#bigbaddogs vn

[neurthewanderer]

SHIFT 3 SPOILER WARNING ⚠️🚨

Why I don’t think BB and RB are the same person (wall of text)

This is just my theory, but my brain is as goldfish level as Princess Bubblegum Lane’s taking care of, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

BB says he loves a colourful life, but Laly said he doesn’t have a favourite colour. Which makes sense, considering he always seems to dress in black and neutral colours. He likes seeing colour on other people!!

And who is the fcking signal sign here? 🛑🚦Red Biker.

Bro is fully decked out in red gear, a red suit and all that stuff.

BB says it’s important for MC to wear protective gear when riding, but she’s never seen him wear any. He says it’s a habit he forgot, and that putting on gear takes forever. Maybe it’s just a hassle for him. Yeah, he likes feeling comfortable while riding, for example.

But he used to be in the army. With that kind of military discipline, it probably wouldn’t be that hard for him to put on some gear (???)

My thought is that he doesn’t wear any because every time he goes riding with RB, the dude takes forever to put his gear on and tells BB to do the same or to wait for him.

BB also hates the sound of Velcro. That’s such a specific thing to hate. Even though I also hate the sound of Velcro and a bunch of other specific sounds because I’m very sound sensitive. But I like to think it’s because RB’s gear is full of Velcro, and BB hates that sound so fucking much because every time he’s around RB, he has to wait for the dude to either put his gear on or take it off.

Pet peeves much??

BB has a love-hate relationship with Scarlette, and I think it’s important to know who got him into motorcycles in the first place. - Laly said, I quote 

My thought? RB.

Scarlette likely originally belonged to RB. Maybe he gave or sold her to BB, and BB painted her black.

Scarlette won’t play nice if she senses that you might hurt, be mean to or try to possess her rider. - Laly said, I quote

BB crashed Scarlette once, and the crash scraped off the black paint, revealing the red underneath. Following Scarlette’s logic, maybe she has 2 owners, meaning 2 riders: BB and RB.

Maybe BB took her out for a test ride and ended up crashing because “she didn’t like him at first.” She was attached to RB and close with him so when RB, a walking neon cocktail sign, decided to give her to some emo ex-veteran boy who immediately painted her black... yeah. I can tell they didn’t make a good first impression on each other.

That might be why BB crashed her. She didn’t “obey” him yet. She was still attached to RB as her rightful owner.

I also like to think the day BB crashed Scarlette was the same day he took that picture in his locker, the one where there’s someone standing in the corner.

(BB’s clothes all ripped up in the photo also? He crashed and someone took pic of him 😭)

Can I assume RB taught BB how to ride and stuff? Maybe it was BB’s first time riding Scarlette, and he ended up crashing. RB probably made fun of him for it too. Yk guys humour and sht.

This could explain why BB has that RedLine keychain, the same RedLine that’s on RB’s jacket. Scarlette was originally RB’s.

We know BB likes sweet snacks, especially chocolate and strawberry stuff. But does he like salty things? Sea salt cookies? Salty peanuts?

Hmm. Does he? I don’t think so.

Also, Red Biker makes a joke about giving himself a stroke before he turns 30. That joke sounds so fcking familiar if y’all remember it. I don’t remember if BB said it or if someone else at the garage did, but whoever it was definitely got that humour from RB, or RB got it from them. They influenced each other’s way of speaking.

BB would rather kill himself than hurt MC. His priority is MC, himself, and his motorcycle. - Laly said, I quote He’ll never move on if MC rejects him. He’s loyal. - Laly said, I quote

He says he’s okay with being leashed, but it depends on who’s holding the leash because he doesn’t like being pulled in a different direction.

Can I assume RB was actually the one who suggested BB work at the garage? Because Boss confirmed that BB knew nothing about mechanics at first.

So maybe before Boss was able to earn BB’s trust and loyalty, RB was the one who earned it first.

Then RB went batshit crazy because of MC or something, and BB had to put him down because, like, bro, you’re telling me to hurt the person I like? You’re going to hurt the girl I love? Ain’t no way BB would let that happen.

When BB talks about his old job at Paw Pizza, he says he quit because his old boss isn't the right leader for him. He got jumped by 10 guys and broke his left arm and nose. But he still completed his deliveries because BB says he had a 100% rating for completing orders.

So I assume that even though he got jumped that badly, he still went and delivered after that.

He says he returned home late that night, and MC asks whether he ever went to the hospital or called the police. But he doesn’t answer. He does say he didn’t go home right away and that he was eating.

Can I assume his last order, or last customer, was RB? The guy might’ve been confused af when a tall, strong man showed up at his doorstep completely messed up, holding a pizza box.

Maybe RB helped BB out or asked him some questions. Even invited him to grab a bite???

And even if RB wasn’t a customer, he still could’ve bumped into BB, considering BB says he walked to make deliveries and didn’t have a vehicle at the time.

They bond and sht, and that’s how BB gets to know RB and gets into motorcycles?

Also BB picked 27 to be his lucky number. Who else has that?

BB squints a lot, even when it isn’t bright outside. - Laly said, I quote

Did something happen to his vision? Was it related to his scar?

The tattoo on his jawline is a word. Laly confirmed it says ære.

An ære tattoo likely refers to the Old Norse or Norwegian word æra, meaning “honour.” People get this term tattooed to symbolise values like integrity, bravery, respect, and loyalty to their family or heritage.

Did BB get it for himself, or was RB or MC the one who influenced his decision to get it?

Knowing BB and his stone-ground personality, I believe he probably wanted it himself. But RB might’ve encouraged him a little.

Why is RB’s helmet so fcked up?

MC describes the helmet as looking like it’s been thrown several times. So either RB went insane and smashed his own gear, or he used that helmet to smash something or someone and it ended up looking like that.

Could it be that BB used it to rearrange RB’s face? Idk

The neighbour seems like a caring person who looks out for MC. He says he met RB in the hallway and got death-stared by the guy and stuff. So it’s likely that the man saw RB really up close even with helmet on. There’s no way he can’t tell BB and RB apart, or at least not recognise one of them, right?

