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readyplayerhobi · 4 years

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Flower | 13

; Hoseok x Reader

; Genre: Fluff, angst, slight smut

; Word Count: 4.6k

; Warnings: Anxiety, low self-esteem, discussions of sex, mention of (f) oral sex, sexual anxiety

; Synopsis: You finally decide to take a dip into the world of online dating and find the Flower dating app. One of the top matches for you proves to be a guy who looks to be your complete opposite; tattooed, pierced, a metalhead and oh…incredibly handsome. What happens when you throw caution to the wind and reach out to him?

; A/N: I hope you all enjoy this! As usual, if you do...please reblog and leave me a comment! Or send me an ask letting me know your thoughts, I’m glad you’re all loving Flower!Hobi!

; Flower Masterpost

Staring at your computer screen, a deep sigh leaves you as yet another email notification pops up in the corner. Clicking on it with as much enthusiasm as you’d give towards picking up a slug, you watch as it directs you back to Outlook and brings up the email. It was from your boss, who was literally sat across the small room from you, asking you to call a client and check whether they were still available for a meeting tomorrow.

Pursing your lips, you bring up her previous email that includes the client’s contact details and input their number into your work phone. Holding the phone between your cheek and shoulder, you tap your pen against your mouse as the dial tone fills your ear.

You really hated your job. 26-years-old, with a degree and you were just stuck doing the work people better paid than you didn’t want to do. Chewing on your lip, you contemplated looking at the list of job sites you’d begun to frequent lately, wondering whether or not you should apply for a new job.

The prospect of a job you actually loved and enjoyed was so foreign to you that it felt almost like a mythical unicorn right now, but you knew they existed. Hoseok loved his job, despite how everyone berated IT departments in every company. So you knew that there was something out there for you.

But what was it? And how could you get it when you had no relevant experience in...well anything except for the modern day equivalent of pen pushing? Some days you were rushed off your feet doing everything for your boss, acting like a secretary, personal assistant and administrative assistant all at once.

Getting tea and coffee for work meetings, sitting in and taking notes, writing up meeting notes and distributing them, arranging meetings and visits and so much more. It was all boring and dull. The very idea of doing this for the rest of your life was simply unimaginable but you just...couldn’t get the courage to put yourself out there and apply for something better.

You were afraid of rejection and you were even more afraid of getting accepted for a job and then finding out you couldn’t do it.

Almost without even thinking, you talk through with the client and make sure that they’re still okay for the meeting that was prepared for tomorrow. As soon as the phone clicks back into the cradle, you’re opening a response to your boss and sending her a quick email to let her know that it’s still on and that you’ve checked the room is still booked for them.

And then you just sit there a moment, staring at the screen and wondering what to do next. You had some menial tasks that needed to be done; photocopying documents for their meeting, forwarding invoices and so forth. But you just didn’t want to do any of it.

That was nothing new though, you never wanted to do anything at work.

A sudden flash of colour out of the corner of your eye catches your attention and look over to where your phone lay on the desk, just above your keyboard. One of the only good things about this place was that no one complained about phones being used as long as you were doing your work too.

And the green that lights up the screen can only mean that someone has sent you a message on WhatsApp. Licking your lips, you glance up at your boss before unlocking your phone quickly and clicking onto the app.

Upon seeing Hoseok’s name your grin turns even broader, feeling a little better already. He didn’t often text during the work day, often being far too busy to waste time on texting. Unlike you, he was permanently busy.

Hoseok [13:38pm]: Guess who got promoted?

Hoseok [13:38pm]: It’s me! I got promoted :D

Smiling even wider, you quickly texted back as pride fills your chest. Amazing how you’ve only been dating for four months yet you feel so happy and proud of him already. You’d known that he had a meeting today with his managers and he’d been a little worried, unsure whether or not they were going to be laying people off or not.

Y/N [13:39pm]: Yaaaaaaaaay. Can you boss people around now?

Hoseok [13:40pm]: I already boss people around

Hoseok [13:40pm]: Now I just have another department to boss...and more money :D

Y/N [13:41pm]: I is jealouz

Y/N [13:41pm]: (;﹏;)

Hoseok [13:42pm]: I still can’t get over how you text sometimes, honestly

Hoseok [13:42pm]: ANYWAY, it’s more money to spend on youuu :D and Kasumi

Y/N [13:43pm]: Hush, more money for you to spend on gigs

Hoseok [13:43pm]: :O don’t tell me how to spend my money >:[

And then you get a photo sent. Your phone’s setting means that you need to accept it before it downloads, image pixelated at first before becoming high quality. Clicking on it again, you frown momentarily before your eyes widen and your throat goes strangely dry suddenly.

He’s in an all black suit; black jacket, a silk black shirt and a skinny black tie to compliment it all off. It makes the hint of tattoos you can see pop vividly with their colours over the top of his shirt collar and the bit of wrist you can see on the hand that’s pointing at the camera. And it all complements his dark hair wonderfully, today actually styled properly and pushed up elegantly to reveal his forehead and let the astonishing beauty of his face be seen properly.

His face though, isn’t the pure sex his body is emanating. Instead, he’s got a comical expression in which his face is scrunched together, lips pursed in faux anger to go with his last text. But you don’t care, you can’t care.

Hoseok in a suit is...oh god. It’s everything, and you feel things for him suddenly that you’ve never really felt for anyone before from just seeing a picture. You...want to do things to him, right now.

The strength of your reaction actually makes you pause, looking up from your phone as you assess yourself to try and comprehend what you feel. And what you wanted was for Hoseok to send you a serious photo of him looking like that.

Y/N [13:49pm]: You’re in a suit?

Hoseok [13:50pm]: Yeah, manager meeting

Y/N [13:55pm]: Can you...send a serious picture?

Hoseok [13:56pm]: ...you want another selfie of me?

Y/N [14:00pm]: I mean...you don’t have to

And then you get another photo sent through, causing you to swallow thickly as you download it. You end up biting your lip harshly as you try to stop yourself from making any kind of noise out loud. No one had noticed that you hadn’t done a lot of work in the last fifteen minutes, but they would notice if you made the kind of noise that wanted to erupt from your throat.

Hoseok had evidently known where your thoughts had gone from your awkward text back to him, and he’d pulled out all the stops for you. Part of you wondered where on Earth he was that he could take pictures like this without getting strange looks from his colleagues but an overriding part of you didn’t care.

Because holy shit, your boyfriend was ridiculously fucking attractive and how in the hell had you pulled him?

This photo has him in almost the same angle, only two of his fingers frame the pink tongue that pokes out of his mouth, white teeth pressing against the back of his tongue ring while his eyes are dark with intent. There’s no playfulness in this picture, at least nothing that could be done in public.

No indeed and you squirm slightly in your seat, contemplating the wild fact that you were horny at work. This has never happened before and you didn’t really know that to do! But how could you not be? The way Hoseok was looking at the camera was the exact way he’d looked at you all three times he’d gone down on you so far.

And he knew it, given his suggestive pose with his tongue. In fact, you’re suddenly sent back to last week when he’d gone down on you in bed. You still weren’t even remotely comfortable asking him to do anything like that yet, but apparently he’d been wanting to so you’d shyly agreed once more.

Not that you were opposed to it or anything.

But those eyes he was giving the camera are the exact same he gave you from between your legs. And that just was not fair, because what were you supposed to do about this in the middle of work? You had just under three hours left to work before you left and he wouldn’t even finish till six.

Y/N [14:07pm]: Handsome

Y/N [14:08pm]: Are you still staying over?

Hoseok [14:10pm]: That’s all you gotta say to that, you wound me. And yes, be around 7

Y/N [14:11pm]: <33

Putting your phone down, you stare at your computer screen that has gotten three new email notifications since you got distracted. You don’t click on them though...instead you just chew on your lip, tapping your fingertips against the desk slowly as you think.

Maybe tonight...maybe…

The quick rapping on the door lets you know that Hoseok is finally here, half an hour late. Opening the door to him, you don't even get a chance to say anything as he brushes past you, kicking his shoes off and apologising profusely.

"I'm sorry, they kept me an extra half an hour 'cos some idiot basically broke his laptop and then there was traffic so I haven't been able to go back and change." He's taking his coat off, hanging it up on the little rack on the wall before looking at you and letting out a deep sigh.

"Oh I'm so glad to be home. Today has been so fucking stressful, maybe I should have turned down that promotion and it’s not even been a full day." You don't even get time to consider the fact that he just called your place home because he's suddenly leaning forward, giving you a quick kiss before moving into the kitchen.

