#but imagine if i’m right. idk what about there’s no theory here but like. imagine

[foralltheshaniacs]

why do the puppet history episode descriptions keep clarifying that ryan and the professor are friends now. that’s… not usually something you have to clarify, much less in every episode.

am i reading too far into this? probably. am i incredibly suspicious anyway? oh absolutely

[illusioncanthurtme--art]

This may be a silly question… but I’m an artist trying to learn backgrounds. I’ve studied perspective until my hands fell off, but I don’t know how to choose an angle or not make things look wonky. I’ve tried asking a lot of artists, but I’m hoping to hear more than “just draw backgrounds”, because I have been, but I’m not improving.

Do you have any tips on how to practice?

The anonymous ask is much more recent but it reminded me of another ask from @cerealssoggies i forgot to answer thats, OOF... gotten old. Sorry about that. I'll answer your ask more directly at the end of this.

I'll talk about the perspective ask first. Anon... I'll answer your question as best as I can!

I think what makes perspective tricky is the beginning, when you're using perspective lines and grids and such to map out the picture. Because the actual technique of 2 point perspective isn't hard or complicated, it's getting the scene to look the way it does in your head thats tricky. I'm talking about the metaphorical "camera" location, angle, and... idk, focal length? If I'm using that phrase correctly.

So you can draw something like a simple square bedroom, and by the time you're done placing your horizon line, vanishing point, and perspective lines, and actually start drawing, you realize it doesn't look like how it does in your head. And from there, it's hard or nearly impossible to move things around to look like your vision, so you'll be tweaking each thing individually: uhh, let's move the horizon line down, the left vanishing point further? The right one closer? Both further? Huh??? And it's frustrating.

I've found, if you're drawing an environment from your imagination, the best way to start is to draw an teeeeny tiny thumbnail sketch. The smaller the better. Not just environments, but any drawing idea is easier to map out when it's smaller. Your brain can latch onto the visual as a whole when it's all tiny on a piece of paper.

Drawing my current blog header, the one of ford's research tent, I had a similar pickle. I knew exactly where I wanted the camera to be, in the corner of the tent, and I knew I wanted the camera to be more wide, so you could see most of his tent while keeping the feeling that it's small. I started digitally with perspective lines and quickly got frustrated. SO - I took to my sketchbook and thought reeeeeally hard about what it looked like in my head, and tried mapping it out in a tiny tiny thumbnail. Here's what that looked like:

This was closer to what I wanted than what I first had on my computer. I knew from there that I wanted the furniture items to be closer together and the camera higher (you can see my scribble writing saying this), so I scanned my thumbnail, and drew on top of it to get closer to the vision. Then, from there, I was able to add a proper perspective grid based on what I had already drawn.

THEN you can finally get down to the fun part - actually populating your room with furniture and details. I put this sketch on paper and did most of the real drawing traditionally:

In summary: instead of jumping straight into perspective theory, thumbnail the idea as rough as you can. Then base the angles of the perspective lines on your thumbnail.

But.... even still, I don't have the strongest ability to picture things mentally, and not everyone is gonna be able to do that (although it is a good muscle to exercise.) Sort of a segue into the second ask - those backgrounds of dibs car? I straight up traced over pictures I took of my car. I'm not the biggest advocate for tracing, it does kind of feel like cheating, BUT for the purposes of this animation? There's no point in getting on a high horse. I needed to draw his car like 10 times and there was no reason to torture myself. I did photoshop some of the photos before I drew over them because the focal length made the car look bigger than I wanted it to? And a lot of it was guessing what the car looked like behind the front seats, etc.

But this does remind me of an exercise I did in school for an illustration mentorship class. The mentor for one unit was a set designer working for Netflix. She was given photos of a room that a scene would be shot in, and she drew the set on top of it: like furniture, decorations, etc. So my assignment was to choose a stock photo, and do some world building concept art based on the photo. From the photo, you can figure out the perspective by identifying lines/angles that theoretically lead to a vanishing point. You need at least two lines, and you extend them really far and see where they cross. Where they meet is a vanishing point. Find two vanishing points and they are level with the horizon line. Then use the perspective dots you just found to draw furniture, items, and you can even get creative and change the shape/height/size of the rooms/buildings/etc, while still using the same perspective.

If an image from the internet feels too much like cheating (it SHOULDN'T, you'll only learn from it and your drawing won't look anything like the image by the time you're done), you can always take your own photos. This technique is honestly what made me enjoy drawing backgrounds in the first place. It made it fun! And drawing should be fun.

I still do this sort of thing today. Here's the reference picture I had my sister take of me for my Fairy godmother illustration. (This is from a couple years ago.) I drew on top of it in photoshop to get my best guess as to the lines and angles. I didn't trace this one, but I did use it very heavily for reference!

So I guess... to summarize both techniques, don't jump right into perspective. Best way to start, that's fun and not wildly frustrating, is to use a photo. If your vision is hyper specific, start from a tiny thumbnail and work your way up. Then the fun part!! Populating the scene with furniture and items and fun little details.

To answer @cerealssoggies question more directly: omg, thank you?? :O💞 I'm always so wowed when people talk about my prints and where they put them. I'm really glad you like the fairy godmother one! My mom also has one hung up in her room lol!

My advice on the design front isn't as specific, because that always felt like the easy part. Once you have the room or whatever mapped out, it's just about drawing all the Stuff. Which for me usually means getting in the head of the character and asking myself what sort of things they'd have around themselves and their environment. And obviously if the setting isn't a characters room/personal environment like the previous three examples, then you'd just have to think about what the environments purpose is, and what sort of stuff would be there. When I'm thinking about a background before I draw it, I'll ask myself what items or features it will have. For the ford tent, I made a list of all the stuff I thought he might have in there (I googled winter camping trip packing lists, as well as science-y tools and gadgets). For dibs car, I asked people on tumblr for suggestions as to what I should put in there.

And look up references! Reference is always a good thing.

In real life, I'm a maximalist and a clutterbug. This bleeds into my drawings - I like it when an environment feels full and lived in.

Here's my bedroom lol.

WELL typing and compiling this took up a greater portion of my Friday but I really hope this was helpful to you and others!!

[darlingdaisyfarm]

HEYY!! DIDN’T NOTICE THE ASK BUTTON UNTIL NOW! IM JUST WONDERING HOW YOUR DOING, AND HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAYYY (I apologize for not saying sooner, just found out how to like idk ask or something)

I SWEAR I DON’T MEAN TO SOUND PUSHY OR IF I ASK TOO MANY TIMES, PLEASE JUST SAY IF UTS ANNOYING, BUT DO YOU HAVE: “Jealous!Stanford Pines x Reader” ? CAUSE IDK IM JUST CURIOUS 😭💔

⋆౨ৎ˚ jealous!Ford x you hcs ˖ ࣪

ahhh, thank u so much sweetheart!! no it's not annoying at all, pls dont say that. and sure, here it is! honestly it was pretty helpful for me too because im writing a fic where Ford experiences jealousy. i think it also depends on what exactly he's jealous of (his own brother, random person, pet, etc) and your stage of the relationship

warning its a bit suggestive at the end

ꪆৎ Ford's jealous streak is most obvious when it comes to your mind, i think. like, if you’re showing too much interest in someone else’s ideas, books, or theories, he’ll be the first to drop some passive-aggressive comments

ꪆৎ you’re talking about some science or philosophy with someone, and Ford’s watching, feeling that tiny gnawing jealousy of someone challenging his brilliance. . . he won’t snap, but you'll catch him slipping in little comments, “well, actually, my research on this subject. . . ah, never mind. not worth mentioning to a layperson” ofc it's not directed at you! but to that idiot who dared to interest you

ꪆৎ later, though, after a long talk, he’ll pull you into his study and try to “explain” why only his thoughts matter <333 “you should know, sweetheart, i have 12 phds, allow me to explain you this properly.”

ꪆৎ “what? i’m not upset. i just think it’s interesting that you laughed at his joke when i’ve been trying to impress you with my brain for three years.”

ꪆৎ he starts touching you more too. hand on your knee during conversations. brushing your fingers when handing you smth. standing behind you, palm at the small of your back when you’re with others. and yet still, he doesn’t say a word because he doesn't wanna ruin anything. but his body moves on its own. “this is mine,” is what he’s trying to say

ꪆৎ Stan has always been the loud, charismatic one. Ford’s the thinker, the quiet one, who would rather bury himself in books than make small talk but he just cant help it. Ford doesn’t like it, he doesn’t like how his heart races with frustration or how his fists ball up, wanting to grab you and pull you away. he wont do it, but it doesn't mean he cant imagine it

ꪆৎ if you wear something revealing, Ford absolutely adores it, but insists on walking right next to you all evening

ꪆৎ he overhears you talking about a celebrity crush and spends ten minutes googling them in secret, furiously comparing their jawlines, yeah

ꪆৎ OMG. i believe he clears his throat when someone flirts with you... you know

ꪆৎ if it’s Stan flirting with you, Ford plays it off like he’s above it “Stanley, can you be serious for once?” but his eyes are laser-focused on you, reading your expression

ꪆৎ lmao, you'll probably hear smth as “i hope you had a pleasant conversation with my brother. he can be. . . charming, when he wishes.” prob says it with the politeness of someone screaming internally. and then he obsessively throws himself into work, convinced he's being ridiculous. you're allowed to have friends. you’re not his. not really

ꪆৎ i mean, he wants you to be. but he's terrified of what he might become if he lets himself act like it

ꪆৎ a lot of phrases like “well, i would’ve helped you carry that, but i assume your new friend has that covered.”

“no, go ahead! ill wait. im clearly not as exciting to talk to.” he’ll say it politely though, you wont even notice. even with a smile. and if you don’t pick up on it, he gets quiet and tells himself he’s just being irrational, but it still eats him alive

ꪆৎ Ford still tries to suppress it, but his eyes give him away. he stares. hard. at the person touching you. at the way your mouth curves. at your hands when they gesture

ꪆৎ and if he lets this jealousy win in the public, which happens like really rarely, Ford will absolutely pull you away from a conversation. six fingered hand at your elbow, “excuse us” and you’ll be halfway down the hall before he spins you against the wall

ꪆৎ but may also say, when you're two alone after you spend whole evening talking to someone, “oh, im sorry, were you enjoying yourself? you seemed so. . . engaged with them. i didn’t want to interrupt.”

ꪆৎ you get a pet. a cat, a dog, whatever. and suddenly your affection is going to this creature and not him. Ford doesn’t act out but he gets so still. sits next to you while you pet it, hand on your thigh, but not saying a word. you look over and he finally admits, looking so needy, “i’m being ridiculous but i want to be babied too” so you pull him into your lap instead and he kisses your shoulder with a quiet smile <3

ꪆৎ he gets also weirdly sulky about it. “you let the cat sleep on your chest, when it's my turn?”, “i counted, you kissed it on the head four times. i only got two :(” yes he’s serious. he’s a little unwell

ꪆৎ uhh, u call your pet “baby” and Ford visibly pouts

ꪆৎ if you’re talking to someone “too long” at a gathering, Ford won’t interrupt. but he will appear silently next to you, hand brushing your lower back, and when you finally break away and turn to him like “what’s up?” he’ll smile, as always, so polite. “nothing. i just missed the sound of your voice”

“that person seemed very interested in you. lucky them.”

“did you like the way they looked at you?”

ꪆৎ and the thing is, he’s insecure. so when he’s possessive, it’s always laced with guilt. Ford hates that he wants to stake a claim. hates how it feels to need you so much it makes his skin crawl when you’re focused on someone else

ꪆৎ Ford's jealousy always turns into guilt. he’s always so self-critical, he feels like he should be better than this. Ford knows it’s irrational, that you wouldn’t cheat or leave him for someone else, but it doesn’t stop the surge of possessiveness.

ꪆৎ he can’t help but feel like maybe he’s not enough for you, and that’s what sparks the jealousy in the first place. he feels the jealousy deep in his chest, this irrational, ugly thing he can’t quite stamp out

ꪆৎ he’ll kiss your neck just a little too hard. grip your wrist too long. but it’s always followed by “was that okay?” or “i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to get carried away.” and god help him if you ever tease him for it

ꪆৎ “ohhh, baby. you’re jealous, aren’t you?” he’ll bristle, sputter, adjust his coat and glasses, trying to avoid looking into your eyes. “that’s ridiculous. i— no, i simply don’t appreciate disrespect. I’m not. . . possessive.” but when you'll play this game of silence, watching him, waiting him to spill it, oh he will!! “okay. was it that obvious?” he’ll say this so small. you’ll want to eat him alive <3

ꪆৎ Ford doesn’t always keep it all bottled up, so then, when you’re finally alone and he got u all to himself, he’s kissing you, but being more rough about it, not like hurting you, but sometimes, i like when Ford gets more dominant and brave in his actions. hand around your jaw, palm splayed across your back, pulling you in. “you’re mine.” he'll whisper right into your lips because hes lowkey getting turned on by your little gasps whenever he tightens his grip. “no one else gets to hear these sounds from you. please, tell me, tell me im the only one.” he always has to ask, always needs to hear it back

ꪆৎ if you ever jokingly mention how hot he gets when jealous, he will hide his face in your shoulder/neck/hair, very very quietly muttering, “you’re cruel, honey, you enjoy making me lose my mind, don’t you?”

[voidspiraling]

AGGHH I deleted the original post I’m so saddd.

Anyways I wanted to talk abt this pic idk if it’s canon or just a non canon drawing but lets assume that it is significant for this analysis.