The day MC and RB met was the date on the receipt in BB’s wallet.

Also, I want to point out that MC seems to have had memory problems way before she started working at Mad Dog. Consider the note Amy gave her. MC marked it in red with “DON’T FORGET!!!” underlined.

So if that’s the case, it’s easy to understand why she doesn’t remember BB and RB very well, whether it’s because of whatever happened that led to her fear of blood.

Back to the first time she met RB. Why do I say RB?

Because RB appears at the end and tells MC to scan those salty peanuts, and there are salty peanuts on the receipt.

I like to think RB met MC at the store sometime between 17th October and 22nd October. Why those specific days?

The date on the receipt is faded out, but we can see something that almost looks like a “2.”

Flashback to MC’s first day at work, when she meets Lane. Lane says MC hasn’t gotten her own POS code yet, so she can use his code for now.

We don’t know exactly when MC gets her own code, but I’d say it probably takes at least around a week (one of my shtty old jobs made me wait for like a month damnnn). So 22nd October is still within the same time range where she might not have had her own code yet.

That receipt could’ve been MC scanning RB’s items using Lane’s code.

Also, the price tag she printed for Lane. Lane says it was around MC’s first week working there. So that puts it somewhere between 17th to 24th October, most likely.

“What if it was earlier, like 2nd or 12th October?”

No, it can’t be. 12th October is a Sunday. The store is closed and there’s no shift. You can check the calendar RJ hung in the stockroom.

2nd October is too early for MC to even be working there, so that doesn’t make sense either...

So MC and RB likely knew each other from around 17th or 22nd October until the Halloween party on 31st October.

Now, we can’t confirm whether something really happened that night, but Lane vaguely says it’s possible. So let’s assume something did happen on 31st October.

There was a Halloween party at the old warehouse down by the docks. The dress code was red jackets or zombie costumes. Customers were packed into the store. Maybe MC met RB again when he went to the store. 

I’d say 2 weeks isn’t enough for MC to know RB that well, but maybe they talked in a subtle way, like BB and MC do now. They likely knew one or two things about each other.

My thought is this.

What if RB let BB wear his suit that day, and MC thought BB was RB?

Maybe RB dragged BB to that party. There was a dress code theme, right? 🤔 So maybe he put BB in one of his red suits and gear (Which explained the devil face on the helmet, it was original a Halloween theme outfit???)

That could explain why there’s a devil pattern on the helmet. It might’ve been part of a Halloween-themed outfit. But when they swung by the store, maybe MC mistook BB for RB.

As for whether BB knew MC, I think he did. Maybe RB talked about her all the time to BB, and BB got curious, stalked her a little, and kind of understood why RB liked her too.

What happened after that? We don’t know.

Tbh I also think BB could’ve just gone in a zombie costume. I don’t know exactly what happened to his scar, but if he didn’t have the tattoo back then, he could’ve been a zombie just by taking off his helmet.

People would’ve been like “Oooooohhhhh dude! Sick costume!”

BUT BUT BUT, I STILL HAVE MORE TO SAY.

What if RB knew MC, but BB took on his identity so he could get close to MC? Like, putting on RB’s gear and helmet and visiting the store?

Yk identity game? Persona game?

Which is why MC’s memories are so messed up, because these 2 bikers keep switching and showing up at her workplace.

Or maybe they had a bet to see how long they could keep it up without MC figuring out who was who, and then something unfortunately went south.

MC does make comments about how she thinks red suits Scarlette and BB. So maybe her subconscious is trying to tell her about everything BB and RB did.

Like, mannnnn!!!!

The only reason BB isn’t jealous about RB, as we see when he talks to MC’s neighbour, might not be because they’re the same person.

Maybe it’s because of their identity game, prank or bet involving MC.

Even BB might not be sure who MC actually likes and who exactly scared her off.

Like, are you scared of me, BB pretending to be RB? Or are you scared of the real RB?

Do you like BB when he plays RB, or are you actually into RB or BB? Which is which???

It confuses him and makes everything complicated. That’s why he can’t pinpoint his jealousy yet, even though he gets jealous so quickly when MC talks to Serkan or anyone and makes it obvious.

He isn’t jealous of RB because maybe the RB MC liked was actually him, while the person she’s scared of is the real RB.

When MC asks BB if she can touch his wallet, he says she can’t exactly take on his identity.

Uhm. Okay.

Also, do y’all know Fay from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and Ciel from Black Butler?

They took on the identities of people they cared about after those people died. It was their way of grieving and fulfilling what that person never got to fulfil.

So maybe if RB really liked MC, and BB did too, BB wants RB to be accepted by MC in some way. Just minus whatever tf they did before and however badly they messed things up for her.

That’s why BB kept the red helmet and let MC wear it the first time he offered her a ride. Then the next day, he got rid of it and said it had fulfilled its purpose.

What was the red helmet’s purpose? Whatever RB wanted might’ve been its purpose.

RB wanted to take MC on a ride!!!!

And that could’ve been BB’s way of helping RB fulfil one last wish, because he still had some sense of respect for the dude..... Maybe.... 

Also, if the helmet broke because RB crashed his motorcycle, that could explain why BB says he borrowed it and that it fulfilled its purpose.

If RB is alive, the helmet protected its owner. That’s it.

If that man is 6 feet underground then... uhm the helmet still fulfilled its purpose by not letting that man become headless or faceless. Hahahah I'm sorry BB humor 

BB jokes about his scar, faceless and headless, enough of me.... 

Did BB come up with those jokes himself, or was RB the one who called him that after seeing BB’s face?

Who knows? I don’t know!!!

And they dare say women are hard to understand!!!?

So that might be why, when MC says she loves colours too but no matter what she does, the world still feels grey to her, BB goes quiet.

Maybe he’s a little disappointed because it means she doesn’t remember him or RB.

But at the same time, he doesn’t want her to remember someone like RB either, regardless of whatever happened between the three of them.

What if RB was a bad influence on BB? Or maybe he just sped up the process of BB getting off the leash?

Like, BB spent years suppressing himself, trying to stay controlled and disciplined. Then suddenly, he meets someone wild like RB, someone who encourages everything he does.

