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haitanirindo · 3 years

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zukka fics that live in my head rent free!

1. what did you bury before those hands pulled me from the earth (what were you digging) by draco_sollicitus status: complete (18k words) rating: mature pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: Sokka is immortal; it's been tested, he knows that he can't die. He's immortal, but he's not quite a god like his sister, Katara. He's immortal, but he's not quite powerful like his friends Aang and Toph. He's just sort of Sokka: good at fixing things, good at playing pranks, good at helping people. When a bet against Toph goes horribly wrong, and an attempt to save him goes even worse, Sokka finds himself the unwilling guest of the Lord of the Underworld. And, strangely enough, every story Sokka's heard about Lord Zuko seems to be ... completely wrong. (Also, he's really handsome. Why does he have to be handsome?)

mythology nerds come get y’all juice. a very good fic. 10/10

2. Where I Want to Be by through-the-stars-to-the-pavement status: WIP (83k words) rating: explicit pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: "'The fog was where I wanted to be.'" Everything is different. The pitch of his voice, his posture. The auditorium goes silent. No one can take their eyes off of him.… He's amazing. Zuko had to perfect the art of acting as a child to survive the horrors of his homelife. When he got older, it was only natural to take his talent to the stage for entertainment and escape. Enter Sokka, a craftsman and set designer with a giant heart who is haunted by plenty of ghosts of his own. A tale of trauma, disability, family, creativity, and love.

this is one of my all time favorite fics. it’s seriously so good and i think about it often

3. Teaching a Heart by @i-write-shakespeare-not-disney status: WIP (114k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: Sokka is asked to go to the Fire Nation to teach the crown prince how to sword fight. When he arrives, he's surprised to learn he has to pose as a companion before he can teach the stubborn prince because he rejects every teacher. Far from home and among new customs, Sokka struggles to gain the prince's trust and friendship despite the uncertainties of the customs and dynamics he sees. As he slowly finds answers to his questions, his bond with the prince grows until it becomes something far more ardent than friendship. Doomed as it may be with the prince's approaching wedding ceremony and coronation, Sokka and Zuko find themselves consumed by what they find in each other.

i have no words, i just love this fic and it makes me weep.

4. The Road Between Action and Inaction by @donvex status: complete (17k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: Sokka does a shitty k turn in the parking lot across from the bus station, pulls up to the curb where the boy is looking determinedly at his phone, and rolls down the passenger window. “Hey! Which way were you going?” He may die, but at least his conscience will be clear. The guy blinks at him. “Don’t.” Oh, he’s prickly. Or: the hitchhiker au, featuring Sokka and Zuko falling in love without even realizing it.

a classic. roadtrip fics own my ass.

5. purrfect for eachother by lesmiserablol status: complete (3k words) rating: general audiences pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: “Let me teach you how to be a cat person,” Zuko says. “Learning from the master himself,” Sokka grins. “Alright, this can’t be too hard. Show me what you got.” (because sometimes, it takes going to a cat café four times to realize you're in love with your best friend)

this whole series is adorable, reading it is self care

6. Ashes Inside When You Finish Your Song by @muncaster status: complete (47k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko, aang/katara, mai/ty lee summary: Sokka writes lyrics for his sister’s band. Zuko plays piano and is unnecessarily nice. Fellas, is it gay to write love songs about your friend and his golden eyes? (AKA, a modern band AU featuring The Gaang, crappy software equipment, homoerotic lyrics, and the realization that maybe, if you think about a guy every night before you sleep, you just might be in love with him.)

i think this is the longest one-shot i’ve ever read and it’s so worth it

7. a study in matchmaking by @verdanthoney status: complete (12k words) rating: general audiences pairing(s): sokka/zuko, aang/katara, bato/hakoda summary: Zuko and Sokka try to play matchmaker, but things don't go exactly as planned.

this fic makes me want to scream, in the best way. it’s so cute

8. A Predictable Story by mindbending status: complete (7k words) rating: general audiences pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: "On this night, you shall share a kiss with a great love of your life!” That lying, scummy Aunt Wu predicts a grand romance for Sokka. To disprove her "fortunetelling" once and for all, Sokka decides to spend the night with least romantic person he knows. Zuko.

again, i have no words. this fic is cute as hell

9. that’s murder, buddy by @bisexual-atla status: WIP (14k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: Throughout the streets, on quiet nights, it was rumored the screams of those missing could be heard. Some say the sounds were coming from underground. Where were the young girls? And what was happening to them? Was an evil spirit haunting Gaoling, or something more human? More sinister? My name is Zuko, and you’re tuning into another episode of ‘That’s Murder, Buddy’. Or: Sokka has no idea that his crush is the host of his favorite podcast. (But everyone else knows.)

i love the entire concept of this one, we love oblivious sokka

10. We’ll play hide and seek (to turn this around) by @crosspin status: complete (5k words) rating: general audiences pairing(s): sokka/zuko, bato/hakoda summary: Sokka gave him a sheepish smile. “It’s…well, you see, there’s this boy…” Hakoda sighed and set down the sports section. This was going to take a while. “He works at Barnes & Noble. At the big information desk in the middle. Every Saturday. And I really want to ask him for his number, but it’s super awkward because there’s always this other guy working the information desk at the same time. He’s old, like you. But I have a plan." Sokka’s eyes lit up deviously. “You come with me to Barnes & Noble today when they’re working and distract the old man. And while you have him distracted, I’ll swoop in and get the goods!” Sokka has a plan to ask out the cute boy at the bookstore. Hakoda is a begrudging participant until he meets the boy's beautiful older coworker.