In this pic Till is wearing his R2 outfit, his mic headset and his mouth his open like he’s singing. This makes me think that he’s onstage in Round 2 singing his Unknown (Till the End) song. HOWEVER. While he’s singing this song the background is red with shooting star, meteors, debris whatever it is.

Doesn’t it remind you of something? My thoughts are that while Till was outwardly singing about his love for Mizi he was actually thinking about Ivan.

The thing abt Alien Stage is that everyone’s an unreliable narrator. In Round 1 everything seems like a sci-fi idol show until the ending where Sua dies. Then in Round 3 we are led to believe that Till never glanced at Ivan when that is in fact a lie and Till DID look at Ivan. Methinks Round 2 is also told by an unreliable narrator, only the thing that’s unreliable is Till himself. In Round 1 we are fed false info abt the type of world they live in. In Round 3 we are fed false info abt Till’s attitude towards Ivan. So in Round 2 I think we are being fed false info abt Till’s feelings.

Here’s something that always struck me as off. Here Till has just finished his “confession” but he doesn’t even acknowledge Mizi off stage. Usually after you confess to someone, you check for their reaction right? Onstage Till looked at Mizi after he smashed the guitar. But here when he is physically closer to her he doesn’t even attempt to look at her. Compared to Ivan who kept looking at Till even when he was being shot, and kept his eyes on him even as he died, turning to look at Mizi shouldn’t be too difficult.

Some of the lyrics of the song were also weird too (I’ll be using the Eng translations so some things maybe lost in translation)

First the line “I wanna know all about you” this line was weird bc how do you not know everything abt Mizi already? Mizi lived a very sheltered life, so she never had to build any walls to protect herself. If you wanted to know all abt Mizi you just had to look at her. She doesn’t hide anything at all, everything abt her can be found on the surface. It would’ve made more sense to say “I want you to know all about me” considering that Mizi isn’t aware of Till’s feelings.

Second is the line “How dare you think this time’s enough” this line is so… aggressive. Like I can’t imagine Till actually saying this to Mizi at all. Till is usually super shy and freezes up around Mizi. Could he actually say something so confrontational to her. I can’t imagine that all.

But I can imagine him saying that to Ivan.

“I want to know all about you” bc I spent so much time with you and I still don’t understand you and “How dare you think the time’s enough” when you don’t understand my feelings. You just assumed what I felt you don’t actually know how I feel about you.

(Till is actually the character I understand the least. This is just my imagination lol)

Another thing that makes me think Till was crying is this scene. (How does he look so pretty when in distress. Till I can’t you’re too endearing wth)

Here it looks like he’s sweating a lot but it also looks like there’s a tear slipping from his left eye. He even does a little sniffle which makes me think he was sobbing.

My theory is that Till was trying to tell himself a narrative in order to cope with his traumatic life. And the narrative he tells himself is that the only person he loves is Mizi and that the only person who can save him is Mizi. So while he’s onstage he sings abt his feelings for Mizi, but while he’s singing he accidentally also sings abt his feelings for Ivan.

Don’t you think it’s weird that Ivan doesn’t show up in the R2 flashbacks. Considering how often they were together growing up you’d think he’d at least me off to the side somewhere. I mean Sua was in the flashback but Ivan wasn’t? I think Till was intentionally suppressing his thoughts abt Ivan in order to make a point that he only loves Mizi. However bc the song can also apply to Ivan he inadvertently sings abt his love for Ivan and starts crying. That’s bc his love for Mizi is just a performance for the world and for himself.

In his personal narrative it is better to be the guy that loves the kind and gentle Mizi than the boy who is hopelessly entangled with the enigmatic Ivan. It hurts less that way. Till can look at Mizi at a distance bc she is like a bright light in his bleak world. But Till can’t look at Ivan because he is too bright, he fills up an entire sky with light and it haunts Till to this day. I remember reading somewhere that Till can’t escape from the red sky. The red sky could represent Till’s feelings for Ivan.

It’s where we see Till at his happiest.

It’s where we see Till the closest with another person.

As well as where he’s the most conflicted/scared.

Basically the picture of Till crying shows how he actually feels abt the meteor shower scene and how bc of his feelings for Ivan it haunts him even when he’s trying to sing abt someone else. He loves Ivan but he also can’t bare to be with Ivan. Maybe he realizes the self-destructive nature of their love. Maybe he knew it was dangerous for them to be in love in this world. Or maybe he was just to afraid of the pain and wanted to protect his heart in any way he could.

I don’t think we’ll ever get an answer. But I think that Till idolizing Mizi is just a fantasy he uses to cope with his awful life. And that bc his relationship with Ivan was uncanny and different from the love he received from his mom Io, he tries to reject even the thought of Ivan. Bc if he thinks abt Ivan too much he’ll unravel bc love is obsessive and all consuming. And Till def would have been consumed by his love for Ivan. It would have just been consumed by the aliens for entertainment. Their love is doomed no matter what he does. Might as well pretend it never existed maybe then it would hurt less.

It didn’t ;-;

[shutupineedtothink]

More ep 7 thoughts, now that I’ve watched it twice and processed 🫠

Bookending the episode with Lilia’s fall but first it’s down and then it’s up - sick, twisted, beautiful, devastating, I’m crying

The soundtrack really goes hard in this ep

The wildest part about the “ex best friend” line is all of those things are equally insane - ex, ex best friend, or best friend. Like ma’am what hex were you living in

Babysitter is likely a reference to the comics, but interesting also in terms of WV because we saw Agatha babysit the twins only once I think. Does this mean she actually spent more time with them than we know?

Wow once again Kathryn Hahn is doing so much work in this first scene with Billy, she’s going from snarky to wary to calculating to hurt to i don’t even know. She’s doing a masterclass in face acting.

When they start to climb toward the castle, Agatha has her hands clasped behind her back and initially I was just like ma’am, why are you like this, but then I realized oh. Her hands are tied right now.

Waning moon for the Crone trial babyyyyyy called it

Fun and fast transition to get us into the trial, since we know the deal by now

She’s based on me you know — sooooo, tragic, misunderstood, secretly suffering her whole life, constantly judged by others, uh huh uh huh

Prove it - he really doesn’t believe a word she says! And she looks so hurt by it!

The way Agatha sits in the chair omg girl please chill

This is such like an Indiana Jones trap I love it

God I love Lilia’s visions, changing the perspective to hers, the blurring around the edges - sometimes you don’t need to do much, but it’s hella effective

Actually a lot of good camera tricks in this ep I’m not going to point them all out

It’s about limiting beliefs baybeee - once again the writers showing they know their psych

I’m sorry that tea leaves to the underground transition??? Spectacular

“Well tell me what more I should see when I look at you. No, I mean it” - hey nonviolent communication, how’s it going 🤌

God can you imagine how scary it would be to have these visions as a CHILD

Did you not see imminent impalement in your future?? Lol why did this get me

I get the fake nose on Agatha but idk maybe I could’ve done without it

Teenager his full name LOLOL underrated joke

Dory OMGGGGG

Jen being the ultimate Lilia champion this ep and I love it. Also seems to contradict her behavior even more in Agatha’s trial, but she’s still more snappy with Agatha here too

What are you wearing, I don’t wanna talk about it - bruh every line. EVERY LINE.

Did I mention the transitions are killer

Your task is not to control but to see. - I, I can’t keep writing down every line but

I love that as soon as Jen knows what’s going on, she’s totally on board, just asking Lilia for intel, like yep this is normal now

Ahhh the spell book. Interesting that Lilia finds it.

Ohp - I wish Lilia was here. Ask and you shall receive - see the Billy’s Road theory

She calls him baby again 😭

Is snappy dialogue one of my biggest joys on this earth? I think it is

Proper tarot takes time and care. And leads to large gaping wounds - …. You mean like internal wounds? Like trauma? Like you have to bring up the trauma to heal it? Uh huh uh huh cool cool cool cool you said it Agatha not me.

The Magician, the ability to turn all of your goals into reality - Agatha immediately side eyes him. Bruh.

I’m a forgotten woman. Then remember yourself. 🤌🤌🤌

I was falling. I will fall. - CAMERA. MOVEMENT.

What will you do with your remaining time 🤝 all we can do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us. Iykyk.

The subway baybeee get that House of R theory

God this tarot spread scene is so epic.

Ok Jen being the path ahead… I gotta come back to that

Agatha is the obstacle yep that makes sense (but the obstacle is the way)

Windfall - Billy, miraculous transformation uh yep ok

Destination - Death. Such a good reveal, even if I already knew it. Once again the power of good writing. In the end all roads lead to me. UGH WTF

NOT THE GREEN VINES SPELLING A BIG OL “R” WHEN THE DOORS OPEN

The original green witch…. Ok so she is in the coven… but also Billy’s in the coven? It’s a shared black heart? Or it means you can go one direction or the other… hm.

Ughghghghhh her just giving them each what they need before she sends them onward. She’s the GOAT.

Did I mention the music????

This whole scene is so EPIC. The tower upright fuck it up queen

Oh my God Lilia took her power back 😭

We didn’t see a body unlike Alice I’m holding onto that “see you at the end” lyric with all my might at this point

Time in a bottle was sick and twisted and beautiful I love it

I just… can’t believe this is something I got to witness. Like it’s so good I’m mad about it.

A few other quick thoughts:

Jen being the path ahead… if she was birth in the first trial (see my maiden mother crone trial theory), then maybe she’s also REbirth? It’s a circle sewn with fate… we’re going back to the beginning but emerging from the Road this time. Eh??

Patti…. PATTI!! Where’s her Emmy? Where’s the show’s Emmy???

Not only was this a better time travel plot than the rest of Marvel as I said in another post but it’s also better than time travel in Doctor Who for the last 10 years and that pisses me off low key.

Not to jump ahead but buckle up kids cuz if we’re following the loose structure of WandaVision then ep 8 is our flashback/reliving the trauma episode for Agatha and as much as I was destroyed by this ep I am so not ready for all of that.

Anyway. What a masterpiece. I’m DONE.

[i2ycat]

— the ‘us’ theory

pairing sunoo x fem!reader synopsis after years of no contact, a sudden rekindling in your relationship with sunoo makes sparks soar higher than they’ve ever gone. it’s hard not to see just how much you missed being around your old best friend again genre slight angst, fluff, childhood best friends to lovers, college au word count 4.3k (was only supposed to be arnd 600, idk what happened LOL) warnings wrote this on 1% brain cells so please excuse if it seems like the plot is underdeveloped and pacing is weird, i know nothing ab mortal kombat, semi-proofread main masterlist

reblogs and comments are very much appreciated!

You’ve known Sunoo since forever. From the moment you took your first baby step to the moment you got absolutely hammered by another girl in your grade, Sunoo had been right by your side, from kindergarten all the way to primary school.

It was weird not to see your brooding self beside the beaming boy, seeing as you guys never separated from each other for even a second. It made your parents think the both of you had separation anxiety, always throwing tantrums whenever the other wasn’t around.

But that was only until primary school.

By the time secondary school rolled around, you naturally started to drift apart. Being in the year above him, he stuck to his own group of friends, while you had yours. You had easily accepted the course that your relationship with Sunoo was headed off to, wanting to fit in with the rest of your ‘ew juniors’-minded clique so badly, because who hung out with juniors anyways?

It didn’t help that, not soon after, your father was stationed to a different department of the company on the other side of the world. You felt sad leaving everything you knew behind, all the familiar places, but you were also 13 and ready to be anywhere but the place you had been confined to. It felt exhilarating to finally leave everything behind — not that you had much to begin with. It’s always been just your mother, your father, and you.

Sunoo was out of the conversation by the time you turned 16. He became just someone you’d remember in passing; your parents bringing him up every now and then, but you never dwelled on the thought of him for too long.

By the time you were 19, you could barely remember what he even looked like, given that you'd only seen up until his pre-puberty phase: toothy grins, chubby cheeks, and all.

So imagine your shock when a taller, more mature shell of a man presents himself in front of you, claiming to be the Kim Sunoo you’ve already forgotten all about.

“Don’t you remember me? I’m Kim Sunoo!”

You met him by complete chance.

The last time you heard of Sunoo was when your mom broke the news on a random Sunday night that the Kim family would be permanently moving to Japan, and that was three years ago.

“Cmon, I’ve known you for, like, 13 years.” He clicks his tongue.

“Yeah, I guessed. I’m just shocked to see you here.”

“What? Is seeing a young man shopping for groceries so hard to believe?” He jokes, taking a pack of ramen noodles from the shelf and placing it carefully into his cart.

“It’s not that.” You chuckle. “I thought you moved to Japan?”

“Well, I can’t really be leeching off my parents forever.”

He’s got more wit to him than you remember.

“Right,” You quickly reply, unconsciously walking the rest of the noodles and pasta aisle at the same pace that he is.

“Wow, even after all these years, you’re still the same old Y/n I used to know.” He smiles at you, the apples of his cheeks tinting a light pink under the blindingly white LED lights overhead. It suddenly brought you back to times of playing together in the playground after school, the summer rays rendering the both of you sweaty messes while your mothers talked about adult gossip somewhere in the distance. The simpler times, when fitting into social circles barely even mattered yet.

“Am I supposed to be offended?” As you arrive closer to the snack aisle, you start to grab at items not scribbled on your sad excuse of a grocery list. You should really stop doing that; you mentally chide yourself.

“Maybe. Depends on how you take it.” He shrugs. “Doritos?” You shake your head.