[bluebiree]

[[BBD SHIFT 3 SPOILERS]]

It would've been so fucking funny if MC started describing a random celebrity/fictional character when Lane asked who our bf was

[neurthewanderer]

Mr. White Boy and his Honda Civic

[neurthewanderer]

Little reminder that Lane is into face slapping and verbal degradation, both giving and receiving. So while we’re all out here thinking, “OMG, Laly, let us slap him every shift. This is so cool. He deserves that.” Lane is probably living in heaven too. The little sht literally asked you to slap him equally on both sides.

He did not feel sorry for anything. We think we put him in his place but the whole time he was probably just having a boner 🙏

[neurthewanderer]

SHIFT 3 SPOILER WARNING ⚠️🚨

You know what I really like about Shift 3? It isn’t just BB and Lane themselves, but the fact that Laly created TWO workplaces that feel like complete opposites for BB and MC/Lane.

(there is no theory, I just think Laly’s concept is really cool 😎)

BB’s boss even knows RJ. He mentions him when he talks to MC and asks about the man.

Sweet Leash Motor vs Mad Dog Convenience Store

First, let’s talk about their names.

Sweet Leash sounds harmless, right? It sounds like a pet café, a dog playground or one of those places where people bring their cats to wear tiny little bowties. MC even makes comments that make it sound like that.

But Mad Dog? Oh, hell no. That sounds like one peanut butter cup from that store could give me food poisoning. Does the staff chew on customers’ shoes? Do they bite people’s hands when they ask for change? Who knows.

SLM’s also a daytime workplace, while MD has night shifts. MD does have day shifts too, but I feel like the store becomes more MC and Lane’s territory at night. Or maybe that’s another contrast Laly’s building between the two places. Who knows.

Second, their logos.

Sweet Leash Motor has a name that sounds soft and harmless, but its logo is this huge, scary looking dog with sharp teeth and everything. Full on “do not approach” energy. 

Meanwhile, Mad Dog has a name that sounds like it should come with a health warning, but its logo is dumb, silly and friendly looking. Which makes sense because it’s a convenience store and the logo’s supposed to attract customers but it’s still the complete opposite of its name.

Third, the owners and employees.

SLM’s owner: He’s strict, disciplined, and constantly giving orders. He takes no bullshit, and he’s rough around the edges.

SLM’s employees: They’re organised, hardworking and they follow instructions. Cut Sal some slack though, because the man does all the cleaning. They all seem to obey the boss in one way or another.

The dynamic at SLM is interesting because BB and the boss both confirm that everyone at the garage relies on BB. Most of the employees have been there for years. BB’s only been there for around two years, while Serkan’s the newest guy.

The boss is basically the one holding the leash. As he says, good owner, good dogs Ehehehe.

Most of the employees respect him and are probably a little scared of him too because of how he works.

MD’s owner: RJ definitely has a soft spot for both Lane and MC in his own way. He’s hardworking, and we know he handles a lot around the store by himself. You can get more insight into that in BB’s route when MC gives RJ the toolbox. BB says the owner keeps it in good condition, which probably means they use it constantly.

Lowk RJ’s store is a patchwork project because the place is dilapidated as hell.

MD’s employees: I mean, look at Lane. Is he employee of the year? RJ must be desperate if he’s kept Lane around for this long.

As for MC, it depends on the choices you make. She can be hardworking or she can slack off a little. Since she hasn’t been at the store for that long, I don’t think she’s the best example of MD yet, just like Serkan’s still too new at SLM for me to use him as an example.

The dynamic at MD feels like the entire store runs because of RJ. There’s no employee he can truly rely on. I also doubt there’s the same kind of mutual respect that exists at SLM. MC and Lane don’t seem scared of RJ. They’re more tired of their jobs, need the money and know RJ will probably handle things himself anyway.

RJ lets his dogs run around without a leash. They can do whatever tf they want, so the place feels unorganised and undisciplined.

But then we have to remember what the old man, the one searching for his missing dog. He said not to believe people when they say dogs are reflections of their owners. It isn’t always true.

So when the SLM owner says “Good owner, good dogs,” is that really the case?

And RJ’s definitely not the best owner, but he isn’t a bad one either. So why aren’t his dogs more obedient?

Maybe it isn’t because RJ refuses to leash them. Maybe it’s because they’re friendly, chill dogs so he doesn’t see a reason to chain them up. Most people aren’t scared of them so he lets them be.

But SLM? Oh, those are definitely big dogs.

And you know how people tend to be scared of big dogs. Some places even have rules that they need to wear muzzles outside. So maybe the SLM owner puts leashes on his dogs not because they’re disobedient, but because they’re capable of going wild and hurting people if they’re left unchecked.

Who knows.

You can really see the difference between the two owners and their employees. That’s also why I can understand why BB seems to dislike Mad Dog. RJ might seem ineffective to him and Lane’s just being Lane.

It also makes the contrast between MC and BB more interesting. One of them’s on a leash while the other doesn’t need or want to be on one at all.

Before Shift 3 came out, Laly mentioned that people at work rely on BB a lot, even though he’s only been there for 2 years while the others have been there for much longer. Sal’s been there for 15 years. So if you compare BB to everyone except Serkan, he’s still kind of the new guy.

I don’t think that necessarily puts pressure on BB because his definition of pressure might be different from mine. But Laly did say it makes him feel like that’s all the purpose he has. People seek him out because they need help, not because they actually see him as a person beyond that.

So being on a leash isn’t exactly a good thing, but BB says it gives him direction. It gives him purpose.

Based on the note MC finds that BB wrote, and what Laly translated for us, we know BB struggles with some kind of suicidal thoughts. I don’t even think he fully recognises them as suicidal thoughts anymore. It’s just something that’s become part of his life.

SLM might be one of the things keeping him grounded. Like “These people need me. What would they do without me?”

And regardless of whether RB was the one who introduced BB to the SLM owner, I still think RB influenced or encouraged BB to work at the garage.

The owner says BB knew nothing at first and that he taught him everything from the basics. So I don’t think RB worked with BB, because if he did, RB probably would’ve taught him at least something.

