awww poor Lars, poor Hwoarang! _

i lol'd at "stop daydreaming about making a dynamic entry into my ass"

i can only said...

THIS IS SAD

but this is a great story

i love it ;)

hope you'd be willing to write another story to this pairing

with a happy ending, maybe? :)

I liked this! The fact that you used swedish words made it very good. The "jag älskar dig" part was sweet. Im swedish so I liked it a lot! Good work.

I liked this a lot. From it's clever, original dynamic, to it's well constructed love story, black humour, and tragic end, it gelled and ran together really well. Pathos was everywhere...not once did I ever feel emotionally disconnected. A brilliant, solid read. Kudos to you! :D

UGH. KAZAMA! *shakes fist* AWW. :(

...I'm sure I've told you this countless times already Razer, but damn do you write well. This story had such a lovely bittersweet feel to it the whole way through. I really liked the flirty scenes between Lars and Hwo, (he always has the BEST lines) and the descriptions of Hwo training and Lars painting were wonderfully vivid. Sorry it took me so long to leave a review for this, I really enjoyed it even though it made me sad, dammit.

This story is so sad, but I can not help but love it. Jin is such a cruel jerk, but I still love him. Ingenius... good job.

Oh my goodness. Am I allowed to faint, because it's very close and probably my only reaction besides possible tears. Beautiful and so... so... touching, raw...

Great story, Raze. To be honest I got a little depressed when I was reading towards the end of the fic when Hwoarang was killed, especially when I'm a bit of a depressed mood as it is...

Looks like I have a new favourite yaoi pairing now so it would seem :P Lars and Hwoarang do make such a cute couple indeed. I think you done more than well on this oneshot so you have nothing to worry about. Hmm, I find Lars' personal momentos or even memories as it were are sort of similar to diary entries perhaps. Well I can't exactly blame Lars for getting fed up with Jin and his constant demands - personally that sounds like hell...Of course Lars feels like he is being treated like a toy, making him feel pissed off in so many ways. I think he just wants this war to be over and done with and try to resume normal life if possible. I'm glad you included Tougou in this, only if it was a small part. 'It was his routine as of late – get home, eat, and then go off and paint. He needed it. It was one of the few things that kept him… happy.' - An escape from the horrors of reality I presume. Strange, I never would have taken Lars to be the painting type of bloke, but it does show a different side to his personality :)

The first description of the dead garden is beautiful and a litle haunting at the same time. 'He was dressed in white training clothes – it wasn't a gi, he wasn't sure what it was called, but clearly the symbol on the hands signalised he was a Tae Kwon Do practitioner – and had dark red hair. He moved so fluidly, as though he were water running down rocks.' - Very awesome and it captures Hwoarang too XD I find it a little disturbing that Jin is rather fixated with his rival like having many photos of him, thinking of plans for him to get killed and other things like that. That's bordering on the line of obsession - pretty unhealthy...

"Stop checking me out and finish that damn painting," Hwoarang remarked with a smirk.

"Who says I'm checking you out?"

"Well, I'm hot firstly…" At this, Lars rolled his eyes, "…and secondly you keep getting distracted. You initially go to look at the brick wall, and then your eyes drift to me. So stop watching me and my sexy ass, stop daydreaming about making a dynamic entry into my ass, and finish that damn painting, because I want to see." - This made me smile and chuckle :P Ah, Hwoarang I love you very much!

The progress from their first meeting to reguarly going to the same place once a week while them both being there is good. At least they are getting to know about eachother a little more then :) The playful banter between them is cute I've got to admit and Hwoarang's 'phallic' comment about Lar's painting cracked me up. 'He knew he was attracted to men, but he didn't realise that his feelings came up for this man that fast – was Hwoarang even gay? With a small laugh to himself, he shrugged and disregarded the thought of them being together. Besides, even if they could, they couldn't – he was being hunted by the most powerful man in the world, and the artist was his lackey.' - Interesting concept. Well, if Hwoarang is making flirting comments towards Lars then yes, there could be a certain attraction...But then again, it could be classed as a forbidden romance due to Jin and his ways. Aww, Hwoarang giving those pastellfiskar to Lars is very thoughtful :D

'The statement seemed to comfort him. He began to run over various ways to express himself in his head. 'I think I like you' – no, too blank – 'I believe I am attracted to you' – no, too formal – 'wanna go out sometime?' – that doesn't fit well with me – 'you, me, your bedroom, now' – no way, that makes me sound too easy – 'so, I was thinking, maybe we could…' – how the hell do I even finish such a sentence?' - Kinda reminds me of a nervous schoolboy asking his crush out, lol! And it's about bloody time they had kissed too.