Watching after him, you simply stare in bewilderment. You're not entirely sure that you could speak right now, hit by the double whammy of his slip of the tongue and his clothes.

It was true that Hoseok had pretty much spent the last month near enough living at your place, only going home a day or two a week but you hadn't realised he'd felt that comfortable here. You felt a shy warm happiness bubble in your chest at the thought though, looking down at your hands as you bite your lip to stop smiling like a little girl.

But what really turns you into an excitable mess is his outfit. He's still wearing the suit from earlier, his hair tousled from where he'd obviously been running his hands through it in the stress of his work.

And if he'd looked hot in his photos, he looked damn near sinful in person.

Which is why you simply watch him with wide eyes, moving into the kitchen slowly and resting a hip against one of the counters as he peers into the slow cooker that you'd set up this morning before going to work. It was just a simple beef stew with a hint of red wine, the scent delicious but you found that wasn't what was making your mouth water.

Not tonight.

"So...I didn't...know you had a suit like that." The words are incredibly stilted, sounding unbelievably awkward in your mouth and you inwardly cringe. Particularly when you see Hoseok stiffen, ever so slightly beneath the delightful black fabric that outlines his lithe body beautifully.

You knew that Hoseok had been incredibly patient with you. Probably more patient than most men would have been, not even slightly pushing you and making sure that you are completely comfortable with every moment. He didn't ask for much and you often felt bad that he seemed to give up so much in exchange for the eternal patience he gave to you.

But he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to thrive on what little advancement in your relationship he could get. You still got shy when he gave you oral obviously, but you were far more eager to say yes compared to the beginning.

And tonight...tonight you wanted to finally let him get the pleasure he’d willingly denied himself to keep you comfortable. Especially when he looked like that.

It wasn't just a 'giving him a good time' too because you like him, a lot, but also because quite simply...for the first time ever...you wanted to have sex with someone. You desperately wanted to find out what he felt like inside you. Feel him thrusting within you and in turn explore him to find out what made him jerk, made him twitch and made him moan.

Oh god yes, you wanted to hear him moan. The very idea of him making those kinds of noises because of you was intoxicating and you squeeze your thighs together, fully in the knowledge that you were probably wet already.

You have no doubt that Hoseok can tell there’s something different, an unusual kind of tension in the air as he turns around slowly, brow raised. Glancing away, you find yourself playing with the label of a Coke bottle on the side, fingers picking until it came away.

Part of you wanted to be brash and forward, boldly tell him what you wanted but as soon as you consider doing it, it felt like an iron band wrapped around your lungs. Breathing was made a lot of harder suddenly and you couldn’t get any words out, your limbs feeling cold and tingly with nerves and anxiety.

Oh how you wished desperately that you could be a bolder person because you just knew that you weren’t at that level of confidence yet with him. Even if you felt no expectations from him. You just weren’t there, and that’s why you were hoping he’d understand and take the lead once more.

And Jung Hoseok, your wonderful boyfriend who you still believe is far too good for you, does so. You have no idea how he knows that you want to do more than cuddle or talk, no idea how he can tell that you’re struggling to get across your desires but he does.

He smiles slowly, the corners of his lips turning up in a smirk at first before turning into that beautiful smile that makes your heart flutter. Moving slowly, he walked over to you and you press yourself into the counter, eyes widening as you took in the long and loping stride.

Without so much as a word, he stands firmly in front of you, leaning forward just enough to place his arms on the counter, trapping you between them. You can feel the heat of him, the way his leg’s brush against yours with how close he is and the way his jacket slides along your stomach slightly. Combined with the fresh scent that was so unique to Hoseok and the dark look in his eyes, you felt completely overwhelmed by him.

Overwhelmed, in the best way possible.

Leaning down, Hoseok moves close enough until you feel the tip of his nose brushing against yours, the movement deceptively soft given the sexual tension that’s so thick between you both. Biting your lip, you force yourself to remain quiet to see what he does.

“I have more suits than you might realise baby. Why? Do you like it?” His voice is annoyingly light, innocence laced into every syllable that matches his perfect, angelic face too well. Smiling, his eyes widen ever so slightly as he waits for an answer but before you can even say anything, his arms move a little and you feel them pressing against your waist.

“Y-yeah, it...it looks good.” You stutter out, body heating rapidly as you lick at your lips, mouth absurdly dry. And before even realising...you’re pressing your face against his black shirt, feeling the soft silky material rub at your cheek while all you can think of is what the firm chest beneath it looks like.

Hoseok seems to pause for a moment before his hands move to rest on your hips, hesitantly stroking along them. Almost instantly you cringe forward, the feel of his hands so foreign and a subtle panic rushes through you as your mind screams at where he’s touching. The place you dislike on yourself, the place society has taught you isn’t beautiful.

But he touches you with so much care, light and gentle. He doesn’t push further with you, simply let the moment hold despite how tense you both are. You know what he’s doing, instinctively understand because he’s done this your whole relationship so far. He’s letting you get used to him, decide whether or not you feel comfortable with what he’s doing...what he’s offering.

Pressing your ear to his chest, you close your eyes and inhale deeply, shakily as you fight the demons of insecurity over yourself and your previous sexual experiences. Originally, you’d considered perhaps returning the favour to him and giving him oral sex. But now, hearing the strong beat of his heart and the warmth that has comforted you for many nights now...now you want more.

So you let him know, in that quiet and shy method that he must have become so used to. Your own hands tremble slightly as you move your head back just enough before you press them to his chest, hesitantly just letting yourself feel him like this for the first time. And then your fingers move to his collar, the top two buttons already undone.

Finally, finally you glance up at him, feeling unbelievably frightened that he might push you away, decided he didn’t want it. Didn’t want you.

It had been years since you’d done anything...you knew this and he knew this by now. But you knew that he was far more experienced, so experienced in fact that it scares you a little. You felt like you’d be judged against others and found wanting, even if you knew that Hoseok wouldn’t do that.

“Hoseok,” You start, words meek and quiet. “I...erm, I want...I mean...I don’t…”

And Hoseok moves his hands to cup your cheeks, smiling at you sweetly, so sweetly. It’s so reminiscent of when he’d gone down on you the first time and you get the urge to suddenly cry at how caring he is. How lucky you are.

“It’s okay. I know...you’re not hugely experienced and you’re not confident. That’s fine, I don’t expect anything from you. We don’t need to do anything, I was just teasing. If you want, I can just go do-”

“No. No, not today. I don’t...I don’t want that. I want...I want you.” This time, the words are a tiny bit more confident but rushed out. “I just...sex...I’ve never really...understood why people like it. You know? It just...felt okay. Maybe it was me but like...yeah, I mean...you know. It was…rushed and you’ve done so much more than me and-” Now it’s Hoseok’s turn to interrupt you, thumbs stroking your cheeks as he lets out a shushing noise.

Suddenly, surprising you entirely, he backs away and gently takes your hand to lead you back to the couch. Without a word he gets you to sit down before doing so himself, taking both your hands between his own with a quiet sigh.

“Okay, I just...want us to talk for a moment, so that neither of us get confused or offended or anything. So...yes, I’ve had a lot of sex, I won’t deny that. It doesn’t mean I’m gonna judge you though. You’re my girlfriend, the vast majority of everyone else was not. I’m incredibly turned on by you and I wanna beat my chest like a neanderthal knowing you want me too. I know you’re shy and you’re not confident of yourself, which is just plain wrong by the way because you are unbelievably beautiful. I just...I don’t want to move too fast for you and have you regret it. So...talk to me. Please.” You’re sure this man really isn’t real, because surely no one really existed like him in real life.

“Why are you so patient?” You blurt out, brow furrowed in confusion and he looks just as confused for a moment before smiling.

“Because being pushy doesn’t get me anything? Except upsetting you and making you close up. And then if you do anything for me, then it’s because I’ve pushed and pushed until you feel forced to do it. So I’m patient. I don’t really mind, I like your company and it’s strangely rewarding seeing you slowly open up to me. I’m not doing anything for an ulterior motive.” He’s so earnest that you can tell he’s being honest but it still confuses you.

Not that you’re going to look a gift horse in the mouth or anything.

So inhaling deeply, you squeeze his hands and gave him a tight smile before talking. Something about Hoseok has always been comforting and reassuring, like he won’t judge you and you know he’ll be the same this time.

