#watching doctor sleep and hate it. hate it here. eugh

[cecilthecowardly]

oh my god every time i hear a young child in distress it makes me think about my daughter when i was renfield. oh my god hate it here

[powerwordsleep]

Sasuke Retsuden (Unoffical English Translation)

Prologue

Here’s the next installment! Enjoy~

DISCLAIMER: This is not an official translation and was not made for profit or distribution. This translation was fan-made and done for purely enjoyment and translation practice purposes. I do not own the rights to NARUTO or any of the related materials.

CONTENT WARNING FOR GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND GORE.

Prologue | Chapter 2

Chapter 1

With his fangs still in the man’s body, Menō landed without making a sound. He suddenly opened his mouth and dropped the man he held in his mouth to the ground.

“...Ugh…”

He tried to crawl away, but Menō kicked him, sending him sprawling. He stabbed the claws on his foot into the man’s shoulders and started dragging him away slowly. He finally stopped when he reached the middle of the yard then opened his mouth, dripping red with blood, and took a bite out of the man’s right shoulder.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” The man shrieked, his body contorting in pain.

Menō ripped at his flesh, and the blood dripping from the wound mixed with the steady stream pouring from his stomach, quickly forming a puddle of red on the earth. Making a fast meal out of the man’s head and chest would be enjoyable. Menō instead flipped the man’s body around and started to eat the shallow flesh of his hips. He pulled at the thin fibers of muscle, and the man cried out, his face pressed into the ground, sand filling his mouth.

Menō took his time tasting the man’s flesh and blood. He had purposefully dragged the deserter’s body to the middle of the courtyard where the other prisoners could witness his meal. It was a warning—this is what will become of you if you try to run.

“Eugh! I’m still alive! Please!”

The other prisoners watched from a distance, a grimace on their faces and pickaxes resting on their shoulders. Menō teared at the flesh like he was playing with it. When he finally got to the organs and the drip drip drip of blood could be heard from afar, the man’s scream faded out until they could no longer be heard.

“Well, that’s about it for Nogema. Quickly, back to your stations.” At the sound of the low voice from behind them, all the prisoners froze at once.

A slender man wearing silver-rimmed glasses slowly emerged from the building.

The director of the Tartar Astronomy Research Institute. Zansur. The person in charge of this place and Menō’s master.

“If you don’t move quickly Menō will make you his dessert.”

Although Zansur’s voice was light, there was an underlying intimidation to it; the prisoners paled at his joke. From within the sea of prisoners scattering to their various work stations, Sasuke observed Menō in secret.

Menō swung his large, long tail, using it to keep balance as he bent over, his head lost in the soft flesh and blood in the belly of the corpse. The hard skin covering his head was stained red with blood, the yellow pupil of his eyes shining brightly.

A carnivorous prison guard who faithfully obeyed Zansur—that was Menō.

A huge, bipedal lizard covered in thick skin, with nail-shaped fangs and sharp claws. When standing he was 80 centimeters in height, but if you measured from the top of his head to the tip of his tail, he was no less than two meters. What’s terrifying was the strength of his legs. Sprouting from under his torso are two horrible, spring-like legs that can move ten meters in a single leap.

This place was not a prison. The patrols did not keep watch over the prisoners 24 hours a day like guards should. There were no locks on their living quarters nor on any of the buildings' entrances. Nevertheless, the prisoners living here followed the rules obediently—because of Menō.

As long as there was Menō, who watched over the grounds authoritatively and showed no mercy in eating those who break the rules alive, then rarely would there be anyone who would dare try to escape.

***********

The prisoners’ job at the Astronomy Research Institute was mainly digging up dirt. Using farming tools, they were tasked with scraping up the frost covered soil. If they came across a large rock or hard clumps of earth, they had to carefully dig it up and remove it. And repeat.

It seemed that the work was necessary in order to build the foundation for a giant telescope, but the longtime prisoners said that for close to a year they’ve been forced to do this work endlessly.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

Working next to him was Jiji, who was currently standing with his pickaxe resting against his hip, furiously rubbing his hands together. The mornings were particularly cold. The temperatures were low enough to freeze snot before it fell from their noses to the ground.

“Aren’t you cold, Sasuke?”

“Yes.” He answered honestly. Sasuke rubbed his hand against the handle of his pickaxe and warmed them up with the friction. He was used to working under harsh conditions, but cold is cold.

“Ugh, I hate it here... Why did they build the Astronomy Research Institute in such a cold place? The snow already melted a while ago. At this rate I’m going to end up freezing to death. Well, actually, after seeing that guy get eaten this morning, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to freeze to death in my sleep.”

Did Jiji ever get tired of this monotonous work? He certainly never tired of speaking.

Jiji was a fellow prisoner and Sasuke’s cellmate. He was locked up on charges of stealing food because he had none. His sentence was a minimum of six months. Since they were about the same age and both in good physical condition, they were assigned to the same work division and were often paired together.

Jiji rubbed his reddened nose and then suddenly let out a yelp.

“Shit, I hurt myself. Ah, but this is lucky! Now I can go to the doctor’s office.”

“What’s so great about the doctor’s office?”

“Didn’t you hear? There’s a newly arrived lady doctor. Word on the street is she’s beautiful and kind.”

He chuckled and added, “And she’s single. No significant other.”

This caused Sasuke to look up from his work. “How do you know she’s single?”

“Because she isn’t wearing a ring.”

A ring?

Jiji noticed the blank look on Sasuke’s face and continued. “Oh yeah, you’re not from around here. It’s Redaku custom for people to exchange rings when they get married. If you wear a ring on the second to last finger of your left hand, that means you’re married. That lady doctor isn’t wearing a ring, so—ah, shit. The patrols.”

Noticing the approaching guards, Jiji cut his explanation short. He picked up his pickaxe, the blade worn and chipped, and set about diligently hammering away at earth, as was his duty. The patrols came up to watch this, swinging around their batons while walking by, scowling at Jiji. They did not, however, try to meet Sasuke’s eyes. They were afraid of him. Once the guards continued on their way, Jiji discarded his tool once more and let out the pent up breath he’d be holding.

“Ugh. Fuck this shit, I hate it here.”

Sasuke shared the sentiment. He let out a sigh and turned to look behind him. The Tartar Astronomy Research Institute sat quietly atop a desolate mountain range. Built 1,000 meters above sea level, it was a fierce stone prison. It is said that the Rokudō Sennin himself stayed at this place. He was supposed to have collected documents here. That was the reason Sasuke came here.

Naruto was suffering from an illness back in the Land of Fire. Sasuke was here to gather the documents the Rokudō Sennin collected for Naruto. That was his sole purpose. Being unable to do anything else at such a time was frustrating. Right now Naruto’s illness was getting worse with each passing second—

“What’s wrong with you? You’re making a scary face.” Jiji’s voice cut through his thoughts. His cellmate’s eyes stared curiously at him from beneath the shadow of his bangs.

“It’s nothing.”

“Really? You had a really serious look on your face.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Sasuke dexterously picked up his pickaxe with his arm, signaling the end of the conversation.

***********

After dinner Sasuke returned to his cell. As his hand touched the iron bars, he was greeted by a cut-off scream.

“AA—”

There in the middle of the cell, a gangly and petite man was lying prostrate on the floor. It was one of Sasuke’s three cellmates, Penzira. Jiji sat opposite him, legs crossed. Between the two men was a bowl with dice rolling around inside it.

