#this really resonates w y’all huh

[a-tian]

[psychemeanscure]

PART 20 {After two consecutive parts with full Jang Taeyoung, yeah I do need a Sung Eunyoung indeed. Enjoy y’all}

That was the last thing she can remember before she went blackout. Approached by a couple of men after a newly ended meeting. She tried. Tossing her leader bag sling from own shoulder, running after their chase over her, pulling out the only pepper spray weapon she had. Yet, none of that paid way other than her being smelled by a chloroform in handkerchief, then history happened. They successfully taken her.

Regaining consciousness, she learned that her head was actually cloth with garbage bag. Peeking a possible person, she can see but failed as the bag was pure black for her to take chances. Hands tied tightly from behind, both ankles wrapped by metal ropes. Much the duct tape plastered on her lips isn’t helping, useless screaming as only muffled sound is heard. She gave up, as only heavy breaths left.

Until someone finally take it off the bag on her. Meeting the eyes of the person she expected it to be. ‘Veeros Alcaziar.’ Her raging mention in mind. It innocently looks at her surprised as if no idea as well. “It was you?” its disbelieving words even.

‘Cut the act, old hag’ a retort from her mind once again. She may can’t blurt it out yet her blazing glare says it so. “I never thought you’ll be the co-partner of that industrial company director who wasted my money. You see señorita, I invested a sum from that Xi industry knowing that it could profit my business carefully. They promised, I trusted them, and they just flee. I had no choice but to look for the other proprietor hoping to bring back mine. If only I knew you were the other person, I could have just settle to you properly. I’m sorry.”      

Sensing another of her muffling sound, the latter takes away the duct tape without care for she need to whimper in no time. “F*ck you.” Her convicting reply as the old Alcaziar only awed in snigger, revealing its true colors. Sighing as if disappointed on its own action. “Is my acting really that bad to notice easily?” it even snaps his own forehead as if remembering where he slips a word. “Ah! Right. Flee. Tsk, how can I say that when you just met him with your last meeting? What a bad actor I am.”

“Shut the crap out, Señor Alcaziar.”

Her cold stone response, as its evil grimace slowly showed up. “So you knew.” Does, the retaliating laugh resonate the illuminating room. The only hanged fluorescent bulb swaying from the ceiling makes it more irritating. “I thought I have to work too much threat with you but damn my dear Amilia--- oh scratch that, my little Sung Eunyoung-ie… You wholeheartedly offer yourself instead. So proud of you. So like your mother, just as wise as her.”

And it stilled her. For she admits she starts to get nervous by his presence. Given the mere mention of her mother, she knew a glimpse of Pandora’s box will reopen. “W-what do you mean?” her urging eccentricity. Responded by the clicking of its shoes, arms crossed with ascendency, fully welcoming her awaiting answer. “Hm. Alright, let us put it this way.”  Removing its usual cowboy hat he’s wearing by a near table, lighting up own tobacco while pulling out something on its shirt pocket, she acknowledged it. Strands of hair tailed neatly as she can only think of one person. ‘Eomma.’

She never expected the extent of obsession the geezer has, until today. Possessing a part from a deceased is too much considering years had passed already. Inhaling like he has been familiar for such a long time, he reminisces. “God, your mom’s smell lingers my senses over the years still. Such my favorite scent.” Its interleaved remark before turning back at her with the original answer she needed.  

“Have you ever wonder of your mom’s death was actually?”

Blowing the smoke of its tobacco close to her while she remained unwavering, he continued. “Cancer?” his questioning stance after proceeding with another as he shakes his head and takes her chin, up to level his gape.

“She was killed.”

Firm and self-assertive statement before letting go of its hold, opposite to how she’s already clenching her fist tightly from behind. Observant stares from the latter but just a stern look she does. Hot fire ready to explode into her, a little more and she won’t be surprised if she blasts out any time soon.

With a tilting of its head, the old Alcaziar continues. “Brave.” A compliment she did not bother. “You being jeopardize and all, I must say you applaud me with your calmness.” Him, leaning its face closely to her, “Now listen, my sweet little pea…” he speaks. And just like that, she spits him while it’s also too fast for his countered slap.  

It was a hard one. Hard enough to leave a reddened mark on her face. It hurts her, yes but she holds it in. Letting herself satisfy with her work instead. Her contoured saliva which successfully spread all over the latter’s face gives her pride for she thought it was her chance to fight back just to shiver by his touch after fiercely wiping its own face, cupping her face tracing every part of it like his own. 

“You only had me realize a while ago that you resemble so much of your mother that I keep stopping myself on hitting you, but just looking by your behavior right now you left me with no choice. The next time you will then I, your father won’t let it slide anymore.”

“You aren’t one to begin with, geezer!”

Dodging her cheeks from his hold, she retorted. “Father! Call me father!” as his domineering affirmation came after an irate throwing of its own tobacco. Eyes of obsession starts to ponder, jaws clenching with delusion. “Your mother died…  Isn’t because of the unexplainable rapid of her cancer but rather she stopped it on purpose.”

A series of sham speech begins to create. “All of it. Each reason, is always because of that Sung Chanhyung! The f*cking coño stole the love of my life from me! You understand that?”

“You have no right!” she countered.

“I met your mother first! And that alone, gives me a right. That crazy s*cker killed her!”

“No, it’s not for you are the crazy one who killed them!!!”

She can’t attain anymore. That with the mere mention of his father being accused, she exploded. Finally, as it’s too fast for another heavy slap to earn a cut on her lips this time. Yet, none of it matters for she’s occupied with one thought and only. As her brows furrows, connecting its illusive stories to reality. Half-truths or not, she can only sum up the emotions her parents felt back then. 

Threatened, deceived, betrayed. Just three things but left a large impact for their blissful family to fall apart. “Is that how the bastardo taught you?! That puto! Why am I surprised, even? He had brainwashed my wife what more with you.”

“She had never been yours!”

“She loved me! And that you should put in mind. We were in love until he came she became unwise, giving her all as sacrifice from that foolish man!”

“Wake up with your f*cking illusion now Señor Alcaziar!”

He’s insane! A very factual word that best describes the man in front of her. That’s for sure. How can she believe him even when she herself was the witness of the unconditional love her parents had for each other? She, who begged for the both of them to share their love story during bedtimes. She, who always wonder about how lovesick they are just by staring gazes. She maybe still a little kid then but for a young age she had once known what true love is. Her parents, was undeniably each other’s first love.      

“Eh. You, stubborn child. You’re being hard to persuade still, huh?” Hair being clutched by the senseless old man, she yelps. By its menacing impatience, she’s cornered. “You better kill me instead, Señor Alcaziar. You will never hear anything from me. Besides, I’m all that you need anyway. What stopping you?”

Her spoken counter finally. But yet until a deafening laughing mockery from the latter. “Oh! No, no, no. You can’t always be exact my kid. I guess I did, at first. I had only asked for you alone, but learning about you further I got to think twice after. Then at second, I thought. Why not a little gratification, right?”        

Seconds later, the once darkened room she’s in, becomes brighter. It relieved her somehow, little not knowing that it would fade away too fast as her eyes begins to go round in shock. She was frightened.

