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somekndofnature · 9 months

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Summary:

Inuyasha reveals something important to Sango and Miroku that shocks both. Kagome and Sango get some things off their chest.

Notes:

Hello all! Time for another couple of chapters. These next two sort of go together so I wanted to release them together. This is where the story starts getting thicc. So, I hope you enjoy.

For this chapter, there were a few songs that really inspired this chapter. First, is 'Walls (You Changed)' by Sick Puppies. I feel like this song is really important from Sango and Kagome's perspective, towards Inuyasha. And for those who were wondering about the music Inu is working on, this is one of the songs he ends up 'writing' in the story as he grows a little more. Second is 'Goodbye Apathy' by One Republic which is obviously chosen for Inuyasha in this moment. And the last is 'Torn' by Natalie Imbrugila which is also probably obviously chosen for Kagome.

Anyway... that's my music rant for now. Let me know if you like it.

AO3

Chapter 4: That Left Me On the Floor

Inuyasha was stunned into silence and could only watch Kagome’s shoulders tremble as she retreated towards the restroom, wheezing from the hole she’d punched straight through his chest. Each tear that had fallen onto her cheeks lashed his heart like a whip, drawing an answering warmth from his eyes. He had struggled to stay in place, compelled to drop to his knees and grovel on all fours, begging forgiveness. He knew that he had hurt her but…

You broke me.

Inuyasha bit back the whine that crawled its way up his throat and let his head fall into his hand, rubbing the gathered moisture from his eyes. Fuck , he hated seeing her cry. That was why he had always walked away; he’d never been able to take the shame that could—rightly—be placed at his feet for hurting her.

“Smooth,” Sango said from beside him.

Inuyasha scowled in her direction but didn’t respond; he had nothing to say in his defense.

Miroku sighed and pushed a hand through his dark hair. “Well, I guess that’s out of the question. It sucks, but I think we’ll have to find someone else.”

“No!” he growled, making their eyes widen. “It has to be her, no one else.”

Sango shook her head. “Inuyasha, I know you feel guilty for everything that happened but—”

“This isn’t about that!”

She raised a dubious brow.

He winced. “It isn’t just about that. It’s—fuck, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me,” she insisted.

Inuyasha shook his head.

“If you want any more of my help with Kagome, you’ll have to tell me why this is so important. Why does it have to be her? Why are you suddenly so eager to have her in your life?”

His ears lowered against his head; he couldn’t tell them. When Sango and Miroku understood what Kagome meant to him, the resulting guilt might bury him alive.

“Inuyasha?” Sango prompted again.

He hung his head, allowing a curtain of silver hair to hide his face as he whispered, “She’s my mate.”

He heard them suck in a sharp breath. Both had no doubt heard the same stories in school growing up. Great demons searching for their fated mate, the first glimpse of romance that their little minds were afforded. Inuyasha had been bored out of his skull just listening to them.

In the past, when the world was smaller, there was a reasonable assumption that this goal was attainable, that this mysterious person who made up your other half could be found, but on a planet of over seven billion beings, those odds slimmed considerably. A mate was someone to be treasured, and he had treated Kagome like she was… worthless .

Argh! The sound of that word gasping from between her trembling lips wouldn’t leave his ears. It twisted his heart, pumping an icy poison of regret through his veins.

“Wh-what? When?” Sango went silent for several seconds before gritting out through her teeth, “How long have you known?”

“From the beginning,” he replied, voice low. “From the first day I met her.”

“I knew it. I knew you were hiding something from me.” He heard Sango move but didn’t even brace as her fist connected with his cheek. “You ass!”

Inuyasha’s head whipped to the side, and he embraced the sting. He deserved her wrath on behalf of their friend, on behalf of fate, on behalf of everything he had scoffed in the face of, like a complete idiot. If it made him worthy of Kagome, he’d let Sango beat the hell out of him with a godsdamn smile.

“Nine years?!” Sango screeched. “Nine years and you… you were fuckin around, stickin your dick in anything that moved—”

“I didn’t actually do that.”

“What?!”

He shrugged. “I know it looked like I was always with a woman, but I just wanted it to seem that way. I didn’t actually sleep with any of them; I couldn’t. After being with Kagome, touching another woman felt,” he shuddered in disgust, “wrong.”

“Why?” Miroku asked. “Inuyasha that just sounds—”

“Cruel,” Sango interjected. “Why the hell would you do that to her?”

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I was trying to push her away, to make her hate me.”

“Well, congratulations,” Miroku said with a hint of reproach in his tone. “I think you succeeded.”

Inuyasha’s head fell back, rubbing his hands between his spread legs while they jittered with tension. He was getting judgment from the pervert now?

“No doubt,” Sango agreed with a derisive snort. “You only made it worse by constantly falling into her bed, too.”

“I couldn’t help it!” He pushed a hand through his silver hair, scraping his claws against his scalp.

Her lip curled with disgust. “That’s pathetic.”

“You got me, Sango,” he snapped. “I’m a completely pathetic, sad sack, piece of shit. Happy now?”

“Don’t say any of that like it’s going to save you,” she said, placing an indignant hand on her hip. “You think just because you finally pulled your head out of your ass means you deserve a second chance?”

His shoulders slumped. “No.”

“You’re damn right! What you deserve is to watch her move on with her life…”

Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut as a hopeless anguish ripped through him, but Sango continued without mercy.

“You deserve to watch her find a man who treats her with compassion and devotion, like she’s precious.”

Mine! His demon howled from the back of his mind until his temples throbbed.

Still, she didn’t relent. “You deserve to watch her build a happy life and at its end to be surrounded by a family who loves and treasures her.”

Inuyasha folded in on himself, a keening whine breaking past his lips when he could no longer contain his misery. Did he deserve to watch Kagome leave him behind forever? Probably… Was it something he feared with every fiber of his being? Absolutely…

Miroku cleared his throat, saving him from any further torment. “Sango, sweetheart.”

“What?” she snapped.

“I’m not entirely sure if this shame-fest is having the desired effect.”

She went quiet for a long moment, but Inuyasha didn’t raise his gaze from the floor, which he was hoping would open and swallow him whole. “What was the point of doing all that?”

“I told you,” he said again. “To push her away.”

“Yes,” she hissed. “But why the hell would you want to do that? Any other demon in your position would be over the moon and that should go double for half-demons. Most people don’t even think you have mates. So, why?”

Inuyasha took a deep breath before answering. Eventually he’d have to face the same question from Kagome, he better get damn good at answering it now. “I was a dumbass! I was young and stupid and arrogant and…scared,” he admitted.

“Scared? Of what?” Miroku asked.

“I wasn’t ready for something like that,” he said, looking down at his clasped hands. “I’m not good with women in general. How was I supposed to win this person who was meant to be it for me? And let’s be honest, she’s way outta my league; it didn’t seem like we would ever actually fit together. It felt like I was being set up for failure.” He scratched at the back of his head. “I resented it, being forced into this relationship that I didn’t even want or think myself capable of growing. It wasn’t supposed to be like that, anyway. We were just starting out; it was supposed to be all parties and music and groupies.”

“Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll,” Miroku said in a wistful tone.

Inuyasha lifted his hand, gesturing at him over the table. “Exactly!”

“Don’t lump me in with you,” he grumbled. “You took that entire thing to an extreme.”

“Exactly!” Sango mocked with a similar wave of her hand.

Inuyasha scowled. “You don’t get it. These instincts are overwhelming. It felt like I wasn’t in control of myself.”

“And copious amounts of alcohol and amphetamines made that better?” Sango asked in a disbelieving tone.

“Not exactly,” he replied, rubbing at the back of his neck. “When I was around her, it made it damn near impossible to control my impulses, but away from her… I was able to forget about it, I didn’t feel this constant need gnawing at me.”

“Yeah, but that wasn’t just your instincts or fate,” she explained. “It was you being infatuated. The mating bond doesn’t force you to want someone, it reveals who you’re most likely to be compatible with.”

“I get that now,” Inuyasha replied, his mounting frustration clear in his tone. “But back then it was just easier to blame it all on my demon side and push it away.”

She clicked her tongue. “You almost died, Inu. Was it really worth it?”

“How many times you want me to admit that I’m a dumbass?”

His ears twitched as Sango cursed. “You’ve made such a mess of this.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t,” she replied. “Humans feel it too, you know? That connection, those bonds of fate. We may not be able to name it and maybe we don’t feel it with the same intensity, but it’s there. Imagine the pain, the betrayal she felt.”

“Please … stop,” he whispered, hiding his face in his hands. “I just want to fix it.”

“Sango,” Miroku interjected again.

She sighed. “Inuyasha, I don’t know if you can fix this. You threw a gift back in fate’s face; you’ll need a miracle.”

He finally worked up the courage to meet her eyes. “Then help me… please ,” he begged through clenched teeth. “I can’t do this by myself.”

She pursed her lips. “Fine, I’ll go talk to her, but you have to promise me that if I get her to come back out here, you’ll be on your best behavior.”

He nodded.

“And you swear that you’re taking this seriously?” she asked. “No more waffling back and forth, no more jumping into bed with her only to push her away?”

“Fuck no!” he snapped before deflating. “Look, I know what life is like without her and I don’t want to do it anymore. If Kagome’s really done with me, then I’ll accept that,” he admitted, “but if there’s even the smallest chance that I can win her back… I gotta take it, Sango.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled, her face softening just a fraction. “Fine, I’ll go talk to her, but I don’t think she’s any happier with me than she is with you.”

Miroku chose this moment to pipe up, “I could go if—”

“No,” Inuyasha and Sango cut him off at the same time.

“The last thing we need is your brand of charm,” she added before walking away, following Kagome’s path to the restrooms.

--------------------------------------------

Kagome avoided the curious gaze of the woman standing at the mirror as she stormed into the bathroom, feeling the warm burn of tears in her eyes. She slammed open the door of the nearest cubicle and immediately rested her back against it, sucking in a shuddering breath. What the hell?

It was difficult to even parse out how she was feeling. All of her emotions clambered on top of each other, fighting for dominance: betrayal, rejection, grief, compassion, and even still longing.

This was supposed to be a no pressure reconnection with a good friend. She had been excited to see Sango again, to heal her relationship with a woman who was once her sister in many ways. She had been prepared for it to be a little awkward and uncomfortable, but this had felt like an attack.

She had tried not to resent Sango when her partnership with The Strays had fallen out and her friend had gone silent for almost a year. Inuyasha was Sango’s oldest and best friend, they were more like family. It made sense that she stayed to help him recover, to help him find his way back to reality. It still felt like she was choosing Inuyasha over her, though. While Kagome logically understood, it didn’t negate the disappointment at being so easily forgotten.

When Sango had finally reached out, she had started by apologizing over and over again. It had been difficult to deny her. They had stayed in touch during the next five years by text and the frequent phone call, but this was the first time since severing her ties with the band that she was supposed to see Sango face to face. Just a quick little stop over on her way home from vacation.

Kagome had been eager; it had been ages since she had seen Sango’s smile and laugh or felt the strong reassurance of her embrace. She had missed it and, on her way here, she had allowed herself to feel the deep loss, that hole in her life that the absence of her friend had left. And yet, she couldn’t help but feel grateful that Inuyasha had her support during such a difficult time, even if Kagome felt guilty that she couldn’t provide it. He looked… good, and, if not content, more himself.

Seeing him after all this time was such a shock. Inuyasha had filled out, his tanned skin was packed with more muscle than she had seen in a while, still tall and lean but healthy. He was magnetic; she hadn’t been prepared to steel herself against his appeal. He had the same irreverent, bad-boy look that had drawn her in the beginning, with the piercings, tattoos, and black jeans that barely clung to his slim hips, torn by his fidgeting claws rather than designer labels.

It had been Inuyasha’s golden eyes that tugged at her heartstrings, though. They had been full of the same pain and remorse that was reflected at her each morning in the mirror, as if he had suffered every day of their separation with her. Those invisible ties that had grown slack between them had bound her once more and with it came that same fierce desire to hold him, soothe him, and to allow him to comfort her in turn, a yearning that she didn’t truly understand.

She heard the doorway to the bathroom swing open and closed. “Kagome?”

Sango’s voice made her flinch, and she bit her lip as another frustrated tear fell down her cheek.

“Kagome, I know you’re in here,” she said in a patient tone.

She grit her teeth and flicked the lock, flinging the door wide open. “Of course, I’m in here,” she hissed. “I have nowhere else to escape. You made sure of that, didn’t you?”

Sango rolled her dark brown eyes. “That’s a little dramatic, isn’t it? You can leave at any time.”

“Not without making a scene,” Kagome grumbled as she stomped towards the sinks and grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser. “I’ve already made a hysterical fool of myself once today,” she said while leaning forward to dab at her smeared mascara. “Not exactly eager for a repeat.”

Sango sighed and took a step towards her. “Look, I know it was a shock to see Inuyasha—”

“Don’t.” Kagome whipped around to glare at her. “Don’t you dare come in here and argue on his behalf.”

“I’m not,” her friend replied in a shaky voice. “I’m arguing on mine.”

Kagome swallowed hard as Sango took another step closer.

“I know that I’ve said this before,” she began while staring at her hands. “But I’m sorry, that I abandoned you.”

“Sango, we’ve talked about this,” she said in a dismissive tone. “What you should be apologizing for is bringing him here with no warning.”

“I know but this is the first time I’ve seen you in person since Inuyasha…” She hesitated. “overdosed.”

Kagome pursed her lips as another tear fell from her eye.

“I didn’t want to choose sides,” Sango continued. “But then you left, and I-I couldn’t leave.”

“And I couldn’t stay,” she whispered around the lump caught in her throat. “You weren’t there. You didn’t see him or have to use your hands to keep his heart pumping. For a moment, the whole world became gray and dull, like life itself wasn’t even worth living. I never want to feel like that again, especially for someone who doesn’t love me.”

Sango stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Kagome’s trembling shoulders. “I don’t blame you for leaving.”

“I don’t blame you for staying,” she replied through sniffles. “I’m glad Inuyasha had you around.”

“He’s doing a lot better, if you’re wondering.”

Kagome pulled back with a watery chuckle. “I thought you weren’t here to argue for him.”

“I’m not,” Sango replied with a shrug. “It’s just that, even though I’ve watched his health improve, he’s become quieter, more withdrawn than I’ve ever seen him. I just thought this would give him something to live for again. And I know if anyone can make it happen, you can.”

“I don’t know, Sango.”

“Just give him a shot,” she replied. “You don’t need to commit to anything now.”

“So what?” Kagome said with a sly grin. “Just take the music and run?”

“Why not? We already had plans today, didn’t we?”

“You don’t think that’s a little rude?”

“Serves him right for how he treated you.” Sango ducked around her and took a quick glance in the mirror, dabbing at the skin under her eyes.

Kagome did the same before she felt a nudge against her shoulder. She met Sango’s reflected gaze.

“Remember that time in New York when we stole Inuyasha’s wallet and went to have brunch at the Ritz?”

She giggled. “How could I forget? Inuyasha was so mad, he made us pay for his meals for the rest of the trip.”

Sango rolled her eyes. “Sometimes, I wonder if he isn’t half-cat instead of dog. That asshole can sure hold onto a grudge.”

“Don’t ever let him hear you say that,” Kagome replied.

They shared a dubious look and melted into a fit of giggles until Sango’s gaze grew tender. She swiped a few strands of hair behind Kagome’s ear.

“See? There were some good times, too.”

“I know. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it.”

Sango smiled and pulled her into another hug. “I’m really glad you came.

“Me too, the ambush notwithstanding.” Kagome paused and pulled back, loosely gripping her friends’ elbows. “Why didn’t you tell me he was coming?”

“I wanted to see you and I didn’t want you to cancel just because of him.”

