#i have a tendency to ramble so i hope i answered your question

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

The Meet Cute - Law's Story - 2

Source for pic

The Great Pretender 2

Word Count: 4816

Tags For The Whole Story: Fem!Reader; Law is a soft dom; you have bratty tendencies (not all the time); voice kink; praise kink; cursing; very suggestive behaviour and innuendo from the start; sexual tension; teasing; so much flirting; romance; slow-burn; fluff; slight angst; mature audiences (though explicit NSFW moments will be properly tagged on the chapter); possessive Law; protective Law; soft Law; teasing Law; manipulative Doflamingo; inappropriate Doflamingo; fake relationship trope; only one-bed trope; reader has some anxiety issues; reader is a control freak and perfectionist; modern day AU

Special Warning: English is not my first language, I apologise for any possible spelling or grammar mistakes.

Summary: After moving away from the hustle and bustle of Grand Line City to help your father around the property following a horse-riding accident - and in the hopes of healing your broken heart after your asshole ex-fiancé cheated - you settle into the country calmness of the Calm Belt. You and Law (your father's doctor) start to build a flirty friendship because of your father’s procedure. So much so that when he’s invited to Baby 5’s wedding (his cousin), he asks you to be his date. His uncle Doflamingo - who is filthy rich - is very adamant on finding a suitable wife for him. Seeing as he wants to avoid that, he asks you to pretend to be his girlfriend for the weekend.

Notes: Here's chapter 2! We're still setting up the stage to more exciting events coming up! It's time for Shanks' surgery now.

Tag List: @rosidaze @beachaddict48 @armiliadawn @jintaka-hane @sprinkklz @baby5555

Masterlist

|Chapter 1| | |Chapter 3|

“What do you know about Dr. Law?” Sipping your coffee you stare at Nami, trying to hide the curiosity gnawing at your brain. You haven’t been able to stop thinking about the handsome dark-haired doctor since the appointment two days ago. When you slipped him your number, you unconsciously hoped he would send you a text or give you a call, but then again, why would he? You gave him your number for professional reasons and, despite all the fun teasing when you were with him, you know he’s very professional at his job. 

Also, you knew Kaya would be able to answer any and all lingering questions you might have about him, but Kaya was too invested in trying to set you up and, as attracted as you felt to him, you didn’t really want to act on it.

It was just curiosity.

Right?

“Dr. Law? From the clinic?” Nami placed a finger on her chin as her eyes wandered to the ceiling. “Well, he’s a very good doctor but he’s not very sociable. I think Luffy knows him and they get along well. But he doesn’t party very much. He drinks a lot of coffee - I think Sanji can vouch for that - but he doesn’t hang around coffee shops. He keeps to himself, mostly.” She sighed. “Maybe you should ask Kaya? She sees him on a daily basis! Oh, Robin might answer some questions for you too, they worked together on some paper for a science magazine a while ago.”

Damn it. Not one drop of interesting information. Only that he wasn’t a social butterfly. Shrugging, you nodded and were about to change the subject when Nami’s brow rose. “Why?”

You tried to hide your blush behind the coffee mug. “Oh, no big deal! He’s my dad’s doctor and he’s going to be the one performing his back surgery, should he agree to it. I just wondered how good of a doctor he really was. He seemed professional but you never know!” She was still watching you closely. You were rambling, so you shut up with another sip of coffee. 

“Riiiight.” Her smirk grew. “I’ll pretend to believe you. But I want all the information when things progress between you two!”

-*-

Another two days go by without any exciting news and, somehow, you manage to push Law to the back of your mind, what with the constant scolding of your father’s terrible seating habits, all the helping around the property, and a part-time job Nami had recommended to you at her firm. It was basically sorting files and organising old data and, despite Nami’s assurance that it was mind-numbing, boring work, you secretly loved it.

Because, as Law perfectly diagnosed, you are a bit of a control freak. 

Now that you are back to thinking about him, you remember him telling you that he had a few tips for you to let go and relax. Was he talking about everyday tips or… intimacy tips? Because his tone of voice had suggested something else. 

You are wound up so tight that the thought of relaxing in someone’s care is-... exhilarating. 

Fortunately the buzz of your phone wakes you from your reverie and, patting the cow in front of you on the hind, you walk away from the barn while picking up the call.

“Hello?”

The deep voice calling your name on the other side brings shivers down your spine. It’s Law. “Is this a good time to speak?”

“Yes!” You shake your head and inhale deeply. “Sorry, I was doing some chores for my dad. It’s fine, I’m fine. I mean… yes, you can speak.” Fuck. Once again you wonder what is it about his voice that makes you weak in the knees and dumb in the head?

The vibrato of his chuckle doesn’t have the same effect on you over the phone, but it’s still very endearing. “I’m calling because I’ve managed to check your notebook and I would like to arrange a house call so we can surprise your father.”

Ah, the ambush! You are ready for that. Shanks isn’t.

“I think he will be working around the property all day this week. I won’t be available in the mornings, though. If you can manage a visit in the afternoon, it would work best.”

He hums on the other side and you sit down on a hay bale. Can there be a way to avoid being affected by a tone of voice? Would online research help? “I can make it tomorrow, if that works?”

“Yes! I’m open for you.” You almost bite your tongue as your hand slaps your head. “My schedule is open for you! My schedule!” You bet that if you could see his face, the man would be smirking.

There’s definitely amusement in the tone of his voice. “Tomorrow it is, then.” 

You say your goodbyes and put the phone away as you groan in frustration. How dumb can you be, really?

-*-

When you get home from your part-time job, your organisational needs fulfilled for the day, your father tells you that Ace had come by to help and all the chores were taken care of, so he’s heading out to Beckman’s for beers and to watch the football game.

“No! No, no!” You quickly grab your phone and text the number from which Law called, hoping it’s his personal, or at least professional phone and that he’s carrying it with him now. You quickly say your dad is about to leave and he needs to come ASAP.

Then you turn to Shanks with a pained smile. “Dad, the car is giving me trouble again and I need your help. Teach me how to get it to work effortlessly every time!”

Shanks sighs and looks at his watch. “Fineee. The game doesn’t start for another four hours anyway.”

Placing your hands on your hips, you scrunch your nose. “Four hours? Then why the hell are you going there so early?”

Shanks guffaws. “Pre-game drinks, bug! Why else?” Rolling your eyes to the back of your head, you make your way outside to your car. You keep pestering Shanks about different things, trying to buy your time and, slowly, pissing him off inadvertently, until you spot a fancy car coming up the driveway. 

“Oh, thank God.” You mutter, having exhausted all your car-related questions in your arsenal. 

“Thank God, what? Who’s that?” Shanks closes the door of your car and tilts his head sideways. Once he sees the driver, he groans. “An ambush?” His glare could almost burn holes into you.

“Sorry, Shanks. It’s the only way you’ll speak with Dr. Law! You will undergo that surgery. It’s for your own good!”

Your dad still tries to escape, but as soon as he witnesses the scowl on Law’s face, he stops trying to struggle and resigns himself to the situation. Law is dressed casually without his doctor’s coat on: black t-shirt and again with those cute, spotted jeans. He’s so tall and lean, with defined muscles, but nothing too big. And the tattoos… paired with the earrings and the rebel goatee, they almost make you want to squeal. This man is too damn hot to be walking around.

He says your name as he leaves the car with a sly smile and then turns to your dad. “Mr. S. Hi. So sorry for the ambush, but you wouldn’t come to me, so I had to come to you. I’m told we’re going through with the surgery and I’m here to explain everything.”

Shanks groans and you chuckle. “Let’s go inside, I’ll make coffee.” 

Law’s ears perk at that, as you knew they would, and now you’re feeling the pressure of making a good cup of coffee. Fortunately, you’ve just stocked up on some amazing roasted coffee beans that Sanji recommended, and they truly make a delicious brew. 

-*-

Two and a half hours are all it takes for Law to go over the questions in your notebook. He compliments your organisational skills with a slight smirk, and a teasing remark about you trying to control everything, but you try to ignore his tone and he continues. 

He also answers all of your father’s sillier questions, even the one where he asks if he would lose function of any necessary limbs - you know what he’s referring to and you just shake your head at him - but Law handles it very professionally.

By the end, Shanks seems to be a bit more at ease with the whole process - and frankly, so are you - so he agrees when Law says he’ll schedule all necessary pre-surgery exams and the surgery itself.

Shanks leaves in a hurry to go and meet Beckman because the game should be starting in under two hours and he’s not nearly tipsy enough to watch his team lose. Thanking Law, he leaves you two alone telling you not to wait up for him.

Sighing, you get up from your chair to collect the empty coffee mugs. “That went well!” You can’t hide a soft smile from gracing your lips. Law gets up too as he helps you by grabbing his mug and a plate with cookies you had set out, and follows you to the kitchen.

“It really did. I’ll let you both know when the exams and the surgery are scheduled. His jitters will come back, but, if we’re lucky, only on surgery day. He’s going to be fine.”

You finish placing the dirty mugs in the sink and turn to him, leaning on the counter slightly and nodding your head with a weary smile. “Yes, yes, I know. He’s in good hands.”

Law approaches and, reaching behind you, places his dirty mug in the sink, his body a breath away from yours. You can almost feel his own breath in your ear, just for a moment, before he pulls back and steps away from you.