“Jiji, you bastard! It’s snake eyes!”

“Heh, my bad. I’ll just take that cig, then.” Jiji snickered and pulled the cigarette on the floor towards him. It seemed that they were playing Cee-lo.

Although many prisoners become obsessed with gambling in a life of imprisonment without other forms of entertainment, Penzira has been an addict since well before. He loved playing dirty and doing underhanded tricks, but a series of successive losses earned him a pile of debt, and he got caught in multiple false marriage scams in attempts to pay it off. He had a minimum one year sentence.

Penzira noticed Sasuke. “Ah, Sasuke. Come play Cee-lo with us!” He shook the dice in the bowl incessantly.

“I’ll pass.”

“What’s up with you? So unpleasant.” Penzira frowned in disappointment and then turned his attention to the corner of the room. “Ganno! What’re you doing? Stop drawing pictures or whatever and get over here already!” He called out to Ganno, the third cellmate.

In the corner of the room squatting like a chicken on its eggs was Ganno, his back to Penzira. “Now’s no good.” He replied curtly.

Ganno, in his late sixties, was the oldest man in the cell. He was painting the loose skin on the nape of his skin completely red with paint.

“Are you still doing that? Aren’t you tired of it yet?”

“Don’t talk to me. I’ve almost completed an important part.”

It was one month ago that Ganno suddenly exclaimed, “I’ve found something great!” while out during his work shift, and returned to the cell with his pockets stuffed with red and brown rocks. Starting the next day Ganno would smash the rocks together, every morning and evening, not caring how raw his hands became. Over the course of five days the rocks were all crushed. Next he peeled off the skin from the soles of his feet. Then, he asked his friends in charge of the kitchen if he could borrow an open stove, and he used it before and after every meal for two hours; in total, he boiled the skin for close to 30 hours. Those around Ganno questioned his sanity when they saw the blood soaked bandages wrapped around his feet, but the man himself looked perfectly happy.

A broth of melted skin and a reddish brown powder made from painstakingly crushed rocks.

It was the day Sasuke arrived that Ganno finally had these two materials. While the others went to hurriedly greet the newcomer, Ganno began to mix both ingredients on top of pine leaves. Sasuke was struck breathless as he saw his cellmate completely absorbed in a task he didn’t understand.

The dull, reddish brown powder increased in viscosity when mixed with the both, and it transformed into a glossier color. After kneading the mixture for a few minutes, he completed the Kamain’s rock paint. It was a vivid red like Japanese plums. Every night since then Ganno has enjoyed painting, using pine leaves as a brush and his toenails as a canvas.

“Anyway, I’ll get rid of it before the inventory check next week.” Jiji was exasperated by this response and turned his back on the diligently working man, telling him the nail art didn’t suit him. “That’s why I’m hurrying. I’m already on my pinky finger,” replied Ganno. His voice was always cheerful.

A minimum sentence of 17 years in prison for treason against the nation. Ganno claimed his crime was painting a portrait for an aristocrat who opposed the Prime Minister. His father was also a painter, but he became obsessed and always had a paintbrush in hand, neither liking nor disliking what he painted.

A drawing that took one week to paint, done with a brush that took three weeks to make. Sasuke didn’t quite understand why Ganno would want to complete something that he would have to get rid of in a week, but any entertainment was important here.

The prisoners share what is basically a six-mat tatami room among four people. In such a confined space, adults breaking out in a fight was natural; beating each other until they were bloody and senseless was an everyday occurrence. In such an environment, Sasuke’s cell was comparatively peaceful. They weren’t exactly friendly, but so far no problems had arisen.

Ganno was absorbed in his art, and both Jiji and Penzira were upset at their dice rolls. Sasuke was gazing absentmindedly at the moon until it was time for lights out. This was what usually went on in the cell each evening.

“Yo, Sasuke, you should play too!”

“We’ll let you have the first go.” After each turn Jiji and Penzira would invite the lonesome Sasuke to play.

“No thanks,” came his short reply. He heard a faint noise and turned his gaze to the window that faced out into the courtyard. The white, illuminating light of the moon was blocked for a moment by a shadow. It was probably Menō out in the grounds. There was something about Menō that bothered Sasuke. If he were to do some research, now would be the perfect time.

“I’ve changed my mind.” Sasuke stood up and seated himself across from Penzira. “I’m your opponent now.”

“What, really? Hell yeah!”

“I don’t have cigarettes, so can I bet on something else?” Sasuke asked, reaching into his pocket and pretending to pull something out. He focused his chakra into his fingers, and using a simple Earth Style jutsu, activated the elements in the soil, arranging the atoms until they smoothed out and crystallized.

Rolling around in his palm was a red stone. It was a large ruby about the size of a cherry.

“Huh? Is that a jewel? Is that real?”

“No way, it can’t be. It’s probably glass or something.”

Jiji and Penzira inspected the jewel closely. Sasuke neither confirmed nor denied, but the jewel in his hand was certainly physically the real deal. Unfortunately, it was man-made.

“A pretty glass jewel, huh… we could take it and then melt it down in a fire and smoke it. That would be fun, yeah?”

“You don’t have any cigarettes left to bet on, I took everything you had last game. Bet on your meal duty.”

Sasuke picked up the bowl. “We don’t need cigarettes, and you don’t need to swap your meal duties. Instead, I want you to do me a favor.”

“A favor?”

“I’ll explain afterwards.” He placed the bowl on the tatami and grabbed three dice. He faced Penzira and asked, “What’s the best roll?”

“Of course you don’t know the rules. It’s snake eyes. You gotta get three digits.”

“Alright then, I’ll roll that.”

Jiji and Penzira looked at him. Even Ganno stopped working on his hand in order to watch Sasuke.

Sasuke channeled his chakra to his closed fist. The moment he rolled the dice, an imperceptible force guided them. With a clatter, the wooden dice rolled around inside the bowl.

“Seriously…”

Seeing three red dots lined up, Penzira’s mouth fell open. Like Sasuke had said, he, of course, rolled snake eyes. While Jiji and Genno were also sitting there stunned, Sasuke leisurely stood up.

“Looks like I win.”

“Rolling snake eyes right after saying you will—there ain’t luck like that. That was cheating!” Jiji smacked Penzira on the shoulder, ignoring his whine of protest.

“I told you to give up!”

When gambling with prisoners, cheating was a common occurrence. The unspoken rule here was if you don’t catch someone in the act of cheating, then it doesn’t count.

“You promised me a favor, Penzira.”

“... I can’t do anything too difficult.”

“Relax, it’s not bad.” Sasuke said and stood, heading for the door. “I’m going for a walk. When the patrols come around, cover for me.”

Penzira thought he was joking and laughed, but when he noticed Sasuke’s serious expression he followed after him, flustered. During the downtime before bed, you were free to do as you liked as long you stayed in the cells. The second you stepped foot out of your cell, you were breaking the rules.

“This is crazy! It’ll be obvious that someone is missing, how am I supposed to cover for you?”

“Stuff my futon.”

“Oh, we’ll just deceive the guards, is that it? They’re not children!” Penzira followed him out the door, complaining all the while.

“Sasuke!” Jiji called after him through the iron bars. “You get it, right? If you’re caught breaking the rules, you’ll be sent to receive punishment before you can offer up any excuses. If it’s Menō who finds you, he’ll eat you alive, no questions asked.”

“I’ll be back soon,” Sasuke replied calmly.

