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myxsweetxeverything · 9 months

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"The Lights in the Sky" Chapter 3 - "After School"

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Summary: A white van at the boutique, a talk over ice cream, and headaches.

Author's Note: Sorry for how long this took. Also apologize that this chapter is mainly character and plot set up - but I promise things are going to get weirder.

As per the last chapter's edit, this and the previous chapter now take place on June 3rd (again, keep track of dates, would be writers - don't be like me).

June 3rd, 1994 4:52 Lulu's Boutique

Lavender Creek had - on a good day - a population of around three thousand. If someone somehow had the desire to visit, they would have to drive two and a half hours south of Portland, smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Greeting you upon arrival were ruins of locally owned businesses closed down by Walmart, the great carcasses of the steel plant and textile factory, and the number one destination of any Friday night - the Dairy Queen. On the outskirts of town, you'd find the Lavender Creek Dairy Plant, which in the last ten years had been plagued by issue after issue.

That wasn't getting into the seedier parts of town. The patches of cheap bars with cheaper booze, a gun shop run by someone convinced doomsday would happen at any moment, and a pair of gas stations with pale and twitchy men hanging around back trying to make a quick buck with questionable substances.

It was nothing but a dead end of a town. In the mind of a thirteen-year-old fashion-crazy girl like Mariqueen, the worst part was that the only place around to buy anything resembling cute clothes was Lulu's Boutique.

At the front desk, keeping a disinterested eye on would-be shoplifters, was gray-haired Lulu herself. Supposedly she had been the town beauty queen in her youth (“I was this close to becoming Miss Oregon - then I would have been Miss USA,” she once claimed unprompted to Mariqueen), and she had opened the shop after her attempted acting career floundered. The ‘boutique’ had its walls covered in flowery paper that hadn’t been in style in almost 40 years, but Lulu had grown too attached to the hideous patterns of dusty roses. Even though smoking had not been allowed in the shop for several years, everything down to the carpet still smelled of a mix of tobacco and Eau de Toilette. The clothes in the boutique were more often than not two years out of date, squashing Mariqueen and her friend’s desire to match the latest trend that the magazines talked about.

Lori's twenty-six-year-old stepmother stood boredly near the magazine rack, tapping her freshly manicured nails against her thigh. She shot a glare at the girls here and there; when she saw that they weren't getting in trouble, she went back to staring at photos of Hollywood couples. Throughout the boutique, the four girls ran around and blabbered about the season's hottest colors, what would attract boys the most, and if those adorable high heels they couldn't possibly walk around in or afford came in their sizes.

"Do you think I can get this in blue?"

"Lori, you always look bad in blue. Yellow is your color anyway."

"You know I hate yellow! And what about that blue dress I wore to the spring dance? You said I looked amazing in it!"

"I lied."

"You're so mean, Chrissy."

"Only because I'm right and you know it."

To say that Mariqueen hadn't been paying attention to her friends' ramblings would be an understatement. Usually all too willing to join in with their fashion talk, something else had caught her eye. It wasn't a dress, a pair of shoes, or a piece of sparkling jewelry. Of all things, it was a white van parked on the curb in front of the shop.

A dirty white van in desperate need of a carwash, but still. Why it caught her eye not even she knew - white vans were a dime a dozen, even in Lavender Creek. The only thing she knew was that she had never seen a white van parked in front of Lulu's before. There were no business logos on the side, which made it even harder to figure out why it was there at all.

Mariqueen moved closer to get a better view out the window, failing to look the least bit subtle about it ("Why is she being weird?" Melissa muttered before heading to the dressing room). With her face practically pressed against the glass, she caught sight of the driver's seat. Barely visible through the tinted glass was a tall, thin figure sitting still. Their head stared forward; Mariqueen glanced at the front of the van, but if anything was interesting going on over there, she must have missed it.

She looked back at the figure.

Their head turned. The hairs on Mariqueen's neck stood straight.

Somehow, she knew they were now staring right at her.

Mariqueen froze.

"Hello? Earth to Q, are you there? Looks like she's shut up for once…"

"Show her the perfume, she'll love it."

A thick, musky stench shoved its way into Mariqueen's nose.

"Hey!" Mariqueen shouted. With a grimace, she pushed away the source - Chrissy's perfume-drenched wrist. "Ich, what is that? Are you trying to suffocate me?"

