, Yugiri's still highkey thinking about everyone else.

To the right is a shot of Yugiri during Electric Returner. This one is just the squealing keysmash because she looks so genuinely ecstatic, it's contagious. She's NO DAMN CLUE what happened or why they sound so different, but she is absolutely living her best second life.

The next shot comes from the beginning of Yomigaere and is somewhat of a repeat of the above. She's excited to perform for such a big crowd, she's glad Sakura finally agreed to actually participate, and she's living her best second life. Whoever animates Yugiri's CG model? I love you. I want to send you a gift basket. She's always so happy during performances.

Then comes her smile after the group finds out Sakura's memories are back. She's just glad Sakura, her Sakura, has come back to them, that she accepts her crap luck and is still willing to stay. For Yugiri, this goes under the list of Best Possible Outcomes. Her family is whole again and she's so relieved.

Last in the top row is the first full frontal shot we get of Yugiri in the Saga Jihen music video. She's so unbelievably adorable here. I wish I could've gotten her first expression, but the curtain was still rising and without photoshop, I'm not editing an image to the degree needed to get her whole face lightened. Point is, she's cute and everyone deserves to see her adorable face on the first song she got to be center for.

First on the bottom row is Yugiri looking apologetic from episode 8 of Revenge. She's so cute. It was an honest mistake and she had no way of knowing the paper belonged to Kiichi. No doubt, that was probably why she offered to help him rewrite them later.

Next is how cute she looks in big sister mode. She's wiping the mud from Kiichi's cheeks and is taking such care with him. Throughout the entire episode, she treats him like a little kid and it's likely because her role was big sister for so long that she doesn't know how not to treat him that way. It really does shed light on just how kind she is to everyone, though, that she doesn't even think about her dirty kimono and focuses on cleaning him up a little first.

Then we have her smiling at Kiichi as she remarks on how beautiful his dream of reviving Saga is. She even says she hopes it comes true. His dream means something to her. She can't even fully see it, he can't even fully see it, but they don't need to. What Itou didn't understand this whole time is something Yugiri understood immediately just from listening to Kiichi talk. They don't need to see it in their minds, all they need is to feel it in their hearts, and that's something Yugiri knows.

And lastly on the honorable mentions, because this post is already super long, Yugiri smiling while she's cooking for her guests. It was a tossup between this or the pinwheel because it's just really nice that Yugiri can simply enjoy mundane things. I chose this one because it's a direct contrast to how she was at the beginning. Before, she ate with a disinterested expression, but now, she's cooking for guests rather than just for herself. The lift in her mood is obvious, and it's something so small but so heartwarming, I couldn't resist.

I would've put the pinwheel moment anyway, but unfortunately, as a com major, formatting and design are everything and an extra picture on the top or bottom without a balancer would've thrown the whole thing off. Maybe next time.

NOW FOR NUMBER ONE

1. Season Two, Episode Eight: The Softest Smile

This should have been expected. There's something genuinely touching about the fact that Yugiri really does give her everything, even to complete strangers. These girls barely know her, everyone in town barely knows her, but because her dance students suggested Yugiri go out and actually experience, Yugiri gives it actual thought. She doesn't dismiss them, she doesn't deride them, she doesn't make them feel foolish or anything like that. She treats their suggestion the same way she would if it had come from a close friend. And she does actually take them up on it.

Later, we see her come into contact with Kiichi to demonstrate that even full-on strangers aren't exempt from her kind heart, but this means more. All we know is that these girls take Yugiri's dance class, and from the way they speak when we first meet them, it's clear Yugiri has a professional wall between herself and those she instructs. But she still treats them as she would the girls back in Shimabara. It's proof that, even in the past, Yugiri really was just as kind-hearted as in the present. It's a show don't tell kind of thing that just speaks so deeply to the writer in me. I love this smile. It's everything. Her smiles are everything. She's everything.

[puckgoodfaggot]

Odds!

Ah, so many! I’m gonna throw this under a readmore so it doesn’t clog up people’s dashes!

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

mugs!

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

bubblegum for sure

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

i guess from the can? i don’t have serious opinions on this

7. earbuds or headphones?

earbuds, although i’ve had to use headphones for a while because my tragus piercing made earbuds a non-option

9. favorite smell in the summer?

this mixture of sun screen and chlorine pools! i looooove that smell

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

i’m a simple man; i eat boring cereal.