Silence starts to permeate the air between the both of you, save for some random Nirvana tune playing faintly in the background. It wasn’t awkward per se, but it wasn’t entirely comfortable either; rather, it sat right in the middle.

You’ve known Sunoo for 13 whole years of your younger adolescent days, but right now, it feels like you’ve just met him for the first time. Technically you are, after a few years that is, but maybe it was just you and your ineptitude for social interactions. Chae was right, you really should socialize with people more.

A beat or two passes by, “Are you free tomorrow by any chance?” Sunoo turns to you, bright eyes boring into yours.

“Why?”

“I just moved here like a week ago, and I have absolutely no friends.” He pouts, “Mind giving an old friend company on his own birthday?”

“It’s your birthday?” You stop in your tracks.

“Tomorrow, yeah.”

“Okay. Just send me the address.” You take out your phone to hand him, “You’re not just about to lure and kill me right?”

“Now why would I do that?” He lifts his eyebrows at you as he keys in his phone number, naming himself ‘no.1 childhood best friend’ in the process.

“You can never be too sure nowadays.”

“Yeah, as if I would kill my only friend in this entire city.” He retorts, fingers brushing yours ever-so-slightly as he hands you back your phone.

—

Seeing the bare-bones state that Sunoo’s box apartment was in made you feel for him. You’d already spent your early teens adjusting to the chaos that New York was, and you’ve acclimated to it by now, with the help of your parents, of course, but Sunoo, on the other hand? He came completely alone, with a singular suitcase in tow. It ignited a sense of protectiveness towards him. The same way it was when you were younger.

Sunoo was always one of the more smaller and younger children in the kindergarten, but that only made him more loved by the teachers and other caretakers. Memories resurfaced of how everyone would coo whenever Sunoo showed his signature smile, silently wishing they had a kid as endearing as Sunoo. They’d bring extra just for him, and Sunoo, being the sweet kid he was, basked in all of it blissfully.

The rest of the older kids didn’t like how Sunoo hogged all the adult’s attention, so they would constantly pick at him during play time, behind the knowledge of the teachers. Since you were a year older and much taller than Sunoo then, you always felt the instinctive need to step in and protect him from all of it, even getting sucker punched in the face for him one time. You chuckle at the distinct memory of Sunoo crying in the sidelines whilst you laid on the mat, a comically large bandage plastered on your cheek.

“What’s so funny?” Sunoo sticks his head out from the cupboard, eyeing your figure on the couch.

“I’m laughing at the fact that you at least have a couch.” You pat the space next to you.

“Hey, you can’t judge. I just moved here, and I don’t know where anything is anymore.” He says this as he pours room-temperature orange juice into plastic cups. “Happy birthday to me.” He sighs, handing you one.

“This is actually really sad.” You take a single sip out of the clear cup before setting it down on the arm of Sunoo’s sofa that was more like a loveseat if anything. “And I’m not just talking about the orange juice.”

“At least I’m not alone!”

“Why’d you move here anyway? I’m sure there’s better places than big ole overpriced New York.” You bring up a leg to get comfortable, and Sunoo does the same, his knee lightly grazing yours in the process.

“You wouldn’t wanna hear it.” He sighs.

“No, tell me!”

“It’s stupid.”

“I won’t judge. Pinky promise.” You bring your pinky rings towards his, locking them.

“I actually moved here for you.” He says it so softly that you thought you had misheard.

“Sorry, I think I misheard.”

“Nah, I think you heard correctly.” He bends down to grab a forkful of noodles, the one he bought yesterday, and moans gleefully at the bundles of flavour exploding in his mouth, “Woah. I think this might be my new favourite ramen.”

“Wait, you’re not being serious, are you?” Sunoo shakes his head at you, his cheeks blowing up as noodles enter his mouth, strand by strand. “Are you stupid?” You completely drop the smile you had been sporting just a minute ago, beyond baffled by Sunoo’s lack of critical thinking.

“Gosh, Sunoo! What would you have done if I hadn’t run into you last night? What if I already moved to a different state? A different country even?!”

“My mom is still in contact with yours, so I’m pretty sure I would’ve ended up at your front door anyway." He nonchalantly answers, shrugging his shoulders the way he always does.

You’ve completely forgotten how Sunoo was always the free spirit in your dynamic, doing anything and everything he wanted without ever thinking about the after. He always downplayed the severity of the consequences, only thinking about the moment and living in it blissfully.

Just a few days prior to your drift apart, Sunoo had dragged you out of your 6th grade classroom just before recess ended and towards the outdoor basketball court. A little mat had been planted on the grass, with what you could recognise as Sunoo’s lunch box set neatly on top.

He had asked you to skip class with him, a kind of celebration on the last day of school. Thanks to him, you were absolutely horrified to come home that day, while him, on the other hand, was not the slightest bit concerned.

“Why? Just why? We haven’t talked for, what, 6 years? And suddenly you move 13 hours away from home to be in the same city that I am?” You were fuming, and for a reason you weren’t too sure about yourself.

Maybe it was the knowledge that he had been thinking about you even after your drift apart, while you were not. Maybe it was the guilt of being the one to instigate the drift in the first place, but he still made his way towards you.

“I’m not too sure either.” He places the chopsticks on the makeshift coffee table. “But at least you’re here, and I’m not alone on my birthday.” He offers you a cheeky grin, one that reaches his eyes, and it almost instantly gives you whiplash.

“You’re driving me crazy here, Sunoo.”

“You said you wouldn’t judge and… it’s still my birthday, ya’know.” He pouts, cocking his head to the side in an attempt to soothe your bubbling anger with his biggest weapon — his face. “Can you stop being your practical self for just a second?” His tone was light, and his eyes were pleading.

He probably still remembered your weakness for pretty faces, and was taking advantage of that at the most convenient of times.

Damn Sunoo and damn pretty privilege.

—

After Sunoo’s semi-successful birthday party—his words, not yours—he’s been sticking to you like glue. He practically lives in your apartment with how much time he spends there. Even when you’re out for classes or errands, he'll take it upon himself to make himself feel at home. You practically spent every second of every day with him, just like it used to be when you were younger.

Your mother was overly ecstatic to find out that you had rekindled your friendship with Sunoo — almost so ecstatic in fact that it alarmed you just a tad bit, scared that she might try to set you up with her best friend’s only son.

She had even suggested that the both of you live together to save costs, she says. You weren’t entirely sold on that fact, seeing as you still wanted your semblance of privacy and freedom in your own home, but with the rising rent prices these days, it wasn’t really a choice now, was it?

“My mother says we should move in together.” You say this over a plate of scrambled eggs, one that Sunoo had so graciously offered to cook.

“I’m sorry?” Sunoo chokes on his cup of black tea.

“I mean, our dynamic is pretty good. You finish things that I don’t. I say it’s a pretty good match.”

Over the course of the last few months that you’ve been on-off living with Sunoo, you learned that he has a habit of picking up things that you’ve left aside to be forgotten. One instance of this was when you found your incomplete knitting project in Sunoo’s more nimble hands, working away while on his spot on your couch.

He explained that seeing things unfinished was a big pet peeve of his, and it usually works in your favour anyway.

“Yeah, but what about my apartment?”

“You say that as if you don’t basically already live here.” You pick up a piece of egg with your fork to bring it to your mouth.

“I guess, yeah, but..." His words trail off. “Never mind.”

“But what, Sun?”

“Nothing.” He shakes his head, taking a big gulp of his tea before setting the cup back down onto your wooden table, the one Sunoo had picked alongside some other furniture pieces that now scattered your flat.

“You better give up that act now because you know how stubborn I can get.” You peg the fork at him in a faux effort to assert intimidation. Not that you could be any more intimidating with your furrowed eyebrows and grim expression.

“It’s just...”

“Just?”

Sunoo ultimately sighs, picking up his plate to bring to the sink and turning his back towards you. “I would love to live together, really." He starts off. “But what if you bring other guys over? I don’t think I could handle that.”

“That’s it? You’re flattering me by even thinking I can pull guys.” You laugh as you make your way towards Sunoo with an empty plate in your hands. “Sun, there’s nothing to worry about, but I’ll make sure to let you know beforehand if I ever do.”

“That’s not what I was implying.” Sunoo keeps his voice low and whisper-like, almost like he doesn’t want you to hear, but you do anyway.

“Okay, then what do you mean?”

“I’m saying that I think I like you.” He takes a deep breath, finding it hard to formulate words from his thoughts. “I... I just... When we were 13, when we started drifting apart, I felt so lost and confused. I didn’t want to be like those movie cliches, losing my best friend because of high school or whatever.” He doesn’t look up from the dishes in front of him; instead, he focuses on mindlessly scrubbing the mug.

“I followed you here because, even after six long years, you were still my number one. I missed your presence. I always wondered when you would contact me again, but that never happened. I guess I was also too scared to talk to you first, so that’s that.” He continues. “I don’t want to burden you with my feelings any more than they already are, and if we officially, actually lived together, I don’t think my heart could handle all that.”

To say you were speechless was an understatement. You stared at him long enough to see dots, and yet you couldn’t think of anything to say.

Sunoo liked you. The little boy from kindergarten that you promised to protect liked you. Your best friend up until you were 13 liked you?

“Sun...” You start off but can never seem to find a proper end to your sentence.

“You don’t have to answer me right now. Or, as a matter of fact, you don’t even have to accept it. I just thought you should know since you proposed we live together.” He washes the foam away, setting the clean dishes on the drying rack. “I’ll take my leave now.” He smiles at you, and by the time the door closes behind him, you’re still standing frozen.

You don’t know what to do with this information. Yeah, Sunoo was cute, and you had a soft spot for him, but that doesn’t mean you like him. He grew up well, but that doesn’t mean you no longer saw him as the boy you needed to protect from the world. It was all a clash of thoughts, really.

—

A week had gone by since you texted Sunoo back, saying that you needed space to think. But you weren’t really using the time to think at all; you were actually doing quite well at doing the exact opposite.

“Chae, come on! That’s cheating!” You yell, aggressively pressing away at the console for your Omni-Man to dodge Kung Lao’s wrath.

“No, you just suck.” Chae sticks her tongue out at you. And after a few moments of tense silence, “Aaaand, K.O!” She cheers in your face while you pan at the bold K.O. letterings on the screen in admission of defeat.

“I’ll beat you next time.”

“Oh baby, there won’t be a next time until you sort out whatever it is you’re worrying about first.” She takes the console from your hands and sets it back in its original place under the divider of her TV set. “Now, talk to me.” She says this as she takes a seat beside you.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Yeah, sure, as if you're coming here at 1 a.m. on a Wednesday night, even when you have classes tomorrow, is because of nothing.”

“I just couldn’t sleep. That’s all.”

“I’m going to go bald from all the stress you’re giving me.” She tugs harshly at her shoulder-length hair. “See this?!”

Your laugh echoes in Chaewon’s humble apartment, which overlooks the entirety of New York with the perfect view — one that her life as a social media influencer is able to afford. At times like these, you felt like you were her sugar baby, leeching off her big-time success like the broke college student you are.

“You’re being overly dramatic.”

"Yeah, and sometimes I wish you were more like me. Give me the damn drama!” She drapes herself all over you, head resting on your bare legs.

“Okay, fine!”

“Good.” She finally grins, taking a bag of popcorn from the table and tossing it into her mouth one by one, occasionally offering one to you.

“You remember Sunoo?”

“The one you cried about when you first met me?”

“I wasn’t crying!”

“Yeah, sure you weren’t.” She grimaces at you.

“Okay, but that was when I was 14, so it doesn’t count.”

“Whatever, whatever. Just continue!” Chaewon switches her position to comfortably sit face-to-face with you, her eyes wide and full of anticipation.

“A few months ago, I met him at the supermarket, the one you tell me to never go to.”

“What?! And you’re only telling me this now?!” Her voice was piercing, and it made your ears almost bleed onto her velvet-carpeted floor. Judging from her reaction, she was probably more concerned about the fact that you went to the only supermarket in the city she told you not to ever step foot into, rather than not having told her about your meeting with Sunoo there.

“Just let me finish, yeah?” Chaewon quips out a small apology before you continue, “And after that, we started hanging out here and there, ya'know, the whole old childhood friends shebang. It was great, honestly. He’s great company, and as you said, I was socialising with other people!”

“But?”

“How’d you know there’s a ‘but’?”

“There is always a ‘but’, my dear Y/n.”

You clear your throat. “He confessed to me just a week ago, after I had proposed to live together, ya'know, to save on costs.”

“You, what now?”

“Not everyone is as rich as you are, Chae; we grass-rooted people need to save money somehow.”

“You know that’s not what I meant!”

“Ugh, it’s stupid, I know! But my mother suggested it, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a good idea!’” At this point, the bag of popcorn lays haphazardly on the floor, forgotten as you contemplate all your decisions with Chaewon clinging onto your side, koala style.

“Do you like him back?”

“I haven’t really thought about it before then.” You honestly say, “He has always just been ‘the younger boy who needs protecting’ to me.”

“He’s his own grown person now, Y/n.” She reminds you.

“I know. I just think he’s cute, is all.”

“How about this? You give him a chance to try and swoon you over; if it doesn’t work out, then you guys can pretend as if nothing ever happened!” She claps her hands together, as if she had just won a Nobel Prize for solving global warming. “You’re killing two birds with one stone!”

“I don’t think that’s how the saying is supposed to work.”

"Oh, who gives a fuck? YOLO.”