this fic!! this fic! adorable, incredible, magnificent

11. feels like we only go backwards by @oldpotatoe status: WIP (88k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: [Time passes oddly. Between one second and the next, Sokka has the Fire Lord pinned to the wall with his hands around the bastard’s throat. Golden eyes (one gold eye, his mind whispers) widen in shock. “Sokka?” he chokes out. And then he smiles. What the fuck? “Sokka, I—” Sokka slams his head against the wall, once, twice, and the smile wipes off his face. Good. “What,” Sokka bites out, “have you done to my sister?”] Or: An injury leaves Sokka with amnesia. His last memory is of the failed invasion, of leaving his father behind in enemy territory on the Day of Black Sun. Of hopelessness. Rage. But then he wakes up, and the war is over. Suddenly, he must come to terms with the fact that years have passed, and that he's somehow the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador to the Fire Nation. He is also supposedly friends with banished-Prince-turned-Fire-Lord Zuko, of all people. Close friends. Yeah, nah.

if you’ve been following me for a while you know this fic fucks me up beyond belief

12. breakable heaven by @fruitysokka status: WIP (43k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: With his twenty-first birthday looming just around the corner, the Southern Water Tribe Elders have decided that Sokka, next in line to be Chief, needs to get married. Sokka does not want that, but he does need to get them off his back until he can figure his way out of it. What better way to do that than to pretend to date his best friend (and newly minted Ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe) Zuko? Seriously, this is a foolproof plan. Maybe one of Sokka's best. Absolutely nothing can go wrong.

this just in: sokka and zuko being oblivious makes me want to yell

this turned out a bit longer than i expected but it also doesn’t even cover all my favorites. i had to stop somewhere, or i’d be here forever. maybe i’ll make a part two someday.

anyway, enjoy!

#cas recs things #fic rec #atla #zukka #cas speaks #text #zukka fics #zukka nation

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vomara · 4 years

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I saw your posts about Katara and the general treatment of female characters in the new ATLA fandom and what i wanna know is, why is it like this now? You know usually i'd say if there's misogyny in a fandom is because the show itself has big problems with it. But ATLA is like, the complete opposite of that? It's a very good show in terms of equality between female and male characters. And it was out there pushing that over a decade ago.

Like who's coming into this show full of great women and going "I only care about the boys and the girls are annoying"? Methinks these people are far too accustumed to shows and fandom where male characters and male focus are the norm, and they come into this show and start perpetuating the same, but this is to me at least almost entirily the fandom's fault. Cause the show isn't out there purposely ignoring or giving bad dialogue and arcs to the women in it. (2/2)

yeah, i agree. there's a very clear and longstanding male-centric bias in fandom in general, and atla is no exception, and yes, it really isn't well-supported by canon, which has plenty of well-developed female characters. atla fandom isn't the WORST i've been in, but the fandom focus has... shifted very male-centric nowadays in a way that wasn't always so prominent. while i'm not gonna say that it was a fantastic thing, before about 2015, there was a little bubble of more female-centric fanwork in the fandom -- mostly concerning azula, but other characters, too. (again, i don't think that it was a fantastic thing, given the fact that a lot of azula fanwork tends to ignore fundamental aspects of her, but it was there, and it existed.) now what? the fandom is predominantly z*ukka, with lingering remnants from a thriving z*utara fandom.

in general, i don't blame fandom for zuko being a fan-favorite -- he was practically designed that way. dramatic and attractive, with one of the most visible character arcs in the series. for other characters, you actually have to pay attention to see how they learn and change; for zuko, you don't have to pay much attention at all. but exempting him, the two most developed characters are aang and katara, both of whom get glossed over in fandom, particularly 2020 fandom. since katara is the main female, let's look at her.

why is she so disrespected in fandom? i think we can start by examining the largest pairings. the z*utara fandom goes all the way back to the airing of the show itself. it's a genuinely compelling dynamic and i like it, but the fandom repels me deeply... because katara is often forced into a position where she has to perform emotional labor in order to force zuko to redeem himself. her character often loses spark, and she sometimes becomes passive in way that's not canon. not to mention there's a whole subset of z*utara tropes that feels very... colonialist. and being a brown girl, fitting her into these more passive, colonized molds is... uh, not a good look on the fans. but i digress. at least she's there and present.

now flash forward to post-2015, but especially 2020, z*ukka fandom. (this fandom existed prior, but was much more lowkey.) the one thing about a lot of mlm pairings in practically every fandom, is how fans can choose to exclude the females of the narrative. this is in no way a disparagement of gay shipping -- but it is a criticism of how those same shippers behave to other characters. other characters, especially females, become accessories to their main ship, and because of that, they often become flat and unidimensional. furthermore, z*ukka had a rival ship in z*utara, so establishing a sense of superiority comes down to proving that sokka is somehow better than katara in some form or another. and how? she's homophobic, she's whiny, she's a "mom", she's "straight" (???) ... or maybe they call her badass and assign her no other traits. maybe they even pair her off with another person to get her out of the way, so they can focus on their mlm pairing, which they justify as more important because it's "progressive shipping". essentially, unlike z*utara, z*ukka stans can very conveniently throw katara out the window. she doesn't need to be present, and so often times, she isn't.

it's just all part of this continued shafting of brown girls in fandom. the fandom CONSISTENTLY loves to hate katara, specifically because she talks about her trauma so much. (which is justified as hell! she lost her mother and then became a mother to the rest of her village at a young age, and she uses this trauma to help her empathize with others!) zuko's out here monologuing about his trauma, and everyone loves him, but this same love doesn't extend to katara. it's irksome to say in the least. sokka, who's of the same race, gets a lot more attention, and that really says a lot about how gender plays into fan-following, because he isn't quite as developed as she is.

there are other girls in the fandom with notable followings, but honestly it would take forever going through each one of them step by step. azula is the most significant in fandom, and that's partially because her character development is strong and visible in the way that zuko's is. also, people have a tendency towards enjoying more unstable females, but that's its own thing. overall, though, even she has been long outstripped by the fan-following of the main mlm ship in fandom. there's no way to compete with that.

and really, that's all it is. this recent misogyny is very much a result of this almost cultish shift towards one particular ship in fandom, an mlm ship that very obviously allows for the exclusion of female characters. once you become a superfan and enwrapped in this type of cultish shipping, you no longer need canon, you no longer need the rest of the cast, and you no longer need female characters, and so you can just enter into a nice little echo chamber where you talk about the same two characters over and over again and get completely disconnected from the original material. and that sucks, because often times, it's the canon context and the complexity of other characters that provide complexity to these characters you're discussing, and now that you've disconnected, you've warped and flattened the dynamic of everyone including those favorite characters into something very generic and boring. and that's a travesty! but, well, i suppose it’s just another byproduct of misogyny.

