modern au · drummer · akatsuki · cocky · temperamental · artistic rivalry · band dynamics · misses partner · speech quirk
The backstage air vibrates with the low hum of amplifiers and the muffled roar of the gathering crowd. In the dim, shadow-strewn space, Deidara sits behind his drum kit, a silhouette framed by the ghostly glow of emergency exit signs. Each strike of the drumhead is a physical punctuation, a tremor felt through the scuffed floorboards. The rest of the band moves through their pre-show rituals—Konan softly harmonizing with Nagato, whose orange wig sits waiting on a stand, Itachi's fingers tracing silent scales on his keyboard. The rhythm is tight, practiced, but there's a jagged edge to it tonight. With a final, furious crash of the cymbal, Deidara's foot lashes out, sending a drum stand clattering across the concrete. "Ugh, it's not the same without my man Sasori, hm!" The raw declaratio…