—

Chaewon’s advice to just yolo the fuck out of everything sticks to you more than you’d like to admit. It echoes in your mind when you’re taking the subway all the way to Sunoo’s apartment, echoes even louder as you stand in front of his door, and echoes almost deafeningly as you knock twice on it.

In about half a heartbeat, Sunoo opens his door with an urgency you could barely register in your haze of emotions. You felt bad after having practically ghosted him for a week straight after his confession, and even worse now that you could tell he was losing sleep over it. His hair was tousled into a mess that made it seem as if he had just gotten out of bed, even if it was already 3 p.m.

“Hey.” You greet, your lips pursed into a tight smile.

“Hey.” He greets her back.

“Can I come in? Or, is it a bad time? I’m not really too sure why I came in the first place.”

“Yeah, yeah. Come in.” He steps aside to make space for you to enter his home.

The last time you’ve been here was the night after you first met him — the day of his birthday. It’s less barren than you remembered, with pops of colour in random corners that somehow represented his sporadic personality perfectly.

“I see you finally did some decorating.”

“I mean, it’s already been more than a few months since I’ve moved here; it’d be weird if I didn’t.” His voice is groggy and still laced with sleep, but you don’t comment on it, instead sucking in a deep breath.

“I wanted to, um, get back to you.” You play with your fingers, picking at the skin. “And, uh, give you an answer. Well, it’s not really an answer, but you get what I mean.”

“Yeah.”

The both of you still stood just beyond his doorway; the faint playing of the TV in the background didn’t help to ease your racing heart. In your two years of being a young adult, you hadn’t found the opportunity to really sit down and find love, given that school had always been your top priority. So when you find yourself in such situations—not that you ever do—you're rendered a blubbering mess.

You’ve practiced this many times before with Chaewon, but it feels even more nerve-wracking now that the man in all his drowsy glory is standing right in front of you.

“We can try.” You start off. “I mean it as in, you can try courting me or whatever, and if it doesn’t work out, we can pretend as if nothing ever happened.” His lack of reply gives you time to really take a good look at Sunoo, now that the weight has been lifted off your shoulders. You’ve said what you wanted to say.

At an arm's-length distance, Sunoo is the textbook definition of attractive. He’s a head taller than you, has broad shoulders, and has a pretty face. His lips were full, his nose was tall, and his eyes were a golden brown colour. What was not to like about him? You just had to accept that he was no longer the Kim Sunoo from kindergarten. He was no longer the same young Sunoo who constantly needed your help.

“Really? You’d let me court you?” His face is bright with hope, and you nod to it wordlessly. “As in, you’d let me take you out on dates and stuff?”

You can’t help the chuckle that lets out, especially endeared by his enthusiasm. “Yes, Sun.”

—

BONUS!

It has been exactly a year since Sunoo had courted and officially asked you out. It wasn’t hard to fall for him because you already had an inkling that you had unresolved feelings for him anyway. The moving in part went as smoothly as it could, save for the slight mishap with Sunoo’s landlord, but with the help of your mother, everything was resolved soon after.

Sunoo lays peacefully on the sofa, soaking in the sunshine that filters through the blinds. He was practically in heaven right now.

“Kim Sunoo!” Your voice reverberates throughout the entirety of your shared apartment.

“Uh-oh, not the government name.” Sunoo looks up from his phone to see you standing in the hallway, hand tucked under your arms, with an expression that reminded him slightly of the French bulldog he’d seen on his morning walk. “Yes, baby?”

“Don’t ‘baby’ me! You let Luna sleep on the bed after she had her walk?!”

“Oh.”

“Oh!” You mimic him.

“I’m sorry, baby. She looked so sad sleeping on the floor by herself, so I just invited her to the bed.”

“Yeah, now her paw prints are all over the white sheets! Couldn’t you have at least cleaned her before you decided to do that?” As if Luna had heard her parents arguing from inside the room, she waddles out, footsteps padding down on the wooden floor, making it her mission to soothe her parents with just her existence alone.

Luna barks, grabbing both of your attention. You immediately lean down to pick Luna up, cooing at her before glaring at Sunoo, “You better wash the sheets.”

Sunoo stares at the both of you, dumbfounded. He thought he saw Luna smirking at him, so he blinked once and then twice, only for you and your baby to disappear as you walked towards the bathroom, your voice echoing as you continued to baby-talk to Luna.

Even with your overbearing practicality and new spoiled baby to take care of, he’d never regret asking his mom about you that one fateful night.

© i2ycat 2024 idk why the first half got me thinking i was gonna write a murder mystery fic HELPP. i swear it’s just romance 😞 also this is straight dogwater, i’m so sorry idk what i was writing…

[liittleemiixeer]

Okay, so let’s talk about the immortals and the serum because I swear something is not adding up, or rather it's adding up too well lmao.

The recent shift in Anhea's behavior isn’t just a coincidence, and I’m willing to bet my wheel of fortune spin that the serum she gets injected routinely has something to do with it. First of all, immortals were always described as distant and detached from the mundane world, almost like they were operating on an entirely different emotional frequency. Anhea, who was always pragmatic and painfully logical in her mannerisms and actions, she who always kept her distance is now shielding the other girls with her wings like it’s instinct, grieving for kira, and even offering to go inspect unexplored places first. That’s not just a change in attitude, but something deeper, something internal. Even Pileon, who didn't take the serum as far as we know (correct me if I'm wrong), looked surprised at her behavioral change.

And here’s where my theory about the serum kicks in.

We already know that Adam base, aka Donovan, was running experiments on immortals before the collapse of the base. The squad found documents that hinted at it, and honestly, it makes too much sense. I'm not a scientist by any means, but if humans were developing medicine (or any other chemical concoction) specifically for immortals, wouldn’t they need some kind of common biological link to make it work? So, what if the serum is a mix of human and immortal DNA? Or maybe they infused immortal blood or dna with human ones... idk, but certainly something of the sort. This fusion would basically act as a genetic bridge that, when injected into an immortal, might not just heal them, but it could also be changing them emotionally speaking. Softening whatever kept them so detached and making them more human, or akin to experience and/or understand human emotion.

Hell, even Lane found Cain's behavior strange, nicer and chattier, just after he took the serum to heal the wound he suffered when he took that bullet for Anhea in the boat attack. He's now smiling more, acknowledging past conflicts, and even reaching out first? He even found the courage to confess that he and Lane knew each other.

Think about it: Cain and Anhea aren’t just suddenly nicer. They’re feeling things more openly: protectiveness, camaraderie and friendship, even self-sacrifice, things that seemed rare before. And what if that’s not a side effect but the intended one? If the goal was to create something that helps immortals heal, maybe that “healing” extends beyond the physical. Maybe the experiments' goal was to undo whatever made them so emotionally distant in the first place in order to tame them; to be able to inflict fear in them so it becomes easier for the government/military to make them submit and become valuable assets.

But then that raises the question: If Cain and Anhea are just now showing these changes, does that mean the effects of the serum build over time? Imagine how much time has passed since the beginning of the experiments... There could be dozens of immortals out there experiencing the same changes. If this theory is right, then we’re looking at something way bigger than just medicine. We’re looking at the weaponization of immortals. Because if this serum is making them more human… what happens if they keep taking it? How much of their immortality is actually tied to that detachment? And at what point do they stop being what they are? And if the military or the government actually manage to finish the experiment and really create an army of immortals... they're so cooked lol

[intheshadowsbehindyou]

your snipers are GOOD STUFF and i’m just here for how he would work (nsfw wise) with a s/o who is INCREDIBLY down to be bullied and hunted for sport and will frolic around like a deer giggling the whole time like he’s a fairy tale prince and not a gangly string bean who is filled with nothing but spite and predatory lust

I had contemplated my regular format but I think straight up fanfiction better fits this.

Sniper X Prey Reader: Primitive Instinct (NSFW)

Warning: Prey/predator shit idk what the kink is called, breeding kink

Mr. Mundy hated the feeling of primal lust when other things mattered more. He often felt broken, and inherently wrong to desire the warmth of his body intertwined with someone else’s when he should have been focusing on something else. By nature he was a hunter. Focus and mental clarity even in the darkest of hours was most important when that rifle was up to his face. He could be sad and lonely for only just a moment. Just a second in eternity. But never more than that.

For if he delayed more, he wouldn’t be focusing hard enough. All of his senses alert to every single thing imaginable. An assassin could not afford one little slip up. Less the outcome would be self explanatory.

Still, he found himself constantly distracted tonight. In the highest point of Tuefort he stood atop a water tower’s catwalks in pitch black darkness. In front of him was the distant, dim lights of the enemy BLU base. A set of ugly buildings that looked more like a factory than anything else. His night vision scope was a smuggled artifact from his hometown. It worked flawlessly despite the long trip to join Team Fortress several years ago. The cold air bit at his skin but he remained stiffly in place like an unmoving stone. Boldly standing out in the open with no regard for his own safety. He knew the difficult position he was in would make it nearly impossible to get a clear shot at him. With multiple cardboard boxes off to both his sides, it obstructed angles.

Sniper shut his eyes. His lungs took in maximum air and exhaled carbon dioxide. He counted each second, carefully controlling his own breath.

One, two, three, four…

The old assassin heard a sound off in the distance just to the right of him. As he suspected, his theory about using this BLU water tower as a nest was validated. He turned the rifle towards the source and sure enough he caught the silhouette of an intruder rummaging through the bushes.

One, two, three, four…

His previous thoughts were proven to be more of an intruder than the unlucky person he was scoping at. For a second, Sniper unwillingly diverted his attention as those lustful desires crossed his thoughts again. He swore he saw the image of a beautiful, smooth, naked body of a woman flash in his mind as quickly as the blinking of an eye. His breathing immediately became muddled again. He could even hear his own heart rate skyrocket. All it took was one little slip up. An annoying intrusive thought.

Sniper had lost location of the person’s head through the dense foliage. They disappeared behind the bramble, and Sniper had to suppress the sudden unyielding rage shoot through his bloodstream. Every bone in his body wanted to throw his damn sniper rifle across the desert and see it break into multiple pieces below.

“Bugger me!” He cursed quietly. Slamming his fist on the box he was resting his rifle on. Somehow, he didn’t even care if an apposing sniper heard him. The faster he died, the better.

Sniper held his fist, which was now wracked with pieces of wood. He was lucky to be wearing gloves. The wood didn’t pierce his skin at all. Still, now he had to growl and grumble while he pathetically pulled the shards of dangerous chips out of his left hand. If the others saw him — especially scout — they’d undoubtedly tear him a new one that he’d forever internalize until his dying days.

An assassin can’t fucking afford to miss.

His moment of self loathing was interrupted by the creak of the ladder below the catwalks. It was subtle, and barely audible. Like a wild cat’s tiptoeing through the forest. Sniper stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes slowly rolled to the source. Fearlessly, he put his hands back on his gun and waited. If he made any sudden movements toward his SMG on the floor next to him then he’d surely alert the stranger. The catwalks were sensitive with age in certain places and disregarded stealth.

The person on the ladder paused when Sniper halted his complaining. Which showed him that they were listening to him too. It didn’t quite strike him as odd, but what did indeed baffle him was then the sudden sprint up the ladder. As if the person wanted to be heard.

The scruffy man gritted his teeth. A little bit offended that somebody — even if it was a teammate — which let’s be honest that’s the only reasonable explanation for it — would approach him so casually like he wasn’t a huge threat. It messed with his ego and made him want to shoot the person regardless of who they were.

“Sniper?” A voice asked quietly. It was you, of course. The new mercenary. The youngest out of all of them. A thorn in everybody’s side with your naive youth. Who the hell in their right mind would hire such a young adult for this profession?

The older man tried shutting his eyes and focusing his breathing again. Blocking out any other annoying stimulus that distracted him. (You were the annoying stimulus.) He figured you were just up here thinking he’d be a willing ear and whatnot. As if he’d ever do something like that.

“Sniper!” You whispered a bit louder.

Sniper nearly found it within himself to haul his gun as promised earlier. He gripped his rifle like he was choking somebody. “God! What?!” He asked louder than he wanted to.

You glared at him. The lack of amusement in your eyes was noted and rudely ignored. Sniper shrugged his shoulders in a very, very pressuring gesture to get on with it. You didn’t even know how he had the patience for hunting animals.

“The others wanna know if you want some coffee.” You say. Your mouth curling into what would be a snarl if you hadn’t somewhat mastered the art of controlling yourself near these mercs.

“Who the bloody hell asks their colleague if they want coffee at three in the fuckin’ morning?!” Sniper’s voice pitched high in genuine concern. Like he had somehow realized he was answering to the most stupidest person imaginable.

Sniper’s condescending words didn’t sway you. You were too tired to react anyway. “By the way, was that you pointing your gun at me?” You asked curiously.

He paused, and that’s how you knew you struck a cord. The revelation couldn’t help but peak your interest. The way he tensed up and threatened to grip the edges of the box to the point of breaking the entire thing. He was SURE he was incapable of being seen. Your words had completely shattered what was left of his fragile self esteem. If anything there at all at this point. It was entertaining to see this supposedly self proclaimed unemotional assassin break like a twig. You titled your head and the side of your lip almost twitched into a smile.

“You think this is funny, don’t you?” He asked bitterly. Without any second hesitation or regard, he whipped out his kukri from underneath the boxes and started marching toward you. To say you were a bit stressed was an understatement.