“I haven’t...slept with anyone in years. You’ve probably realised or...maybe I told you. But...well. I mean,” Your hands feel so clammy in his. “It wasn’t really good? I never...you know, with anyone. It just...felt fine. Good enough that I’d do it again but not so good I actively wanted it. Thought something was wrong with me because of that. I’ve accepted there isn’t...maybe even wondered if I was asexual for a while or something. Maybe I still am? I don’t really know. I just...I like you...a lot...and I like doing...things with you. I’ve never...you know…”

“Orgasmed?”

It’s a simple word and he says it so casually but you find yourself squirming at it, feeling warm and embarrassed about it. Not only talking about orgasms but also admitting that you’d never had one during sex before. So you simply nod, unable to get the words out and frowning in frustration at yourself.

“Hey...hey look at me,” Hoseok says gently, squeezing your hands till you do as he says. “Don’t feel embarrassed about it. It’s not something to feel bad about. This probably isn’t what I should be saying right now...but I’ve had a lot of sex, with...a sizeable amount of women. Do you know how many times they orgasmed during sex?”

Frowning, you wonder momentarily whether you’re meant to feel better with the knowledge that he’d been with a lot of women. Or that some of them had even orgasmed with him. But you sensed he was trying to make a point, and Hoseok had never been cruel.

Slowly, you shake your head.

“Not that many of them to be honest. I wish I could boost my ego and say I have a 100% strike rate but...I don’t. Sometimes girl’s would cum, most of the time they didn’t. I had to go down on them or something. And I’ve never had a single woman orgasm from penetration alone, they all needed some help. What I’m trying to get across here to you, and very badly because there’s nothing less sexy than hearing about your partner’s...escapades but...please don’t think that you’re always meant to orgasm during sex. Sometimes you might, sometimes you might not. I know that for some women, they just enjoy the feeling because they can’t get there. Sometimes, I don’t even orgasm. I’m not in the mood or something or I get bored...or I’m too drunk.”

That makes your eyes widen in shock and surprise. You hadn’t even though guys could just...not orgasm during sex. It made you realise how little you really knew, and suddenly you felt a little embarrassed about your lack of knowledge about sex. But he wasn’t being condescending or demeaning, so you decided to take the plunge and ask him.

“R-really? You...I didn’t know guys...I thought you just always did.” Hoseok laughs at that, looking so attractive that you can’t help but bite your lip. Even though you’re having a serious conversation with him, you still can’t mask the desire you have for him. Damn him for looking so good in a suit.

“The vast majority of the time? Yeah, it’s no problem. But sometimes like...I’m too tired to bother anymore and I just don’t want to carry on. Sometimes I’m a bit stressed and can’t get there which then leads to anxiety that I’m not. I try not to take it to heart but...you don’t need to be embarrassed. If you wanna orgasm then we can definitely try, if you don’t feel like it, then we don’t need to. It’s entirely up to you, I swear.”

Silence falls between you both and you stare at your hands, swallowing thickly. He’s offering you so much, and part of you feels bad. But at the same time...you want to just enjoy him without the stress or anxiety of not performing like you thought you were supposed to.

Clenching your jaw, you make the decision and nod your head to yourself. Yes, you were doing this.

So without a word, you grab onto this small flame of confidence he’s lit within you and let go of his hands, instead using them to grip the lapels of his jacket and pulling him forward. His eyes widen for a second and he lets out an ‘oomph’ before you’re kissing him.

It’s not pretty at first, almost painful from the force and you both take a few seconds to reacquaint yourselves with each other before it finally starts moving smoothly like usual. Only this time, the kiss is far more intense than anything you’d had before with him, almost as if you were trying to devour each other with the force and intensity.

Pulling away momentarily, you look at him and groan softly at the desire in his eyes. You’ve seen him in moments of pure lust before, but he’s bordering on unrestrained here. And you want that, so you pull him back in, moulding your lips to his own and feeling the tingle of excitement that runs through you.

“Not here, not here. Please, I really wanna fuck you on your bed.” Hoseok gasps out as he pulls away once more, trying to avoid your grasping hands with a breathy laugh.

You don’t even question it, getting up quickly and practically tugging him into your bedroom in your eagerness. The sheer laugh of delight he gives you as you do so invigorates you, bolstering the confidence that’s spurring you on and you hope it lasts.

Wrapping your arms around his neck and tugging him into a kiss once you’re in the safe haven of your bedroom, you prepare to trust him with your insecurities once more.

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hamuchustartea · 6 years

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The Hollow Scenes that I worked on from Episode 04

I never got to work in Episode 03, instead my team proceeded to work on Episode 04. My scenes are cut into different sequences, from the underwater scene to climbing the giant chain that connects to Akuma’s temple.

I did a lot in this scene, drawing the dragon fish was painstaking, specially paying attention to the details of its design and the overlapping movements of its body and tail.

Together with the angler fish, plus Mira ( I still had issues with keeping her face on model) it took me approximately 2 days to finish the poses before tweening them.

It was difficult but very fulfilling in the end, like it was my first time animating fish and having underwater scenes where I have to keep the animation a bit slow and in singles (1 single keyframe instead of the usual double keyframe).

I didn’t have that much problem animating her swim. When I watched the animatic I realized that Mira was doing a Frog kick with Breaststroke style.

I used to have swimming lessons back in 6th Grade around summer 2003, so I applied the same technique into her movements and gave her the “fun underwater feeling” experience.

After the underwater scenes, I had a bonus tentacle scene for these two! :D Adam’s slim build and tall stature makes it easy for me to draw difficult and action poses for him, although he is my least animated character for the entire project, which makes me sad. :( I wished I had more Adam scenes.

This episode somewhat has become special to me, although I wasn’t given Akuma-related scenes but instead I got something better, which changed my view on this project and also made me realize who my real favorite character is.

It all started in this sequence, where the focus turned to Kai again.

My director was very strict on this sequence. He emphasized on putting extra care on the characters to keep the perspective in check, while maintaining their design. So I studied each scene carefully before posing the characters.

Starting from this episode I had major scenes with Kai. At first, I thought Kai was going to be hard (as in Mira’s case) to model, but when I modeled, tweaked his design and added extra expressions I got the hang of it.

Then I noticed, this guy is so fun to work on! His character is so profound, he stands out among the trio. He is flawed and annoying, but I like him! Why? Because I can relate to him! I can easily see his intentions, frustrations and insecurities. I was surprised that he gained a very cool talent which I didn’t expect he would have. I did underwent that kind of experience.

In short, he had a story. He already had his own conflict and as the story progresses he is given room for improvement.

The moment after finishing one of these scenes I came to the conclusion:

KAI IS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER!!!

Initially, Adam was my favorite character when I studied his character sheet for the first time (back when I was working on my last episode in MLP season 07), for obvious reasons — he’s handsome plus he’s strong and knows martial arts: my dream guy. ^_^

However, I can’t grasp his character, even I admired his levelheadedness, maturity and leadership. He’s too serious and very obscure, a bit plain and I can’t read what’s in his mind. I’m not saying there’s something wrong with him. Adam’s a great character but he needed more story aside from he’s being the most focused and physical of the main three.

I still love Adam, but Kai overwhelms me. I love these two guys so much despite their contrasting personalities. And then some kind of witchcraft struck my heart.

When I visualized and worked on this scene below (Scene#376, the name of the scene), my heart skipped a bit as I saw this two, with eyes locked to each others. Damn. I SHIP THEM! XD

It was even part of the animatic, I just followed what the storyboard suggested but also put a heartfelt, intimate touch to make this moment captivating. <3 <3 <3 XD

I can’t believe I found a new ship at work! Before its official release I’ve been shipping these two since last year, when this show was still in production. Even my fellow animators teased me about how this scene is so BL. XD

I’m proud to say, I’m the first Kaidam shipper since I made this scene back in August 2017. Perks of being an animator. ;)

Last scene for this episode, the climbing scene. It seemed pretty simple at first but creating the cycle made me a bit confused that I needed to imagine myself climbing a ladder.

This is why this episode has become special to me. It’s because I discovered Kaidam! I’m glad I got the scene where I did that infamous Kaidam moment that I see a lot in Kaidam fandoms. Too bad I no longer had the raw Flash file of that scene. :( Anyways. Thank you so much. XD

#the hollow #netflix #adam the hollow #kai the hollow #mira the hollow #animation

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chromemuffin · 7 years

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Shoukoku no Altair Liveblog (Chapter 8)

As for this chapter’s art, just when you thought this series couldn’t get anymore detailed, it goes and does just that! I am consistently floored by the patterns Kato puts in these designs. The circles along the hem of Mahmut’s red outer clothes make for a simple design, but are made a little more complex by including three circles inscribed in each other. And that is just scraping the surface. I also love the poses haha. Anyway, let’s move on.

