fic thoughts: burn baby burn
Jun. 9th, 2021 05:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
moonfleurOnce again, I am doing a commentary on a fic other than blood and bone - the one fic that literally already has commentary pre-written but, well, the heart wants what it wants I guess.
The only reason I'm doing this now is because I reread this and, surprisingly, did not hate it as much as I thought I would. In fact, I think I like it enough to write a sequel (of sorts) but I digress.
Anyway, burn baby burn, my first and only tbz fic. It was inspired by a drabble I did for one of those picture prompt threads going around and, originally, in my mind I had envisioned Ten or Renjun as the main character and it was most definitely not set in this weird, dystopian, x-men-esque universe the fic is currently set in. But, I was talking to Hayley, as I usually am when it comes to TBZ brain worms, and the idea of phoenix dancer!chanhee set in and I knew I had to write it. (Note: I mean phoenix dancer in the x-men phoenix sense of the word, not so much the mythological creature sense. Although, Chanhee's powers are based off the creature more than Jean Grey lol). That's basically how this fic was born.
As usual, the world itself sort of developed as I wrote it. The first few paragraphs were adapted from the drabble but then I decided I wanted Chanhee to be like one of those cage dancers you see in clubs. I just think it needed to be set somewhere dark and gritty, in a world that was dark and gritty more so than just the physical location at that point in time. Cue the entrance of human-mutant animosity and the presence of bounty Hunters who, outside the club's bounds, would hunt mutants.
That's where Changmin comes in as the club's owner and, technically (even though I'm just realising this now as I'm writing this) the other half of Chanhee's phoenix power. For context, Jean Grey (or The Phoenix) in x-men had telekinetic, telepathic and fire(type) powers. Changmin here has both telepathy and telekinesis while Chanhee holds the fire. I kinda like this idea that they are two halves of the one whole, in a sense. Anyway, Changmin is basically the reason the club is one of the only places humans, mutants and bounty hunters can set aside their differences. If he senses even a hint that someone is about to break his rules, they'll be thrown out with no memory the place even exists. Yes, Changmin is very powerful.
An example of his power:
That was Kevin's whole thing. I wanted him to be different, not like them but not like everyone else who wasn't like them. I actually placed Kevin in the story right at the start:
Now, we get to the fun part. The Chanhee x Changmin banter and, I know I'm no seasoned TBZ writer but I think I got their interactions down. To me anyway lol.
Chanhee getting annoyed at Changmin for messing up his hair but he moves to give Changmin better access anyway is something so quintessentially them - don't touch me, but don't not touch me. If you get my drift?
THIS ONE. I think this one encapsulates them perfectly. The trust between them with the way Chanhee knows he wouldn't hurt Changmin with his fire, and the way Changmin knows Chanhee wouldn't hurt him. The brief flicker of fondness and vulnerability between them before Chanhee decides it's too much and his sassy ass is capital O Over It even though he loves it. Might even love Changmin, if you hold him at gunpoint and force the words from his mouth. Moving on...
Okay, I have to be honest. For a while, I had no idea how I was going to make them meet again but in the end they meet at the cafe with Chanhee extremely hangry and Kevin, the poor soul, is just tired. Of course, Chanhee wouldn't be Chanhee if he wasn't snapping at someone - in this case some giant dude who bulldozed his way into the queue.
I just like the idea of tiny Chanhee squaring up with a guy two times his size because he knows he can wipe the floor with him while Kevin is there like PLEASE, this is not how I want my honour defended. In any case, they meet like that and I have to say that the funniest line comes from Kevin, who is definitely the funniest anyway, when he doesn't remember Chanhee.
Kevin would freak out and immediately assume the guy he doesn't remember meeting is someone he hooked up with. I would have had him ramble on even more but they were in the middle of a queue during lunch hour. I thought it was cute though, his blustering, and clearly Chanhee thought so as well.
Let's end on a my thoughts re: Changmin and Chanhee's relationship. In the tags, it was tagged as both established and ambiguous and I think that properly sums up who they are to each. Their importance to each other is definitely established, who exactly they are to each though, that is ambiguous. Whatever they are, though, they are definitely open to additions (see: Kevin) but I think that comes from an oddly secure concept of their relationship with each other despite the apparent lack of labels. I don't know, there are some pairings I feel suit this time of relationship i.e. you are definitely my person and I love you and your space in my life cannot be filled by anyone else but all labels fall short of describing who you are to me because whether we are romantically involved or not, you will still be the same person to me.