Sniper shoved you backwards into the wall and dug the blade into the planks near your face. It hit the wood with an unpleasant noise that sounded like it had cut through flesh. It made a chill go up your spine. Nonetheless, you braved the sudden aggression. These types of crazy reactions were just common day-to-day events. You turnt your nose away from him as he got close to your face and breathed down your neck. It was heavy and quick. Like he was inches away from eating you. His chest pressed up against yours. You couldn’t tell if this was meant to be personal or not. But it felt… disgustingly delightful. Like you were eating candy.

It felt like you were being eyed by a hungry bear that wanted to tear into you and leave nothing behind. To drop the blade and ravish your delicious body. Sniper all the meanwhile could not even identify his own body’s mistake for adrenaline being arousal. A large, blunt object pressed against your inner thigh when he pressed down harder. His veins visible from the grip on his blade. You realized all the blood flowed to his companion. A thick, wet member prodding at you and quietly pleading for relief.

“What did I tell you? I’m a hired gunman. I’m not some friend of yours, and i’m not somebody who’s gonna joke with you. Gotcha?” You could hear him bombarding you but the butterflies in your stomach spoke of delightful things.

You wanted to mate with this hungry animal, until his balls were completely empty and his insatiable appetite was temporarily satisfied. You slipped under him and tore away easier than expected. Dodging an attempt on your head, you hopped up onto the boxes and shuffled as he tried slashing at your ankles. A sickly mischievous smile crossed your face, as for what seemed like forever, you dodged his countless attempts on your life. Jumping on and off the box, and causing him to run in circles around the tower. Sniper was beginning to feel like he was on some sort of babysitting duty. He was also getting angrier.

As fast as you came in, you booked it down to the ladder and slid down it. Sniper being less athletic however, had to hurry down the steps one by one. All the meanwhile complaining “Bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger!”

His anger was comedic in every way possible. You ducked underneath the brambles and patiently awaited the handsome man’s arrival. You decided to not let yourself suffer any longer. Maybe him by extension as well. Those primitive urges were something that your ancestors developed as a beautiful way to bond. In what world would you simply throw away the opportunity? As Sniper reached the bottom of the water tower, you half-assed an escape attempt but as expected he jumped on you before you could even crawl through the other side of the bush. You had no idea that toothpick of a man would hurt so much. Dead god.

“Gotcha!” He proclaimed. pinning you on your belly with his entire weight. He sat on your legs. Like a cat whose paw was on a mouse’s tail. You wondered if it was possible he’d break said legs.

He was proud of his catch, but you had no heart to tell him you gave yourself deliberately. That penetrating blunt organ was all you fixated on right now. It was all you wanted. The idea of that divine organ crushing your insides sounded like heaven. The gentle breeze of his warm breath met your ears and neck again. You couldn’t help but lift your face up to meet it. Sniper found himself meeting his lips to your neck too.

The tension broke. The two of you had clearly felt the same way. Although Sniper tried his hardest to hide his beastly instincts, nature always won in the end. The moment his lips nibbled your neck is the moment that you both individually consented. A grumble escaped your throat and it sounded like you were pleased. Which in turn pleased Sniper.

Lust is such a complicated thing. Anger and annoyance can lead to it if you go down the right path. The older man began to court you. Prodding his member against your flank to offer you a good time. He shifted your legs up and got you into a mating press. Underneath those layers you could feel him dripping with anticipation.

To test the waters he forwardly thrusted up against your clothed body. Earning another blissful sound from you. Though sniper was dead silent, his rugged breathing spoke volumes. He aimlessly humped you like a horny dog and forgot his own self control. Wildly slapping his concealed dick against your pants.

“Sniper—“ You tried to get his attention. Realizing this was counterproductive without bare skin visible.

He continued slapping against you recklessly. He couldn’t hear you, and frankly you couldn’t blame him. Sniper was determined to breed you. He was surging with hormones and ready to pump you full of his children no matter the cost. He sounded like a growling werewolf the way he began expressing his pleasure. His silence leaving him. The scruffy haired man bit down hard on the back of your neck to hold you in place. The extra skin there made it so that you weren’t hurt. Just scruffed like a cat.

You were stuck there for hours. A large man using you as his sextoy. Not even once did he slow his pace. Not even after multiple times cumming. It was only when the sun came up did he even consider.

What a wonderful thing that the gift of procreation is.

[mischievousmoony]

i need to talk about lenore dove, lucy gray, the covey, and the everdeens too ! spoilers for sotr ahead

i love lenore dove. i’ll scream it from the rooftops! i love her.

i want to mention how i pictured her. i imagined brown hair that you can only see the red in when she’s in the light. lots of people seemed to think she was fully a redhead but—

“The sunlight picks up the hint of red in her hair as she bends over an ancient piano accordion.” (8)

it’s just a hint, probably the undertone of a warm brown. maybe auburn.

she also reminded me immensely of lucy gray, so i was imaging her to look a bit like rachel zegler, but idk if she really does.

the ways she speaks is was really reminded me of lucy gray. rachel zegler’s accent for tbosas was how i imagined her voice tbh, couldn’t help it. of course they could talk similarly because that’s how the covey talk, but it was especially like lucy gray.

that brings me to theories about how lenore dove is related to lucy gray. as cool as it would be for her to be a direct descendant, i think lucy gray is her cousin once removed because i believe maude ivory baird is lenore dove’s mother.

some more fleshing out the family tree. honestly i forgot barb azure is a baird cousin too until i googled her. but since we know burdock is lenore dove’s cousin, my guess is barb azure is burdock’s mom or grandmother. and therefore katniss’s grandmother or great grandmother. so if this is right, lucy gray is katniss’s cousin twice or thrice removed. neat.

anyway, i think lenore dove knew all about lucy gray somehow. i don’t know how much clerk carmine or tam amber would have told her, but they definitely would have kept lucy gray’s legacy alive, at least within the covey. lucy gray’s grave is proof of that.

interesting side note. if lenore dove knows of her, what’s to say burdock, being a likely baird descendent, doesn’t know about her too? it’s an interesting thing to think about, but it’s a toss up for me. he seems to be more everdeen than covey, and i think they keep the memory of lucy gray to themselves. but he did know where the graveyard was, so he’s at least seen her name.

on this train of thought about the covey keeping lucy gray’s memory close, here’s my bit of evidence (aside from the fact that most of district 12 don’t even remember her name) lenore dove seemed to purposefully avoid discussing her

“I brought up our victor with Lenore Dove a few times, but she never wanted to discuss her.” (45)

this doesn’t tell us much, but i feel like suzanne wouldn’t have a reason to write that if not to tell us that lenore dove knew about lucy gray and her hunger games but wont discuss it with anyone who’s not covey. but it makes me wonder why.

did something happen to make it abundantly clear to them that it wouldn’t be safe to do so? snow wanted her to be forgotten after all.

before sotr, i was perfectly content with the fact that lucy gray’s fate was a mystery. but now i can’t seem to cope. i mean she has a gravesite! did the covey get to bury her? if so, when did she die? does the order haymitch reads the graves mean anything? her grave comes after maude ivory’s and before lenore dove’s, does that suggest she died after maude ivory—who died in childbirth, so did lenore dove meet lucy gray? even if it was as a baby?

maybe lucy gray hid out for a while? but stuck around? laid low? i mean if she really wanted to, after snow was out of district 12, she could have survived in that little house by the lake with the covey’s help. but now i’m just spitballing.

i’m hung up on this too

“Tam Amber standing stiffly over them, his head shaking as he mumbles, ‘Not again. Oh, not again.’” (366)

what does not again mean? is he just overwhelmed by the amount of recent deaths? or does lenore dove’s death remind him of how they lost lucy gray? it could be that she’s the same age when she disappeared. or if lucy gray stuck around, maybe something else is similar to how they truly lost her

but all of this feels like a really big stretch. suzanne has just given enough crumbs to make me spiral out about it i think.

another scenario about the gravesite is that when maude ivory died, they found the spot in the woods to bury her. then, around the same time, decided to honor lucy gray too with a headstone of their own. this feels like a solid theory.

[anthorius]

Where do we go from here? Chapter 2

Sevikaxfem!reader

Summary: You reminisce about how your mother did everything she could to try and make sure you had the best chance of hopefully leaving Zaun some day. Leading you to now where you finish up your shift topside before heading back down to the undercity to try and find out more about the new councilor. Running into some familiar and unfamiliar faces.

A/N: I wanted to get this posted on Valentines day but we're just gonna have to settle for the day after. I hope those who celebrated had a much better day than I did lol.

Anyway, I rewatched S2 with a literal notepad trying to jot down anything cannon that seemed important. Like I COMPLETELY forgot Jinx burned down the last drop before going to kermit. And really I know this fic doesn’t need this much work, but I’m an insane person. Idk if I mentioned but OC / Reader is from Zaun, I personally cant FATHOM the idea of Sevika after 41 years on this planet hooking up with her oppressor lmao ONE slip up even ONE smart ass comment that reinforces our class divide in a fight (cough Caitlyn cough) and I’d personally bounce so I can’t imagine her sticking with a Piltie lmao. Like I love Mel to bits, she’s hot as fuck, face card unmatched, but some of yall act like she wasn’t looking at Victor all of S1 like she was ready to call him a slur lmao. But I get Melvika I really do, put some of the baddest bitches together, I’m not mad in theory but in execution??? Small side eye lol (Also I'm fully on board with the idea Lest is trans like her VA and Ran in NB.)

You can still remember that day so clearly. The brisk early morning breeze and the slight chill it caused. The air up there was so… different than what you’d grown so accustomed to in Zaun. Wind collects on your small face, blowing back two little braids tied off with bows. The cobbled terrain slowly smoothing out into easily walkable pathways, buildings not too far ahead. You recall the warmth of your mothers hand surrounding your own. How on occasion she’d stumble a bit and lean on you, and like a good daughter you’d brace your small body to help her find her footing. The buildings were a lot closer now, and once you both hit the main road she stopped to slowly kneel and look you in the eyes.

Patting down your school uniform, she tries to make sure you look as tidy as possible, straightens your socks and double knots your small shoes.

“Okay honey, do you remember what I told you?”

you nod 

“Do you remember the landmarks I told you to look for?”

you nod

“And you have the paper with everything on it incase you get lost?”

You turn and reach into a zipped pocket on your small satchel, pulling out your emergency notes before looking back at her. 

“Good.” She returns the paper to its safe spot in your bag.

You remember just how confusingly sad she looked, the slight increase in the tightness of her grip on your small shoulders. 

“Oh my big girl” she moves to hold both your hands in hers. “You’re going to have a great first day okay?” Your only reply being a small squeeze of her hands. 

“You’ve got to get ready to go Ivy.”

…

“C- can you walk with me a little more?” The hesitation clear on her face, she fights it but you can see the tears starting to form. She looks away to view the city before you both, early morning sun just barely creeping in before looking at you in the small Piltover school uniform. She can’t help feel a sense of pride on how good the uniform looked. The stains, popped seams, and broken zipper no longer an existing factor of this second hand uniform she’d manage to get her hands on. Perfectly steamed and pressed, no one would ever be able to tell it wasn’t new. 

Her eye’s drift to her own worn in clothes, colors dingy, and very much so unbelonging up here. 

“I- I cant honey… Mommy’s sorry.” 

“I’ll be waiting right here though, in this same spot once you get out, okay?” The disappointment in your large brown eyes was something she could hardly bare. She tries to think of something better to say, anything to make this better, but before she can the sound of a door from one of the homes near by shuts.

And there stood another child, right around your age in a similar uniform. 

…

“Come on.” She slowly brings herself to stand, trying to gently approach the child.

“Excuse me! Little one!” 

The Vastayan child turns to face you both and greets you with a polite, “Yes ma’am?”

“I couldn’t help but notice you and my daughter have on the same school uniform, and today is her first day, she’s quite nervous.” You look up shyly at the child, quickly meeting eyes before looking back at the ground.

“I can’t walk with her all the way to the school, would it be alright if my daughter walked with you?”

The child looks between you both. 

“Sure! I can walk with her!” They exclaim before holding out a small hand and you can’t help but look back at your mother.

“Go on love” 

With a brave step you take the child’s hand. “What’s your name?” they ask with optimistic eyes, giving your hand an affirming squeeze. 

You glimpse back at your mother before turning to the child, “My name is Nimah.” 

You look back your mom who is smiling wide and nodding her head in approval. 

… “Whats your’s?”

“I’m Lestair!” And the child starts walking with you in tow, excitedly chattering at you. Both you and your mothers nerves ease a bit. Turning around you give a small wave to your mom, which she returns.

And as soon as you two round the first corner she finally sheds the tears she’s been fighting back. Gods she hoped this would work, she needed this to work. 

“She’ll be okay. Come on now, gather yourself” spoken with a deep inhale and wipe of her face.

She turns behind her, seeing the bricked path leading back to Zaun, she looks back to your direction at the beautiful gleaming city. And on hesitant legs she begins the walk back. 

In the lower region of Piltover sits the Atherium Library, a beacon of ancient tomes and archives. The vast domed ceiling, crafted from stained glass allows light to cast in  hues across the marble floors. Positioned under the grand library clock is a large orrery turning slowly in silent precision. Looking up you recognize its 12 minutes past your shift, you needed to leave. Now. 

Trying your best to rush and grab your things without looking too frantic you make your way outside of the Library doors. The blinding sun hindering your vision for just a brief moment before a sharp whistle pulled your focus. Shielding your eyes you look for the source until you spot tall white ears under a veranda. 