The boss also says that at first, he thought BB was just some guy who liked motorcycles and wanted to be around them because he saw them as works of art.

That could’ve been the impression BB got from RB. Maybe RB was a regular customer, and when he recommended BB for the job, the boss thought “Meh, another motorcycle guy.”

The boss also says BB never brings anyone to the garage. No friends, no family, no girls.

Logically, if RB was the one who brought BB to that garage in the first place, then it makes sense that BB’s never brought anyone there himself.

*I got kidnapped midway by 💤*

[neurthewanderer]

SHIFT 3 SPOILER WARNING ⚠️

I swear I feel like there's something way deeper going on with Lane's lip piercing because I don't think he's the type to just remove one of his piercings because of what happened at his old bartending job.

When he told MC about the piercing, he said it "worked too well." After he got fired from the bar, he took it out, but he still kept it instead of throwing it away.

Later, when MC calls Lane's old workplace, Jessica answers the phone. She's the manager's daughter, used to work with Lane, and also had a crush on him.

She was only 17 at the time. She tried to kiss Lane, but he dodged her and rejected her. She also mentioned that she found his lip piercing attractive and all that.

I honestly think that's one of the biggest reasons Lane decided to take it out.

Jessica reminds Lane so much of his younger self. You know how, when you're younger, you think piercings, smoking, tattoos, and all that stuff are the coolest thing ever? You see someone older doing all these "cool" things, and suddenly they seem so badass. You end up idolizing them and romanticizing them because you want to be just like them.

I think Lane saw himself in Jessica.

He didn't want Jessica to become another version of himself, and he definitely didn't want to come across as another "Bianca" in her eyes, or in the eyes of anyone younger than him tbh. So I think he took the lip piercing out because he didn't want to attract that kind of attention anymore.

"But then why didn't he just take off all his piercings? Wouldn't that make more sense? People find all of his piercings attractive."

Because I don't think he could.

There are a lot of reasons why I think Lane never wanted to take off the rest of his piercings.

In Shift 2, during the stockroom date with Lane, if you choose to comfort him after he tells MC about how he got his first piercing to impress his ex-girlfriend, Bianca, we know that his first piercing was his eyebrow, and he literally did it himself with a safety pin and a lighter. MC tells him that the piercings suit him, and he genuinely seems to feel a little better after hearing that.

But then in Shift 3, MC tells Lane that he doesn't need all those piercings to look attractive or cool. Lane immediately deflects the compliment. It's almost like he genuinely believes he does need those piercings, and without them he's "no better." Then he says he already looks cool and it's not because of the piercings.

CAPITAL CAP. I don't believe him for a second.

1. I think he doesn't want to take off his piercings because his face reminds him too much of his dad.

I feel like Lane probably can't even look at himself in the mirror without being reminded of how much he resembles his father.

On top of that, he'd probably remember all the times his mom talked about how he'd ruined his face.

The piercings change the way he looks. Maybe they help him feel like he isn't staring at his father's face every time he looks in the mirror.

2. His piercings became part of who he is.

We know he pierced his eyebrow to impress Bianca.

But if you look at the picture they took together in 2001, he doesn't have the lip piercing yet.

Can I assume he got the lip piercing after they broke up? Because in the picture he took with Ludwig in 2002, he already has it.

Then there's the D piercing. He said he got that one after losing a bet.

He also mentioned that his mom hated his piercings and actually cried when she saw that one.

So what did Lane do? He just went and got even more. 🙏

Maybe back then he was reckless and impulsive. But even if that's how it started, I don't think he can deny that those piercings eventually shaped him into the person he became.

They're part of his identity now. The man even pierced his nipnip.

So honestly...

If it wasn't for what happened at the bar and the way Jessica approached him, I genuinely think Lane would've ended up getting even more piercings.

"Oh, so he's just really into piercings? What's so special about them?"

I don't know if it's exactly the same for Lane, but most of my friends who have a lot of piercings, especially body piercings outside of the usual ear/lip piercings or nose/lip rings, have told me they enjoy getting pierced for reasons beyond just looking pretty.

They've told me they actually enjoy the pain. They said the pain makes them feel less numb to everything around them. Especially two of my girl friends. Both of them have their cherry pierced.

One of them only pierced one nip because she said getting the other side done was too painful. She told me she'll eventually do the second one whenever she wants to experience that pain again.

The other one was literally just like "Meh. I didn't feel anything."

She straight up told me she only got her nipnip piercings because everyone kept saying they hurt so much, but when she actually got them done, she didn't think they hurt that badly.

So in a way, you could say that for some people it's a form of self-harm.

Was that what Lane was doing back then?

Maybe getting piercings wasn't just something he thought looked cool, or his way of acting rebellious.  Maybe that pain let him forget everything around him for just a little while.

He even got a D piercing, and I know that's painful as hell too.

So if Lane spent most of his life believing he was undeserving of love, constantly struggling with low self-esteem and doubting his own worth, then maybe getting hurt became a way to remind himself of what he thought he deserved.

And like I said before, I think Lane considers his piercings to be parts of himself.

Each piercing probably represents a different version of who he was at that point in his life. Taking one off isn't just taking off jewelry. It's almost like leaving a piece of yourself behind. Or maybe not even leaving it behind.

Maybe it's more like hiding that part of yourself somewhere no one else can see.

I also don't think Jessica was the only reason Lane took out his lip piercing.

When Jessica asked MC for Lane's number, MC hesitated. Jessica immediately said she wasn't "that girl." She meant she wasn't the type to randomly show up at Lane's apartment or stalk him.

Maybe that's just the way she talks but it made me wonder....

Has Lane experienced that before? Has he been followed or harassed by women before? Has he had women ignore the boundaries he set and keep pushing anyway?

If that's happened more than once, maybe Lane eventually started believing that people didn't actually like him. Maybe they just lusted after him.

That brings me to my third reason.

3. Maybe Lane thinks the piercings make him look "unserious."

Like the type of guy who's only interested in messing around. A play/fuck boy.

Someone who isn't looking for anything serious at all.

That way people immediately get the message, and only the people who are okay with something casual end up approaching him.