Chapter 8: The Thief in the Slum

I really liked the swirls of smoke in this panel, reminds me of the otherworldly atmosphere of series like xxxholic. And the hexagon pattern on the windows is a nice touch. But look at Mahmut go! He’s supposed to be on vacation, but he couldn’t hold back from jumping right into this thing last chapter.

Of course Mahmut is sitting far away from everyone else. I have no clue how this seating area is arranged though?? Looks like a couch...but it’s not...there is a rise in the floor that goes across the room, and it looks like the rugs were arranged to make a seating area out of it.

lol throwing shade at Mahmut there. Shara finally gets her smug moment instead of constantly being D:< or –.–

Koko seems to have a nervous eating habit (she makes some adorable expressions too).

When I said I was going to catalogue his expressions, I meant it. Not sure what this one is, though...in the panel before he had a normal serious/concentrating expression, and this time it’s a little drawn, perhaps a small grimace of “I can’t possibly find this guy fascinating” when his goal is murder.

Very nice detailing on the comb here, instead of defaulting to a plain design. It certainly is...different from anything I’ve seen before.

Shara is quite the go-getter. Now you can see why she went ahead and accompanied Mahmut to go save Ibrahim. She certainly is quite tough in her own right.

Um, excuse me. Is. Is every person pictured here unique?? I mean, there are no repeats of patterns, except perhaps the two women in the middle to the right, they do have different expressions though. Notice that everyone is wearing something different, even though they are clearly from the same town. Some have scarves, others have patterns on their shirts/jackets. They also seem pretty excited for the show.

And of course there are those two ominous guys walking towards the front...

Good composition of this panel, as far as I can tell. The screentone for the sky gives it a nice depth.

And lol Mahmut you’re losing ground, maybe because your legs are so short. Mahmut is apparently only 5′4″ (forgot what that is in cm sorry).

Anyway, Iskander is on it. (though golden eagles don’t really fly around at night lol most birds are ‘blind as a bat’ at night)

Knew it wouldn’t be that easy. The uh black sludge water (?) looks very ominous.

Those are glorious wings. And you can see that nice teardrop shape on his forehead.

lol they are still calling him Mahmut Pasha.

o.O expression, maybe? He looks younger when he’s surprised.

Waaait, so the story ended up being true. xD

btw I like the official on the far left.

O-oh. That does not look like a happy thief.

And are you related to Zaganos. You both have that sort of medusa/my hair is going to eat my face if not for my hat or turban look.

lol she keeps giving him these looks and he just ignores it.

Mahmut really is all business, unless you drag him into having a good time (something I relate to). Plus, this is coming on the heels of his demotion, subconsciously he’s focusing on doing his best to grow to be worthy of his former title. He doesn’t actually know how to go about that, probably, but this is a good start. A pasha’s duty is to protect the nation, after all.

UH, way to look like the emissaries of darkness guys. They even made it a point of walking in a triangle formation! Who does that!

I was wondering why they had some pots and plates on the rooftop. Make for great weapons.

lol poor thing. Even her arms are noodly. Love how everyone else is all into it and she’s the only one with a semi-normal reaction: terrified.

This is why you should have kept your identity a secret, Mahmut.

This guy’s voice ought to be cool in the anime, I’d imagine.

Ok, I noticed that he hung the lamp on the wall and there’s a little hook there so it doesn’t look like it just disappeared or is floating.

Also, thanks to the anime I now can confirm this thing is a whistle! Sorta. It doesn’t require the user to blow into it, but it is meant to call Iskander to him.

Also, smug faced Mahmut is back. Slightly subdued though. Maybe wry?

This is also kinda interesting. He doesn’t strike me as the Robin Hood type. It’s a good thing he has that menacing face though, it makes it easier to tell that he’s being sarcastic, and I can even imagine how he’s speaking in my head.

Once again, very interesting life philosophy here. Doesn’t seem like he’s being sarcastic about this part...? I wonder if he had that ‘pride’ Mahmut is saying he must have thrown away by now. Did he actually have a sense of honor, or was it just an image that fit well with his thieving, and now that he’s lost face, he just gave it up? I’d bet on that last one, haha.

Very nice angle on the latticework there, but what are you–

OH MY GOD.

Dude, where do you keep getting all these eagles?? Once again, this is probably terrifying, especially at night when the shadows are long and dark, and you can’t see the birds clearly and they just all SWOOP IN AT YOUR FACE.

I always love the swirls and lines on Mahmut’s clothing, btw. The billowy shape of this type of clothing is different from what you normally see in manga.

*trying desperately not to curse*

WHAT THE HELL. I’m telling you, Mahmut is a bird whisperer. How much meat did you need to bribe these birds with to get them to all perch in this room to interrogate this guy.

The contrast of light and dark spots is very nice here, especially in a higher res image.

Once again, this guy’s life philosophy is interesting. Guess this is how it ties into the realization Mahmut came to in the last chapter.

That there are ways of life out there, in the country he was supposed to be protecting, that he knew nothing of. Because he never stopped to think how other people lived.

I think the word introspection suits Mahmut well. He seems to do a lot of it, in the quiet panels in which you get a glimpse of his eye or part of his face as he is thinking.

First of all: I forgot how bloody laws used to be in this part of the world’s history it’s been a while since I took history as a subject.

Second: The thief telling Mahmut to kill him there was probably to avoid a torturous death. The thief is honestly hard to pinpoint. I can’t tell if he’s being sincere about certain parts of the last few panels, or if they were part of an act, and if so for what purpose.

Then, this line of Mahmut’s is very interesting: “I, too, obey the rules of the world I live in.”

In a subtle way, this is the answer to the thief’s earlier statement explaining why he would go as far as kill over the uncovered treasure: “To us, our treasure is worth more than our lives. I don’t expect you people to get it.”

Typically, people in authority take the high road, and whether or not it is true, take themselves to be the moral good. They don’t understand the people who live at the bottom of society, and have no desire to.

That is why Mahmut’s statement is so intriguing. He is telling this man that he acknowledges his ‘world’ by comparing his own world and that of the thieves, something a person in authority wouldn’t normally do. He’s telling him that he does “get it”. But because he understands that the rules are different for different ways of life, he can’t accept the man’s request/command to kill him. Then Mahmut would be breaking the rules of his own ‘world’ (and, of course, his morals).

AND THEN, the narrative throws the bloody execution at you in technical terms, very little to misunderstand about the brutality of laws in the past.

It also throws this little gem at you:

Koko, who has generally acted like a normal person today would to these situations (like being terrified when armed men are attacking you!)...

...is actually saying “So mean” because the thief violated her expectations of who Fakir Hirsiz is in her imagination. Sliiight values dissonance there, yeah? On our part, of course. We don’t think the cutting off of limbs is an appropriate punishment for stealing (i hope), but the people in this world aren’t bothered.

OH, so it’s highly implied that the treasure’s location in the play was no coincidence. As they showed in chapter 7, the plays often took inspiration from current events, and the thieves and their treasure were just one of them.

Mahmut has a disapproving expression here, as she says. He figured it out at some point. Because the theatre troupe directly and probably deliberately benefitted from the misfortune of others, and caused the whole thing, including the murders by proxy.

But, to the very end, she claims it was all a “wonderful, fictional world”.

Very sneaky. And, perhaps, like with the punishments for theft and murder (well, the murder/execution thing is up for debate, but cutting off limbs for stealing I HOPE not), it is meant to leave you with a sort of hanging feeling. Everything is resolved as well as it could be, but...? That kind of feeling lol. Can’t explain it well.

ANYWAY, Mahmut is off! Feeding Iskander again :3

He looks, well, a little sad. That isn’t a frown, but he also isn’t happy.

Ah, yes, some much needed light-heartedness.

lol his expressions. I happen to like his startled expressions, they are always amusing. And then he’s pissed in that third panel. xD

LOL he’s the subject of the next musical.

And that’s a wrap! I actually wrote quite a bit for this one.

It was a tiny arc, but jam-packed with the very start of Mahmut’s long journey to meet his goal of becoming worthy of the title of Pasha.

