#sorry for not being super active ive been busy with my animation work

[particular-one]

HIIIIHIII Could i request a matchup .....? Enstars, twst and hypmic pls ...!!!

name is kitten or 🐏 emoji! i preferably dont use pronouns but she/her it/its are ok. i have no romantic preference in terms of fictional characters hahaaa.

my mbti is INTP, tho i tend to be the most "extroverted" one if placed in a room with other introverts. im also a 8w9 + virgo if that helps. also AB blood type though i dont see many people who believe in that stuff on here.

uhmmmm my personality. im pretty sociable for an introvert, but can get burnt out super quickly IRL (but i can talk for hours over text). due to the autism i cant express myself IRL but i make up for it a lot through the internet by being uhhh a real character online.

im like a bimbo with autistm and ADHD basically, airheaded cutesy girly, bad at filtering myself so i can definitely be rude/mean asf .. super bad attention span.. always with a friend. i Can like get carried away and get very mean to people im not friends with. overall im very temperamental and ive always been like "pretty girl but comes off rude/fake but shes also the class clown kinda". since humor just comes naturally to me kinda.

hobbies include: arts (drawing, making art dolls, sewing, designing outfits/costumes, fashion, ect). i used to do dancing and track running but had to stop due to health complications (im super low energy and cant be as active as most ppl). I LOVE idols so much too.

What i look in a partnerrr?? Uhh nobody shorted than me (162cm) just cuz i cant see them romantically no matter how hard i try. anything is ok honestly as long as I can talk to them for ages and theyre not too loud/chaotic. overall want someone to be as equally as down bad as i am with them for me (if not more haha)

misc ... uhh my favorite love language is acts of service. i dont have to force myself to do anything i struggle with like putting thoughts into words or trying to act affectionate (tho i do get cuteness aggression). i love recieving words of affirmation lmao i need the reminding that they do love me !!!!.

i lovee cats, BOBA i kind of have an addiction to it. cute stuff cute ppl ect... i dont rlly like public affection (its cringe asf seeing couples act lovey dovey in public Sory Im not doing that).

I WROTE SO MUCH SORRY i didnt even notice Please forgive me. uhh last bit of trivia umm. if i were half-animal id have bunny ears and a tail... or id be a deer. THATS IT OK SORRY.

hi kitten! rrararararraa a hypmic AND enstars request?? im so excited :> and don't worry about rambling, it gives me a better idea on who i can match you with! hope you like them!

ENSEMBLE STARS ---- SHU ITSUKI

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ shu's first meeting with you was not actually the first time he's seen you. your handiwork with fashion had piqued his interest for the longest time, but he never actually knew that it was you behind those pieces. so imagine his surprise when he finds out that the genius behind the designs was in fact, you! though shu came off as fussy at first, especially since he wanted to get close to you to observe how you perfected your designs, he gradually found himself enjoying your company more and more. when he finds out about your interest in idols, this amuses him greatly, considering he is one. he'd be the last to admit he likes you, but his behavior ends up changing for the better when he's around you. as a partner, shu can be a bit extravagant with the way he shows love, but he always remembers to keep it in private to respect your preference. he's a perfectionist, so he likes to plan out your activities together down to the tiniest detail, but that's because he wants you to have the best time. shu can be rather straightforward with his words as he doesn't beat around the bush — he doesn't have a filter at times either — but everything he says about you, he truly means them. shu likes admiring you while you're busy at work (he says he's doing it because he wants to see how you do things but secretly it's because he likes watching you do something you're passionate about) but there are days where the both of you would be in the same room working on your respective designs together! he asks for your inputs and vice versa, it's usually the most fun he has.

TWISTED WONDERLAND ---- JAMIL VIPER

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ jamil was not your biggest fan when you first met — if he were being honest, you almost reminded him of kalim, and having another kalim was never good. still, you often get paired in tasks together that he had to get to know you eventually, and was he wrong about not liking you. though it took him quite a while to warm up to the idea of being in your company, he actually found himself looking forward to talking with you. surprise surprise, jamil's definitely the type of "he fell harder" in this situation. as a partner, jamil is most definitely not the publicly affectionate type. though it might seem he's keeping your relationship lowkey, it's mainly because he didn't want people (read: kalim) to make the biggest fuss about it. though he doesn't take you out that often, he's very loving and caring in private. though jamil never enjoyed the idea of serving someone, with you it was different. he'd find himself enjoying to cook your favorite food, help you out in your tasks without a word, and to make you feel as comfortable as possible. character development for him, tbh. when you tell him of your craving for boba, watch this man continuously try and succeed to making boba tea tailored to your preference.

HYPNOSIS MIC ---- NEMU AOHITSUGI

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ nemu actually met you through a chance encounter in a mock rap battle during the tdd era as audience members. it was your personality that drew her in, but she was actually surprised by how blunt you were, but if she were being honest, your humor makes her laugh a lot. your relationship means the world to her, especially since she made sure that samatoki didn't interfere as much as possible. she loves her brother, but he can get carried away when it comes to her. nemu's definitely the one who ended up liking you first, but she's unsure on how to express this to you. as a partner, nemu is very, very sweet. she's scared of messing anything up, so she carefully plans everything in advance. when she finds out that you like cats, she actually comes forward with the idea of adopting a cat together with you! it became your bonding activity, with two of nemu's favorites in the entire world: the cat and of course, you. she has your favorite boba order/s memorized and likes to surprise you with getting some. nemu's the encouraging type, so expect a lot of comforting words from her. she's also the type who likes bringing you out to shop, whether it's for your art materials or for clothes, nemu likes hearing your inputs on the items you buy (or consider buying) and takes note of them so she can surprise you with them in the future.

[dreadfully-cryptic]

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Cuckoophone :))))

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (115/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation.   This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

[10 March, 233 Before Age.   Ristet IV.]

As the Federation-Jindan War continued, Luffa found it useful to keep herself and her star-yacht in separate places.   This kept the enemy guessing as to her exact location, and it discouraged attacks on the ship itself, since no one was entirely certain of how valuable a target it really was.    

Following the liberation of Gorrfeg, the Federation and Seltiss' Saiyan Free Company agreed that Luffa and Xibuyas should split up and tackle Jindan cultists on different planets.   It was important to prevent the cultists from establishing a power base on another Federation world.    Thus far, the Jindan strategy had been to swoop in and attack any Federation planet within easy reach.    Evidently, the only objective was to confound the defenders and spread their forces even thinner.    Luffa could foil this effort, but only by being in the right place at the right time.  

Her secret weapon to ensure this was Dotz, a fortuneteller she had met before the war began.    Dotz was no warrior, but her predictions of enemy activity had been instrumental.   For this reason, Luffa had kept Dotz's role a secret, and took care to make sure she was far removed from the heaviest fighting.  