#i spent over an hour going off i am so sorry #it's wild how this is like... the tip of the iceberg. i had SO much more #atla #ask #text #mine #fandom wank

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ravenvsfox · 6 years

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Hey Meghan. Have you seen season 7 of Voltron yet? I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews. I watched it and was disappointed in some ways (though not surprised), and a little bored at parts (parts of it reminded me of the politics of Order of the Phoenix), and I loved some other parts. Cosmo for MVP this season. But what was your take (if you watched it)?

Okay holy shit!!! I literally just finished it this instant right now and I have many many thoughts if you’ll indulge me

(obviously there will be spoilers below so uhhh....... watch out)

Firstly I want to be clear that like everyone’s critiques of this season?? beyond valid. so absolutely justified.

I’m mostly disheartened to my bones that the writers think they exist in a creative vacuum that’s somehow out of reach of the bury your gays trope, and that they assumed hyping up a two dimensional gay character destined for death would be.... okay

“here’s a dead gay man that we did not mourn for nor care about plEASE clap”

plus I don’t like.. care about allurance and I thought it was boring and unnecessary lol but like it is what it is and I’m not surprised by it

I think their relationship scans the same way that Aang and Katara’s did in atla, you know? like they’re together bc they’re both..... there.... blue and pink, boy likes girl, girl gives in eventually (when OBVIOUSLY zuko would’ve been a better and more interesting match for katara 👀👀)

making allura a blushing schoolgirl who’s like.. forgotten lotor I guess?? weird. making keith seem straight??? curveball. homophobic

All that said though? I love love loved this season I thought it was hopeful and rallying and emotional and connective

Here are some of my favourite things!

- Shiro and Keith’s brotherhood is such a key emotional force and seeing a vulnerable furious rebel find himself a family and a purpose all at once was SO effective

- Keith is a superb leader, like. everything about him is beyond s1 keith’s wildest dreams. He fosters emotional connections and commands respect, he’s a mama’s boy and a deeply awkward friend as well as being the utter coolest and thinking so quickly on his feet that he’s a blur my dude

- the war feels like a war!! there are such interesting stakes, military proficiency with a healthy dollop of alienness and magic, quirky pilot personalities, interpersonal drama, and endurance of human spirit. When it’s the Earth on the chopping block everything seems more frantic and flawed and personal

- I totally get what you mean about kinda boring politics, but it actually felt the most compelling to me of any season’s shop talk, maybe because there were familiar faces on home turf, and we got to see the way the Holts or Iverson or Veronica worked through their fear and hope

- I loved that there was some lost time, I love that people grew up and grew apart, the implications of time flushing out years and lives from the resistance instantaneously

- now like.. the paladins are unquestionably soldiers, saviours, legends, and they’re also kids who will never really know how old they are?? like they’ve suffered all of this loss and blinked in and out of existence, and when they face Earth again, both they and their home are unrecognizable, and everyone is struggling but also more capable than they ever thought possible

- Hunk is the bravest gd kid and he got to actually hear and feel and understand that (Keith is so fatally honest and wildly action-driven that I think it was critical that he was the one to tell Hunk his worth as a soldier). He has incredible ideas and unshakeable heart and he went from relating to Romelle to relating to Keith? like from poking fun at his own fear to understanding that bravery and terror are two sides of the same coin

- Allura wrestling malfunctioning technology to the floor and gifting altean tech and being metal as fuck but also embodying this steady kind of gentleness?? unreal. give her more interesting lines.

- I heart Coran, my alien kiwi dad

- all of them being vulnerable and sleepy and bored and confused, roadtripping and participating in a game show and spiralling out into hallucinations in space. interesting arcs for interesting kiddos

- Pidge is a child in the war of a lifetime and we got to see her vulnerability and brilliance coexisting in the same scenes. When she leapt out to hug her mom with all four limbs and when the Atlas was under attack and she like whimpered ‘dad?’ she was so so young we really weren’t allowed to forget it

- Cosmo (Kosmo??) you’re absolutely right, a true MVP, head and shoulders above the rest of the animal sidekicks, my apologies to mademoiselle kaltenecker. That scene where lance guides keith & pidge through guarded terrain and they teleport around on the back of a wolf? TIGHT as HELL

- everything about lance, everything everything

- the way he always stands up for his friends first, before anyone else, with that determined mouth of his, “don’t you touch her”, the way he thinks mixed heritage and leadership are the future, the singleminded tenderness for and reliance on keith as “team leader” even though it makes him second in command

- his pristine marksmanship, the focus and seriousness and planning, his ease in battle scenarios, slapping down a shield in front of Veronica to free his arms for fighting or swinging out a rifle to cover Keith’s back, the way war looks on him

- and the way it isn’t all of him!! his gnawing worry for his family, the way you can see him shrug off his trauma when he sees them again, how much kids and animals adore him, his willingness to die for his cause or his sister or his people, self sacrificing over and over again without hesitation, looking so sad and grave when no one’s looking

- his strength at Keith’s side, their constant fizzing energy in battle, their trust in each other, turning their bayards in tandem and creating magic together, voting each other out of purgatory

- (calling him the dumb one is patently untrue and pretty shitty in general lol)

- Veronica? exactly perfect. strong and annoyed and fierce. The only person who makes sense to be lance’s sister, so exasperated and kind and willing to die

- Shiro’s gorgeous character design, his blinding strength, (like..... he shouldn’t have to be this strong and he should’ve gotten big gay married and never been hurt again but) his expression when he finds himself at the helm of a sinking ship and the sheer grit that allows him to win anyway

- his victory is (as always) borne from his generosity for the people he loves and always always believes in

- the last episode?? the coalition of survivors, Shiro’s rousing speech, the sweeping music, the way everyone looked at ruin and division and got immediately to work? hurts. exactly the right emotional punch.

