#aka: the askbox is empty again!! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

psicomma-s-very-secret-lab · 6 years ago

Text

#ask.1 : Shaun and Tony

(For some reason the askbox on this blog doesn't work so I guess if you've got asks about the characters you can just DM me your question and I'll do a screenshot and answer in a regular post)

@ramblingpolkadots sent me that and I gotta say it's a very interesting topic to me since the relationship between Tony and Shaun is very decisive during Blindsight.

First of all, that friendship is the most incongruous thing given the circumstances where Tony and Shaun met.

Tony is the son of Gene Nocenti, one of Chester's enemies. Blindsight begins shortly after Shaun and Ani get attacked by some guys affiliated to the Nocenti clan during a night out. Both of them manage to get out alive; Shaun got beaten, and Ani got shot in the leg, but all their opponents winded up dead or severely injured. It was the case of Silver Nocenti, Gene's youngest son and Tony's dear baby brother. He wasn't supposed to be here that night- Silver was stabbed in the face by Ani and died after a few days at the hospital.

Of course, the vendetta was de rigueur for the Nocentis, but Tony is the one to be truly upset about Silver's passing. His death ravaged him; Silver was the only good soul in that family of rascals and he most definitely did not deserve to go first. That's why avenging him becomes a personal business for Tony.

While the rest of the clan was busy pressuring Chester aka. Pluto to get him to deliver the whore that committed the offense, Tony investigated on his own and ended up finding Ani's phone, that she had lost during the infamous night of the attack.

He manages to track them down and finds the apartment where Shaun and Ani were hiding and attacks them at the moment when they least expect it. While Tony was clever enough to find Shaun and Ani on his own, he didn't have the presence of mind to tell anyone what he was up to and going solo was definitely not a good idea since the attack failed and he ends up being captured and held hostage by Shaun.

At that point, things get weird, and uncomfortable as fuck. Ani can't look at Tony in the eye because the guilt is killing her; she never meant to kill a man, she never thought she could do such a thing, it was an accident. And of course Tony can't look at Ani either because even though the sorrow and the rage are eating him from inside, he knows the moment he lays his eyes on her that yes, she's telling the truth, she didn't mean to do that, and yes, it was an accident. That girl is harmless. Worse than that; she's actually a good person, offering to take care of his wounds, bringing him food and everything. It would've been so much easier if she had been crazy, unstable, violent... But he couldn't put the blame on her. Ani's kindness even reminded Tony of Silver and he knew that killing her to avenge him would not only make him feel worse but also would be the dumbest thing to do ever.

Shaun believes that the capture of Tony will make the Nocentis change their mind and that they'd finally be willing to give up on Ani. What Shaun didn't expect is that Tony is the black sheep of the clan; as an illegitimate son of the big boss, he has a lot less value than his brothers. The negotiations go on for a few days and that's when Shaun and Tony get to know each other and realize they actually have a lot in common.

Shaun and Tony more or less have the same job. They both got blood on their hands, and they both follow the orders of a fatherly figure. They're not professionals; they're naturals- in the way that they grew up in violence, and both their families had been involved in criminal activities for generations before they were born, so they're that kind of guys who never really got the choice. They're both driven by rage, (Tony's rage is contingent though, unlike Shaun's rage which is pathological and chronic) and feel guilty for the unspeakable things they've done in the past. Also, neither of them condone violence against women.

Last thing they've got in common is boxing. Shaun started boxing when he was 13, and Tony started boxing and wrestling at 8 (the only thing that ever made his dad proud of him tbh) and believe it or not, even if he's one inch or two shorter than Shaun, and a few pounds lighter, Tony is a much better fighter than him, and by far. Which is kind of a big deal, cause Shaun is pretty much of a killing machine.

They started to bond when Tony was in the living room, handcuffed. Shaun was punching a bag in "the white room" (an empty bedroom in the apartment that Shaun more or less rearranged into an exercise room- also the place where he locks himself up when he feels the rage kicking in) the door was half open and Tony could see Shaun's reflection in the mirror so he observed him and his shadow for a while before saying something like "Your legs are slow" loud enough so that Shaun could hear. Shaun slammed the door as an answer and that was the end of the first exchange.

But yeah as time goes by and they end up having no choice but to spend time with each other (cause someone's got to keep an eye on Tony who is, after all, a hostage). Tony understands that Shaun is his brother's puppet and that he didn't even want to be involved in the conflict he had with the Nocentis in the first place. Shaun understands that Tony isn't like the rest of his family and didn't approve of the way they retaliate in general.

At some point, Tony, worn out by the captivity, begs Shaun for a cigarette. He agrees to give him a cig, Tony takes a drag, nervously.

"So what is she to you exactly, huh?"

"What?"

"Ani. She's not your girl. Or at least not really am I wrong?"

"Not your goddamn business."

"I've seen you two arguing, bantering, making out, and I've heard you fucking like cats in heat for the past four days. I'm so involved I feel violated. I think we've crossed the “not-your-goddamn-business” line honestly."

"Why do you wanna know that anyway?"

"I don't know. You do nasty things for your brother, I do nasty things for my dad. Guys like us generally aren't allowed to care that much about someone."

"You cared enough about your brother to risk your life by coming here."