Chrissy pouted at her. "It's the same perfume my cousin Amy uses, and she says all the boys in Seattle go crazy when she wears it." She shook her head. "You know Q, we looked all over for you after school and we brought you with us, the least you can do is be nice."

"And what were you even doing with that ugly Reznor kid anyway?" Lori piped in. "He and his friends are a bunch of weirdos, everyone knows that."

An engine came alive outside the shop. When Mariqueen turned her attention back on the window, it was too late - the van had already made its getaway. And despite its absence, Mariqueen didn't feel any more relieved

Instead, she felt a desperate need to talk. About what, she didn't know. She looked around the shop in search of anything that would spark a conversation before settling on the sunglasses rack next to her. The rack stood like a tall creature made of mirrored eyes, each one reflecting her barely-hidden panic.

"Do you think this-" Mariqueen grabbed a pair of tangerine-orange framed sunglasses, "-will go with my new swimsuit?" She hastily placed the sunglasses over her eyes. She grinned at her reflection, but even she knew how fake the expression was; an actress she was not.

Behind her, Lori said, "Orange is a terrible color, Q."

"And what do you know about color?" Mariqueen asked, extending the 'you' in a mock snobby tone.

"I don't think you are allowed to judge anyone," Lori snapped and took a pair of tortoise-shell framed glasses.

Putting the glasses back on the rack, Mariqueen shot Lori a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Emerging from the dressing room, Melissa pranced across the boutique's plush carpet. Her sundress, yellow with subtle butterfly patterns, reached just past her knee. "You know what she's talking about."

"No, I don't."

"God, Q…" Lori picked up a bottle of shocking pink nail polish, eying it. "You're so clueless sometimes, you know that?"

Melissa tsk'd. "What do you expect from her?"

"Girls, have you picked out what you want yet?" Lori's stepmom walked over in between the girls, interrupting the argument that was surely about to erupt. "I don't have all day."

Melissa threw her hands up in protest. "I'm not done trying out clothes!"

"Do I look like I care?"

All four girls sighed. Melissa begrudgingly went back to the dressing room, while Chrissy and Lori picked out their respective perfume and nail polish. For Mariqueen, who had barely been looking at the merchandise since laying eyes on the white van, the decision of what to get was much more difficult. She had a decent amount of allowance saved up, but it wasn't nearly enough to buy anything she did want.

Her eyes wandered until she saw the turning jewelry display on the front counter. Lulu had gotten bored making sure they weren't stealing anything, as her nose was between a paperback romance novel. She didn't raise her eyes while Mariqueen approached the desk. Hanging from the display, shining and glittering under the fluorescent lights, was an elaborately-designed heart pendant attached to a silvery necklace. She moved in closer and looked at the price tag.

It was the exact amount of money she had saved up.

She picked it up from the display, grinning. "I know what I'm getting!"

5:01 PM The Dairy Queen on 5th and Walker

It was in between spoonfuls of cheap ice cream that Robin asked him the question. "How did you get away from Mr. Roberts anyway?"

Four of them were sitting on the sidewalk with their cones in hand. The Dairy Queen was near the edge of town, passed the abandoned textiles factory, where the trees became greater in number and provided ample shade from the early summer sun. Danny had wolfed down his Blizzard in record time, got a brain freeze, and was hanging and spinning by one hand around a nearby street lamp. Richard was trying to get a peanut out of his braces with his tongue from his peanut butter cup Blizzard, and Tori sat silently watching Danny while eating her strawberry sundae.

With a mouth full of ice cream, Trent froze. He swallowed hard. "What?"

"How did you get away from Mr. Roberts?" Robin repeated. "No way you just ran."

Richard excitedly piped up, "Yeah! Did you kick him in the balls or something?"

"No! But I wanted to." Trent shook his head.

"Then how did you get away?" Tori asked. "You're so…tiny compared to him."

Trent sneered at her. Why was she always treating him like he was so fragile? "No I'm not! I got away because-"

The image was all too fresh in Trent’s mind, and he still had no idea how to attempt to process it. The memory flashed in his head - the hand letting him go suddenly. Mr. Roberts staring wide-eyed in shock. The way the hand was suspended as if an invisible puppet master was holding it still.