13. lanyard or key ring?

keyring. in high school i used a carabiner 

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

oooooh.... i really loved the mayor of casterbridge by thomas hardy but also i had a blast reading the blithedale romance by nathaniel hawthorne. i read a LOT of books i loved, actually. but i was an english major, sooooo.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

it used to be my leather converse but i’ve been wearing my white adidas a lot lately

19. sleeping position?

i toss and turn, i think. i have no idea how i usually sleep. you’d have to ask one of the people who has shared a bed with me to know.

21. obsession from childhood?

pokemon, tbh. also the beatles.

23. strange habits?

uhh... i only ever paint the nails on my left hand, i twirl my tragus piercing when i’m bored, i like to just make noises when it’s quiet because adhd brain says Need Stimulus. my roommate says that when i cook, i forget to put things away and also that i never know where my keys are and also that i watch “an unusual amount of cooking videos”.

25. first song you remember hearing?

hm... i genuinely don’t know. my parents are both into music so i’ve had it playing around me my whole life and i can’t really think what the first song i remember is.  

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

tubing and ice skating are fun!! also just like. sitting inside and being Cozy.

29. best way to bond with you?

probably just by talking about like, tolkien, shakespeare, d&d, or the kind of literary critical analysis that i like.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

probably this one.

33. most used phrase in your phone?

probably a keysmash or “lmaoooooo”

35. average time you fall asleep?

usually before midnight, if not eleven

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

suitcase for sure

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

lemon meringue pie!

41. last person you texted?

blake!! we’re making plans to hang out while i’m in town!

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

leather jacket

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

fantasy, of course

47. favorite type of cheese?

goat cheese omg i miss it so much but i’m lactose intolerant 

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

“even darkness must pass. a new day will come. and when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer [...] there is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for.” - samwise gamgee 

51. current stresses?

some Secrets i have to keep (not bad ones; just Surprises) and also i’m moving to a new country and starting a grad program soon and also the general emotional stress of going through a breakup.

53. what is the current state of your hands?

they have cookie crumbs on them bc i’m eating cookies

55. favorite fairy tale?

when i was little i loved “the twelve dancing princesses”.

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

i’m trans, so like. coming out, probably.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“huff my shorts” for when i win and “fuck me sideways/running” when i lose

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

see number 49

63. five songs that would play in your club?

uhhh.... boum boum boum by mika, oh! valencia by the decemberists, make me feel by janelle monae, cut to the feeling by carly rae jepsen, and be mean by dnce

65. any permanent scars?

technically i have scars around my nipples from top surgery but you can’t see them, sooo. just the scarring from my acne, i guess!

67. good luck charms?

i don’t really have any!

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

oh, god, i don’t know! i remember where all of my fun facts come from!

71. least favorite pattern?

i don’t like whatever the fuck vera bradley does.

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

i don’t know, maybe chicken nuggets in frosties?? but like, lots of people do that. i feel like if my roommates were still down here i could ask them and they would tell me what i eat that’s weird, but i can’t think of anything off the top of my head.

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

i have no clue.

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

oh i am not the person to ask this. i have problems keeping plants alive because my cats always attack and eat them.

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

driver’s license, probably

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

they’re the same thing??? but i call them lightning bugs

83. writing or drawing?

writing! i’m a terrible artist.

85. fairy tales or mythology?

fairy tales

87. your greatest fear?

losing everyone i love

89. who would you put before everyone else?

um... i don’t know! certainly not myself; i’m at the bottom of the priority list, which is something my therapist and i are working on lmao.

91. boxes or bags?

boxes? i don’t know, this is so vague?

93. nicknames?

kam, kamster (my dad calls me that), kammunist propoganda (my brother calls me that)

95. favorite app on your phone?

aside from like, social media apps, i like the solitaire apps i have a lot

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

mine, my best friend’s, my mom’s cell, my home’s landline, my dad’s cell. so five, i guess!