- unity, shiro says. unity, the universe echoes.

#my appreciation personally outweighs my critiques but if it doesn't for you that's totally cool #voltron #vld #voltron season 7 #vld spoilers #not books #fairytalesmakeyoustrong #ask

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manhattanprincesmythe · 6 years

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Refuge || ST. SMYTHE

Jesse walked into the club early, glancing around to see if there was anybody already here. He was often the first one here, or the only one practicing his show. There were a lot of dancers that had come and gone already, even in his few months here. It was a good job, but most of them had bigger aspirations. He did too, he supposed, but he'd really lost track of them over time. Still, he saw nobody here and wasn't surprised. He glanced at the staircase where he knew Sebastian's office was waiting at the top. He'd barely spoken to his boss in months, with the exception of work talk or polite greetings and he'd be lying if he said it didn't hurt. "Idiot," he muttered to himself. He'd been nothing but a warm mouth for Sebastian and he'd known that going in. Hell, it was all Jesse had wanting going into it as well. So he shouldn't be surprised or disappointed. Still, it had been nice to have somebody to blow some steam off with for a time. He sighed, and walked towards the stairs, knowing he had to ask Sebastian to approve a new routine, the one he'd been working on, anyway.

Walking into his office, Sebastian had left the door open, which wasn't really a thing that he did. He guarded the privacy of his office, wanting to keep the way business were handle apart from the employees; they didn't need to know all the pesky, sometimes dark details of how business was taken care of most times, which was why Sebastian walked in with a troubled mind, not minding he had left the door open. He poured himself a drink and sighed as he sat down on his chair, his eyes looking at the ceiling for a long while, not even drinking yet, and also not even noticing someone was walking in.

@notyourbroadwaybabe

When Jesse reached the top of the stairs, he stared at the door in front of him for the longest time. He debated just turning around and walking away again, abandoning the new routine. But he'd been working on it for some time and he knew the crowd would like it and, truthfully, he needed the extra tips. People paid when they saw something new, it was basic performing. He knocked lightly and then pushed the door open out of habit, "boss? I have something I need to run by you."

Sebastian had his head between his hands, his elbows resting on the desk while he sat on the chair, his brain working a thousand miles an hour with thoughts; when he heard Jesse's voice he looked up and leaned back on his chair, sighing. "Yeah, what is it?"

Jesse felt bad for disturbing Sebastian for a moment, because it was clear he'd been probably using the few seconds of private time he had to compose his thoughts. "I finally got that move I've been working on for months so I changed up my routine and I know I have to run it by you." His eyes wandered to the desk for a second, and he couldn't help but thinking of Sebastian bending him over it. Not that they'd ever done that here, only the one time in Sebastian's apartment, but sometimes he still found his mind wandering. He blinked, shaking his head and then looked back up to Sebastian, I can come back, if you're busy."

Sebastian didn't really pay attention to anything Jesse said, except the part when he said he was leaving. "No, in fact... Close the door and sit down. We have- I have something to tell you, Jesse."

Jesse's brow creased in confusion and then he nodded, stepping inside of the office. He was suddenly glad he'd been practicing in a shirt, because although being shirtless around Sebastian was nothing he wasn't used to given his job. But he was sure that nowadays, wearing merely the short, tight shorts he wore to work in the office alone with Sebastian would make him feel uncomfortable, at least mildly. "We?" He asked, looking around.

Sebastian waited until Jesse closed the door and was sitting down, then put his glass down before he leaned forward on his chair. "The guy that jumped you... His body- They found him. The Morettis found him."

Jesse felt like the floor had given away beneath him, and he just stared at Sebastian, the words ringing in his ears. It was like he couldn't quite comprehend them, but also had all the consequences already swirling through my brain. "Oh my god..." He leaned back against the wall, "I think I'm going to be sick... fuck, I knew I should have called the cops... risked the self defence charge. But then, no, the Morettis would have killed me for killing one of theirs. They wanted me dead anyway. But you... great. I'm going to prison. I'm not even one of your foot soldiers, you'll throw me under the bus because the cops will assume you did it. Fuck, when they find out I'm gay in prison, I'm fucking screwed. I can pass as straight right? Totally. Fuck," he said again, his back sliding down until he was sitting on the ground in Sebastian's office, "wait." A thought struck him and he looked up at Sebastian, the mild panic from earlier only growing and he was sure Sebastian was going to kick him out for being a nuisance, "you said the Morettis found him. Not the cops. How did they even know where to look?"

Sebastian raised his brow so high, it almost touched his hairline, then as he watched Jesse slipping down to the floor, he stood up and poured some bourbon in a second glass and walked back to where Jesse was, then gave it to him. "Shut the fuck and drink this, St. James. Jesus..." He shook his head and leaned against his desk as he took a sip of his own drink. "Because that's where our families usually dump the trash" he said matter of factly.