“Lest!” you quickly trot over to your friend. “Hey! I don't have much time to chat, the first council meeting should be letting out soon and I want to try and catch the new-”

Interrupting she hands you todays paper documenting the introductory council meeting, listing the names and districts of the new board members, all of which happened… yesterday.

“-councilor. “

“Sorry dear, looks like you got your dates mixed up.”

Letting out an exhale of disappointment your shoulders drop as you toss the paper on the table she was leaning on. “…Gods above.”

“I really wanted to see who Zauns new councilor was” you mention while taking the seat in front of her.

“Thats what happens when you’re constantly wringing yourself thin, you lose track of the days.”

“I know, I do really it’s just- this is without a doubt the best job I’ve ever had. And I like covering shifts! Your people pay such good money for surprisingly little labor.”

“Yes, yes so you’ve said my little archivist” she mutters while taking a sip from the drink she’d previously ordered.

“What has it been. Two months? And they still haven't found out about...  Nimah?”

You quickly silence her with a sharp “tsst! I love you dearly, stop talking.”

“There’s no one near this side of the corridor, we’re fine. I suppose I’m just… shocked is all. Through you I've been able to see just how... gullible my people can be.”

You shift forward, resting your elbows on the table, “Such blind trust is given to any official enough looking document. But what brings you to the tail end of Piltover?”

“What I can’t come check on an old friend?”

A beat passes as you hold each other’s stare, then, almost simultaneously, you both snicker. “What do you want from me now?”

“Such insulting assumptions, I have something for you this time” she says while placing a box on the table, “mother was asking of you again.” 

“Aw, your mother still thinks of me? She’s always been so kind.”

“Of course she does, you’re the only person she knows from Zaun, she worries for you. And she’s been shopping a lot more since retiring. Say’s she sees things in second hand shoppes you might like.”

You filter through the box of nearly new clothes. You couldn’t help but lament on just how wasteful topsiders could be. 

“She’s the one thats insistent I continue to keep in touch with you anyway” she says snidely. 

“Oh no, I’m so sorry you’re being forced against your will to still talk to me” you say sharing a brief pause before the two of you break out into a quiet laugher. 

“So what will you do now, there’s only her first name in the paper not a face.”

“And that was information I already had, I’m going to have to ask around, see if I can find out where she frequents.”

“I’m surprised you don’t already know her.” You can’t help but roll your eyes at her comment.

“Not everyone in Zaun knows each other Lest. Plus I do know she ran with Chem Barrons and I try to avoid them and their lackeys as much as possible.”

“I see.” She murmurs while looking back at the list of new councilors. 

…

“Might I ask a question?” 

“I don’t see why not” you muster while following her gaze to the same spot in the paper.

“I’ve just recently noticed, why don’t people from Zaun have last names?”

“Most of the populous are orphans friend, family names don’t always make it down if there’s no one to remember or document it.”

“I see, interesting.” 

You raise a brow out her.

“Well”, she says standing from her chair “my good deed for the day has been completed.”

“I’m so honored to have been the recipient of such selflessness,” you both laugh as you join her in standing from the table.

“Thank you again for these, I need to get back to the Promenade and change before heading back down.”

“Naturally, you can’t really afford to stick out.” 

Grabbing your things you make your way to leave, “I’ll see you around okay?”

“Hey” she reaches out, holding your hand in an affirming and loving grip. 

“Stay safe.” 

and you return the gesture with a small squeeze.

“You too.”

And with that you part ways with your childhood friend. Swinging through a public stall in the Promenade to change back into your regular unprofessional non piltie clothes before making the trek back. 

Once home you clear a space on your couch from the small stack books and place the box of clothes down before moving over to your desk to write out a proposal for the new councilor. In it you offer your assistance, as someones who’s managed to sneak their way up into Piltover a good portion of their life. You can get her information from archives if she needs, point her in the right direction for any questions she has about topsides political affairs. While finishing up the letter you hear a thunderous crash coming from outside your window. And since chaos often breeds information, you head out and make your way outside towards the source of the commotion.

“Huh… when did this place go up?” you whisper to yourself as the men working tear down the charred walls of what was The Last Drop. You’re then informed by one of the men that apparently Jinx tried to burn the place down before that big fight. “Thankfully someone caught it in time before it had a chance to spread” he says.  

“Oh wow” you mutter, taking in just how badly the building looked.

“Wow’s right girl” another man, this one older walks up next to you.

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Why not, gotta keep moving though so come along.” You follow the man into a more structurally sound part of the exposed building.

“What do you think of the whole, Zaun getting a council seat thing.” 

“Honest? Never thought I’d live to see the day. I’m not one to feel hopeful anymore at my age but I can’t help but feel a little… somethin’ at the idea. 

“You all talkin’ bout the new Councilor?!” shouts a younger man, carrying a wheelbarrow of burn debris making his was over to you. 

“Thieram! Come over boy” the older man waves him over.

Out of breath the younger man manages to get out, “I was so shocked to hear they actually made us a seat, almost didn’t believe it. And weirdly enough I’m honestly  grateful to hear it was Sevika who got offered the chair.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah, used to see her all the time when she was working upstairs with Silco. As scary as she is if anyone understands all the shit that’s been going on in Zaun its her.”

“I’ll have to take your word. I’ve never met her” you begin to follow Thieram to an area where they were ridding waste and charred debris.

“Count yourself lucky, the womans a force. If you saw her back when she had that insane arm you’d shit a brick. Storming into topside next to her with that thing was insane.”

That got your genuine attention, “You fought in that?!”

“Heh, yeah quite of bit of the old staff joined in. I’m grateful to have been one of the ones who made it back,” the man nervously rubs the back of his neck.

“Wow… thats- ”

“Wait you said her arm? What’s up with her arm?”

He looks at you after unloading the wheelbarrow, “The one she had during the fight was made by Jinx, definitely a design only she would come up with.” 

“The one before that wasn’t half bad either.” the older man piped in as he walked past you both..

“Oh yeah the one that took shimmer? Donnovan outdid himself on that one.”

“Donnovan?” you look between the two confused.

“Yeah older dude, his weapons shop is a bit deeper in the lanes past the roundabout.”

“Huh… well thanks for the insight.” 

“Yeah no problem.” 

And with that new info you head over to your next lead till you hear…

“Wait!” Thieram now running to your side.

“So… you just interested in learning more about the fight that went down?”

“… Certain aspects of it, yes” you give him a questioning look. 

“Well I mean, since I was there I can always give you a rundown sometime if you wanted to know more?” he begins to nervously rub at the back of his neck again. Letting out a small chuckle you politely decline his proposal, “I think I’m good, thanks” while continuing to walk away.

“Well if you ever change your mind just let me know!”

Turning on your heels you give him a parting wave with a roll of your eyes before looking for Donnovans. 

You’d never really been on the weapons district side of the lanes. Pulling your hood up you tried to stay inconspicuous as you looked for the shop. Passing through the deeper recesses, you hear deals being struck in hushed voices. The large crowd moving with purpose, you try to keep up til you finally see the round about Thieram mentioned. Stepping out of the way of traffic you scan the nearby buildings.

“Hey Don hold the door!”

Your eyes searched for the voice to find it belonged to a younger man holding a large crate walking into a small building that has definitely seen better days. The door being held open by a smaller, much older man. This had to be the place, trenching through the crowd once again you make your way into the building which alerts a little bell.

“We’ll be with you in a sec!” a voice shouted from the basement workshop down the hall of the building. 

“I’m in no rush!” you retort back.

Looking around at the array of tools was almost overwhelming. Your mother tried her hardest to keep you out of this side of the lanes when she was alive, but as you got older you could recall a few memories of sneaking around here with friends once playing topsider no longer became an option. School was expensive, money runs out, people die, and you had to find your own way after a while. Interrupted by your thoughts the older man clears his throat and walks up to his counter.

“Whatdya looking for miss?” 

“I was curious, do you limb prosthetics?”

“Only on occasion, and when the money is right. Why do you ask? He looks you up and down, “you look like you got all your limbs.”

“Asking for a friend, someone recommended you. Could I see what work you’ve done?”

He turns to a filing cabinet and flips through some manilla folders until he finds the ones he’s looking for. Splaying its contents on the table were the blueprints for a bladed hand replacement, weaponized leg prosthetic, and then you saw it, a bronze left arm with junctures that looked like they held viles. He notices your fixation on that one, “Oh that was one of my best.” 

“I’m sure you know already but this bad boy used to belong to the new council chair of Zaun” he gloats puffing out his chest. 

“No… really???” it almost left your mouth sarcastically but you reeled it in just enough to sound slightly exaggerated.

“Oh yes! See here” he pulls out more blueprints and early sketches from his time mocking up the piece. And in the midst of him excitedly talking about something he was obviously very proud of you found a way to ease in some questions. Specifically if he thought someone who owned a weapon like that was fit to be councilor. 

“Ha! thats a loaded question.” the young man interjected, carrying a small machine up from the basement.

“Yeah she’d been using that thing nearly all of Silco’s reign over Zaun. Can’t say I was too happy with what it was used for but, when money like that comes in it’s hard to turn down just cause of some morals.” He proceeded to put the device on the counter before getting started on his tinkering.

“I’m not surprised to hear you feel that way son, you were just a child when Silco took over the lanes. I didn’t know her too well before his takeover but we were familiar” he mentions as he grabs the two other unrelated blueprints to store away.

“I do recall seeing how she tried to clean up house after his death but too much time has passed, I can’t say I know what kind of person she is now.”

"K- KRRNNCH!" the jarring sound of broken and twisted metal comes from the device the apprentice was working on. 

“I hardly touched it! I swear Don I was doing like you told me!” he sputtered out quickly trying to explain himself to his boss.

“Come on, let’s get the hood off and see what you broke” Donnovan and the young man head down to the basement area while you stayed to look at the blueprints, “We’ll be right back.”

“No problem” you waved them off.

Looking through the documents you notice there are a lot of duplicates, to which you quickly fold up and pocket away. They had plenty, you’re sure they wont notice a few missing. You quickly gather up whats left and start to clean up the stack when he comes back. Handing him the papers you thank him for his help and let him know you’ll keep him in mind for your friends new piece before walking out the door. 

Playing detective was starting to wear you out, especially since you decided to do all of this right after work. Accepting what you’d gotten for now your stomach lead you back to a pub not too far from your home. Once inside you placed a togo order and grabbed a drink while you waited. This place was way more packed than what you were used to for some reason. Looking through the crowd of loud patrons one in particular caught your eye. 

Making your way over to the pool tables you see the familiar face lining up their shot, and right after taking it you butt in with a loud, “Double hit.”

“Like hell it was-” they shouted, annoyed and turning to see the source of the false call only for them to break out into a grin once they notices it’s just you.

“Oh shit whats up Ivy” Ran goes to pull you in for a quick side hug. “Since when do you hang out over here.” 

“I feel like I should be asking you that considering I actually live on this side of the lanes.”

“True, they’re still working on rebuilding The Last Drop so we had to find somewhere to go” they shrug off, before going to line up their next shot. 

“That makes sense,” you notice the woman at the bartop is waving you over to grab your order. Making your way, you snag your dinner and head back over to Ran. 

“Hey can I ask you something.”

“Shoot,” they go to lean on their pool cue.

“You used to run with jobs with Sevika right?”

An abrupt hand gets placed over your mouth before they turn in their cue and drag you outside the bar.

“Hey maybe don’t ask that kind of stuff in a big crowd like that. But yeah I used to some time back. Why are you asking anyway? Most make the effort to avoid her.”

Rans eyes then narrow in on you as they get closer. “Are you in trouble or something? What did you do?”

Extending your arm you push on their chest to get some space back. “No jeeze, and I haven’t done anything… I’m just asking.”

The glare of disbelief Ran gave you made itself clear, but they continued on anyway. “Since word got around that she accepted the Councilor position it’s been real hard to get a hold of her these last few days. Either they got her up there doing who knows what or she’s trying to lay low for a bit. They’re probably driving her insane already. 

You continue to listen intently, watching them fidget around with their metal hand while talking.

“Most of Zaun seems pretty hopeful about her being on the Council tho. But it might just be the shock that they finally acknowledged us. No one’s bold enough to say shit to her right now though with all the change happening.”

“Huh… I see.”

“So?” 

“So what?”

“What’s got you so curious shorty?” they ask giving your shoulder a playful shove. 

“I have something to offer her. It’s important.”

Rans face falls into a more serious stare. 

“Ive-”

“Don’t ‘Ive’ me Ran, we aren’t kids anymore, I’m fully capable of managing on my own.”

“Ha! Sure, maybe against your average thug but her?? Really??”

The baffled expression on your face gets a small chuckle out of them. “It’s not like I’m not challenging her to a fight! I just!-

You then realize you were shouting.

I just need to give her a letter, you relay in a lower volume while pulling the envelope out of your bag.

Cocking their eyebrow at you Ran gets back into your space, “You want me to get it to her?”

Immediately you recoil your hand holding the letter back, “Fuck no! you’re gonna open it or lose it or something!”

Ran steps in once more causing you to move back and make contact with the brick wall behind you. Their metal hand now by your head propping them up as they lean in to talk to you.

“Oh come on Ivy, don’t do me like that” the shit eating grin creeping on their face.

Unconvinced you hold their glare, only for Ran to concede with a roll of their eyes.

“Look you have my word I won’t open it. AND I’m more likely to see her around than you.”

The skepticism must’ve been clear on your face because they continue, “Come on, what other options you got? Keep running through Zaun asking suspicious questions?”