And so, when the star-yacht needed repairs, it made sense to send it--and Dotz-- to Ristet IV, as Dotz's forecasts had shown no combat in the next several days.  The planet was well-defended by surface-to-orbit weapons, bolstered with a Federation fleet which used the system as a command center.     Given this high level of security, and surrounded by qualified starship mechanics at the spaceport, Dr. Topsas suggested that they use the time to relax and unwind.    

No one, not even himself, took his advice.   Topsas left the ship, but instead of taking in a show in the city near the spaceport, he went to a medical research facility and began looking up ways to improve Luffa's recovery time after each battle.    Dotz remained on board, preferring to stay close to the materials she used for fortunetelling: crystals, a pack of arcane cards, and various other trinkets most people would deem useless and insignificant.     As was her custom, she would sit on the observation deck and arrange these things around herself.   Nearby, Zatte was perched on a lounge chair.    The Dorlun had at least tried to follow Topsas' suggestion.    Clad in a black one-piece swimsuit, she had spent about thirty minutes sunbathing under the dimmer of Ristet's binary stars, but shortly after this she gave up and began running diagnostics on her weapons.    

"If you don't mind my asking," Dotz said, calling over to her.   "Why do you even have all those blasters?    I thought you could shoot ki like Luffa can."

"I can," Zatte said.    "But not nearly as well as a Saiyan, or most other martial artists.   Besides, I like to keep my options open.    Sometimes you can do things with a plasma rifle that you just can't do with a ki blast."    

"Well, there's no need for you to check them now," Dotz said.   "I still don't see any sign of major combat on this planet.    No Saiyans destroying cities or anything like that.   At least not anytime soon."

"Oh, I believe you, Dotz," Zatte said as she reassembled a sight on one of her pistols.    "You haven't steered us wrong yet, but I'm not used to knowing things like that in advance.    I guess I'm a creature of habit.    Can't take anything for granted.    Anyway, if you're so sure this planet won't get attacked, why are you so busy with all that stuff over there?"

"Well, um, I'm trying to refine my ability," Dotz said.    "I'm confident about he Ristet System, probably because... well, because I'm here.   The forecasts are usually clearer when I'm on-location.  But there's a lot of things I can't make out.    I still can't get a decent reading on Luffa, and the outcomes of her missions are fuzzy at best.    I thought I had a handle on her son's destiny, but it was all so muddled.   Your wife keeps telling me how important I am to the war effort, and how grateful she is that I'm here, but I can't even predict how the war will end, or who wins."

"Shoot, I can tell you that one.   We're going to win this war, Dotz," Zatte said confidently.  "You'll see."

"To be honest, I don't," Dotz replied.  "I can see glimpses of the future, enough to make a decent living as a fortuneteller, but I can't always see big picture stuff.  I know the next Saiyan attack won't come for several more hours, but I have no idea how it'll turn out, or what's happening on other Federation planets.  I'm sorry I can't be more useful than that."

"Don't be ridiculous, Dotz," Zatte said, "You've been a big help already.  The challenge with a space war like this is that it's tough to know where to deploy our forces.  Luffa's strong enough to beat the Jindan Saiyans, but if she doesn't know where they'll strike, it could take days to get her to the right place.  You've taken a lot of guesswork out of things.  Tactically speaking, that's huge."

"Oh.   So is that why you've been sticking so close to me lately?" Dotz asked.  "To keep me safe?"

Zatte nodded.  "My people believe in watching each other's backs.  I used to be a soldier, so it was my job to guard the others so they could support everyone else.  But besides that, I was hoping to be close by in case you had any visions about Luffa.  Until the communications are restored with the Fedender System, you're the only way I can keep tabs on her."

Dotz closed her eyes and gently raised her hands to chest height.  She took a few deep breaths, then mumbled quietly.

"I see her," she said warily, as if even commenting on the vision might chase it from her mind.  "She's alive.  I can tell that much."

"But you still can't see her future," Zatte said.  

"No, I can't.  I'm sorry about that.  Um... I know that made you upset before."

"No, I'm sorry.    I overreacted," Zatte said.  "My people has a saying: No news is good news.  I had to remind myself of that.  Just because you can't see what happens to Luffa doesn't mean it'll be bad."

"Is that why you don't want me to read your fortune?" Dotz asked.  "Are you worried I'll see something tragic?"

"No.  I mean...!   Well, yes."  Zatte shook her head and chuckled.  "It's... complicated.  I'm just not comfortable with the idea of peeking ahead at the end of the movie."

"But you're convinced about the outcome of the war," Dotz said.   "What makes you so sure?"

"Luffa," Zatte said.  "She's destined to accomplish great things, Dotz."

"Destined?  It sounds like you had a vision of your own once."

Zatte had been applying lithium grease to a rifle part when Dotz said this.   It startled her enough that she accidentally missed and sprayed it on her work gloves instead.   "I... I guess you could put it that way." she said, looking up at Dotz somewhat anxiously.   "I saw something.  I've been trying to interpret it ever since."

"Now I get it," Dotz said.  "Asking me to tell your fortune would be... well, it would be like questioning your own epiphany.    Even if I confirmed what you had seen, you would feel as though you didn't trust your own instincts."

"Uh...yeah," Zatte said, more than a little amazed.  "I didn't know how to put it into words before, but that's it exactly.    Wow, Luffa wasn't kidding.  You are good."

"In my line of work, you have learn to read people," Dotz said.  "It helps fill in the gaps when the omens don't make sense.  I think I envy you, Zatte.  I'm so used to having glimpses of the future that I've never had to put much faith in anything."

Zatte was about to respond to this, when she suddenly noticed something outside of the transparent dome that covered the deck.    At first, she thought it was the contrail of an aircraft, only brighter, like the ionization trail of a meteorite.    

"What is it?" Dotz asked, when she finally saw what had caught Zatte's attention.

"Could be a starship," Zatte said, "but if it's coming in for a landing, it should be coming here, towards the spaceport.   Unless it's out of control, or a hostile..."

"But... but that's impossible," Dotz said.   "If the Saiyans were going to invade this planet, I'm sure I would have foreseen it.   I might have gotten the hour or the number wrong, but I'm sure I would have seen something, unless..."

"Let's check it out," Zatte said.   She grabbed the beach robe off the chair and a holster belt containing the weapons she had already finished cleaning.    "You should probably come with me to the bridge.    It'll be safer there."

*******

The people of Ristet IV had orange, scaly skin and long muzzles.  As the planet's Supergovernor was currently on trial for conflicts of interest related to his vast toothpaste business holdings, the vice-Supergovernor had been the head-of-state for the past sixteen months.    He conducted his business in the Red Manor, located at Number 1, Supergovernor Street, Supergovernor City, postal code 00001.   In front of the Red Manor was a reflection pool, which was something of a tourist attraction to visitors to Supergovernor City.   It was now gone, replaced by a crater thirty feet wide, with a small pod resting at the bottom.   Moments after arriving, its lone occupant stepped out, marched into the Red Manor, and introduced himself to the vice-Supergovernor.    