“That’s not the issue...” Penzira moaned.

***********

Within the grounds of the Tartar Astronomy Research Institute, there were two buildings located on the east and west end of the courtyard. Located on the west end was the multi-purpose building that housed the prisoners, which looked like it had been hastily put together with some branches that had been lying around. Opposite that, on the east end, was the headquarters of the institute.

Prisoners were forbidden from entering this building, but Sasuke held no such reservations as he boldly walked through the front door.

When he took his first step into the entryway, he was greeted by thick, fur-lined carpet. The headquarters was a completely different world from the barracks. It had been renovated since the Tartar era, and now was a magnificent brick building that resembled a royal palace. There seemed to be four stories above ground, and based on this country’s architectural standards, it was fairly large.

While the prisoners were forced to cry themselves to sleep on hard stone floors wrapped up in their thin futons, here the hallways, stairwells, and of course the rooms themselves were lined wall to wall with plush carpet. Thanks to the stucco-lined brick exterior, the building was naturally free from any cold drafts, and the guards’ rooms all had large fireplaces with which to heat their quarters. The difference was like walking on a cloud, compared to the barracks which would sometimes have icicles hanging inside the rooms during the snowy season.

As he walked through the corridors of the building, Sasuke would hide himself in rooms and attach himself to the ceiling whenever he heard the guards approaching on their patrols. But he purposely wasn’t masking his chakra presence, because of that giant lizard—it was to alert Menō. Since he couldn’t use words with his reptilian opponent, he planned on manipulating him with genjutsu to see if he could obtain any new information that way.

Menō surpassed other reptiles in terms of reflexes, speed, and power. No matter how you looked at it, Menō was a summon. Since he obeyed Zansur’s every command, there was a high chance that he was the one who gave Menō his powers. Originally, this country had no shinobi, but he’d heard that the Prime Minister had gathered rogue ninja here for a war.

It was likely that Zansur was a shinobi and he had summoned Menō using Kuchiyose, and now the two were connected via his chakra.

But a summon was not supposed to last this long. Menō was constantly stalking around the institute, morning and evening, keeping watch over the prisoners. That would mean Zansur was using Kuchiyose for at least 20 hours each day. That was way too long. Did Zansur have chakra reserves that large? Or perhaps the basic structure of this Kuchiyose technique was different from those passed down in the Land of Fire—

Tap tap. From down the corridor came the sound of nails hitting the floor.

Sasuke came to a halt, and met a pair of yellow eyes floating in the dark. Sidling out of the darkness came of the form of Menō.

“So you came.”

Sasuke raised his eyelids and focused his chakra to his eyes.

The Sharingan.

A red eye with three spinning black pinwheels met Menō’s gaze. He instantly activated his doujutsu, and dragged Menō into a genjutsu—or he intended to.

Whoosh!

Menō vaulted off the floor and leaped towards Sasuke. Sharp claws raked at Sasuke from the side and managed to cut off a lock of Sasuke’s hair.

Did the genjutsu not work?

Sasuke fended off the attack from Menō, and backed up until he hit the wall, then came to a stop. Winding up like a spring, Menō gathered strength in his legs before leaping forward, closing the distance between him and Sasuke in an instant. The pair of yellow eyes met his once again, but it had the same result. The genjutsu didn’t work.

As Menō thrust a fist towards him, Sasuke suddenly ducked down beneath his chest. He shoved him with the palm of his hand while his leg swept Menō’s feet out from under him. The sound of the floor cracking could be heard under Menō’s now prone form, and Sasuke ceased his attack. Leaving behind traces of a fight for the director and others to discover was dangerous. It made no sense, especially after all the trouble he went through to come here undetected.

Sasuke used the brief moment of reprieve to put some distance between them, when Menō’s eyes suddenly snapped open. Using his long tail like a whip, he threw himself at Sasuke and landed directly behind him. Sasuke barely dodged the hit, one that could’ve cost him his life.

He’s fast!

Sasuke used a Water Style jutsu to create a make-shift kunai out of ice, and wielding it, slashed at the sharp claws that were honing in on him then severed them from their fingertips. Without flinching, Menō continued his advance, and Sasuke continued slashing his way up the lizard’s torso.

“Gyah!” Menō let out a high-pitched scream and landed roughly on the ground. Yellow fluid poured out from a large, open wound in his stomach.

Oops.

Sasuke regretted the move instantly, but it was too late.

Menō staggered, then rushed to jump out a nearby window. When he came to the wall he smashed into it, toppling part of it over, and lept down into the courtyard below. He made a run for it at full speed, the yellow liquid drenching his body as it continued to spill out from his wound.

Sasuke bit his lip and dropped his gaze down to the palm of his hand, where a terrible sensation lingered. That last attack he landed with his kunai went deep. It was very likely a fatal wound.

***********

However—

The next day as Sasuke was looking out into the courtyard from his usual seat in the cafeteria, he spotted a familiar long tail swaying to and fro, and his eyes widened in shock.

You’re being foolish. It can’t be.

As if feeling his eyes on him, Menō faced Sasuke and met his gaze. However, as though he had no memory of the events from the night before, he huffed and quickly turned away.

Menō is alive.

Although he had suffered lasting damage, his body showed no signs of injury. Sasuke had no idea what this could mean. It was like he needed to get his eyes checked.

“So you’re the one who raised a hand against Menō. Number 487.” A voice abruptly came from behind him.

Zansur.

Sasuke had been waiting to initiate direct contact with him, but if he had revealed himself, then there was no point in hiding now. Besides, there were some things he wanted to ask him as well.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan as he turned around to face him. His eyes bled into red, and three pinwheels spun in his iris as he met Zansur’s gaze.

In the next moment—Sasuke sucked in a breath.

He only noticed it for the first time with his Sharingan. Behind the silver-rimmed frames of Zansur’s glasses were glass eyes.

“Your eyes…”

“Yes, yes, very good,” Zansur squinted at him, and the corner of his mouth lifted up in a smirk as he laughed. “You’re very keen. Every day my underlings can barely look at me, so no one else has noticed.”

Zansur reached out his arm and touched the windowsill behind Sasuke. His eyes moved naturally, and seemed to have good vision no matter where he looked. However, no matter how many times Sasuke checked to confirm, Zansur’s left and right eyes were definitely made of pure glass.

Zansur leaned in close and whispered in Sasuke’s ear. “It seems that you can use some ninjutsu… I’ll remember that.” The fake eye on the left made one full revolution in his eye socket, moving as if it were a living creature.

“It’ll take more than one measly ninja to take Menō away from me.”

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Thirteen: Bright Lights ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina, vulgarity ] [ Verse: Oil and Blood ] [ AO3 Link ]

Another night...another bout of insomnia.

Giving up on keeping her eyes closed, Hinata instead lets them open to stare up at the ceiling. The last time this happened, she found a man half-dead in an alleyway, and subsequently almost got herself killed the other day when his rival gang snatched her up.

...it’s a long story.

She’s now on her third day off work. Her doctor contact managed to get her a full week with a cover story of being under treatment for something highly contagious. Her boss, not wanting anyone else to get sick and vanish, handed over the (unpaid) set of days off without question once the doc signed a note.

Which is good, because Hinata really hasn’t felt like going into work.

She’s had Uchiha casually stalking her apartment building, discouraged from leaving it unless absolutely necessary. And beyond Sasuke taking her to get groceries two days ago (the man she saved and who accidentally started this whole fiasco), she hasn’t left the building, much less her apartment.