[modernsuperhero]

A Fleeting Phantom Feeling Part 3

Part 1 https://depressed–and–underdressed.tumblr.com/post/174035673671/a-fleeting-phantom-feeling-part-1

LAMP Soulmate AU

TW:  major character death, implied self harm, implied suicide, tragedy, heartbreak, injury, brief mention of religion

Logan’s eyes, his slender arms, his small smirk of a smile that showed whenever Roman made a witty quip - all these things haunted Roman, and he refused to believe anyone had ever been happier. Remy and his new boyfriend were hardly ever around anymore, too in love to spend time with their old friends, but Roman could care less.

Logan went to a different school, but that was okay. They called each other every day, and every night Roman fell asleep to the sound of Logan playing his violin. His damaged heart grew wings and was resurrected in paradise. Even when neither were feeling that great, when memories of choking on flowers came too close for comfort, they were there for each other. Surely whoever their missing soulmate was watched them from above, and was smiling.

Roman was back in school by now. The doctors said he was clear of hanahaki - it seemed the horror had passed. His heart may never fully recover, but at least he would live. He was in Spanish when he noticed a tingling in - of all places - his foot. Curious, he took off his shoes and watched a large sprig of ivy and little white ivy tendrils curl up his ankle. Had Logan hurt himself? It looked like an awfully painful injury - but how did it happen? Logan should be in school, like him - and he would never take his shoes off in school, not like Roman. Anxiety clawed at Roman’s insides. He thought of the oleander, Christmas roses, white heather flowers. What if Logan was seriously injured?

Roman quickly asked to be excused and rushed to the bathroom, locking the stall door and stripping, checking for more flowers. There was a tiny acacia blossom on the back of Roman’s neck where he knew Logan had tripped and hit his head a week and a half ago, but it was healing nicely and the blossom had shrunk considerably. Roman redressed and pulled out his phone, shooting Logan a text.

‘What happened? UR foot OK?’

‘I was about to call you about that. Ivy?’ Roman frowned. If it wasn’t Logan, then…

‘WIUYVGDBHSNWJU!!!!!!!!’

‘Roman, you know I don’t understand your keysmashes. Are you injured or not?’

‘Dude… DUDE’ Roman bit his lip in excitement.

‘Are you alright?’

‘YEAH I’M FINE WHICH M E A N S’

‘WE’

‘HAVE’

‘A’

‘We have another soulmate…’

‘NEW’

‘SOU- aw, Lo, why you gotta be like that.’ Roman was too psyched up to be truly disappointed.

‘I can’t believe it. We should meet up and discuss our plan of action. Usual place?’

‘Of course~’

‘<3’

‘<3’

Roman fixed his shoe around the now uncomfortably-large ivy plant and skipped back to class. The entire day his head was abuzz with thoughts. Was it possible… that their first soulmate had somehow lived? Or had there always been four of them?

There would never be four of them. Once again he thought of the oleander, Christmas roses, white heather flowers. The pang in his heart rattled his very core, and suddenly his excitement was drowned in despair. They were supposed to be four - stardust finally reunited after billions of years. Perhaps now it would take billions more for them to all reach each other again, who knows? Roman recalled one of his earlier meetings with his therapist, a Dr. Picani.

‘Unfortunately, it’s not terribly uncommon for something like this to happen. Your instincts may want you to try to find out who your soulmate was, since you never met them. However, it is in your best interests to not do so.’ Dr. Picani had smiled sadly at him, a practiced sympathy mixed with genuine kindness. ‘Please do not try to find them, their family, their grave - nothing. It is best for you to live in ignorance and wonder than to know what could have been. It messes kids like yourself up for your entire lives.’

But would it really matter, if it was going to haunt the person their whole life anyway? Roman picked up his bag as the bell rang and went on auto-pilot to his bus. He turned on his phone and scrolled through his social media, not really taking anything in. Remy and his soulmate had gone on a date to see the new superhero movie. Roman’s Aunt Patty had gotten a new car. Joan got a new beanie after losing the old one. Not much was particularly interesting, and nothing succeeded in breaking Roman’s internal debate.

Roman knew the date of when he and Logan’s third soulmate died. He could just look it up. He could just look it up. Did he want to know?

Roman got off at his bus stop and sat on the curb of the sidewalk, typing into Google with shaky hands. He scrolled through obituary pages, searching for something - someone - a name, an image that would resonate with him the same way Logan’s violin solo had resonated with him in Isle of Calypso. He didn’t realize he was crying until his tears began to impede his vision. He rubbed his face and almost missed it.