You release the breath you barely realised had been trapped as he keeps eye contact with you. “Thank you for the coffee you made for me. It was delicious.”

“I…” The praise! The damned praise! It turns your legs into jelly and leaves your tongue tied. You have to clear your throat before you manage to utter a full sentence. “Thank you. Sanji said it was a very good quality bean and I followed his instructions.”

His smirk disarms you as much as his praise and he partners it with a slight chuckle and by crossing his arms over his chest. “And do you always follow instructions that well?”

Oh… cheeky.

“Not always. It depends on the instructions. I tend to be a bit of a brat, sometimes.” You respond in kind to his teasing and, as you notice the glint in his eyes and the slight bob of his throat, you don’t regret it one bit. 

“Interesting.”

The look you give each other feels charged with tension, electrical, almost. Again, this was supposed to be a professional visit. Why do the two of you keep playing this dangerous game of teasing each other?

Are you willing to push the game further?

You wouldn’t mind trying a few naughty things with the doctor, but then again, you came to the Calm Belt to get your mind off romantic affairs and help mend your broken heart. 

But then again… this wouldn’t be romantic… just a bit of fun. And don’t they say that rebound sex is good for broken hearts?

Your wandering thoughts are cut short by an insistent beep from Law’s pager. He grunts and grabs it, glancing at it before sighing. “It’s the hospital. I have to go. We’ll keep in touch, okay?”

Yeah you wouldn’t mind that… keeping in touch…

“Yes! We’ll wait for the exam confirmations. Thank you for all your help.” You say while accompanying him to the door. 

As he descends the steps of the porch, he glances back to give you one last smirk, the tension of your previous moment still hovering above you both. “You did very well with that notebook. It was very thorough and neatly organised.” 

Your breath hitches and you feel your cheeks flush with colour. Law opens the door to his car and gazes at you, burning you with his stare. “I can’t wait to witness how you act when you stop trying to control everything and just… surrender.”

His voice is low, teasing and commanding. Laced with a promise of something more, something else, a not so subtle invitation to a very enticing what if. As his car rides up the driveway, you’re left standing in the doorway, your pulse quickening, even though he’s long gone. 

-*-

The day of the surgery finally arrives and you’re sure that your father didn’t sleep a wink. And neither have you. You shower and get dressed and when you get downstairs, he’s sitting by the kitchen chair looking very pale and worried.

“Morning, dad.” Shanks can’t eat or drink anything pre-surgery so you fill your coffee cup and stuff an apple in your purse for later. “How are you feeling? Get any sleep?”

Shanks groans. “I’m terrible, bug. I didn’t sleep a wink.”

You smile as you reach and hug his shoulders from behind. “It’s okay, daddy. You’ll sleep under anaesthesia.” He doesn’t laugh as you hoped he would, so you try to reassure him. “Dr. Law is very good at his job, dad. You’ll be in and out in an instant. Everything will be alright! Plus, I’ll be there waiting for you, okay?”

You asked for days off work to help a family member and arranged with Ace to feed the animals on the property, so you’re covered. All you have to do is worry nonstop in a hospital waiting room while your father is being operated on. 

Nothing too serious. 

Everything passes in a blur after you both leave the house. Shanks is feeling more and more anxious and you aren’t faring much better either. By the time you reach the hospital - in the next town over, where Law performs surgeries on his days off from the clinic - you are both very pale and nauseous. 

You check him in and, as he’s being taken to a room to get prepped for surgery, Law appears and asks you to come in so he can speak with both of you. He reviews the process step by step as you nod along - having studied the procedure from front to back, as the little control freak you are - assures you both that he will be there the entire time, reassuring you that it’s a routine procedure and everything will be alright. 

Shanks feels better once the nurses start to apply drugs to the IV, but you’re still wound as tight as a rope, so Law gently grasps your arm, leading you to the room where you will be waiting for the surgery to be over. He seats you in a chair and fills a cup of water from the dispenser.

“Drink.” He uses the commanding tone you’re slowly getting used to, and you do as you’re told. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll take care of your father. He’s a strong man and this is routine. He’s got this.” Your eyes fix somewhere in front of you, staring into a void as your heart thumps against your eardrums in a deafening rhythm. Law’s firm hand captures your chin as he tilts your head up to meet his amber gaze. “I’ve got this. I won’t let anything happen to him. Do you trust me?”

It seems like such a charged question. As if he’s asking this and meaning so much more than the hours he’ll spend operating on your dad. Yet, you have no doubt about the answer.

“I do.” You whisper softly. 

Nodding, he turns to leave. “It will pass in an instant, okay? Try not to worry.” He leaves you alone, feeling the weight of fear crushing you and pressing down on your back. You feel helpless, impotent about what you can do to help, to make sure the outcome is a happy one.

But everything feels too out of control. 

Half an hour passes. The clock ticks relentlessly, and you still haven't moved. You brought a book and your cell phone is fully charged, yet you haven’t even taken your purse off your shoulder, your fingers still clutch the plastic cup that Law filled with water for you.

Your throat is dry yet you can’t find the strength to get more water. Your breath comes in shallow, uneven gasps, and your legs are restless.

Another ten minutes pass before you feel a light tap on your shoulder, pulling you back from the stress of the unknown, the unplanned, and the endless possibilities of what can go wrong.

“Kaya?” You whisper, your voice hoarse and ragged with fear.

Your friend smiles at you as she sits down by your side. “Dr. Law called me. He said to leave the clinic to the two morons - Penguin and Shachi are some of his closest friends, did you know that? - and said that I should come to you, immediately! Leaving no chance to argue back. He said he would pay me extra, but I told him to shove the berries in his back pocket because I’d gladly help you without any coercion.”

You blink slowly, your mind still too deep in the fog of uncertainty to really focus on Kaya’s words. Besides, she just dumped a lot of information on you, though one thought lingers front and centre: Law told her to come to you.

“Wait, Law told you to come here?”

She squeals excitedly while nodding with vigour. “He did! He said you looked scared and on the verge of a panic attack and he didn’t want you to be alone in the waiting room for two to three hours. How romantic is that?”

You take a deep breath and, finally, lean back in your chair, removing the strap from your purse and drinking the rest of the water. You already feel more at ease. Kaya’s presence is already reassuring you and easing your fears. “Not as romantic as you make it seem, since I’m about to shit my pants with fear.”

Kaya chuckles and takes the empty cup from your hand, throwing it in the trash and sitting back down. She takes your hand in hers in a reassuring way. “Honey, there’s no need to fret. Dr. Law is the best. You really don’t have to worry. You have no idea how many awards he has! And he’s still so young! He’s not even thirty yet, the man is a medical genius or something!”

She chuckles again and you stare in awe. You had no idea. Kaya sees your reaction and continues. 

“He even skipped a few grades in school. He took advanced classes and entered university two years early! He managed to finish his degree in half the time. He’s really smart and diligent.”

“Wow…” You say dumbly. “I didn’t know that. He did seem very professional and young, but I had no idea he was so good.”

“Honey, he’s much better than just good! I guarantee you that!” She giggles one more time, certainly already adding another chapter to her imaginary novel of your romance. “Did you know he comes from money?”

Raising a brow you turn fully to her, waiting for her to continue.

“He’s related to the Donquixotes. They’re filthy rich.”

Oh, you know damn well who the Donquixotes are. They’re close friends of the Vinsmokes, your ex’s family. You know they have loads of money, influence, power, status… you name it. You never made official acquaintance with them, but you glimpsed the head of the family, Donquixote Doflamingo, at some important parties, and the whole demeanour of the man demands respect. 

You had no idea Law was related to them. 

“I had no idea, Kaya. I know who they are. My ex’s family was very influential and they often frequented the same social circles.”

She’s just about to retort with some more gossip - you assume - when the staff door opens and a slightly frazzled nurse comes to speak with you. Immediately standing, you hope to hear her say that the surgery’s over, but her countenance tells you otherwise, and her words confirm it.

“There was a slight complication with your father’s procedure. There’s some unexpected swelling and inflammation in the tissue surrounding the herniated disc. Dr. Law wanted me to reassure you that all is well, and the only thing this means is that the surgery will be prolonged since he needs to proceed slower and with more caution.” The nurse gives you a strained smile. “He was very adamant that I make sure you understood that he would never let anything happen to your father and to confirm you were already accompanied by Nurse Kaya.”

You nod as you slump back down in the chair, all words stripped away from you, leaving Kaya to answer instead.

“Thank you nurse. Please assure Dr. Law that I’m with her and she’s very grateful for his help.”

The nurse nods and goes back inside while you review the surgery procedure again in your head. You remember reading something in the complications section about tissue swelling. Going back and forth on your mental notes, you don’t think it's something to worry about, but that means that Shanks is going to be under anaesthesia for at least one or two hours more than originally planned and-...

“What? Sorry!” You answer, as Kaya had been repeating your name for a while, trying to ground you back in reality. 

“I said he’s going to be fine! It’s a very normal thing to happen in these procedures. Dr. Law is perfectly equipped to handle it! Remember? He’s a genius!”

You nod vigorously. You know he’s going to be fine. You just know. 

He has to.

-*-

Five hours and thirty-three minutes.

That is the total amount of time that your father stayed in the operating room. But now that a nurse has come by to tell you the surgery is over and they are moving him to the recovery room, you can finally breathe. 