As dragging as work can be, she never realized until now how boring it is to be stuck at home. She’s bounced between bingeing shows and movies to playing games to browsing social media...to even just people watching from her window. Something she normally detests, given her own distaste of being observed. Well...by people, anyway. It’s unavoidable otherwise, what with security being as high as it is in Japan anymore.

But now here she is, three nights in and she’s finally reached a point where even sleep can’t do anything for her. So, now what to do. She doesn’t feel like watching or playing anything…

...she almost feels like going for a walk.

Of course, there’s no avoiding how odd that seems, given that it was this exact scenario over two weeks ago that got her into this mess in the first place: being unable to sleep, going for a walk under the bright lights of the nightlife city, and stumbling across a mod-stripped Sasuke in the gutter.

Does she dare do so again? Or will she risk running into some other mess that will get her life all the more interrupted?

...but then again...how much worse can it get, really?

Sighing, she chews her tongue in thought. If she does want to go for a walk...she’ll have to do so with an escort to make sure no snooping Senju snatches her off the sidewalk like last time she was out and about.

But her next question is who exactly is on duty...Sasuke’s the only one she’s talked to. The rest she’s had no real reason to see given her reclusion in her apartment. Anyone else...she’s not sure if she should ask to leave. They might just get annoyed, and she’s not really eager to push her luck anymore than she has. Sasuke made it pretty clear she’s not likely to have the gang’s support for too long. She might have saved Sasuke’s life...but one favor was likely already paid off when they in turn got her out of Tobirama’s clutches.

At least, in most minds.

Sasuke’s convinced he still owes her, given that it was his involvement in the first place that got her taken. His father seeing it the same way, however...hasn’t been going well.

And she’s still not sure what she’d rather have. While certainly not eager to be tug-of-warred between Uchiha and Senju, Hinata would rather just...not have to deal with either. She did her good deed, she got Sasuke out of trouble.

So why is she suddenly the one in distress?

Deciding to try her luck, she accesses Sasuke’s contact information in her communicator mod. It awaits input for a long moment befores she simply asks, Are you on duty this evening?

There’s a minute of silence.

Yeah. Why?

She can’t help a small sigh of relief. ...I can’t sleep. Sorta want to go for a walk.

You mean even considering what happened last time?

Her lips purse in a pout. Well I won’t be going alone this time, will I?

...she can almost hear his vexed sigh. ...guess you’ve got a point. All right, fine. You get fifteen minutes. Then back to bed, missy.

Hinata deadpans. Missy? What is she, sixteen? Ugh… Getting out of bed, she throws on random clothes and makes her way down to the main floor, feeling almost odd after a few days not seeing it.

And as expected, Sasuke waits near the entrance, leaned and relaxed.

At least he’s not smoking this time...eugh.

“Anything in particular keeping you awake?”

She gives him a glance. “You mean b-besides being caught in a turf war I have n-no real part in on account of doing something nice? Wondering if I’m going to lose my job or my apartment or whatever else? Nothing much, I guess.”

He just snorts. “Never would have taken you for the sassy type.”

“Even I have limits to my patience.”

“Clock’s ticking. Let’s see if we can tucker you out enough to sleep.”

Falling into step with him, Hinata asks, “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Aren’t you...tired?”

“What, you think I’m not used to pulling all nighters?” Sasuke glances up, taking in the sights of the city’s neon lights. “I don’t really have much of a set sleep schedule. I just take it when I can.”

“That bad, huh?”

“My line of work isn’t exactly a nine to five. It’s whenever, wherever, however. All according to when my old man needs me to do something.”

Hinata gives a hum at that. And then a thought strikes her. “What...were you doing the night I found you? If...you don’t m-mind my asking.”

Shoulders shrug, indicating indifference. “Actually had the night off. Had been to a bar, was stumbling around...and they got the jump on me. Three Senju, all under direct orders of Tobirama. He’s wanted me dead for a looong time. Well...he wants us all dead, ideally. But as my dad’s more active son, I’m a pretty big target.”

Her brows furrow. “...active…?”

“My brother’s got some health issues. Mostly taken care of by mods, but...he’s still gotta be careful. So he’s more of an organizer, behind-the-scenes sorta guy rather than a runner-gunner like me. There’s only one reason he showed up to help bust you and the doc out. And a hint: it wasn’t you.”

“...oh…”

“Do I get to ask a counter question?”

“I guess there’s n-nothing else to do while we walk.”

“Why’d your dad cut you off?”

To her own surprise, the question doesn’t sour her mood. Maybe she’s too tired. “...my father is one of the biggest mod manufacturers in the east. Mostly medical ones rather than cosmetic. They help a lot of people, save a lot of lives...but are unethically expensive. When I got old enough to realize just what he was doing, I f-found my courage and confronted him about it. He ridiculed me, told me I didn’t understand, and...disinherited me. My sister is who will get everything when my father dies...partially split with my cousin, who is one of the main engineers behind the tech. But he’s not a child of my father, s-so...he’ll get less despite doing far more.”

Sasuke seems to mull that over for a moment. “...full offense, but...your dad’s a right prick.”

Hinata can’t help a snort. “...yeah. Yeah, he is.”

“And now you work in an insurance company who does pretty much the same thing, just from a different angle: extorts people for the mods they need.”

“...yeah.”

“Does that feel a bit...hypocritical to you, given what you tried to stand up for with your dad?”

“...in a way. But you also know I don’t do everything by the book. Whenever I can - when the case is bad enough - I refer them to Suigin-san and her ‘charitable’ work. I’ve never been caught.”

“How’d you meet her, anyway?”

“As a patient, believe it or not.” There’s a moment of hesitation, and then Hinata lifts a hand to her chest. “...I have an implant in my heart. I’ve had it since I was twelve. My cousin Neji, he…” She sighs. “...he and I had a very...s-strained relationship when young. His father, my father’s twin, was equal parts of the company, and...died when we were small. For the longest time, e-everyone suspected my father had him killed, to gain complete control. Obviously...that earned hatred from my cousin. And as my father’s heir...I was the target he could go after. He’s always been a genius, and...developed a subcutaneous mod that acts as a taser. He never told anyone, and experimented with it on himself. When he perfected it...he attacked me with it w-when we were preteens. I’d always been a little frail, and...the voltage stopped my heart.”

Sasuke’s eyes go wide. “Oh, shit…”

A somber nod. “...when I came to, I was in a clinic nearby the private school we were attending, where he attacked me. And it was Suigin-san who saved me. She implanted the device that keeps my heart stable, and...we’ve been connected ever since. So, once I got my job, I was talking to her about my f-frustrations, and...she admitted to her under-the-table work. And that’s...how that all got s-started.”

“...well I’ll be damned. How, uh...how do you guys get along now? You and your cousin?”

“After the...falling out, he approached me. Told me my father had blackmailed him to work for the company...saying he’d not press charges for attacking me if he agreed to use his genius for the tech. Of course, he had no choice...but once he realized what I stood for, and that I let it all go for my m-morals...he finally apologized. I couldn’t blame him for hating me...what I stood for. But we’re decent friends, now. We don’t talk much for fear of my father getting angry and s-sabotaging Neji somehow, though.”

“...and I thought my family had problems.”

Hinata can’t help a soft laugh. “Well...it could be worse. Anymore I’m just...getting by. Not really sure what else to d-do with myself. I help who I can with Suigin-san’s assistance, but...it’s drops in the bucket, y’know?”