"It's not the same."

"It's exactly the same."

*There's a silence, Tony finishes his cigarette*

"Silver always thought of me as a role model. I always wanted him to have a good life, cause, well, he was good. Guess I fucked up. You wanted to keep Ani away from all your shit and you fucked up too. We're both shitty at protecting people we love."

Shaun left after a minute without saying anything. He went back an hour later throwing a blanket at Tony's face and going back to the bedroom.

I've got some more ideas for them during Blindsight: like I'm pretty sure at some point, Shaun will cut Tony loose for a sparring session and Tony's gonna beat his ass and Shaun will be like 'wtf?? I'm 20 pounds heavier than you!' - also Tony learns about Shaun being bisexual and he goes like 'oh. okay. good for you, man' and it's actually the first time Shaun saw a straight guy reacting like that after learning about his bisexuality. And it's thanks to that incongruous friendship Ani doesn't end up savagely murdered at the end of Blindsight. (I'm not elaborating on that cuz I don't wanna spoil! I still hope I'll be able to finish this story one day and that it will be available for you to read! ;__;)

Tony and Shaun are probably gonna meet again after Blindsight cause, well, I like these two together. And I like to imagine Ani being falsely jealous of Tony like "Huuuh you're going to see your boyfriend! :D"

#ask #blindsight #ocs #tony #shaun #an unexpected bromance #probably my fave crack pairing lol #the scene where they fight is so clear in my head #and the tony/ani relationship is cute too #anything involving tony is cute tbh #i mean i just think he's adorable that's all

12 notes · View notes

autumn-foxfire · 3 years ago

Note

Head empty, just sitting in silent deep understanding :’) these gacha games have no right to invoke this much emotion in me yet still they do 😔 what makes it worse is that I heard they don’t rerun collab events, so I have to leave it all up to chance when it comes to getting Steven again. And finally learned the age old wisdom of banners being one big fat LIE to waste your gems, collect 500k and them spam when who you want comes up, resist the temptation to use them early 😭 it never works

(+) I’ve tried to console myself by appreciating some good ol fanart and looking up Steven plushies, which I can say for a fact I desire more than a Hawks plush. Sorry Keigo 😔 every manga is a phase, but Pokémon will never be. It ALWAYS drags me back. Maybe he will too one day, but not today! I really hope tho, that they do one of these again, or that I miraculously pull Steven and his sexy suit instead of a Sync pair with Arceus knows what Pokemon and what outfit, but he looks hot either way. (+) Tumblr glitched, hope it didn’t do anything weird but I wanted to recommend you some vids I’ve been watching on YT. First is the Pokémon Champion Rap by Cam Steady, I mostly listen to the first four because I love the Eastern Champions 😭🥺 Sounds cool, there’s a version for the protags, rivals, and villains. In them, I like Ethan, May, Serena, Shauna, and Lusamine. Next is Battle! Champion Steven with Lyrics by Juno Songs aka all the hype of his theme but with LYRICS to really hammer it in. (+) You know how Steven is, he wants to learn more about us, about everyone, experience the world and that’s expressed in the lyrics. (For this, I’ll expand more with some Masters lore later because it’s freaking hilarious I love this dork I hope you’re okay with me simping in your askbox for like the next month lmao 🥺 🥺 🥺) and just for the LOLs 😂 you could look up MMD Hoenn Trumpets for Steven playing a trumpet in Cynthia’s face, (and there’s one of her playing her Piano of doom too.)

Gacha games always tempt you with banners to pull on even though you need to save for your favourites. I made that mistake in the BSD mobile game and wasted a lot of my gacha currency on cards I'm not all that interested in 😔 I've learned now and only spend it on cards I want (mostly Dazai).

God, I get that though. When you don't get what you want yet so you consume fandom art and collectables instead but even then it's not the same... Is there any good steven plushies out there? I'd definitely be interested!! Add to my collection >:3 (I've currently got Izaya, Shizuo and will eventually have Childe and Zhongli that I've ordered).

Don't worry about the glitch, it just copied your message.

I'll definitely look up those videos you've recced!!!

#personal #thanks for the ask!!

0 notes

drippingsadism · 8 years ago

Text

how to make an icon border for rpers!

for my friend, saint, here is a general guidance on how to make a border for your roleplaying icons. should you have any question once the tutorial is over, feel free to reach out to me via IM or askbox. well, first of all, here is some of the borders i’ll be guiding you guys on to make:

(1) basic borders - dark outline, with white lines.

(2) dotted or dashed borders

(3) or how to add borders on a rounded icon

note: the brown-background is merely to show how the border would look like in case the white background doesn’t allow you to see it, but rest assured we will be having our icons in .png to support transparency. on another note , i’m very aware that the icons aren’t pretty — i don’t put any psd or any adjustment on the icon itself (taken from here) — but feel free to adjust the borders or your icon later on once you’ve fully understood the tutorials because im really teaching you the basics of how i usually do it and it’s really adjustable :))

what you will need:

photoshop, definitely.

1. BASIC BORDERS ICON

for starters let’s start with the first one so, have your icon — set it in whatever size you want ( the new trend is the smaller the better , i set mine usually at 65x65 although for this tutorial it would be 100x100, but you do what you like my friends ) — and leave it be .

now my next step is only an advisable step — like you don’t have follow it if you don’t want (you can still do your border in any case) but what i would do is create some transparency space behind a.k.a.