The sight of her foster parents, seen from the monitors of the LCD TV, tied up on a chair unconscious. And to the person whom she never expected to get harmed. Being kneeled helplessly across her, appearance being tormented from its usual dominancy.  A bleeding cut from the eyes streaming on its face, swollen lips that had break its original luscious form, but most specially… the part which worried her too much.

Its wounded stomach. 

“No…”

“No, no, no.”

‘This can’t be real.’ Her disbelieving pushing of her own thoughts as she shakes her head hoping that is was all a dream. But it’s not. Her shuddered eyes never left the figure in front of her. Twisting herself trying to get away from her own situation even if it means failing. “There you are, Mi niña.”

Not even the voice of the crazy Spaniard bothered her for all she could think of is him.

And like a sinking lioness, she bawled.

Into what just the hell happened?!

“Jang Taeyoung!”

[faunusrights]

OFFAL HUNT REMASTERED LIVEBLOG // CHAPTER 14

IN THIS EPISODE OF THE OFFAL HUNT LIVEBLOG:

On the other end of the line, Cinder let out a tight sigh. “Yeah. Okay, well—I’m in a difficult position right now. I’m balancing a lot. So, that wasn’t, you know, directed at you or whatever… I’m just trying to deliver you to Atlas. That’s all.”

“Yeah,” Glynda said. “This apology sucks.”

CINDER FALL TRIES TO HAVE MANNERS. AND FAILS. BUT SHE TRIES.

it’s been a WHILE but i’m STILL HERE!!!!!!!!! also i’m a little late to the draw and also unlike w/ prior chaps i did actually read this one when it came out so i’ve had my first run already. BUT that means i actually get 2 Focus so lets get this party started

so we’re now entering into the New Umbraroot Arc which Frightens me on a deep and intrinsic scale because now i have no padding to ready me for whatever the Hell is going to occur, but i do know it will be gay(er) than the current content was (is/shall be) and here’s the proof

It had only been a day, but the sound of Cinder’s voice was a relief to Glynda’s senses.

glynda that’s gay. hey. hey. glynda have u been told yr a lesbian. lesbeeb. besbion--

“Not at all.” Thank god. It was one thing to be traveling with Cinder Fall. It was entirely another to have her checking in on Glynda’s well-being.

cinder: my well-being is SHIT but thankfully there’s someone nearby doing WORSE than me, which makes me feel better at least,

“Oh.” Our sounded strange in her mouth.

my favourite thing abt any gay media and content is that it’s gay in ways that hettie(tm) nonsense can only dream of being. when a story is abt a guy and a gal all the romantic tension comes from like. looking at a tiddy or getting naked or w/e the shit. here? it’s literally found entirely in the use of the word our. such power. i love it.

I went from unknown to one of Atlas’ most wanted overnight, which is charming… And also annoying, because they refuse to stop pasting wanted posters on every street corner.

i feel like cinder is the type of bitch to send pics of them back to emerald like ‘is my face ACTUALLY that janky??? my hair is a state. you think they’ll use a selfie if i ask nicely???’

Cinder hummed, affirmative. “Which would be unnecessary, if you hadn’t reported me.”

Glynda returned, “I wouldn’t have reported you if you hadn’t been committing a crime.”

glynda you snitch. you narc. you bootlicker. does be gay do crime mean NOTHING to you,

We left a funny taste in her mouth, almost as strange as when Cinder had said our. She tried not to examine it too closely.

again. look at this shit. this is real slowburn hours. this is how u DO IT.

Her heart was beginning to feel like a pin cushion with all the needles pulled out, little holes left in their wake.

would i be showing my age if i glanced at this and wondered if it were a reference to the inciting og offal hunt inspiration fic or. it does doesnt it. okay moving on.

“Okay.” And then, in an effort to change the subject to something lighter: “I’ve never broken into a country before.”

glynda’s complete and continuous inability to actually like. do what she plans on doing is SO funny to me. she’s going to be stealthy, she says, throwing a man aside in obvious fashion. i’m going to be subtle, she says, being as conspicuous as possible. she’s a disaster and i live for it.

"The Faunus." Cinder's voice was cold. "Don't speak to her."

this part of this fic is subtitled ‘cinder’s rank opinions time’, apparently. not that u can tell. but it is. dsfhgjsdfghjghfjdk

In the silence that followed, Glynda thought of the stunted horns jutting above Cinder's hairline at the restaurant.

Glynda murmured, "That’s a horrible thing to say."

"Don’t start." There was no concession in her words. “I mean it.”

“...I just didn’t expect that from you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

There was something in Cinder’s tone that told Glynda that nothing she said would be correct. She said nothing.

cinder’s! rank! opinions! time! honestly this section victimises me the MOST as i very famously cried over an earlier section in which cinder thought abt all the faunus she grew up with, so i know that kc and diesel were looking to hurt me directly. that said i DO find it funny that cinder, yet again, looks like a pile of shit.  she can’t do anything right. naturally inclined to be the villain completely unintentionally. what a moron.

A harsh laugh. “What do you think we are, friends?”

“Well, no—um. Not really, but—”

YOU SEE. CINDER. PLEASE. £10 FOR U TO BEHAVE FOR FIFTEEN SECONDS.

“Then, just—just listen to me. I’m going to get us there. I p-promise.” There was a soft sound, like disgust or the prelude to a gag. “Urgh, your soul—give me more space.”

cinder: i’m inclined to being an asshole glynda: every time yr mean 2 me i’ll make u feel worse cinder: ah no. ah shit. i have to be nice??? ah fuck. what the shit is this.

Glynda thought of Ozpin. It wasn’t a comforting thought—more like the memory of a near-accident, like sliding on ice and feeling the world shift beneath you. It was a flinch-thought, and it would have made her miserable instead of just homesick had she not shut it out so quickly.

god the writing in this fic is so especially pristine. everything feels so real and visceral and you just know Exactly how that feels. it’s brilliantly punchy and i adore the way u get have the exact sensation click into place. it’s SO good.

She wondered if it was the same moon Bacia and Vivienne had looked upon. If they had felt the same beneath its pale light. The Great War had seen two shatterings of the moon, so perhaps it had appeared different, but… Glynda couldn’t help but wish that it was something they shared, even lifetimes apart.

👈😎👈

actually im a little nervous abt doing fingerguns because WHAT IF SMTHNG HAS CHANGED... but i think this bit is. safe. maybe. diesel. kc. am i safe,

Glynda closed her eyes and tried to feel out that instinctual power within her. Tried to know herself better. It resonated around her like a water in a tank, nearly palpable.

again this is just GREAT storytelling. i just LOVE how well kc and diesel turn abstract ideas into such physical manifestations it’s completely unreal. r y’all seein this shit???

upon checking his number, she’d discovered it had been blocked.

i love that glynda is abt as knowledgeable abt little jumps like this as the reader is. are we surprised as a reader? yes. is glynda also surprised? HELL YEAH SHE IS. SHE AIN’T GOT A FUCKIN CLUE MY DUDE.

Remembering the notes to herself not to trust Winter, Glynda opened the log hesitantly.

glynda no yr sending read receipts to yr future gf and thats a bad move on everybodys part

The indicator showed this wasn’t the first time Glynda had accessed the message. She couldn’t remember doing so. 