Kaya has stayed by your side the whole time. You received a bunch of phone calls from your friends and neighbours and time passed. Sometimes slowly, other times in a blink. But now everything is fine.

And the man you have to thank for that, has just opened the door to speak with you. His eyes seem weary and tired, the bags under them a bit more pronounced, but he has a reassuring smile on his lips as he approaches you.

He says your name and you get up to meet him halfway. “The surgery is over, Mr. S. is fine and will recover from the anaesthesia in one or two hours. After that he’ll be transferred to a room where I specifically said that you were allowed in, at any time of the day during how long you wish to remain.”

Your eyes feel wet and prickly as the lump in your throat tightens and makes it hard to breathe. Kaya squeezes your hand and Law continues.

“Despite the unexpected complication, everything went according to plan. The hernia was removed and, after appropriate recovery time and some physical therapy, your father will recover perfectly well.”

You are so grateful that you have to fight the urge to wrap your arms around his neck. “Thank you, Law.” The sound that comes from your lips is a mere whisper. 

“I told you to trust me, didn’t I?” His smile deepens and you hear a muffled squeal coming from Kaya, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Law. “Nurse Kaya, thank you for being here.”

She nods and grins at him. “I would never leave our girl alone and afraid, Dr. Law!”

Our girl? You raise an eyebrow at her expecting Law to make some stern remark, but he just chuckles and nods. “Right.” He says. “Thank you. I will check on Mr. S. in a couple of hours.” Then he stares straight into your eyes, his amber gaze full of care and assuredness. “If you need anything at all, you have my number.”

-*-

Kaya wants to stay with you until you are allowed to see your dad, but you tell her to go home. Usopp, her fiancé, has already called her because she’s usually off work by now, and you don’t want to impose.

Besides, there’s nothing else to be scared of. The surgery is over and Shanks is fine. 

She finally relents and leaves you alone and you barely have to wait another hour before the nurse summons you and takes you to your father’s room. He’s lying in bed with a very tired look on his face.

“Dad!” You exclaim as soon as you enter.

“Bug, I thought you were home.” His voice seems very hoarse and you can see he’s making an effort, so you sit down in the chair next to the bed and take his hand, squeezing it tightly. 

“Don’t speak, dad. Just rest. I’m so happy you’re okay. Law said I was allowed to stay in your room for as long as I wish. I’ll stay here with you!” You eye the couch set in the corner of the room. It seems perfectly comfortable for you to sleep on. You just don’t want to leave him.

You forced him to undergo surgery, so you feel responsible for his well-being and want to be there to cater to his every need. 

He nods and closes his eyes. “Are you in pain? Just nod or shake your head, don’t try to speak.” He shakes his head and you sigh. “Okay daddy.” You lean in and place a lingering kiss on his temple. “I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

“How are we feeling?” Law asks from near your chair and you jump. You didn’t even hear him enter the room. 

Shanks opens his eyes but doesn’t speak, instead, he raises his thumb to give Law a thumbs up, making the doctor chuckle lightly. 

“Alright, Mr. S., I’m going to do a quick check-up before leaving you to rest for the night, okay?” Shanks nods and you get up to give Law some space. After he finishes the exam, checking the drugs in the IV bag and his charts, Shanks is already snoring, so he beckons you to follow him outside the room.

“How is he?” Anxiety laces your question as you wring your fingers together. “From what I’ve read, there can be about a 10% chance of post-surgery infection, so we need to watch out for any redness or swelling, and maybe some fever. Though since he’s under a lot of drugs, we might not spot a fever right away. And, oh! There’s also a supposed 3% chance of blood clots occurring -...”

“Relax.” His hands rest against your shoulders, pressing firmly while his thumbs draw soft circles against your shirt. “I told you I’ve got this. Your father’s in good hands. You said you trusted me.”

You open your mouth to speak, clearly still meaning to add more information about post-surgical statistics you’ve been reading about since Kaya left, but one of his hands climbs up your shoulder and rests on your cheek in an affectionate gesture, much more intimate than you were expecting. 

“Relax. There’s no need to be in control now. I’m in control here. Okay? Just let go.”

All the breath leaves your lungs at once. The firmness of his touch and the assuredness of his voice make you nod and comply, your shoulders slumping forward, immediately relaxing your posture.

What the hell?

You have suffered quite a bit in the past with anxiety and stressful situations, often finding yourself spiralling because you couldn’t control a specific situation. You had never managed to calm down so easily, so effortlessly. Ichiji only made it worse, so you never really had an anchor to ground you. But Law… he did it in the blink of an eye. With a touch and a few words.

This is a first.

Surprise is still etched on your face when he steps back, leaving only a cold void within you. “His vitals are all stable and he’s not in pain. The night nurse will keep monitoring his condition. You’re welcome to stay by his side or go home and rest. He’s in good hands.” 

You nod, still too stunned to speak and exhaustion is beginning to take its toll on your body and mind. “I’ll… I’ll stay. My brain is too numb to drive home now.”

He nods in understanding. “I’ll be here around lunchtime to check on him again. Try to rest. Everything’s alright now.”

Once again, his words stir something within you, a feeling of safety, and you nod in agreement. 

It will all be fine now.

|Chapter 3|

[turndecassette2]

Is it ok if i can ask you how do you go about studying/drawing Heads and faces? i know this is a very broad questions but lets say you were coming up with a character for a new comic, when you go about creating characters what do you pay attention to the most and spend your time thinking about and make soure you got it right?

i love the way you draw faces, it dosnt feel anime and i love the little lines under the eye tear duck :D

Hope this question make sense!

Cilgia

(sorry re-reading your question this answer might be too rambl-y & off the mark. but am leaving this up in case someone finds it helpful)

I have a terrible tendency to just design characters 'on the page' since when I have a perfect sketch I tend to lose that 'look' once I get to the actual comic. idk the 'drawing academy' in viborg had us do a lot of portraits of each-other (you can prob recruit friends/relatives for this if you have any) & when I have time I like to draw ppl at cafés and such, so I have a mental library of face shapes.

in general: like w everything else I think it's good to hoard reference eg models, sports guys etc that have fun faces. put them in a folder on your computer for when you need a nose, good set of eyebrows etc. I've had various folders like this that inevitably get lost when my computer dies ha ha

also just referencing for vibes:

tiger guy from 'world heist' was conceptualised as part corto maltese, part jason momoa as duncan idaho, or my mental image of what the latter would look like, + a vague memory of rob lucci the cat man from one piece (I can't believe I know the names of so many OP characters. or dune characters for that matter)

but then in the end, he's just some guy, & he mostly looks good in profile

drawing the same person several times is hard. I need to standardise his facial markings but no-one seems to care.

'task' meanwhile is kinda a flatmate I had in college but w hair that I wanted to feel a bit 'rey ayanami' but also whatever I imagine a 'hacker' looks like (the cute kind you get in movies, not irl). just messy (ignore my presence in the below photo)

anyways if there's some trick to what I do it's having a wide range of influences

[italiansteebie]

Eddie was always asking Steve something.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“How do you get your hair like that?”

“What did you dream about last night?”

And everytime it was about him. And that’s what had Steve confused, because why did someone so interesting like Eddie Munson want to know about boring old Steve? I mean, what you see is what you get with the guy, there’s not much to him. But Eddie seemed to be interested in it. 

Now, Steve wasn’t dumb, he could be a little airheaded but, he can tell when someone is flirting with him, and boy, was Eddie flirting with him. He didn’t mind it though, not one bit, because if he was being honest, he had a huge crush on the guy. He was super smart, and creative, and he already liked the kids that seemed to always be hanging around him, and damn. He was kind of out of his league, but Eddie was flirting with him, and Steve was in no rush to stop it. 

So when Eddie asked his questions, Steve always answered with not much of a second thought, though there was always that lingering question in the back of his mind that wondered why Eddie wanted to know these things. It’s not like he was all that interesting, but Eddie always responded with genuine interest, and well. It made Steve feel good. No one had ever taken the time to ask him questions like that, they always seemed to just… Figure it out in their own time, through passing conversations, or some other situation. 

So yeah, Steve really liked when Eddie asked him about himself, but he didn’t realize the effect it had on him. 

—

It was hellfire night, Steve offered to host, maybe it was just an excuse to talk to Eddie, but no one else had to know that. Eddie was downstairs setting up, and Steve and Robin were in the kitchen. Steve was rambling on about something he’d seen on TV about sharks, (He just thought they were cool, okay? Leave him alone), and Robin had been nodding along humming occasionally. 

Dustin came bounding around the corner, arms full of snacks he’d brought for the meeting. “Uh oh! Let's go downstairs, Steve is talking about himself again!” He sing-songed, earning a giggle from Robin, which honestly hurt. He didn’t realize people hated it so much when he talked about his interests. “Hey? What’s wrong with sharks?” He sighed, looking at Robin who only shrugged. “You just… Have a tendency to ramble and well… It’s not that interesting.” Dustin said, painfully blunt as always. Steve hid his hurt with an eye roll and a scoff, “Whatever. Get out of my kitchen, Henderson.” He said, pointing towards the basement door, where he could hear Eddie shuffling around. 

The kids and the rest of hellfire trailed down the stairs, leaving Steve and Robin alone once more. 