← back・onward →

#shoukoku no altair #shokoku no altair #the very long altair liveblog #altair vol 2

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imagineyourstars · 7 years

Note

can i please request chiaki, mika, kaoru, and adonis where their small and usually sweet and affectionate s/o sticks up for them because another person is making fun of them? and the s/o just roasts and threatens them and is overall very intimidating to the bully? thank you!

i’ll take that as afollow up to that previous request we got, about ra*bits’ s/ostanding up to them ! aaaah what a cute request ♥ - mod mademoiselle

Chiaki :

Chiaki sometimeskind of loses himself in his “hero of justice” fantasies,and you’re used to it. After all, that’s how you like him ! He can beso considerate of people around him, too : you think that’s a lovelytrait.

Whenever you goout, he always loses focus on the date and instead sets himself amission, often ranging from rescuing kittens stuck in trees tocatching a pickpocket in order to give her purse back to that niceelderly lady. To be honest, your dates kind of feel like being thesecondary character of a tokusatsu show. And you love it !

That one time,things didn’t quite go as smoothly. As you were coming back from adate at the arcade together, you stumbled upon a group of guys aroundyour age who seemed to be violently bickering and threatening anotherguy. That looked dangerous, and as much as you wanted to just go away quickly, Chiaki insisted to intervene before things go awry.

Turns out it wasjust a fight like many others, and the guys weren’t exactly happy tosee your boyfriend barging in and trying to push them to “begood friends with each other”. Fortunately they were moreannoyed than angry, but they did take their frustration out onChiaki. They insulted him, pushing him around and threatening him.Chiaki was still acting calm and resolute (Ryusei Red was inhabitinghis body after all), but you could see he didn’t feel really at ease.The hero of justice never really had enemies, aside from the treesthe cats get stuck in…

You couldn’t standit and jumped to your boyfriend’s rescue. He never did anythingwrong, far from it, and that bunch of losers wanted to take theiranger out on him ? Fine. You’d take yours on them. They were sosurprised to see the sweet person hiding behind Chiaki step up andstart roasting them, they just stared at you, eyes wide.

They didn’t evenanswer when you started threatening them : judging by your murderousexpression, you were 100% serious and that was not a fight theywanted to get in. It’s much easier when it’s just intimidating randompasserbys who quickly go away, after all.

When you were done,they just silently walked away, looking a bit pissed. Chiaki didn’tanswer when you asked him if he was okay, instead just taking yourhand and bringing you back home. He was deep in thought. You acted socool and passionate when he was there, feeling lost and not reallyknowing how to react.

Turns out he wasactually really impressed and started suggesting you become the sixthmember of Ryuseitai, even stating he had a Ryusei Pink costume readyfor you. Apparently, you have what it takes to become a hero ofjustice and join his fight against evil. You’re not sure about thatlast part, but you’re happy you got to help your hammy and overlytheatric boyfriend.

Kaoru :

Smooth, flirty,handsome. That’s what Kaoru tries to be around you. He never fails tofind new ways to surprise you, even though he’s been your boyfriendfor a while now. That includes taking you on lovely dates in spotsyou never heard about.

That one time wasat a really classy restaurant. The food was amazing and theatmosphere too, and you were still laughing and chatting with Kaoru,walking hand in hand with him. It was getting really late, and he wasescorting you back home, as the gentleman he is. That’s when the wolfwhistles started.

A group ofseemingly drunk guys were catcalling you. You were already walkingaway, but Kaoru gently let go of your hands, getting ready to facethe rude guys with a suave attitude. “Gentlemen, this beautyhere is already taken.” They didn’t really need more to starthowling in laughter. One of them started to shout. “Hey, aren’tyou that guy who’s always with someone different ? This one’s way toogood for a bastard like you.”

Kaoru wasn’tpleased at this and started arguing with them (yes, in the middle ofthe street, at night). The argument quickly got ridiculous, asexpected from drunk men. After roasting Kaoru’s physical appearance,they started to make fun of him and imitate him. Honestly, youwouldn’t even have taken them seriously if Kaoru didn’t look reallyangry. When one guy blurted out “What’s with all those girlsanyway ? D'you have mommy issues or something ?”, Kaoru’s facenoticeably got three shades paler.

You knew that lookon your boyfriend’s face and pushed him behind you before he couldget into a fight. Instead, you stepped up, slapping one of the guysfor trying to punch Kaoru. Everyone got eerily quiet as you startedputting them back in their place. They flinched when you called themdisgusting drunk pigs. Kaoru was looking at you, with a surprised butslightly vacant gaze.

Once you deemed theguys had enough, you walked away furiously. Kaoru soon followed,asking you to wait. He apologized for getting you in that situation,saying it was dangerous for you and yet he acted stupidly andselfishly. Although he was really embarassed about you having to cometo his rescue, he thanked you. And judging by the tears in his eyes,he really was glad to have you. He hugged you tight, and the two ofyou came home, holding hands once more.

Now he acts asthough he’s forgotten all about that one moment. Sexy suave Kaorudoesn’t need to be reminded he almost got his ass handed to him by abunch of drunk retards once, and you saved him in extremis. But he’sso glad you’re here by his side, and you can bet he’ll never forgetthat.

Mika :

Getting Valkyrieback on feet is pretty hard. But if it’s for your boyfriend’s sake,you’d do anything. Even sit through their dance lesson and watch Shuget angry for the sixth time already because Mika messes up that onepart.

Shu’s prettyreclusive and has what Mika calls “limited energy”. So it’soften just you and Mika working on Valkyrie stuff. Which is why youwere downtown that one day, with Mika in his Valkyrie outfit and youhanding out flyers for a concert.

You were justadvertising the unit to passerbys at first, but then Mika had theidea to let flyers in the district mall’s shops so that people couldsee them when shopping. Which gave you an idea : how about askingshopkeepers if Valkyrie could have a small live in front of theirshop ? You remembered the twins doing that to get more fans, maybethat could work for Valkyrie too !

Mika found a verygood spot, right in front of a florist’s shop. The two of you came inasking for permission to occupy the spot in front of the shop. Turnsout the shopkeeper was a rather angry middle-aged woman, who was busybickering with her employees before she saw you coming. She looked atyou suspiciously, eyeing Mika’s outfit.

As Mika wasfumbling with his words, you took it from there and explained you wererepresenting an idol group from the nearby school, asking for herpermission to take up the spot in front of her shop. She flatlyrefused. Mika tried explaining Valkyrie was in a really tight spotbut promptly got quiet as the woman started shouting at him.Apparently he would be really bad publicity for her shop, what withhis weird looks.

She started makingfun of the way Mika looks, stating he looked like a scarecrow, ormaybe one very ill crow. She also commented on his clothes beforestopping at his eyes. “With eyes like this, I’m not sureanyone’d give you a listen anyway.” Customers were getting inthe shop and Mika looked like he was about to cry. You had enough,and everyone jumped up in surprise when you started talking too.

The woman juststared at you while you were roasting her and defending yourboyfriend. Seeing how displeased she looked, you gave her a piece ofyour mind before storming off her shop, slamming the door behind you.

Mika apologizedprofusely, even shaking a bit. He was crying, too, and you hugged himtight, even kissing his cheek. You made it clear to him none of whatthe rude shopkeeper said was true and went to buy him something sweetto eat.

He felt betterafter having a bit of ice cream, and the two of you even liked theshop so much you offered the shopkeeper a collaboration withValkyrie. The shopkeeper gladly took up your offer, and you and Mikashared a happy grin. Mission accomplished.

Adonis :

Adonis likes beingan idol, even though he’s a bit awkward with certain tasks involved.The one thing he doesn’t like is photoshoots, and you know it well.

When Rei announcedhis intention to have one for UNDEAD’s new concert posters, yourboyfriend frowned. As soon as training was over, you got up toAdonis, telling him everything would be okay. He nodded, but youcould tell he wasn’t entirely convinced.

The d-day came waytoo fast. Rei and Kaoru were exceptionally good in their own soloshoots, and Koga was surprisingly more talented at being a model thanyou thought. Last up was Adonis. He gave you a shy smile when youcame to encourage him, giving him a quick kiss when no one waslooking.

Adonis tried hisbest. Really. The photographer soon got fed up and started to shoutinstructions. Your boyfriend tried to follow them, adjusting his poseand forcing a smile. The photographer wasn’t satisfied yet and madehim change poses at least fifteen times. Rei was frowning, next toyou. That wasn’t a good sign.