Thier relationship sounds pretty awesome and sweet - at least they have mutual love and respect for one another, that's the thing that counts I guess :P I like the fact they are becoming more of a couple and introudcing the other to the people most important to them. "God fucking dammit – with my ridiculously and hideous short hair. He was probably scared away by how bad I looked." - Oh God, lol - Hwoarang's hair in Tekken 4 was something I wasn't too keen on either XD I think they're both starting to understand the difficulties of their relationship regarding the fact Lars is working for Jin and hw dangerous it is to be in a position like that. I'm not sure if Lars is torn between duty and his love for Hwoarang - perhaps he does understand that but he wants to figure out a way to rebel against Jin. 'The statement did warm Hwoarang's heart, but it did not put him back in a happy, carefree mood.' - Looks like Hwoarang is having doubts already :(

God, Jin is such a bastard for odering Lars to murder Hwoarang to carry out his plans - he does this on purpose to break Lar's mind and spirit...Fucking stupid Jin - everything was going alright with Lars and Hwoarang up until that point! I'm just glad Lars didn't go against Hwoarang - instead he is giving up his work and duty to start a new life with him. "They both agree with my decision if it means protecting your life!" - Agreed. I like the scene when Lars was trying to comfort his lover but my heart stopped a bit when Jin shown up with Eddy and Nina in the act :( And getting Nina to spy on them was tactless - Jin really is a bastard...

"He's… He's just a kid, Jin. Please, let him go."

"He is a few months older than me! Are you therefore accusing that I too am a child?" - No use in arguing with your boss then, Lars.

'Lars hesitated. The feel of Hwoarang's body firmly pressed up against his, shivering, was incredibly draining. The youth's forehead was pressed against his back, one of his hands were on his shoulders, the other was gripping his own, and his eyes were shut incredibly tight. The soldier could vaguely hear him mutter 'I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die' – he felt his eyes water.

"Pick up the gun, Lars! Pick it up!"

"No." - Shit, I don't know what to say about this. It's getting even tense...

Damn...Jin killed Hwoarang :( I can't stop feeling sorru for Lars at the end. Without Hwarang being there with him, he has lost the will to carry on.

Delightfully saddening fic title. It's got me into the mood even before I start reading the fic. Oh, and. Nightwish. :D

~He moved so fluidly, as though he were water running down rocks. Even in the cold, he moved with grace, completely unbothered by the weather itself. - Beautful!

~"Stop checking me out and finish that damn painting," Hwoarang remarked with a smirk.

"Who says I'm checking you out?"

"Well, I'm hot firstly…" At this, Lars rolled his eyes, "…and secondly you keep getting distracted. You initially go to look at the brick wall, and then your eyes drift to me. So stop watching me and my sexy ass, stop daydreaming about making a dynamic entry into my ass, and finish that damn painting, because I want to see."

"…What makes you think I'm even attracted to you?"

"Everyone is!" he snorted. It was obvious that Hwoarang was seeking some type of comeback. He was bored. - LOL! And. DYNAMIC ENTRY.

~'you know, the way that you've done that tree, it really reminds me of something phallic. I approve'. - Love. Lovelovelove. XD

The kiss. I'm sure I've said this before about another of your fic's kisses, but my gosh did that kiss just materialise.

~Lars shook his head quickly, furrowing his eyebrows, "No. I'd never." - so. cute.

Jin's speech made me wanna vomit. Pull that stick outta the a-hole. Also, though: "His heart clenched, No. Please, no.", "I can't..." - :(.

~"Stop arguing with me," the Swede rolled his eyes, realising that he was playing around, and grabbed his hand, moving towards the car, "Just come on –"

"Stop there."

They froze.

Jin Kazama, Nina Williams and Eddy Gordo stepped from the shadows. - My heart stopped. :'(

I loved it all. The passages in italics were haunting.

Just brilliant, man. Frighteningly brilliant.

"Inspired by Salysha's 'Down and Low'." -Salysha? That's me. Down and Low? That's my fic. Awesome.

The strongest passages in the fic and my favorites were the entire theme and build-up of Lars' conflict and Hwoarang's fear and desperation to live in the end ("The soldier could vaguely hear him mutter 'I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die' – he felt his eyes water"). I also liked this: "so, I was thinking, maybe we could…' – how the hell do I even finish such a sentence?" The banter scenes were smoothly done and fun to follow.

Those were the likes. This passage, however, was AMAZING:

"Lars hesitated. The feel of Hwoarang's body firmly pressed up against his, shivering, was incredibly draining."

I was left idling with a thought: Was there something behind Jin's obsessive need to populate his desk with Hwoarang material? I was thinking, especially with the photos, if he was carrying a torch after all and fueling himself to a rage enough to carry out the final deed? I must comment, though, that in the real world, you cannot just kill people; in Japan specifically, homicide gets you the death penalty.

-

Quotable quotes:

"He moved so fluidly, as though he were water running down rocks." -Loved the description of Hwoarang and the grace in which he carries himself! The part about a dynamic entry, though, I only say this on the subject and phrasing: XD.