“Is it really that annoying when I talk about stuff?” Steve asked, tone ringing with sincerity. Robin walked over to him, worming her way into his arms, “Steve, you know I love you. And you’re a really cool person, sometimes, but. Ever since hanging out with Eddie more, you’ve started to ramble, and well. It’s just… Kinda…” She trailed. Steve backed away from her, “Oh my god! You think I’m annoying?” He scoffs, “See if I listen to any more of your rambles, Bobs.” He says, pushing her gently. 

He hoped it came off as casual but damn. If Robin thinks he’s annoying well then… 

So he pulls away a little bit. Not just from her, but from everyone, including Eddie. 

—

It comes to a head five days later, Eddie and Steve are hanging out in the trailer, watching MTV. A commercial pops up about a new hair care product that Steve’s been hearing about, and he lights up. “Hey! That’s the thing I was telling you about! The one where it- uh. Nevermind.” He said, catching the beginning of his ramble, leaning back into the couch and sighing. 

Eddie turned to him, “Why’d you stop, Stevie?” concern written all over his face. Steve sighed, shaking his head, “Nothing I just- I know it’s annoying when I talk about the stuff I like because no one else in the group likes it so I just. I’ve been trying to like. Not talk as much I guess?” He admitted, ducking his head. He felt Eddie shift suddenly, and soon enough the metal head finagled him into his lap. “Steve. I love when you talk about the stuff you like, because your face lights up and you get so into it and well. I like to learn about you, you pay so much attention to everyone else around you, I just felt like you deserved to have the favor returned.” Eddie said, placing a hand on Steve’s cheek. 

“Really? You don’t think it’s like, annoying or anything?”

“Steve, you listen to me ramble for hours about lord of the rings and I know you have no idea what I’m going on about half the time. If you can sit through that, and listen to our hellfire sessions, then I can only do the same for you. And don’t say it’s different because it’s not. Your interests are just as special as any of ours.”

Steve sniffled, trying to hide the fact that he’d teared up at Eddie’s speech. 

“Awe, Steve are you crying? I- Did I say something wrong?” He asked gently, Steve shaking his head frantically. “No, no. Not at all, I- No one has ever wanted to get to know me like this, I’m just. Happy. Yeah,” He said tearfully, wiping his eyes. Eddie held him closer, and Steve relished in the feeling.

“Eddie?”

“Yeah, Stevie?”

“I’m falling in love with you.”

Eddie paused, and there was silence.

Steve shifted suddenly, pulling out of Eddie’s grapes and standing up. “Eddie, I am so sorry, I shouldn't have sprung that on you like that. I’m so-” Eddie cut him off, standing and grasping his waist. “Steve. The more I get to know you, the further I fall for you. I uh. I’m gonna kiss you now, okay?” He said, eyes flickering down to Steve’s lips, feeling his breath on his face. “Okay,” Steve breathed, a smile spreading on his face as they leaned in. 

They shared a sweet kiss, Eddie’s hands wrapped around Steve’s waist, Steve’s hands tangled in the metal head’s hair. They pulled away slightly, “Stop smiling so much, it makes it hard for me to kiss you,” Eddie murmured, unable to keep his own smile off his face. “I can’t help it.” Steve sighed, resting his forehead against Eddie’s. “I know, baby, me either.” Eddie said, tone close to something of bliss. They stayed in that position for who knows how long, swaying to the music that played quietly on the TV set. 

—

And the next time the kids tried to cut Steve off of his rambles, Eddie countered the attack with a “Next time we’ll just make out instead.” Which earned a groan from the kids and hellfire, and somewhat of a fond look from Robin who tried to hide it by rolling her eyes. “You guys are so gross!” She called. “We know!” Was the response she got from Eddie, who couldn’t be bothered to hear what she had to say next because he was ankle deep into a conversation with Steve, and he was so locked in to what he was saying, Steve might as well have been reciting ‘Star Wars.’ 

[lucysarah-c]

hello! hope ure doing well!

i have a qyestion, do you think levi would be the typw to show affecrion to his partner infront of his kids?

and do you think he'll ever be too occupied with their child (considering his childhood and the fact that he wants his kid to have a good life), he'll end up neglecting his partner?

also! i absolutely adore your account! i love how you write levi! keep it up<3

Hi, dear! I'm doing just fine! How about you?

I hope you weren't expecting headcanons or a one-shot about this, haha. It's because my requests are closed, so I don't mind answering questions, but I'm not taking requests. <3 I hope you understand!

Let's start from the beginning because I have a tendency to ramble. I think Levi would be an affectionate partner in front of his kids to a certain degree. He would like to have an overall lovely household, but he's also Levi. Probably his kids would notice his affection toward his partner in subtle ways, like being the one who makes breakfast for the household since he wakes up first, especially on special occasions like Mother's Day. I can 100% picture Levi kissing his partner's neck while they are finishing some tasks before bed and hugging them from behind. His kids might notice this from the stairs as they are "supposed to be asleep." Maybe Levi would even slow dance a little bit, you know. He wouldn't get too handsy because you never know when a kid might come running down because they threw up or something like that. Maybe he would always remember to buy something on his way home that he knows his partner likes.

I feel like Levi's affection would be more subtle than perhaps other partners, but his kids would absolutely know they love each other.

I gave a lot of thought to the second question, and I think my overall answer would be "no." I feel like Levi, if he had the chance to choose (like if there were contraceptives in the SNK world), would like to be a father when he truly feels he could be a present partner and father. I dare to say that's non-negotiable for him. If for some reason mistakes happen, he and his partner would consider if they have the time and money (kids are expensive) to be parents. After that, I think Levi would do his absolute best to be present in both his child's and his partner's lives. I mean "overall" because which couple hasn't lost a bit of touch with each other while having kids? I think it's a regular issue, and if Levi's partner brings up that they feel less "noticed," Levi would make an effort.

I 100% believe that if Levi notices you two have your hands full with one kid and he can't pay you attention, he won't have another.

Thank you so much for this ask! It was so fun to think about! And thank you so, so much for saying you like my content and for supporting me. <3 It means a lot!

Have a lovely day!

Lots of love!

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Idk if I already asked this so if I did I'm sorry I forgot hahaha. I wanted to ask if you agree that Levi didn't see Erwin as a human before he lost his arm/rts? I see people say that because Levi sees Erwin as an existence above himself it's like he puts him on a pedestal and views him as a god and not a human but honestly??? I disagree completely. Like I agree Levi obviously thought high of Erwin but he also saw his "bad" sides, like the 2 of them had such a deep and trusting relationship and they KNOW eachother and their flaws, they know they're not perfect. They know they're just humans and when they were just with eachother, they were just humans imo. Lmk what you think though!!!! :D

This sounds like an overly literal reading of the information in the Answers book and Character Encyclopedia. In Answers, Isayama says that Levi acknowledges Erwin as his liege or master, being "an existence who surpasses him". In the Character Guide, he says that Levi has always seen Erwin's goal of fighting for the future of humanity as an "unimaginably altruistic act, and made it his life's mission to reach the same heights...When he learned that Erwin actually had the self-interested goal of fulfilling his own dreams, he must have felt nearly betrayed. But at the same time, he must have also been shocked to learn that a man he saw as untouchable actually had an innocent, childish, dream-chasing side to him."

So, it's true that Levi did put Erwin on a pedestal and view him as an "existence above himself", but I don't think that means he literally saw him as a god rather than a human. I also think it's true that Erwin fell from his pedestal when Levi discovered he was pursuing his own dream, but rather than the fall of a god, Levi realised that Erwin also had an innocent, childish side to him. In the words of the Character Encyclopedia's interviewer "Levi learns that this great man was just as human as himself."

There is one more quote from Isayama in the Character Encyclopedia that is relevant here, and it's one that some people are often keen to overlook. "I'd always wanted to draw Erwin and Levi as having a relationship where they were on an equal footing." So even if Levi did initially regard Erwin as being an untouchable higher being, their relationship developed into one based on mutual trust and equal standing. You can see this quite clearly in the manga. Even accounting for the fact that Levi is Levi, he speaks to Erwin with a degree of familiarity that does not suggest he is in awe of him, either as his commanding officer or as a man. Similarly, the way Erwin speaks to Levi is not typical of the way a commanding officer addresses a subordinate. He has a tendency to ask Levi to do things rather than ordering him, something that Levi call's him out for once or twice.

Anyway, I'm starting to ramble a bit now, so I hope that answers your question.

[vindicated-truth]

Hi @rootofallevil! I hope you don't mind if I answer both of your replies to my post here 🫶🏻 Because as always the reply section definitely won't be enough for all my rambling 😅

First, about Dongsik letting go of Joowon and allowing him to walk away—

I've been marinating over a specific thought in my head for a while now, and I think your comment is the perfect jump off point to address it.

In connection to how I've always been saying that Dongsik's strength lies in how he fiercely protects the people he loves, he does have tendencies to go overboard very similar to the way Do Haewon does (as I've addressed here), and that the only thing separating Dongsik from Haewon is that Dongsik never wants anyone else to be hurt by his actions, and always regrets it when he does; whereas Haewon doesn't care if the whole world burns as long as the person she loves is safe.

I think that part of that protectiveness inevitably morphs into possessiveness at times, which is sadly what the trauma of (multiple!!) losses did to Dongsik: he has to keep all his loved ones close, because he's terrified that he might lose them, too.

And I think one of the ways that manifested in a way he never expected to end up badly was the way his protectiveness became borderline possessive over Minjeong.