She shook her head. “I wouldn’t have canceled. To be honest, I’ve been wanting to see all of you. I just didn’t expect him to be so—”

“Dickish?”

Kagome laughed. “No, it’s just… the way he was looking at me.”

“Like he’s head over heels?”

“Don’t say that,” she scoffed. “It’s not true.”

Sango’s gaze grew serious. “You have to know that he cares about you.”

“Not really, he never made a point of showing it,” she replied.

Her friend grabbed her by the shoulders. “I know he’s screwed up in the past, but Inuyasha’s changed, Kagome. More like the guy you fell in love with and less like the playboy rockstar.”

She looked down to study her nails and remained quiet.

“You do still love him, don’t you?” Sango asked.

Kagome hesitated to answer. She should hate him, everything she knew about being a strong independent woman told her so. Inuyasha had toyed with her affections, pulling her close only to push her away. He had used her, satisfied his lust within her body only to treat her with disdain. It was hurtful, but Sango wasn’t wrong. There were good times.

The moments when they were intimate seemed to exist in a universe of their own, outside of the way he treated her in the real world. Lost in each other, Inuyasha showed a new side of himself. He was attentive, generous, and focused solely on her pleasure before his. In those sweet hours, she had felt like all that mattered. It was only afterwards that he made her feel like a mistake and that contradiction had slowly chipped away at her self-esteem.

Things were different now, though. She wasn’t the same immature girl anymore. She owned her own business, managing several different well-known clients. She owned her own home, and had just paid off her modest sedan. She had even adopted a cat. By most people’s standards she was successful, but the wounds that she had incurred back then had left lasting scars.

Kagome didn’t open herself up to people anymore. She was friendly and polite, with many close acquaintances, but none that she considered actual friends other than Rin. She wasn’t sure she could count that one since technically she was family. Her love life was non-existent; she’d practically become a nun. No one had touched her intimately since… him .

Not that she hadn’t tried, but being in romantic situations with other men made her stomach turn. No one had touched her, held her, set her blood on fire the way that he did. It had been years since the first time they had connected in such a way, but she could still remember every detail. It was a well-trodden and comforting memory. From the first moment she was hooked; he became her drug, one that she had been in withdrawal from for the last six years.

#inuyashaxkagome #inukag #inuyasha fanfiction #inukag fic #modern au #rockband au #here with you #chapter 4

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camgoloud · 9 days

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im sorry im back to yell at you about the magicians again… very much enjoying it so far especially the whole “magic school would be insufferable actually” concept. a classroom full of a billion teenage prodigies all trying to outprodigy each other at the world’s most annoying menial tasks? eugh. getting hives already. no thanku. it reminds me a lot of the scholomance, especially adding in the whole languages thing… idk. very cool.

also i know it’s unintentional and absolutely not what “straight man” is supposed to indicate in this situation but. this paragraph is So Fucking Funny to me thinking back after finding out Eliot’s gay. what did he need a straight man for hello

okay 1. DO NOT APOLOGIZE please i am going around these days vibrating with the need to talk about these books. yell at me as much as you want i will be so glad to have the opportunity to yell back and also 2. re: brakebills YES. yes exactly. okay so this is a whole-ass trilogy right like i don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to say that there’s Quite A Lot Of Stuff to them beyond the time quentin spends at brakebills BUT i do find the brakebills stuff really fascinating! because a. i’ll always love a good magic-school story i am not immune to the trope and also b. exactly what you pointed out re: the text’s engagement with the idea that magic school Would Maybe Kind Of Suck, Actually—but at the SAME TIME the idea of it remains compelling both to quentin and to the reader (at least to me)… in my head i always call this the secret history maneuver—when an author manages to simultaneously demonstrate Why This Whole Thing Is Bad And Also, Kind Of, Hilarious When You’re Not One Of The Guys With Their Head Stuck Up Their Ass About It, and, also, make you kind of want to be one of the guys with their head stuck up their ass about it. brakebills does not sound fun! everybody in there is romanticizing their own pain and suffering and the idea of their genius just to make it through the hell they are all putting themselves through for what reason exactly?! and yet at the same time… who among us has never been there. maybe i just needed to chill out a little bit in high school idk. but! there’s just something really compelling about the way everybody at brakebills clearly romanticizes the hell out of their ability to hack it at an Elite Institution and you at the reader are like “okay i get why this is a point of pride for you, insufferable teenage prodigy whose entire identity has clearly been built around the idea of your own academic superiority to The Masses, but also… damn you really live like this? lmao.” and now that you bring it up it is interesting to think about in conversation with the scholomance! like obviously they come at it from very different angles because so much of the scholomance books features the characters explicitly talking and thinking about lowering barriers to scholarship, etc. while everyone at brakebills seems to be all-in on making life as hard as possible for themselves so they can get off on the idea of how special they are BUT in the context of the broader trilogy, some new perspectives you get later on as you meet new characters/quentin grows up some… i think there’s maybe an undercurrent of some similar point being made in the magicians though i’m not really sure how intentional grossman was being about it. and also you’re right about the magic systems being pretty similar re: the integration of so many different languages into the spellwork! though again i think novik is much MUCH more interested in the politics of language than grossman is

and also 3. lmaoooo i love it. quentin (to himself, about eliot): what this boy needs is a role model. a REAL MAN to show him what’s what. i can be that for him [is absolutely NOT capable of being a role model for anyone in the entire world; is also in spite of his efforts not even that much more successful at being a Traditionally Masculine Man than the guy actively trying to be as flamboyant as possible]

#the magicians #answered asks

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greatwyrmgold · 8 months

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One of my mutuals has been talking about their thoughts watching JJK season 2, and that made me want to share some of mine, and I don't want to wait until I can frame my thoughts as a yes-and to theirs. My point being, if you haven't finished the Shibuya arc in either the manga or anime, the following will spoil you.

I really like Suguru Geto in the flashback, and in Jujutsu Kaisen Zero. His powers are neat, his design is interesting, his personality is fun, and his worldview is nuanced.

He wants to kill all non-sorcerers, but his reasons for wanting to do that make sense. People who can't control their cursed energy are the ultimate source of cursed spirits, which cause untold suffering to both sorcerers and non-sorcerers alike. Geto assumes that teaching most humans to control their cursed energy is impossible or impractical, and by the time of JJK0, he's willing to write off the suffering of billions in the name of a future without cursed spirits.

This is, of course, abominable; Geto's plan is a crime against humanity in the most literal sense. But you can see why someone who recognizes the problems in jujutsu society without recognizing the humanity of non-sorcerers would think that crime was a good idea.

In my ideal Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuji would overcome the decrepit jujutsu institutions, defeat Geto, and destroy Sukuna after recognizing the fundamental flaw they have in common: They all think some people are intrinsically more valuable than others. Sukuna thinks the strong should dominate the weak, jujutsu society intentionally privileges old families over new recruits, Geto doesn't think "monkeys" should get to live. And of course, all three fundamentally agree that there should be a division between sorcerers and non-sorcerers, where the former are given an elevated position (as conquerors or guardians or the ones who get to live). To beat them, Yuji needs to recognize the lies they all share and repudiate it.

But I will never get that ideal JJK, in part because Geto isn't Geto.

After the events of Jujutsu Kaisen Zero, an ancient body-hopping sorcerer named Kenjaku took Geto's body and cursed technique. He's the villain—not Geto, not Mahito, co-hosting recent arcs with Sukuna. And Kenjaku is boring.

Well, that's not fair. For a while, he's a passable imitation of Geto. But at the end of the day, he lacks Geto's substance. His problems with jujutsu society are vague gripes about a passive modern society that maintains the status quo. His plans will kill all humans in Japan, but that includes the sorcerers, and his reasons for that are either unknown or vapid.

And all he brings to the table that Geto couldn't is a thousand years of vague plots hidden in the background. He was the Kyoto blood archer's distant evil ancestor! He knew Sukuna when he was alive! He was Yuji's mom! Why? Who knows. Maybe it's related to whatever Yuji's grandpa was going to tell him. Who cares.

If I can tinfoil-hat a little:

As you may know, Jujutsu Kaisen Zero was originally Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School, a self-contained series in Jump Giga. It turned out to be surprisingly popular, so Gege Akutami was asked to do a full series in the main Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

So Gege took the setting and general premise of what is now JJK0 and created a new plot around it—one that could keep readers at the edge for hundreds of chapters, if it wasn't cancelled before then. A series that could be stretched to hundreds of chapters obviously has different needs than a series that only needs to last four chapters.

I think Gege wanted to keep Geto as a villain, but realized that his plot worked better if his villain was old enough to be Sukuna's peer. (Someone Geto's age couldn't have meddled with Yuji's conception, after all.) And Gege's solution was to literally replace Geto with a villain that was similar to Geto in some ways, but was crucially much older.

I think that sucks! I don't know what Gege is trying to do with Kenjaku that he couldn't do with Geto, but I can't imagine it was worth throwing away the Geto we had for Ancient Evil McSorcerer. I didn't feel that way when I first read the Kenjaku reveal, but the longer I've read Kenjaku do stuff and the more I've thought about Real Geto, the less I like the former and the more I miss the latter.

#jujutsu kaisen #geto suguru #random thoughts #jjk spoilers #obviously

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transgenderer · 2 years

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can you... expand on that (tlt not being about imperialism)

Elaborate, plz? I'd like to hear more of your tlt opinions

Can you elaborate on the TLT thing with regards of imperialism? I’m not familiar with the series, but I don’t care about spoilers and I want to hear your thoughts on it.

okay so sorry to the third person but i dont want to explain tlt lore so im just gonna assume people know tlt lore. anyway the empire just...doesnt make any sense? which is fine, its not about imperialism. but like, its not clear what exactly the empire is trying to achieve, how its enriching the metropole, etc. its not even clear WHO the empire is fighting? like, we see them occupy territory in NtN but we know that the empire is almost entirely devoted to warfare and yet who that warfare is against is unclear. they move the populations around for like no reason?

i mean, my very loose guess at whats going on is that tLT is actually a critique of extraction-based economic systems (i.e. every economic system since the beginning of time, call me when your premodern society isnt consuming a fixed and irreplaceable quantity of rock), for allegorical magic reasons the biosphere on the nine houses is fucked so theyre almost entirely depend on mining and such, i guess they ran out of material to extract in the solar system (i mean, it is thousands of years later), and so they acquire other planets to mine (plus farm? unclear) them to smithereens (this seems to be described pretty explicitly in NtN), the necromancy means ecological devastation is at megaspeed, the war theyre fighting is over natural resources. obviously itd just be cheaper and easier to extract from uninhabited planets but maybe they need the billionare descendants as like, labor?

so anyway this is bad because 1) "we will run out of resources to extract one day" is, while technically true, kind of a stupid argument imo. like yes obviously eventually, but like, its not modern luxury or whatever that relies on mining, its like...literally bronze age (technically stone age) technology that relies on mining. and a pre bronze age life sucks. and you could make the argument that while yes we could be using it more efficiently, entropy is against us so no matter what you do youll run out *eventually*. so like, then what? you have to make an argument that its running out *soon*, and those are dubious imo, and

2) real life empires were not about extracting natural resources! i mean they were a little. but they mostly werent. the motivations for empire were/are complicated but like, economy is not just "more natural resources good, less natural resources bad", the economy is mostly social and infrastructural wealth, which is complicated to maintain. so again, bad critique of empire.

3) but most importantly, tLT is run by an immortal superpowered godking, and as such the politics in world are totally alien to ours. like, in our world institutions and incentives overwhelm human motives both because humans alone are very weak, theyre only significantly powerful insofar as they can control other humans (or tech), and then also because humans are mortal so institutions outlive them. but tLT doesnt work like that at all, so its capability to be coherent commentary on earth politics is pretty hobbled? which is why it isnt, its a story about its characters, who are complex and whose actions are important on the scale of the characters we know. like yeah jod killed billions but because of the way fiction works this is not the important thing about jod, the important thing is how he treats people we see, which is much more nuanced and complex (alhtough still bad)

uhhhh i had more points. the state of tech in the nine houses is really silly, i know its tied to the resource stuff but it doesnt really make sense anyway. like, tech helps you get more resources. also the nine houses are very short on labor which prioritizes technology. and necromancy doesnt seem to replace technology that well, its pretty limited, esp cuz a single necromancer can only control like, what, ten constructs tops? also the idea of a war-centric economy for thousands of years is really silly. like its just totally infeasible. its fine! the worldbuilding is meant to be evocative and work on first glance, not be a totally functioning system, and it isnt

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jackmischief · 5 months

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This shouldn’t be a hot take but I’ve seen it brought up a million times on reddit so I’m gonna process my thoughts about it over here.

Lots of people are excited to see just how bad the hotel residents are. I’m talking about the people in the hard either/or camps of “Hell has to be bad-bad because it would suck if just self-destructive behavior means permanent torture” and “x character has to have done worse things because the fandom infantilizes them.” To use the prime example: Angel Dust.

His mob background seems to inspire the assumption that he killed people in the living world, a notion probably fueled by the fact that he gets so much glee out of killing sinners on screen. I’m just gonna float real quick— do people really think every single mafioso killed people?

Cut because I’m gonna rant.

He was the don’s son for fuck’s same, and reportedly not the only or even the eldest one. I’m highly dubious to think he was doing more than robberies, cons, and maybe taking part in some beatdowns. He probably knew how to use a variety of weapons he was taught growing up, but why everyone assumes he killed anyone — let alone on purpose — seems like a misunderstanding of the scope of “jobs” within organized crime.

Anyway my actual point is that saying everyone in Hell must have done specifically deplorable things is missing the point of our cast’s stated, actively explored sins: gluttony and greed.

You don’t have to kill people to hurt others or ruin other people’s lives. We don’t know what Angel’s Family was in; it could’ve been drugs (and maybe he partook of their own supply), arms (likely, would at least lend MORE credence to assuming he’s killed living world people), gambling (laws around that were messy and exploitable in the first half of the 20th century and gambling dens were more common during & after Prohibition), racketeering (classic)…

I think some it is people being frustrated at characters getting woobified (i.e. Alastor, Angel), but expecting everyone’s crimes to suddenly be a hundred times worse than what has already been presented is sort-of missing the point of things. “If He’ll is forever, then Heaven must be a lie” absolutely applies here: maybe greed and gluttony are bad enough to warrant some punishment, but not permanent torture, and something in the afterlife system is broken to keep filling Hell with people whose sins don’t match that severity.

Personally, i think it’s a hundred times more compelling to see people with “lesser” sins than murder seek help and see the damage their actual sins HAVE done. I would rather see a The Good Place-style problem, where life getting so complicated meant suddenly most people were doing so-called unforgivable things because life really wasn’t leaving them with other choices like it might have thousands of years ago. I bet thousands of years ago sinners really WERE usually Very Very Very Bad, but as the turnover of billions of lives and industrialism and [frankly] the stranglehold of colonialism and capitalism moved along, people were more likely to be “quantifiably” Bad.

I don’t think Angel or Husk or even Sir Pentious had to be killers to land in Hell. I think being angry people woobie Angel is a fucking terrible reason to hope he was “worse” than drug addicted and self-destructive, just like saying Angel having been a mafioso is a really weak reason to assume he killed people.

Anyway I’m also hung up on the fact that there’s a Heaven Embassy at all if there was never supposed to be redemption. Seems like a bizarre and unnecessary thing for Heaven to do — put a massive front lobby and a SIGN-IN sheet in a building that suspiciously reminds of a train station or waiting area — if all they were ever planning to do was Exterminations. Convinced somebody lied to the High Seraphim about the severity of any “uprising” even though we obviously have two contradictory understandings of how the Exterminations started/were permitted anyway and that’s 100% on purpose for plot reasons.