"It's pretty simple stuff," he said to the vice-Supergovernor and his staff.   His skin was pale pink, and his unkempt hair hung from his scalp like the fronds on a tropical tree.  But what caught everyone's attention was the invader's long furry tail, which waved lazily from a hole in his black trunks as he spoke.    

"You all know what I am, and what I can do, and what I must have done to the fleet up there to get this far, right?    Well that's it, then.   I don't see why we should waste time fighting then.   I mean, I like fighting, sure, but your best defenses were topside, and I already took care of those.    Calling for help won't work either, thanks to the jamming device I left in orbit."

"What are your terms?" the vice-Supergovernor asked.   Diplomacy was not his strong suit, though in this situation, flowery speeches weren't going to change the situation.

"I like that," the invader said.   "Straight and to the point.    I have friends coming over, and they need a place to stay.   You will disable your defenses, you will allow them land here without a fight, and no one gets hurt.   Before you know it, we'll be on our way, but you'll get to keep all your fancy buildings and weapons when it's over."

One of the chiefs-of-staff spoke up.    "This planet is a Federation world,"  she protested.   "You're asking us to betray--"

The invader pointed his finger at her and fired a ki blast through her chest, killing her instantly.    "As of twenty minutes ago," he replied, "you people got cut off from the Federation, whether you wanted to or not.   All I'm asking you to do is look out for yourselves.    Once my guys are gone, you'll be free to patch things up with your buddies, assuming any of 'em are still around.   So what'll it be?   If you want to make a go of it, that's fine with me, but this little barnhouse of yours will be the first to go, along with everyone in it.   Now, do we have an understanding?"

The vice-Supergovernor looked down at his chief-of-staff's body and nodded mournfully.  

"Good," said the invader.    "First thing you can do for me is have someone put my ship in storage.   Some place with some high security.    I don't want any busybodies fooling around with it while I wait for my buddies."

"We'll put it in the highest-security facility we have," the vice-Supergovernor said.    "I can assure you, no one will even find it, much less tamper with it."

"Good boy," the invader said with a smile.  

*******

[11 March, 233 Before Age.   Ristet IV.]

"He's not a Saiyan," Zatte said.    

"How did you figure that out?"  Dotz asked.    

"Because I'm sitting inside his ship," Zatte explained. "He wiped most of the logs, he didn't bother to clear the internal sensors, which identify the most recent passenger as a felinoid species.    Felinoids have tails like Saiyans, so they sort of look like Saiyans, but they're not."

Zatte was somewhat obsessive over these kinds of matters.   Over the past 23 hours, she had tracked down the incoming ship to the Red Manor's front lawn, learned the ship had been removed by government agents, and traced it to a secret storage facility.   There were passcodes and sensor grids to overcome, but her ability to manipulate energy  made this a fairly simple task.   She was still wearing the swimsuit and beach robe from when she had first spotted the ship.   Changing clothes had seemed like a luxury she couldn't afford, and so she hadn't bothered.  

Someone, probably the felinoid, had done something to jam planetwide communications, but this apparently only applied to off-world communications.    With the star-yacht on the planet's surface, she could read Dotz just fine on her earpiece.  

"Well, could he have had a felinoid on board with him?" Dotz suggested.

Zatte smiled at the thought.    "You wouldn't say that if you were here," she replied.    This is definitely a one-seater.   It looks more like an escape pod with a stardrive built onto it.   When this is over, I might want to take this baby with us.    Luffa could get some use out of a little ship like this."

"Um, I don't really understand then," Dotz said.   "Why would someone try to impersonate a Saiyan like this?    Especially in a war with Saiyans on both sides?"

"He's probably an opportunist," Zatte said.   "Luffa's dealt with these types before.   They show up on a planet, and shake down the population for whatever they can get, and the planet's leaders cooperate just to get rid of them.    A lot of actual Saiyans pull this trick, but plenty of other aliens do it too, anyone strong enough to blow up buildings and cities with their ki energy.    He may only be using the war as a cover.    He can play at being a Saiyan and trick his victims into thinking he's got backup when he really doesn't.   That's probably why the Federation hasn't stepped in yet.   They may think he's with the cult, and they don't know what the situation on the ground is."

"But you can shut off his jammer and tell them what's really going on, right?" Dotz asked.  

"Afraid not," Zatte said.   "I was hoping he had some kind of controller for it on his ship, but I can't find anything like that.    I could try using his navigational computer to backtrack his flight path, maybe find out where he left it, but if he was smart, his gadget has thrusters and a cloaking device."

"Oh!   But you could take his ship into orbit, outside the range of the jamming device!" Dotz suggested.   "Then you could summon the fleet that way!"

"No.   If he finds out, I'll be a sitting duck, or he might get desperate enough to hurt people on the surface.   Besides, Luffa's forces are stretched thin enough already.   I'd rather tackle this guy by myself, save them the trouble."

"By yourself?   But... but how?" Dotz asked.  

"I haven't worked that out yet," Zatte said.   She opened the hatch on the pod and lifted herself out of it, only to spot a guard making his rounds.    Normally, her powers made this a simple matter, as she could simply warp light around herself to become effectively invisible.   This time, however, she had to deal with the ship, and make certain the hatch was closed before the guard could happen to notice.   While she struggled to close it as quickly and quietly as possible, Dotz continued to speak into her ear.  

"It's just... I didn't even see any of this coming," she said.   "If there's going to be major combat on this planet, and soon, then I have no idea how it will turn out.   And I haven't read your fortune either, so if you go to face him, then... well,  anything could happen.   You might die!"

There was an audible clack as Zatte finished closing the hatch, one that she couldn't avoid, and one that the guard couldn't help but overhear.    Luckily, the acoustics of the storehouse seemed to be in her favor, and the guard wandered off in a different direction.    If he ever came back to check the pod, Zatte would be long gone.    

"Anything's possible," Zatte whispered as she crawled through the metal racks.    Upon reaching the skylight she had used to gain entry, she slipped inside and closed it behind her, then leaped down from the roof and made her way on foot to an airbike she had stowed in the bushes.    "Personally, I like my chances.   It's a risk, but an acceptable one."

"But if something goes wrong--"

"It won't," Zatte said.   "I'm sure of it, just like I'm sure we'll win the war."

"Oh."  

Zatte powered up the bike and sped along a dirt road.   Once she was certain that she was on a public highway, she dropped the invisibility effect she had used and took a roundabout path back to the spaceport.  

Why can't you believe?" Zatte asked.  "You told me before that your power can't foresee everything."

"Because even the things I do see are uncertain," Dotz said.  "I know Luffa's alive--for the moment--but not much else.  She could be fighting for her life right now, or maybe the battle's already over.   I find it's best to react to situations as they happen.   Let things play out and gather more information."

"Why did you join us?"  Zatte asked.  "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to have you on board, but you've got no obligations here."