Yeah, you see that whole sentence-long description is why it is tagged ambiguous because how do you tag a relationship like that? Other pairings that I think fall easily into this tag: junhui/minghao, doyoung/taeyong, jeonghan/joshua, san/wooyoung. Yeah. If you can't tell by now, these are they dynamics I live for.
Anyway, that's all I really have for this fic, which is a lot for a 3k word fic so I'm just going to end it on one of favourite lines because I like how it sets up the atmosphere of the moment.
The only reason I'm doing this now is because I reread this and, surprisingly, did not hate it as much as I thought I would. In fact, I think I like it enough to write a sequel (of sorts) but I digress.
Anyway, burn baby burn, my first and only tbz fic. It was inspired by a drabble I did for one of those picture prompt threads going around and, originally, in my mind I had envisioned Ten or Renjun as the main character and it was most definitely not set in this weird, dystopian, x-men-esque universe the fic is currently set in. But, I was talking to Hayley, as I usually am when it comes to TBZ brain worms, and the idea of phoenix dancer!chanhee set in and I knew I had to write it. (Note: I mean phoenix dancer in the x-men phoenix sense of the word, not so much the mythological creature sense. Although, Chanhee's powers are based off the creature more than Jean Grey lol). That's basically how this fic was born.
As usual, the world itself sort of developed as I wrote it. The first few paragraphs were adapted from the drabble but then I decided I wanted Chanhee to be like one of those cage dancers you see in clubs. I just think it needed to be set somewhere dark and gritty, in a world that was dark and gritty more so than just the physical location at that point in time. Cue the entrance of human-mutant animosity and the presence of bounty Hunters who, outside the club's bounds, would hunt mutants.
That's where Changmin comes in as the club's owner and, technically (even though I'm just realising this now as I'm writing this) the other half of Chanhee's phoenix power. For context, Jean Grey (or The Phoenix) in x-men had telekinetic, telepathic and fire(type) powers. Changmin here has both telepathy and telekinesis while Chanhee holds the fire. I kinda like this idea that they are two halves of the one whole, in a sense. Anyway, Changmin is basically the reason the club is one of the only places humans, mutants and bounty hunters can set aside their differences. If he senses even a hint that someone is about to break his rules, they'll be thrown out with no memory the place even exists. Yes, Changmin is very powerful.
An example of his power:
When he tries to lift his hand back up he finds that he can’t, his hand plastered resolutely to his stomach, and he swats at Changmin with his free hand. “Let go of me. You know that I can damn well look after myself.”
Of course, this fic being a gift for Hayley, I knew I had to throw in a rarepair, which lead to the Kevin/New pairing. At the time, clips of them were floating around so it made sense for the new pairing to be them.
“He wasn’t hot,” Chanhee says honestly. “Not in that way anyway. He was just… different.”At that Changmin turns to him fully, and Chanhee can almost feel the intensity of his gaze on his skin like little pinpricks of pressure as he tries to read him without actually delving into his mind. “You’re interested in him,” Changmin says softly and with more understanding than Chanhee thinks he deserves.
That was Kevin's whole thing. I wanted him to be different, not like them but not like everyone else who wasn't like them. I actually placed Kevin in the story right at the start:
He watches the crowd as he moves, takes note of the man who has taken a step back from the cage bars but whose gaze sears into him just as hot as the flames that surround him.Kevin, who is human but so fascinated by Chanhee instead of afraid. And Chanhee, who has never known a human to show anything but fear and hatred. He'd been different and that was enough.
Now, we get to the fun part. The Chanhee x Changmin banter and, I know I'm no seasoned TBZ writer but I think I got their interactions down. To me anyway lol.
Chanhee relaxes into the touch, even if a part of him is a bit annoyed that his hair is now ruined. “You’re ruining my hair, Changmin,” is what he settles for, scooting upwards on the couch so that he can lay his head in Changmin’s lap. “And my mind is busy every night.”