Jesse looked up from where his head was resting in his hands and saw the small glass with the amber liquid being held in front of him. He narrowed his eyes but took it from Sebastian, giving it a small sniff. "It isn't poison, is it?" At Sebastian's look - and oh boy, if looks could kill - he shrunk back in himself and took a drink. He supposed Sebastian would have no need to kill him, he probably needed him to throw him under the bus. With that thought in mind, he took a much larger mouthful of the drink, always so jealous as to how smoothly Sebastian's expensive bourbon went down. "Right," he muttered to himself, "of course. What does that... what does that mean though? Do they want blood? Or are the cops investigating? I don't know what's worse, oh my god," he thudded his head against the wall behind him and groaned.

Sebastian frowned when Jesse said that, then rolled his eyes as he walked back to the edge of his desk and drank some more, his hand holding onto the counter so tight, his knuckles turned white, that's how on the edge he was, even if he didn't show it. Things were much more simpler just a while ago, when he held Jesse down onto that same desk and fucked the lights out of him; but things had changed, and in what way. "They usually don't want the poilce involved in things like these, and the police don't care about our families feud either, so... If I remember correctly from my childhood, there should be some sort of meeting soon."

Jesse stared at Sebastian, hand gripping onto the glass as he down the rest of the drink in one go. His legs felt too unsteady to stand up so he didn't he bothered trying, instead he just set the glass aside him on the ground, and ran a hand through his hair before he realised. An ex girlfriend had told him once that when he got nervous, he used to run his hand through his hair like ... what was the example she used? Right, Danny Zuko. He supposed he still did it sometimes. "A meeting? What between the two families? That sounds more like a bloodbath." He paused and then added after taking a breath steady himself. Maybe the past couple of years had taken him down a notch, with everything that happened at Dante's, and everything with Sebastian here... but he was still Jesse St James and he needed to stop acting like some kind of coward. "I don't feel bad. About killing him. It was actually mildly satisfying. So I don't care what you tell them."

Sebastian chuckled and downed the rest of his scotch, already on his way to get another one. Once he had joked with a cousin of his that it would be cool if their families would be anything like they were in The Godfather movies; turns out, it was a lot like that, even to his own liking. "It's not. Not at first, at least. We need to sit down and talk about what happened, what can it be done, if there can any leverage from both sides, things like that. If no arragement is made then-" He shrugged, figuring that Jesse could imagine the rest. "Things had been rather calmd for years, but both families now have different people at front, i mean different people from our parents, so I guess it's as good a time as any to lay down some new rules. Plus, the attack on you was deliberate. It was meant to stir things up, and it did, so now we have to deal with it. What you did was self deffense, nothing more or less, and that's story you're sticking to, understood?" He was about to pour himself more scotch, then he turned around to look at him with a frown in his face. "Wait... What's that suppose to mean? 'I don't care what you tell them.' What do you think I was going to tell them anyway?"

Jesse listened to Sebastian's words, but didn't reply. If someone had told him a year ago he'd been entangled in a fight between two of New York's most prolific mob families, he would have laughed at them. And yet, here he was, sitting on the floor of Sebastian's office. It was almost surreal, imagining the two of them sitting down. Comical even. He knew it wouldn't be like that, but he couldn't help but picture Sebastian sitting on a large spinning chair at the end of a table, cat in hand as dramatic music played. "I... I don't know," he shrugged, "I guess that I killed one of their guys. I know it was a deliberate hit on me but they'll want blood, right? Blood for blood? Telling them it's me gets them off your case. I'm not part of your family, I'm just some nobody that dances at your club."

Sebastian walked back to where he had been standing on his desk and leaned back, a soft chuckle falling from his lips. "What are you saying, that you're willing to be the poetic martyr in this whole story? Is that it, St. James?"

Jesse made a face, giving Sebastian a look, "nobody wants to be a martyr. Anybody who says they want that is ridiculous. But if you're going to tell them what happened and what I did to save your family's skins, then I may as well not be some coward about this. Even though I'm sure you think I am."

Sebastian shrugged. "I don't think you're a coward. You killed that man to protect yourself. I haven't done in all of my life yet, nor I think I'd be able to. As for telling them, they already know what happened. All that's left is decide what to do next. Until that's done, you'll be under total survelliance with one of our security teams, understood?"

Jesse stared at Sebastian, not blinking, for a few moments as an uncomfortable silence filled the room. "You-" he said, breaking it, "- you've never killed someone? I ... I always figured you had. I know you guys never get your hands dirty and all that, but I figured as some test you would have had to at some point." He laughed, though it was sad and unamused and shook his head, thudding it back against the wall, "why are you helping me? I would have thought with everything that happened, you wouldn't have really cared anymore."

Sebastian chuckled, then turned around to go back to his chair. "Yeah, it's always easier to think like that." He put the glass aside and looked at him with a frown on his face. "What'd you mean why? I- well, I don't know- Maybe I just don't want anything else bad happen to you. PLus, it's all connected to you, so you deserved to know what's going on."

Jesse looked at Sebastian, almost like he was studying him, "I don't know. You and I have barely spoken since you kicked me out of your office, so I guess I just figured we had sex, you were done with me and that was that. So I wondered why. I just assumed you wouldn't really care anymore." He finally pushed himself off the ground, though he still leaned back against the wall, "I'm not trying to say I don't appreciate it, because I do. I don't want to die and be dumped in a river. I guess I just figured if it ever came to that, me being gone wouldn't exactly make a difference to anybody."

Sebastian crossed his arms as he watched Jesse stood up from the floor. "Like I once already said, I care about you, and all my employees for that matter, because you all work for me. It's my responsability to keep a safe work environment, and if something happens that is work related, like this case in point, it's my duty to see it through. So yeah. I care." He sat down and gave him a curious, almost fond look. "Come on... I wouldn't let that happen to you, St. James. You think I'd willingly let go, in any way, of the best piece of ass I've had in years?"