Without those piercings,though, I think all of that falls apart. His bravado disappears. The mask he's spent years building disappears.

Lane think he's left completely exposed, bared and vulnerable.

That's why, when MC tells him he looks good without the piercings, Lane immediately responds by saying she'd look good without clothes...

I don't think that was just one of his usual dirty jokes.

I think he genuinely meant it. Taking off his piercings probably feels just as exposing to him as taking off his clothes. It's like peeling away a layer of skin.

So of course his response is basically, "Nope. We're not talking about that." At least not yet.

One more thing that stands out to me is the fact that he still kept the lip piercing. He didn't throw it away.

Like Lane himself said... "What a shame."

And yeah, I'm not even gonna lie. I really want him to put that piercing back on and use it on MC 😼

I'm also genuinely curious because most of my friends who have lip piercings hate taking them out. They always say their lips look weird without them.

One of my friends even told me her lips actually got plumper after getting a lip piercing. More space for lipstick, I guess.

[neurthewanderer]

SHIFT 3 SPOILER WARNING ⚠️

About BB’s scar and family background

Has Laly ever confirmed that BB got his scar during his army years?

I don’t think she has, but please correct me if I’m wrong. If it has never been confirmed, I think there may be a stronger possibility that the scar happened much earlier.

Take all of this with a grain of salt because I could be completely wrong. Wall of text.

There are many details in BB’s way of speaking that make me think of this, but I can’t include everything because that would spoil his whole route. Also, Tumblr’s stoopid image limit won’t let me add that many screenshots, so y’all have to play it and find those details yourselves eh.

One reason I’m not fully convinced by my theory is that when MC asked BB what stayed with him the most, he said “my face.” I’m not sure if he meant his face was what stayed with him most from the army, or from his whole life. So I still can’t tell when he got his scar.

Laly said:

“I have no idea. xD People usually love characters with scars, but I don’t qualify BB’s scars as ‘good-looking’ scars. Part of his face is heavily damaged, he’s missing a piece of his ear (😏)… bro looks like he got eaten alive by dogs fr. But like his boss said, that whole physical appearance thing shouldn’t matter right? 😔”

That description makes the injury sound severe and animal like. His face was heavily damaged, and he lost part of an ear. Laly also said that he squints a lot and can’t wink. Lowk, maybe he just doesn’t know how to wink, but it could also be connected to the facial injury.

This is why I think the bear story might be more important than it first seems.

BB mentioned training with his dad when he was 7, and he also mentioned running away when he saw a bear. Even though MC pointed out that they live in a city, BB still reacted strongly to the idea. That could just be fear, but it could also suggest that the bear incident was traumatic. If he was attacked by a bear as a child, it would explain both his scars and why bears still affect him.

It could also explain why his dad saw him as a “failure.”

BB said that his family has different priorities from his. He also said that people care less about his first name and more about his last name because it carries weight. That makes me think his father’s side may come from a traditional military family, a highly religious family, or both. His family name may have status in Norway, while BB himself was expected to carry that reputation.

If he was injured during “training” with his dad, his dad may have viewed the incident as weakness instead of protecting him. BB’s scar could have become a visible reminder of what his family considered failure. That could be why he was pressured so much to live up to expectations afterwards.

Maybe his dad, brothers or both had important positions in the Norwegian military. If BB’s dad already saw him as a failure, he may not have wanted him in the Norwegian army. BB joining could have felt like proof that his dad failed to mould a “proper” soldier. BB did mention that he was much skinnier back then too.

Could that be why he said Norway army did not want him?

“Hey! Can you even lift a woman’s purse?”

The US Army may have been easier for him because nobody there knew his family name, his past or what happened to him. He could start over, even if he said it wasn’t easy.

That could also be why he doesn’t use his name much anymore. Maybe he doesn’t feel connected to it because it brings back memories of his family, expectations and trauma. Moving somewhere else may have made him feel like the weight of that name was finally lifted.

Maybe that’s also why he doesn’t correct people about his nationality or tell people his stories. He’s afraid that if he shares too much, people will recognize the details, connect the dots and figure out who he really is or where he comes from. Being mistaken as fully German might feel safer because it creates distance between him and the reputation attached to his Norwegian family name.

But he still prefers MC to call him W because his mom named him that. Maybe W is the part of his name that still feels like his own. Maybe his mom used to say it gently or affectionately, which is why he doesn’t completely hate it.

I don’t know what his relationship with his mom was like before. Based on what Laly said, it seems neutral now, but maybe they were once close and something caused them to grow apart. Or maybe she is no longer in the picture.

So maybe W is still a part of him, while M belongs to his dad, his brothers and the family legacy. It’s an overpowering name that feels unbalanced in his life and takes away his own identity. In Norway, he may have lived under the shadow of his dad and brothers instead of being allowed to be himself.

That could also explain why he said it wasn’t the first time people had mistaken his identity. Maybe he has a twin, or at least a brother who looks enough like him that people confuse them from behind. It could even be that people mistook him for his dad, but that seems less likely.

It could also explain BB’s discipline, uptight personality, and formal way of speaking. He was only in the army for four years and has been out for two years, but those habits still seem deeply ingrained in him. Maybe that’s because the military did not create those traits. It only reinforced habits that had already been drilled into him much earlier by his family, especially his dad.

If he grew up in a strict military or religious household, he may have been taught to speak carefully, control his emotions, follow rules and always be prepared. The army may have felt familiar to him because he had already been living under that kind of pressure long before he enlisted.

Also, BB has “The Sun Always Shines on TV” in his playlist. Could that song reflect his family’s public image? Maybe they look respectable, successful and glorious in the news or in public, while everything behind the scenes is rotten.

And could “The Unforgiven” be about his family, especially his dad? Maybe BB can’t forgive him for what he did, the pressure he put on him, or the life he forced him to live.

And the day that bear hurt him my fell on Sunday (Bloody Sunday)

And BB being O-negative makes this even more painful. If he was badly injured in a bear attack and lost a lot of blood, finding compatible blood quickly could have been difficult because O-negative is relatively rare. He may have come terrifyingly close to dying.