(1) make sure you duplicate your picture so it could be another layer (or you could turn the background into a layer itself) (2) and just use the crop tool to expand the size a little bit

if a pop up showed up to ensure if you really wanna do that and name it, just press okay (in my case, i don’t bother naming them unless it gets crowded later), and then you would be left with this

NOW SEE HOW I MAKE SURE THE BACKGROUND LAYER WON’T BE AVAILABLE ??? yes, do that please. just click the eye of the background layer (NOT THE BACKGROUND COPY) and we can move on to out next step, which is secure a few spaces behind the icon in transparency.

of course it doesn’t have to be as a lot as i’ve done it above^ , but that’s just to make sure that people can understand what i meant. now to do the next border is very easy. there’s a lot of ways of course, to do it, but what i did is —

(1) locate your quick selection tool (2) just select the heck outta your icon until it covers all area (3) create a new, EMPTY layer (4) go to edit > stroke > changes the setting to 3px and a white colour and click ‘OK’ (5) locate your quick selection tool again, do step (2) till step (4) except this time it’s on your WHITE BORDER layer and change the setting to 1px and a darker colour than white and click ‘OK’

and the picture demonstration would be:

figures above showed the located quick selection tool as per Step (1)

figure above showed the area of the icon are being wholly selected as per Step (2)

figure above showed ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP i.e. add a new layer pls as per Step (3)

two figures above showed the process of Step 4

figure above shows the result of Step (4) aka you made your white already border yay !!!! but we’re not done yet. because the outline of that white border still needed to be implemented to “complete” the look. but since you know the previous step, just re-follow it. however, here are the picture demonstration in case you need it :)

three figure above shows the repeated steps done to create the darker outline to the WHITE BORDER as step 5

the end result:

a.k.a

note: feel free to get rid of the extra transparency space if you wanna !

2. DOTTED OR DASHED BORDER

usually, the dashed or dotted border comes with the basic icon border. meaning people tended to do the basic icon border and then added another outline outside that border to make it extra fancy and nice ! The steps i’ll be taking to do that would be

(1) All of the steps above to make the Basic Icon Border (2) Locate your Custom Shape Tool (3) Click your Rectangle Tool (4) Adjust it on your border (5) Once the shape is determined, go to fill and reduces it from 100% to 0% (6) Make necessary adjustment if you’d like, and you’re done !

the picture demonstration would be

figure above shows an icon with complete basic border icon ready as per Step (1)

figure above shows the located custom shape tool as per Step (2)

two figures above shows the next step once the custom shape tool is selected

figure above shows the result the custom shape tool once the area is selected as per Step (5). however, worry not! because the next step will guide you on how to adjust it

FIRST, if your custom shape tool ends up giving you this

instead of dashed or dotted outline, just do the next steps, which are

once you’ve chosen your preferred outline, go to your Layers, and change your Fill

figure above shows the steps to reduce the Fill from 100% to 0% as per Step (5)

it should give you this:

figure above shows the end result

figure above shows any available spots to adjust your dotted border further as per Step (6)

THE END RESULT

a.k.a.

3. ADD BORDERS ON ROUNDED ICONS

Alright, since this is a tutorial to make borders, I won’t go into how to make ‘Rounded Rectangle Icon’. If it’s requested, sure, but for now — I’m making the tutorial with the intention the rounded icon have already been created. So the steps are as followed:

(1) Have your icon ready at whatever size you need with the Rounded Rectangle already in place. (2) Locate the Custom Shape Tool > Rounded Rectangle Tool (3) Create the shape following your icon, and adjust until you’re satisfied. (4) Changes the shape into Smart Filter so you can select the whole area using Quick Selection Tool. Once changed, select it fully. Then closes the Rounded Rectangle Shape. (5) Add a new layer. Go to Edit > Stroke > Adjust your width and color > Press ‘Okay’. In assumption that this will be your WHITE BORDER layer, your width should be at 3px and the color should be white #fff. (6) Now select the areas of the WHITE BORDER layer. Create a new layer. Go to Edit > Stroke > Adjust your width and color > press ‘Okay’. In assumption that this will be your OUTLINE DARKER BORDER, your width should be at 1px and the colour should be of darker color than white. (7) You should be done.

pictures demonstration are as followed:

figure above showed the rounded icon are in place as per Step (1)

fIgure above shows the step in accordance to Step (2)

figure above shows any adjustment done to fit ur icon as per Step (3)

three figure above shows the steps in converting the Rounded Rectangle Shape into Smart Filters, selecting it using Quick Selection Tool and closing the layer as per Step (4)

four figure above shows the addition of a new layer (WHITE BORDER LAYER), the steps to choose stroke and give a white layer to the icon as per Step (5)

three figure above shows the selection into making darker outline as per Step (6)

THE END RESULT

a.k.a.

AND YOU’RE DONE.

note: my advice is, you should put all of the layers of the making of your borders under one file and put it ON TOP of the layers of your coloring PSD and save it. that way, you don’t have to repeat the process every time cause it’s already saved along with your psd file.

of course, any confusion at all, just hit me up.

and below, are some of my icon creation feat. different borders !