Also alarmed by one take I saw by Vivziepop haters. Someone was like “lol no one knowing what gets you into heaven makes no sense it’s bad writing” and weirdly the response being “its just vivziepop’s excuse to woobify hell” and that’s a mess of what the actual fuck on so many levels. Mostly the “I really think media literacy has tanked if y’all not liking or understanding the way forward with a very reasonable and FULLY EXPLORABLE plot point like that means bad writing” and a little bit the “literally how are those points related and buddy what fucking ‘woobified’ hell are you seeing???”

#Hazbin hotel #processing so-called Hot Takes #long post #not posting this for traction but if y’all have thoughts i am listening #very weird being in a revival of Innocence Warriors anyway

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nightcoremoon · 10 months

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Doctor Strange and America Chavez were both good parts, but god everything about Wanda and the Illuminati sucked. Strip away the fanservice and you have a pretty weak villain story that didn’t introduce any new elements and stayed pretty straightforward and stagnant. Imagine if Killmonger never showed up in Black Panther had instead Andy Serkis been the main villain who just wanted to steal unobtainium and get rich. That would suck. Killmonger reclaiming what he considered his by divine right of kings, SUCCEEDING, and having a relatively good reason for justifying his actions because he planned to eliminate the slavery and oppression of black people. Killmonger was an excellent villain. Imagine if Ava was the main villain of Ant Man and Wasp, and Walton Goggins was the main AND ONLY villain. Imagine if Quentin Beck began the movie as a villain. These would all be awful because it’s all been done a billion times before. But all of the unique twists made those movies, well, stand out. But here in Multiverse of Madness, the closest that ever came was to the other Mordo. Which was really weak and lame and kind of a slap in the face to Chiwetel since they only used him as a stepping stone to get Picard and Jim the major speaking roles (and gave everyone except Hayley Atwell more screen time, dialogue, and showcase of ability than him. This movie existed for fanservice, and was a waste of the talents of Sam Raimi and Danny Elfman (whose direction and music were both absolutely phenomenal and way better than the CGI fest that was the first one). Obviously the clear choice was to have the Ancient One of earth 838 be the one who had been corrupting and manipulating Wanda, and have Tilda Swinton be the bad guy (WHICH IS ALWAYS AT HER BEST WORK) instead, and then allow Wanda to have an actual character arc where she works through her pain… instead of literally creating a eugenics case. Oh did the poor little baby get bombed, have the Nazis experiment on you and manipulate you into being responsible for creating the monster, watch your brother die before your eyes because Not Jason Bourne can’t hear our his left ear, have the entire United States Government AND the world’s biggest egomaniac forcibly imprison her because a PMC manipulated her into blowing up a fuckton of civilians in whatever fuckin country it was I literally don’t remember because it wasn’t important to the story at all, fight for what you love but fail and get thrown in prison, get broken out and forced into hiding while under the surveillance of Big Brother Steve, be forced to kill your own husband, then watch him die again, then die for five years, then come back to life in an totally different world than you were used to and be forced to watch everybody you know get to have their loved ones back except for her, then get ostracized by the entire world? YOURE SUCH A FUCKING SELFISH LOSER LOL WHY DONT YOU JUST KILL YOURSELF??? that’s the message we’re sending. either just get over your trauma and stop whining about it, or turn evil and hurt everyone else in your life around you and sewerslide yourself. How about being like, oh hey look at Wanda who is somebody who I, the evil Tilda Swinton, can manipulate into servicing me so I can kidnap Edmund I mean America and take the powers they possess for my own and become even more powerful and become a legend and LEGENDS NEVER DIE because I am the foil to the ancient one in the first one in order to show narrative parallels because a Literal Actual God Planet Stronger Than Ego And Cthulu Combined??? versus a normal human who possesses the same levels of evil are both somehow comparable? And we’re supposed to care about the stakes of that knowing full well that Infinity War is the only genuine downer ending (No Way Home stole its valor and dropped it on the floor on the way out) and there’s no way in hell Disney is gonna pass up milking the cash cow of the current status quo? Please. At least with the Ancient One one it would be totally possible to just seal her in that universe and win and then everything is preserved.

That would have been much better.

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kitabasis · 1 year

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On Cornwall, Lear, and the Reality of Evil

(Or, Local Nerd Hates Main Character of Play)

Now, if you’ve read any of my recent posts, you’ve probably realized I am currently reading King Lear (I mean, I’ve finished reading through it, but I’m still reading it), and that I feel a burning hatred toward the character of Lear and more than a little sympathy towards the villains, even though some of them do objectively worse things, Cornwall. Partly to defend my opinions against people who think I’m kind of insane for having the preferences I do, and partly because I’ve noticed that other people (at least on tumblr) have those same preferences, and I’m curious enough to want to know why.

Now, I mean, just to get the obvious out of the way–man who loves his wife and does war crimes is like, one of tumblr’s favorite characters, so no surprises there. And you know what? Maybe that’s as far as it goes for some people, but I don’t think it’s that simple. So, let’s dig in.

So, I’m going to start with something that is seemingly completely unconnected to what we’re talking, but I promise it’ll all come together in the end, just stick with me for a moment.

Sometimes when you’re writing, critique partners will recommend that you raise the stakes. What people often think that means is to make them “bigger”--like, if you fail the whole town won’t get destroyed, but the whole world–but actually what it means is that you have to make them more personal to your characters, more emotional. Furthermore, “bigger” and “more personal” are very often opposed, because the human mind is frankly not really built to be able to fully comprehend the existence of 8 billion people–a town tends to, emotionally, feel as big as a planet. Even beyond that, it’s much more easy to relate to things on a smaller scale, because you’ve probably experienced them, or something like them. Even if your mother is alive, you’ve likely lost someone, even just in the form of your best kindergarten friend moving away, and thus can map the latter experience onto the former. But it’s much harder–obviously not impossible, that’s sort of the entire point of writing–to empathize with someone dealing with the possibility of the end of the world; that’s why so many characters’ internal monologues focus on how that loss would affect things they care about (which I don’t, for a record, think is a bad thing).

So, here’s where it connects back to King Lear: this is the reason that, I think, Lear’s villainy is so much more real to us than Cornwall’s. I–and, I am assuming, most people who read King Lear–have never actually had to see torture or its effects outside of fictional media (unless you did, in which case that really sucks for you, and I’m sorry about that and hope you’re doing as well as you can). We know torture is bad in the abstract, and maybe if you’re particularly good at empathizing and/or imagining you can get a better sense of it, but generally speaking: it’s an evil that’s hard to conceptualize, to relate beyond “yeah that’s bad and fucked up”.

Lear’s evil though–that is an evil, I would wager, that most either know someone who has experienced or have experienced it themselves. More broadly, as a rich ruler who has seemingly never taken care of or considered the peasants of his kingdom, thus resulting in a largely impoverished country (until he is literally brought face-to-face with a hovel), he is a very recognizable figure in our modern world. But really personally—and I think key to my grudge against Lear (and probably yours too, because if you’ve read this long with a positive opinion of the winner of the 1606 Worst Fictional Dad Award, frankly I’m surprised, but thank you I’m supposed, unless you’re reading this in order to write an angry response detailing why Lear Is A Good Person Actually, in which case please don’t) is that he is an absolutely dogshit father. We don’t get actual details on how he raised his children, but his open favoritism, unpredictable behavior, belief in his entitlement to complete obedience, raging temper, and repression of his own “feminine” emotions create a figure that is, I think, very recognizable. I’m not saying that Lear is almost certainly an abusive father…but fuck it, that’s exactly what I’m saying. At the very least and most generous he is an incredibly bad one. And that sort of evil, that sort of harm, is one much more palpable to me than Cornwall.

#Shakespeare #king lear #lear #cornwall #cw torture mention #cw abuse mention #cw child abuse mention

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wolferine · 3 years

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Squid Game - Part 2

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Summary: Squid Game AU. The reader joins a deadly game to save themselves from debt and reunites with an old flame…

Warnings: Graphic violence, blood, language, death. Spoilers for Squid Game.

Word count: 2241

Part 1

AN: As asked by an anon, you do not have to watch the show to follow the story. However, there are spoilers if you plan on watching it at a later time.

You don’t even remember returning back to the dormitory, but you and the rest of the survivors gather in groups around the bunk beds. Tony stays close to you, and you can’t help noticing that Natasha doesn’t stray far from you either. But you’re not really in the mood to speak to her (not that you ever anticipate being so) and give her the cold shoulder.

You seek out Player 333, who isn’t difficult to locate due to his sheer size, and thank him for saving your life. He introduces himself as Thor and speaks with an accent you can’t place. You can tell he is a nice man with a good heart, although that might not bode well for him in a place like this.

Player 103, the skinny man, finds you, and you also thank him for what he’s done for you so far. He says his name is Steve. You’re a little cautious of him due to his unspoken relationship with Bucky, but he’s gone out of his way to help you twice so far, so you decide to tolerate his presence.

The pink jumpsuits enter and announce that 269 players were eliminated in the first game, leaving behind 187. That was less than half what you started with. An enormous piggy bank drops from a hole in the ceiling and fills with cash, one million per deceased player. The pink jumpsuits never specified how many winners there could be, but you wouldn’t be surprised if they only let one person walk out of here alive.

You want that person to be you, and you’re ready to do whatever it takes to win. Almost half a billion dollars was more than you knew what to do with. You could fully pay off a house and never have to worry about your living situation again. You could send your mother to the best doctors and afford the best treatment. Even after all that, you’d probably still have enough to jumpstart your company again (if you wanted).

That night, you eat dinner with Tony, Steve, and Thor and exchange stories. Steve explains he used to be close friends with Bucky, before the latter lost his arm in a train accident and involved himself with the wrong crowd. Steve isn’t explicit about the reason he’s here, but implies he’s only playing the game for his former friend.

Thor immigrated from his original country due to war, but discovered his new boss was taking advantage of his citizenship status to underpay him. You already know the reason Tony’s here, and explain to the men your desire to help support your mother.

After dinner, the announcer says there’s half an hour of free time before the lights turn off. You see Natasha curled up on her bed and suddenly feel guilty. Talking to the others put you in a generous mood, so against your best interests, you go over to her.

“You never answered my question from earlier,” you say.

Natasha raises her head to look at you. “What question?”

“Before the Red Light, Green Light game, I asked you why you’re here.”

“For that.” She points to the half-full piggy bank hanging from the ceiling.

“Obviously,” you snort. “But why?”

Her expression tells you that she doesn’t want to answer, but she relents. “I…may have stolen some money from some very important people.” You can’t help but chuckle. That was such a Natasha thing to do. “But the problem is, they’re the kind of the people that don’t believe in the law, so it’s not the police I’m running from.”

“That sucks,” you comment.

“I’m probably safer in here than I am out there,” she says.

“Do you think those people that got eliminated are actually dead?” you ask.

“Yeah,” Natasha responds. “I mean, does that look like fake blood on your pants?”

You look down at your knees, now rusty red with the dried blood of the other players. “If they’re really dead, you don’t think that amount of people going missing will raise some red flags?”

“Do you not see the kind of people in here, Y/N?” Natasha scoffs.

“What? Criminals and cheaters?” you respond.

“Okay,” she interrupts, taking a deep breath at your jibe. “My point was, no one’s gonna give a shit if we go missing. Most of us don’t have families or friends that care about us. And I bet with the debts some of us have racked up, the police will probably just think we moved out of the country and changed our names to stay alive. They’re not gonna waste their time looking for scum like us.”

“Speak for yourself,” you say. “That money would really help me and my mom out. And I don’t consider myself to be in the same category as the rest of you.” You look up at the glowing piggy bank. “Someone in here is gonna walk away with almost half a billion dollars, Nat,” you say, not noticing your slip of calling her by her nickname.

Natasha nods.

“But, you know, money can’t buy some things,” you add, side-eyeing her for her reaction.

“Like trust?” she snorts. “I see you’ve got yourself a cute little friend group over there.”

“Jealous?” You smirk.

“Who’s number 001?” Natasha asks.

“Tony. Why?” you say.

“Hmm. He just looked a little familiar. But that name doesn’t ring any bells.”

“They always say there’s strength in numbers,” you continue. “And we have no idea what the other games are gonna be.”

“That’s my point. You said so yourself that there’s probably only gonna be one winner,” Natasha says. “How do you feel about having to kill your new friends for that money?” she asks, and the harshness of her question surprises you.

“You should worry about yourself and if you’re even gonna make it to tomorrow,” you deflect, avoiding her question.“That Bucky guy really looks like he has it out for you.”

You knew it was dangerous to make acquaintances in here, but you’re already mentally ready for the inevitable. You would put yourself over them in a heartbeat. It’s an unpleasant reality, especially once you learned their names and stories, but you hadn’t come here to make friends.

You return to your bunk to join the others while Natasha looks at you with an expression of sadness and jealousy.

***********************************************************************

The next morning, breakfast consists of one pastry and a small carton of milk. It’s not very much, especially for someone of Thor’s size, but you’re not very hungry and offer him your leftovers. The pink jumpsuits lead you out of the dormitory for the second game.

Unlike yesterday’s massive field, they take you to a smaller arena. The walls are painted with clouds and there’s a giant playground filling up the space. A slide over 20-feet tall, a seesaw that could fit 10 grown adults on either side, a half-dome shaped jungle gym.

“Players, welcome to the second game. Before we begin, please stand in front of one of the four doors with a shape on it.”

On the other side of the arena, there are four doors. Each one is marked by a different shape: a circle, triangle, star, and umbrella.

“What do you think they’re gonna make us play?” Steve asks.

“I have no idea,” you say.

“Call it, Captain.” Tony looks to you. “What’s the plan?”

“Uh…” Leadership was a trait that didn’t come naturally to you, despite owning and running your own company. Especially since that had burned to the ground, you weren’t so confident in your abilities. But you’re determined not to let the others down. “I think it’s in our best odds if we split up. We don’t know what’s behind those doors, and it gives us a better chance if we don’t all choose the same one.”

“Good idea,” Steve agrees.

“You guys pick what shapes you want,” you say, feeling that you shouldn’t take the first pick as their unofficial leader.

“I’ll take the triangle,” Tony says.

“I will take the star,” Thor says. “It reminds me of the bright one that I would see shining over my hometown every night.”

“I’ll take the circle, if that’s okay with you, Y/N,” Steve says.

“That’s fine. I’ll take the umbrella.”

You fall in line to your chosen shapes’ doors. You know Natasha is in the same line as you and wonder why she’s so obsessed with following you. If she hadn’t messed up your relationship, neither of you would even be playing these games in the first place.

The doors open, revealing more pink jumpsuits standing beside a table with small, circular cases on top.

“Players, please take one case and sit anywhere in the arena. Do not open the case until we tell you to do so.”

The line shuffles along and you accept one of the cases, shaking it close to your ear to see if you can hear what’s inside. Something metal rattles, but it gives you no clue. You join Tony, Thor, and Steve, frowning when Natasha sits next to you.

“Players, you may now open your cases.”

You pull off the lid and look down at a disc of honeycomb candy with the stamp of an umbrella in the center. A sewing needle is included in the case.

“The second game is Sugar Honeycombs. Your chosen shape is the shape you must extract from the piece of honeycomb. If the shape is not completely intact, you will be eliminated.”

“Oh, shit,” you mutter. Thor and Steve look at you with pity. Tony has the easiest shape with the least amount of angles and three lines. Thor’s has more angles and lines, but it’s still easier than Steve’s circle. Your umbrella is by far the most difficult of the group, a combination of lines, angles, and curves.

You glance at Natasha, who stares at her own honeycomb piece with wide eyes. It would be a miracle if either of you could remove the shape without breaking the rest of the candy.

“You have ten minutes to complete the game. Your time begins now.”