Imagine waking up after something like that, injured, scared and barely alive, only for his dad to look at him with disappointment instead of concern. Maybe his dad focused on what BB did wrong, lectured him, or treated the attack as proof that he was weak rather than recognizing that he was a child who had been seriously hurt.

That would be disgusting, ngl. It could explain why BB carries so much shame around failure and why he seems to believe he has to be useful, disciplined and strong all the time. If the person who was supposed to protect him responded to pain with disappointment, BB may have learned that being hurt was never enough to deserve care.

This might also explain why BB seems to live like he always needs to find a purpose. He may feel most useful when someone relies on him, like SLM. He said he can tolerate it, but when MC told him that he doesn’t always have to be that person and can rely on others too, he said that of course he does rely on others. Just not in the way MC meant.

Maybe BB only knows how to rely on people through duty, responsibility or being useful to them. If someone needs him, he has a role. He has something to do. Without that, he may not know who he is or what he is supposed to be doing.

Prime example: How does BB feel about being used as walking Blood Bag in his army days?

the thing is BB DOESNT think hes being used. in his mind, hes simply helping people who need him. but that doesnt mean hell blindly follow anyone! thats actually why i wrote the whole Paw Pizza scene, it clearly shows that BB chooses very carefully who he respects. if he believes someone isnt worthy of leading him or doesnt genuinely care about others, he wont give them that part of himself. his loyalty is unconditional once its earned but earning it is the hard part. and once someone earns that loyalty, hell often give far more of himself than he ever asks in return - Laly said, I quote

That could be why he enlisted in the US Army and wanted to continue. The military gave him structure, rules and a clear purpose. But maybe his sergeant eventually saw that BB had no real direction outside of being a soldier. Not because he was weak or incapable, but because he seemed lost and had no anchor in his own life.

Maybe his sergeant thought “This boy has no idea what he wants to do with his life.” Keeping someone like that in the military could be dangerous, especially if they are only staying because they have nowhere else to go. So maybe he let BB leave because he hoped BB would find a purpose that belonged to him, not one forced on him by his family or the army.

That could also be why his sergeant helped him get a job at Paw Pizza. Maybe BB did not have much experience outside of military training, discipline and survival. A normal job could have been a way for him to slowly build a life outside of the army and figure out who he is when nobody is telling him what his purpose should be.

Another thing that might connect to this is BB’s philosophy about “choosing the right leader to follow.”

If his dad was a commander, and his leadership caused BB harm, ignored his needs or contradicted everything a good leader should be, then it makes sense that BB would have such a strong opinion about leadership. Maybe he grew up under someone who expected obedience but offered no care, protection or guidance in return.

That could be why BB eventually left and decided he needed to find the right leader for himself. He may not hate structure or following orders. In fact, he seems to need structure. What he rejects is blindly following someone just because they have authority. He knows firsthand that someone can have power, status and a respected name while still being a terrible person to follow.

It could also connect to the way he talked about the hat. Even when it was dirty, he said it only needed to be wiped off and it would still be good to use.

Maybe that is how he sees himself.

In his family, he may have been treated as a failure, but not fully discarded. They may have kept him around as someone useful enough to have nearby, but not important enough to truly value. Like a side character, an outsider or something patched together that can still serve a purpose when needed.

Maybe BB thinks that even if he is damaged, scarred, or “dirty” in other people’s eyes, he can still be useful. He can still work. He can still follow orders. He can still have a purpose.

That is sad because it suggests he may measure his worth through usefulness rather than believing he deserves care simply because he is a person.

Why I think BB may have been close to his mom before

I think BB may have had a closer relationship with his mom when he was younger because she might have understood the pressure he was under.

If his dad really was controlling, authoritarian and obsessed with the family legacy, then his mom may have been living under that same pressure as his wife. She may have known exactly how strict he could be and how much he would try to impose his beliefs and expectations on BB.

Maybe she saw what was coming but felt powerless to stop it.

That could be why she named him W and had him watch war documentaries from an early age. It may not have been because she wanted to push him toward the military. Maybe she was trying to prepare him for the kind of life his dad was going to force on him. If she could not protect him directly, teaching him about war, discipline and survival might have been the only protection she knew how to give.

Maybe W was also her way of giving him something that belonged to her, something softer and more personal than the identity his dad wanted to force onto him.

If she had little influence in the family, she may have been expected to support the family image rather than challenge her husband openly. In a household built around status, authority and legacy, she may not have had much room to speak up about important decisions or defend her children.

That could explain why BB may still have complicated feelings about her. He might remember her as someone who cared about him, but also as someone who could not stop what happened to him.

I also mentioned earlier that BB’s family could be heavily religious. If that’s true, then why does BB seem to have no preference when it comes to religion now?

Maybe he doesn’t want anything that reminds him of his past life. If religion was tied to his family’s expectations to uphold their legacy, then distancing himself from it could be another way of distancing himself from them.

That might be why he deflected when MC asked whether it bothered him that he had no burial arrangements. Maybe it does bother him, but he doesn’t want to talk about it. Or maybe he genuinely feels detached from the idea of a religious burial because he left that part of his life behind.

I asked a friend from a Catholic family about it, and they said that someone in BB’s position might feel like they don’t deserve a proper burial in their religion anymore. Not necessarily because the religion itself says that, but because the person may carry shame, guilt or the belief that they have lost their honor.

Maybe BB feels like he walked away from the life his family wanted for him, so he no longer has a place in that world. Or maybe he believes that he failed his family, his faith or the identity they forced on him. That could be why he seems so indifferent about burial arrangements, even if the subject may hurt more than he lets on.

Obviously, this is only a theory, but the bear story, the scar, his reaction to bears, the weight of his last name and his distance from Norway all feel connected to me.

Oh, and Idk if Laly used the real calendar for the game’s setting, but I checked the 2007 - 2008 and 2009 calendars, and the game dates seem to be one day behind the real life.

For example, October 12 2009, falls on a Monday in real life but on a Sunday in the game (RJ work shift). BB’s employee ID says January 14 2008. In real life, that date was a Sunday, but in the game timeline, it would be a Monday, which makes more sense as a work start date.