#icon tutorial #icon border tutorial #rp tutorial #border icon tutorial #icon rp tutorial #mine #:))#hope it helps !

453 notes · View notes

sunshinemiranda · 8 years ago

Text

After Hours - Lin-Manuel Miranda x Reader

Summary: Based on the prompt: “I have a key to the theatre, and sometimes I go there when I need to think. Apparently so do you.”

Words: 5,296 (ren and i are just...yeah)

Warnings: Swearing.

A/N: From Ren (@alexanderhamllton) - Guys, it happened!!! Here’s my first collab with Liv, which I’m so so excited about, we wrote the whole thing in one afternoon and I couldn’t be more proud of the result. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do <3

From Liv - I am still dizzy from how much I enjoyed writing this. I finally had the honour of collaborating with Ren (aka real human sunshine) and it was so much more than I could have ever hoped for. Honestly, it is amazing. Happy reading!

askbox | masterlist

There is something very beautiful about a theatre without an audience. It is filled to the brim with potential, all these seats just waiting to be filled, an empty stage that could become an entirely different universe. The lights are dimmed down, and from inside a deserted Richard Rodgers, it is as if the entire world has stopped spinning.

You didn’t recognize the set anymore. Romeo and Juliet had faded to reveal two new love interests: Eliza and Alexander, their names synonymous with the Broadway musical. From the show you were a part of to the hit-show Hamilton that took over your old workplace, you only recognized the empty seats, so familiar to you even though you never had to step on stage; it took many promises of not touching a thing to your friend Jonah, who worked with the security of the place, to let you in.

Crew members are ghosts, who aren’t able to have an excuse to be on stage during the show’s run, but they are beyond useful. They are the backbone of the art the audience sees. You stood in the middle of the stage, looking out at the wide expanse of space, filling the air with your thoughts. In a room like this, your ideas and dreams had room to stretch and grow, lifting their waif-like limbs. Silence fell heavy, and remained unbroken. Slowly, your eyes closed and surrendered to a feeling of infinite peace.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

You whipped around with a very loud, “Holy fuck,” and found that someone else seemed to spend their time in deserted theatres too.

“Who are you?” His voice was careful and intimidating, a combination rare to your ears, especially when you visited the theatre.

“Who are you?” It didn’t even cross your mind that you weren’t in a place to ask that question.

“I asked first.” He quipped, the shadow of a smile starting to tilt at his mouth.

“I asked second!” You hurried, then closed your eyes with a visible cringe. This was going horribly. “Sorry. You just sort of freaked me out with the whole, Phantom of the Opera style sneak-up.”

“I can respect someone that makes a Phantom reference,” he replied with a smile. “I’m Lin.”

“[Y/N],” you replied, crossing your arms. Why you were so defensive was beyond you, especially because the guy didn’t seem threatening at all. “I was a crew member on Romeo and Juliet, if that helps to explain my presence,” you took the small key from your pocket, shaking it so he’d know you were telling the truth. “I still have a key. Coming here kind of calms me down, sorry for intruding.”

He chuckled, looking past you at the rows of seats. “God, I can relate to that. I love coming here after hours. It’s like the calm after a storm. The water is still.”

An unexpected smile came to your face and you nodded, letting your crossed arms fall. “Yes! Exactly.”

“But seriously. You can’t be here.”

“Oh.” Your brow furrowed. “Right, sorry about that. I’ll show myself out.”

“You didn’t let me finish. You can’t be here. Let’s not let anyone find out.” He grinned, reaching his hand out for you to shake. It was an offer for what seemed like an adventure. “Deal?”

“Deal,” you replied, shaking his hand. “So… Lin. What brings you to the theatre after midnight?”

“I would really like to know your excuse first. I mean, this is my play.”

“I asked first,” you joked, making him chuckle.

“The pressure. The show is everywhere, and I’m proud of it, I really am, but it can be overwhelming. People expect too much, you know?”

“Not really. Romeo and Juliet didn’t do very well,” you smiled, walking towards the front of the stage before sitting there, your legs dangling over the edge. “But I do see your show everywhere, so I can only imagine the pressure.”

“Wasn’t this version the one with Orlando Bloom?” Lin asked, before sitting down next to you.

“Yep, turns out fame doesn’t compensate the lack of theatrical talent.”

“Ooh, harsh!” He pulled a hand to his chest as if he couldn’t quite believe it. “That’s Legolas you’re insulting, right there.”

“I’m not scared of an elf who never runs out of arrows.” You grinned.

He laughed, and it struck you that it was a good one. It came right from his chest, full-breathed, as it sort of took over his body. In the low lights, the shadows only allowed you to see aspects of his face. From what you could decipher, he was far prettier than any Romeo Montague could have been. With the echoing of both your laughs dissipating into acoustics bouncing off the walls, a silence fell that was more comfortable than you thought it would be. It struck you that Lin was a natural with people.

“Being on this stage makes me want to belt some Shakespeare,” you laughed, and he raised a mischievous eyebrow before standing, reaching out to pull you up with him.

“Now that’s something I want to see.” Lin grinned, ignoring your protests and hurried off stage to sit in the audience.