Maybe the guy hadhad a bad day. Or maybe he was just a rude asshole. Whatever thereason, he started to take his frustration out on Adonis, yelling athim for being so bad at modelling. Everything was wrong : hisposture, his expression… He even told Adonis to quit making thisstupid face, to which your boyfriend meekly answered that was hisnormal face. You felt your patience being tested but decided to staycalm. Rei clicked his tongue, visibly displeased.

When thephotographer got angry at Adonis for having tanned skin, even tellinghim he couldn’t possibly look as good as the japanese guys, Reilooked at you pointedly. You weren’t sure whether he was asking you to intervene or just being curious as to how you’d react. You sure ashell didn’t need Rei’s permission to walk up to the photographer,hands on your hips, and give him a piece of your mind.

He sure tried todefend himself, stating he was only “doing his job”, butyou snapped, reminding him all the racist comments he’d made. Youthen gave him a ultimatum : either he started working professionallyand giving Adonis a chance, or you’d fire him and just find anotherphotographer. He grumbled but got back to work, silently this time.

As soon as Adonis’photoshoot was over, you rushed to see him, asking if he was okay. He looked so sad you couldn’t help but kiss him, swearing he was the world’s mosthandsome boy to you. He’d have kissed you back were it not for Kogabeing a nuisance and just ruining the atmosphere.

That evening, youtook Adonis to a neko café to forget the photoshoot disaster. Hedidn’t really tell you, but you saw in his eyes how happy he was tohave someone like you by his side.

#mod mademoiselle #ensemble stars headcanons #chiaki morisawa #kaoru hakaze #mika kagehira #adonis otogari #enstars headcanons #ensemble stars imagines #enstars imagines #valkyrie #ryuseitai #undead #headcanons

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araminthe-ispwitch · 7 years

Text

The Accursed Tale of Viktor Nikiforov

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Yuri on Ice

Rating: K+

Pairing/s: Viktor Nikiforov/Yuuri Katsuki

Summary:

Once upon a time, there was a man named Viktor Nikiforov. However, his story isn't something clear-cut like generic fairytales.

This is my birthday fic/song fic/attempted character study for Viktor Nikiforov a.k.a. that other dude born on December 25.

Emphasis on the "attempted" part.

Anyways, because he's on Christmas and Georgi "My Stupid Son" Popovich was born on Dec. 26 (can you believe the writers' cruelty???), I've decided that a short series of indirectly comparing them—going along with the theme of Georgi always being shadowed by Viktor—was a great idea.

(It's not actually, because now my other fics had to be put on hold.)

Cross-posted in: AO3 (don’t bother with the FFNet version because FFNet rejects songfics so I had to edit out this poetic fiction of mine there—but as if that’ll make me stop writing them because of the music industries’ logic)

Important Stuff to Note: 1) This Viktor-centric oneshot is very poetic—like REALLY poetic. Because it's a song fic—complete with lyrics and all that—I've tried to visualize it as an AMV of sorts, which is why the writing is like that and there's not much exposition (which, if you've read my other stuff, you'll know is my specialty).

2) Those lines centered, bolded, and italicized all together are the lyrics... and other stuff. ;D

3) There's a lot of time-skips here because we get to see how Viktor's life progresses.

4) I highly, HIGHLY encourage you to watch/listen to "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak, the very inspiration for this and Georgi's own b-day fic. (The link I gave is his music video because you need to see how cute that fucker is, but okay that video's volume is low so here's a nice lyric video instead.)

5) Did you listen to it yet? You should. In fact, somebody should seriously fucking skate to it. I mean, it won Eurovision Song Contest 2009, didn't it? What do you mean it's not the greatest song ever?

6) I use the Victor-with-a-k spelling, so please get used to it.

7) Of course I don’t own YOI or Alexander Rybak’s song. T-T

The Accursed Tale of Viktor Nikiforov

Part 1 of the Two Sides of a Fairytale series

Once upon a time, a lone violin cry deafened the silence.

The spotlights from above grew warm and comforting.

The sound of ice being sliced coalesced into its own song.

And the world stilled to watch and listen.

Come.

Witness the tale of the Accursed Man.

Years ago, when I was younger

I kinda liked a girl I knew

Turquoise-colored eyes fluttered open with their beautiful silver lashes. The sight before them was familiar: a sea of indistinct faces, blurring into the colorful background behind the gleaming horizon of ice and light and white. Everywhere the eyes swept, the images couldn’t imprint on their memory long enough as the owner gracefully turned around and around and around. The dancing man outstretched his arms, beckoning to the empty air. To his precious audience, he was alone up on the glittering stage, but only the man could see the young feminine form coming to him, taking his hands.

Viktor smiled softly, his eyes only for her—for the beautiful creature who only ever answered to him. The girl laughed, eyes crinkling as the brilliant lights of the stadium bore down upon her veil of silver hair and moonlit skin.

They drew close, foreheads touching in a solemn, intimate prayer.

She was mine and we were sweethearts

That was then, but then it’s true

Then they backed away—fingertips still connected—and the mirror dance began.

I’m in love with a fairytale

Even though it hurts

Jump.

Spin.

Balance.

Glide.

Every movement, every action coursed through Viktor’s body as if they were natural to have occurred. And underneath the caress of the piercing music reverberating throughout the stage, they were. Viktor didn’t need to see if the girl was doing well—if she was copying him perfectly.

After all, they were one.

Their heartbeats were dancing to the same song—their skates gliding on the same ice.

They were one. And they will never let each other go.

‘Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind

I’m already cursed

They will always be with each other.

Every day we started fighting

Every night, we fell in love

“Don’t you think your hair is getting too long?”

Viktor blinked at his fellow skater, halting his brushing movements. His silver mane stilled as he did.

“What?”

“It’s not really fitting well with your look right now.”

Viktor blinked some more. “What do you mean?”

“Well… your body is getting more defined throughout the years…” the woman explained. “I think you would look better with a shorter hairstyle.”

“Yeah, I think so, too,” quipped another skater—a guy this time. “You’re past your puberty now, right? Having a mature look would get you more fans!”

Viktor barely heard the man’s encouraging enthusiasm, his hands restarting their brushing motion. His coach came into his view as the others chatted about how Viktor would look like in the future.

“Yakov…”

“Hm?”

Turquoise eyes lifted up to the old man, a glazed and unfocused look to them. “Do you think I should cut my hair?”

Yakov raised a brow.

“Really short, I mean?”

“Ah.” Yakov hummed in thought. He eyed his student’s suddenly-serious disposition. “It would make a good image on you, at least. You’ve never really had short hair before, right?”

Viktor nodded.

“Hairstyle changes can be good sometimes,” said Yakov with a shrug. He eyed Viktor carefully once again. “But it’s alright to not change anything. It’s up to you.”

Viktor nodded again, gaze staring past the floor’s pattern. His hands were busy with brushing, but every bristle of his mane against his fingers felt so keenly sensitive.

No one else could make me sadder

But no one else could lift me high above

“Isn’t your hair a bit too long?”

“You’re an adult now, aren’t you?”

“You should act more mature.”

“A manly sex appeal would suit you!”

“Just think of how the world would fawn over you if you changed your image!”

Darkness. A familiar space. Sometimes, there was color—and other times, it was a void.

A mirror was in front of him. It had always been with him ever since he could remember. It helped him see himself clearly.

His vibrant girl was staring back at him, as usual. But for once, they were wearing the same dull expression.

Unintelligible whispers were echoing throughout the space and every hiss reaching them made his girl shiver. But she wouldn’t openly show her fear. She was strong.

The garbled hissing wrapped itself around Viktor, but he didn’t need to understand them. He knew what they were all about.

Change.

Viktor was at the cusp of metamorphosis and he ought to change.

Ought.

The girl stayed silent, looking back at him with muted blue orbs.

But I like it long.

I don’t know what I was doing

When suddenly, we fell apart

Viktor didn’t know how and when the poisoned words—compelling, daunting, choking words—started to sear themselves into his skin like sentient tattoos, but sear into his skin they did, and Viktor quickly discovered that he was at the mercy of their cruelty.

A game of tug-of-war ensued—Viktor helpless to the pull of the invisible chains linked from his unwanted tattoos to the door outside his sanctuary, yet still stubbornly digging his feet into the ground as he battled to keep his fingertips on the mirror.

Honestly, it was no longer just a game.

His girl mouthed words only audible to him and he managed to add another fraction inch of skin on the reflective glass, at the cost of his curses cutting deeper into his body.