It's not the possessiveness by that of a jealous lover, but one that is, again, remarkably similar to Do Haewon: the possessiveness of a parent over their child with the belief that only they can keep them safe.

It manifested in the way he resorted to tracking Minjeong down using illegal means, and then traveling all the way to Seoul just to bring Minjeong back. The intention to protect her is apparent, and again, it stems from Dongsik's terrible fear of losing the people he loves; however, Dongsik didn't even stop to think that maybe, just maybe, there's a reason Minjeong is deliberately choosing to stay away from home—that there's a very specific reason she's avoiding her own father.

Dongsik, unbeknownst to him, brought Minjeong back to her would be killer—the one she was trying to escape from in the first place.

Bear in mind too that Minjeong is already an adult by this point, and capable of making her own decisions, but in this specific instance it's as if she was infantilized by Dongsik. Again, all with good intentions of a loving and doting father, but already with the shades of possessiveness incredibly similar to Haewon's infantilization of Jeongje—who was already 40 years old.

The reason why I'm bringing this up is I think that through the course of the story, Dongsik has come to realize this too, about himself, especially after everything he's come to discover about Haewon and Jeongje too: that perhaps he is seeing shades of that overbearing love apparent in himself, too.

And that, I think, is why he is making the choice—whether subconsciously or deliberately—to not make the same mistake when it comes to Joowon.

He is trying his best now for his love for Joowon to be selfless, and more than anything: to be hinged on absolute trust in Joowon (as I've mentioned here, too).

To be someone that Joowon never had before: someone completely believing in him, and believing him.

And as for your other question, regarding the reunion at Manyang and whether Joowon would be coming back—

The thing is, I actually believe both Dongsik and Joowon made the best decision to go separately on their own ways first, just because I think they were both starting to realize that even in such a short period of time, their relationship with each other has gotten so immensely intense that there are shades of codependency already—which is unhealthy in any relationship.

I think at this point it's important for them to establish their individuality and their individual purpose now that Dongsik and Joowon are now finally freed from the shadow of Lee Yuyeon and Han Kihwan respectively. In many ways, this is finally the chapter of the true beginning of their lives: for Dongsik to discover who he is without the shadow of his sister's death looming over him, and for Joowon to discover who he is without the shadow of his father tormenting his every step.

This is the chapter of their lives where they're finally free to be who they really are, and to finally freely live, without all of these shackles holding them back.

And I think that once they complete that journey of finding themselves, they can come back to each other as a completely whole person in themselves, without necessarily needing the other to "fulfill" their needs.

I think that this is the only way they can ever truly make each other happy, and be truly happy by each other's side. ❤️

[sinkingteethinwhitenoise]

Limoncello - Chapter 6

Pairings: Nick Folio x OFC, Bad Omens x OFC

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: Fluff, cursing, one mini flashback, I didn't proof read half of this bc I hate myself, a stupid joke? or exchange??, like it's really fucking dumb i'm warning you.

Series Masterlist

“To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with.” ~ Mark Twain

Mountains of different shirts, shorts, pants, skirts, and dresses littered the floor in Maeve’s bedroom. She couldn’t even see the floor anymore. When Nick had told her that he found it hard to believe that she owned anything black, she hadn’t expected that the nail polish would actually be the only black thing she owned. She also hadn’t realized that she had this many clothes. She growled in frustration as she grabbed yet another colorful article of clothing. She looked over to her vanity where her phone was propped up against the mirror, her best friend’s bored face covering the screen as she watched Maeve through the ongoing facetime call. 

“Presley,” Maeve whined to her friend, striding towards the phone and picking it up as she anxiously ran her fingers through hair. “What do I do? I have nothing to wear to this gig.” 

Presley sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Your floor looks like the opening scene of Clueless. You have plenty to wear,” she started. “What exactly are you going for?”

“Like…A rockstar girlfriend type of look,” Maeve sounded unsure. “At least something that won’t make me stick out like a sore thumb.” 

Presley visibly held back laughter. “Babe, that’s so not you. You’re not going to find anything that fits the bill in your closet.” 

“Well what do I do? I can’t go buy anything,” Maeve whined. “I have to be ready in an hour.” 

Presley thought for a moment, “Do you still have those dark green corduroy shorts?” 

Maeve nodded and set the phone down to dig through the closet once more. She found them relatively quick and put them on to ensure that they still fit. They did. 

“Great,” Presley approved. “Now just style those how you’d usually style them. You’ll look gorgeous. If that boy likes you for you, he’ll think so too. Plus, it’s a dive bar. Don’t overthink it.”

Maeve felt her face heat up at the mention of Nick possibly liking her. She hoped he did, but she continuously convinced herself that he was just friendly. Presley had been rooting for them the moment Maeve told her about him on the day the band moved in across the street.

“Presley!” Maeve beamed once she answered the facetime call. “I have new neighbors! Across the street!”

“I’m assuming you already went over there?” Presley questioned, knowing her friend’s tendency to be hospitable. 

“I just got back from bringing them cookies,” Maeve confirmed. “It’s four guys. And! They’re a band. From what I can tell, they play pretty heavy stuff. Well, heavy for me at least.” Maeve rambled on with the biggest smile that Presley had seen from her in a long time. Maeve usually was one to get excited about meeting new people. But Presley could tell this was different. 

“How did it go?” Presley asked gently, trying to get more information about these neighbors and why they had her so excited. 

“It went really well! They’re all so kind! They loved the cookies,” Maeve giggled before she continued. “Oh! Their drummer is really cute.” 

Presley watched as Maeve’s face turned bright red. “Tell me more about this drummer.” 

“Well, his name is Nick. He seemed a little bit shy. But when we shook hands, neither of us let go when we definitely should’ve. I feel really stupid for that. It’s probably my fault,” Maeve’s smile faded a bit. “Oh my God, he probably thinks I’m so weird.”

Presley laughed and shook her head, “If he didn’t let go either, it’s probably fine.” Presley didn’t say anything then, but she knew that Maeve had a crush and that Nick probably had one too. 

Maeve dug through the clothes on the floor and in the closet looking for some very specific pieces. She grabbed a fitted, cropped white tank top, a thin brown belt, and some brown boots. After dressing herself completely she threw on a dainty, gold necklace and matching stud earrings. She backed up so she was in frame to show Presley. “This is cute right? I don’t think I’ll stick out like a sore thumb.” 

“Super cute. Super you.” Presley gave her a thumbs up. “I love it.”

“Cool,” Maeve nodded. “One more question. Bubble braids?”

“Oh, absolutely!”

After throwing her hair into bubble braids, doing some light, glowy makeup, and saying goodbye to Presley, Maeve grabbed her purse and made her way across the street. She smiled as she saw the garage door open the second she stepped into their driveway. ‘Perfect timing,’ she thought. 

Nicholas stepped outside first, his hair sitting messily in a bun on top of his head. He offered a tight lipped smile. “Hey Maeve. You’re still riding with us, right?”

“If that’s still okay with you guys, then yes,” she grinned as she approached him. 

“Well, you’ll be riding with Folio in the truck,” he explained. “And trust me, he’s more than okay with it.”

“Oh you guys take separate vehicles?” Maeve tilted her head to the side. 

Nicholas nodded, “Yeah. The drum kit takes up a lot of space, so we have to.”

The door leading into the garage opened and Nick emerged. He seemed to be on autopilot as he went straight over to the drum kit without even glancing in their direction. As he began to prepare it for loading, Nicholas leaned over to Maeve. “Watch this,” he whispered. He cleared his throat. “Hey, Folio.”

Without turning to look, Folio responded with a hum. 

Nicholas tried to hold back a smirk, “Maeve’s here. You’re not gonna say hi?”

Folio froze in his spot for a moment. His eyes widened as he finally turned around. His face had turned beet red in a matter of seconds. 

Maeve tried to hold back a laugh, “Yeah what’s up with that?” She played along. “You invited me and you’re not even gonna say hi?” He looked nervous, embarrassed and clearly didn’t know what to say. Maeve couldn’t hold in her laughter anymore as she walked over to him, “I’m just messing.” She placed her hand on his bicep and gave it a comforting squeeze. 

His face settled into a goofy grin as he looked down at her, “Very funny.” 

“Nicholas started it,” Maeve jutted her thumb to point behind her at Nicholas, who had a hand over his mouth still trying so hard not to burst out laughing. 

Folio rolled his eyes as he turned his focus to Nicholas. “Since this is so funny, why don’t you help me load this up?”

Maeve stepped to the side as Nicholas began to help Folio. Once they were far away enough from Maeve, Nicholas decided to tease him a little more. “You are so fucking down bad,” he mumbled to him with a shit eating grin on his face. 

“Shut the fuck up.”

With all the instruments and equipment loaded up, they all left for the bar. Maeve sat in the passenger’s seat of Nick’s old truck and tried not to stare too hard at his profile while he drove. Nick was trying to keep his eyes on the road. It was proving difficult with how pretty she looked and how nice she smelled, so he kept stealing little glances. 

He then realized how quiet it was. Even with the music playing from the radio, he still felt like there was an intense, awkward silence. He needed to say something. He didn’t want it to seem like he didn’t want her there. So, he began to talk about the first thing that came to mind. It just so happened to be a shower thought that he’d had earlier. “You know dog whistles?” he asked her.

Maeve furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at him. “Yeah…” she trailed off, confused. “What about them?”