“Hey!” Blushing with embarrassment now, you squinted to search for him in the seats. “There’s a reason why I was in the crew and not cast, you know.”

“I’m waiting, Ms. [Y/N],” his voice called. It made a smile grow on your face.

“Before I start, I wanna say that you asked for this!” You warned him, before clearing your throat. “Should I go for Romeo and Juliet, or is that too cliché?”

“Whatever you like, I’m just the audience!” He shouted.

A pause settled into the theatre, and you closed your eyes, focusing on yourself. Every night, through working backstage, you would always take the time to admire one monologue. It was your favourite.

“Come, night; come, Romeo; come, thou day in night; for thou wilt lie upon the wings of night whiter than new snow on a raven's back.” You stepped forward, unable to see him in the audience, but ultimately alert to his presence. “Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-brow’d night, give me my Romeo, and, when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun.”

There was a long moment of silence, filled with electrifying tension, before he made his presence visible by standing and delivering the most enthusiastic standing ovation you had ever seen in your life.

“Okay, tell me again why you were in the crew and not on stage starring in the thing?” He laughed, running to the edge of the stage before climbing to meet you there. “That was amazing, you knew every line!”

“Thank you, I- I really liked that monologue, it was one of the few things I genuinely enjoyed about this gig, besides the place.” You looked around, remembering the many nights where the theatre was empty, without a set, without any props backstage, and you had total freedom to just wander around discovering all the little quirks it had to offer. “Have you guys found the secret room yet?”

“Secret room? I don’t think anyone’s found that yet,” he answered with a smile. “Do you know where it is?”

“I do, but it’s a secret after all,” you smiled, Lin shooting you a look.

“C’mon, you can’t just tell me there’s a secret room and not show me where it is, that’s just plain torture!” He argued dramatically, making you roll your eyes and laugh.

“Fine! Are you ready to climb some stairs?”

“Not at all.”

His answer made you laugh, and before you knew it, the two of you were taking the stairs backstage before heading down a small corridor, the ceiling so low you had to crouch before you had the space again. It was a small room, filled with old cables and mechanic gear, and on the opposite wall, a window. It didn’t open and you never figured out if it was because it was broken or sealed somehow, but it gave you a view of the stage no other room in that whole theatre would.

“It’s not that big of a deal, but it’s a fun place to watch rehearsals, you can see the wings and the stage at the same time,” you explained.

He stared, wordless, out the window, eyes widening as he took in the sight. You would see the entire Richard Rodgers kingdom from this point. His silence started to make you nervous.

“Legends say this was the old tech room before they got moved up there,” you pointed. “That’s why you can see everything.”

“[Y/N],” he murmured, turning toward you with wide eyes. The way he said your name sent a thrill down your spine. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” your voice was almost a whisper.

You came back one night a week after that. And so, it seems, did Lin. The two of you explored every nook and cranny of the theatre, and after-hours exploration became the day of the week you looked forward to the most. It became a silent pact that every Wednesday would be the night to meet up and engage in all kinds of shenanigans: you felt like a teenager again, sneaking around with a guy you just met in the middle of the night.

“Okay, Avenue Q or Book of Mormon?”

“Hands down Book of Mormon. Avenue Q is great, though. I just have a soft spot for Andrew Rannells.” You grinned, reaching into the bag of yogurt covered pretzels sitting on the stage between the two of you.

“She likes Andrew Rannells. A girl after my own heart!” He pulled a Southern Belle swoon, fainting back onto the stage as you laughed.

“And you got to have him in your show too, lucky thing, ugh, I hate you.”

He reached over and snatched the pretzel you were holding inches from your mouth, grinning as he bit into it. “You would never.”

“Try me, Miranda. Wait, Singin’ in the Rain, or Sound of Music?”

In complete unison, the two of you announced, “Singin’ in the Rain.”

“I’m so whipped for Gene Kelly.” You sighed.

“You and me both.”

You lay down beside him, staring at the rafters in the ceiling, realizing that in doing so, you had closed the space by a considerable distance. He was close enough for you to reach out and trace the contours of his face, run your fingertips over his cheekbones and tap your index against his nose. Of course, you didn’t. But the thought was there anyway.

“Turn around, bright eyes…”

The quiet of the theatre was perforated by his voice ringing out softly, and you grinned. Stepping, as quietly as possible, closer and closer, you made your way to the orchestra pit where he was sitting at the piano, accompanying himself.

“Every now and then, I fall apart!” your voice startled him, but he knew that song like the back of his hand.

“And I need you now tonight,” your voices blended together while you both sang between smiles, Lin looking at you in adoration as you raised your eyebrows, surprised with the fact he didn’t even flinch before starting a duet with you. He played the notes without taking his eyes off you, and while a few weeks ago this would have intimidated you, now you wouldn’t trade that for the world.

“There’s nothing I can do, total eclipse of the heart...” you both finished the song together, the last notes he played floating around you before the silence.

“[Y/N].”

“Lin.”

“You didn’t tell me you could sing. That was beautiful.”

“It was beautiful because you were carrying it with your voice and the piano. Don’t get ahead of yourself now.”