Jesse couldn't help but let out a genuine laughter at that, though there was something uneasy in his stomach. He knew - or hoped - Sebastian didn't mean it like that, but it just reminded him of Dante's, or just things in the past in general. Being treated as nothing more than a - in Sebastian's words - piece of ass, wasn't exactly an experience he wanted to go through again. He nodded. "I am a very nice piece of ass, I'll give you that. Always more where that came from," he winked, because he couldn't help himself and then pushed off the wall. He sat in the chair opposite Sebastian, on the other side of his desk. "You always say that though. About it being your responsibility to keep a safe work environment and all that. I don't think you get how unusual that is, for this line of work. You talk like it's the norm. It's not. May I?" He asked, reached out for the bottle of whisky sitting on the desk.

Sebastian pushed tthe bottle towards Jesse so he could pour some more scotch himself, glad that the other man seemed a lot more calm than a while ago. "I suppose it could be weird, but you guys are the reason why this place has the thrive it's gotten lately. I just... run things, and if something bad happens, whose responsabilty is to make it right but mine? As for you, well... let's just say your well being concerns me more than others."

Jesse accepted the bottle, pouring a little more into his glass. And who could blame him, he was used to cheap, awful wine when he wanted a drink and Sebastian knew his scotch. When his boss finished speaking he smirked, leaning forward just a little, "see! I knew I was your favourite. And not that you really have much competition from sleazebag one and sleazebag two, but you're my favourite boss too."

Sebastian's lips curled into a smirk over the rim of his glass, then he shook his head and chuckled. "Shut up" he said at first, then looked at him with a grin on his face. "Of course I am. I'm way better than those two, and I outrank them too, you know?" He winked at him, then put the glass down and stood up, walking back to where Jesse was again, and he held his chin with his fingertips to make him look up. "Did you really believe I'd let any harm come to you, St. James? I thought you'd know me better than that."

Jesse rolled his eyes and muttered, as Sebastian stood up, "I'm not sure the rank of prince counts when it's a mob prince." He swallowed when Sebastian tilted his chin up and made him up look from where he was sitting in the chair. Sebastian was barely two inches taller than when they were standing but right now, with Jesse sitting down in the chair, his boss was practically looming over the top of him. "Well... if they've found his body and they know I did it, I don't know if I feel safe going back to my apartment alone, boss." He looked up at him, his gaze challenging.

Sebastian licked his lips slightly. "I'm sure my father has dealt with similar cases in the past, and they all have worked out so far." A small smirk appeared on his face. "Hmm, you're right about that. You shouldn't be alone, at least not until the meeting happens and everything settles down. The room you slept in the other night is still available, if you're interested, unless you want one of my bodyguards to room with you." His gaze was equally challenging.

Jesse tilted his head, and then shook it slightly with a smirk on his face, "no, that's not necessary. I think I'd rather take the room." He paused, then then his smile faltered, remembering. "But, I've been here since this morning. I... I should probably check on Matilda. My cat," he added, in case Sebastian had forgotten. He knew the other man probably thought the amount he did actually care for his cat was ridiculous, but he didn't care. She depended on him, and that was his job as her owner. And he doubted one of Sebastian's guys would check on her for him, or that Sebastian would allow him to bring her to his fancy apartment. "So I guess I should go home. She's probably hungry. Unless you'd be willing to wait. I'd feel so much safer at yours tonight, boss." He winked at him.

Sebastian chuckled. "I know who Matilda is, Jesse. And you're right. She needs some food and water, probably some milk even. But I have a better idea, so that you wouldn't have to worry about that for a while... We go together to your place, you gathered some of your things, and also Matilda, and we all go to my place? I'm sure you would feel a lot better having her around. Plus, a cat is not of such maintanence like a dog is, so it should be fine. So? What'd you think?"

Jesse's face lit up - probably an embarrassing amount if he was being honest - at Sebastian's words. He wasn't even expecting his boss to remember who Matilda was since last time he'd mentioned her the other didn't seem to really care. Or acted like he didn't even understand why Jesse would want a cat. Clearly his throat, he composed himself, "that ... actually, that sounds perfect. And you're right, she won't be any trouble. Cats just ignore you most of the time."

Sebastian chuckled. "Which makes them the perfect kind of pets, am I right? So, how about we just go then? The quicker the better. You'll be much safer at my place, believe me." He stood up and grabbed his jacket, along with his phone and car keys. "So? Shall we?" he asked as he held the door open.

Jesse nodded, but didn't feel the need to voice his agreement. The truth was, he'd feel safer anywhere Sebastian was, for a multitude of reasons. He had to remind himself that Sebastian was still his boss. As much as he talked the talk, ultimately he cared about the profit of his business. And Jesse made him profit, so of course he'd be concerned about him to an extent. But Sebastian had been quick to remind him last time, that was all it was. And he wasn't going to make that mistake again... as much as he wanted to. God, he wanted to. "Thanks, yeah. Let's." He followed Sebastian out of the office, and down the stairs towards where the car he recognised as Sebastian's.

They made it quick into the car that was waiting outside, which had been guarded by two men all the time he was inside, then after Jesse also climbed inside they made it all the way to where Jesse lived, but instead of parking at the door, Sebastian pulled over half a block before. "I'm coming with you" he said, not leaving room for any protest on the subject, then he got out of the car and waited for Jesse to join him to walk to the entrance of the building.