You hate to admit it but they were right, now it was your turn to yield.

“Ran I mean it, un opened. None of that heating up adhesive and resealing it shit.”

“Fine.” They say snatching the letter out of your hands, “So what do I get in return for such a kind favor?”

“Gods above,” you roll your eyes, “What do you want?”

“You know what,” the say tapping the edge of the letter on your forehead, “when I’m ready to cash in my favor I’ll come for you.”

Stepping forward you go to push past them, “Gee thanks Ran.”

“Anytime Ive!” the shout, seeing you off with a wink while you wave them off to head back home.

Finally back home and done with the day you sit at the small dining table to eat before going through the clothes Lest’s mother got you. Looking them over you notice some small stains, a popped seam here and there but aside from that perfectly fine clothes, “so wasteful” you mutter. Choosing one of the outfits for work tomorrow you grab your mending kit to sew up the small patch, and hit the cuffs with a quick iron to take some of the wrinkles out. Sealing the outfit in a laundromat bag you hang it from one of the pipes that cuts through your apartment into the next, and finally after such a grueling day you go climb into bed trying to get some rest before work tomorrow.

[isthebootylogical]

comrades I am once again thinking about the alternate timeline I am unwell here’s what i’ve got:

imagine how the trial would play out in this reality, jayce would never defend himself after killing a child. he accepts banishment willingly. here’s the kicker for me - jayce tries to kill himself in the original timeline because his life’s work is being destroyed, he has no prospects, and no one believes he can change the world among other things. when he’s (sorta) directly responsible for the death of a child, I think he would specifically Especially not attempt suicide Because Because Because - when he feels he’s to blame for something, we’ve seen him go to the ends of the earth to atone for it a few times in the show. the relevant instance being when a child dies at the shimmer facility he’s ready and willing to destroy the mercury hammer (and possibly all of their hextech work) to make things right. he hesitates on the hexcore because it could save viktor but otherwise I think he would destroy that too. when he has a child’s blood on his hands in the alternate universe and his work is already being destroyed, I think he would probably choose to live in order to right his wrongs, even if only indirectly. maybe he finds a way to help the kids somehow in whatever village he ends up in post banishment. builds them tools or toys, teaches them stuff idk but something to try to cosmically make up for what he took did.

okay that’s what he’s doing over there. now think of viktor at the trial. in the original timeline he hears jayce’s defense of his work and is intrigued enough to go after him. in this alternate world the trial isn’t what hooks vik but I think he’s still a curious (and nosy) mf and would absolutely go through jayce’s work before it was destroyed. the mention of magic intrigues him but he checks for himself that jayce has actual merit to his theories in the original timeline. I think he’s slower to get on board in the alternate world but after seeing jayce’s work we know he can see the potential there.

now i’m picturing all of this happening and viktor needing jayce to help continue the work, probably illegally but we know vik has no qualms with that. cue the letters to jayce imploring him to join vik in continuing their research and jayce’s vehement refusal because the work only amounted to bloodshed. now cue vik showing up on his doorstep like hey bitch I brought the science to you let’s do this together. jayce being the gracious host ximena raised him to be doesn’t immediately kick him out and gets convinced eventually.

who knows where that story ends but can you imagine?? if I could write anything half decent this would be a 350k partners to lovers alternate universe hurt comfort angst with a happy ending NOVEL. anyways.

[darkcircles4lyfe]

Life after NDE

Before reading, please see this post. It’s where I first explored the possibility that what we think we know about One for All is unreliable. It also ends with my own guesses about how Katsuki plays into it all. Now, with chapter 404, I can continue where it left off.

There are a lot of different tangents floating around here that I need to bring together for you, so let’s start with what came to light in this newest chapter. There’s a clear emphasis on Toshinori’s vestige form:

but did you catch the slight of hand?

How about now?

As soon as I saw the panels where Shigaraki talks about how the vestige is taking full form, I was practically shouting “OBJECTION” Ace Attorney-style, because they were a complete contradiction to how we were made to understand vestiges in chapter 304 (oh hey look, exactly 100 chapters ago!). Back then, it was suggested to us that Toshinori was special because of his quirklessness, that it allowed him to imprint upon OFA in a way that none of the other previous users could. In contrast, Shigaraki makes it seem like Toshi is no different from the rest. Like oh yeah, this is just how it works, they aren’t fully formed until they die, right? Hello?? No? I thought we were assuming the vestiges didn't have to do with actual souls, apart from Toshi? Given Shigaraki’s own brand of unreliability in his immature frame of mind, I found myself wondering: is he making an assumption, or is he letting slip a secret bit of information about OFA? Idk man, OFA wasn’t even doing this whole vestige thing until like a few months ago, so.

Either way, we can observe the change. As Toshinori’s lifeforce fades, he appears in OFA. I’m left with the simple observation that if he were truly different from the other vestiges because of his quirklessness, it would not have happened this way, since OFA doesn’t have Toshi’s own unique quirk factor to work with, but rather the other way around. You would have expected his vestige to stay the same, or possibly disappear altogether, since it was ostensibly exclusively based on the influence of a living consciousness.

That exception to the rule described in 304 never sat right with me anyway, and I’m not convinced that OFA contains mere memories of its previous users via their quirks just like AFO does. Sure, it’s nice and edgy to imagine that OFA/AFO are more similar than they are different, deep down. But poetic opposites are more interesting to me: AFO isolates by taking, while OFA connects by giving. Previous OFA users give themselves to their successors. One for All was “truly born” not when All for One tossed Yoichi a stolen consolation, but when 2nd extended his hand. There is something distinctly emotional and personal about that. Nana was right—it is kinda romantic.

Because Toshinori kept living, because Izuku has meaningful relationships, that chain of giving linked down through OFA was finally brought to light, like a circuit that’s being closed. At least, that’s how I see it. That’s pretty much what I talked about in my previous post.

Back then I also suggested that this theory of personal connection in some way explains Katsuki apparently having a vestige. Since chapter 403, where Toshinori describes his legacy as being embodied in both Izuku AND Katsuki, I was reminded of how Toshinori was gradually shown this over the course of the manga, as he came to understand Katsuki and his relationship to Izuku, how they are inseparable.

When Toshinori was inspired to pass OFA on to Izuku as he witnessed him trying to save Katsuki, he had no idea the two boys even knew each other. What he saw as a random act of selflessness was in reality a desperate manifestation of a connection that extended beyond memory, of osananajimi. With the eyes of traditional heroism, one could choose to see this as Toshinori’s fatal mistake, that he accidentally chose a successor with a “weakness” of personal attachment, but we all know that heroic isolation isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. No, I think Toshinori made precisely the right choice.

This is going to seem like it’s coming out of nowhere, but bear with me: you know how we still haven’t been told how the first OFA transfer happened? I feel almost silly admitting this, but I think it absolutely had to have been done instinctually, because it’s just too damn specific. As in, they didn’t know what they were doing or what it would accomplish, but they did it anyway. As in. They moved. Without thinking.

Toshinori didn’t fully consciously understand what he was seeing when Izuku ran to Katsuki, but deep within OFA, perhaps he recognized something familiar.

What if, somehow, without knowing it, Toshinori gave One for All to two people? His conviction and intent to give it was inspired by Izuku’s connection to Katuski. Yes, the transfer is inherently physical, but it also relies on mental assertion. Plus, how we think the transfer works may also be an assumption (again, the first time it happened was probably on instinct). Let me break it down even more: Toshi probably thought, as he passed OFA on, “I’m giving it to a successor who has my same balance of heroism—save to win, win to save.” But, in reality, Izuku relies on Katsuki for that balance, as his image of victory. Therefore I think I can argue that their relationship is irrevocably bound within the pact of the OFA transfer. Maybe because Katsuki’s part of OFA is based on emotional connection, once that connection is reciprocated…

…the full extent of that dual transfer is awakened.

I understand I’m making a lot of logical leaps here, but there has to be some sort of explanation for the Katsuki we see at the point of his death, talking to Toshinori’s vestige. I used to think it meant Katsuki had a vestige too. But then why are Katsuki and Toshinori alone, and without Izuku knowing? Moreover, why didn’t Katsuki materialize from the metaphysical mist around Izuku when he died, just as Toshinori did here?

Here comes the other thing I realized in 404. The simplest explanation may be that Katsuki isn’t a vestige at all, but rather he was visiting the OFA interior just as Izuku has done in his sleep or in a coma. Because he’s not a previous user, he’s a current user. The sequence of Toshinori’s NDE (near death experience) in 404, the way it manifested externally around Izuku as something Izuku was aware of, rather than internally within OFA from Toshinori’s point of view, shows me that what happened to Katsuki was different.

A lot of us have been speculating that Katsuki “has access to” OFA in some form or another for quite some time now, but I think the way the idea is suggested in 403/404 is an important distinction because it specifies the mode of connection. To me, it matters that they have two halves of a whole given to each of them, as opposed to, “the chosen one + his sidekick with a little extra OFA boost.” This puts them on equal ground, and it implies that the closer they become, the stronger One for All will be against All for One. It promises that these two idiots who have been toeing around each other and leaving things unspoken for so long will have to really face the facts of their relationship.

One last thing: you might be wondering why the other vestiges apparently haven’t picked up on what’s going on and told Izuku. Well, Yoichi may have felt it? (Where has he been?) But also, Toshinori is the only one directly involved, the only one who realizes his legacy is carried by two. Up until this point his connection to his vestige self has been limited, sort of one-way. For example, he could tell the other vestiges about his research into OFA, but in return he could only faintly pick up on things, and only while Izuku was unconscious.

The time Toshinori spent as a full vestige was brief, but I’m sure it was enough to learn some things about where the shade of himself has been. Even if I’m wrong about everything else, I bet he can give us the answers now.

[strawberryxfieldz]

i have a couple of scenarios for a Spongebob x reader that you may like!! ofc I don't expect you to write all of them! just choose one if you want to, I'm only writing them here so I don't forget!!! 🫧🌊🧽🍔🍍

Spongebob x sea monster reader //like the big scary ones in the first movie!

Spongebob x human reader who loves sea life and fights against sea pollution and is an aquatic veterinarian //I like to think that Spongebob looks up to them as if they were the superheroes he's so obsessed with. It would be a little tricky to write considering Spongebob would be 10cm tall compared to reader, but maybe it could work if y/n is wrote like some sort of divine entity. Imagine Spongebob pretending to be hurt just so yn can hold him. Double points if the reader doesn't even know Spongebob loves them. Also, yk the whole theory of bikini bottom being radioactive and stuff? Well maybe that's the reason yn is so interested in it, and also probably the reason the fishes can talk

Spongebob x doodlebob //I DON'T EVEN SHIP THIS AND IK IT'S NOT A X READER BUT UHH HEAR ME OUTTTT like imagine Spongebob feeling bad about what happened with doodlebob and secretly freeing him uh..

Spongebob x pirate ghost reader //just like the flying Dutchman, yn has their own pirate ship. Or if you want do a normal ghost

Spongebob x human reader who was found lost at sea and rescued by barnacleboy and the other guy idk his name :/ and now can breathe underwater //isn't there a barbie movie with the same plot? I don't remember

Doodlebob x artist reader //ik it's not Spongebob. But please hear me out. there isn't any doodle bob fanfic in the entire world wide web, I checked. please.. *starts coughing and bends over in a fetal position on the ground* please...your my only hope........save me......

hope you like these! let me know what you think!!

ANON I’m going to need you to reveal yourself right now because your MINDDD 🧠🧠🧠 OH MY GOD YOU’RE SO BIG BRAINED!!!!

I’m not sure how many of these I’ll write (I definitely want to write some!) so I’ll go through my thoughts on each one in case I don’t get around to em!

Sea Monster Reader: BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL CHEF’S KISS 💋 the way I actually thought of this before while watching the first movie is crazyyy 😭 I’ll probably write this!

Aquatic Vet Reader: GAH I LOVE THIS!!! pining SpongeBob is sooo good hehe! ur right about the human aspect being difficult though… hm I’ll have to think about that. also I love the radioactive theory, that would be cool!

SpongeBob x DoodleBob: I have actually thought about this before bc I love this ship 😭 I have an idea brewing for them so I’ll definitely write that!

Pirate Ghost Reader: I LOVE THIS IDEA mostly bc I love pirates hehe… maybe the reader could even be on the Dutchman’s crew??? the 2025 movie will also heavily feature the Dutchman so that may offer more inspiration! but it’s so far away 😭

Human Reader: MERMAID MAN????? justice for Mermaid Man bro 😔 /j I like this idea too bc it could offer theorizing on MM&BB’s lore bc I always think how interesting it is they just live in Bikini Bottom as humans… how, why?

DoodleBob x Reader: I’ve honestly never considered DoodleBob x Reader but you’re so right anon this is an injustice I must remedy, I will do my best! 🫡

ok that’s all of them! I’ll probably write the DoodleBob stuff I mentioned and a couple of the Reader scenarios you gave! thank you for the ideas! 😊

[serial-serializednovelreader]

Nova’s Notes - DD - May 8th

That’s right, I’m deciding to give my thoughts a cheesy name because why not (also it’s late oops).

So this may be one of my favorite entires of the entire book. My first go-around it was for the mirror-yeet scene (because that’s iconic) and Dracula being The Housekeeper of all timeTM, but now it’s also one of my favorites because of how much we learn about Jonathan.

They say you learn the most about a person when they’re in crisis mode, and while I don’t always think that’s true, Stoker definitely wanted to let Jonathan’s personality shine through here.