"I had a vision that someone like Luffa would help me, not long before she showed up to bring me out of the coma I was in.  I also knew that my powers would begin to change around the same time that happened.  I'm... evolving.  I don't know how else to put it.  I can't see into Luffa's future, for whatever reason.  I think that might he a sign.  Either way, she helped me once, and she might help me again.  And since I can't predict whether or not she can help me, I'll...um... have to stay nearby and find out the old fashioned way."

"Okay, but is that worth riding out a war?" Zatte asked.

"Uh... maybe not, but I have to find out.  For you, it's a matter of faith.  A foregone conclusion.  For me, it's a mystery."

"Huh.    Well, I'll be back at the ship in about half an hour.    Maybe I can take some of the mystery out of how to take this felinoid down."

*******

At the spaceport's medical facility, Dr. Topsas was poring over data on comparative Saiyan biology.   There was very little useful information on Saiyan-specific medicine, as so few Saiyans bothered to seek treatment.     Much of what Topsas knew was self-taught, or accomplished through his own requests, such as the scans conducted on Bigreen shortly after Luffa first transformed into a Super Saiyan.

He had begun his research on Ristet IV by asking a fairly simple question about feet.    Luffa's left foot had been run through with a beam of ki energy, and this had caused some substantial tendon damage.   Topsas had stitched her back together, but his preference would have been for Luffa to rest and let the wound heal.    As it was, she simply had no time for this.   The battle in the Fedender System was simply too critical.    

"They'll die if I don't get over there, Doc," she had said to him before leaving.    "What kind of a Super Saiyan would I be if I just sat around here taking it easy?"

"The healthy kind," was probably what he had said to her in reply, but her words had left a greater impression on him than he had let on, for they reminded him of an expression from his own culture.    His species was of an arachnoid biology, possessing eight limbs, each terminating with a hand, and eight eyes, positioned about the head in such a way as to see in virtually any direction.   In his youth, he had asked his pastor why they had so many more eyes and limbs than other beings.    At that age, Topsas had already become interested in vertebrate biology, and the bipedal anatomy that often accompanied it.    What strange creatures they were, to manage with only two eyes and two legs and two hands.    

His pastor had explained that their people had been blessed with extra limbs and eyes, so that they would always be able to see those in need, and lend a hand to those who needed it.    This, more than anything, was what had inspired him to become a physician.  But it had always been a matter of helping the less fortunate.   His patients were sick, injured beings in need of his care, and once he had healed them, his work was done.     He had always thought that he was drawn to Luffa because she needed more care than most; more than she was willing to admit.  

But over time, he had begun to realize that it was more than that.    In her own way, Luffa had taken on his brand of charity, and he began to see that there was more at stake than simply keeping her healthy.    Kept in sickbay, and allowed to recover in full, Luffa could save no one but herself.   In the field, she could save thousands, or even millions.    Everything hinged on how quickly Dr. Topsas could get her back in action.    

He had always loathed this aspect of sports medicine, which prioritized schedules and purses over the health of the athlete.    It encouraged risk taking and corner-cutting in the name of getting a warm body into the game.    But now the schedule was a war, and the purse was innocent lives.    He knew how to heal her, but that wasn't enough anymore.    He had to find a way to do even better.  

And so, his original query had transformed into a wider search for other treatments.     He began to stray into the unorthodox, the experimental, the techniques and prescriptions that he never would have considered before, because he lacked the confidence in his own ability to administer them.     And his response to the challenge was always that he would have to rise to the occasion.    If a better doctor was what the galaxy needed now, then he would do all that he could to become one.    He had, after all, too many eyes and too many hands not to try.

*******

While Topsas worked, his absence went mostly unnoticed by his shipmates, who assumed he was enjoying a much-needed day off.   Zatte saw no way the doctor could help, and she preferred not to burden him with this latest crisis.    Whoever this invader was, she was at least grateful to the felinoid for keeping a low profile.  

She now stood in the conference room of the ship, eating a bowl of cereal as she tweaked a holographic model of a city block.    On one particular building, a pair of fourth-story windows were ringed with glowing red rectangles.   Thin beams of green light extended out from these windows and pointed to various other buildings in the vicinity.

She was still dressed in the black swimsuit, beach robe, gloves and boots she had been wearing before.    Her face was somewhat drawn from lack of sleep, and her hair was messier, but otherwise she looked essentially the same as when this had all begun.

"Up here would be the best spot," Zatte said, pointing her spoon at a tall building on the edge of the hologram.   "The altitude, the distance from the target, it's perfect.    I could get off three or four shots and still get out of there before he'd ever find me.   The only problem is the angle."

She put the spoon back in the bowl and tapped a few keys on the table's computer console, which displayed an image over the holographic city.   It was the view from a telescopic sight, which showed the very edge of a window.

"His hotel room has two windows and I can only line up with one of them from up there.   And I had to do some pretty daring stuff with some climbing gear to make that work.   On top of that, I'd need him to be standing right next to the window to hit a vital area."

"What if something happened outside?" Dotz suggested.   "You could stage a diversion, something big enough to make him look outside to see what it was."  

"Maybe, but it'd all be for nothing if he looks out of the other window that I can't hit," Zatte said with a sigh.    "And it's not like we could just try again until it works.   Sooner or later, he'd get suspicious, or he might just stop taking the bait.    I thought about sabotaging his place, maybe screw up the plumbing enough that he'd get fed up and move to another room, but I don't want to drag things out this long.   I really just want to climb up there and take the shot."

She set down her bowl with more force than she intended, then dropped into one of the executive chairs with a frustrated groan.     "You know," Dotz said, "I'm just impressed that you can hit anything from that far away."   She got up from her seat, carefully holding the folds of her purple garments so as not to disturb the cards and crystals she had laid on the table, and pointed at the thread of green light that represented Zatte's proposed line of fire.   "I mean, this is over two miles, isn't it?"

"Nearly three," Zatte said.   "I've made longer shots than that without a problem.    It's just a matter of taking the wind into account, keeping a steady hand.    I had to get used to using the scope with my left eye, but that didn't take long."

"Your eye," Dotz said.  "You lost it in a battle, didn't you?"

"That's right," Zatte said.  "Was that a psychic reading, or simple deduction?"

"Well, deduction," Dotz said.  "You said you were a soldier, and you seem pretty stubborn in your own way.  Did you want me to divine something more than that?"

"Sure, why not?" Zatte said.   "I just need to get my mind off of this for a while."

"I'll need to see your eyepatch," Dotz said.  "If that's all right."

Zatte hesitated, then turned away and removed it from her face.  She handed it to Dotz, but only after making sure to conceal her injured eye with her free hand.

"I only take it off when I'm alone, or with Luffa," Zatte said.  It's a personal thing."

"I understand," Dotz said.   She cradled the patch in her hands for a moment, and made an intrigued noise as she closed her eyes.  "You didn't think she was coming back that day," Dotz said.  "When the shrapnel hit you in the face, you thought you were going to die, and that you'd never see her again."