OH NO BITCH U ALREADY DID

“Special Operative Schnee, things are…” Glynda paused, searching for something suitably vague to say. “Proceeding.

do you see what i mean abt glynda’s ineptitude. it’s slapstick levels of ridiculous and i’m living for it.

Do you suspect she’s attempting to cross the border?”

“Maybe.”

‘sure,’ glynda says. ‘you could word it like that if you wanted to.’

“Bold of her, if nothing else. She should know there will—” Glynda skimmed through the rest of the paragraph to reach the end, the corners of her mouth curling. “—can make arrangements. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

HGSDFGKHJSFDGHKJDF JESUS CHRIST

its like in fallout 4 when someone tells u important info and when u click past it the main character just goes ‘uh huh’ ‘yeah’ ‘okay’ ‘sure’ ‘mm-hm’ as the text boxes whizz by GLYNDA PLEASE

Bubbles appeared, showing that Cinder was typing. Glynda waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The bubbles appeared and disappeared four times.

She flipped back to Cinder’s conversation and found that, after all that time, Cinder had finally settled on a reply.

It said:

“Good.”

i just had to pair these up for a second if only to say: dis me lol

okay let’s double back for a second just to cover this Juicy Lore:

If you’d like, I can arrange a bouquet of flowers to be left at your mothers’ memorial site. My thoughts are with you.”

For a long moment, Glynda simply stared at the screen. [...] In quick succession, she realized that it had been sixteen days since she’d met with Cinder in the restaurant and that it was soon to be the anniversary of her mothers’ deaths.

WHAT IS THIS LORE MA’AM AND MX??? **MA’X**??? firstly idk what the HELL the Black March tragedy is but im fascinated but also: did u have to do that. can ONE person in this fic not have [spoilers redacted cant say that yet no sir] problems??? no??? die. dsfhjgghjkfsddf

Glynda picked herself up from the armchair, neat and tidy, and disassembled into bed, pulling the covers up to her throat. With her Semblance, she turned off the lights. She closed her eyes.

It was quiet. Cold. The only thing she felt was the weight of her soul.

Her Scroll buzzed. Glynda answered it.

“Glynda.” It was Cinder. “I can feel that.”

okay following on from cinder’s text message, i just. love that cinder’s having such direct repercussions to her shitty shitty actions. like this is all tying together in some 👈😎👈 instances but having cinder be her usual callous self and having to literally turn around and start fucking Being Nice For Once is VERY gratifying. fuck you you lil round-faced one-braincelled baby. time to learn to have some Manners. jgdsfghsdfghfjd

She’d simply resigned to the loneliness of having no one to trust but Cinder, and then, not even having her.

... thats gay. hey lads is that gay? its gay. it feels gay.

On the other end of the line, Cinder let out a tight sigh. “Yeah. Okay, well—I’m in a difficult position right now. I’m balancing a lot. So, that wasn’t, you know, directed at you or whatever… I’m just trying to deliver you to Atlas. That’s all.”

“Yeah,” Glynda said. “This apology sucks.”

this feels like a reference to 👈👈👈😎👈👈👈 (IS IT. AM I RIGHT. IT IS ISNT IT) but also: LOOK AT CINDER GO. TRYING. BADLY. BUT TRYING. i love her she sucks so much shes such a dumbass. feel the consequences. feel them.

Glynda chided herself; Cinder Fall wasn’t capable of remorse, but she was more than capable of simple math. It seemed the worse she treated Glynda, the worse she herself would feel.

glynda: she’s doing this because it makes her feel better, not me cinder in like idk 20 chapters down the line:

(i guess thats another 👈😎👈 moment but for GOOD REASON)

There was a shift, like Cinder was rolling over, or maybe propping herself up. Was she in bed also? It triggered the remembrance of Glynda’s own physicality, and she turned over as well, searching in the dark for the nightstand and the lamp upon it. The light clicked on. The room brightened. Glynda settled in, ready.

OOOOOH THE PARALLELS. glynda turning the lights off and sinking into darkness and the void versus perking up and sitting up and turning the lights on when talking to cinder!!!!!!! POETIC CINEMA. OOF. OOF. HOW DOES FIFTEEN POINTS OF LOVE TASTE.

“Great! Lovely. Glad to hear it.” Fangs rounded out the words like scissors. A pleasant sense of satisfaction unfurled in Glynda’s chest. “So, once upon a fucking time—”

there were two gays and they were enemies to lovers but didnt know it yet. but they will be.

THATS CHAPTER 14 BABEY!!!!!!!! i LOVED this chap and i can rly feel kc and diesel gearing up for umbraroot. its great being able to like. feel the shift of focus goin on here and im SO ready to see this arc play out. once again offal hunt is the best fic ever made. this is a fact.

[cruddyborderlandstheories]

THAT MAP

i didn’t die

also spoilers. like. major spoilers. im serious.

dont click that read more unless you’re totally okay with spoilers cause i talk about some endgame stuff too <3

CELESTICA ERIDIA

THAT ERIDIAN RIFT HUHHHHHHH ITS RIGHT NEXT TO PANDORA

WE’RE ENTERING THE FLORPUS

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE’S A WAY TO TRIANGULATE/OPEN THE WORMHOLE OR SOMETHING???

alright LOOK

each planet (Eden-6, Promethea, Pandora) they’re all circled and when their lines cross it leads to SOMETHING

and looking at the grid that’s obviously what looks to be a wormhole

so we’ve also got the lines

“elpis - not what it seems. is elpis a lens? or a conduit. or both?”

A CONDUIT/LENS?? FOR W H A T??

ARE WE BEAMING SOMETHING OUT OF PANDORA? BECAUSE IF THESE TEMPLES ARE ALL SIMILAR PYRAMID-LIKE STRUCTURES TO THE ONE ON ATHENAS THEN THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE

this is DEFINITELY on pandora (you see elpis up there) so it’s possible something is going to hit elpis and it’s going to beam to this vault-thing and open up a gateway to the Eridian Rift??? OR

we open this Vault and it beams something up to elpis and elpis helps open up part of the Eridian rift

i’d guess we’d need all 3 (?) active to open it?? Eden-6, Pandora, and Promethea

so something SEEMS to be getting beamed either from elpis to pandora or from pandora to elpis

but im going to get elpis to pandora given the way it’s being thrown out? like it hits elpis straight on and then defracts over pandora like a prism

im guessing it’s such a broad spread bc it’s trying to hit the vault-temple-thing we see above (still... not quite convinced those are vaults like we’ve been seeing them in the past games (with lots of big loot inside). again something like teleporters makes way more sense to me)

they also bring this up, that athenas and promethea have a draw to one another, which makes sense since part of the promethean vault key is on Athenas

“Although Athenas is not in the Promethean System, there is a strong pull detectable through use of [eridian resonator (customized) which I have discovered here (seen in purple)]” i have no idea if any of the bracketed stuff is right“

more importantly it looks like one piece of Promethea’s asteroid belt is ‘highlighted’ which i imagine is that giant space laser

which ngl surprises me because

this doesn’t really look eridian to me at all. like, okay, the laser part IS purple but... the actual tech doesn’t look Eridian at all. it looks VERY human. maybe maliwan/atlas discovered it and changed it somehow? that’s pretty much the only reason i can give. like they made it so it would only hit a certain area (concentrated) instead of the entire planet (like we see Elpis doing)

also if we look at Eden-6

eden-6 seems to be 1 of 6 (or more) planets surrounding the gas giant (?) named Eden (which is such a cool fucking detail). or maybe that’s just a solar system named eden. either way. AWESOME.

my question is:

is Eden going to act similarly to Elpis? to the Asteroid Belt of Promethea?? because if that’s the case OH MAN MORE GIANT SPACE LASERS. maybe this is why ships keep on crashing to Eden-6. We know the planet is basically a ship graveyard, maybe there’s some Eridian interference that’s causing this to happen???