"You know, the way that you've done that tree, it really reminds me of something phallic. I approve." -Awesome comeback! "I approve" is perfect!

"Placing the item back on the silver bench, the younger man opened the front zipper-" -I seriously thought... I saw that the sentence continued, but reading comprehension halted right there.

-

Food for thought:

I had trouble keeping track of this paragraph. From whose perspective was it? It looked like Lars at the start (Hwoarang is referred to by name) but Hwoarang at the end (the perspective of being the hunted one):

"Was Hwoarang even gay? (...) he was being hunted by the most powerful man in the world, and the artist was his lackey?"

I thought Lars' pleading was slightly wordy; it didn't have that much of an impact on me. "He's… He's just a kid, Jin. Please, let him go" was great, but the Jun-themed monologue didn't work for me. The finishing phrase to the fic struck me as too flowery: "Broken, he threw his now forsaken and destroyed passion out the open window, abandoned." Less adjectives here, and note also that "out (of) the window," as an idiomatic expression, already implies the meaning of 'forsaken, abandoned.'

-

Dead Gardens is an incredibly sad name. The story carried such desperate desolation that even the light-humored passages seemed to wilt in their wake; I think the fic didn't let the reader off easy. The blue mood was so overwhelming it even drowned out the sadness over Jin's downfall and delusions of godhood.

You mentioned in the author's note that there was more interest toward the pairing. I wish I would have heard about it, but I can easily draw my own conclusions. You, on the other hand... I have the feeling that you will be dearly praised for this work. Your love and dedication for the story shine through, and the outcome is elegant.

"Lars hesitated. The feel of Hwoarang's body firmly pressed up against his, shivering, was incredibly draining." I quote the passage twice. It has to mean something.

A new fic, yeah!

"She wasn't there anymore. She couldn't cook for him. He had to take care of himself." Haha, mama's boy. Looks like he and Jin have that in common.

"and maybe, hopefully, a small idea or way to overthrow Jin" In a diary? A non-electronic or password-protected one at that? Geez, Lars, were you born yesterday? (Come to think of it, you kinda were _)

"I asked you to get my good side."

"And what makes you think I'm painting you?"

Lol, gotta love Hwo's sense of entitlement!

"This was the man whom Jin would constantly rant and rave over, in anger, curiosity and maybe even with a tinge of care. This was the man whose photographs were on his boss' desk, scribbles of his whereabouts and methods to murder him all over the place." 0.o Stalker!Jin is freaky.

"Stop checking me out and finish that damn painting," XD

"So stop watching me and my sexy ass, stop daydreaming about making a dynamic entry into my ass, and finish that damn painting" LMAO!

"You do have a nice ass." Nice parting blow!

"was Hwoarang even gay?" I should think he's at least Bi, otherwise he would have beaten your ass six ways to Sunday by now _

"He knew he was attracted to men" Oh, boy, Tougou should watch out for his ass, literally

"If you mean 'Hwoarang you dashingly handsome man, are they Swedish Fish candies'? Then your answer is 'yes'" -XD

"'I think I like you' – no, too blank – 'I believe I am attracted to you' – no, too formal – 'wanna go out sometime?' – that doesn't fit well with me – 'you, me, your bedroom, now' – no way, that makes me sound too easy – 'so, I was thinking, maybe we could…' – how the hell do I even finish such a sentence?"XDXDXDXD

"He knew. Jin Kazama knew the source of my joy." Big fucking D'oh, Lars. It's your damn diary. Not hard to imagine him sending his Gestapo in to raid your secrets. That's one hell of a dilemma though.

RIP Hwo :( :( :( God, down with Jin, already. Now Lars has a more clearcut, more urgent motive to take down the crazy SOB. Sad that he stopped painting, but that's to be expected.

That was highly enjoyable, Razer. It flowed well and I didn't think there were any awkward moments. Keep doing that and Lars/Hwo might well become my yaoi OTP(it's old-school JinxHwo at the moment). Hope to see more from you soon!

~Happy Writing!

Intriguing.

The couple was certainly unique, however, I found the pacing of the story to be somewhat erratic.

Nonetheless, decently written and an entertaining read. *feels sorry for Lars*

All the tales are told, the orchid's gone

Lost in my own world, now I care for dead gardens.

I just loved it, the way you describe the characters is simply amazing! The title also reminded me of the above song from Nightwish named Dead Gardens. :)

What do we have here- a m/m fic. by Razer? -widen eyes- -reads- No! Can't be. Not a tragic ending. Aish :( :(. But a FCKIN AWESOME write! A giggle to the asking out statements of Lars- than than "Come on Lars,before I get old." Aw there's our Hwoarang. I've missed him. FANTASTIC JOB Raze!