We know BB worked at Paw Pizza in 2007, but we don’t know exactly when he left. My assumption is that he met RB on the same night he got jumped by 10 guys while delivering (HERE is my 1st theory). If he quit the next day, or within a week, then he may have been unemployed for around 2 weeks or more before starting at the garage.

If he started at the garage on January 14 2008, that would place him leaving Paw Pizza sometime in late December 2007.

BB said he got jumped at 1am on a Friday. The last Friday of 2007 in real life was December 28, but if the game calendar is one day behind, then the last Friday in the game would be December 27.

And BB’s lucky number is 27. RB’s suit also has 27 on it.

Maybe I’m looking way too deeply into this, and I could be completely wrong, so please don’t take it too seriously. 

[neurthewanderer]

SHIFT 3 SPOILER WARNING

I got an ask about Bianca, Lane’s ex-girlfriend, and how I feel about her. The person who sent it seemed to hate her bad, like full yandere girlfriend mode or something 😂 So I’m sharing my thoughts below.

Before anyone jumps me, I need to clarify something: I don’t hate Bianca because she’s Lane’s ex. I hate what she did to him and I hate the kind of person she had to be to knowingly do that to someone like Lane.

First, based on what Bianca wrote on that photo of her and Lane, she obviously knew what was going on in his life.

Lane only tells MC vague things. Teachers hated him, he was failing classes, he got suspended a lot, life was sht. He knows Bianca knew what she was doing and he had no clue at the time. I like to think he knew Bianca approach him for a reason, he just didn’t fully understand why she did it at the time.

But from the context clues he gives us, Bianca didn’t just know some vague rumours about him. She likely knew what was happening in his family. She knew it personally, likely because Lane told her himself.

And I don’t think Lane told many people those things at the time.

It seems like a small town. If I remember correctly, Laly said Lane and Bianca sometimes crossed paths but ignored each other. So people probably knew the surface level story. They knew his dad had passed away. They knew his mom remarried. Maybe they knew Lane was getting into trouble at school.

But they probably didn’t know what it was actually like inside his house.

They didn’t know how exhausted and emotionally abused his mom could be. They didn’t know what it felt like for him to come home every day to a strange man who was supposed to be some kind of father figure. They didn’t know what it was like to live with a mother whose moods could change so quickly that nothing he did ever felt good enough, and even his existence could feel like an inconvenience.

Bianca knew that.

Lane likely told her what was happening at home and how he really felt. Things he probably didn’t even tell his best friend, or anyone close to him. He chose to tell Bianca because she made him feel special. She made him feel like the world wasn’t as shtty as he thought it was. Like he told MC.

And that’s why I hate Bianca as a person.

Lane wasn’t just her cute little boyfriend phase. He was her target from the beginning.

If she just wanted a cute boyfriend, there were plenty of people she could’ve chosen. I’m not even talking about their age difference yet. I’m talking about Lane’s mental state.

Why did she choose a 16-year-old boy who was clearly vulnerable, lonely and struggling? Why did she choose someone who needed love so badly that even the smallest amount of affection would mean everything to him?

Because he was easy to reach. 

People like to call teenagers rebellious and difficult, but teenagers are also incredibly sensitive. Their bodies are changing, their minds are changing, and their understanding of the world is still developing. One sentence from someone older, or even someone their own age, can stay with them for years. It can shape how they see themselves, whether it’s positive or negative.

So I can imagine Bianca looking at Lane and thinking, Oh, I want to play saviour today.

And who did she pick?

A vulnerable, miserable kid. Lane happened to be that kid.

She treated him like a stray puppy she found standing in the rain. She gave him an umbrella. Let him stay somewhere warm for a little while. Made him believe he was safe. Then, once he got attached, she threw him back out into the rain and left him exactly where she found him.

Lane says he knew someone like her wouldn’t stick around to babysit a clumsy boy like him forever. He says he wasn’t stupid. He knew she’d leave eventually.

But knowing someone might leave you someday is different from expecting them to hurt you on purpose.

He probably couldn’t call her out. He probably couldn’t walk away. He probably couldn’t break up with her, because part of him kept hoping he was wrong. He kept hoping she wouldn’t do the things he imagined.

And I don’t think he ever imagined she’d cheat on him and make sure he found out.

That is a very common reaction from someone who has been manipulated.

Grooming isn’t only about age gaps or differences in maturity. It can also be about an imbalance of power in a relationship. Someone can be only a year older than you and still manipulate you, especially if they know exactly what emotional state you’re in and what you need to hear.

That’s why predators choose certain people as targets. They don’t pick someone at random. They pick people who are lonely, vulnerable, insecure, grieving or desperate to feel loved.

Bianca knew Lane was in that position. She approached him when he was hurting. She gave him attention when he needed it most. She made him feel cared for, then left once he thought he was finally getting better.

But she didn’t heal his wound, she just made it worse.

Lane says maybe she’s the reason his mental age feels frozen while everyone else grew up and moved on. He doesn’t know why he can’t move on. And this isn’t even new for him, because he also struggled to move on after losing his dad.

Then you add the fact that he tells MC he’d never trust any woman with his heart. When MC asks including her, he says especially her. He’d be an idiot to hand his heart over to her.

He calls himself the king of idiots. And I don’t think he’s wrong.

Not because every woman is terrible. Absolutely not. 🛑But because I understand why Lane thinks that way.

It isn’t only because of his trauma. It isn’t only because of the abuse from his mom, his dad’s death, Bianca cheating on him, or the fact that he struggled in school.

It’s because Lane feels everything too strongly.

He’s an emotional person. As someone emotional myself, I understand what he means. Even without all the trauma, I think Lane would still be someone who feels sadness and happiness deeply. He loves deeply. He grieves deeply. His wounds take longer to heal because he doesn’t know how to feel things halfway.

That might be why it’s so hard for him to move on. He needs more time to grieve than most people. And when he loves someone, he loves them with his whole heart and instinct before his mind can catch up. He’s impulsive with affection. He gives too much and he knows that about himself.

He knows he’s a lovesick idiot. A lover boy, no more and no less.