Also, when they say “Vaults lead to other Vaults” do y’all think this is tied into in any way the “Vault of Vaults” or whatever “It” is???

because THE VAULT OF VAULTS??? APPARENTLY WE WERE NAUGHTY AS FUCK FOR OPENING IT (the overseer says so when you accept the quest for the proving grounds)

AND THE MASTERS (whoever the FUCK they are!) ARE NOT HAPPY BOYS

ALSO “UNIVERSE DESTROYING POWER” AS CLAIMED ON THE WEBSITE

UHHH IM GONNA GUESS THAT RIFT IS ABOUT TO KILL EVERYONE AND/OR LET OUT A BIG OL SPACE DEMON COUGH THE DESTROYER COUGH

ALSO WE PROBABLY ARE CONFIRMED THERE ARE TEMPLES ON EACH OF THE PLANETS WITH THAT DIAMOND SHAPE

THEY MATCH UP WITH THE SYMBOL WE’VE SEEN EVERYWHERE

(also we now can guess this takes place after Athenas..?)

‘Vault... Key?’ i mean... think about it. we know the symbol for Vault is the circle with the arch. but this is different. this is diamond with, yes, with a vault shape in it. but... there’s obviously more to it than just the vault symbol

plus tannis is using it on pedestals dedicated to Vault Keys so i mean. you know.

and if this IS the symbol for Vault Key than oh man oh me oh my

that would mean opening up the ‘mini vaults’ on Pandora/Promethea/Eden-6 would lead to that big Eridian rift opening, whatever it is

which could explain this line: “the Vaults lead to other Vaults” “Smart, Leda!”

looks like Typhon met someone who writes in blue. who’s name is Leda.

calling it now typhon totally banged a Siren named Leda and had 2 twin kids (it runs in the family) the twins take after their parents: one red, one blue. possibly inherit the Cloth Map and learn about the purpose of the Vaults through it. i got nothing on the cage thing but tbh i wouldn’t be surprised if Typhon or Leda ended up going crazy at some point and/or having kids inside of a Vault for some ungodly reason. spewing random shit about ‘bandits this, bandits that’ to keep them from leaving. maybe they knew their adventures were going to (eventually) lead to the destruction of the universe so they wanted to keep their kids safe without having to admit they’ve doomed everyone outside this has no proof at all, im just spitballing lol i mean look at these love-sick FOOLS lmao

look they both left messages (that i can’t read) with hearts at the end of them

“Genius! [gibberish i can’t make out] <3″ “you know it! <3″

we don’t know what the Vaults really are for, huh Tyreen?? NOW WE DO. NOW. WE DO.

“ERIDIAN GLYPHS ARE CYHPERS!” (sic???)

“by overlaying various found glyphs patterns emerge which are then...” ASDFGSHJ i CANT READ THIS “What is the machine?” “We’ll figure it out together!” MACHINE????????

i NEED it

“Mapping in progress: the key-glyph [something] is an Eridian cypher hiding coordinates to some kind of cyber (????) structure” this perhaps???

also the proving grounds. let’s talk about those. we know they’re eridian, we know there’s 6 of them, we know there’s 1 at least on both Athenas and Eden-6.

we know those Eridian Ruins/Cyphers lead to the proving grounds. we know this much. so is it definitely confirmed the proving grounds hold a higher place in the story than they’re saying? i mean let me pull up my other draft talking about these in-depth and copy paste because there’s only 36 minutes until the NEXT endgame content stream

“Later in the campaign, you may be worthy of taking part in the Proving Grounds: themed gauntlets watched over by a Guardian known as the Overseer who wishes to test your mettle on behalf of the mysterious ‘Masters’.”

so it sounds like at least one is going to take place during the main campaign of the game.

as for uhh who the Masters are... I don’t know. I imagine they’re Eridian in some way/shape/form. to be honest, considering the Overseer is a Guardian (confirmed), I imagine these ‘Masters’ are just literally Eridians. some sort of council, perhaps. i mean “the masters will determine who is at fault” for “naughty humans opened the vault of vaults”. so i imagine they’re like a council.

Let’s start listing stuff we know about the Proving Grounds:

1. you get them by translating (we apparently get a translator later on in the story) Eridian texts (ciphers) left behind, which tell us where (?) these proving grounds are. why we’re not just using tannis... i dunno. something better not have happened to Tannis, gearbox

We’ve seen these texts in the Eden-6 gameplay, so it looks like maybe we won’t need the eridian doritos stabby thing to break any crystals. damn youuu

“Ohhh good. Nonsense.”

i make jokes with my friend that soon i’ll be able to read Eridian given how much i stare at these tablets. it’s only a matter of time...

2. there’s apparently 6 of them, and at least 1 on each planet. We’ve seen the Athenas (Survival) and Eden-6 (Instinct) versions, which does make me wonder if there’s any tie between 6 of these trials and the 6 Sirens...

Also, given there’s supposedly 6 trials and only 5 planets (as the community has gotten devs to tell us), it makes me wonder a) if there’s actually 6 planets or b) why there’s only 1 planet with 2 per planet. i guess if that’s the eridian homeworld then it’d make sense if they have 2.

(Also Varnell did originally say 7 trials at first, but he gets a pass because he was live on stage and i would’ve made that mistake too knowing my dumb brain lol)

3. Apparently during the narrative of the game, at some point, we will unlock at least 1 trial.

“[proving grounds are] encased in the narrative of the game. a combat challenge the Eridians have left for the player to kinda prove themselves worthy for... things i won’t completely spoil right now, but uhhh prove themselves worthy to the ancient, lost, Eridians.”

so... YEAH. big news, gamers.

does this take place at the end of the game? its possible. its likely considering this is considered endgame content. it might not. it could be both, like sort of a repeatable thing. im not really certain. 

What I am certain about tho, is that this takes place after a huge story event.

So, maybe the BL3 story ends on a cliffhanger. Tbh i would upset if that happened, but THAT SAID, if the game does end on such a huge cliffhanger that this is AWFUL and the end of the universe is coming, I don’t think we’d be getting 4 story DLCs that completely ignore this problem.

The devs had said the entire story will be contained within bl3 (no splitting it up between dlcs), and it seems the games like to keep the timeline intact in the real world, so if imminent death is on its way, we can’t exactly wait 5 years irl and in-universe for borderlands 4.

So, if this is a cliffhanger ending, I don’t think whatever happens is... that big of a deal. Sort of the level of finding the Vault Map at the end of BL2. It’s big news! but it’s not going to end the universe. The story marches on. We figure out the new goalposts of this universe and keep doing stuff outside it.