You take your jacket off and ball it under your knees for cushioning. You’re already sweating as you take the needle with trembling fingers, scraping it into the grooves of the umbrella shape. The candy is rock-hard and extremely brittle. Too much pressure or wrong movement will break the umbrella shape, and it’s game over for you.

It isn’t until three minutes in that the first gunshot goes off. Player 225, a black man that looked only slightly younger than Tony, topples down the slide, leaving a thick trail of blood in his wake.

“Player 225 has been eliminated.”

You swallow hard and turn back to your honeycomb.

Player 225’s death causes a chain reaction. When the remaining players flinch at the gunshots, they involuntarily break their shapes and are immediately killed. Any doubt you had that the players were playing dead yesterday have vanished; today, you’re witnessing deaths at point-blank range.

You break off the round outsides of the honeycomb, desperately trying to scrape the shape out to little effect.

“Player 001 has passed.”

You recognize Tony’s number and see him showing off his triangle to one of the pink jumpsuits. You’re angry at him for choosing the easiest the shape, but of course, he couldn’t have known what the game would be. You’re just scared you might not be able to succeed with your umbrella.

“Player 227 has passed. Player 229 has passed.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a silver-haired man and a redheaded woman get up and exit, cautiously stepping over the bodies.

You wipe sweat out of your eyes, but as you lean over your honeycomb, sweat drips onto the candy and starts to melt the sugar. Gently, you lift the honeycomb out of the case and hold it up to catch the light of the sun, realizing that the backside is thinner than the front. You turn the candy over and start licking it, not caring how you might look to anyone else.

You look over your shoulder and see Natasha sweating like someone dumped a bucket of water on her head.

“Lick it,” you say, wishing you weren’t so nervous that you could laugh at the absurdity of your comment. You turn back to your honeycomb as Natasha pops hers out of the case and follows your example. Your tongue scrapes off the grains of sugar, but you don’t even get to enjoy the taste.

Thor completes his star and Steve is successful with his circle. From what you can see, all the players around you also chose the umbrella, and they all resort to your licking technique. With less than ten seconds left, you gingerly begin to break off the outer piece of honeycomb, somehow managing to preserve the shape of the umbrella.

You hold up the intact umbrella with tears in your eyes.

“Player 456 has passed.”

You stand up, cupping the honeycomb umbrella in your hands, unsure what to do with it now.

“Player 190 has passed.”

That’s Natasha’s number. She winks at you while showing her own perfectly-intact umbrella to a pink jumpsuit. You nod, surprised at how happy you are to know that she’s survived.

“The time has now expired. All remaining players are to be eliminated.”

You and Natasha leave the arena together as gunshots ring out and bodies fall.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tags: @dumpaccdontmindme @zombies1ayea @marrymemcgrath @percabethsolangelo929 @sarahthegod @marie45019

Click here for Part 3.

AN: This game was difficult to write because it’s a very visual scene, and hard to capture the emotions in writing alone.

RIP James Rhodes (Player 225). His number is a reference to the “Armor Wars” comic book arc, which begins with issue 225.

I gave Tony the triangle shape because his arc reactor becomes a triangle in the MCU. Thor was given the star because he’s from space, and Steve’s circle represents his shield. 😄

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff #black widow #black widow x reader #black widow fanfiction #natasha romanoff fanfic

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writingtoforgetreality · 3 years

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New World Order - TFATWS Rewrite Chapter One (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

[Marvel-Masterlist], [TFATWS Rewrite-Masterlist]

Next Chapter

Summary: You were an Avenger. That was how the world viewed you. Nobody else knew about your past & it was for the better. After all, you had Sam. You had Bucky. That had to be enough. At least for now.

Words: 6,214

Warnings: language, sarcasm, expect some sort of slow burn, there are hints already, this is a Bucky fic, which means that it'll focus on his scenes more, spoilers for TFATWS, (Y/E/C) = your eye color

If you like my work & wanna support me: a coffee would be highly appreciated ❤

You were no superhero. At least, you would never say you were one. Your past was filled with actions you regretted. None of it was your fault. It was not your decision to be the child of the leader of a HYDRA base. It was not your decision to grow up like a warrior. Fighting. Killing.

Your father was the bad guy. You knew that now. As a child, you did not see through his facade. How could you? He was your dad. Someone who was supposed to love you endlessly. Those years had shaped you. Into the person you were today.

Deep down, you wished there was a way to make you forget. Forget about your past. Forget about the pain. Forget about it all. Hell, you were a laboratory experiment. Those powers did not come from nowhere. No. They came from tons of needles, pumping a toxic serum into you veins. You should not even be alive anymore. Not by what now flowed through your body. Apparently, it was for your own good. That was how your dad put it. Absolute bullshit. Growing up isolated from the world, being trained to fight, to kill, daily. Your own good my ass. If it did one thing, then it ruined your damn life.

But at least you had powers, right? Blue flames you could control. Those blue flames that were hotter than anything else in this world. It took an awful lot of time to fully have control. Truthfully, you hated that part of you with every fiber of your being. It had been the cause of one too many deaths. You had been the cause. But weakness was not in your nature. If you did not show strength you would be a disappointment. Something you really did not want to be.

Bucky was the reason you got out of this life. He was the one to rescue you out of this hell hole. He was the one to show you an entirely different part of this world. And for that, you could never thank him enough. If it were not for Bucky, you would have gone insane ages ago. Who knew if you were still here today?

The Avengers were aware of your past. Of you being a part of HYDRA back in the days. Yet, you had never elaborated this any further. If there was one thing you were good at, it was keeping things to yourself. No need to burden others with your struggles. And you did struggle. Every single day. Because your mind was filled with memories. Memories you had tried to burn. Memories you wanted to erase. Memories of you being the bad guy. Just like your dad had been.

Your life changed when you were introduced to the Avengers. They did not trust you. Not right away. But during the fight with Thanos, the one after the Blip, you proved yourself to be worthy of their trust. Especially Steve. He had been there for you. When everyone else failed to believe in you. He was gone now. And it hurt like hell. Giving up was never an option. And the universe did not plan on giving you a break anytime soon. For now, you had to bury your feelings as deep as possible. Your focus should solely be on the new threats of this world. Threats, that seemed to increase daily.

“Bucky is an asshole.” you were on the phone with Sam & the fact that the super soldier had been ignoring him for a while did not leave a good feeling inside his chest.

“What a revelation.” sarcastic comments were part of your life. It was your way of coping with everything. Frankly, it worked. More or less. “Give him some time.”

“More time? No.” sighing loudly. “I have other things to focus on.” he was referring to the mission he was about to perform.

“You sure you’ll be fine on your own?” it was not like you did not believe in his abilities. Just, life had not been the same ever since billions of people came back.

“When have I ever not been?” you could think of a few times but Sam ended the call before you even had the chance to answer. Typical.

Luckily, Sam usually told you about his missions. And you were proud of him. You really were. The situation you found yourself in? With Bucky & him? Well, it was everything but good. Bucky called you. You called Sam. Sam called you. You called Bucky. A circle you kept alive. And it sucked to be their only way of communication. For now, though, both of them were too stubborn to change anything about it.

“Enjoying the Tunisian sun I hope?” whenever Sam went on a mission, you had him call you after it. Simply because he knew you worried.

“You know it.” in the far background you could hear him working on something.

“Is everyone alright? That trainee of yours? What’s his name again?”

“Torres.” he sighed, frustrated by your question. You had asked him about a million times & apparently, you still had no clue. Truth was, you just liked messing with him. “Redwing is hurt.”

“Naaaw, poor baby.” giggling slightly. That man cared more for a piece of tech than he should.

“Shut up.” okay, better not mess with Wilson if it came to Redwing. Got it.

“When are you coming back?” your voice turned serious again. Having him gone for so long did not stick right with you. Obviously, you knew he was doing it for the greater good. But still. “I swear to all the Gods, if you say when we’re done here…” mumbling quietly but loud enough for him to hear.

“When we’re finished here.” a chuckle could be heard from his side. By the way it sounded, you assumed Torres was laughing as well. Rolling your eyes at his antics. He could be such a child sometimes.

“Oh, fuck off, Wilson.”

“Hey, language!” Sam had fun. Yeah, you were the one cracking jokes all of the time but he could deliver, too.

“Okay, you know what? Bye. Text me when you’re back.” now, it was you who did not give him enough time to respond. After all, he would have clapped back with another snarky remark & you were not in the mood for it. At all.

“Steve represented the best in all of us. Courageous, righteous, hopeful. And he mastered posing stoically.” everyone chuckled at Sam’s description. Of him. Steve. Rhodey was standing right next to you. In that suit of his. The one that made him look way more approachable than you. No need for people to approach you. They did not know who you were before. And they sure as hell did not need to. It would turn things complicated. Humans did not like complicated. You did not like it. “The world has been forever changed. A few months ago, billions of people reappeared after five years away, sending the world into turmoil. We need new heroes. Ones suited for the times we’re in. Symbols are nothing without the women & men that give them meaning. And this thing…” he paused briefly, let out a short chuckle. The shield. “I don’t know if there’s ever been a greater symbol. But it’s more about the man who propped it up, & he’s gone. So, today we honor Steve’s legacy. But also, we look to the future. So, thank you, Captain America. But this belongs to you.” the crowd erupted into cheers. Applause was filling the room & you felt out of place. What was he doing? When Sam asked you to join him here today, he left out the fact that he wanted to give away the shield. The shield Steve had trusted him enough to own. And the people surrounding you? They…celebrated him for it? This entire speech was proof enough that Wilson was worthy of this job. So why the hell did he make that decision? Watching the shield being put into the showcase, you could hardly hold in the tears that formed at the corners of your (Y/E/C) eyes. Rhodey nudged you, sensing that something was wrong. Head hanging low, you ignored him, walking out of the room as fast as possible. If you stayed here any longer, Sam would have bruises for sure. Bruises caused by you. You would not risk that. Though, he kind of deserved it.

“Where’s (Y/N)?” Sam asked Rhodey when he finished with the press. You had told him you would wait here for him. There was no sign of you.

“Left a while ago.”

“What do you mean “Left a while ago.”? Did she say where she was heading?” why did you decide to leave? Had anything happened while he held his speech? All Rhodey could do was shrug. An explanation was not given by you. And he knew better than to ask.

“Take a walk?” Rhodey suggested, completely unaware to your weird behavior. The two of you were not that close. So he did not know you like Sam did. You were an adult, after all. If you wanted to go somewhere without asking someone first, then you were allowed to do that.

Disappointment was flooding through your body. Friends told each other stuff like that, right? So why did he keep it a secret that he planned on giving away the shield. With that action, he broke Steve’s trust & you were livid. If only Steve were here right now. You missed him. So much. Next time Sam met you, you could not promise anything. Because anger was all you felt. Anger & disappointment. Grief. But that one you could keep to yourself. At least for the time being. Shit. Bucky. One hundred percent did he watch Sam giving away the shield. Oh, he would be filled with hatred. Compared to that, you were only a small threat. Bucky was the one Wilson should keep an eye on. Well, he had been trying to get a hold of him. So far, without luck.

A gunshot blasting woke Bucky up from another night invaded by nightmares. His changed hair did not put his demons at bay. His look was different but there were some things he could never get rid of. His past. The past he dreaded as much as you did. Probably what you two had in common. Being part of HYDRA & all. His breathing was irregular & there was no way in hell he could go back to sleep. It was in the middle of the night & he hated himself for relying on someone else. But he would go insane if he did not call another person right now. If he did not call you. The only one who seemed to understand what he was going through. The only one who never judged him because of his nightmares. The only one who made him feel like he was a good person. Not the killer he once had been. When HYDRA controlled him. Back, when he was called “The Winter Soldier”. Would he ever move on from that? Grabbing his old phone, he did not overthink too long & dialed your number. One, he knew by heart. Because he had called you so many times. It stuck in his head.

“Buck? Is everything alright?” concern was present in your voice. Usually, when you got a call in the middle of the night, it was him. And you were fine with it. If he trusted you enough to help him with his demons, than you were more than happy to come to his aid. No matter the time.

“I-I…it’s just, ugh, I-“ still shaken up from his nightmare, you did not need him to finish his sentence. You had been in this exact situation so many times. You knew what he needed. Your presence. Your voice. Your comfort. You.

“I’ll be there in a few.” assuring him, you were already grabbing the stuff you needed & walked out of your apartment. Only one destination in mind. Him. “Do you need me to stay on the phone?” it was a simple question. A stupid one, too. Usually, he would not say a word until you were with him. But it felt right to ask him what he wanted you to do. Needed you to do. When he did not answer for a few moments, you guessed he only nodded, not realizing that you could not see his motions. Yet, he did not hang up. Neither did you. Your breathing was enough for him. At least until you were in his apartment.

Knocking softly, as to not wake his neighbors, the door opened almost immediately after. Squeaking ever so slightly. Taking in his appearance, you could tell that it had been a bad nightmare. No, not a nightmare. A memory. You knew that because it was the reason you woke up most nights as well. If it were not for him feeling miserable, you would have drooled by the sight of him. No shirt. Hair sticking around so beautifully. Eyes you could lose yourself in. But it was not the right timing. Besides, Bucky & you were just friends. That was it. Just friends. Though, you would lie if you said that you did not feel butterflies whenever he shot you one of his charming smiles. Whenever his body brushed against yours on accident. Yes, he did have that effect on you. Hell, that was not what he needed right now. Your feelings could be dealt with later on. Bucky was all who mattered now. There was no conversation. No words exchanged. It was enough for him if you were with him. A sign that he was not alone. That he still had you. Even after everything. Even after calling you, night after night, disturbing your own rest. Not that you got much to begin with but he did not need to know that. It had always been a mystery to him. Why you stuck around still. Though you had assured him thousands of times that you were in this for good. If he needed you, you were only one call away. And he appreciated you for it. More than he would ever like to admit. Friends. You were friends.

“So, Mr. Barnes, are you still having nightmares?” another session with Dr. Raynor. Another dreaded session. It was stupid to Bucky. But there was no way out of this. He had to. Seconds of silence went by before she spoke up again. “James, I asked you a question. Are you still having nightmares?” what kind of question was that? A stupid one. That was for sure.

“No.” simple, short. Sufficient. Not for his doctor, though.

“We’ve been doing this long enough that I can tell when you’re lying. Well, you seem a little off today. Did something happen recently?”

“No.” what an answer to move this session forward. Clearly, he was not in the mood to talk today. Not even you were able to get his mind off of things. Though, you definitely made his night easier.

“You’re a civilian now. With your history, the government needs to know that you’re not gonna…” her hand motioned stabbing. Awful action but who were you to judge? Bucky nodded with that look on his face that showed how completely done he was with this situation. Yet, she kept going. “It’s a condition of your pardon. So, tell me about your most recent nightmare.”

“I didn’t have a nightmare.” well, it was worth a try. After taking a deep breath, she grabbed the pencil, ready to start writing into that notebook of hers again. “Oh, come on. Really? You’re gonna do the notebook thing? Why? It’s passive aggressive.” looked like the two of them were going back to the roots.

“You don’t talk. I write.” Bucky sighed at that. He knew he would not get out of this.

“Okay. Okay. I crossed a name off the list of my amends yesterday. Don’t worry. I used all your three rules. Senator Atwood. She was a HYDRA pawn for years. Helped her get into office when I was the Winter Soldier. And after HYDRA disbanded, she continued to abuse the power I gave her.”

“So, rule number one, you can’t do anything illegal.”

“All I did was give some intel to the aide to convict her. And I wasn’t involved in anything else.”

“Rule number two?”

“What was rule number two?” his gaze drifting off, showing he thought about it deeply. How ironic.

“Nobody gets hurt. It’s a big one.”