He knows that once he lets someone in, he won’t be able to stop himself from giving them everything.

That’s why I think Lane’s mom isn’t the only reason he acts like he doesn’t care. His mom made him feel like he was difficult to love. Bianca made him afraid of being loved at all.

Because Bianca showed up and loved him when he needed it most. Then, once he opened up and loved her back, she left him.

That’s why he says she left when he thought he was getting better. And that’s why he says he wasn’t upset simply because she left. He expected her to leave eventually. He just didn’t expect her to leave in such a cruel way. At least she could’ve done it kindly.

But based on how Lane talks about it, I can imagine how desperate he must’ve been at the time. He probably thought that if Bianca didn’t love him, nobody else in the world would.

And even then, he couldn’t stop loving her.

Because he’s human, he has emotions. He can’t just switch them off because someone hurts him.

What devastated him wasn’t only the breakup. It was knowing, somewhere deep down, that she was leading him on, but still going along with it because he wanted to believe her anyway.

Victims often do that. They tell themselves they knew the signs. They tell themselves they should’ve walked away. They blame themselves for stepping into the trap.

But they weren’t in the right emotional state to make rational decisions. That’s exactly why people like Bianca target them in the first place.

Lane was the victim. He wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t weak. He was a kid who needed love, and someone used that against him.

And when you combine that with the gender stereotypes at the time, I can understand why Lane keeps downplaying what happened. But it clearly hurt him deeply.

Because it wasn’t just about love. He trusted Bianca. He told her things about himself that he probably never told anyone else. He trusted her with the parts of him that were already hurting, and she still ended up hurting him just as badly as the people he trusted her to understand.

That’s betrayal in Lane’s mind. I don’t think he can accept it.

Laly confirms that Lane is jealous and insecure, but I also think he’s the kind of person who would keep loving someone even after they did something horrible to him, as long as they chose to stay.

(Yeah. My stoopid stoopid boy.)

That’s why he thinks he shouldn’t open up to anyone. He knows the person who will end up hurting him most is himself, because of how much love he gives without thinking about the consequences.

That’s probably why he acts so unserious all the time. He talks bullsht, acts smug, wears that macho and boyish edge like armour. If he acts laid-back and noncommittal, maybe he’ll only attract people who want something casual too. People who won’t expect much from him, so he won’t have to expect anything from them. If nobody promises him anything, then nobody can disappoint him.

If they break his heart, maybe it won’t hurt as much because he’ll be able to tell himself he saw it coming.

So when he says he’d be an idiot to give his heart to MC, I think he means 2 things.

First, he is down bad. Like, down down down horrendous bad. They might only be coworkers. It might only be a crush. It might not have even been that long. But he’s already constantly thinking about her.

That’s serious!!!!! That’s dangerous for him!!!!!!

Second, he knows that once MC reciprocates him in a more serious way, he’s going to throw his heart out in the open immediately. He’s going to give her everything. And he’s terrified that she’ll tear it apart the same way Bianca did.

(My stoopid stoopid lovesick boy. I’m not accepting arguments)

As for Bianca herself, when I first heard about her, I didn’t think much of it. I assumed she was just a shtty first love. But the more Lane tells us, the more insight we get into what happened.

And honestly, I understand why MC doesn’t even seem jealous of Bianca, even on the speed love route. Because there’s nothing to be jealous of.

MC cares more about the fact that this person hurt Lane when he was still a kid, and that pain stayed with him until adulthood. That’s what’s fcked up.

At that point, Bianca doesn’t even feel like an ex. She feels like a stain Lane can’t scrub out.

Every time he tries to forget her, he can’t. Not because he still loves her, but because she traumatized him so badly that it feels like she took a piece of him and left him broken. Like she left him barely able to function normally even now.

And when you feel broken, you don’t want to love someone else. You don’t feel like you’re enough. You assume you’ll never be enough for anyone, and eventually they’ll leave you too. Or worse, they’ll take another piece of you with them.

Lane clearly knows he likes MC a lot, maybe more than he expected. If he ever actually dated her, even casually, he’d fall head over heels. He’d fall deeply and he wouldn’t know how to climb back out.

And what if she’s like Bianca? He can’t risk that!!!!

And I’m also really curious about how the people around Lane reacted when they found out what happened between him and Bianca.

Because if they reacted like, “Dude, at least you got to clap cheeks” or acted like he should’ve been grateful because she was pretty and older, then I completely understand why it stayed with him for so long.

They’d only see the shallow part of it.

They’d see a teenage boy who got to date and sleep with a pretty girl. They’d see it as some kind of win. Maybe they’d joke about it, congratulate him, act jealous or make him feel like he had no right to be upset because he supposedly got something out of it.

But they wouldn’t understand that Lane actually loved her.

He didn’t just want to fck a pretty girl. He trusted her. He opened his heart to her. He gave her the parts of himself that he was already struggling to hold together, only for her to stomp on them like they were nothing.

And when people reduce that whole experience to “Well, at least you got laid” it probably makes him feel even more alone.

Because nobody understands what he’s actually grieving.

He’s grieving the version of himself that believed someone could love him without hurting him. He’s grieving the safety he thought he had with her. He’s grieving the fact that he finally let someone in, and she used that access to break him.

But people don’t always want to look at things that deeply, especially when it comes to boys. They’ll turn it into a joke because it’s easier than admitting that a teenage boy can be emotionally manipulated, used, and genuinely devastated by someone he loved.

So maybe Lane got tired of explaining it.

Maybe he realized people would only hear the parts they wanted to hear. They’d hear “older pretty girlfriend” and “sex” but they’d ignore the betrayal, the manipulation, and the fact that he was still just a kid.

And after a while, he probably stopped trying to make people understand.

Because what’s the point of explaining something so simple when people choose to turn a blind eye to it anyway?

So yeah, I hate Bianca as a person. But I don’t hate her in the sense that I want to keep talking about her, obsess over her or make her into some huge villain in my head.

I just wouldn’t want her anywhere near anyone I care about.

And more than Bianca herself, I’m focused on the fact that Lane is still hurting from what happened. So I don’t really care about her as an individual beyond what she did. I care about the damage she left behind.