Now that we know that, let’s take note of what the Overseer says at the start and end of this mission:

“Vault Hunter... I thought you might show up sooner or later. So naughty your species, so curious. The Vault of Vaults has been opened and it has been released. Prove your worth and I will reveal why the Masters made me wait for you”.

“Naughty humans opened the Vault of Vaults, but the Masters will determine who is at fault. Until next time, Warrior.”

so that’s some pretty fucking loaded dialogue, isn’t it?

im vvvvvvvvvv curious about who this ‘it’ character is... something the Eridians didn’t want out- well, that’s bad, because we (or the twins, or maliwan, or both I guess) just let it free. and the fact the Overseer won’t even reference the thing by name... that’s probably bad. If this is an actual entity, then that is mostly why I believe this particular Proving Ground takes place during the main story.

that said, ‘it’ could literally be anything. Knowledge, hope, whatever. the potion you brew to become a Siren. you know. anything. She called whatever was released ‘it’ and it doesn’t seem like we’re in a RUSH or anything. Just hanging out doing proving grounds. and apparently this is because we’ve been naughty humans. not evil, just naughty. like she’s giving us (or the cult) a slap on the wrist.

The Overseer doesn’t seem too affected by us opening the Vault of Vaults herself. The Masters apparently are trying to determine ‘who’s at fault here’, like it isn’t exactly clear. was it the humans for opening it? was it the eridians for making them openable?

it would be interesting if this isn’t even talking about something that happens in game, but instead like... she’s referencing Typhon and Leda. the Vault of Vaults had been opened (by Typhon and Leda) and IT has been released... whatever it is... maybe the reason Typhon and Leda locked their kids in a vault? ... i mean if we’re going by the eridium/slag causes psychos, then maybe that? we definitely find eridium on planets other than pandora...

also speaking of stuff taking place during the game, lets remember what was discussed in that interview: “[proving grounds are] encased in the narrative of the game... a combat challenge the Eridians have left for the player to kinda prove themselves worthy for... things i won’t completely spoil right now, but uhhh prove themselves worthy to the ancient, lost, Eridians.”

worthy of what, exactly?

I’m still of the belief that it’s for the title of Vault Guardian (and, yes, by proxy, i want to say Siren, but y’all won’t take me too seriously if i keep advocating for this crack theory lol... implying you took me seriously in the first place 🤡) because of the Guardian Rank

the fact we’re killing Fallen Guardians means, technically, a position HAS opened up... plus I don’t think the Watcher would have come in contact with Lilith if she didn’t think the Eridians needed us

that said, if this isn’t for just becoming Vault Guardians, then... idk. If this is strictly endgame stuff, i don’t even know what we’re trying to prove our worth for.

I guess worthy of not being thrown into alien prison is probably a good one. magic space prison is probably hard to get out of. like, ‘200 years an opening’ hard to get out of. and ur roommate is the destroyer 😨

i mean... maybe worthy of entering the Eridian Rift? i mean... it’s possible this rift leads to the eridian homeworld... there would have to be one HELL of huge Vault Monster to keep people from getting through :o

anyway, we’ve got 20 minutes until the new endgame content, i’ll be sure to add onto here if we learn anything new and/or i think of anything else. im vibrating over this shit, it’s awesome. i LOVE this map. might have to pick one up on ebay or smth.

[twilightvolt]

Twilight Thoughts (BEASTARS Episodes 1-4 Part II)

WARNING: SPOILERS IMMINENT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO’RE DECIDING TO WAIT FOR NETFLIX TO RELEASE THE SHOW FROM PRISON. But hey, if you don’t mind, then let’s get this show on the road!

Episode 3: Inner Thoughts and Personal Secrets

Now THIS is the episode where I really felt invested in the characters. Like, there’s so many tidbits of info that I found that made me question a LOT about certain characters.

- Legoshi stopping Haru by putting a blanket over her saying that she’ll catch a cold and get bitten by the insects, while also nervously bolting out of there and slamming the door on his tail was so adorkable and gOD I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS BOI IS SO P U R E . Ngl I kinda was the same way in high school not long ago. Hell, his overall character so far is basically me in high school. And it’s crazy how much I can resonate with him, wolf problems aside.

- I think next they explained what the drama club was all about and how the auditions go. This actually gave me a huge amount of questions to consider. Like, Louis is the “perfect” leader, so of course he has something he’s hiding. But Legoshi just seemed so….normal. and they said they only accept people with unusual backgrounds. So….what’s Legoshi hiding?

- And speaking of Legoshi, I did notice he was much bigger than most of the wolves that went to the school. And the following scenes told me more things about him that went quick, but I saw it with the right fansubs considering others didn’t translate it well.

1. He says he cuts his nails, but the very next day they grow back like nothing happened? I was like “Iiiiiii don’t think wolf claws grow back that quickly.” I mean unless you’re a werewolf, but I don’t think were anything is possible in this universe.

2. It’s the first time someone treated him the way Haru just did earlier. So I guess he doesn’t know about intercourse? Or like, he does, but no one’s ever….come onto him like that? This one I might be reading wrong.

3. He notices just then that he’s happy. It makes me think he’s not used to feeling that emotion which makes me concerned.

They haven’t gone into his past at all these past 3 episodes. So literally everything about him before his second year of high school is a total mystery. Heheh, it makes me so excited to hopefully learn more in the later parts of the season.

- That scene between Louis and Legoshi was also super intriguing. As Legoshi talks to him with his hand gestures (Also something I do. Lol), it looks like he’s studying his movements. Idk why, but I guess maybe he’s watching his hands cuz his claws are uncut? like, he’s sensing the danger levels?

- He pushes him to try and bite him (Yeah, I know.) But as his fangs are coming down, I notice there’s a reflection coming off of them. So I’m not sure if Louis’ expression changes because of his herbivorous instincts kicking in to let go of him or because he sees himself and is reminded that he is in fact an herbivore and shouldn’t be doing this cuz he could get hurt. He’s also jealous that he can keep his carnivorous tendencies so suppressed apparently. So maybe all of this is just him feeling frustrated that he’s not doing what he was born to do?

- This episode’s ED i think is my favorite so far. it focuses on Legoshi’s internal struggles with his instincts. the song i think i like more than Le Zoo, the first ED, but the visuals really nail the thoughts going on in his head. or maybe this is just my inner edgelord coming through. lmao

Episode 4: Real Idiot Hours

Ok, this one was certainly the craziest one so far. I’m still reeling and i feel like this episode was not only super emotional, but also it went so damn fast that i barely could think about what was going on. Lmao

- Now, my initial thoughts about Bill were “Oh, is he gonna be the big lovable idiot? D'aww, look at him quoting Louis. He’s such a dork!”

- Legoshi still being adorable cuz he has to be on stage, but he doesn’t want to so he hides behind the board. ;w;

- He’s been in this club for 4 years? Huh….and this whole time, he was able to get by like this. As an introvert. Guess things can change pretty suddenly.

- Then my opinions on Bill quickly changed when he decides to go all out against Legoshi in their rehearsals. I was like “Hold up dude! Calm the frick down with that stick!” But then realized it was cuz they were both carnivores, so he must think he doesn’t have to hold anything back. Which I guess is understandable.