“Yeah...well…” Sasuke gives her a glance. “...the offer still stands to go after him as my debt. Maybe I could do something about all that, huh?”

“...maybe. Right now, though...I’m too tired to think about it.”

“Tired enough to sleep?”

“Mm...I hope so.”

The pair then start angling back toward the proper building. Once there, Sasuke seems to...hesitate under the lights.

“...sorry if I, uh...pressed too hard.”

“No, not at all. I didn’t say a-anything I didn’t want to. Besides, it...sort of felt nice to get that off my chest. Maybe I really will sleep now.”

“...I hope so. I’ll be off in the morning to rest, but...I’ll keep you updated. Something tells me my dad’ll have made up his mind about things. We’ll see.”

“All right. Goodnight, Sasuke-san.”

“Night.”

Dredging back up to her room, Hinata collapses into bed. And by some grace, it takes her only moments to fall asleep.

                                                      .oOo.

     (This is a sequel to days 250, 254, 269, 300, 303, and 309!)       Aaand more cyberpunk AU. And a bit more detailed background on our two MCs...well, more so Hinata than Sasuke, but we'll get there. You think she'd be more wary of walking around at night, but...well, I guess she feels a bit safer given who she's with ;3      Also for anyone curious (which I doubt but whatever lol), this actually subtly mirrors the "canon" plot of how Hinata and Ryū meet, Ryū being one of the medics that helps save Hinata after her fight against Neji in the chūnin exams! Just a wee lil tidbit I threw in, lol      Buuut anyway, I am...EXHAUSTED so I'm gonna go crash! Thanks so much for reading~

[angryrabbit42]

Bonus Tracks 4

All for the lovely: @a-rose-by-any-other-doctor @dwsecretsanta

Read on AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/21925084/chapters/52331086

Fluffy Interlude

Intermission

“Need a rest?” the Doctor asked, letting go of her mind for a minute.

Rose turned to face him. “Your brain! How do you keep all that stuff in? S’just, I couldn’t have half those thoughts without my brains leaking out of my ears. You were thinking about pudding while doing maths and trying to figure me out and I was eugh… Tinkerbell.”

He laughed. “One thought at a time? That’s mindfulness and it’s healthy. You were half handling it before, I decided to control the flow a bit. I know it’s a bit more ocean of consciousness than stream but I am a Timelord after all.” The Doctor sniffed reflexively and Rose pinched him. “Oi! Why?”

“Ego,” Rose sang.

The Doctor reached out and pinched her arm. Rose squealed, falling away from him, giggling. He chased her fingers wiggling. Rose used her Torchwood training to flip him. Luckily the bed was big enough for her to flip and pin him, not flip him off the bed. Rose grinned down at him. “Whose impressive now?”

“You,” he said breathlessly, “always you.”

“Good, remember that.”

“I do, I will… Rose… let me up. I don’t think either one of us is ready for my slightly more human reactions to being pinned beneath you, as lovely and impressive as you are.” His ears turned red and his cheeks pink. “Especially since I just regained a very real, very vivid memory of you snogging the daylights out of me. I felt floaty for days. No idea why. Maddening.”

Snorting, she took pity on him and ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it. Boneless now, the Doctor stared up at her with warm eyes, a hint of a smile lingering around the corners of his mouth. Rose backed off, giving him some space even as she enjoyed his reaction. It had always been her breathless and wanting. Now… Rose’s grin turned feral.

She flopped down onto her stomach. “Can we take a nap? God, I’m so…” Rose broke off as a jaw cracking yawn escaped her. The Doctor gave her an annoyed look as he mirrored her action. “I’ve been awake for days and I’m not a Timelord.”

“I am and am not a Timelord,” he remarked, thoughtfully. “Let’s sleep a bit. I could sleep a bit. Regeneration and telepathy take a lot of effort. Can we, can I-?” The Doctor’s eyes were darkening as he opened his arms to her.

Rose slipped into his arms, laying her head on his chest to listen to his single lonely heart. His arms came up around her, pressing her closer. “Feels right, the double pulse,” he murmured into her hair.” She felt his heart slow as he relaxed. “Ten minutes, four hours at max… A cat nap.”

A snore escaped him.

 Rose woke to find the Doctor had managed to cover them in a blanket. She was broiling in their little cocoon. She wriggled to free a foot, unwilling to let him go. The temperature change was lovely. The Doctor smelled amazing and she had somehow nuzzled the collar of his shirt down and her nose was touching his collar bone. She hummed in appreciation and felt his chest move as he giggled silently. “Awake?”

Rose made a noncommittal noise.

“Ah, how I love my morning hating Rose Tyler. She who loves waffles but not the general waffle hours,” the Doctor said, voice brimming with amusement. “We should order waffles. I am craving them. I hope they have multiple types of syrup…”

“How long?” Rose managed, mind foggy. She had been dreaming of a giant rabbit wearing a wolf’s head and everyone had candy. “Sleeping?”

“Three hours, thirty-two minutes, twenty-seven seconds,” he remarked cheerfully. “Timesense is online and working, lovely. I felt adrift without it. ‘Course now it feels like it’s ticking down to the big ‘D’ but it’s morning, time for new beginnings, not morbid underpinnings.”

Rose loosened her grip on him, to run her hand down his face. “No. Talk. No,” she grumbled. “Too many words.”

“I would be offended. I really would, if I hadn’t ordered waffles for two and well, a whole pot of hot tea. I remember what mornings are like with you around.”

“No mornings on the Tardis,” Rose heard herself saying. She froze. Would mentioning the Tardis upset him? He was separated from her and she had just been stupidly insensitive. A rush of adrenaline cleared the sleep right out of her. She pulled back from him in time to see his eyes.

“Quite right,” he replied and climbed out of the bed. Rose wanted to reach out for him but he was on his way to the door. He popped the door open as the cart trundled to a halt. He muttered something in Norwegian that made the woman laugh and wheeled the cart inside. The baked sugar scent of waffles drifted lazily around him, trumped by the tea. He fixed her cup and deposited it in her waiting hands. “Let’s eat.”

Rose sipped her tea caffeine slipping into her bloodstream. “Oh, this is gorgeous!”

The Doctor’s mouth was stuffed full of waffle, so he, of course, talked around it, “No, these are gorgeous! They have little syrup traps! Brilliant! When do you want to start again? On the memory thing? There’s only two left.”

“Um, as soon as we’re done eating. Mum will have us on the first zeppelin she can book, so figure 10 am.”

“We’ve hours! Here, eat this.” The Doctor poured a generous amount of syrup onto her plate and handed it to her. “S’better warm!” “Sorry, I mentioned the Tardis earlier,” Rose muttered.

The Doctor paused, the latest bite of syrupy waffle just centimeters from his face. His expression shifted to genuine puzzlement. “Why would you be sorry about that?”

“Well, you���re here, and she’s with him and I thought it might be a bit soon, insensitive.” Rose played with her waffle, stabbing it with her fork. “You’re all… homeless.”

The Doctor ate his waffled, chewing thoughtfully. “Yeah, but I was kinda hoping to shack up with you. If that’s okay? Last time I was homeless you did offer to share. If you remember.” He kept his eyes on his plate.

“Yeah,” Rose agreed, “I did.”

“S’alright if you don’t-” he began.

“I do,” Rose interrupted.