The throbbing in Trent's head was back in full force. Each breath he drew made his brain react with another burst of pulsating pain. The sunlight, even with the shade, didn't help matters. He could almost excuse it as an intense brain freeze, but this hurt more than any brain freeze he ever had.

Trent stared back at the remainder of his chocolate-dipped cone and frowned, his appetite gone. "He let me go. I guess."

Tori looked at him worryingly.

"If I -" Danny let go of the street lamp, but continued spinning in his sugar high. "If I were you I woulda kicked him in the balls. And give him the finger." He stopped spinning, but couldn't keep his feet from stumbling or his head still. "And then I'd tell him to-" Danny's face turned a sickly green. "Oh fuck…"

No one turned around as Danny stammered over to the nearby garbage can and dry heaved. The grip on Trent's sugar cone loosened. He was starting to feel ill himself - and he hadn't even been spinning.

Pain pulsed through his head again.

"I wanna go home," He muttered. "Mr. Roberts probably called my grandma and told him what happened. She's probably wondering where I am."

Next to him, Tori rested her arm on his shoulder. "Worried she's gonna be upset?"

"It's not that. I just-" He stuttered. Tori gave him an incredulous look (her "mom" face, he called it), and his face flushed. "Okay, yeah, I am. Not that much though."

"Hey, at least you didn't spray paint a teacher's car like we did!" Shouted Danny, still face down towards the trash can. "Tell her that, it'll put shit in perspective."

"And then get us in trouble?" Richard protested.

"Yeah, about that, I still have no idea how you talked me into that," Said Tori. "I lose several IQ points when I'm around you guys, I swear…"

"Because you're the minister's daughter," Said Robin, who had just bitten off the last of his Dilly Bar and was twirling the stick between his fingers. "And who'd ever suspect her when she plays piano at every church function?"

Tori gave Robin a silent but coy look, then went back to playing with her strawberry sundae.

"Dude, are you even puking anymore?" Robin asked. He craned his neck to see Danny's head still facing the trash can.

"Nah. Didn't even puke, nothing came out."

"...then what are you still doing over there?"

"Come here, I'll show ya…"

As Robin stood up and walked towards the trash can, Tori rolled her eyes. "Anyway, listen, she's not gonna be that upset with you. She and your grandpa will probably just talk with you and leave it at that."

"Yeah, but…"

"But 'what'?"

"...never mind. I'm going home." Trent grabbed his backpack with his free hand and stood.

"I'll come with you!" Richard chimed, oblivious to Trent's dour mood. "I don't think I wanna be around Robin for a while anyway."

Mere feet away, Trent caught the sight of Danny forcing Robin's head into the all-too-full trash can. A muffled "Asshole!" emanated from inside the can as flies flew around in a frenzy. Danny laughed maniacally, even while Robin fruitlessly tried to kick him. Tori suppressed a gag from her spot on the sidewalk, while the only thing Trent suppressed was a laugh at Robin's expense.

"...You know, I do have a curfew tonight, so I should probably get going…" She looked up at Trent. "Are you gonna be alright? With your grandparents, I mean?"

Trent shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." He tried not to imagine his grandmother, all sad and disappointed, as he and Richard walked away.

5:50 PM

"Hey, Trent?"

"Yeah?"

"So, I overheard my parents talking earlier." Richard fidgeted with the straps of his backpack, while his steps developed a spring. "And we might go visit Robert in LA in July, and I was thinking about asking them if you, you know, wanted to come with us?"

"Um, I'm gonna have to think about it. Ummmm, I might be-"

Catching a brief glimpse of Richard's excited and waiting face, Trent felt like an idiot when he realized what he was saying - Richard wasn't asking him if he wanted to do a run-of-the-mill sleepover. He was getting another chance to leave town.

What was Trent even saying? What 'might' he be doing this summer anyway? At most, his grandparents might drag him to some crappy tent on Mt. Hood. It wasn't like he was visiting his mom and sister either - Tera was spending the next six weeks at camp, and his mom was too busy working.

But Los Angeles would be cool. It would be way different than Lavender Creek. Different and better. And Richard's brother, one of the lucky ones who managed to escape town, became a movie star - he lost count of the times Richard dragged them all to see Terminator 2 when it came out.

It could be fun. It would be fun.