- But then he’s talking with Louis later and it just feels like his personality is so….flip floppy. Like, one minute he’s all “Hey buddy! Let’s do our best!” and the next he’s seriously hurting my boi! Oh, don’t get me started on that scene. We’ll get to that.

- Legoshi sniffs him and finds out he has a bottle of bunny blood in his pocket. I was like “Oh….O h  n o . O_O’” then he says, while it’s not from a student, it was from an upperclassman….but Haru’s an upperclassman, so Legoshi gets super pissed. Understandable, but I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding.

- He says he can’t say anything since he drew blood from her too, so I was like “Why not tho? It’s not like you killed her.” But then I realized maybe telling him he drew blood in the first place would be bad, so I guess there’s that.

- Anyone else think the blood thing was a parallel to drugs?

And now we get to the second night of the play. Oh boi….w o w .

- Watching Legoshi just…..snap and start beating the crud out of Bill on stage hurt my heart. It was also a stupid move on his part, but the emotions must’ve driven him more than his rational thoughts. He did look really badass in that getup tho.

- His screaming when he really started getting into the beatdown hurt the most. Like, oh lord. You can really feel just how much he really cares about her deep down.

- Then Bill stops him and uhh…..dIGS HIS CLAWS INTO HIS BACK AND GIVES HIM A HUGE GASH. HE H U R T . MY B O I .

I do think Legoshi was overreacting. I do think he was taking it too far. But nOSEBLEEDS AND BLACK EYES CAN HEAL. SCARS CAN’T. YOU HURT HIM, YOU HURT ME, DAMMIT.

Though….after awhile of thinking about it….I remember that line he says as he’s getting scratched. That the blood that’s coming down is the same as Bill’s. A carnivore. Something that he’s trying so hard not to be. Maybe he was partly beating the hell out of him cuz of what he’s done, but also beating the hell out of himself in a way. If that makes any sense. Like, I can imagine that scene was basically him using his fists to yell at himself like “I’m not like you. I don’t wanna be like you. Shut up!”

- Louis saving him from getting even more scarred like “Oh not today, bish.” was SO badass. Quite a master at improv, I must say. he even just walked on stage without his crutches no problem. he was like “Broken leg? Hahahah, that’s cute.”

- Him giving Legoshi his hand and telling him that he’s right was interesting as well. It’s like he was saying “It’s ok. You can stop now. You did the right thing.” Like, as if he finally understands why Legoshi is who he is. this week’s ED sequence focuses on their relationship too btw.

- Also, I started bein’ like “Ooooh, he gon’ get it now.” Cuz he knew about the blood, so it looks like someone’s getting cut from the acting team in the next episode. :^)

In fact, this episode is probably gonna spawn multiple consequences for everyone involved. Bill of course cuz blood, but Legoshi might get seriously punished for what he did as well. Louis miiight get a stern talking to cuz he wasn’t supposed to be on stage, but that’ll probably be the extent of it. i mean y’all gotta remember they’re high schoolers here. i’m sure the school staff definitely won’t let this slide.

After all this, I’m still wondering why everyone wants to push Legoshi into being more carnivorous. I guess maybe it’s just something he has to learn to control rather than suppress completely? But like, why? It’s his choice to be who he wants, right? Why can’t he live in peace? but then again….this is a prime example of why he should learn. when he can’t control his emotions, he becomes extremely dangerous to not only himself, but the people around him. he could actually kill someone with his kind of strength if he’s not careful. someone smaller than Bill at least. maybe it’s not good to just push it down….

*Sigh* hoo boi, that was a lot. as you can see, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite anime. and it’s only been like, 4 episodes. if this is what it’s like NOW, i can only imagine what’s gonna happen in the rest of the season.

See you guys next week hopefully when i talk about episode 5 once that drops! ^  ^

[noisyquokka]

Keychains Huh?

pairing: Chan x reader ft. a co-worker!Jisung

genre: fluff, humor, more fluff

length: 1.2k

warnings: Chan stealing your heart (as per usual)

Gist- you always got Chan something for Valentine’s Day. Until you didn’t… because of the heavy workload recently, you had actually forgotten about the “big day” until you took a look at the calendar. So when you end up back home with nothing planned, Chan assures you that’s the last thing on his mind!

@janarine asked: Hi ^_^ I think I have never really send in requests before so I don't know if this is okay/right or not, but can I request something reeeeally cute and fluffy with chan and “I don’t care about the romantic stuff. Let’s just watch movies and cuddle.” or “Seeing you look so cute in your pajamas reminds me of why I fell in love with you.” please? 💜

Thanks for the request, love! I chose the first prompt because 💡 !!! As I read your request, this idea just popped into my head! I really hope you like it, I know I enjoyed writing it 💛

Request a Valentine’s Day drabble with these prompts!

“How could I forget! Of all the things I could’ve screwed up this month, it’s Valentine’s Day!”

You paced around the break room, well aware of the attention you were getting from your co-workers. Every year you planned out exactly what you were getting for your boyfriend! Every year he was taken back by what you’d gotten him. But now…

“I don’t understand the big deal, y/n.” Jisung muttered, shoving a donut in his mouth. “Valentine’s Day is just another capitalist holiday that greeting card companies make bank from. Same with candy manufacturers, and the Box-Office. Hell, even the alcohol industry gets some extra love! You’ve fallen right into their trap!” You leaned against the table, quirking a brow at your friend.

“I can’t believe you could say that to my face, while you stuff your own with heart-shaped donuts…”

His gaze fell to the sweet treat in his hand, or what was left of it. Talk about a hypocrite! You shook your head, sliding a napkin across the table to him.

“What am I gonna do, Jisung! I can’t just go home empty-handed on Valentine’s Day.” You said, messing with your ponytail. He wiped his mouth, shrugging his shoulders.

“How about - and please, really consider this - you don’t spend. A. Single. Penny.” He suggested, and you rolled your eyes before he could finish. This all coming from the guy who’s never been in love!

“You’re not helping…”

He threw his hands up in defeat, standing from his chair as break time came to its end.