“Do you though?” he asked, giving her a way out.

“‘Course, don’t be stupid.” Rose caught his gaze. “Stuck with me, remember?”

“Yeah, s’not so bad,” he agreed, his wide boyish grin appearing like sunshine. “I’ve missed that adorable snore...It’s like a Zeuuooosian mating call. Very comforting.” The Doctor cheerfully went back to eating, ignoring her indignant squawk.

“Changed my mind, you have to go live with mum,” Rose teased, tearing into her breakfast.

“No, no, no, nononono Rose,” he protested, flecks of waffle and syrup flying. “I let you live with me for years rent-free. It’s only fair that you return the favor…”

“Fine, for two years, rent-free, then you’re off to the mansion. Mum has a wing of her own. I’m sure you could sleep in the guestroom closest to her…”

“No, no, no, cruelty thy name is Rose Tyler!”

“You have two years to plead your case, don’t waste it.” Rose polished off her breakfast as he gawped at her before settling into a smugness that was too thick to be ignored. “I’m serious.”

“Oh, I know,” he agreed.

A knock startled them. Rose moved to grab her gun and froze, she didn’t have one. The Doctor arched a brow. She rolled her eyes at him. “Rose, Doctor, are you up? There’s a zeppelin leaving in twenty minutes. I want to be on it. Tony’s been without his mum for days, poor mite. I need to get home.”

Rose hopped up and opened the door. “Yeah, we’re up.”

“Good, you’re feeding him,” Jackie stated. “He’s too thin, even thinner than I remember the other one being. You aren’t going to go into a coma, are you?”

Rose glared. “Mum!”

“Well, the other one did and he’s him, isn’t he? I half thought I was gonna find him tucked up in bed like the last one. You look alright, bit peaky.”

“Oi, I am not peaky! In perfect condition, mint condition, so--,” the Doctor growled.

Rose arched a brow at him. “Sounding a bit, Donna.”

He shut his mouth with an audible click. Rose turned back to her mother. “Mum, he’s fine. We stayed up talking.”

“Talk on the zeppelin. Down in the lobby both of you, ten minutes, sweetheart. And you, hop to it.”

Rose closed the door. “The memories will have to wait. We’ve got to catch a lift home. Oh, and the letter said you’d find what you were looking for in your left-hand pocket. Figured it would bug you unless I told you…”

The Doctor’s face lit up. “Wonderful!”

His good mood lasted until Jackie started in on him about jobs and clothes and jobs. The Doctor looked as if he’d swallowed a lemon tree. Rose glared hot pokers at her mother who ignored it to ask the Doctor what his intentions toward Rose were. The Doctor tapped a foot impatiently. The zeppelin line up with the steps and he bounded forward, stopping long enough to grab her hand. Rose let him drag her along. Jackie had to trot to keep up with them.

His need to explore got him banned from the cockpit in exactly two minutes into the flight. Rose watched him sulk at the back of the ship before she took pity on him and dropped down next to him. She offered him a banana. He took it with a brief grateful nod and munched it angrily. “I only wanted to know what it was filled with and how they stabilized it if it was helium or hydrogen. I didn’t want you on a potential Hindenburg.”

“Helium,” Rose told him. “I asked too. First trip and I found out there wasn’t a Hindenburg because the people here were smart enough to use Helium. Also, it’s more abundant here. No explosions at all. The things just bounce off each other in flight. S’weird.”

The Doctor settled down and dropped the banana peel behind him into a convenient bin. Rose lifted the divider between them. “What’s wrong?”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I was on a bus, a while back, ages ago now, it was a tough trip. Been a bit claustrophobic since then… Only on transports that remind me… of that...transport. This smells the same somehow and it’s not a conscious decision.” He kept facing forward, not meeting her gaze. The tension from his jaw infected the rest of him, making him all sharp angles.

Rose laid her hand on his. She could feel the terror clawing its way up through his telepathic barriers. “I’m afraid of this perfume Mum has. It--there was this mission with Mickey. Things went south,” she shared as he turned to regard her. “The creatures, the aliens, they smelled like her perfume.”

“Big orange things with more fangs then brains?”

“Mm hmm.”

“I knew I knew that smell,” the Doctor muttered to himself.

“I get it, I mean, I don’t know what you’re feeling but it’s--valid,” Rose said, repeating what her UNIT appointed psychiatrist had told her. Rose had done a few sessions before just tossing all of Mum’s perfume then buying the company and discontinuing the scent. Bit overkill for peace of mind. “Tell you later what I did to stop smelling that smell. What can I do?”

The Doctor gripped her hand almost painfully. “Distract me.”

“Okay, yeah, I can… Why don’t we,” she slipped half into his seat and wrapped his arm around her. “Good. Now lean down and smell my hair. C’mon, if the scent is bad in here, I should smell good, comforting like you do to me. Go on.”

The arm around her tightened. The Doctor tilted his head and buried his nose in her hair. His arms twitched as he relaxed. Rose took a hit of his scent too while they were close. The scent of Time wasn’t dissipating. It was still a part of him, deep down in the skin. Looser and looser, the Doctor sank down into his seat. Legs stretching out, toes uncurling, the Doctor pulled her closer. Rose let him and found herself in a delightful cuddle. “Gonna have to stay this way for the entire flight,” he whispered into her hair.

“Fine by me,” she murmured. “Mm,” he agreed. “Want to tell me what evil fate befell Jackie’s perfume bottles?”

“They tragically ended up in the rubbish tip,” she murmured rearranging herself to fit more comfortably against him. “The company decided to make banana scented things instead.”

“Oh,” he drawled out with obvious relish.

“Would it--Do you think it would help if we continued?” she asked.

“It would give us something to do and occupy my frankly magnificent if overactive at the moment brain.” the Doctor said, one hand releasing to slide up through her hair to her temples. Rose shivered. “Ready?”

Rose was heating up. If they were going to cling to one another, the Doctor wasn’t the only one who was going to need a distraction. The hand still holding her to him flexed and Rose shivered. He made a few lazy circles before sliding it up under the fabric to touch warm skin.

“Ready.”

“Allons-y.”

[alucywarner]

~♥ PRIVACY PLEASE ♥~

[Okay, here we go. Here’s the thing. I’ve watched Moulin Rogue twice in less than twelve hours in preparation for this. I hope you’re not expecting gifs, because the myriad of emotions a certain someone will be feeling is not conducive for gifs. Okay.

So, when Lucy showed up to the Stove/Maddox place, we had a bright and shining Maddox, all excited until Lucy held out her copy of Moulin Rouge, and then we got a groan, and a ‘I really hoped you were gonna forget about that.’, to which Lucy replies ‘Nope, I’d never forget about Moulin Rouge’. So, she wasted no time in setting the thing up, and meanwhile Maddox was grumbling to himself on the couch.

As soon as the thing was beginning, and Nature Boy was being sung, she sat down beside him, she gave his shoulder a little shove.]

You’re gonna like it. Shut up.

Says you. [Is what he says with a lip up-turned in disgust, though he wraps an arm around her and pulls her close to his side through it.]

[Christian was now giving his introductory monologue, and, given how many times Lucy had seen this movie in the past, she was quietly quoting the thing under her breath, bUT, the words ‘The woman I loved is dead’ came from Christian’s mouth, and there was a scoff from Maddox.]

Oh, she dies. Great. Not only is it a musical, it’s a sob story musical. That’s awesome. [Sarcasm af, probably an eye roll.]