A light suddenly flew past him, startling both man and girl.

Viktor looked over his shoulder. A familiar figure was going ahead to the outside world, and a sense of dread started coiling itself into Viktor’s stomach.

Several more lights flew past the pitch-black sanctuary and Viktor realized with horror that… they were all leaving him behind.

The earth beneath him shifted and the familiar warm feeling of being watched—of being appreciated, of being appraised, of being acknowledged—left his skin like a cold mist settling in. The coiling dread spread almost immediately.

The buzzing in his ears grew louder, a mixture of his girl’s voice and the thousand voices of the outside world.

You can’t stay still.

They’ll get bored.

You need to evolve.

Viktor slowly turned back to his girl, finding her beautiful turquoise orbs filled with uncertainty. He lifted a hand and caressed the image of her porcelain cheek.

Nowadays, I cannot find her

But when I do, we’ll get a brand new start

“Oh, hey, Vik—oh, wow! You look great!”

Viktor squeezed the doorknob as several of his fellow skaters crowded around him to marvel at his new haircut.

“I told you you’d look amazing with short hair!” said the woman who’d suggested the idea to him. They all murmured agreements as they continued to ogle and croon at him.

Unseen to his audience, Viktor looked back over his shoulder, where light from the opened world spilled onto a landscape of darkness and coldness.

A lone mirror stands at the center.

She wasn’t there.

But the hissing and pain of his tattoos had stopped.

Viktor slowly closed the door. He turned back to the audience and forced the corners of his lips to stretch.

“I know, right?”

I’m in love with a fairytale

It remained empty.

Even though it hurts

Snow fell softly on the dimly-lit garden. Seated, Viktor stared up into the dark sky, his arms around his beloved dog. The world was quiet and there was no spotlight or camera flash for Viktor to pose for. Not a soul was in sight for him to entertain.

He was all alone.

But still, the air remained empty.

And deep inside, a hole in his soul grew larger as the days passed.

‘Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind

For every year that passed, the painful inward tugs of the coercive tattoos come and go. They were always the sign that Viktor needed to evolve even further.

His past self must die and be reborn to become stronger—better. He couldn’t let his rivals surpass him for long. He couldn’t let his audience feel bored.

But sometimes, when he’s alone with his thoughts, he would visit the abandoned sanctuary.

The mirror had become transparent glass.

I’m already cursed

Cameras flashed left and right, illuminating the proudly-smiling and charismatic face of Viktor as he held up his gold medal for the world to see.

But the low thrumming of the tattoos were just underneath his costume. He had to change—to unfurl as a new flower—once again.

I’m at the end of my rope. At some point, I’ll have to stop spinning for the world.

Viktor smiled just a little bit wider. He can evolve.

In the darkness, a faint cracking could be heard.

She’s a fairytale, yeah

“A commemorative photo? Sure.”

Viktor couldn’t help his eyes widening by a fraction when the bespectacled man he was one-sidedly talking to just turned away from him without any goodbye whatsoever.

Deep within his core, a familiar tug ached… and brought him back to a time when he lifted his fingertips off that glass.

Viktor turned back to Yakov and Yuri. Just another reminder of the past. Nothing to it.

At least the man had looked horrified at him before he left. That was a nice difference.

Even though it hurts

“Be my coach, Viktor!”

Viktor stared—gaped—unbelieving at the slurred words of the giddy Japanese man clinging to him—who had, only hours before, walked away from the five-time consecutive Grand Prix Final champion like said champion was nothing.

A resounding crack of glass—a shiver—reverberated through him—within him—and Viktor barely stopped himself from letting out an effervescent sob.

‘Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind

When he caught wind of a perfect copy of his winning FS routine for the Worlds already viral online, Viktor’s brows unabashedly cocked in surprise. That wasn’t anything new—some skaters had tried the same throughout the years.

But the way people were reacting to it piqued his curiosity.

Now, lying on his sofa with Makkachin resting on him as he watched the aforementioned video for the fifth time, Viktor understood and respected their awe.

Yuuri Katsuki was something else.

There was no music—only the song of his skates making love with the ice—and yet, Viktor could hear every single note of the familiar melody as if he was right there with him.

A swish of silver hair and tinkling laughter flashed before his mind’s eyes and his lips thinned, bitten inside to prevent him from making any noise.

The video finished too soon for his taste. Unbidden, a small voice asked—whispered—for another replay.

Viktor didn’t hesitate to heed it.

I’m already cursed

“I want to eat pork cutlet bowls with you, Viktor.”

Short silver hair swished to fully turn to Yuuri and turquoise-colored eyes widened in surprise and confusion at the wish of the skater.

“I want to keep on winning, and keep on eating pork cutlet bowls!”

Viktor blinked, the words resurfacing buried images in his mind—of the proud roar of a crowd, of the satisfying weight of a medal around his neck, of the wonderful feeling of his precious mane slipping through his fingers as he lets the rush of the wind toy with it.

“So I’ll skate to ‘Eros’!”

There must be something else I can do to surprise the world. The tattoos had tugged harder, urging him to think of anything. This can’t be the end.

“I’ll give it all the eros I’ve got!”

When Viktor had arrived in Japan, he had convinced himself that this was the path he had been seeking. Yuuri Katsuki had provided that with his drunken plea to him back at the banquet months ago, and after seeing him copy Viktor’s routine, the silver-haired man clung to this hope that he can still evolve—still change and wow the crowd—through this.

But now, seeing the Japanese man boldly declare to him that he was going to fight for a chance to eat with Viktor—to be with Viktor—well…

For the first time in a long while, the searing curse entwined around him and the seeking shadows of that long-abandoned sanctuary stilled for just a moment as Viktor smiled vibrantly, genuinely happy with Yuuri’s wish.

I’m already cursed

The tattoos curl around him for the nth time, and Viktor lets his previous smile linger into just a plain line as the stark whiteness of the outside world’s sanctuary—his new sanctuary—enveloped him completely.

I’m already…

The need to push himself—to extend the rope even further, to exert every last drop of his strength into staying, to hold on until he was forced to let go—curls around him.

Yeah…

His new mirror reflects the sickly white of the place. His hair looks almost non-existent amidst the light.

…

“I hate you.”

The mirror is silent.

No one’s home.

No...

“Viktor?”

No.

A tinkle of familiar laughter.

But when Viktor blinked at a worried Yuuri suddenly so close to his face, the laughter seemed so far away.

No…?

“Is everything okay…?”

Viktor couldn’t help the sudden, quiet intake of breath. Yuuri was a vision in blue. He’s seen the outfit several times already, but never in that color—and for once, he’s glad he let Yuuri choose the shade.

I’m… not?

He lifted his adoring eyes, sparkling in warmth when he notices the dark-haired skater’s pink cheeks.

“H-How do I look…?”

I’m not… cursed…?

Viktor laughs quietly, and the phantom pain from the past ebbs away even further.

“You look beautiful, Yuuri.”

No… I’m not cursed.

“S-So do you!”

Viktor smiles softly. Yuuri was getting nervous again. But this wasn’t something he couldn’t handle.

I’m not.

Now, on the glittering stage they both knew and love so much—with only the lights up above illuminating their story, Viktor inhales and holds his head up high.

Not while I’m with you.

When he fell for Yuuri Katsuki, he realized with shame how much of an idiot he actually is. The sanctuary of white was abysmal, at best, but all this time—even when he came to be with Yuuri and learned to love Yuuri—he never bothered to look around. It had been a self-punishment of sorts.

But just because he had torn himself from his old comfort zone didn’t mean that he couldn’t learn to make this new one comforting.

Viktor looked down. His breath hitched.

He was stepping on a mirror.

The entire floor was a mirror.

A long mane of vibrant silver swayed on the other side, and turquoise eyes widened as its younger version crinkled happily back at him.

Viktor took a step.

His long-lost girl took the step with him.

This time, Viktor didn’t bother stopping his sobs.

His precious girl never left—never disappeared when he did without warning.

She simply found another way to stay.

So please…

“If I win this dance-off, you’ll become my coach, right?”

“I want to eat pork cutlet bowls with you, Viktor.”

“I’m going to become a super tasty pork cutlet bowl, so please watch me!”

“I want you to stay who you are, Viktor!”

“Viktor is the first person I’ve ever wanted to hold on to. I don’t really have a name for that emotion, but I have decided to call it ‘love.’ Now that I know what love is and am stronger for it, I’ll prove it to myself with a Grand Prix Final gold medal!”