Zatte didn't know how to respond to this.  She tensed the hand she was holding over her sightless prosthetic eye.

"But you didn't die, and then she came back to fight alongside you.  When you pray, you thank Providence for allowing you to keep one eye so you could see her return that day."

"That's... H-how?  I never told anyone that.  Luffa doesn't even know, unless she picked it up from me telepathically, but we don't..."

"You still feel it in your skull sometimes," Dotz went on.  "Um, your eye, that is.   Sometimes, it's like you never lost it, and it's still there, aching a little."

"Okay, I think I want that back,"  Zatte said.  "This is getting a little too personal."

"Sorry," Dotz said.   As she slid the patch across the table, she paused to look at the hologram.   "Um...What are these other green lines?" she asked.  

"Oh, those," Zatte said.   "I tried finding better angles to shoot from, but they're all too close to the target."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Dotz asked.  "I don't know a lot about guns, but..."

Zatte straightened her eyepatch and checked her hair to make sure it was free of the strap.   "It would be, but the shot from those points isn't a whole lot better than the one I want," she explained.    So the difficulty would be lower, but there's still a good chance that I miss, and then he comes barrelling out of the window to find the shooter."   She pointed at the far edge of the map.   "If I'm shooting from there, and I miss, it's not as big a deal, because I'd have time to get away and hide.   But from over here--"   Now she pointed at a closer position, on the roof of a department store.    "--he'd be on me in seconds."

"But you can make yourself invisible," Dotz said.   "And you can mask your ki."  

"Sure, but he could set off an explosion big enough to catch me before that would do me any good," Zatte explained.    "I don't know exactly how strong he is, but I got a decent idea when I tracked him down to his place.   He's definitely strong enough that I can't afford any mistakes.   One shot is all I get.    If it weren't for these damn windows!"

"Well, why not turn part of the wall invisible?" Dotz suggested.  "You can do that too, can't you?"

"It's not quite that simple," Zatte said.   She lifted her spoon and it slowly began to vanish from sight.    "What I'm doing here is bending light waves around an object.    The spoon is unchanged, but you can't see it because I'm not allowing light to bounce off of it and into your eyes."   She then held up her free hand and placed it behind the spoon.    "You can see my hand because light is bouncing off of that, and then I warp that light around the spoon and into your eyes.    But I can't make a section of the bulkhead invisible, because I'd have to bend light from the other side and bring it into this cabin, and there's no pathway for me to do that, unless you open the door or something."

"Oh, I see," Dotz said.    

"I could use the windows on the apartment as an opening," Zatte went on, but even so, I'd have to be pretty close to make it work.   Less than a hundred feet, I think.    I might as well knock on the door and shoot him when he answers it."

"Well, why not try that?" Dotz asked.   She stood up and pointed at the building across from the apartment.  "Not... not knocking on his door, I mean.   But you could set up here, and make part of his wall invisible, and then you couldn't miss."

"Dotz," Zatte said, "he'll notice me right away.   As soon as he looks up and sees a hole in his wall, he'll know something's up before I even get a chance to aim."

"He might not look up," Dotz said.    "You could make a small hole, just big enough to see through."

Zatte took a deep breath and put her hands behind her head  as she leaned back in the chair.   "It's too risky.   I mean, if he's facing away from me, there's no problem at all.   At that range the shot becomes child's play, sure.   But if he's facing the wall, and he's already on edge..."

"Oh, but I don't think he is," Dotz said.   "He snuck into a war zone, past a fleet, and then he bluffed his way into conquering this planet.    Right now, he's probably thinking he doesn't need to worry about anything.    He's already won."

"Is that a prophecy?" Zatte asked.    

"Call it a hunch," Dotz said.   "It's just that... if he were worried, he wouldn't be hiding in plain sight like this, would he?   He thinks he's holding all the cards.    The last thing he expects is someone like you to shoot him.    Besides, I have... well, I suppose I have faith in you.   You know your skills, and you believe this is worth doing.   Just like you believe Luffa will win this war."

Zatte leaned forward in her chair and looked at Dotz for at least a minute.      

"You're right," she finally said.   "I have to do this, and I need to do it soon.    It's risky, but it'll only be riskier if I wait.   If Providence has decided that I should fail, then there's nothing I can do about it."  

She stood up from her chair, and then Dotz did the same.    "I'll go with you," she offered, but Zatte gestured for her to sit.  

"No, I can't risk losing both of us," she said.   "And if something does go wrong, I need you to fill in the others on what happened.   But I appreciate the offer."  

"At least let me read your fortune," Dotz said.   "I might be able to tell you if this will work or not."

"Thanks, but no," Zatte said.   "But I'll tell you what.   If I make it back, I'll tell you all about the vision I had.    If I'm going to take a chance, we may as well make this interesting, right?   A little side-bet won't hurt."

Dotz smiled, but not as cheerfully as she might have liked.    She was confident that this plan would work, and it seemed that Zatte believed in it too, but she still felt responsible for whatever came next, as if she had signed the young woman's death warrant.    

But there had been no fear in Zatte's eye when she turned and left for her mission.   Dotz had gathered this much just from handling the eyepatch.   With past clients, such objects often carried signs of regret, or bitterness, or repressed trauma.     Zatte's eyepatch had traces of these, to be sure, but they were overshadowed by a sense of duty and honor, and the notion that her physical loss served a higher purpose.   Dotz didn't know if there was any truth to this, but it didn't seem to matter.    Zatte believed it, and for now, that was enough.  

And so, when Zatte returned a few hours later, alive and unhurt, holding a bottle of spirits to celebrate her successful hit, Dotz was deeply relieved, but not altogether surprised.  

NEXT: ...To She Who Waits.

[ultsracha]

Idol!Changmin (Q) x Model!reader Fluff

Anon:  Yes! We need more the boyz writers! If I may request, could you write a bulletpoint piece model!fem reader and idol!changmin/q meeting and falling in love? ❤️ A/N: Ahhh thank you for the request! changmin is my bias and so i would absolutely love to write for him so im glad this was requested. *disclaimer* this is the first thing ive written in a very long time and im sure it’s not the best, im sorry for that but hopefully i made up for it with adding other members cracky content as well <3 

being a model was never what you intended to do when you grew up but you started posing for photography students during school and from there more and more people want to take your picture 

now, 3 years later it’s a whole career and you get to work alongside some amazing brands and creators to promote stuff 

one week, you were sent to seoul for a shoot with numerous other people to promote a clothing brand 

usually you didn't mind flying out to new places, in fact it was the best part of the job once you got over the language barrier 

but this time, you were completely alone, your manager couldn't come due to family problems and all of your friends had work

so you were completely alone going to this event

and little did you know it wouldn't just be a small shoot, tons of people were there from all over the world 

they had actors, singers and models from tons of different places and companies 

and most of them were older than you which made things more stressful

so, first day there and everyone’s being told their schedules and what they need to be doing 

when you’re given your schedule you see you’ve been put on the same shoot as a boy group and a handful of other models 

not that you minded because maybe you could make some friends seeing as you’d be there for a while 

luckily your shoot wasn’t for a while as they didn’t choose you as one of the major people involved with the project so you ended up in a backroom with a few other people minding their own business

it was reasonably quiet in the room, people chatting away and on their phones until the door burst open and a group of boys walked in

all of them were, well

very very very very cute

its uwu time

no wonder they’d been picked for this project, who wouldn't want something modelled by them 

They walked in together, one following behind the other. The final boy to walk in looked around at everyone until his eyes met yours

and when i say awkward eye contact, i mean awkward eye contact for about 6 seconds before he accidentally walked into his group member in front of him

followed by some profuse blushing and apologising 

they proceeded to disperse into the room and sit down

the one who made intense awkward eye contact lingered for a second, looking around before settling into a seat opposite you 

Now there were around 18 people all sat together, not really talking very much

and the air was, awkward. 