It’s a good story. Stop your judging.

~The love interest dies~~~ It’s a great story, Maddox~~~~. 

Watch the movie before I make you sit on the floor.

[A ‘hmph’ from Maddox as he settles further into the couch as if to say ‘Make me get on the floor. Just try it.’ But he does stop the talking (for the time being.) And off the movie goes into the introductions of the Argentinean and Toulouse, and the arguments of lyric changes, and job offers, and ‘Above all things, I believe in love’, all without a word from Maddox. 

But, as soon as the Green Fairy made her appearance, she could hear just the quietest ‘.. thefuck’ from Maddox, which made her giggle. 

Still, he watched silently, though tiny glances up to his face showed that his expression all throughout the introduction of the Moulin Rogue itself was one of pure confusion. Like, he didn’t know what to make of the guy with the crazy facial hair and ladies singing Patti Labelle songs. Which, no, he probably didn’t know what to make of it. 

Then the men started singing alongside the ladies, and she could feel him perk up.]

Is that... Nirvana? Are they singing Nirvana in this thing? [Another upturning of the lip.]

Yes, Maddox. It’s Nirvana.

This is sacrilege. 

It’s fine. Don’t be so musically pretentious. [Eye roll.]

[More dancing, and more dancing, and some can-can-ing, and some Christian moving around the place, and some Toulouse beckoning him, and then we have the Sparkling Diamond herself appearing on screen, singing about girls’ best friends, and all that. aND THEN, Narrator!Christian mentions the less savory character in this movie. There went his face. Maddox has something to say about this.]

Who’s that asshole, Lucy? He looks like a mole rat with a mustache. He looks stupid.

Christian’ll tell you if you stop talking~.

[’The Duke’ comes from Narrator!Christian’s mouth just as soon as Lucy says that.] ‘The Duke’. Sounds like a douche. I don’t like him.

[Lucy snorts, because boy does he have good judgment. Off goes more singing, and off goes ~Harold telling Satine about said Duke man, and there goes the mix-up with Christian and the Duke, and the dance time with the Christian man, all the sex-mix up talk, and the rest of the song, and doWN SHE GOES OFF THAT TRAPEZE, MY DUDE.]

Oh, cool. So, she’s, like, sick. Right. Got it. Great story so far, Luce.

I’m gonna kick your ass if you keep judging it before you’ve seen the whole thing, sweetie~.

[This shuts him up for a few more minutes, at least. Now we’re with the lovely couple up in the elephant, and Christian is being himself, and talking about poetry while Satine is talking about sex. Nervous af Christian, rolling on the floor Satine. ‘It’s a lil bit funny’ ya know.]

Elton John too. This movie has it all, doesn’t it?

It’s g r e a t.

[Now, Lucy loves this part of the movie (or any part where it’s overtly romantic, actually. Funny how she loves this romantic stuff so much when just three months ago she was scoffing about love to her brother. hm.), so she’s focusing real hard on it, probably with some doofy grin on, and looking all sparkly-eyed at the beautiful Ewan Mcgregor’s voice, and sighing at how BEAUTIFUL this scene is in general.

Maddox must have glanced down at her love-struck expression, because she heard an ‘eugh’, and then looked away from the screen to look at him.]

What? 

You like this? Enough to look like that?

It’s ~romantic, Maddox.

Romantic? [A scoff-laugh as he turns back to the screen.] Yeah. 

[She doesn’t respond because this little asshole wasn’t gonna ruin her favorite movie. So, it’s out that Christian’s not the Duke, and now the real Duke has come to chill, and it’s all fun and games trying to get Christian out of the room, but OOp, there’s the bodyguard, and you know the movie, Jerica, I can’t keep writing synopses. You know how it goes. The Duke leaves and comes back, and ohboy now we’re ~rehearsING~. And it’s that repetitive stuff, you know the deal, it’ll run for fifty years, and all that good stuff. And boy do I mean they say that a lot, because it’s effecting our pretentious snot on the couch.]

I think my brain is melting.

They have to sell the idea. 

Doesn’t stop my brain from melting. And you know what? This Duke guy is a giant creep. I don’t like him.

You’re not supposed to like him.

Well, I don’t. 

Shhhh.

[So, One Day I’ll Fly Away, and all of that. Then we’re onto Elephant Love Medley (AKA, fuck me up. Lucy too. Like I said, any romantic song gets her.) Lucy’s fully immersed, and maybe even leaning in a little bit, and then ‘you crazy fool. I won’t give into you.’. Guess who has something to add?]

Wow, it’s like a conversation with you. I can’t believe you’re in this movie.

Don’t mess up this part. I like this part.

[He doesn’t like this lack of attention on himself, tbh, but he’s gonna stay quiet, and watch the seen, and perhaps get a little immersed into it himself. Lucy’s leaned far forward now, and as soon as the fireworks are going off behind Christian and Satine, she’s crying real tears. It’s just too much, every time. (I sympathize.) This doesn’t escape Maddox’s notice, even though she’s leaning forward now.]

Are you... crying? Are you crying over that?

IT’S SWEET, ASSHOLE.

[Hands up.] Right. Sorry. [He starts pulling her back into his arms.] Come cry over here though, you wimp.

I hate you. [But she goes willingly.]

No ya don’t~.

[Elephant Love Medley has left us, and by this point, Maddox is maybe possibly just a little bit invested in the Satine and Christian relationship. Just a little bit, though. So, here, when we are with Zidler and The Duke, the air of ‘da fuck’ is rolling off of Maddox strong.]

BIND SATINE TO HIM? OH, REALLY? [The Duke’s rant goes on, and Lucy is amused that Maddox has reacted that way, considering he keeps trashing the movie.] Oh, he doesn’t like other people touching HIS things? HIS? Nope. Fuck this guy. He’s gross. I don’t like him.

You already said that~.

I’m just driving home the point. He’s a piece of shit. I don’t like him.

[Lucy just grins and rolls her eyes, because the strong reaction meant he was actually interested in the story. So, she was being proven right, and it was great. So, off the movie goes into the ~montage~ of sorts to show off all the gr8 make out opportunities, and just how blinD af The Duke is.

And onto the 8 o’ clock plans, and the supper oh boy, but she can’t make it to the supper, Duke. She’s got to reHEARSE~.]

That’s right. Ghost his ass.

Would you stop? [But she’s smiling and laughing, because she’s super-amused by all of this, if I didn’t say so before.]

Bye, asshole.

[Lucy decided to let him express himself however he wanted. Like, oh boy. So, there’s more making out, and there’s a Harry, and a Harry’s telling a Satine she’s being cray, and all that. Here comes Maddox again.]

Don’t be a little bitCH, HAROLD. [Lucy snorts a laugh as good ol’ Harry is telling Satine to end the things.] She’s not actually gonna, like, break it off, is she? Luce, that’s bullshit.

I think you should just watch the movie. 

uGH.

[Satine is singing and coughing, and our good friend Narrator!Christian has come back, talking about ‘last, fatal days’, and as soon as those words are heard, Maddox’s head drops into his hands, with an even louder ‘uGGGGH’ sound coming from him. Lucy pats his back and then pulls him back up.]

It’ll be alright, hon~.

This movie is fucking dumb.

Mhmmm.

[Now here comes the second worst scene in this whole movie, and you know what it is. Zidler and all his brilliant lies, my dude. Lucy can feel Maddox tensing up beside her, and when she looks up at him, there is nothing but disgust on that face. (Same, Maddox.) It only worsened the further the number goes on.]