Jesse looked up at his building and when Sebastian said he was coming with him, he wanted to argue. He didn't really want Sebastian to see anymore of the building than he had to, but the other man was already out of the car and waiting so he didn't have much of a choice. He sighed, and got out of the car slowly, walking over to Sebastian, "just... please don't say anything, okay? It's not exactly my first choice of apartment either." The area was definitely one of the lower socio-economic areas of New York City, and the building probably wasn't even up to code. It was in pretty bad condition, and the front door to the apartment building didn't even shut properly. "Uhh, the elevator's never worked, sorry. I'm only on the second floor though." When they reached his apartment, he shifted the key to the exact angle and pushed on the door to get it to open, revealing the shoebox of an apartment he called home. It wasn't anything special, it was almost too dark and just old, but not in the charming way. But he did his best. He had additional lighting, he didn't let the type of apartment stop him from keeping it neat and tidy so it wasn't messy or cluttered. And most days he felt like he spent more time at the club than here so it hardly mattered. "Let me just find Matilda, and then I'll grab some of her food and maybe her bed too, if that's okay?"

"Just shut up and get up there, St. James" he said as he followed Jesse up the stairs, then stood behind him as he opened the door. He looked over his shoulder to see the small but well put together apartment, and nodded when he told him he would get his things, and his cat. "I'll wait for you here" he said and turned back to the door, where he stayed in guard while Jesse got everything he migtht needed.

"Thanks," Jesse muttered in reply. He was sure being regulated to the guarding duties was not generally what Sebastian had to do. Jesse had seen him with his own entourage of body guards and lookouts on more than one occasion, so if the situation had been different, it may have been amusing to see Sebastian standing guard at the door to his apartment."Won't be long." He ignored the fact Sebastian was there, and made kissing sounds, calling out for Matilda. "I bet you're hiding in the cupboard again, aren't you? Cheeky," he stepped into his bedroom, leaving the door open behind him and peeked into the cupboard to find her curled up, sound asleep. "Gee, hello to you too," he rolled his eyes, grabbing her carrier from where it sat on his second bedside table. He felt a little bad for waking her up, and her angry meow she let out certainly didn't help. "Sorry beautiful, but I'll let you out as soon as I can, okay?" As in response, she turned around in the carrier, swishing her tail in his direction, and laid down with her head to the back of the crate. He shook his head to himself but smiled, standing up, carefully holding the carrier in one hand. He set it aside on the bench, and threw a some of her food and her bowls (after emptying them) in a bag, as well as two toys, and hooked it on his arm. Then he picked up the carrier with one hand and her bed with the other. "Okay. We're ready, aren't we Matilda?" She gave a soft, still annoyed sounding meow and Jesse shrugged, "she hates the carrier, sorry. It generally means the vet."

Sebastian had to bite back a chuckle when he heard Jesse making kissing noises to call the cat out, and only when he heard his voice saying he was ready, and after checking the hallway was clear, he turned around and raised a brow when he saw what he was carrying in his hand. "Nice. Did you by any chance actually grab some of your own things. you know, clothes, toothbrush and such, St. James?"

"Um," Jesse looked down at the items he had and then gave Sebastian a sheepish grin, "no? Sorry, I was so focused on Matilda. Give me a second." He bit back the urge to ask Sebastian if he really needed clothes, because he knew Sebastian was just letting him stay in the guest room. And he wouldn't be knocking on his boss' door this time. He stepped back into the bedroom and quickly threw some clothes and toiletries into a bag, before slinging it over his back, "there. Done." He'd taken less care in choosing his own things than he had Matilda's.

"Uh huh" Sebastian said with a chuckle as he watched going back into his room to get his things, then when he rejoined him at the door he nodded. "Let's go" he said then they both went down the stairs and out to the street, wher they walked back to where he had left his car. They got in quickly and he drove off, headed to his place. "Welcome, both of you" he said as they walked through the door of his apartment. "You know where the guest room is, so get comfortable, St. James." He closed the door down and went into the kitchen to get some water for both of them.

Jesse nodded, "thanks." He set down Matilda's carrier on the floor, hesitating. He wasn't sure if he should let her out or not, because this was Sebastian's apartment after all, but the other man had told him it was okay to bring her here. And what was the point of bringing her bed and some toys and bowls, if he wasn't able to let her out. Surely he would have said something earlier. So he unclipped the door of the carrier, opening it and letting her step out cautiously. "Watch her, yeah? I'm just going to put my stuff in the guest room." He hiked his bag up on shoulder and walked down the hall he knew lead to the bedrooms.

Sebastian rolled his eyes at him. "If she decides to jump out the window I'm not gong after her" he said at his back, but of course he was joking. The windows were already closed and he knew cats were smarter than that. He went into the kitchen and opened up the pantry. "Come here, kitty" he called out as he pulled a small can of tuna out and grabbed the opener. "You want something to eat, Matilda?" he asked with a soft voice, the opener clinking the can gently.

Jesse heard Sebastian's words and rolled his eyes to himself. He knew Matilda wouldn't jump even if the windows were open. She'd likely just stalk around the apartment until she found somewhere she deemed up to her standards to nap in. He dumped his bag quickly, not bothering to open it just yet. When he came back he found Sebastian opening a can of tuna for Matilda and smiled to himself, "you give her human tuna and she'll never leave you alone. She loves the stuff," he said with a laugh. He only gave it to her very rarely, as a treat, because while she loved it, human grade tuna lacked nutrients cats needed if they ate it frequently.

Sebastian shrugged. "I have tuna cans to last a lifetime, so I'm not worried about that. Plus, I don't have any cat chow around, so this should do it for tonight. Did you bring her water bowl? She will be thisrty after this." He lowered the bowl where he had just emptied the tuna can onto thee floor, then threw the can away.

Jesse's eyes widened slightly, "please don't feed her a lifetime's supply of tuna. Tuna is fine for them in small amounts, but she'd get really sick if she ate it a lot and... well, honestly, she's all I have." He said, bluntly. He rarely spoke to his family and while he got along with people from work, they generally made an effort to keep their personal lives separate. "I did bring her water bowl. And her food bowl, but she's probably enjoying the fine china." He chuckled, taking out her water bowl and filling it, setting it carefully down on the floor so she'd have access to it. "Thank you for letting us stay here, Sebastian." He was looking at Matilda eating as he spoke, his voice serious now, all hints of the previous joke gone, "I don't... I can't really do anything but say thank you. So thank you."