“It was merely a suggestion, y/n. Besides, don’t you think the same routine is getting old?”

~~~

Don’t you think the same routine is getting old?

Jisung’s words whirled around in your brain as you walked past the shops on your way home. You’d been with him for roughly 5 years. While your gifts hadn’t been the best at first, they had gotten better with time. Still, gift shopping was stressful!

Even so, there was no way you could walk through the front door empty handed on Valentine’s Day! You turned around, pushing open the door to the convenience store. What could one possibly get their boyfriend here?! Maybe an energy drink if you were heading to meet him at the studio… this was pointless! There was no way you would be able to order something halfway decent to be delivered within two hours.

As you turned back toward the door, a small kiosk next to the cash register caught your eye. Keychains, huh? You found yourself slowly stepping towards it, searching through the many names and quotes. Nothing really stuck out to you. Maybe Jisung was right! Then you saw it.

A kangaroo plushie keychain!

Keychains were bad enough to just hand out to someone, never mind gifting them on holidays. But you were at a loss right now and you weren’t going home without a gift. You snatched the keychain off of the hook, cashing out and walking the 10 minutes to get home. You felt generally .1% better about your situation now. Although this wasn’t the gift you originally planned on getting, you were happy to walk through the door with something.

Jogging up the last flight of stairs, you rounded the corner and made your way down the fourth-floor hall. You fumbled with your keys, quickly unlocking the door and stepping inside. You didn’t expect to be hit with the smell of food cooking on the stove, nor did you expect to see Chan! Kicking off your shoes and dropping your bags, you made your way into the kitchen. Chan's back was facing you, quietly singing the song that hummed through your Bluetooth speakers. A smile tugged at the corners of your lips, taking him in.

Wavy hair, white t-shirt, sweatpants, bare feet, carrot hanging from his mouth. He couldn't look any comfier if he tried!

"Are you planning to gawk all night or..."

You chuckled in response, walking up behind him. Your hands found their usual place on his shoulders, taking a peek at dinner.

"You're making sirloin?!" You meant it as a question, but you sounded appalled. Chan turned around, worry taking over his features.

"Is that not what you had in mind?" You shook your head, taking his free hand in yours.

"No, no! That sounds great..."

wow, way to make him feel better! It's not that you didn't like the kind gesture. In fact, you were flattered that he came over to make dinner without your knowledge. At this point, though, your keychain wasn't looking too great. Yeah... suddenly you weren't in the gift-giving mood!

"Then what's wrong? And don't tell me it's nothing. You look like someone kicked your puppy." You ran a hand through your ponytail, turning away from him. There was literally no way you could lie to him; reason one being how well he knew you, reason two being that you wouldn't be able to handle it. So you did the only thing you could.

"Y/n? Where are yo-"

You pulled the keychain from your bag, walking back to Chan. You placed it on the countertop, keeping eye contact with your boyfriend.

"I forgot Valentine's Day! I forgot it, and I couldn't order something meaningful like I normally do so I panicked and got you this keychain because I couldn't bear to come home with nothing for you!" You ranted, cupping your cheeks. Chan picked up the keychain, inspecting the little kangaroo smiling at him. Your brows furrowed as Chan smiled back at it, his lighthearted chuckle resonating throughout the kitchen.

"I was wondering when you'd get me this, you know!"

"W-what!?" You were speechless. Was he joking? Apparently not, as he pulled his keys from his pocket and added the plush gift to his keyring.

"Baby, you always plan out my gifts. Almost a month in advance, for every occasion!" He caught your wrist in his hand, pulling you closer. "While I appreciate the hoopla of your planning and those gifts, I hope you realize that you don't have to get me a gift every year."

"You're serious?" He nodded, beaming at you. You swatted his chest, resting your forehead against his shoulder.

"I really wish you would've told me sooner. Do you know how stressful planning is!?" You said, voice muffled. He laughed, snaking his arms around your waist.

"I don't care about the romantic stuff. Let's just watch movies and cuddle." He murmured. You straightened up in his embrace, a blush creeping up your neck. He pecked your lips, letting out a breath. Everything worked out in the end. Well... almost everything.

"Shit, the sirloin!" Chan cursed, letting you go. He quickly turned off the burner, flipping the meat to check its state. Burnt... He looked up at you, a small grin on his lips. You read his mind, taking your cell phone out and going to contacts.

"I'll call it in." You said, tapping on yours and Chan's favorite Chinese restaurant. He cleaned up quickly, tossing the sirloin in the trash as you hung up. The take out was delivered shortly after, and the two of you sat down at the dining room table, digging into your meals.

"So you really panicked over Valentine's Day, huh." Chan teased, chuckling as you launched your sauce packets at him.

"Don't laugh! I was about ready to fly to a deserted island and live out the rest of my days there!" You chided, laughing along with him. You both finished your meals, too tired to clean up the table. Chan took your hand, leading you to the couch. You sat down, watching him choose from your plethora of movies before finally sliding one into the DVD player. The Notebook.

"Ah, I see. You're in a cheesy mood." You cooed, pulling him down next to you. He rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around you.

"Oh, shut up." He muttered, failing to hold back a smile before capturing your lips with his.

Wow so funny to say this is longer than I expected it to be, considering it’s only a little over 1k. I know you guys would say it’s not long enough because I’d do the same reading someone else’s drabbles 😂  Anyway, let me know what y’all think. Thanks for reading! 💛

[beefybuffybucky]

Brooklyn and the Benevolent

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x Reader

Request: Could you do one where Sebastian falls for a photographer in Brooklyn?! Pleaseeee😊 (-anon)

Warnings: little bit of language - fluff, mostly

Word Count: 2K

A/N: y’all, i have an interview today, so hopefully by the time this is posted, i will be a lot less anxious

Endless buildings tower high into the sky, disappearing deep in the grey, drooping clouds as gentle drops of rain patter down on your jacket. You stand in the middle of the sidewalk, hoards of people bustling around you, their heads down, moving quickly through the streets as they pass from one place to another. A few shoulders bump into you, making it hard to get the right angle and view through your camera that you want. You focus on the view through your camera, shielding the lens from the heavy raindrops as you line up a perfect shot and -

“Hey!” You yelp, being shoved by someone whose face was masked by a dark hood, their eyes concealed behind sunglasses. The camera had tumbled from your hands and landed with a horrible crash on the wet cement below you, pieces of the outer edges flying under the trampled path of hurried feet, the lens of your camera shattered beyond repair.

“Oh god, I-I’m so sorry,” the man’s smooth voice cracks with surprise, shock, and frantic worry. He immediately crouches down, leveling his height to where you sat on the wet ground, dirty rainwater soaking through your pants, tiny pebbles biting into the soft skin of your palms as you push away from the ground to balance on your feet while you crouch next to him.

“I-It’s fine,” you mutter, an embarrassing heat rising in your cheeks. You do your best to scrape the broken pieces into a pile, but immediately realize there’s no hope for saving your camera. “I’ll, just, uh...buy a new one.”

“Let me pay for it,” the man immediately offers, nearly jumping to his feet, your broken camera in his hand. “It was my fault, I-I can get you a new one. We could go right now if you’d want.”

Your mind quickly goes back and forth between trying not to cry over your most expensive camera being damaged and taking the man up on his offer, to thinking of all the dangers that could come from trusting a complete stranger to take you somewhere to buy a new camera.

“O-Okay,” you blink back at him from the ground. He offers a hand to pull you up from the ground, and you hesitantly take it, allowing him to help you stand. You follow him by his side down the street, taking quick glances at the vaguely-familiar face, trying to place a name to his face as you search your memory for where you’ve seen him before.