“Then why isn’t it rule number one?” he did have a point there. No room left for arguing about that. “I didn’t hurt anybody. I promise.”

“And what about rule number three?” Bucky’s mouth opened, yet, nothing came out. “The whole point of making amends is to fulfil rule number three.”

“You know, you’re a cynic, Doc. Of course, I completed rule number three. I am James Bucky Barnes & you’re part of my efforts to make amends.” words followed by that smile of his. That smile everyone could tell was fake. Almost creepy. But efforts, right? It was all about the efforts.

“So, you did it all right, but it didn’t help with the nightmares.”

“Well, like I said, I didn’t have any.” Bucky Barnes, everyone. Still trying to fool his doctor.

“Look, one day, you’re gonna have to open up & understand that some people really do want to help you & that they can be trusted. People like (Y/N).” the mention of your name made his eyes snap up.

“I trust more people than her.” it sounded more like he tried to convince himself more than anyone else.

“Yeah? Give me your phone.” an order. Grabbing it out of his pocket to hand it over. A short look was enough. “You don’t have ten phone numbers on this thing. Oh, & you’ve been ignoring the texts from Sam. Look, you gotta nurture friendships. I am the only person you have called all week. That is so sad…Oh, that’s not right. You called (Y/N) last night. Anything you wanna tell me about that?” closing the flip phone, she threw it over to Bucky which he caught with ease.

“What? Do I need to justify calling a friend?” chuckling & shaking his head slightly, he brushed his hands over his thighs.

“If you call that friend at 3 am, then yes. Because you should sleep at that time. Except if you had a nightmare which you claimed that you didn’t.”

“We just talked. That’s all.” he thought that brushing it off as if it were nothing was enough to get her to shut up. Hell, he had brought you up during his sessions way too many times. After all, he still wanted the situation between you guys to be subtle.

“You’re alone.”

“A minute ago, you said I had (Y/N).” he tried arguing but his attempts failed.

“You’re a hundred years old. You have no history, no family…” right, pouring salt in the wounds. That usually worked.

“Are you lashing out at me, Doc? Because that’s really unprofessional, you know? When did that start? Yelling at your clients?” she seemed to have enough & again went for the little book next to her. “Oh, the notebook. That’s great.” sighing deeply, he braced himself to take her more seriously. “All right, give me a break. I’m trying, okay? This isn’t…This is new for me. I didn’t have a moment to deal with anything, you know? I had a little…calm in Wakanda. And other than that, I just went from one fight to another for 90 years.”

“So, now that you’ve stopped fighting, what do you want?” he had an answer in mind right away. Never ever would he say it out loud. It took him a second to reply. Because what he was about to say came in union with his first thought.

“Peace.”

“That is utter bullshit.” what a nice way to bad talk his answer. Maybe she was expecting something else from him. Maybe she knew the answer just as much as he did. The real answer.

“You’re a terrible shrink.”

“I was an excellent soldier, so I saw a lot of dead bodies, & I know how that can shut you down. And if you are alone…”

“Which I’m not because I have (Y/N).”

“…that is the quietest, most personal hell. And, James, it is very hard to escape. Look, I know that you have been through a lot, but you’ve got your mind back, you are being pardoned. I mean, these are good things. You’re free.”

“To do what?”

Wednesday. Bucky usually went to Izzy. Today, he asked you to join him & Yori. Why he wanted you there with them? No clue. But it was not often he asked you to go somewhere with him so you agreed on meeting them there.

“Take a look.” Yori was a cute, old man. Reading his newspaper like a good citizen. Bucky had yet to give you an explanation as to why you were here right now. But for now, you just sat next to him, quietly observing your surroundings. “Nobody made it past 90 this week.” it was funny, to see Bucky trying his hardest to sound interested. Like he understood.

“So young. Such a shame.” his words made you scoff. Apparently, once you hit the 100 mark, you turn into a sarcastic piece. If you were not one before. If you ever made it to 100? Only the Gods knew what would come after that. Most people called you a sarcastic asshole now. Could that be topped?

“You guys didn’t order the usual, huh? Feeling a little adventurous?” the woman behind the counter directed her words at the three of you.

“Um, actually, I’ve never been here before, so…” you chuckled to avoid the awkwardness that would sure as hell build if you kept quiet now.

“You should ask her out.” Yori leaned over to Bucky & you almost choked on your food at his words. Bucky asking her out? Her? Yeah, she was beautiful & all. But her? Really? Seemed like that Yori dude did not know Bucky as well as he claimed to. You, on the other hand, were aware that nothing good would come out if it. Besides, they would not even make a nice couple. Shit, were you jealous? Oh no. Glancing over at the man next to you, his face showed just how much he despised this idea. At least something.

“Mm-mmm…” shaking his head frantically, he shot you a quick look but before his eyes locked onto yours, your gaze fell down to your plate. Slightly embarrassed. Scared that, if he looked at you, he would notice something behind your look. Something more. Something, that you wanted to keep hidden. For everyone’s sake.

“He would like to take you out on a date.” oh fuck off, Yori. You had nothing against this man but he was pushing your buttons. Could he not see that Bucky was incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of going on a date? With her? “Maybe to bingo or a night of pinochle.” hiding your laugh behind one of your hands, you could not believe that he was serious. Bucky & bingo? Well, it was for old people so you guessed it fit quite well. Not with her, though. Oh no, you really were jealous.

“I’m really sorry about him.” Bucky apologized for his friend’s behavior. Yes, you were sorry for him, too.

“Why are you sorry?” of course, now the woman was flirting with him. It got better & better. Taking a deep breath, you tried to keep your emotions at bay. You could not lash out in the middle of this restaurant, after all. Even though you were this close to doing just that. Deep breaths, you got this. “I’m game.” sure she was.

“Wow.” really? Bucky was impressed? By this? Oh come on, why would he settle for less when he could have so, so much more. But it was not your decision. He was not yours. You did not own him. Neither did you make the decisions for him.

“Tomorrow night, then?” Yori leaned over the counter.

“Tomorrow night’s great.” she replied with a bright smile.

“Hey, I just remembered something.” you spoke up all of a sudden. Bucky’s eyes met yours now & he saw that you were uncomfortable. Though, he could not pinpoint why. “Um, I-I need to go. See you, Buck. Bye guys.” sprinting out of the restaurant, you hoped nobody would follow you. Not in the mood to deal with anyone right now. All you wanted was to be alone right now. Your mind the only one keeping you company. But your mind was not really the kindest to you. Not in this particular moment. So what? Bucky had a date. You knew that would happen sooner or later. He was a good looking man. More importantly, you just wanted him to be happy. Genuinely happy.

Fucking great. Who could you talk to? You still were not done being mad at Sam. And now you were mad at Bucky for something he did not even do. He sort of did. He could have said no. If he really did not want to, he could have said no. Bucky was enough of a man to speak his mind, you knew that. Maybe he did want to go on a date with her. What was her name again? Not that you cared too much. But still. Blinking away the tears that had formed at the corners of your eyes, you kept on walking. Without a real destination. You were stupid. Friends. Why could you not accept this? Usually, you would call Steve in such a situation. Or even Tony. But it was too late now. They were not here anymore. You had to deal with that sooner or later. Whether you liked it or not. Contemplating calling Sam, you eyed your phone carefully. One more button. But nope. The anger was bigger than the need to talk to someone. Stubborn you. Wilson could make you feel better. But you would most likely end up yelling at him. And you knew you would regret your words later on. So might as well stay silent for the time being. Until you calmed down enough.

It was 10 pm. Date time for Bucky. That same restaurant. Being the gentleman that we was, he even brought her flowers. Like it used to be back in the 40s.

“Well, if that’s not the most adorably old-fashioned thing anyone’s ever done.” Bucky felt lost. In her company. “Grab a seat, I’ll be done in a few.”

“Okay.” he could up & leave. It would not be too late. All he knew was that it felt wrong.

“So, have you dated much since half the fish in the sea came back?”

“Not really. I, um…tried the whole online dating thing. (Y/N), the girl who was here with me yesterday, she set up a profile for me because I didn’t understand a single thing.” laughing at the memory, he thought back to when he called you to ask you for a favor. How you laughed at him for wanting to try this whole bullshit. “It’s pretty crazy. A lot of weird pictures.”

“What kind of weird?”

“I mean, tiger photos? Half the time I don’t even know what I’m looking at. It’s…It’s a lot. When I showed (Y/N), she simply said that this was what I signed up for.”

“You sound like my dad.” definitely something a man did not want to hear while on a date. On the other hand, he did not even want this to be a date. “Wait. How old are you?

“A hundred & six.” only he could make it sound so casually. Like it was the most normal thing on this planet. Both laughed at his words. Simply because it was so absurd.

“What’s up with your big gloves?” a sensitive topic she just touched.

“I, um, have, uh…poor circulation.” sure thing.

“Hmm…Hey, what is it about this (Y/N) girl & you?” his eyes widened at her question. What was she getting at?

“She’s my friend. Why?” his dumbfounded expression made her chuckle.

“A friend, huh?”

“Um, yeah.”

“You sure about that?” an eyebrow raised. A questioning stare was sent his way.

“Why does everyone think I don’t have friends?” throwing his head back in frustration, he let out a long sigh.

“It’s not that.” she stopped briefly, thinking about her next words carefully. “Just, you guys seem pretty close.”

“Well, we’ve known each other for years.” he reasoned, gesturing with his hands to bring his point across.

“Yeah? And the looks you’re shooting each other when the other one’s not looking?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You two aren’t really subtle about this, you know?” she wiped the counter & did not even look at Bucky. He, on the other hand, started sweating.

“Subtle about what?”

“Oh, come on. Who are you kidding? I don’t even know why you’re here right now.”

“Because Yori set you & me up on a date.”

“And why did you agree?” she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an explanation from the man in front of her.

“I-I don’t know.” he responded truthfully. Because he thought it to be polite? Because Yori was the one who suggested it? Honestly, he was not sure.

“That’s what I thought. Look, you’re a nice guy & all but…just, listen to your heart from time to time. It’s late. You should head out. See you.” she turned around & walked further into the restaurant. Leaving Bucky alone with his thoughts. It was clear what she intended. Did not mean that it made this entire situation any easier. Bucky left without another word. Fresh air would help him think straight.

Your phone rang & you sighed when you checked who decided to annoy you. Bucky. Of course. But wait. Should he not be on his date right now? Did something go wrong? Not that you wanted it to but if you were entirely honest, you would not be mad about it either.

“Hi Buck. What’s up?”

“I need your help with something.” there was no hesitation in his voice. Just him being straight forward.

“Please don’t tell me you need help on how to get the girl.” it was your way to lighten the mood. You did that because you could tell that he was incredibly serious. Usually, this was never a good sign.

“Can I send you an address? Can you meet me there as soon as possible?” his voice was low, deep.

“Um, sure thing. But just to set things clear…I won’t join in on your fun, Buck. That’s between you & her.” again, sarcasm was your way of coping with emotions. Though, it was not the right time to use it right now. His next words were proof enough. You should not mess with him. Not in this moment.

“Can you be serious for a second?” he raised his voice a little. It was not much but it was enough to leave you confused. Bucky was not the person to yell at you. Especially not like this.

“I’m sorry…Um, yeah, tell me where & I’ll get there as fast as I can.” gulping down, you waited for him to give you more information.

Arriving at an unfamiliar building, you could make out Bucky’s form in front of it. Why would he want to meet you here? Where was his date?

“Buck?” your voice barely above a whisper. The night sky only illuminated by the moon that shone brightly. Providing just a tiny bit of light. Enough, to let you notice your surroundings.

“Thanks for coming.” you could tell that he was stressed, tough, you were not sure why.

“Is everything alright? Because I swear, if that woman did anyth-“

“No, she didn’t. Promise.” his warm smile was encouraging enough. It was clear that he was not lying to you. “Just…didn’t work out. But that’s not why you’re here.”

“Okay?”

“My last nightmare. Do you remember?” nodding for him to continue. “How I killed that innocent man?”

“It wasn’t you, Buck. You were being controlled.” touching his shoulder softly, squeezing it to reassure him.

“Whatever…That guy, it was Yori’s son. I want to, need to, apologize. Even though the apology comes way too late.” you nodded at him, your eyes meeting his briefly. Now you knew why he called you. He did not want to do this alone. No. He wanted you by his side. To support him through it. Entering the building together, Bucky led you to the apartment Yori lived in. His hand raised to knock on the door. Surprisingly, he did not waste any time. He wanted to get this over with. Understandingly so. No words were exchanged. You being here, with him, that was more than enough.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Yori opened the door, his face showed confusion by the appearance of you two. “How was the date?” you could not help but roll your eyes at the old man in front of you. Looking at Bucky, you were worried when you saw him having an internal conversation with himself. Mouth opening & closing again. No words coming out. Risking a look inside the apartment, you noticed a small picture frame with who you assumed to be his son. The one Bucky killed. No. The one the Winter Soldier killed.

“It was…It was good.” Bucky mumbled.

“Bullshit.” you followed after. None of them heard you, though. Luckily.

“Forgot I owed you for lunch.” Bucky handed him money. If you were not mistaken, this was not a form of apologizing. He had a hard time, though, that much was obvious. Afterwards, Bucky turned around & walked away without another word. Which left you alone with a confused looking Yori.

“I’m sorry for the disturbance, sir. Have a good night.” plastering on the sweetest smile you could offer, you followed Bucky outside. Jogging to keep up with the super soldier.

Back outside, you saw Bucky holding his little notebook in his hands. You knew about it. Because you were the only person he talked to when it came to his therapy sessions. A look over his shoulder could tell that his eyes were trained on the name being circled. His body was tense. That was not what he planned.

“It’s okay, Bucky.” your hand stroked over his lower back in a comforting way. Your forehead rested against his shoulder, hoping, that it would ease him a little. You could feel him calm down at your touch. “Give yourself some time.” you mumbled quietly, knowing he could hear you clearly due to the calm night. You just hoped that he would not beat himself up too much. Not more than he already did.

You were back in your own apartment. Still no words from Sam. But that was nothing new. Sometimes, he would go radio silent for a few days but after that, he would always check in with you. Maybe he figured that you were mad at him. For giving away the shield & all. And he probably was busy with work. The work he did with Torres. If he needed your help, he would call you for sure. Your TV got your attention again. Something told you to watch closely. So you did.

“Unrest, in the wake of recent events, has left us vulnerable. Every day Americans feel it. While we love heroes who put their lives on the line to defend Earth, we also need a hero to defend this country. We need a real person who embodies America’s greatest values. We need someone to inspire us again, someone who can be a symbol for all of us. So, on behalf of the Department of Defense & our Commander-in-Chief, it is with great honor that we announce here today that the United States of America has a new hero. Join me in welcoming your new Captain America.” the crowd cheered loudly & someone walked through the door. You could not believe what was happening. Please, this had to be a bad dream. When would you wake up form this hell? A man, wearing his suit, holding his shield, greeted the people. Looking at your hands, you could see small, blue sparks forming at the tips of your fingers. That only ever happened when you had no control over your emotions. Right now, you were everything but in control. Of course he had to wink at the camera like the sick person he was.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me…” breathing out lowly, you put your head into your hands, completely ignoring the sparks there. You did not feel them anyway. If you ever met this son of a bitch it would not end well for him. And the next time you would meet Wilson? Fingers crossed he could deal with your angry & disappointed self. Because you were seething.