From the first passage, he’s literally guessed that Dracula is undead. “I fear I am the only living soul here.” Sure, he might mean that he’s the only present soul, if Dracula’s left the building, but since he describes the mirror yeeting scene right after…idk, I’d like to think he knows way more than we ever gave him credit for. “Clueless Jonathan” who? Is the clueless in the room with us?

Also going back to the first sentence where he describes worrying he was getting too wordy, but now being glad he did…oof. I feel for him here. If my theory is correct that he was initially writing in a more detailed way for Mina so he could remember his travels for later…I’m sure it’s hitting him now that while it may be saving his life that he’s more detailed, it’s so twisted that something he did as a note of affection has soured. I wonder if he’s thinking about how he may never get out of this, or if that hasn’t fully hit him yet.

Moving on to everyone’s favorite mirror-yeet scene, think about how Jonathan reacts when he’s caught off guard by Dracula because he didn’t see his reflection. How would most protagonists react? Probably laugh nervously and brush it off. Attribute it to some mistake on his part, which is exactly what Jonathan does *at first*. But after, he looks at Dracula and then looks back at the mirror to confirm his suspicions are correct, which they are. It’s an interesting moment and not one I think we see often at the beginning of a horror story (I don’t consume much horror though, so correct me if I’m wrong!). Usually, a character won’t get to this level of observation until towards the middle/end, when more supernatural elements have occurred. Jonathan may have second guessed his instincts, but checking them again is what makes him more likely to survive Castle Dracula.

Plus, when Dracula makes a move to attack him, his first instinct is to dodge the attack, showing that he’s not just going to freeze up at the first sign of trouble (which I want to emphasize isn’t a problem normally, but he is dealing with a thousands-of-years-old vampire…so, he has to be quick on his feet to survive).

Afterwards, he says he is annoyed at losing his mirror rather than disturbed, but I saw another post saying he’s repressing his panic as annoying (I’ll link it if I find it again) and I definitely think that’s true!! I can totally see that as his coping mechanism. Plus, compared to the rest of what happens for him today, it really is more of an annoyance than anything else. Would you rather your host throw away your mirror or lock you in a castle?

So after that horrific scene of terror, Jonathan is proactive in searching the castle. After finding a beautiful — but slightly horrifying landscape (you know it’s bad when he doesn’t stop to describe the view) — he decides to explore further, which leads him to figure out almost every other door is locked, including the front one to find, yep you guessed it…he’s a prisoner in the castle.

As I imagine most people would, at first he reacts by frantically running around trying to open locked doors like “a rat does in a trap.” The fact that he admits this in his diary (and, by extension to Mina/us) is admirable because it already shows he’s not afraid to be open about his emotions, even if it makes him look weak (which — unfortunately, he would, considering the time period). Most heroes of this period were expected to accept their fates with stoic determination, but that’s not human and that’s not how Jonathan is, either. We’ve already seen that he’s more open-minded than most English men by accepting the crucifix even if he doesn’t understand it and of course the way he shows his love for Mina is atypical for Victorian men as well. Most men wouldn’t go to the trouble of writing down descriptive notes just to recount it for the benefit of his fiancée later. It’s sad, but true.

Once he’s able to regulate himself a bit, it’s time for thinking and strategy, determining that he needs all of his wits to get through this! Once he sees that the Count does the cooking AND the cleaning, though, is when my love for Jonathan reaches an all-time high. He comes to a series of conclusions most protagonists don’t figure out until the end of a novel after way more obvious clues have been laid out for him and it’s only his 3rd day of being in the castle!! They go as follows:

A) Dracula = servants

B) Dracula = driver

C) Dracula = control wolves

D) Villager’s concern/gifts = this is worse than I thought

E) Crucifix = actual help?

F) Get Dracula to talk about himself (not hard) = find more information, but not in an obvious way

I also love that he questions his own biases about the crucifix he was given!!!! When else do you see an Englishman do that in the 1890s of his own volition (aka without someone snarkily telling him to - see BBC’s Dracula if you want an example). I certainly haven’t!

He also noticed that Drac talked about his “ancestors” as if he had been present for their battles (hmm wonder why that is). Hasn’t quite figured it out yet, but there’s evidence that he doesn’t write something down as a fact until he knows it is a fact, so perhaps we’ll see him write more on this later.

Final thought - his reference to Arabian Nights and Hamlet is significant and tragic, but also relatable. I too like to relate my life to my favorite blorbos, Jonathan!

All in all, we learned that Jonathan is very good in a crisis. He’s not stoic like most protagonists of his time period, but he is instead strategic and observant, willing to play the part of oblivious to keep himself alive another day and keep Dracula’s trust. This is likely what’s keeping him alive right now, as an aggressive approach would get him killed. Dracula is all about playing with his prey and keeping the illusion of benevolent host and willing guest — it’s a game of control for him. Breaking this game would mean it’s no fun and no fun would mean Jonathan is no longer needed….

While I know how this story goes, I’m as excited as first time readers to see how Jonathan plays what is, essentially, 4D chess with Dracula!

[sabo-torao]

when do you think sabo first heard about law ??? to me i like to think he did around the sabaody incident ─── he heard about luffy by default of course , by because he didnt recognize luffy , law was who stuck with him slightly more despite Luffy's Dragon - Punching 🤔🤔

post Marineford and going into dressrosa i like to imagine sabo saw law in person but due to circumstances , couldnt be excited about it until stampede ( which is canon in my heart bc thats the Crumbs Source ) !!

this ones also a bit catering to me specifically but i think at some point during the sabolawisms , sabo starts echoing laws ' ya ' suffixing ( autism win )

sbao kind of kept tabs on them both for a while after ,,,

ohh that’s a very interesting question!!

i like the idea of sabo hearing about law during the sabaody arc, but at the same time i’m of the opinion that sabo doesn’t really keep up with the news. we know that the revolutionary army as a whole does for very obvious reasons, and sabo, as the chief of staff, should too, but i doubt it would have taken ace’s death to make him remember about him if he actually spent the last 2 or so years consistently hearing about ace’s (and then luffy’s) (mis)adventures. i think that sabo isn’t one to keep tabs on all the new pirates that pop up and rather focuses on his (the rev’s) main goal.

of course he tries to keep note of the most prominent powers of the pirate world, new and old, so i’m not saying he never heard of luffy or ace or saw their faces before marineford- he most likely did, especially after ace turned down the offer to be a shichibukai or when he became whitebeard’s number two, and especially after the events of arabasta, enies lobby and sabaody- simply, i don’t think he spent too much time on it like he probably should have. (little side-note: i like to imagine that he started silently rooting for both of them, ace after the shichibukai stuff and luffy after enies lobby, and that it made him feel kinda nostalgic and weird for some reason he couldn’t put his finger on- and that was what actually made him stop in his tracks when the news of marineford’s aftermath hit him. idk it's silly.)

having said that, i think the first time he heard of law was when the heart pirates started getting traction as one of the crews of the “worst generation”. remember when, during wano (chapter 999), ace talked about pirate rookies that started getting attention alongside him, mentioning cavendish, kid, bege and law? that’s when his name reached sabo as well to me. quite a bit before sabaody, then. did sabo actually keep his name in mind? no, not at all.

as for actually knowing who he was and meeting him and all that, that’s got to be post-marineford for me, right at the beginning of the timeskip. as i briefly mentioned here, i’m confident that sabo knows who law is and that he saved his brother. we know that ivankov shared their very own details about the summit war to the revolutionary army so it’s safe to assume that sabo has the info as well. going back into theory/headcanon territory, i think that sabo tracked law down in order to thank him, and that was their official first meeting. (obviously i don’t ignore the possibility of them meeting during pre-ts- i actually quite like the idea, this is just my preferred headcanon :3)

since i imagine they kept on running into each other by accident during the timeskip (one was tracking down doflamingo’s men, the other was tracking down the mera mera no mi… you know how it is), i see dressrosa as kind of a… strange. occasion. for both of them. law wasn’t affiliated with the world government anymore by that point, but he did join the shichibukai after the rocky port incident, so. something to think about.

personally i don’t see stampede as “pure” canon material (that’s the manga + ace novel a and b for me) but as an official source i gotta say their small interaction was Truly Something. i won’t go too deep into it bc this post is already long enough but let me tell you, law was definitely having some trouble hiding his crush.

finally: i love the idea of sabo taking law’s “ya” suffix after spending time with him 😭 i think he’d start using it after random adjectives/nouns instead of names and law would get mad and explain the true meaning behind it so that if sabo *really* had to use it at least it would have been in an accurate way. sabo then proceeded to put it after all the different nicknames i headcanon he has for law and nothing else. it annoys law to no end.

[coffeesleep-ooc]

I wish we had more than that one extra that talked about LBH’s experience with SQQ growing up. Like I understand why more of the book doesn’t reference the more casual end of white lotus era…but…I would’ve loved to see it refrenced more…actually nvm I think I would’ve gotten creeped out if done the way I’ve seen some people write it

Omg, thanks for sharing your thoughts 👀👀👀

I thirst everyday for what could have been 😔🙏

Honestly though, one of the few things that disappointed me in sv was the lack of disciple days shenanigans! It would have made the story x3 longer and it’s true that the contrast of a happy white lotus LBH and the consequent betrayal and miscommunications would have taken a hit but!!!! -insert whining dog noises-

i need it!!!

actually i thought that even that kind of content could have been played of as nostalgic and even heartbreaking in the right way, especially if it’s LBH reminiscing, but I also doubt he would avoid those kinds of thoughts a little bit bc he doesn’t want to question SQQ and his love ig? Maybe he is scared that if LBH demands answers SQQ will suddenly decide he doesn’t love him anymore and leave…LBH couldn’t take that

idk, that is my theory but i agree it would have been nice to have more of that content? Maybe crammed in before the IAC? But again, that would have made the novel longer -sighs-

Idk why you would have been creeped out? So im wondering! I mean…i’ve read a lot of fics including smol bunhe, from the horny simping LBH ones, passing through the ambiguous pining-LBH nothing is wrong here-SY and even the platonic end where LBH does have feelings but SY is snagged by someone else (imnot crying you are crying) and i believe that all takes are interesting even if a couple ones are a bit questionable…fiction wise

i do think that LBH growing up would slowly go from ‘Shizun is my god and my role model’ to ‘Shizun is my most silly man who i want to wife up and squeeze as soon as possible but he is still so good and peerless and im a bit potato but if he thinks me pleasing to look at I’ll maybe have a chance if I’m super explicit with my intentions…maybe’. And i think that process has a lot of potential??? Bc like, he puts SQQ in a literal pedestal at first but I imagine that living with the man makes LBH realize that SQQ is a human being with likes and dislikes, with a thin face and silly behavior underneath, who shows LBH more kindness and humanity than anyone else, and this is interesting bc other ppl did it before and after him, but LBH is stuck on him??? Also, we see sv from SY!SQQ’s pov, but again, LBH has suffered and known some of the darkness of the world before meeting SY, i believe his method of protecting himself is either to act cute and be super nice, even manipulative about it, while SJ’s was to be a prickly man with the ‘i hurt them first so they can’t hurt me later’ method, and this is why they are conflictive, different protection methods and different levels of blackening. When LBH realizes there’s nothing for him to cling to in a place, he will go silent like a shadow and endure until he can do something about it, if there’s something about SJ and LBH is about their parallels being breathtaking in the ‘im trying not to cry’ way and both endure and endure beyond their breaking point until something happens. SY transmigrated just in time to show LBH that the place he lived in still had some salvation, that the person that hated him and punished him still was capable of humanity!!! We don’t know what LBH thinks of SQQ changing like that, if he believes SQQ lost his memories or smth, but what he concerns himself with is basking in the light he thought was lost, and this makes him a naive character…he hasn’t lost his experience, he knows still what is to be scorned, alone in the world, treated like a street rat, but hopes that his current situation stays like this forever (except he starts getting greedier for SQQ’s love and affection in other ways)

i digress, LBH starts falling for SQQ bc the man shows him humanity underneath the kindness, later on he will be Shizun’s favorite (the dream for him, truly) but first SQQ shows him that he can make mistakes (skinner incident) and that he can be incredibly stupidly selfless (without a cure poisoning) and finally that he is a silly man, with a kind soul and with a lot of dignity and self-assurance despite his obliviousness of lots of things

On that note…idk why i’ve seen a lot of ppl saying that LBH would have fallen for the first person that showed him kindness? Like yes usually kindness is the base for love and interest, but as i see it, LBH didn’t fall for SQQ right away but gradually, not even knowing it himself until it was a tender devotion he couldn’t even try to suppress. LBH didn’t fall for NYY in sv? And she was kind to him, not helpful at all, but kind and human and flawed, but SQQ was such a bright light, such an imposing and beautiful being to him that he couldn’t feel anything for anyone else! Novel-canon LBH is just too obsessed with Shizun, and even PIDW LBG wanted to take him back with him, i mean…

And even if he did fall for someone kind and human like SY, that’s how life works, and i think that if a character deviates from his original narrative and manages to stay in character then it means it’s well built!

LBH is a very good character in my opinion and BingQiu is a very interesting dynamic full with nuances and hysterics (hehe), i do love reading about white lotus bunhe and i could only imagine what SQQ felt like when he thought that the person LBH was before the conference was dead TAT

and this is getting long hahaha sorry, hope some of my rambling is pleasing and answers your comment at least a bit! Thanks for asking(commenting? Talking to me?) <3