Until the organiser of the event came in to introduce himself and explain what you were all meant to do

The whole time he was introducing himself you felt someone looking at you, but whenever you searched everyone's faces no one was looking 

everything was going fine and dandy until the guy explaining the concepts and the activities you guys would be doing for the shoot asked everyone to introduce themselves one by one 

it wouldn’t usually be a problem, you’re a confident person and modelling has certain helped that but when surrounded by so many beautiful humans it’s scary as hell 

so, they all introduced themselves. one of the members called Hyunjoon even threw in a cheeky wink at the end of his introduction 

like who ??? let you be so cute 

but then it came to the one who held the awkward eye contact

he seemed dead set on never looking at you ever again after that first moment up until the second he stood

he looked right at you as he introduced himself 

explaining that he didn't mind being called Q or Changmin 

what a freaking cutie pie 

when it was your turn you felt the most amount of butterflies in your stomach since probably your first kiss back in primary school

introducing yourself as calmly as possible, only looking up from the floor briefly to see Changmin staring into your eyes with keen interest 

oof that was enough to set your heart on fire 

Finishing your introduction of where you’re from and how old you are, you sat down quickly feeling the heat in your cheeks increase when you saw two of the boys whispering together 

once the man was gone it was a lot easier for everyone to chat and discuss how they thought the project would turn out, excited to be part of such a unique shoot 

Changmin was glancing your way every few seconds, looking like he was having an internal battle with himself 

You decided to just be a bad bitch and go speak to him yourself 

he was with Hyunjoon anyway and you needed to congratulate him on winning the best introduction of the team award!! 

when you got there they both abruptly stopped talking and looked at you, waiting with wide eyes for what you were going to say 

“so you’re part of a boy group yeah?” you ask

might as well ease in gently yanno

they both looked at each other before Hyunjoon answered and began explaining their roles in the group

he explained in great length that Changmin was the main dancer 

speaking very briefly of the other members in order to explain that Changmin can sing and dance so well and he’s super amazing with fans 

Changmin all the while stood there blushing and trying to disagree with him 

honestly a sweet but strange interaction 

until finally Hyunjoon was called away by another member of the group 

leaving just you and Changmin alone 

you’d moved to a couch nearby by now so for a few moments you sat there admiring him as he watched Hyunjoon walk off 

when he turned back he rushed to say “I’m sorry about him, he loves to hype us all up. I’m not really that cool’ 

“No, I think you’re pretty cool...” You shrug, trying to pass off the compliment slyly which didn’t go unnoticed by him. 

A faint blush was working it’s way up his neck when the organiser walked back in with 3 sheets of paper 

“I can see you’ve all got to know each other more and now, I want you to divide yourself into teams as evenly as possible. I don’t want all the girls put in one team though because there are less of you” 

He then leaves the sheets on a table and walks off again leaving you to find the courage to ask Changmin if he’d want to be in the same team as you

Because I mean you’ve only known him for about 45 minutes but he’s already showed how sweet he is and you can’t help but feel excited at the idea of spending the next few days working with him

“So would yo-” 

“Hey could w-” 

You both tried to ask each other to be on the same team in the exact same second

Both of you burst into laughter and write your names on the paper one under the other still giggling the whole time 

The rest of the morning goes by just like this, giggling together and gradually getting to know one another more and more

by the time the afternoon rolls around he’s basically your best friend

You both love the same movies, same books, enjoy similar music 

Even as hair and makeup is being done you don’t stop talking and giggling

Lets be real here, a crush was growing 

It’s like within the space of 4 hours you’d become inseparable 

When the photos were being taken your teams connection together was so genuine

Working for a brand that’s entire concept is friendship and having fun together it was hardly surprising that the laughter didn’t end there 

The rest of the time you were there your cheeks never stopped hurting from how much you smiled and laughed 

Not just from Changmin but also from all of his groupmates too

Such a wonderful, fun group of people to be around 

You truly felt like one of them by the end of the shoot 

but lets not ignore the lingering glances you and Changmin exchanged, or how he always managed to find an excuse to be stood with you and how whenever he’d walk you to your hotel room door he would try and make the conversation last as long as possible and always, always end the night with a hug 

okay lets be real again, a crush had definitely formed, grown up, moved in and was now decorating the kitchen in your heart 

Like you couldn’t get enough of his happy energy and humour 

At the end of the final shoot when you’re all stood around talking and laughing Changmin grabs your arm and pulls you away

Clearly you don’t resist because like anyone would accept some alone time with Changmin 

Gently he leads you to a couch in the corner of the room and sits down

His cheeks are already rosy when he starts to speak, his hand starting to get clammy against your own

“y/n, will you go on a date with me?” he blurts out quickly and then opening his eyes wide as if he was surprised he said it

and in that moment 

your heart

burst and stopped and did a trip round the globe 

“Of COURSE” you literally scream

His face lights up immediately and he jumps up hugs you quickly and darts off back to the others

you hear them all cheer and see them start hugging and pushing around a very, very blushy Changmin 

Later that evening he arrives at your hotel room door, still wearing that same red hue on his cheeks 

You go to the arcade together and the whole evening is wonderful

it’s no different than how you guys have spent time together the last few days but this time Changmin insists on holding your hand every second 

As well as hugging you from behind when its your turn on the claw machine

Unfortunately you claw machine skills are... 