~to be continued~

Next Chapter

Published (04/02/2021) by Cathy

Tags: @taina-eny, @tanyaherondale, @cool-ultra-nerd, @toribentleyva, @buckyandlokirunmylife, @annadier, @howlongtillidie, @mizz-kraziii, @theetherealbloom, @millenniumloki, @marvelbros-oneshots, @ajbwasnthere, @bilesxbilinskixlahey, @mystictimetravelcolor, @dbrees256, @sxpxrnxturxl, @dreamydreamerwriting, @dolllstyles, @angelicastiel, @prettysbliss, @infinitelyforgotten, @sweetserendipity65, @lilystilinskicullen, @partypoisonsblog, @btdsprayberry, @sarai-ibn-la-ahad, @deamus-liv, @simplybarnes, @sethcohenluvr (let me know if you wanna be tagged <3)

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remuslupins-lover · 3 years

Text

simon kalivoda fluff

(simonxfem!reader)

[WARNING: includes y/n being insecure of her body, mentions of sh (self harm) ]

“and remember, not a single drop of- and they’re gone.” josh sighed, “they’re horny lesbians, josh, they wanna get fucked before they die.” i said making simon laugh and give me a high five. “that’s not funny!” josh said angrily, “we aren’t dying!” he added on. “you never know!” i defended myself, “none of you are gonna die!” josh repeated.

walking past josh and giving him a ‘are you sure?’ look. “what do you wanna wear?” kate asked me, giving me the option to pick first,

“this blue-” i began, “nope i have been eyeballing that since i saw the bin.” simon said, taking the shirt. “like how josh has been eyeballing kate.” he whispered in my ear making me hold back a giggle.

“okay then i’ll take this shirt and these sweatpants.” i took a black shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants. “oh, well would you look at that! there’s a stain on the crotch area.. is there anything else?” i sighed. kate threw me a pair or shorts that were obviously too big for me, they were men’s shorts. “hey that’s mine!” simon said out of nowhere. “why are your shorts in the lost and found bin?” i asked.

“remember that one time i went to school with shorts for like half a day?” he asked making me nod. “i took it off for a dare and they ended up taking it..” he trailed off. i didn’t know whether to be mad or if i should be laughing.

“it’s what you get for being a dumbass, right kate-”

josh and kate were going in the same bathroom.

“go josh?” simon said in a confused tone. “just go into your own ba-” i began but quickly stopped when i realised there were only 2.

“i’m not going in the girls bathroom, how much you wanna bet they’re having sex?” i fake vomited. “get in the men’s bathroom with me.” simon said, already pulling me. “no! are you serious? what if someone catches me in there?!” i asked, coming up with any reason to not go in the men’s bathroom with simon.

“who’s gonna catch us? hall monitors? all four of them are getting fucked they don’t give a shit.” he said, before i knew it i was in a stall.

i cleaned up all the blood i can see. no doubt my back has some blood, how am i gonna reach it without having simon involved? there was no other way.

“uh.. simon” i cleared my throat. “yea?” his voice cracked. “can you -uh- come in and check if i have any blood on my back?” i asked. “s-sure.” he stuttered.

he went to open the door but it was locked. “y/n? you good? the stall is locked.” why would she lock the door it’s only me in the bathroom.

“sorry, force of habit.” i apologised, opening the door slowly. once he came into view i covered my stomach with my hand and tried to hide my thighs all at once. he saw my body a billion times we’ve been friends since kindergarten.

i slowly turned around, shivered when his cold hand touched my neck, he moved my hair and when he saw i had nothing he cleared his throat, “you’re blood-free.”

“don’t think so.” i said turning around, “sam’s blood free.” he corrected himself. “there we go.” i smiled.

we fell into a comfortable silence.

i caught myself staring at his eyes, who knew one could have such beautiful eyes? they were so captivating, i almost felt obliged to move closer to him. i could feel his breath. we were so close to each other that if one of us moved a centimeter we would’ve bumped into each other.

“you have pretty eyes.” i blurted out, internally cursing myself. “you’re pretty.” he added, his eyes searching mine; trying to see if i too had the same intentions as him.

it was taking too long, he was taking too long. i closed the gap between us and kissed him. “this a good time to tell you i had a crush on you since 3rd grade?” he breathed, pulling out of the kiss. “this a good time to tell you i’ve had a crush on you since 2nd?” i smirked.

he picked me up and sat me on the sink. my thighs doubled their size and suddenly my scars were much more visible. i tried to cover them up, but he removed my hands.

“you are beautiful” he reassured me, kissing each and every scar. he kissed my bikini line, right on my hips. “you’re crazy if you think i don’t know about these.” he scoffed.

i looked him in the eyes, tears beginning to fall.

“did i say something? god, i’m sorry-”

i pulled him into a kiss. “god, i love you.” i confessed with a sigh. he kissed my tears away. “i love you more.” he replied with a smile. “not sure that’s possible.” i shot back. “pretty sure it is.” he argued.

someone was bagging on the door, making me hold onto simon because i almost slipped.

“what are you guys doing in there? quick get out!” we heard kate yell.

“jeez, someone’s angry.” simon said, pulling on his blue jumper and his pants. “tell me about it.” i scoffed, wearing the shorts that belong to my crush and a shirt that belongs to someone.

simon and i got out of the bathroom to be greeted by an angry kate.

“i thought you were supposed to feel good and happy after sex.” i whispered to simon. “me too, i mean, we didn’t even have sex and i’m over the moon.” he whispered back.

“i can hear you!” kate sighed. “oh.” simon and i chorused.

sam and deena came with their hair messed up, my mascara was ruined, and kate was obviously stressing out over the fact if her best friend is okay with her and her brother dating.

“damn, did everyone go to pound town?” simon snorted making me laugh. “we missed out bud.” i told him. “did we really?” he looked me in the eyes, still smiling, with that look i adored. my smile dropped, i wanted him to ruin me, “no- i guess not.” i blushed.

“i wonder what happened between them.” sam whispered to deena, “they almost got fucked.” deena answered. “but they didn’t?” sam said. “i guess not, it’s kinda like the -uh- the confession part of whatever they got going on.” deena shrugged.

“do they think we’re deaf?” i whispered to simon who nodded in response, “probably.”

i suck tbh idk what this is i’m not proofreading it cause cramps suck!! everything and everyone BUT simon suck <33

#simon kalivoda #fear street #simon x reader #horror #fypシ #viral #movies #writing

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timextoxhajima · 3 years

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Love Me A Little Less: Chapter 1 - Frankenstein

LOVE ME A LITTLE LESS CHAPTER MASTERLIST

Member: (3rd person pov) arranged marriage au with Lee Juyeon

Genre: angsty wangsty

Taglist: @hyunvelies

“We buried you.”

The feast before Kim Jang Won is absolutely stunning. Lemon meringue tarts, strawberry smoothies (with actual strawberry bits in them), pancakes and freshly buttered croissants, a gorgeous transparent glass pot with the golden shade of chamomile tea and a beautiful tray of puffs and eclairs.

It would be even more stunning if it wasn’t her view every morning though.

“Hey, um, don’t we have like alternating menus or something for breakfast? I feel like I’m eating the same thing every morning now, it’s kinda getting tacky.”

“Miss Kim, I hope you know you’re the one who decides what the menu is. You chose this set like a week ago and you told us not to change it for the next two weeks.”

Jang Won sneers at her butler, arguably the only person on the property to has the guts to talk to her in a way that could get her fired.

“You’re lucky I can trust you.”

Ro Il Jung purses his lips into a thin white line, scratching his cheek with one of those knuckly, wrinkly-skin-covered fingers of his. “You seem to forget that I wanted to retire last year, Miss Kim.”

Jang Won huffs childishly, sticking her tongue out, now a gentle, thick shade of smoothie on her tongue. “I’ll let you retire when I find someone else I can trust, Mr Ro. It’s just too bad I don’t have anybody in mind right now.”

Mr Ro shakes his head like a parent disapproving of his child, but a house guard pulling the heavy doors of the entrance over accompanied by some urgent yelling tears his attention away from the owner of the mansion.

Jang Won looks up from her butter and croissant, at Mr Ro, who excuses himself before heading for the entrance hall.

“Sir,” He begins before he can even note the visitor. “If you could--”

“Mr Ro!”

Jang Won hears her butler’s words fade to a complete silent, only listening to their visitor talk. But it’s strange, because it’s a familiar voice...

Mr Ro cannot believe the sight before his eyes.

“I can’t believe you’re still working here. It’s so great to see you again!” Then the visitor pulls Mr Ro into a hug, harshly patting the space between his shoulder blades.

The lady of the house cannot take it anymore, not when she can’t eavesdrop on the conversation occurring in her own halls. So she gets up from the table, heels clacking against the marble floor as she heads into the entrance hall.

“Alright now, who’s got the guts to stop me in the middle of my French breakfast this morning?”

Mr Ro turns in silent shock, eyes wide and glaring while Jang Won processes the face of the visitor.

The man hadn’t looked like he aged a day since he was--

“I’m sorry,” Jang Won scoffs, waving her beautifully done manicured fingernails in the air. “If this is some impractical joke, please do tell because my brain is just about to explode from the sight right now. Y’know,” She gestures to her head and mimics the sound of a bomb.

“Jang Won...” The visitor strides towards her, arms wide. But she raises a palm and shifts backwards, a cautious half-smile mixed with a frown plastered to her flawless skin.

“Not another step, nuh-uh,” Waving a finger before his nose, she shakes her head. “There is no way in Hell you can be standing here.”

“Oh, but I am, love,” Once a warm voice that sang her to sleep, Jang Won cannot decide if the tears in her eyes are welling from relief or fear. “I’m home.”

“No... no!” She slaps away his outstretched hands. “We... we buried you...”

“And I can only imagine what you’re feeling right now, my child, but... we have more important things to worry about.”

Mr Ro’s face is contorted with a mess of confusion and anxiety and he watches the first tears fall down Jang Won’s cheeks.

“What...? ‘More important’-- No, how is anything more important than you... standing here?” The last word comes out like a final breath, at a volume just enough for him to hear.

“I came bearing news, Jang Won. I-- Well...” He rubs the back of his head, eyes tilted down to his feet. “Because I’ve return to the board of administration now... part of the company now comes back to... me--”

What?

“And... you cannot inherit any part of the company unless you are married to someone from a family from the same administration board.”

Jang Won’s tears solidify into fumes of anger as the thought runs through her neurons. The middle aged man begins to panic when he can read the rage in her eyes, her fists now clenched and the markings of her rings probably embedded into the flesh of her palm. Her knuckles begin to turn white as does his face, ever so slightly.

“Now, now, love. I know what you’re thinking and we can sit down and have a chat about this--”

“‘Sit down and have a chat’?” Jang Won scoffs miserably, lower jaw hanging agape. “Why don’t we sit down and let me ask you whiCH SCIENTIST MADE YOU FRANKENSTEIN?!”

The hallways of the mansion echo the shouts, the sound waves bouncing back and forth between the marble walls mostly adorn with gorgeous, one-in-a-million paintings.

“That’s not important now, hun. I just need you to understand that without this marriage, you will lose the house and everything you own from HERA & ARTEMIS.”

“I built HERA & ARTEMIS after you were fucking bURIED! Who are you to tell me that you will inherit it ownership and I can’t just because I’m not married?!”

“These were instructions from The Board, Jang Won. I had absolutely no say over this--”

“BULLSHIT! If you have the power to take ownership of HERA & ARTEMIS just because you climbed out of your own grave, why don’t you have the power to help m-- Oh, oh...” Jang Won frowns in disdain, disgust welling her lungs and her gut.

“What?” His eyes widen and shoulders shrug.

“You came back just to tell me this... because you want HERA & ARTEMIS for yourself.”

“What-- No--”

"You... low-life... scumbag!" The sharp shatter of the glass cabinet behind him echoes through the entrance hall of the mansion. One of the palm-sized statues sitting on the table in the middle of the circular hall lands amongst the billion pieces of glass on the marble floor.

"You give me my freedom and now you tell me I have to get married?!" The final word is literally pushed through her teeth when she cannot clench her jaws even harder. The tremors vibrating up her fist and into her arm and then her entire body makes her look like a volcano ready to erupt, so if these people haven't gotten enough, they have yet to see what's in store.

"Just who the HELL do you think you are?!" Grabbing another one of those tiny statues, Jang Won throws it into the other glass door of the cabinet.

"Jang Won, will you calm down?!"

"Don't you DARE tell me to calm down! You waltz back into this house after GOD knows how long- Hell, we BURIED you!"

"There was a mistake of the body identification and frankly, I expected a warmer welcome from you!"

"HA! A ‘warmer welcome’?! What do you want me to do? Set the entire house on fire? Do you want me to? Because I will!" The man has his brows furrowed back, palms out stretched to her. The mansion staff have all gathered a safe distance around the two of them, Mr Ro and some of those closer to Jang Won trying their best to get to her and calm her nerves but there is just absolutely no way she isn’t going to hurl a brick at her father.

"I can't BELIEVE you're standing there as if you own this place," The muscles around Jang Won’s nose twitches as the frown sinks deeper into her forehead. "I want you to hear this mighty well and crystal clear. You may have been the one who gave me life, but you will never EVER be my dad.”

The huffs that are billowing out Jang Won’s nostrils are starting to hurt.

"There is not a single cent you're stepping on - or touching, for that matter - that belongs to you. The only reason why I haven't fucking put a bullet through your right eye is because I'd go to jail and every thing I've worked for would be thrown out the window.”

“Now, now, love, we can sit down and be civilized about this—”

“Fuck you,” The anger surges through her, and she picks up one more palm-sized statue from the blue resin table. The heavy bronze weight leaves her fingers, and before it can hit the slightly aged man, someone reaches out and catches it instead.

“What the HELL are you doing?!” The scream echoes through the hall of the mansion. Younghoon sighs heavily, hand retreating back to his side as he hands the statue to one of the house staff.

“You have no right to get involved in this—”

“Jang Won, let’s go,” Younghoon strides across the space and grabs her arm, back-facing his father and trying to pull her in the opposite direction. “We can talk about this in your office.”

“How are you thinking straight?! We BURIED him! We watched his coffin get lowered into—”

“I know! I was there!” His eyes flutter shut in frustration, shoulders raising as he sucks in a deep breath, flaring his nostrils. “There’s no point destroying your own property over this. We can carry out some investigations, figure out what really happened, then we’ll work from there.”

The grip on her arm tightens when her instincts try to writhe away from him, but obviously, he doesn’t relent.

“Don’t do it. It’s not worth your time, or mine.”

He stares down at Jang Won, but it doesn’t scare her, not when she has a ghost standing right in the middle of some shattered mess. Not one cut on him.

Younghoon grimly shuts the door as Jang Won stomps over to her office desk and rests her palms flat against the Agar Wood surface. With a sharp, swift feat, she swipes nearly all the documents off the furniture. But when she misses the empty glass (that would usually be filled with some kind of alcohol or soda), she doesn't hesitate to pick it off the desk and propel it into the marble by the television mounted to the wall.

The shatter startles Younghoon as he whips around, eyes darting frantically between her and the mess she’s made.

"Jang Won!"

"Should I be concerned you don't seem one bit bothered that a dead man is standing in our living room - MY living room?"

"That dead man is our father."

"No, that dead man WAS our father before he ditched us! How are you not- UGH!"

Frustrated, furious and absolutely exasperate, she plops down into one of the two sofas sitting in the middle of the office, feet almost tempted to kick the frosted glass table in the middle but she holds herself back. Younghoon manages to get a few house staff into the room, who hurriedly help clear the glass and return the documents to the table. Fingers pressed into her temples, Jang Won could only imagine the gratification she could receive have if she had the chance to ram her first into someone's face.

Younghoon waits for the staff to leave, then stands by the sofa opposite her, one hand on his hip and the other running through his hair. The late morning sun reflects off his soft, dark brown locks when he absent-mindedly rubs the back of his head and he proceeds to unbutton his blazer to allow him a seat. The leather squeaks under his weight before he leans his elbows on his knees, knuckles resting under his lips and chin.