“There’s one,” he sighs under his breath. You blink at him again and scan your surroundings for what he could possibly be talking about, until you spot it - a garbage can, only a few feet away. He reaches out his hand holding the camera, and panic quickly attacks your nerves.

“No!” You shriek, lunging for the camera before he had the chance to let it tumble from his grasp. You fiddle with it until you find what you’re looking for - the SD card slot. You take out the small card and stuff it into your pocket, then exhale a great sigh of relief. “Sorry about that,” you chuckle lightly, glancing up at him shyly. “My SD card. It has all my work on it.” You sadly toss the damaged camera into the trash can, the gentle thunk resonating in your ears.

“So,” he says as you start walking again, your hand tucked into your pocket fiddles with the SD card between your fingers. “Do you do photography for a living?”

“Yeah, actually,” a small smile tugs at the corners of your mouth. You love any chance you have for talking about photography. “I’ve been taking photos since I was a kid, honestly. My parents weren’t so happy when they found out I was going to school for it - they think it’s strictly a hobby, and nothing else,” you look at the looming buildings stretching into the darkened sky above you. “But, I went anyway. I finished school early, decided to move to the ‘Big City’, and now here I am.”

“Sounds like you really love it,” a large smile spreads across his face as he turns his head to look at you.

“Yeah, I do,” you return the gentle smile. A blush burns under your cheeks as you suddenly feel shy and awkward. “What, uh...What do you do?”

“I’m an actor,” he chuckles quietly, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his coat.

“And how’s that goin’ for ya?” You laugh, thinking about how most of this city is comprised of ‘aspiring’ actors and people trying to ‘make it big’, even here in Brooklyn.

“Pretty well, in my opinion,” he flashes another brilliant smile, and you could almost see the sparkle in his eyes through his glasses. “The shop is juuust around the corner.” His pace quickens and you struggle to keep up with his long strides, but as you fall behind him, he stops abruptly, and you nearly run into his broad back.

“Here it is,” he sighs happily, pulling open the door to reveal a large, high-end store full of photography equipment like you’ve never seen before - probably because you’ve never been able to afford anything like this stuff. “Get whatever you need, my treat.”

“A-Are you sure?” Your voice falters as you take in the store, your jaw nearly touching the floor in surprise. “This shit isn’t cheap.”

“Trust me,” he laughs lowly. He takes off his glasses and pushes back his damp hood. “I got it.”

“W-Wait a minute, you’re -”

“I’m Sebastian,” his grin lights up the entire room as he formally introduces himself.

“You’re...You’re Sebastian Stan,” you whisper in disbelief, pointing a shaky finger at him.

“Yeah,” he chuckles a bit louder. “I think that’s what I just said.”

“I-I can’t believe this,” you mumble.

“Well, uh,” he nervously rubs the back of his neck. “Feel free to get whatever you want, or whatever you need.”

“I can’t just take that money from you, I -”

“Really, don’t worry about it. I got you,” he puts a hand on your shoulder.

You scoff in happy disbelief and walk around the store, becoming completely overwhelmed by the sheer quality of all the amazing equipment and cameras around you. As you wander the store with Sebastian, you ask him questions about what it’s like working with his other famous co-stars like Chris Evan and Robert Downey Jr., and he asks you questions about your life and your photography works. After nearly an hour, you had finally picked out the most amazing camera you’ve ever seen in your life, and a few other pieces of equipment that you’ve always dreamed of having. Your heart was so full of excitement and joy, you couldn’t sit still as you stood next to Sebastian at the cashier’s counter, your fingers tapping speedily on the smooth countertop.

“Have a great day, Mr. Stan,” the cashier beamed as she handed over the bags to him.

“Thank you so much, you too,” Sebastian returns a genuine, flashy smile. You follow him out, giddy with excitement to use your new equipment, when Sebastian stops at the curb of the street and waves down a taxi. It pulls up to where you two stood, slowly driving up to avoid splashing the gross puddle of water all over you. Sebastian opens the door for you and motions for you to get in, and as you duck in the cab and shut the door, Sebastian jogs around the back of the cab to slide in on the other side.

“You like coffee?” Sebastian pants softly.

“Y-Yeah, I love coffee,” you sheepishly reply.

“25 Jay Street, please,” Sebastian leans forward and tells the cab driver. The driver nods in response and changes gears, pulling away from the curb and back out into the busy street of traffic.

“Where are we going?” You blink, peering out the window.

“Just a little café,” Sebastian smiles down at his hands in his lap. “It seemed like a good day for coffee.”

“You didn’t even ask if I had time to go get coffee,” you chuckle, looking at him with a look of sarcastic defense plastered on your face.

“Do you have time to get coffee with me?” He turns his head to meet your questioning gaze.

“I suppose,” you smirk, settling back into your seat. “I’m Y/N, by the way,” you break the short silence, turning back to him.

“Y/N, huh?” He tries to repress the smile tugging at his lips. “It suits you.”

“What do you mean?”

“It just…,” he meets your gaze again, then shrugs. “I don’t know, fits you.”

“Thanks,” you blush, turning back to the window, getting a little lost in thought while trying to force yourself to speak. “W-Would you, uh...Would you maybe be okay with me taking a few photos of you?” You bite the inside of your cheek as you turn to him, and find him already looking at you, which makes your heart nearly skip a beat. “It would be for a series I’m working on.”

“Sounds like a date to me,” Sebastian grins confidently, his captivating eyes sparkling brilliantly.

Before you could reply, the cab pulled over to the curb, stopping in front of an old, tall building. The white paint had been chipped away in many places from years of wear-and-tear from the weather, but the architecture was breathtakingly beautiful. Sebastian hands the driver a few bills and gets out, grabbing the two bags with him. You open the door and step out into the unforgiving rain, and quickly jog into the building, holding the door open for Sebastian.

“Thanks, hun,” he smiles, running a hand throw his short, thick hair to shake out a few of the water droplets. “Shall we?” He nods towards a small table tucked away against the far wall of the warm, cozy café. The sound of coffee beans being ground and quiet chatter, bubbly giggles, and happy people fill the comforting atmosphere. As Sebastian goes to get coffee for the two of you, you work on setting up your new camera, nearly tearing up at how beautiful the new piece of equipment is. When Sebastian returns, he takes the seat across from you and settles in, a smirk sliding up his face.

“What are you doing?” He asks before taking a sip of his steaming coffee.

“Just playing with my new toy,” you wink at him, a playful giggle slipping passed your lips.

“So,” Sebastian starts softly. “What do I need to do for your photos?”

“Nothing, really,” you shrug. “I’m just going to snap a few shots whenever. The goal of the series is to capture everyday happiness. I know it sounds cheesy and whatever, but I’ve never done something like this.” You pop your SD card into the slot and close it. “I just want to learn how to see the good in even the smallest of things, to make me appreciate life more.”

“That’s a really good idea,” Sebastian nods slowly, sipping more of his coffee.

“Yeah, I hope it is,” you nervously chuckle. “All of my other photography has been so serious and dark. I just want to try and see the lighter side of things for once.” You hold the camera up to your face and start focusing the picture.

“Beautiful,” Sebastian breathes, a soft, caring smile shines on his face.

“What?” You blush, looking at him from behind the camera.

“You’re beautiful.”

“O-Oh, uh,” you stutter, feeling even more heat pooling beneath your skin. “T-Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, I’m only telling the truth.”

You clear your throat and focus back on the camera, taking a few pictures as Sebastian notices a dog walking by the window and smiles wildly, causing you to chuckle. Once the dog passes, he turns his attention back to you, still smiling. You catch a few more photos.

“Can I see it?” He asks.

“See what? The photos?” You lower the camera from your face.

“No,” he shakes his head, the grin still plastered on his ridiculously gorgeous face. “The camera.”

“Sure,” you hand over the camera. He turns it over in his hands a few times before raising it to his face.

“What are you doing?” You giggle as you pick up your coffee, the warmth soaking into your palms. A large smirk replaces his smile as he focuses the camera, turning the lens on you for a change. “Sebastian, no -”

“Smile for the camera!”

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