Limited 

But of course, your knight in shining hoodie and jeans swoops in and wins you the stuffed animal you really wanted 

After you’d played every arcade game and taking endless amounts of cringey pics of each other you walk home slowly still hand in hand 

“You know, I’m really glad I met you” he states out of the blue, still looking ahead of him

“Me too, I feel so complete with you around me” you reply back, swinging your joined hands slightly 

From then on, you were never apart

Literally like the brand you did the shoot for hired you permanently for big moneys and a promise of a successful modelling career a few weeks after your first date with Changmin

Which you graciously accepted for only that reason

Not the fact the love of your life happened to live down road from your new apartment 

and all you wanted to was hold his and forever 

plus the rest of the group fully accepted you as one of their own 

like seriously it was hard to find any moments alone with your boyfriend when hanging out at the dorms because hyunjae liked to ask what you’re doing every 3 minutes 

as well as father maknae line demanding your attention every second you were there

not that you complained about any of it 

because who would complain about a family like that 

and a boyfriend like Changmin 

really out here living your best life huh

[cheswirls]

i have so many thoughts and its about 430 am so lets get started before they get scrambled.

i decided to read red potter and the middleground, but because i finished one so early in the morning, i had to hold off on the other for a bit, until this -past, i guess- evening. i had read for sure a chapter of the middleground previously, maybe two, but i’ve read too much now that the recollection isn’t coming to me like it came in small bursts through reading through chapter one again. i think it was another instance when i got extremely busy and had to put it down, maybe tac2 took over, dunno, but i got back to it now bc im still on the post-playthrough-of-white high and anything deep in unova is good and lu is fantastic so i knew this would be fantastic and is was right.

it’s a very dark read? unexpected, then again, its centered around a war, so also i shouldve expected it. the realization hit me around the third chapter, i think, when the nimbasa incident happened. very dark and very good. and emotional, i dunno how many times ive cried tonight but its been a night/twilight. the whole story basis with the center legend of unova and all the olden history is really good, its all really boosting my unova high like this is exactly what ive been needing to find, and all the characters it brings in despite the animeverse of it all -benga, n, touko!!- and the roles they play just really made it better, its kind of shallow but i like it even moreso because of the additions and though the story kept me highly entertained and drawn in there were a couple moments when i wished like oh man i hope the story has n in it bc n man jus n i need n content and then bam mentioned and now hes officially in it sort of i mean yeah he is. in the story. and this was early on like during the first few chapters so i had to hold out but it was worth it like, the story is interesting with the anime characters and i knew it was gonna be aniverse going into it and it was good and fine and still is good and fine. 

i dont remember when i started wishing for touko but man oh man it happened and i was like damn this could happen i wish she was kinda here bc i think i had begun to pick up on something and then later i really picked up on it which i will get to later and them bam another happy revelation and i am still like. touko. shes here. shes a part of the story. this is awesome.

anyway before this gets too long to massively too long, this is basically going to be a big analysis and happy-rant post, so if you have not read the middleground by the amazing @pkmncoordinators, you should do so here but then like leave this post until you do and then come back, that would be good. the rest is under a cut to save peoples dashes, sorry this is mega long already aha.

i played ghetsis’ battle theme through a chapter and it mustve been a shorter one bc it lasted me -30min- near the entire chapter. maybe the one beginning w the drayden and alder talk? or the dragonspiral tower one? or maybe theyre the same, its been a long night of binging this entire work. anyway. it set the mood for whatever chapter like i intentionally was like oh this theme is a little foreboding lets play it. and i had it down so low sometimes i could only hear the percussions to it, but it was still there, setting the tone.

otherwise, i found myself only keeping to n music. maybe there were a couple plays of unova e4, way in the very beginning of the first/second chapters, maybe, but for the most part, i kept with n’s songs. the bridge, some, the castle and battle theme, a lot. some renditions of such in b2w2 style. i tried to play through the music of n’s room in the castle, but i had to stop after a little into it, maybe ten minutes, because it was getting all these feelings out of me and i felt like if i played it all i would ‘tire it out’, so to speak, even though that hasnt happened w any of the tracks thus far, but i really want that to be a special one i  have on to draw inspiration from. later into the night/morning, whenever, i did decide to try out a remix of it via the b2w2 track of the same theme. the tune is in a slightly different pitch, but more than that, it gets distorted, almost corrupted, throughout and differentiates itself that way from the original, so i did end up playing through that no problem. i cant recall now if i ever played a theme back to back, i think i switched after the 30min was over, which, understandable, it’d been looping for half an hour. but i think i did play it again maybe once, which is fine. good.

but enough with music meta. its interesting, maybe thats where the draws of ‘where’s n?’ came from, but its not the focus.

oooh boy lets talk about various things that i will address here bc its 5am now and i need to not lose track. the n thing. um. the touko revelations. remember liberty, because the truth will set you free. the hero of truth. the opening chapter remarks. the possible sourgrapes. the viewpoints thing. there is probably more i will get to later in a different post but these are the current things for the morning.

first i wanna talk abt touko, hilda, whatever. small note so i dont appear brash, to ppl who dont really follow my content, i just dont really like the names hilda and hilbert. hilda is slowly growing on me, but missy always called the protag touko, and it really grew on me, and i live the name now, so thats what i always defer to her as. jus a preference thing.

so, i had no idea and i had every idea. oh my god. lu, you are so good at the foreshadowing stuff, serious. a master at it. i didnt pick up on the nimbasa trainer mention, or maybe i did but its been long ago now and i dont remember it. if she appeared before then i already dont remember the callback to it, oops. anyway. it was after that, for sure, if not before, that i did pick up on the brunette trainer and thought ‘damn if that was touko tho thatd be so rad’. really thinking it was in the electronic store in striaton, but that seems so far away from nimbasa like there mustve been something in between but i dont think so? so that. and then in the next, black city? abt the brunette trainer watching the tv, and i think i had the same thought except it was during ghetsis’ speech so between both moments brunette trainer was mentioned. i think i picked up on the repeated mentions of brunette trainer when she and iris locked eyes to see her also packing to leave the center. it was a thought more along the lines of ‘brunette trainers seem to be standing out to me more or are i guess being detailed more than other trainers’ than out of suspicion. i was picking up the repeated characteristic, but more of the notion that it was being named over and over, instead of anything real behind it. like, okay, there are a lot of brown haired trainers around, that works.

it was maybe in icirrus if that was the next thing, i tried to look and think i confirmed that was the next thing based on the recall conversation, so yes. in icirrus, my memory is really failing me sorry!!, somewhere, the first mention or maybe if that first mention was the brunette trainer across the hall in another room, my mind clicked. and it was like, oh, this brunette trainer might actually be all the same person. and i started to think again, wow, what if that person was touko bc i was really passionate abt it and i couldnt come up with who else bc i didnt have the focus i was still actively reading the store yknow? if was nothing about the being followed, i had to wait for the others to catch on and tell the reader before i got that aha. but i did! get! the touko part. it was when iris woke up from the comatose and all those scenes started playing out, maybe she mentioned not disturbing the others or cilan when they were talking, or georgia when she ran off, or something abt the trainer in another room, or a revelation dawned i guess somewhere in those scenes. and i was like oh my god that has to be touko god wow. im really losing my original train of thought i apologize. still recovering from sickness, and the whole long night thing. so something along that thought, but then it sorta got forgotten bc shit got real w virgil and the truth seekers being there, and i didnt recall again until she approached cilan during the counter sheidl -niiiiice throwback, by the way- training, and i was like !!!!!!!!!!!! that HAS to be touko and then she led him away and the whole scene played out and i remember scanning the page briefly, jus flicking my eyes over to see if i saw the namedrop and didnt, so i got entranced in the scene and then benga was like ‘hilda get the other three’ and TOUKO!!!!! WAS THERE OMG!!!! like confirmed, in the flesh, it was great its great what a great thing to add wow. and then the recall conversation happened and i began to pick up and was like wow they were being followed and didnt even remember the brunette trainer mentioned in nimbasa, barely remembered someone with a samurott led the charge to put out the fires, so that was a surprise. of course, that was such an intense scene, and i remember having a small breakdown around then bc burgundy said something about how she couldve been in one of those rooms and that chilled her and it sent me wild bc it was scary to think about, it really was chilling, this story really is dark che wow. 