"Please tell me you're actually thinking and not just trying to look pretty. You're in my house now, not some studio photoshoot."

"I'm thinking about where to put a whole person for you."

"Don't bother, he's moved half his things into the first guestroom. He's probably holding a conductor's wand right now and asking the staff to help him with the second half."

"Have you called the funeral services?"

"And say what? 'Hey sir, have you... perhaps mis-screwed a coffin about 2 years back and now we might have a problem of a zombie'?"

"I'm just saying someone might've paid someone to replace the bodies!" Younghoon frowns, eyes stuck to the rug under his feet. "We don't know how it happened but someone MUST know, right?"

"I think your best bet is the asshole living down the hall now."

"He's not gonna budge, we both know that."

"Well, Sherlock Holmes, thanks for pointing out the obvious."

"I'm just trying to help. You need to stop your nonsensical whining and use your brain like how you used it to get all this money."

Jang Won picks up a pillow and hurls it into Younghoon. “You’re lucky you still stick around, else I’d have the both of you screwed over.”

Younghoon catches the pillow, holding it to his side. “The day I stop looking out for you is the day I die, alright? So you can be rest assured I’ll--”

“Miss Kim!” Mr Ro’s voice calls out from outside the office.

“What is it, Mr Ro?” Younghoon turns and returns the call, head tilted towards the door. It croaks open, and Mr Ro’s eyes are tired, wary as he sticks his head in.

“Your father just left and... and I think you should see the news.” Mr Ro pushes past the heavy door and reaches for the remote sitting on the frosted glass. The television screen mounted above the fire place flickers on, and there it was, her father’s face.

“The Board has just confirmed the ownership of HERA & ARTEMIS will thus forth be returned to Kim Jo-Pil, father of Kim Jang Won, the current owner. Investigations as to Kim Jo-Pil’s supposed death two years ago are still ongoing.”

“I’m gonna kill him.”

“You can’t.”

“Watch me.”

“We’ll be-- Wha-- The Board’s just come in with some new information! Kim JO-Pil has announced a marriage between Kim Jang Won, current owner of HERA & ARTEMIS and Lee Juyeon, the next-in-line to becoming the next Director of Apple, South Korea.”

Younghoon’s eyeballs are about to bludgeon out of his eye sockets. “Jang Won... I know what you’re thinking... But don’t--”

“I’M GONNA FUCKING KILL HIM!”

#lee juyeon #the boyz lee juyeon #lee juyeon fanfic #lee juyeon scenarios #the boyz fanfic #the boyz scenarios #tbz juyeon #tbz lee juyeon #juyeon #the boyz juyeon #juyeon fanfic #juyeon scenarios #love me a little less

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just-some-random-blogger · 3 years

Text

One Million In One Day | 9

GOT7 SugarDaddy!Jackson Wang x Reader + Park Jinyoung x Reader | Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Characters: GOT7 Summary: His mother’s final wish is to see him be happy in a relationship, knowing that Jackson would be fine when she left him. But, damn, he didn’t have time for relationships, especially not since he was busy running his father’s billion dollar empire, thus the compromise: you. Word Count: <2k Warnings: Stalking, fighting, cursing, mentioning of illness, TYPOS, etc.

A/N: HI IT”S BEEN SO LONG BUT HERE IT IS HKASHFKAFA

I’m tagging @tia-m94 because, well, she wanted to be HAHA, and I was looking for all the other messages I got about updating this but I can’t seem to find them, so yeah, if you wanna be tagged in the last chapter just ell me cos I’m actually planning on posting that soon as well.

It’s been two weeks since Jinyoung stopped talking to us, and I’ve had enough of it. He’s neither replied to my or Mark’s texts while clearly holding his phone in class, so obviously he wants us to know that he’s ignoring us.

Once Mr. Choi says class dismissed, I grabbed my things and jogged over to the other side of the room for him. He was still fixing up his things when I arrived and the blank expression he had somehow fell.

I move over to him once his row is cleared and call out to him, “Jinyoung.”

Much unlike him, he takes all his things and shoves it into his bag, out of spite. But it was too unlike his nature. He sighs and begins to fix it inside, not paying attention to me.

“I’m sorry that I upset you.”

Jinyoung glares at me, “you’re sorry? For what?”

I bite my lower lip and huff, “Jinyoung... please don’t be like this.”

Jinyoung scoffs, “you still don’t get it, do you.”

“Could you please just tell me? I don’t like becoming your enemy.”

“Do you? From what I can tell you don’t care at all for me.”

I pull back from his tight remark and frown, “how could you say that...”

Jinyong's eyes are on fire as he watches my expression in disgust, “You can’t play with me, just because we’re friends.”

“I’m not playing with you," I manage weakly.

Jinyoung rolls his eyes and finally fixes all his things and storms past me. I let him have a head start and run after him right after.

The moment I caught up with him, I grab onto his arm and blurt, “there’s only one thing I can think of... but I have no idea how you’d know.”

Jinyoung finally stops and turns to me.

I feel my feel tears well up in my eyes and I pull him to the side. Jinyoung looks down at me as I fiddle my fingers. I scratch my eyes and turn to him, finding he dawned a different expression on his face.

“Do you know about..." I suck in a breath and whisper, "my sugar daddy?"

Jinyoung clenches his jaw for a moment, then lets out a breath, “... yes. I saw him take you out in his sports car when I was supposed to come over. I was already outside your door when I called.”

I bite my lower lip.

Jinyoung clenched jaw, "you lied to me that day. You said you were going to sleep in all day. You even had the audacity to say you had fun with me the day before."

I turn to him, hot tears streaming down my face. I desperately reason out, "but I did Jinyoung. I love hanging out with you no matter where or when."

Jinyoung turns away from me and I begin to feel like the world was staring at me at this point. I turn to my feet in shame and embarrassment.

"Then why did you lie?" Jinyoung starts again, not caring if the world could hear, "between your teeth, in front of my face? And you told Mark though, so it infuriates me even more."

I suck in a breath for courage and grab his hand, "can we talk at my apartment, please. Give me a chance to explain."

I dread that he will rip him hand away from me and spit at my face. But instead, he grips my wrist and sighs, leading me off.

When we get there, Jinyoung's keen eye notices all the differences in the place. He doesn't miss to note on it bitterly, "wah, you bought an oven too. How cute."

I frown and turn to him, "ya... I did it for you okay."

Jinyoung looks at me, bewildered, caught off guard.

I whine and wipe my face. I drop my bag to the floor and push the thought of missing class today away, "I bought an oven so we could make cheesecake, because I just like you so damn much. And I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean for you to see Jackson. And I had to tell Mark because I had to spend all the money he gave me or else I would lose it."

Jinyoung shakes his head and hands, "wait don't tell me the story like this. Tell me from the beginning, from the very start till now."

And so I do.

By the end of it, Jinyoung and I are sitting on the couch with an awkwardly small gap between us. I don't know what was going through his mind now, but what I did know was that he wasn't happy.

"So what, you're going to keep doing this? What if he asks you to marry you for the sake of his mom?"

I furrow my brows, "Jinyoung, he wouldn't do that. And besides, I think he won't ask me to come over anymore."

"But if he does, will you go?"

"... I can't just leave him."

Jinyoung turns sour, "you most definitely can. You have nothing in writing."

"But he's like a friend now..."

He scoffs, "so you like this Jackson guy?"

I bitterly reply without turning to him, "it's like you want me to make a neon sign that I like you, Jinyoung."

When he doesn't give a sassy retort, I feel my insides grind in fear. I manage to turn to him and my stomach drops when I see he's staring at me, "do you mean it?"

I frown.

"Or are you just saying things I want to hear to get a pass?"

I feel my eyes glass, "what?"

Jinyoung scoffs out a chuckle, "are you an idiot, or are you an idiot?"

"... ... Jinyoung ..."

He sighs, "you still don't get it, do you?" Jinyoung diminishes the gap between us and casually wipes the tears on my cheek away, "I like you so much, you big idiot."

I just look at him, dumbfounded, not really knowing what to say, up until a thought popped up in my head, "is that why you were so upset?"

Jinyoung rolls his eyes, "what do you think?"

It may have been misplaced and untimely, but my stomach swirls in butterflies and I begin to feel giddy.

"You have to stop seeing him though."

I feel pulled back by his sudden statement.

"I don't want you going around with some guy that has so much leverage over you. Especially not because you wanted to by me an over for stupid cheesecake, the hell?"

I open my mouth to protest, but Jinyoung cuts me off, “you’ve done enough, pabo. Now, for my sake,” he grabs my hand, “don’t see any other guy, but me.”

My heart races. My breath hitches.”

Jinyoung clears his throat, “so, can I be your boyfriend?”

I can’t help but bite my lip and snort at him for asking like that. I, instead on answering, do what I have thought of doing whenever he pouts, or whenever he smiles, or whenever he’s stressed, or whenever he’s teasing me. I move forward and peck his lips, placing a chaste kiss and smiling back at him.

Jinyoung doesn’t seem to be surprised by this, and only pushes me back to plant a deeper kiss on my lips. We reposition, so that my torso is facing him and so is his facing mine. I wind up leaning on the arm rest of the sofa and Jinyoung’s hands are latching themselves on my body. He stops midway and inhales, “I want you to answer me though, just so it’s clear we’re on the same page.”

I pretend to think about it, “... I dunno, commitment seems a little too much. Why not just be kissing buddies?”

Jinyoung raises his upper lip and makes an annoyed sound. He then tickles me where he had his hands and I jolt and wither at the assault.

“Okay! Okay!” I scream, making him cease and narrow his eyes at me, “you can be my boyfriend, Park Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung scoffs, “ya, you think you’re so cool? It’s an honor for you to be my girlfriend.”

I forfeit another reply and only pull him close. Jinyoung reciprocates immediately.

My mind is already hazy when he pulls away again, “I want to hear you say it--”

“Shut up, Jinyoung.”

It’s kinda funny how Jinyoung and I go about now. I remember telling Mark about it during class and how much he freaked out because of it.

It was kinda funny.

Much like I has anticipated, an entire month had passed and I didn't even really think about Jackson. That was up until I got a call one night from no other than my sugar daddy himself.

“Hello?” I answer immediately

“Hey--” his voice is thick and low, “I know this is short notice, but can I meet you right now?”

I pull my phone away to check the time. I see it’s about 9:30pm. I pull my phone back, “I dunno, Jackson. I’m kinda scared to go out at this time.”

“What if I pick you up?”

I think of Jinyoung for a moment, then I reply to Jackson, “okay.”

By the time Jackson arrives, I had texted Jinyoung that I would go out with Jackson for one last time. He was hesitant, but he said that he trusted me more than anything.

I went into Jackson’s car and he immediately just drives once I get in. I barely even have time to put my seatbelt on. I look at him and see his face is dishevelled.

I decide not to speak up until he parks in a 24/7 supermarket’s parking lot.

“My mom passed,” Jackson says, immediately breaking down.

For a moment I am stunned, and I have absolutely no idea what to do. Jackson is gripping the steering wheel as he crumbles and weeps. I then have the decency to reach out to him and rub his back. I want to speak, to say something, but I just feel like I shouldn’t.

It’s Jackson that bursts out again, “the day you met her, she said she was really tired from being so happy. I stayed with her that night, watching her drama. I slept on the couch. When I woke up, she... she was stiff and... and-”

I cover my face with my hands, “Jackson...”

“It’s like she was just waiting for that moment and-- I- I feel like if you hadn’t met her then, she’d... she’d still be waiting... and it conflicts me so much.”

I begin to feel tears fall from my eyes as well.

“You know, at the very least she’s not suffering anymore, and you made her happy,” Jackson shudders, turning to me with bloodshot eyes. He frowns, lips quivering, “oh gosh, I’m so sorry. I’ve just made everything so depressing.”

“No,” I take his hand, “what you feel right now is normal. You’ve just had a great loss. I’m glad that I got to meet her and made her happy, Jackson.”

He chuckles, “don’t you resent me for doing something like this.”

I shake my head, “no. In fact, let’s stop this agreement between us okay. If you ever need me, just call me as a friend, okay.”

Jackson pulls his hand away to slap it on his face, “oh lord, as if I deserve that.”

“Jackson-”

“No... I shouldn’t take advantage of you.”

“You’re not!” I say, “I want you to be my friend. You can hang out with me, Jinyoung, Mark, and Nari. I think it would be good for you, especially now. I can take you to cheap restaurants and let you borrow two dollar shirts. You’ll finally taste boxed wine.”

He begrudgingly chuckles at that. I give a smile.

For a moment, he just heaves. Jackson settles and turns to me, offering a sad smile, “thank you... for everything.”

“Thank you too.”

#got7 #got7 fanfic #jackson fanfic #jackson wang fanfic #jinyoung fanfic #park jinyoung fanfic #got7 moodboard #jackson moodboard #jinyoung moodboard #jackson wang daddy #sugar daddy!jacksong wang #sugar daddy jackson #jinyoung fluff #jackson angst #got7 fluff #got7 angst

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snowflake-of-destruction · 3 years

Text

A House Divided

A little, silly kidfic Sorikai for the soul, and for @shaky-mayhemm

Note: The more times I try to change colors of the first letters of the first words in each paragraph, the more formatting glitches and scrambled paragraphs I get, so see if you can get the “oh so secret message” without it being completely pointed to.

Selphie was at fault to start with, though, if she was going to be ascribed the blame for the hurt feelings, she would have to be given credit for starting some wheels in their lives turning, which Riku and Sora both agreed she did not deserve, even if Kairi was more magnanimous. Thus, it became a habit just to talk of conversations and promises made when they were too young to fully weigh choices. Still, the most accurate account begins with: one day when they were all young-- too young to even be allowed to swim in the water surrounding play island without an adult in the surf with them--if that gives perspective--Selphie, to everyone's surprise, scored the winning goal in the game of land-blitzball the group of them were playing in order to decide what game they would really spend the day playing, and chose, to absolutely nobody's surprise, house.

How it went down, everyone accepted their fate and divided into family units with minimal grumbling, phrasing which means that Wakka threw the blitzball into the sea and lost it forever when Jecht--the parent chaperone on play island that day who was five minutes away from falling asleep on the sand and typically didn't care what they did, unlike most parents who at least had restrictions about not hitting each other in the head with wooden swords or throwing sand--refused to go into the water after it.

As it was, the game mistress, Selphie, who should have, by all rights, been content, found a problem with Sora, Riku, and Kairi's family. Specifically, she didn't like that the family was Riku, Kairi, and Sora all together parenting a yellow coconut Kairi was trying to rock to sleep while Riku built him a bed out of sand and palm fronds and Sora cooked dinner for the household--a savoury stew of sticks, sand, and mushroom. She stood with pursed lips and hands on hips, and declared that their proud coconut son, Rekka, couldn't have all three of them for parents because that wasn't how things worked.

Kool-aid stain lips pursed and Sora asked, with all the curiosity and innocence of a child, “Why can’t it work that way?”

Yearning to prove his maturity, Riku tried a more practical, solution based approach with, "Can we change the rules?"

Madly defending her rights as alpha-female of their friend group, Kairi was more direct and firm, her, "It does if I say so," leaving very little room to argue.

Already invested, Selphie stuck firm in her first assessment, voice gaining volume and rising in pitch to an affronted shriek that doubled down on, "It's just not how it works!" that was rooted in fear that they were trying to sabotage her game on purpose and embarrassment at being left as a single mother since Tidus and Wakka had happily coupled up and were introducing a piece of driftwood they had named Chappu to the newly dubbed Grandpa Mark IV Jecht who "just wanted a damn nap."