“Don’t ever take your eyes off me.”

“Just have more faith than I do that I’ll win! You don’t have to say anything. Just stand by me!”

“I’ll show my love to the whole of Russia.”

“Please be my coach until I retire!”

“I-I’ll try my best from tomorrow on so… tell me something for good luck!”

“After the Finals, let’s end this.”

“Please stay with me in competitive figure skating for one more year! This time, I’ll win gold for sure!”

Please stay.

Turquoise-colored eyes fluttered open with their beautiful silver lashes. The sight before them was familiar: a sea of indistinct faces, blurring into the colorful—dimmed—background behind the gleaming horizon of ice and light and white. Everywhere the eyes swept, the images couldn’t imprint on their memory long enough as the owner gracefully turned around and around and around. The dancing man outstretched his arms, beckoning to the empty air.

Another pair of hands gripped them and Viktor squeezed back.

Viktor smiled softly, his eyes only for him—for the beautiful creature whose gaze stole his heart, whose voice woke him up, whose touch wiped his tattoos. The other man laughed, eyes crinkling as the brilliant colored lights of the stadium bore down upon his jet-black hair and creamy skin.

Yuuri wasn’t a replacement for his old dancing partner. Far from it.

Viktor could feel his little girl moving within him, eagerly shadowing his movements as they led their partner—lover—on this intimate dance.

Stay close to me.

And never leave.

Yuuri smiled up at him, drawing close as they switched places and he held Viktor tenderly.

Man and girl, one as can be, sighed in content… and embraced him back.

Yuuri is his muse—his life and love.

“Viktor! Long time no see! Wow, you look great!”

Viktor smiled at Yuko as he entered Ice Castle. They were back in Japan after training in Russia. “Hey, Yuko!”

“Oh, you’re growing out your hair, huh?”

At the mention, the skater’s hand went up to smooth his silver mane back, still unused to finding a hair tie on it. It’s been a while.

“Well, I found out that Yuuri really liked it long back then, so…” he trailed off teasingly, sharing a conspiratorial grin with Yuko as the aforementioned male joined them in the lobby.

“Hm? My hair?”

Yuuri nodded, leaning back against the sofa’s backrest as Viktor lied his head down on his lap, idly watching the television in their apartment’s living room.

“Why’d you cut it back then?”

Viktor’s answered the question so many times already that it comes almost automatically to him. But remembering that this was Yuuri—his Yuuri—asking, he paused and pondered on what to say.

“No reason, really. I guess I was just getting tired of it being so long and decided I should change things up.” In the end, he couldn’t think of a better-sounding answer.

Yuuri hummed in reply, carding his fingers through Viktor’s crowning glory spilled on his thighs.

Viktor looked up at him. “Why? Do you like it longer?”

Yuuri’s used to his teasing by now, but he still couldn’t play off the blush on his cheeks. “W-Well… I’m just remembering how beautiful you looked with it…”

Viktor pouted. His little girl giggled softly at his silly envy. “Why? Don’t I look beautiful right now?”

He expected Yuuri to flounder, but was taken aback when the other replied almost immediately, “You do.”

Turquoise eyes widened, and his girl and his heart both gasped in disbelief at the pure happiness the two words evoked deeply within them. His sanctuary flickered like a shining prism.

“So…” The fingers combing his head hadn’t faltered in their movements. “Do you want to see me like that again?”

Now they did. And Viktor found with glee that Yuuri’s expression reserved only for him never stops filling him with life.

“Why are you two looking at me like that…?” asked Yuuri warily, looking back and forth between the two. Viktor couldn’t help flashing him a mischievous grin.

“No reason…” he drawled with a wiggle of his eyebrows, twirling a piece of his silver locks that were already reaching past his shoulders.

Yuuri jolted, turning his head away—but his ears were obviously red.

“C-C’mon already! D-Didn’t you say you wanted to s-skate?!”

As Yuko and Viktor laughed at Yuuri’s frazzled composure, Viktor inwardly smiled and let himself be pulled back into his sanctuary.

He didn’t know when and how, but the old one eventually melded with his new one, a door no longer separating the two together. The mirror floor was as beautiful as ever, but unlike the ice, this one granted Viktor clear view of himself and the things in his sanctum. His girl was with him, as usual, and she started dancing to silent music as the colors bled and spilled into their place, ever-changing and vibrant as the lights hit them. Viktor stared down at her fondly, watching her skate along her side of the mirror.

The tattoos were slithering on him again—never truly erased—but this time… they compelled Viktor to join her.

To join him.

Viktor brought himself back to the outside world, where Yuuri was waiting for him on the rink. He hurriedly tied his laces with a smile on his face.

Funny, he thought to himself. His cheeks would always hurt from smiling too much, but this time, he didn’t mind it at all. He liked it.

Now, come, my love…

His excited eyes quickly spotted Yuuri as he entered the rink.

People say you can’t love someone else if you don’t love yourself.

Yuuri kicked off with his favorite triple axel, cleanly landing as his arms gracefully balanced his body.

Bullshit.

Viktor’s lips twitched when his fearless girl intoned her similar thoughts passionately alongside his.

I’ve never loved myself.

A hazy world filled with dimmed memories came to him and he didn’t fight it for once.

But you…

Then, hazel orbs caught his turquoise ones, and despite the distance and its poor eyesight, they held on to his almost stubbornly.

Oh god, you…

They sparkled when Viktor came closer, so much closer.

I loved you so much, I forgot what hating myself felt like.

Then they fluttered close and so did Viktor’s, as they let their unheard song guide their heartbeats on what dance to do.

Join me in this fairytale

And let’s never let it end.

This is the incomplete tale of the Accursed Man named Viktor Nikiforov—who thought that he was cursed, but it was only in his mind.

Come.

See the current dance finish in rapture.

Let the song of the ice soothe your souls.

Make the spotlights your allies in this wonderful stage we call life.

Now, as lover and lover spin slowly to a halt, tucking their blades into a dramatic pose…

A crashing crescendo deafens the silence.

And the crowd roars in applause, yelling for an encore.

A/N:

Right, you probably want my explanation on this mindfuckery now.

Well, when I first thought of a birthday fic for Viktor, I figured a song fic would be better and won't take much time. (It did, though. Fuck you, writer's block.) Since I'm too obsessed with Alexander Rybak's Fairytale, I immediately saw a good analogy for him there (and an even more literal one with Georgi, but I'll explain that on his own oneshot). This was inspired specifically by this post, about one of the headcanons on why Viktor cut his long hair. I waited for the anime to finish so that I could properly arrange my thoughts on this headcanon and how it would've affected his life until the end of Season 1.

Viktor's oneshot is the poetic, figurative, and symbolic side of the song Fairytale (while Georgi's is the literal). His little girl is his inner self, and I've applied this symbolism liberally—and now, whether it denotes his feminine side, his gay side, or his soft side is all up to you readers. All I know is, during his life as a skater, he had to give up lots of things or turn his back on them, and for me, one of that was his old self. (I like the idea that he sees her as his skating partner back then.) When he met Yuuri, he gained another view on life and managed to reconnect with his past. And now, he's happier and healthier inside, because he had never wanted to lose his past self in the first place. That's not to say he's lost his maturity or something—more like, when he was younger, he was so dependent on that side of him, but now that he's grown as a person and he reunites with her, he becomes even better because he can now clearly see so many things that he had ignored up until that point.

(Am I making sense? Maybe you guys can just chalk it up to poetic license.)

I took a lot of scenes and lines from the anime that fit so well with this. Think you can find them all? :D

Also, the last batch of monologue when Viktor joins Yuuri skating in Ice Castle is a tribute to this post. It had Yuuri saying those lines about Viktor, but we all know that it can also go both ways, right? :3

All in all, Viktor Nikiforov is a complex man and I can't wait to see more of him in Season 2. After all, this fairytale isn't over yet, is it? :D

Belated happy birthday, you silly Russian man.

(someone hold me writing this hurt my heart omg)

Georgi’s side (Part 2 of the Two Sides of a Fairytale series)

#Yuri on Ice #Yuri!!! on Ice #YOI #YOI!!!#Victuuri #Viktuuri #Viktor Nikiforov #Victor Nikiforov #Yuuri Katsuki #Yuri Katsuki #Alexander Rybak #Ara's writings #fanfics #at least Tumblr won't persecute me for artfully presenting lyrics #yoi fanfic #yuri on ice fanfic

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