“Hey, have I ever lied to you?” He grinned standing and taking your hand to tug you closer. “Here. I’ll show you the piano arrangement so you can carry it on the piano and your voice. Just like me.”

He placed his hands over yours to play the chords and melody with you, but you couldn’t spend a second of that time concentrating. He was so close, and smelled like cologne and the wood on the stage. The warmth of his hands was sending your head into a reeling mess.

“You’re not concentrating, are you?” He grinned.

You shook your head, looking down and hiding a smile when a strand of hair fell from the back of your ear. Lin’s hand slowly moved to put it back in place, and you couldn’t help but turn to face him, his lips now inches away from yours. Your eyes shifted from his eyes to his lips, for a split second before you came back to your senses, biting your lip. He was so close, it wouldn’t take much to just move an inch and kiss him senseless, in a way you had wanted to for a while now.

“Mr. Miranda, have- oh, I’m so- I’m sorry.” Jonah opened the door abruptly, making you and Lin jump apart like scalded cats. A blush worsened the colour already on your cheeks, and Lin refused to look you in the eye.

“It’s okay, Jonah, what happened?” Lin replied, running his fingers through his hair while calming himself down.

“Just letting you know I’m leaving earlier tonight, I changed shifts with Marco and I thought it’d be better to let you know...” Jonah replied, scratching his head, his cheeks flushed.

“We’ll leave soon, Jonah. Thanks.” The security guard nodded before taking a weird bow before leaving, making the both of you giggle. Lin turned to you, a sheepish smile on his face. “I guess we’re not staying for long tonight.”

“From experience, I can say Marco is not the friendliest person I know,” you commented, now incapable of looking Lin in the eyes without blushing.

“Finally, someone says it! We better get out of here before he finds out we’re intruding.” He laughed, trying his best to smooth over the awkward moment.

Outside the theatre, the two of you said quiet goodbyes accompanied with shy smiles, and by the time you got home, your head was reeling with that same dizziness. God, you had it bad.

Lin was alone on the next Wednesday. She’s probably just late, caught up with some extra work, he thought, but the feeling of dread stuck in his stomach through the two hours he sat at the Richard Rodgers and pretended he had “work to do”.

He couldn’t help but absently wonder if it was his fault that you weren’t there. Maybe the “Almost Kiss Incident” had scared you away. The worst part of that realization was the fact that he might not have a chance with someone he’d fallen head over heels for. It made an endless feeling of inadequacy settle into his stomach, leaving him restless and messy.

Later that night, he asked Jonah if you had left a message, a sign, anything. But you didn’t. He didn’t have your number, or an address, but Lin also felt it wasn’t his place to ask you about you not showing up that night. It was technically a silent agreement, no strings attached, but he didn’t feel that way about it. He never felt that way about it. He only hoped that you didn’t either.

He started coming there on the nights that weren’t the “schedule” for you guys. He would try Mondays, Thursdays, Sundays, any time that you might be there just in case you had mixed up the dates or couldn’t make it on Wednesdays anymore. But he didn’t see you. Jonah noticed how Lin started to come more often and decided to step up, as your friend.

“Mr. Miranda?” his voice echoed in the empty theatre, where Lin was reading a book, pretending he wasn’t using it to waste time while waiting for you.

“Yes, Jonah?” he replied, without taking his eyes from the book.

“She’s not coming tonight.” The statement made him look, a mix of concern and disappointment on his face. “She usually doesn’t come that often. She started coming every week because of you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jonah,” he said, faking a smile.

“Sir, with all due respect… Before you, she would only come here maybe once a month, sometimes not even that. Her family doesn’t live here, in New York.” The security guard’s words made Lin realize how abnormal the whole situation was: you were both strangers until you met that one night, the random encounters turned into scheduled nights and that, in his head, was not the reason why he liked that theatre in the first place. Lin nodded, closing the book before saying goodnight to Jonah, leaving the building by the back door.

The next night Lin showed up after-hours was a Thursday, not a Wednesday. He didn’t have a show that night or any hope of finding you there anymore. This time around he actually needed the silence. When he got to the theatre, Jonah hurried towards him the moment he entered.

“She left a note last night,” he announced, holding a grin.

“She came here?” Lin couldn’t hold his disbelief, that quickly turned into a smile.

“Yes, sir. Asked for you and everything. Told her to leave a note in your dressing room but you didn’t show up today.”

“Ironic. It’s the first time in months I take a break on a day that’s not Saturday, and this happens,” he joked, before patting Jonah in the shoulder, heading inside the now empty theatre. “Thanks man.”

When he got to his dressing room, he immediately noticed the note, written on the back of one of those ads people hand out in vain on the streets, taped to the mirror.

Lin,

I’m sorry I didn’t come the past few weeks. I had an emergency with my parents and had to leave right away, didn’t know how to contact you. I’m back now, as you can see. I hope you haven’t forgotten about me yet. See you next week?

Whipped for Gene Kelly,

[Y/N]

PS: Here’s my phone number, can’t believe you didn’t have that already!

He smiled, grabbing his phone to save your number in his contacts within moments. There was no way he was going to go another two weeks without talking to you. He needed that. You didn’t hate him! Lin laughed to himself before folding the note and putting between one of the notebooks he kept around.

To: [Y/N]

From: Lin

See you next week.