Almost.

Just a single line in a long list of paragraphs’ worth of obituaries. Garde, 17, ward of the state. 1219 Reyes Street, Knightville. Just the tiny bit of information was enough to make Roman’s stomach do somersaults. This had to be them. And Knightville - it wasn’t too far. He could make it there and be back before nightfall.

They could have met. They could have bumped into each other before and never known it. Roman could have helped them. They could have gone to the concert together, met Logan together, the three of them could have, could have, could have -

Roman shook his head. This was what Dr. Picani warned him about. Roman texted Logan.

‘Change of plans - 1219 Reyes Street, Knightville. Important.’ Roman stood up and walked home. Hopefully Logan would be alright with this, but Roman wanted him there too. They were both this person’s soulmates. Logan had just as much a right to be there as Roman.

It took some convincing and a good amount of white lies, but eventually Roman’s parents gave him the keys to the family car and told him to be back before nine. He promised and set his GPS app to 1219 Reyes Street, Knightville.

Roman felt like he shouldn’t have been as crushed as he was to find 1219 Reyes Street was a church instead of a home. Something inside him had naively wished, hoped that somehow… But it was fruitless. Roman saw Logan’s car parked by the front. Logan was likely inside.

Roman steeled himself best as he could and stepped out of the car. The cemetery lawn itself was well-kept, but the gravestones and statues showed their age with ample wear and tear. The newer graves seemed to be on the opposite side. Before he could move to look at them, Logan stepped out of the church and walked over to him, a frown on his face.

“Hello, Roman.”

“Hey, Lo.” Roman tried to put some of his usual pep into his words and failed miserably. For an actor, he was a very bad liar.

“What happened? Why the change of place?” Logan jumped right into it. “And… why here? I never thought you were particularly religious.”

“I’m not,” Roman admitted. “I just… I did something stupid, and I figured you should be here too.”

“What happened?” Logan’s voice lowered, soft and uncertain. He’d learned over these past few weeks that Logan wasn’t comfortable with emotions - others or his own - but he tried his best to try to understand and help, and Roman appreciated it.

Roman could feel the tears threatening to make another appearance and he turned his head to the side, hoping to repress his emotions by sheer force of will. His eyes scanned the green all the way to the other side. Some graves had wilted flowers on them, but the ones in the corner - the newer graves, Roman guessed - had fresher ones. Logan followed his line of sight and gasped.

“What?” Roman turned back around.

“I see something. Come on.” Logan took Roman’s hand and pulled him into the cemetery, sprinting the the far corner. Hidden from their previous perspective by an iron bench was a small, almost unnoticeable headstone the size of a book. Roman knew whose it was, as did, he supposed, Logan.

Virgil Garde

20[xx]-20[xx]

And that was all it said.

“Virgil,” Logan whispered, as if he was afraid to hear it come out of his own mouth.

“Virgil.” Roman’s voice cracked. He looked over at Logan, who was shaking like a piece of paper on a windy day. Roman practically fell on top of him, wrapping his arms around him and crying into his chest. Logan gripped Roman’s shirt and continued to shake. Roman couldn’t see if Logan was crying as his eyes were closed, but he could feel Logan’s body heave with every intake of breath. Roman’s head began to spin from lack of oxygen in his sobs.

“I’m so sorry, Virgil.” Logan’s deep rumble startled Roman, who started to hiccup.

“I wish - I - hic - I coulda help - hic - h-helped him, I could have -” Roman bit his lip and released Logan, flopping onto the bench and pulling his knees up to his chest. Logan joined him.

The pair grew quiet, their hands clasped together, scared to let go.

“I’m sorry I took you here,” Roman suppressed his hiccups.

“I’m glad you didn’t come alone,” was Logan’s response. Then they were quiet again.

Roman’s phone made a noise a few minutes later. He checked it. It was just a snap from Remy on some date; he ignored it.

“Want to go get some slushies? I saw a 7-11 around the corner.” Logan stood slowly and extended his hand.

Roman pasted on a weak smile and nodded, accepting Logan’s hand. “That sounds J.D.-lightful.”