"Um, yeah, I'd like to go." He kept his tone calm, trying not to sound like an overly excited loser. "I have to um, check with my grandparents first."

Richard broke into a grin. "Yeah! I'll ask my mom. It'll be the best vacation ever!"

Trent nodded half-heartedly. He saw the familiar sight of the Patricks' house coming closer with every step. The family car sat in the driveway, but Trent couldn't spot any sign of life in the front yard or through the windows. Countless hours had been spent in the front and back yards, and despite not living there Trent knew that house like the back of his hand.

The front door opened, revealing a very displeased Mrs. Patrick. She crossed her arms. "Where have you been, young man?"

Richard sighed and visibly resisted the urge to roll his eyes. They were mere feet from the front lawn now, freshly cut by one of his older siblings. "I was hanging out with my friends, Mom!"

She shook her head. "Get inside and help me set the table."

The two of them reached the mailbox, and Richard looked at Trent, then at his mother. "Hey, Mom? So, Trent and I were talking, and, um, could he come with us to see Robert?"

Mrs. Patrick tightened her lips. "I'm sorry, honey, but your father and I…We've agreed to keep this a family vacation. Lord knows it's hectic just getting all seven of us under control for a vacation." She looked at Trent, still standing on the sidewalk with a newly crestfallen face. "Trent, dear, would you like to join us for dinner? It's casserole night, you like casseroles don't you?"

"Um, no thank you, Mrs. Patrick," Trent said dully. "I…I have plans with my grandparents."

Richard gave him a sheepish look. "Sorry, Trent."

"It's fine, whatever." Trent shrugged, but his muscles were stiff.

"Guess I'll see you later, man."

Trent nodded and went silent as Richard sprinted up the front porch, with his mom nagging him about something Trent couldn't make out. When the door closed, making mother and son invisible, Trent sighed and started his trek home. It wasn't a long walk, ten minutes if he walked fast enough. Just in time for his grandpa to get home from work.

He took one last look at the Patricks' house as he passed by the edge of their yard. It made him think of the day when he started kindergarten, and during recess, Richard had asked him if he wanted to play pretend. Trent said yes because he had just moved there and didn't know anyone. And then it turned out his grandparents didn't live too far from Richard's family, and his grandmother was quick to arrange a playdate between the two of them.

A seemingly endless amount of days had passed in that yard. A seemingly endless amount of days had passed in that street, in that neighborhood…

In all of Lavender Creek.

A frown crept over his face. He hadn’t always lived in Lavender Creek, but it sure as hell felt like it did. After he was born, he and his parents moved to Portland and lived in a one-bedroom apartment. Trent didn’t understand why they divorced, but he understood his mother’s reasoning for sending him to his grandparents even less. Why couldn’t he have stayed in Portland like his dad did? Like his mom and sister did? Why was he thrown out into the middle of nowhere? He loved his grandparents more than anyone else in the world, but did they have to live in a nothing town where the most exciting thing to happen was a bank robbery from when he was eight?

He was tired of Lavender Creek, absolutely sick of it. Seeing the same faces, the places, in and out every day made him want to puke sometimes. And his chance of getting out of Oregon just flew by just as he found out about it. It was like he was trapped in the same boring town until he died.

If he can't leave, why couldn't something just happen once? Just once he’d like something more to happen around there. Something interesting. Something he's never experienced before.

The wind rustled the bushes as he walked, his destination getting nearer. The sound of an engine caught his attention and he turned around. His heart sank with dread as he saw his grandparents’ worn-out station wagon slow down and pull over.

In the driver seat, his grandfather rolled down the window. Mr. Clark smiled at him. “Hey there, young man. Why the long face?”

Trent paled and looked down at his feet. “...I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Did it have to do with that call I got from the football coach at your school?"

No reply came.

"Why don't you come on in and we'll talk it out with Grandma when we get home? Sound like a plan?"

Before he could begrudgingly nod, a burst of pain struck Trent’s head.

Everything went black, with the only sound being Trent's grandfather yelling his name.

6:47 PM Ross Residence

"You have to see the plans, you really do. The mayor will have no choice but to agree to the proposal!" Uncle Marcus took another swig of his wine. "Iris honey, you think so, right? What am I saying? Of course, you do!"