Lin’s sleep schedule was fucked. Honestly, he had started sleeping till 1 on the weekends, falling asleep at 4 (on an early night), and all because of two things: he spent all his time waiting for his best girl at the Richard Rodgers, and without the after midnight talks that calmed him, it was too difficult to fall asleep. Without [Y/N], there seemed to be no organization in his life. When she appeared in the doorway, like an angel come to lift him from the groggy mess that was his life recently, he rubbed at his eyes, disbelieving and wondering if his lack of sleep had started to make him delusional.

“You look like crap, Miranda.”

It was the best thing he’d heard all month. Without a second thought, he hurried off the stage and surged toward you, pulling you into an unexpected hug that was long overdue. You stumbled a bit, at the sudden weight of his grasp but, with a laugh (and a blush), you were wrapping your arms around his waist and revelling in his warmth.

“I missed you, [Y/N].” He murmured into your hair, the strength of his hold telling you that he wasn’t planning to let go any time soon.

“And I missed you.” You replied, a bit of hurt tugging at your heart while you said this. He had no idea how you really felt.

He moved away, letting his hands slide down to take hold of both your hands instead. “Come on. We’ve got catching up to do.”

He led you up to the stage, the regular spot at the edge of the stage just waiting for the two of you. As you sat down, he twisted sideways, and before you could question his strange methods, his head nestled into your lap and he actually sighed, as if he had been waiting for this physical contact, this moment. Your heart fluttered.

“So, any special reason why you look this tired?” You asked, slowly combing his hair with your fingers.

He hummed, eyes closed as he took the moment to find repose. When he spoke, his voice was soft and mumble-y. “Mhm. Was waitin’ for you.”

Thank God he was turned away from you, because a flaming blush spread across your cheeks like wildfire. Did he have any idea how beautiful he looked, half asleep, with his head in your lap? It was altogether unfair, and your heart tugged again, the way it always did when he was around.

“Lin…” You breathed. “You need sleep, you dork. What the hell were you thinking?”

“That you hated me, or something.” He murmured. “I came here so many times, [Y/N]. So many times. And you weren’t here. I know some of the things I do are disappointing, but I couldn’t deal with the fact that I might just lose you. So I had to fight for it. I guess losing sleep is my way of doing that.”

“Stupid, stupid, thing.” You scolded, your heart starting to beat a thousand times faster at his words. “You aren’t disappointing, Lin.”

He smiled, choosing not to reply as you felt his breaths even out. Looking down, you brushed a hand over his cheek, curling over his body to see his face.

“Lin? Are you-are you asleep?” You held back a chuckle that might jostle him and wake the sleepy figure once he nodded. Instead, you just kept on carding through his hair, looking down and endlessly staring at him, admiring, thinking over and over again about how much you adored this dork.

“You are so bright, Jesus, I’m sure you could power these stage lights for ten years.” The statement came from somewhere you had stashed away all your thoughts about Lin, including your feelings. It wouldn’t hurt to say them while he couldn’t hear, right? “I admire you so much, you have no idea. Don’t let yourself think you are inadequate, or useless, or just not worth it. Because you aren’t. You are the leader of this successful show, you have created so many things that have taken the world by storm. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t met you here.”

A small smile had crept up on his lips as he tried his best to keep the sleeping facade in place. Unbeknownst to you, he had been listening, and all his hopes about a future with you became possible. He quickly pushed the smile from its place to listen to your words again. You didn’t notice.

The next day, Lin looked like a Puerto Rican ball of energy backstage. The whole cast and crew noticed he was on a roll, and Tommy hated to be the one to contact him about the bad news.

“Lin?” Tommy knocked on the doorframe of Lin’s dressing room before entering, revealing a half-dressed Lin being mic’d. “We have a problem.”

“Jasmine’s dress suffered a small… accident. No one knows for sure, she swears she didn’t trip, but the fabric of the Maria skirt was ripped in the back, really badly. Like all the way up to the bodice.” Lin’s eyes widened as he took in Tommy’s words: today was the day off for the wardrobe crew. One of them was available for emergencies, but added to this, there wasn’t enough time.

“D-Don’t worry, I know someone.” Lin waited a few seconds until they finished mic’ing him up and got to his phone, searching for your number in the contact list.

“[Y/N]?” His voice was rushed, but Lin was not the energetic type of nervous, he was methodical, and you recognized his tone right away.

“Everything okay?” You asked immediately, his tone setting off alarm bells in your head.

“Can you come to the theatre, like, right now? We had an incident with Jasmine’s dress and-”

“I’m leaving work right now, I’ll be there in ten, okay?” You quickened your pace, dodging people in the street, making your way to the Richard Rodgers.

“You’re a lifesaver,” he replied, relief taking over his voice.

“Don’t thank me yet,” you joked, hanging up the phone as you broke out into an almost-sprint.

By the time you got the theatre, Lin had already left a pass for you to come in, making it easier for you to rush your way to the dressing rooms. You ignored the looks from the cast that you only heard stories about and knocked on Lin’s dressing room door. When he opened, he was in all his Alexander Hamilton glory.

“Hey, Mr. Hamilton,” you smiled, trying without success to hide that you were the human version of the heart eyes emoji and it was getting embarrassing fast.