“So, only dogs hear them, right?”

“I guess…yeah.” She had no idea where he was going with this, but she was curious enough to play into it. 

“Alright. Have you ever heard of a death whistle?” he questioned, seemingly changing the subject. 

“Like the Aztec ones?” Maeve asked. A smile began to form on her face at the strangeness of this conversation. 

“Exactly,” said Nick. “Do you think it’s the same? Like only dogs can hear dog whistles. Can only dead people hear death whistles?”

She bursted into a fit of laughter. “Definitely not,” she responded. “How would that even work? How do they hear it if they're dead?” 

Nick started to laugh along with her, “I don’t know! Maybe their souls have ears or something.” 

“That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard,” Maeve laughed, clearly amused. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth as she continued to laugh harder and harder the more she thought about the absurdity of the question. 

Nick looked over at her fully as he laughed at his own stupid question and her reaction to it. Then he noticed her nails. “Hey, did you paint your nails? They’re black.”

Through heaving breaths in an attempt to control her laughter, Maeve nodded. “Yeah, I painted them last night. Thought it could be fun for us to match.” 

Nick swore he felt his heart swell at the admission and he was rendered speechless for a moment. “Yeah,” he said softly, his own laughter long faded but a fond smile still present. “That’s sick.” 

[soumuchforthat]

hi, just wanted to randomly pop up and ask, what's your favourite scene (or scenes) with Eva and why? I'm curious, but if you don't wanna answer, it's fine

hi, i don’t mind answering at all <3 thank you for the ask! i had fun thinking the question over :3

the answer is under a read more due to me rambling jahsfkjasfh (i speak mostly about ep 3 (so spoiler warning for that), but mention ep 1 and 8, without going into detail)

as for the eva scenes, i have quite a few! the first one that comes to mind is the flashback between eva and evatrice at the beginning of episode 3! it’s the eva scene i revisit the most,, what does it have? eva angst, evatrice angst, eva as the narrator, ushiromiya siblings angst, a large part of eva’s characterization neatly packaged into a single scene? oh absolutely, it has all of that! either way, it’s a good scene to revisit if you’re as deeply evabrained as me :’)

actually, episode 3 has a lot of good eva scenes,,, unsurprisingly! episode 3 is also my favourite umineko episode,,, unsurprisingly! all the eva and evatrice scenes all rank really high for me in the entire story, or in fiction in general. the talk eva and evatrice have after hideyoshi’s death especially. most of my love for that scene is based on how their dynamic in general works, and eva’s complete rejection of her child self, or herself in general. i could go on and on about eva’s deep rooted self hatred and destructive tendencies here, but i’ll save that for another day (i’m working on a full length eva analysis video so i’ll likely ramble about it a bunch over there <//3)

for a few other honorable mentions, episode 1 has the scene with eva and hideyoshi just before the second twilight, and i love that a lot as well! episode 8 as well,, so many good eva scenes. she’s so great, i love her..

anyway, i hoped i was able to answer your question well enough at the very least ;v; i love eva related asks, i am always more than willing to talk about her,,,

[muninnhuginn]

Hi...if you don't mind, can I ask something from Link Click? What do you think are Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang’s greatest personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic? Sorry if you've answered these questions before.....

P.s

If you don't mind me ask (again), can I also ask your top fav characters and fav moments from the series (Link Click)...? Thanks if you want to answer....

Hi! Sorry for taking so long to getting around to answer this, but thanks for the ask. I do like getting the chance to ramble about this stuff, so this was a good opportunity.

I've put these answers below a cut because it got quite long. I also struggled a bit to differentiate between strengths and weaknesses, just because for these characters, a lot of their strengths are *also* their weaknesses.

Cheng Xiaoshi

Cheng Xiaoshi's most immediate strength to me is how he uses his empathy to connect with other people and his willingness to see the good in people, despite how others have hurt him in the past. This trait is part of what attracted Lu Guang towards him, and the dives are only possible because Cheng Xiaoshi chooses to put his trust in Lu Guang.

And in contrast to Lu Guang, Cheng Xiaoshi is very able to think outside the box and improvise. He suggested the trick in the season one finale to lure out the culprit as well as the photo-switch trick at the theatre in season two, to give two examples.

In terms of weaknesses, he has a tendency towards denial. This is most obvious with him clinging to the idea that his parents will return, but also colours some of his interactions with Lu Guang. This may err somewhat towards headcanon, but to me, there are times where Lu Guang is unreasonable in his requests during dives or withholds information to Cheng Xiaoshi's detriment and Cheng Xiaoshi just lets him do it until he's pushed past his breaking point (earthquake arc and the dive where he realises he was "responsible" for Emma's death). Cheng Xiaoshi not pushing back against Lu Guang in these cases would make sense from the perspective of Cheng Xiaoshi not really having anyone else. He has Qiao Ling, who's essentially family, but even she points out that Lu Guang is his first "proper" friend, and so Cheng Xiaoshi doesn't want to lose him.

And this next one is both a strength and weakness depending on the situation, but Cheng Xiaoshi is very unwilling to give up, even when it's obvious to everyone that there's no way out. We see it time and again: his belief about his parents; trying to rescue Chen Xiao's mum; the entire Liu Siwen dive (he was very much aligned with his host here); trying to change the past with Emma; even with the secret recipe of the noodles. We see him fail more than we see him succeed, but the fact that he holds onto his hope regardless has clearly made an impact on those around him and allowed him to succeed where others would have been unable to.

Weakness again, but he's very impulsive - not as bad as people think he is, but it is a weakness. Think of how he dove into his second Emma dive and only succeeded in traumatising himself. He can hold himself back when he believes it's necessary (see: refusing to immediately jump back and "save" Lu Guang in early season two), but generally speaking, his choice whether to jump for it or hold back comes down to which direction the emotional resonance is blowing. When he refused to dive back to save Lu Guang, it was because he held Lu Guang's words in his head, but at the same time, when he was possessing Lu Guang during the hospital loop and thought he may be able to change things in that instance, he immediately tried to change the past.

Doesn't actually share much about himself in the present day. This is technically a neutral trait, but when you consider his history with being fairly isolated and look at how nearly everything we learn about him we find out through other sources it starts to explain some things. Some more headcanony spec, but we know he struggled to make connections because of his history and so it would make sense that he's just *stopped talking about it* entirely (especially when you factor in his denial about his parents). He never actually sits down and tells anyone about his parents or his childhood. We as the audience only learn that through Qiao Ling or through parallels to the people he's possessing.

Lu Guang

Strength: He clearly has a mind for planning and is very observant as we can see when he directs dives. He is *very* detail-oriented (and this is starting to sound vaguely like a CV).

Another strength: devotion. I know I said that Cheng Xiaoshi is unwillling to give up at times, but Lu Guang has definitely taken a leaf out of his book with his impossible quest. It's clear that Cheng Xiaoshi's mindset has inspired Lu Guang, for better or for worse.

The other side of devotion: controlling tendencies! It's easy to see where his mindset comes from, but his need to control every single variable often ends up backfiring on him. Lu Guang thinks that if he can hold all the information then Cheng Xiaoshi will have to follow his lead and he can take them both to safety. But Lu Guang's own perspective is limited. The most successful dives we see in the series are ones where Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi are able to actually combine their approaches (see: Chen Bin dive, season one finale dive where they're able to corner the culprit with Cheng Xiaoshi's plan). So by locking out Cheng Xiaoshi, he both alienates him and he makes it harder to succeed, because for all Lu Guang is a planner, he still loses the forest for the trees at times. He's so focused on his one path that he neglects any other options.

Linked to this: unwillingness to open up to others - somewhat mitigated by showing his care through actions well enough that Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling can both tell he's not just cold, but he still refuses to use his words. And that refusal to properly communicate is what creates the most discord between him and Cheng Xiaoshi. I don't think the series will fully go down this route, but the current trajectory has Lu Guang pushing Cheng Xiaoshi away rather than letting him in in a misguided attempt to save him, when to succeed they both need to work *together*.

Dynamic

I think my favourite part of the dynamic is their synergy when they're actually on the same page. And the way they can generally intuit stuff about each other without it needing to be said. That said, I do want to see where they head with *trust*. Because season one tests Cheng Xiaoshi's trust in Lu Guang and they eventually come to an understanding, but there's still so much that's been left unaddressed. And as long as Lu Guang doesn't fully put his trust in Cheng Xiaoshi, Cheng Xiaoshi is yet again left in the dark. We've seen through various other parallel relationships (season two with the twins, with Liu Xiao and Li Tianchen, etc) that shiguang's dynamic can very easily turn twisted. And if they don't fix things soon, they could just as easily end up with the same bad ends.

Top favourite characters

This has to be between either Lu Guang or Cheng Xiaoshi, purely because they're given the most characterisation to work with. After season one, Cheng Xiaoshi definitely had the most material, but season two has evened it up somewhat and saddled Lu Guang with one of my favourite tropes (looper), so yeah, now it's rather hard to choose. I am hoping season three gives more to Qiao Ling, but as of season two, she's still hopelessly outmatched by the other two in this respect, alas.

Favourite moments

Tbh, I think I have two main candidates for this.