Young Sora provided the counter argument of bursting into tears while Kairi used every bit of her clout as the girl who had fallen out of the sky last year to put power behind the statement that she was going to launch Selphie to the moon, which caused Riku to wrap his arms around her from behind in a combination restraint and hug as the glare that he leveled at Selphie over Kairi's shoulder as he repeated his request to change the rules said that, while he'd stop Kairi from launching Selphie to the moon, he was just as upset by Sora's crying and would bury her in the ground.

Heroic duty calling him to intervene, Tidus left Chappu in Wakka's expert care, reminding him to support the baby's head, and padded over to see what was the matter. He proceed to have the situation explained to him by an increasingly agitated Selphie who refused to admit she was wrong when the other three were cheating and leaving her with no partner to raise her baby with after she'd won fair and square, and, in the end, took Kairi, Riku, and Sora's side. "I have two dads and a mom. It happens in real life. Isn't that right dad?" He yelled the last words and Jecht gave a thumbs up, undoubtedly having no idea what he was agreeing to and not caring.

Even presented with such evidence, Selphie stayed strong, however. "Your parents are dee-vorced and your dad second-married your Papa. You don't have two dads and one mom all in the same house together. That would be chaos!" She threw her arms out to demonstrate the extreme degree the universe would be thrown off by the anarchy of two dads and one mom all living together, "And a couple is a two. When you ask for a couple of cookies even if you want three cookies you only get two cookies."

“My grandmother always told me three cookies will make you sick!" Kairi argued, "So it’s because of stomach aches, not because a couple equals a two!"

“Mmm, no, she's right." Riku's arms slackened their grip on Kairi and defeat entered his voice. "A couple means two. Three is a few. Miss Rosa taught us that grammar rule."

In wake of that knowledge drop, the argument ended there. Riku was one year older and had been taught a great many things in school the rest didn't know yet, which made him a Trusted Authority. If he knew the rules, those had to be the Enforceable Law. Riku would have liked to lie, especially when Selphie started dragging the still distraught Sora away by his arm to be her husband and pick out a baby with her, but he couldn't compromise his Trusted Authority status. He also ruled out revenge when Kairi suggested throwing Rekka at Selphie's head ("I'm allowed. We're both girls.") both because the plan could "trauma-ato-rize" baby Rekka and cause one billion years of therapy but also because Selphie was not being mean. She was right. The three of them would never raise a baby together, or be married, or be a couple. A couple was two.

Luck decreed Sora and Selphie would divorce after fifteen minutes when Tidus and Sora started using Chappu and Sora and Selphie's baby, Spaceship Train, as swords in a fight over a spot of beach where both wanted to build a vacation home to get away from the hustle and bustle of the beach ten feet away. After a brief huddle, Riku and Kairi divorced amicably so Kairi could marry Sora with the promise that they in turn would divorce soon so Riku and Sora could get married. This triggered a new round of accusations of cheating and renewed fighting until Jecht was forced to intervene and decree that they could either all find a way to get along or he'd row them straight back to the main island. The children meant to choose the former, but the latter came true sooner rather than later

On the way back home, Sora, Riku, and Kairi were especially subdued, each lost in thought bigger than child brains usually were forced to hold in an afternoon of beach play. Sora was absorbed in planning how to train a pet dolphin, but Riku and Kairi were both still consumed by melancholy at the revelation about their future, or the restrictions on it.

Very carefully, Kairi traded spots in the boat, going from sitting beside a sulky Selphie, to hanging on to Tidus, to slipping beside Riku. He smiled at her, obviously faking, so she wasted no time in giving him a reason to smile for real. “You and Sora have known each other longer. You two should get to be the ones who get married when we grow up.” She had decided it, and when she decided something, she made sure it happened.

“Even if you knew you would always-and-forever-pinky-promise mean that, it doesn’t mean Sora would agree.” Riku replied after a too long pause, his face shifting into a frown that added centuries not just years to his rounded baby face. “You’re pretty special, Kairi, and pretty pretty too. He might choose you.” He knew then that he’d choose Kairi for himself over just about anyone else, using forever stakes as puppy-love often did when forever to the young mind often only lasted as long as five minutes (or ten, if you counted five as merely an eternity, less than forever).

“You know I can hear you,” Sora grumbled. Everyone could. Sora was just the only one that still cared about deciding how the friends would avoid becoming an illegal trio. “I should get to decide for myself.” Sora sucked in air to puff out his chest. “And I choose that I won’t choose. We’re going to all stick together, and we’re going to be a family. You two have to promise. Nothing can take us apart, and, even if it’s wrong, then we all go to jail together.”

On the bench behind him, Riku and Kairi shared a look, searching for one another’s reactions before forming their own. Riku was the first to nod, and give his word, clenching and unclenching his hands. “I’d make sure only I went to jail to protect the two of you.” Kairi screwed up her face like she was going to argue, so Riku took her hand to hold and squeezed it. “But it should be the three of us together. If you marry your very best friend, I have two of them now.” He paused again and waited, not getting the chance to say more when Kairi and Sora expressed their agreement by jumping to their feet and setting the boat to rock and Mr. Jecht to yell.

Undeniably, it wasn’t the most thorough or well informed discussion, and there were times where the childlike resolve that it was always to be the three of them equally, inseparably, and united in commitment (may the first to change their mind be launched right to the moon) was replaced with doubt or temporary jealousy, but all three would pinpoint that day as an early memory of being faced with the heartbreak that came trying to imagine a life not lived as one--and, yes, grudgingly, they would consider thanking Selphie for making them play house.

#sorikai #kingdom hearts fanfic #kingdom hearts #sora #riku #kairi #fluff fic #kid fic #snippets #you know I love a good acrostic

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loisinherlane · 4 years

Text

Consider this my magnum opus of why I love Booster Gold and why you should read these comics, but also: how Michael Carter and his family are connected to time travel. It’s kind of a hot mess because I run through a bunch of comics, but hopefully this makes sense!

Michael Carter, alias Booster Gold, is the first new hero introduced after Crisis on Infinite Earths. Booster is from the 25th century, where he was a college football player who got caught betting on his games and expelled, eventually becoming a janitor in a museum.

(Booster Gold (2007) #1)

At this museum, he befriends a security robot called Skeets. Eventually, Booster decides that he wants the adoration superheroes had in the 20th/21st century, and with future technology, he would be able to join up in the past. So Booster steals a Time Sphere, a suit, and a Legion of Superheroes flight ring. (Wait, the legion is from the 30th century, right? Yes. There are reasons this ring is in the past, and that’s mostly because Booster was always meant to become a superhero.) In the past, Booster establishes himself as a superhero, with a manager and number of sponsors. He’s about making money. This doesn’t necessarily make him a lot of friends. But he joins the Justice League International, makes friends with some heroes (including Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle), and has a standard fare for a non-central character.

So flash forward to Countdown to Infinite Crisis. For those of you who haven’t read this one: This is a lead-in to the OMAC Project, and later, to Infinite Crisis, where Ted Kord notices a number of things that don’t add up. Unfortunately, Ted is not the most respected hero in the community, and no one quite takes him seriously. Wonder Woman says she’s busy but to keep her updated, and Oracle is trying to get him to pay more attention to other matters.

(Countdown to Infinite Crisis)

So Ted seeks out his best friend Booster to help. Booster, after some initial reluctance, joins up. There’s some noticeable moments where Booster hints that he knows some things about the future (particularly, that Ted is going to die, and the Scarab means that the new Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, is about to take over): Booster keeps staring at the newly found Scarab. He asks Ted when he found it. Ted, in his narration, hints that Booster knew Doomsday would kill Superman, and he still took the first punch.

(Countdown to Infinite Crisis)

All of this parallels what happens next: Booster shoos Ted away from the computer and takes over. Booster gets hit by an explosion meant for Ted.

(Countdown to Infinite Crisis)

Consider: Later implications of time travel suggest that some small things can be changed, but the big things can’t. If Booster knew what was going to happen, did Booster only postpone Ted’s death?

With that, Ted does die at the end of this story, and a part of The OMAC Project is Wonder Woman and Booster investigating Ted’s death. But as much as I love Ted, we’re mostly talking about Booster and time travel today. So moving on!

In Infinite Crisis, Booster is the one who fetches Jaime Reyes. After returning to the 25th century to access historical records, he tracks down Jaime via the scarab. (Of course, this is another example of a potential change: Booster says he may be saving millions or billions of lives, but this is unsubstantiated.)

(Infinite Crisis #2)

(Infinite Crisis #5)

So this brings us to 52, the fallout of Infinite Crisis. Booster Gold’s plot, while not obviously central in its introduction, plays a major role in bringing back the multiverse to the Post-Crisis continuity. Booster Gold, in the wake of the loss of his best friend Ted Kord, has sold-out again.

(52 #1)

With the help of Skeets, he’s returned to his origins. He wants to be a hero and make bank. Superman’s not around, so who else could Metropolis turn to?

Booster is on the outs though. First, with the heroes: Ralph Dibny blames him for not realizing his wife Sue was going to be murdered. Beatriz de Costa (Fire) shames him for how he’s acting after Ted’s death.

(52 #7)

(52 #4)

Pay attention to that notepad. Booster writes the names of Rip Hunter and his fellow Time Masters, as well S.T.A.R. Labs Time Travel Division. Everyone but Rip Hunter is crossed out. Rip’s name is circled, but he’s noted as “unlisted?????”

Because he’s noticed a number of events that don’t line up with the history Booster and Skeets remember, Booster goes to visit Rip Hunter in his Time Lab in Arizona. Skeets has to hold the door open because of the lock, so Booster goes in by himself...

(52 #6)

...and sees this... (Feel free to read what’s on the chalkboard. A lot of it hints to happenings in both 52 and the One Year Later event, as well as other stories. It can be fun to make connections.)

(52 #6)

...and this. Yikes.

We soon find out that Booster hired an actor to fake an incident on a subway. Why? Well... that answer’s not so clear. But considering the rest of the story, it’s likely Booster wanted to discredit himself.

(52 #7)

Unfortunately for Booster, this ruins his reputation with the public, and he’s soon replaced by a new, more humble hero: Supernova.

(52 #10)

And the public adores Supernova. Meanwhile, Booster’s sponsors pull out as his reputation goes down the drain.

Booster gets one last moment in the limelight, when he pushes too hard trying to upstage Supernova, and he dies... though he’s recognized as a hero for his tragic sacrifice.

((Hold on if you haven’t read 52. You’re going to find this one funny.))

(52 #15)

So... Booster is dead. Ha. What next? Well, Skeets seeks out Booster’s ancestor, Daniel Carter, for help to get back into the Time Lab. After all, Booster didn’t give Skeets the details.

(52 #19)

Daniel lets Skeets see into the Time Lab, where Skeets finally sees the same things Booster saw.

(52 #19)

Whoops! The real problem is Skeets. A little more menacing now, isn’t it? So Skeets abandons Daniel in the Time Lab, where he’s sucked into a vortex that’s part of Rip’s security measures. Meanwhile, Skeets is free to handle his evil plan. Whatever that is.

Back to Metropolis: Supernova is still out there, doing good. He’s also grabbing items that seem a little... eclectic.

(52 #20)

And everyone is theorizing about who’s really under the mask. Cassie Sandsmark thinks it’s Kon-El. Lex Luthor thinks it’s Superman. Ralph Dibny puts the pieces together...

(52 #31)

But Supernova asks him not to say it out loud.

Later, we see that Supernova is actually working for Rip Hunter. Everything he’s gathered has been for Rip, who, as you can see, is really going through it. (Sad they never followed up on why Rip Hunter was affected like this, but I have my own thoughts that I might say later.)

(52 #36)

Where are they working anyway? In the jarred city of Kandor! Of course, Skeets can’t find them here, can he?

(52 #36)

Whoops. Spoke too soon.

(52 #37)

But who is Supernova? That burning question we’ve had for all these issues?

It’s... Michael Carter! Booster Gold!

(52 #37)

So, as Rip asks, Booster tells him. Booster knew something was off with Skeets. At the Time Lab, he almost asked him. But Rip Hunter arrived and recruited him for the long con. Rip needed Booster to gather materials, but they couldn’t alert Skeets. However, using a suit Rip rigged, Booster could be in two places at once: through time travel. After faking his death (using his real corpse from the future), Booster was sent back in time twelve weeks to complete Supernova’s actions.

Now Rip, Booster, and Skeets are engaged in a battle that, uh... is not continued until Week 50 on panel. If you count this as continued. I just love this panel.

(52 #50)

Actually, Skeets follows Rip and Booster to a lab where T.O. Morrow has searched the Red Torado’s brain to find out the truth of the 52 that he’s been repeating throughout the series.

(52 #51)

Of course, it’s not actually Skeets. The real Skeets was used as a chrysalis for Mister Mind... who has become a horrifying moth hellbent on eating the new multiverse.

(52 #51)

Rip drags Booster out, back to the Time Sphere, where they travel back to the beginning.

(52 #52)

After the events of Infinite Crisis, the multiverse was recreated. 52 identical Earths came into existence, and the same struggle has been taking place on all of them. These Earths are slowly aligning, and for some reason, Rip can see this, but Booster can’t. (Hold tight: Let’s keep in mind, for some reason, Rip was totally non-linear earlier. We’ll come back to this.)

(52 #52)

Rip intends to save all of the Earths, as they slowly settle into the new multiverse, with help from Supernova! ...This time, Daniel Carter, the Carter family ancestor that Skeets/Mister Mind used earlier.

(52 #52)

Bad news is that Mister Mind is still bent on eating a universe. As he eats parts of the various Earths, he changes their history, which leads to each Earth being unique.

(52 #52)

Booster has doubts about their ability to face something this big, but Skeets, now broken from Mister Mind, cheers him on... Booster heads back to the one place he knows to get the right power source, and Rip hints about Booster’s “glory days” soon to come. So now we know there’s a connection between Booster and Rip.

(52 #52)

But where is Booster going to get that power source?

(52 #52)

The immediate aftermath of the first crisis, where he talks a little with very young Ted Kord. (Sad.) Now we have to wonder how Booster knows to go back here? How much about time travel does Booster know yet?

Anyway, together, Rip, Booster, and Daniel succeed in defeating Mister Mind, and the multiverse is restored. Rip is very optimistic!

(52 #52)

So... let’s cut to Booster Gold’s second solo. Notice the title of his first story is “52 Pick-Up.” Booster, after saving the multiverse, wants nothing more than to be a hero again. He wants to join the Justice League again! Unfortunately, he’s recruited by Rip Hunter once again, who makes it clear that Booster’s destiny lies in time travel instead. And the world needs to think Booster is an idiot.

(Booster Gold (2007) #1)

Notice how Rip mentions his father? We’re finally getting somewhere.

Meanwhile, the other weird Time Stuff, that’s going on. Back at Rip Hunter’s Lab, Rip has written a number of interesting things on his chalkboard again.

Notice how Rip notes 1939 (the year Detective Comics was first published), 1985 (Crisis on Infinite Earths), and 2006 (Infinite Crisis). This shows how the crises actually affect time in the DC universe. Rip is, of course, aware of it. Is Booster too? How else would he know about the first crisis?

What is the connection between Rip and Booster anyway? Why does Rip care so much about Booster? Well...

(Booster Gold (2007) #1000000)

That’s right! Booster is actually Rip Hunter’s dad! So a lot of stuff we’ve been over must make more sense now.

But seriously, the Carter family is heavily involved in time travel, and the way it interacts with them is interesting. We’ve already seen how Rip isn’t linear when the timestream is disrupted... but what about the other members? How does this all affect Booster?

Honestly, I’m not sure. And I just ran out of energy for this post. If you want to know more, send an ask! And read the comics. You will not regret it.

#megan liveblogs comics #well not exactly but this is pretty close ig #if i can make ONE person want to know more about booster and the carter family my job is done #i just spent hours on this mess and now i'm about to cry bc it's so bad i'm sorry

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