Roman coughed quietly, making sure to spit out the petals that came up in his mouth at the words when he was certain Logan wasn’t looking.

[shift-shaping]

For DWC: Prostitute AU? Thank you!

Glimpses: Revolutionary

@dadrunkwriting

Rating: M

Genre: Romance 

Pairing: Solas x Surana 

Warnings: Mention of sex work 

Full disclosure this is not what you are expecting. It was waay harder to write this than I expected, so I decided to just have fun with it lmao.

She looked him up and down, unimpressed. “I don’t normally do this.”

“Nor do I.” The man before her glanced down at his clothes, then sighed. “It has been a… long day. Ir abelas.”

“I’m not Dalish. Speaking elvhen doesn’t impress me or anything.” She pursed her lips and leaned into the wall, raising her voice over the cheering around them. “Besides, I don’t even normally do outside work. Or penetration. None of that.”

“I assure you, that is not what I am looking for.” He paused, then held out his hand. Another crisp twenty lay inside, and she hesitated a moment before sighing and taking it.

“Fine. I don’t do toilet things either, understand? Or anal.”

“As I said, I am not looking for anything like that.”

She glanced at the dancer on the stage and shifted her weight, trying to assess whether this man was safe. “When do you need me?”

“Preferably tomorrow night. I’ll pay for a taxi from your place to mine.”

“I’m not telling you where I live.”

“Fair enough. A place near where you live, then.”

She considered this, then nodded. “Okay. The corner of Cherry and Dusting.” He nodded and took a note in his phone, but she spoke up before he could leave. “You… you’re real weird, you know?”

“Am I?” There was a ghost of a smirk on her face -or maybe she imagined it. 

She nodded again, crossing her arms. “You come here at the same time every Thursday, buy exactly two Negronis, watch Sparks and I dance, tip us generously, and then… leave. You don’t even talk to anyone else. And you are far too dressed up for this. It’s not exactly a high-class place,” she added, eyeing a drunken regular stumbling about while one of the waitresses tried to calm him down. “But… tomorrow night. Okay. I’ll be at the corner at… what time exactly?”

“Six-thirty.”

“Okay.” She took out her phone and put in a reminder. “Do you want me to… wear anything specific?”

“Do you have a black cocktail dress?”

She blushed slightly, not expecting the question, and then laughed. “Um, sure. And… shoes?”

He smirked, genuinely this time. “Whatever you are most comfortable in.”

“Well, alright. Should I eat beforehand?”

“No, we can get something later.”

“Are you just… paying me to go on a date?” She raised an eyebrow, watching him carefully. He wasn’t her type, not really, but he had to be someone’s. His face wasn’t entirely displeasing, and he had a nice voice. 

“Ha! No, I am not. I am, however, asking you to trust me. You have my word that I will ask nothing of you I would not do myself.”

“The word of… a stranger who visits the strip club I work in.”

He nodded, more relaxed now than he had been before. “Six-thirty, Eirwen.”

“Six-thirty, right. And… you never told me your name.” 

He started to back away from her, heading for the door. “Solas.”

“Solas,” she said to herself, still confused as she watched him go.

…

She met him at seven, after taking a taxi ride from her place to an absurdly nice events center, and wore a tight black minidress with short white heels and a glimmering silver necklace. Her thick black hair was pulled back into a tight bun, with the bulk of it sticking out from the elastic like a halo around her head. 

At first she was confused. He’d given her nothing to expect and yet somehow she was still surprised. She wandered outside, looking for some sign of what she was doing there, but only found posters of upcoming events that all looked far too nice for her. There were acrobats and singers and comedians giving performances within a month, all with bright red ‘sold out’ stamps. She couldn’t imagine someone actually buying tickets to see her and only her. One of the posters showed a beautiful pair of dancers, a man and a woman, dressed in stunning clothes. The man dipped the woman low, and the words above the pair read: “Stunning spectacle!” It was an advertisement for a dancing contest, and apparently all of the competitors were world-class and chosen specifically for that night.

She traced the woman’s outline with her finger and paused when she got to her head. No pointed ears. Of course.

“Eirwen?” She turned to see the man from her club standing before her, hands held behind his back, dressed in an impeccable three-piece suit. Her eyes widened and it must have been obvious she was gawking because he chuckled. “A pleasure to see you. I’m very happy you decided to come by.”