The first moment is in the earthquake arc where Cheng Xiaoshi confronts Lu Guang about implying they would be able to save Chen Xiao's mum. It's the first time we see Cheng Xiaoshi genuinely angry at Lu Guang and it's such a layered interaction, especially rewatching post-season two. Lu Guang stands by his line about not changing the past but physically doesn't defend himself and eventually Cheng Xiaoshi runs out of steam, but they don't actually reconcile at this stage. It's also potentially an interesting preview of how things could spin out for them when Cheng Xiaoshi finds out that Lu Guang hasn't only betrayed his trust, but also his *own* so-called ideals.

The second is fairly predictable, but I'd choose the scene where it's confirmed that Lu Guang had travelled back at the end of season two. There's something different between suspecting it may be the case and actually seeing it *confirmed*, you know? Especially because one of the reasons the idea appealed a lot to me was the hypocrisy inherent in the premise that Lu Guang was diving back to save Cheng Xiaoshi. He spends so long in the series saying not to try altering the past, even when it means other characters have to stay dead, so for him to do so for Cheng Xiaoshi really makes you re-examine his character. And the "reveal" scene actually *acknowledged* that hypocrisy outright. Having Lu Guang be aware he's breaking his own rules is such a good way of doing it. (Plus, stepping back a minute, but the way the colours shift between the warmth of the 'present' vs the cold darkness of Lu Guang's past/future? The use of blood spatter on Lu Guang, who's usually considered more fastidious than Cheng Xiaoshi? It makes you *feel* that this is a timeline where something went wrong

[amethystfairy1]

Hello hello I gots some questions if you don’t mind

So we know some hybrids from different sub species that are in relationships like Lizzie and Joel and doc and etho but I was wondering if there were any specific sub species that only stay with their own type of sub species? And if there is, do or would they ever give others who are from the same sub species as them a glare if they saw a person from their same sub species in a relationship with a hybrid or mutant of different sub species? Example: Joel and Lizzie, would any of the cat hybrids ever do a double take on her being married to a butterfly hybrid? (I know they probably wouldn’t but this was for the sake of an example)

Is there a number in mind for how many different types of sub species are living in the under city? Or would it be like trying to count each specific m&m in a large bowl? Is there too many sub species to count or would you use a broad number like for example 1000 to get your point across?

Are there other new types of sub species you have in mind but haven’t talked about yet? (Ignore this question if it’s a large spoiler LMAO)

Are there any other sub species that have a bad reputation? I’m aware that creeper hybrids are know to be intimidating and most avoid them (at least I’m pretty sure) but are there any hybrids or mutants that when people learn what sub species they are they immediately hate and or dislike them? If so why or how did they get such a bad reputation?

(I really hope my questions weren’t annoying I just really enjoy your work and I had some questions!))

(I also apologize if any of these questions have been asked before)

Hello, hello! I never ever mind questions, I absolutely love them! Thank you for sending them over! ☺️

Alrighty, let’s see what we’ve got! 🏃‍♀️

1. Not really, no, or at least, I never intend to explore that. I think the closest we might get are perhaps blaze-borns or warden mutants, both of whom are known for being very solitary and keeping to their own areas, not usually living in the main cavern, but I don’t think there would be any sort of dislike/unhappiness from anyone if someone of that subspecies dated/married outside of it. The under-city is big, yeah, but it’s not that big so it’s always been common practice for people to mix and match. It’s just been growing more common than ever thanks to how Doc and Etho’s work has been connecting the various levels of the city like never before!

2. I think the m&ms in a bowl allegory is the best…there’s a LOT of them, I don’t want to put any sort of number on it just for the sake of IRL reasons, which are that I do make up parts of this AU as I go along, and I’d hate to give myself some pre-determined boundary for how creative and crazy we can get with all of these hybrids/mutants…so let’s just say A LOT and leave it at that.

3. YES and that is ALL I WILL SAY 😆

4. I think ‘bad’ reputation is the wrong way of putting it. No one necessarily has an immediate hatred for another based solely on subspecies. I mean, Ren and Lizzie are friends! And they’re literally a dog and a cat! But there are other sorts of reputations that can carry with someone’s subspecies. There’s Doc, of course, who we know is a sweetheart and a gentle giant but people are afraid of him because he’s nearly seven feet tall and terrifying-looking, that’s not his fault, though…and the augmentations aren’t exactly helping. 😭 We will also be learning more about dog hybrid clans with Ren, the deep dark with Cub, and blaze-born pyres with Tango, so through that I hope to show a bit more nuance in the traits and tendencies of all these various subspecies, because it is quite a lot of fun!

They were not annoying! I PROMISE I WILL NEVER FIND QUESTIONS ANNOYING! You’re giving me an excuse to ramble about a thing that lives in my brain and forced itself out in the form of a fanfic series, I am delighted so if you ever have any more questions send another ask! I will be happy to answer! (unless it’s spoilers but then I’ll just say that) so yeah! I’ve been having so much fun with the blog and the asks and the posts and stuff! So thank you for coming by! 💖

[warmsol]

hey isa! Do you have some advice for a beginner who wants to start a story? I know it's a lot of work, finding the right cc, buildings everything, create sims etc. Do you have a favourite blog to browse for such cc for storytelling? Also I could use some advice what's important for taking pictures - what's the best crop solution for tumblr? What font and font size is the best to use? And hoooow do I write dialogue without adding too much and still keep it interesting? Sorry if this is a lot, but I really admire your work and loved to start a storytelling simblr again!

hii! i think it’s awesome you want to dive into storytelling. i’ll answer your questions under the cut 🫶🏼

1. as for finding cc, i’ve just accumulated a ton over the last few years, no specific blogs but rather just browsing on tumblr. you can always check if your favorite blogs have a cc finds account, many do! mine is @warmfinds which could be useful. but yeah when it comes to cc, i suggest really thinking about what you’ll need! like, say you have a scene coming up in the kitchen, gather some kitchen pieces that you can use for that scene. it might be more helpful to break up the search according to scene rather than trying to find things all at once for your story. (also suggest downloading telegram and joining dollhouse mafia.. or keeping up with the vault… cough)

2. for taking screenshots there are some guidelines you can loosely follow (highly suggest watching this video for a quick breakdown) here you’ll find the different types of shots you can include in your posts! considering this is sims, there are some limitations so just allow yourself to get creative with it.

for most of my story posts, i’ve stuck with 1280x720 resolution. but recently i’ve been playing around with sizing, so unless you’re focused on consistency don’t be afraid to try out different crop styles.

3. font! the font i use is arial. it’s straight forward, and easy to read. i’ve used this my entire storytelling journey and haven’t had a complaint. at the end of the day just remember that the font is probably the most important part! pick something easy and clear to read. also, switching colors when a character is talking is highly encouraged. if that’s not your style, at least add a name tag for easy following along.

4. sooo, when it comes to dialogue, it’s really something you learn as you go. i had a tendency to write very lengthy in the beginning, i wasn’t a seasoned story writer so i sucked at knowing what to cut and trim. my biggest advice is to write out everything. ramble. let it be a mess. get out everything you want your characters to say. it’ll be rough, and that’s fine. once you’ve sat on it, go back and edit it. keep what’s important, what moves the story! i spend a good amount of time editing scene dialogue until it feels right. one huuge thing that helps is reading out loud! if it flows well spoken it’ll feel more like a natural conversation. just don’t be too hard on yourself, we all start somewhere. it’s a muscle that needs to be exercised and you’ll find your rhythm as you practice. (like seriously compare my first posts to now and it’s night and day, and i still have room to improve)

lastly i just want to say pleeease have fun. don’t pressure and compare yourself. i’ve fallen down that trap many times and it literally stopped me from posting. but as long as you remember this is all a fun hobby, i think you’ll be okay.

i hope this was somewhat helpful ♥️ also once you start posting lmk! i wanna follow along heh

[pompompurin1028]

Hi there I read your fanfiction and theories related to bsd and I can't tell how much of a fan I have become of your writings ❤️❤️ Pls keep up the good work 😊😊

I have a major dazai brainrot these days especially about the June bride interview 2016 telling about ideal types of bsd men (heh my guilty pleasure 😅😅) and i think that it gave insight on the characteristics of these people. Like ranpo being loyal to the people he care , akutagawa illness (ig it's the second answer about short lifespan something like that), atsushi being the purest cinnamon roll and dazai's tendency to manipulate people (😅😅😔)

and once again I hope you have a great life ahead. And sorry for making this ask to long and rambly 😅

(link for the interview https://www.tumblr.com/chendaere/144196203174/translation-otomedia-june-issue-bungou-stray?source=share)

Hi dear anon! Thank you so much for the kind words🥹 I'm really glad there are people still enjoying my writing even now (especially since I don't really write now orz). But I'm so happy to hear that <33 thank you for your ask!!!

And thank you so much for sharing this! I felt like I've only read a different translation of Dazai's one before :0 but then I heard it's not the correct translation. And honestly Dazai's one isn't as bad as I thought? or maybe after 3 years I have accepted Dazai's red flags 😔😔 I love Akutagawa's answer to the first question agajak it gave me a laugh

And please don't worry about your ask being rambly! It isn't at all! Have a lovely day as well <33

[necroneol]

introjectism aside, what was it about the source characters of your fictives that made you so attached to them? like, what is it about Noctis, Shepard, Hiccup, The Alices and so on that made you think "This is me!"

to be honest, im not /entirely/ sure. there isn’t necessarily a unifying trait, unless you count like…being traumatized? and physically disabled in game/movie canon?

noctis is very different from shepard, and shepard is very different from hiccup, and hiccup is very different from the alices.

alice is a bit of a different case, as she has likely been here since we were very young, where as others formed later. this is due in part to. well. the simple fact that the media they are from came out much later in our life.

but anyways. no surprise (i have mental and physical trauma, memory loss, depression, severe anxiety, ptsd, ocd, did, on and on…) but i do not have a very solid sense of self. so playing games has always been a way for me to feel like a person. like im whole. even if it doesnt wnd in an alter, playing games is and always will be the most powerful and immersive experience i can imagine. so really im not too surprised that the games most important to me ended up creating a new alter.