“Thank God you’re here!” His greeting was interrupted by the speakers announcing there was two minutes to places, and he rushed with you to the girls’ dressing room. “Jas, this is [Y/N], she’ll fix your dress, just… Show her the way, okay?”

“So you’re Lin’s guardian angel!” She greeted you. You didn’t have time to blush and simper at that but oh, how you did. A red colour spread across your nose bridge and you didn’t notice that Lin didn’t look any better. Stuttering, he hurried out of the room. Jasmine took the red dress from the rack. It looked bad.

“Jesus,” you murmured, staring at the tear that ranged from the hem of the skirt, all the way to the ties on the back.

“I know.” Jasmine sighed, sheepish.

“Okay. We can’t let these stitches be seen, so we’re going to do this inside out. You have red thread, right? Give me some time with the needle. I promise you, I’ll get it done.”

She handed you the sewing kit for emergencies and thanked you as many times as she could before someone called her to places, leaving you alone with your task. You took a deep breath before getting into work. The songs went by as you sewed the dress calmly, being careful to not let anything to visible. She’d need a whole new skirt later, but that would have to do it for now. When you finally finished, ‘History Has It’s Eyes on You’ was almost over. Reaching over to hang the dress in its place, you admired the work you managed to do in such short notice.

Jasmine rushed into the room, still wearing her yellow dress, squealing when she saw the red skirt fixed. “You are amazing!”

“It’s no big deal, just be careful with it. You’ll need to ask wardrobe for a new skirt later, okay?”

“Paul will kill me,” she laughed, her nerves mixed with relief. You helped her get dressed, being extra careful with the fabric this time. Once she was in her red costume, Lin knocked on the door.

“Come in!” Jas called, and he peeked in, closing the door behind him before looking up to see the repairs you’d made. He froze, speechless and not able to believe his eyes.

“She really is a guardian angel,” Jas grinned, breezing past him with a wink that you missed.

An awkward silence filled the room and you made yourself busy with fidgeting at the hem of the sleeves on your shirt.

“So how’s the show go-” You attempted.

“I love you.”

If there was any air in that room, you couldn’t tell. Your jaw dropped (quite unflatteringly) and you were about to answer when someone rushed into the dressing room.

“Lin, Lac has a few things to talk to you during intermission, if you could come real quick...”

“Uh, I-sure, yeah,” he replied, his eyes shifting from the stagehand to you. “I’ll be right back. Or after the end of the show, please-please stay until the end of the show?”

You nodded before Lin got literally pulled from the dressing room, his eyes never straying from yours. That left you alone once again. You took a deep breath, processing the words he just threw at you moments before he exited. It was too good to be true, right? It wasn’t possible. Nothing like this happened in real life. This was the ending of some sap’s favourite rom-com, not your life. Too many thoughts weighed too heavy on your mind, so you surrendered to distraction, deciding to watch the rest of the show from your secret room.

The view was even more extraordinary than you remembered. The lights looked different from up there, the performances looked more sharp and you noticed the patterns on the dance moves as the second act came on. Tears rolled down your face as you watched the last moments of the show, and you missed the final bows as you made your way downstairs once again. It was just when the cast was returning to their dressing rooms, still fully dressed in period costumes, that you found Lin. He met you halfway up the last flight of stairs, the steps levelling the two of you out just enough for him to look right into your eyes.

“Secret room?” He asked, his voice slightly above a whisper.

“Yep,” you replied, popping the ‘p’ and making him chuckle. “Listen, Lin, I just-”

Within seconds, he surged forward, hands cupping your jaw as he pressed his lips to yours, soft, forgiving, and altogether the sweetest moment you had ever witnessed. You reached up to brush your fingers over his cheek as he pulled away, searching your face to see if his decision had been a mistake. After seeing only soft eyes that looked adoringly back, a slow grin spread across his face.

“Thank you,” he whispered, letting his forehead rest against yours. His eyes closed momentarily.

“It was just a ripped costume.”

“No, I mean for everything. For always believing in me, for being the reason I fall asleep happy at night, for making me feel adequate. You are everything I need, [Y/N].”

His declarations resulted in a bright red blush and as screams and applause from his castmates surrounded you, you noticed (for the first time), that the both of you were in the middle of the after-show rush. You giggled, hiding your face on the crook of Lin’s neck as he turned around with a smile that could light up New York city.

He led you down the staircase, hand tucked into yours and still clad a Hamilton costume. The smile he kept giving you, he looks he didn’t have to sneak anymore, all of it had made your heart feel lighter than air. This was possible. It didn’t always happen, but some people were lucky enough to experience that.

“Lin.”

“Mhm?”

“That time on the stage, when you fell asleep in my lap. You were awake, weren’t you?”

He turned to you, eyes bright with mischief as he shrugged shamelessly. “I’ll never tell.”

You rolled your eyes, bumping his hip with yours. “I hate you.”

“I love you.”

You tried to fight it. You really did.

“Dammit, I love you too.”

“Oh thank God,” he grinned. “Otherwise I don’t know what I would have done.”

#lin manuel miranda x reader #lin manuel miranda imagine #hamilcast imagine #collaboration

633 notes · View notes