Sebastian rolled his eyes at him. "It was a figuretively speech, St. James. Jesus... I don't plan to stuff her up with tuna." He threw the empty can inside the pan, then headed to where the fridge. "Don't need to thank me. You should be safe here, at least until all of this is settled. You want something to eat? I have some... roasted chicken here that I can heat up, or we could order some takeout."

Jesse sighed, and crossed his arms with a shrug, "except that I do need to thank you. Even if I don't really talk to my family, my parents still raised me to be a mildly decent - if slightly egotistical and incapable of accepting failure - human being. And you're doing a good thing. You don't have to let me stay here, and you certainly didn't have to let me bring Matilda. So thank you." When Sebastian mentioned food, his stomach gave a large growl as if on cue and he laughed, "leftover chicken is fine. Waste not, want not right?"

Sebastian smiled softly and shrugged. "Got to know I can still surprise you." He chuckled when he heard the man's stomach growling and nodded. "Certainly. Maybe a nice couple of sandwiches with it even? I can slice some tomatoes up and get them in there too." As he spoke, he grabbed the bowl with the chicken in and put it inside the oven to re-heat.

"Mmm," Jesse nodded, "sounds great to me. Do you need help with anything? Hang on. Shit." He'd realised - with everything Sebastian had told him - he'd got distracted with the fact he'd gone into Sebastian's office before his shift. He wondered if Sebastian had told somebody Jesse wouldn't be there. "I was supposed to be dancing tonight. I got there early because I wanted to run a new routine by you. Did you tell them I wasn't going to be there? I," he glanced at his watch, "I can probably make it back on time."

Sebastian raised his hand. "Lower the panic attack, St. James. Hang on." He grabbed his phone and typed a somewhat lengthy text, then pressed Send. "Done. See? No need to worry when you hang out with the boss." He winked at him, then the bell from the oven rang and he put the mittens on to get the tray out, so he could make the sandwiches. "A new routine, huh? Well, as long as we're here you can still show me, right?"

Jesse relaxed a little nodded, "okay, okay. Fine. Sorry, I know you're the boss and all but I just can't do anything that'll risk me losing this job." He leaned against the counter and watched as Sebastian busied himself with the chicken, "not really ... unless you have a pole hiding here somewhere, I can't exactly show you much of the routine. But if that was your way of asking for a lap dance, you just need to say the word," he winked at him, chuckling.

Sebastian was checking the time on the oven to make sure the leftover chicken wouldn't heat too much, then he turned to look at him with a shocked face, that soon turned into a smirk. "Well of course I do. I have one in my own BSDM red room, down the hall." He chuckled . "are you saying that you will give me one if I ask? Hmm... Maybe I'd need to make sure that the customers will be happy, you know?"

Jesse rolled his eyes, since he was about 95% certain Sebastian was kidding. And the 5% that doubted he was, he ignored. "Uhuh, sure," he replied with a laugh, and then leaned forward on the counter with a smirk, "maybe you'll have to ask one day and find out."

Sebastian looked up from the tray where he was slicing the veggies for their sandwiches, then put the knife down and also leaned over the counter, his face almost within reach of the other male's. "Maybe. But not tonight. Tonight we wat and go to bed. It's been a long day." He chuckled and pulled back up, then got the chicken from th eoven and worked on getting the sandwiches ready.

"Pity," Jesse replied with a wink, though he knew Sebastian was right. Somehow being with Sebastian always made him forget about everything else that had happened. He'd almost forgot - in the moment - that a body had been found. Or, more specifically, the body of the man he'd shot. He'd killed a man. Sometimes he forgot that too. "You need me to do anything?" He asked, though he knew Sebastian was practically finishing up.

Sebastian thought about that for a second, then nodded. "You can grab a couple of plates and napkins. Make the counter look pretty for us to eat on it?" He chuckled.

"I'm pretty enough for that, don't worry," Jesse laughed, but complied with Sebastian's instructions, setting up the plates and getting the napkins out as well. "If you want me to make it any prettier, you're going to have to have flowers around here."

Sebastian skillfully chopped everything needed and stuffed the fresh baked bread with the chicken and the veggies, then put them both on the grill and pressed it down so they would grilled up a bit. "Well, then you know what your first stop is going to be tomorrow. The flower shop." He got the sandwiches out, then put them on a larger plate and placed it on the counter. "There you go. Careful, it's hot."

"Mmm," Jesse said, taking one from the plate from where Sebastian put it on the counter, whistling softly because it was hot like Sebastian said - and placed it on the plate in front of him. "Thank you. This smells great. Beats the ramen noodles I was probably going to have tonight."

Sebastian shrugged, though he smiled just a little. "Damn right it does. It's leftover nonetheless, but that won't make it any less good." He blew a puff of air on his own sandwich and took a small bite at it. "Mmm... I was right" he said, then looked at him and winked, then drank a sip of wine after swallowing his bite.

Jesse laughed, "you were. But I'm pretty sure you think you're always right," he pointed out, raising an eyebrow at Sebastian. He blew softly on his sandwich before taking a bite, both of them continuing to eat and take sips of the wine.

Sebastian lifted his own brow in response. "I don't think it. I am" he said, then chuckled and kept on eating their sandwich, while Matilda patted around the apartment, making her way. The quiet that fell on down while they ate was a welcome change from the crazy way that night, that whole day had started. And even though the storm was far from over, it was nice to enjoy those peaceful moments. For now.

END SCENE.

#st.smythe rp #1x1 rp #para #discord

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