(i should also not that i have a tendency to split very often, it honestly doesnt take much. im sure this contributes.)

ALL THIS TO SAY. everyone has something we found inside ourself. i guess?

shepard is strong, confident, yet fragile and real. he may react explosively, or withdraw when someone gets too close. he is war torn, and complicated. we had many family members we were close to who served in some way, and we grew up seeing the effects it had. i do believe that o ur family history has something to do with shepard being so close to home.

noctis (hiii) is awkward, socially struggles. but he is, under all the deadpan deliveries and fumbling, kind, helpful, and caring. he gave up his life to save his friends and his people. he is reliant on his friends, dependent on them.

riku has also been here a VERY long time (maybe almost as long as alice) and he is sort of the same. dark, brooding, troubled and lonely and terrified. but he cares so deeply for his friends. all he does is to protect them, wven if its the wrong way. his growth into someobe brave and strong is a very personal thinh for us.

those are just some. im sorry for rambling so much haha. i hope i was able to answer your question. thank you for asking and for your time^^

i love questions like these! anyone is welcome to ask whatever they want.

[the-feral-gremlin]

for the ship asks, what's your absolute favorite ship and also rant about it. and what do you think is the most underrated ship in the Arrowverse? please :)

Absolute favorite ship: I have so many but for now I’ll ramble about Olicity.

Right from the beginning of Felicity joining John and Oliver (the coffee shop scene) where Oliver is trying to lie, trying to shield himself from the weight of the journal much like his father’s in Felicity’s hands.

I love how when she asks him if she can trust him and he says yes, because (as far as I know) he hadn’t done that since he got back to starling/star city. He hadn’t trusted himself OR let himself be trusted, he always managed to break that trust not long after in some self- destructive way.

But he didn’t with Felicity, he Didn’t lie. He didn’t self destruct. I might be wording that wrong or something but I hope you get what I’m saying lol.

Underrated Arrowverse ship: Merlance (e-1 laurel and e-1 Tommy.) Merlance, Merlance!!! I love them SO MUCH. Oh man, how Tommy’s last action was saving laurel, how he pulled a whole ass filing cabinet off of her.

His last action was saving the girl he loved. (Or at least one of his last actions.) I love how he goes out of his way to just take her on a date, how he respects her workaholic tendencies but doesn’t enable her to work herself into exhaustion/stress. I love how he was the first one to real see her as a hero.

And I love how she tries to get him to see the good in people but still respects his hesitatance. How she reassured him when he was nervous about asking Oliver for a job at Verdant, how she defended him against Quentin and (kind of) Malcolm.

From this ask Game! (Send me a question from there and I’ll answer the best I can, if you want.)

[jaye-of-the-glen]

[ @os-mapmaker ]

Greetings. You may call me the Mapmaker. I am on a mission to learn about all currently known timelines and their residents.

…Huh. I don’t think I have yet come across an Avian Character that resembles you in the other timelines I have visited.

Anyway, I hope you would not mind answering a few questions.

Interview: Jaye

[START]

⠀

So, I’ve heard you have a tendency to fall asleep for several days or even weeks. Is that something that is common of all Glenfolk in your world, or is that unique to you?

[Video Connection Available] [Engage Asynchronous Link?] [Initializing...] [You may now engage in asynchronous video interview. Video link may be paused at any time for your convenience. When paused, time will not pass for World Machine ███-████.]

A webcam flickers on. You see an avian with white feathers & a cracked yellow beak. She's wearing a shawl & tattered purple top bearing the symbol of the Sun. You note the tired expression on her face, visible even in her avian expression. You also notice that she appears to be in a wheelchair. The link appears stable, for now.

Good morning! A mapmaker, huh? That's new. I'm not going to lie, it would be very nice to have a better idea of all the differences between the worlds. There are wayyyyy too many Nikos to keep track of.

While cheerful, you note that Jaye cannot hide her fatigue. Every few sentences, she has to pause to catch her breath.

Speaking of, please tell me if you ever find another me! I'd love to talk to her. Maybe figure out more about my... condition. Jaye gestures towards her wheelchair. Also, I've never been called Avian before - that's a first. Mostly we call ourselves birdfolk or glenfolk.

By the way, why Mapmaker & not like, Cartographer or Archivist? Do the timelines have, like, a shape you can actually map out? Or is it just a figure of speech?

Oh, & I also wanted to mention, there are other blogs in my timeline, actually! Magpie was the one who set me up with a tumblr account to begin with. I know George & Kip are on here. Oh! And so is Niko! Here's the blog links: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓

You attempt to examine the links but they appear to lead nowhere. Even the Niko blog returns no results. It seems those blogs cannot access your Singularity - to put it in simpler terms, you cannot see them from the Inversion. Yet Jaye says Magpie introduced her to the multiverse. Why is Jaye's blog in the Singularity but not the others? Are there other Singularities you don't have access to? Perhaps you are going about this all wrong. A better question: Is it Jaye's timeline that is unique, or Jaye herself? Querying Jaye more closely about the differences between her timeline & others may be instructive, in addition to learning more about Jaye herself.

Anyways, sorry I'm rambling. To answer your question, the sleep thing is a problem pretty unique to me. It actually used to be a lot worse - I fell asleep for over 2 years at one point. It's been a long-term issue, but the events leading up to the return of the Sun exacerbated it. It's... a very unusual & unnatural condition to say the least, & a long story that involves my World Machine. I don't have all the answers but... I think I'm ready to talk more about it, if you would like to hear.

[ambrossart]

Hi, me again. I hope you’re having an amazing July thus far! I know you’re busy, so only answer if you have the time, but I’m just dying to ask. How are you so good at writing Patrick and making me, as a reader, root for him despite all his wrong doings. As we know, he has solipsism disorder…. and for me that’s difficult to understand so I’m genuinely so impressed how amazingly you write him. Like can you share with me how you approach that kind of character. There’s so many layers and yet somehow you’re successfully writing some sort of story with him as a love interest (I don’t think it’s possible for Patrick to truly love someone). You’re amazing!

Boy, that’s a really tough question to answer. I don’t even know if I can answer it, but I’ll try:

I’ve said this before, but writing Patrick Hockstetter as a love interest is the most difficult thing I’ve ever attempted. It’s like walking a tightrope. Obviously, I have to soften him a little by introducing some element of sympathy, but I can’t lean too far into that; otherwise, Patrick becomes unrecognizable as a character. On the flip side, I can’t lean too far into his dark side because then he’ll be completely unromanceable, especially for someone like Evelyn. She would never date a murderous psychopath who thinks he’s the only “real” person in the world, not unless she saw a glimmer of something more. That’s why I don’t think of Patrick in those terms. I’m not approaching him like I’m writing a psychopath or even a villain. In this story, he’s not any of those things. He’s just Patrick.

The solipsism is tricky to fully grasp, so I had to break it down and put it back together in a way that makes sense to me. I’m departing a bit from canon here, but the way I’m approaching it is, Patrick feels seriously detached from the rest of the world. He was born that way. Nothing he can do about it. Because of this, he sees himself as the only fully conscious being. Other people may be alive in the sense that they’re living/breathing, but he doesn’t recognize them as thinking, feeling creatures like himself. They might as well be insects to him. Like all the dead flies in his pencil case. That's why Patrick doesn't care if he hurts someone. Why would he? Most people squash a bug without giving it a second thought, don’t they? In his eyes, it’s the same thing.

As we know, this mindset opens the door for a lot of dangerous behavior, but it also reveals a very sad, lonely existence. Because Patrick’s so disconnected, he gets little to no pleasure from everyday things. All food tastes bland to him. Music might as well be radio static. Setting his violent tendencies aside, that's a pretty miserable life.

That's where Evelyn comes in. She's a very emotional, empathetic individual. Patrick describes her as colorful, and that's a huge compliment coming from him, probably the best, most genuine compliment he can give a person. He's not gonna call her beautiful because he doesn't care that much about traditional beauty standards (Patrick's sexuality is incredibly complicated, but we'll get into that later), but calling her colorful says a lot about how he views her. Up until now, Patrick has only experienced "color" when doing/observing something violent and cruel, so for him to experience a similar sensation with her... that's a pretty big deal.

But can someone like Patrick love? Eh, I think that depends on how you define love, but I do think he can develop strong attachments toward certain people. Are Patrick and Evelyn at that stage? No. Right now, I'd say they're in the mutual fascination stage. Patrick is fascinated by her color and she's fascinated by his lack of color. There's an emptiness there that she's undeniably drawn to... probably because she wants to see what, if anything, is on the other side.

Holy shit, I just fell even more in love with this pairing.

And I'm rambling 😅

I don't even know if I answered your question. If I didn't, just throw me a follow-up question and I'll try to clarify.