“Of course. I keep my word,” she said, measured and careful. “What are we doing here?”

He said nothing, just nodded at the door. Though confused, she followed him between a pair of great Tevinter-style columns and into the building. It was quiet inside, except for the soft clicking of her heels, and her heart picked up the longer the silence grew between them. But she couldn’t think of anything to say. She was no high-class escort, and somehow she felt anyone who saw them would know immediately that she was a ‘stripper.’ Normally she had no shame over what she did, but here? This was not her place -not a place for any elf, really, but he didn’t seem intimidated at all.

They finally stopped walking outside a door tucked away in a dark hall at the backside of the building. He fished a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, then gestured for her to go inside. “After you, lethallan.”

Her footsteps echoed in the darkness as she stepped inside, the sound moving so far she knew they had a huge space. “Solas, I-” But as she began to speak bright lights clanged to life above her, and she found herself staring at a wide, tall mirror that covered the entirety of one wall.

This was a dance studio, the kind she hadn’t been in since she was very small. And even then, this was much nicer than where she’d practiced. 

She looked at him, confused, as he walked to the large stereo system in the corner of the room. “I don’t understand.”

A gentle classical tune came on, something graceful and soft. He stood slowly and came to face her, holding out his arm as he approached her. “Dance with me.”

After a moment of hesitation she nodded and took his hand. He put one hand on her waist and closed his fingers around hers in the other. Then he took the first step, and she followed. It was easy, a slow song meant for practice, but it seemed to please him. She was still terribly lost, but before she could think to ask another question he spoke up. “I apologize for the lack of information, Eirwen. I did not want to scare you away, or seem presumptuous.”

“I… what is this?”

They stepped together, then apart. “You are a beautiful dancer. Easily the best in your club, possibly one of the best untrained dancers I have ever seen.”

“You’re blinded by tits,” she said sharply, suddenly drawing him in close.

He laughed. “Then surely I would have offered this to many women, yes? You are talented in a way none of the other girls are. You are enticing.” She swallowed hard, not sure what to make of that, but kept step with him easily. “Even now, you learn so quickly…” He spun her and she moved like a top, returning back to his arms in a tight twirl. 

“What am I doing here, Solas? What is this all about?”

“You saw the posters outside, yes?” She nodded. “There is a dance competition here, in a month’s time, and my previous partner is no longer interested.”

“And why is that?”

He paused, faltering for the first time. “The officials do not take kindly to elves, lethallan.” They moved swiftly now, picking up with the pace of the music. “She was scared. But you…” He dipped her low, making her gasp, then pulled her up sharply. “I know you are unafraid.”

“And h-how do you know that?”

“Two months ago I saw you punch a patron square in the mouth for calling your friend a knife-ear. Three weeks ago, you threw a glass at a man who threatened to cut off your ears. And last week, I recall you drunkenly telling another elvhen patron that, ah, how do I put it… ‘all these shems can shove off, they don’t know good dancing when it’s in their lap.’“

“Aha…” She blushed again and laughed nervously, looking away from him. “That, ah… that does sound like me.”

“Do not be bashful.” He shook his head, tucking a hand under her chin and tilting her face to look at him. “Think of it: two elves, showing up a dozen world-class human dancers, on their own stage.”

She smiled softly. “It is… enticing.”

He spun her again, suddenly, and she tripped with a sharp gasp. He caught her, low to the ground, and flashed a smirk that sent a rush of heat between her thighs. “More than that. It is revolutionary.”

Her eyes widened and he helped her stand, the song coming to a fading end. “You’re sure about this? You don’t think we’ll just embarrass ourselves?”

He shook his head. “Not after some more practice.”

“And will you keep… paying me this much?”

He laughed and nodded. “Of course. Dancing is your work, is it not? You deserve to be paid for such expertise.”

She blushed again and her eyes darted away. It was a tantalizing offer, of course. Even if the shems did know she was a different kind of dancer, what did she care? Perhaps it would humiliate them even further to know they had her dancing with their fancy shem ladies. 

She nodded slowly and bit her lip, then looked up at him. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

He smiled and squeezed her fingers, just enough so she knew he was still holding her hand. “Then let the revolution begin.”

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