so i was proud of myself for picking up on that, the touko thing, but i probably wouldve been in the dark completely had i read it and not recently played through white and mind being constantly on that region and those characters right now. 

that was super long. um. next thing is liberty bc i can remember it. the line is, im pretty sure, just remember liberty, because the truth will/can set you free. and its really only because im so into unova right now, but back at the first chapter today, my mind immediately picked up ‘oh liberty island’. except its not island, its liberty garden-island, thing, but still. the liberty just connected, and i had it, and so like when iris busted out like hey we’re not flying to nimbasa we’re going to liberty garden i was like yh guys cmon take a hint. but i really think it was probably creative and thought-provoking to others, a bit of a twister, to liek other readers like this isnt a callout on an easy riddle, jus a notion i picked up on easily. actually i remember the castelia thing confusing me, but there was also some disconnect because the liberty line want being used, it was just being mentioned that everyone seeking the seekers was heading to castelia, like the two were never paired i dont recall of. and it happened every time. i was like okay yes theyre at libery garden, then castelia was mentioned and i was like okay theyre at castelia. they never really crossed so they never crossed in my mind. it wasnt until the group landed in castelia i think that my mind connected, ah yes, liberty garden is off the coast of the city. i do wonder how plasma figured it out though. i think earlier speculation was on the touko-n relationship compromising the location, though im not sure how that would work in the first place, so it seems more likely someone jus picked up on the insinuation like i did, jus made the connection, tho i dunno who.

really quick hero of truth revelation thing. it took me a couple reads to grasp, like iris realized something cilan didnt but he went away and it took me, i had to read it over a few times because she realized something so therefore the readers have to realize as well, and then i made the connection that cilan was related to the hero of truth therefore making him the hero of truth. that couldve been phrased better unless cress and chili are somehow included which i think not, too many motifs, but the point comes across. i might not have made the connection had i not read earlier in the day about iris slipping cilan reshiram’s pokeball, something i stumbled upon before i started reading the entire thing oops so maybe that was a giveaway that helped me work through it, maybe i just connected based on the ancestor stuff, dunno. 

i still havent figured out whos writing the chapter intros and its getting to me!! i dunno if we’re supposed to know yet, at first i felt like cilan, and then a vague collection of others, maybe trip with the camera capture in black city, and then maybe touko at the end tho i feel like something was mentioned that was confidential and that she wouldn’t have known about. then again i suppose sharing stories and then recounting could come into play, in which case benga could also be writing them.. i dont’ feel like its someone currently irrelevant, tho. like, i don’t think it’s luke, or bianca, or someone kinda disconnected like that. its probably a spoiler for you to say whom, which okay, fair, but i hope someone signs off on the intros in the last chapter, or that theres something to pick up on to discover it ourselves, or maybe its not important, but i really gotta know eventually.

someone mentioned days ago about something like not being into wishfulshipping and then something about sourgrapes was mentioned, i really dont remember that well, but i started to pick up on it throughout, especially with all the camping scenes, and remembering you liked sourgrapes so much, and is it possible to confirm that thats a ship in this fic? or, has a possibility? i think i’m picking up on it, but it could be friendship, im not sure.

these next two are the last two for now i think. first, viewpoints, because this story delves into such a cast of characters and i think the same story told from the viewpoint of others would be so interesting, like told through the eyes of benga or touko, or even elesa possibly, and if you ever like wanna divulge in that or after you get done wouldnt mind someone taking a shot at it and working with for accuracy reasons, that would be pretty cool. and you have your first volunteer.

second and last is the n thing. i think a little is just meta, which i want to make a full post on later in time, so this may or may not tie in not sure. just, real brief, isn’t n such an interesting character? i really just, i dunno if i like him like i like others, but i really find his dynamic interesting. keeping it short, bc meta, the boy really grew up differently than a “normal” human. the proper socialization was there, sort of, because he can walk and speak and was educated like hes a math geniusa nd stuff, but he wasn’t socially educated. a lot of people dont realize the two are different, i didnt until i took an intro to sociology course this past fall semester. anyway tho. he really wasnt socially educated, and you can see that through all representations -cant speak for spe actually i havent read the arc yet- even in the anime, though far less likely than i would have liked, having rewatched the n arc a few days ago. the disconnect from people is there. n had tutors, but other than that he was in a room with his only company being pokemon formerly abused by people. that was it. not even normal pokemon, but those he had to gain the trust of first because they were misled by trainers. he doesn’t really know how to act with people. he talks fast, hes very blunt, he doesnt know the meaning of personal boundaries, et cetera. he was, practically, raised in a cult. led to believe only the cult’s beliefs. and its only through getting out of his room and around unova, at least in the game, that he begins to develop his own thouhgts and ideas and morals, that he begins to doubt what hes been preached his whole life. this is getting a bit like so im gonna cut, but i just, n is such an interesting character. the tie in. already, in the tv announcement, his voice is ethereal and i could picture it, could play the sound in my mind based off the anipoke and the gens voices, because both of those are genuinely how n sounds to me, i can see it perfectly it just works like there is no other voice for him. i could picture that when he spoke. and already, with the dreamy, far-off gaze, and it hardening, i can see his characterization is going to be so great in the middleground, and im so excited. i recently finished a fic where his characterization to me was absolutely perfect, and even as it evolved, that standard didnt diminish, because the evolution was so seamless and good that the changes to him felt right, felt realistic.

im realizing now this sounds like a do-good-or-there-will-be-consequences thing, which is not my intention. im just, i really wanted a story with n, one i knew would be good, and the middleground is it at the moment. and i know youll do a good job because i liked tac so much, which featured n, and already its the little things with middleground!n that are already so good, and this was really just me saying thank you and i cant wait, and so thank you and i cant wait for more. i cant wait to see more of n, no matter how small a role, or how big iunno, he plays, its already so good for such a complex character with such a grey background. morally grey, ethically grey, realistically grey, just grey. 

all in all, the middleground is amazing so far, i love it so so much, and once again, i cant wait for more. thank you for such an amazing piece thus far, lu. its past 6am now so its taken me a bit to get through this post, i hope the majority makes sense. and i cant wait to see what comes next with the story.