I’m gonna vomit. Tell me when it’s over. [He puts a pillow in front of his face. Not joking. Lucy takes the pillow away.]

Don’t be a baby. It’s almost over now.

I can’t even look at this guy’s face.

[And then it’s over, and Maddox is breathing a sigh of relief until the doctor is on the screen saying the bad things. He’s up in arms again.]

He’s nOT EVEN gonna tell her she’s dyING? Selfish asshole, I SWEAR. Dumb ass movie characters in a dumb ass movie. [Irritated sigh af.]

[Next scene af, cold stabs of jealousy, Satine, ‘we have to end it’.]

She is actually doing it are you kidding me. [’i have to sleep with the duke’] You do not have to sleep with the fuCKING DUKE.

Maddox, shhh. Listen to the movie.

You want me to listen to this buLL?

Pay attention~.

[So, he does, though huffy, and now it’s the other scene to make me and Lucy rip hearts out of our chests, and Christian is singing, and now there are loving glances exchanged across rehearsal.]

I’m getting whiplash. Oh my God.

I told you to pay attention~.

[The song is being sung, and Lucy’s giving it her full attention, and Maddox seems to be doing the same thing. He actually looks... interested now? Like, he’s fully enraptured in these lyrics, and what’s going on on the screen, and like he’s deep in thought, and his eyes are SET ON THE SCREEN.

Then Nini has to come in and RUIN THE WHOLE THING. ‘penniless writer, OH I MEAN SITAR PLAYER HUHUHUH’. Maddox sits up.]

THAT. BITCH.

[Full-on laugh from Lucy now as the number ends,  and The Duke starts in on his whole bit, and then Christian says the thing. ‘shE DOESN’T LOVE U’.]

FUCKING RIGHT. TELL HIS ASS. [the duke is going onnnn.] This guy is a dick head. Why do you  liKE THIS MOVIE, LUCY?

I told you. It’s a great movie, Maddox.

It’s a fucking infuriating movie is what it is. I swear to Christ, if the mole rat so much as gets to touch her...

[He trails off, shaking his head. Again, Lucy smiles, because she knows that this all means he’s feeling something about the story. (Even if he does keep interrupting her favorite movie.) So guess what scene it’s time for now??? You know the one. 

IT BEGINS, and for a second time, Lucy can feel Maddox tense up beside her. So, she looks up as the Argentinean begins to sing ‘rOOOOXANNE’, and she had never seen him look that MAD in all the time she’d known him. Like, teeth and fists clenched, and all that good stuff. She’s full-on worried about whether or not he’s gonna burst a blood vessel, or something. Because, I’m telling you. The boy is pissed. 

And as Christian starts to sing, and there are flashes to Satine and the Duke, a cushion is thrown at the TV.]

FUCK THIS STUPID FUCKING MOVIE. 

Maddox, it’s fine. I promise. [She pats his shoulder.]

It’s not even. [And he pulls her back closer into his side.]

It is. [Maybe she realizes he’s projecting onto this a little bit. Just maybe.]

[So, you know what goes on here, and Maddox is wincing, and he doesn’t want to look as it kEEPS GOING, and internally he probably looks a lot like Christian does towards the end of this number.]

OH MY GOD. IS IT EVER GONNA END?? I CAN’T LOOK AT IT ANYMORE.

It’s almost over.

[SO THANKS, IT’S OVER. Maddox slumps, because he’s been tense that whole time.] Oh thank Christ, he knocked him out. [Breath of relief, and Lucy leans on his shoulder, because yup that totally wasn’t taxing on his emotions at all.] Have I mentioned how fucking stupid this movie is?

A couple of times, yeah.

Just checking.

[Next scene, there is a Maddox looking probably more invested than he has through the whole movie, and Lucy is also able to pay attention for the first time in a few minutes, but she could hear him mumbling things like ‘oh what the fuck even is gonna happen now?’ and ‘yeah, running away. bet that’s gonna work’. And once the Duke has given the threat about Christian, there is an outburst of ‘THIS ASSHOLE’, but he immediately settles back down.

Off to Harry telling Satine all of the good stuff, like ‘someone gon get killed’ and ‘oh boy you’re dying’, and then ‘hurt him to save him’, and all that.]

Hurt him to save him? This is buLLSHIT. Let him make his owN FUCKING CHOICE? Harold is a fucKING SHIT.

[Lucy can’t find it in her to answer, because, well, yeah-- he’s not wrong, but oh WELL, just let the poor boy do his ranting and raving.]

Lucy. She’s not doing this shit. She’s not-- this is fucking dumb. 

I know. She just doesn’t think she has another choice.

She should’ve just let it be his choice.

She loves him. She doesn’t want him to get hurt.

Hmph.

[He turns back to the movie, and Christian makes his plans to go on back to the good ol’ MR.]

GET HER, YOU IDIOT. FOR FUCK’S SAKE.

[Fun show time, and all that, and more grumbles and grimaces from Maddox. Another cushion is thrown at the screen when the Duke, from the audience, insists ‘she’s mine’, and Lucy moves any other thing around Maddox away from him so he can’t throw anything else. 

Christian is with Satine now, ‘pay his bill’, and all that, and Maddox throws his hands up.]

Jesus, what a fucking MORON. [All that fun continues.] I’m gonna scream. I’m gonna.

Shhhh.

[So Christian and Satine are revealed on the stage, and there’s the ‘paid my whore’ bit.]

This is. so. stupid. 

[And on goes Christian, and the show must go on, eh? Satine starts singing~.]

It’s the fucking song. [His head goes into his hands again.]

[So that beauty happens, and we have an enraptured Maddox and Lucy again, but then the gun is getting flung everywhere, and Maddox is on edge again.]

Oh, no they’re not. That’s not gonna happen. Lucy. [He looks at her, she avoids looking at him, since she knOWS what happens.] Nope. It’s not. [The duke now has the gun, stalking up upon the the stage.] I’m gonna throw something again. [And then Zidler punches him, yup.]

Harry is gOOD FOR SOMETHING. FOR FUCK’S SAKE.

[The curtain falls, and Maddox is in a false sense of security here. And then the bad thing happens.]

Hold on SHIT.

[Lucy has already started crying, since she knows what’s coming, so she’s not talking to Maddox, and it’s like she’s almost forgotten she was with anyone else. She’s just sobbing to herself, because DAMN THIS MOVIE, i’m crying just writing about it. I hate. 

So, there it ends with ‘the grEEEatest thing u’ll eeeeever learn is jUST to love and be loOOVed in reee turrnnnn. And Lucy’s a heap, but brought back to earth by the credits rolling, and by sniffing sounds beside her. She looks over to her boy, and does she see a tear being wiped. You betcha.]

Are you... Maddox, are you crying?

[Like he’s guilty, because he is. He reaches up to get any trace of dumb tears off his face.] NO. No, that was-- I’m not crying. It was just stupid. It was so stupid. I hated it. 

No, you are crying. Ohhhh. [She’s teasing him, tbh.]

Fuck. OFF. That was the worst thing I’ve ever fucking seen.

It’s alright, sweetie~.

It’s fucking not. That was-- traumatizing. I never want to see that again.

It’s just a movie, Maddox~. 

Give me just, like, five fucking minutes to process what I just saw, okay? [His head is in his hands AGAIN.]

Ooookay~.