Chanhee getting annoyed at Changmin for messing up his hair but he moves to give Changmin better access anyway is something so quintessentially them - don't touch me, but don't not touch me. If you get my drift?
Chanhee smiles, small and genuine for the first time that night before threading their fingers together, the flames on his fingers separated from Changmin’s bare skin by an invisible layer. “I know.” He pauses for a second before his smile morphs into something wilder, more mischievous. “Now, don’t get all soft on me. What will our regulars say if they find out the infamous owner of Reveal is a huge sap ?”Changmin grins, a twin to Chanhee’s own. “Then I’d say it is only for you.”Chanhee blanches before he shoves Changmin away, the flames in his hand going out as he pretends to throw up over the side of the seat. “Ew, don’t ever say that again.”
THIS ONE. I think this one encapsulates them perfectly. The trust between them with the way Chanhee knows he wouldn't hurt Changmin with his fire, and the way Changmin knows Chanhee wouldn't hurt him. The brief flicker of fondness and vulnerability between them before Chanhee decides it's too much and his sassy ass is capital O Over It even though he loves it. Might even love Changmin, if you hold him at gunpoint and force the words from his mouth. Moving on...
Okay, I have to be honest. For a while, I had no idea how I was going to make them meet again but in the end they meet at the cafe with Chanhee extremely hangry and Kevin, the poor soul, is just tired. Of course, Chanhee wouldn't be Chanhee if he wasn't snapping at someone - in this case some giant dude who bulldozed his way into the queue.
“Hey,” he says softly. “It’s fine. I get it. Some people don’t know how to wait their turn.” He sends a glare over the man’s shoulder but the giant is pointedly looking somewhere else. The coward. He offers this guy a smile though, one that he hopes is reassuring enough. “I’m Chanhee,” he adds.
I just like the idea of tiny Chanhee squaring up with a guy two times his size because he knows he can wipe the floor with him while Kevin is there like PLEASE, this is not how I want my honour defended. In any case, they meet like that and I have to say that the funniest line comes from Kevin, who is definitely the funniest anyway, when he doesn't remember Chanhee.
Kevin turns to look at him then, to really look at him and Chanhee feels suddenly too exposed in his giant t-shirt that he’s sure is Changmin’s and the ripped jeans he’d thrown on when he couldn’t find anything else lying around. “I—” he starts, pauses, bites his lips and Chanhee swears he can see the thoughts rushing through his brain. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember. Did I— I mean… Did we…? Oh god, I hope I didn’t just—”
Kevin would freak out and immediately assume the guy he doesn't remember meeting is someone he hooked up with. I would have had him ramble on even more but they were in the middle of a queue during lunch hour. I thought it was cute though, his blustering, and clearly Chanhee thought so as well.
You found him. Changmin's voice is amused and more than a little fond when it sounds in his mind.Chanhee smiles, feeling lighter than he has in a while. I did.
Let's end on a my thoughts re: Changmin and Chanhee's relationship. In the tags, it was tagged as both established and ambiguous and I think that properly sums up who they are to each. Their importance to each other is definitely established, who exactly they are to each though, that is ambiguous. Whatever they are, though, they are definitely open to additions (see: Kevin) but I think that comes from an oddly secure concept of their relationship with each other despite the apparent lack of labels. I don't know, there are some pairings I feel suit this time of relationship i.e. you are definitely my person and I love you and your space in my life cannot be filled by anyone else but all labels fall short of describing who you are to me because whether we are romantically involved or not, you will still be the same person to me.
Yeah, you see that whole sentence-long description is why it is tagged ambiguous because how do you tag a relationship like that? Other pairings that I think fall easily into this tag: junhui/minghao, doyoung/taeyong, jeonghan/joshua, san/wooyoung. Yeah. If you can't tell by now, these are they dynamics I live for.
Anyway, that's all I really have for this fic, which is a lot for a 3k word fic so I'm just going to end it on one of favourite lines because I like how it sets up the atmosphere of the moment.
He glances out at the sea of bodies, catches the glitter of drink glasses as they catch the strobe lights just before the lights dim, leaving them all in nothing but red. Red lights, red smoke (or whatever the club likes to pump into its system, Chanhee never really bothered to find out), the red of his silk fabric that twirls along with him.
♡