Aunt Iris gave a reluctant nod as if even she was skeptical of her husband's ideas. Mr. and Mrs. Ross gave Uncle Marcus unsure looks, which they had kept for the entirety of the rather one-sided conversation. For their part, Atticus and his siblings paid zero attention to the extended business-related rant that their new uncle just gave at the dinner table. Atticus had barely looked up from the pile of vegetables that he poked repeatedly with his fork.

Mr. Ross sat his water glass down on the table. "That's…quite the project you have, Marcus."

Mrs. Ross was more direct. "This isn't going to work."

"Now don't say that!" Uncle Marcus exclaimed. "A mall is just what Lavender Creek's economy needs. And everyone will love it and want to go there! It'll be the crown jewel of the town" His eyes hovered over the Ross children, each one looking more bored than the last. His gaze settled on Atticus. "Hey kiddo, how's it hanging?"

Atticus felt a sense of dread coming on that he was powerless to stop. Holding in an annoyed sigh, he said, "Um, it's- yes?"

Uncle Marcus grinned. "Good! I have a question for you, and I'm sure that makes you feel special. A question just for hip, cool kids like you." Atticus hoped he didn't see him cringe at that. "Malls: like 'em, or love 'em?"

Atticus was paralyzed - mostly by embarrassment. He nervously looked to his mother, who stared at Uncle Marcus with bemusement.

"You're probably thinking, 'Why does an old man like him care about my opinion?' I just happen to think you're a cool kid, Alan."

"M-my name is Atticus."

"That's what I said, but anyway-" Just as Atticus stood up from his chair, Uncle Marcus put his hand up in a 'stop' gesture. "Wait right there, kiddo, you never did answer my question." Atticus slowly sat back down. "And why do you like malls so much? Go into as much detail as you want, don't be shy!"

"Um, I don't go to malls…"

"How can you not like malls? Oh, I get it, you're in that 'everything sucks' phase that all teens go through."

As everyone else started to gather their dishes and leave the dining room table, Atticus became more annoyed by him. If Uncle Marcus didn't speed this up, Leopold would get to the computer before he did. "I just don't like them much. I don't like shopping."

"Well I'm just gonna have to change your mind, aren't I? So, I was thinking of adding an ice rink right in the center of…"

Atticus never wanted someone to shut up so badly in his life. When he overheard Leopold telling their mother he was going on the computer, he wanted to scream.

7:04 PM Clark Residence

When he came to, his vision just barely made out the two dark, gray outlines above him. Quickly, they developed more features, becoming more human as his eyelids fluttered like butterflies.

"Oh thank God, he's awake!"

Trent looked up at his grandma's concerned face and in a hoarse voice, said, "I'm sorry I escaped detention."

A sad smile crossed Mrs. Clark's face. "Oh honey, what are you talking about?"

"I-"

"Shh…" Next to Mrs. Clark, Mr. Clark held up a tall glass of ice water to Trent's view. "We'll talk about it tomorrow when you're feeling better, alright?"

Almost too weak to nod, Trent somehow managed to pick up the glass and put it to his dry lips. The speed at which he downed it would have earned him the envy of any hard-partying frat boy, and when he finished Mr. Clark took the glass back. His grandmother brushed his hair back gently, and it made him realize how sweaty his forehead was.

"How's your head?" She asked him.

He shrugged. "I guess it's okay."

"We'll let you get some more sleep and we'll talk in the morning, okay?"

His eyelids growing heavy, Trent whispered, "Okay…"

By the time they turned off the lamp on his nightstand, he had already fallen back to sleep. Mr. and Mrs. Clark exchanged worried looks at each other, then at their grandson. Despite how sound asleep he was in his bed, Trent's face was just as scrunched up as it was when he was awake and barely holding up his glass. His breaths were slow, but shaky. The blanket was warm and thick, but his small body still shivered.

Silently, they both hoped he would be better by morning.

---

11:59 PM

Thick, velvety darkness covered Lavender Creek like a blanket on a child's bed. Even the few remaining stragglers in the waking world - blue-collar workers in bars, bored teens with nothing to do - would soon become transfixed by sleep's spell. Each bedroom window light would soon be switched off one by one, plunging the town further into darkness.

None of it would last. Not the peaceful sleep. Not the directionless nightly activities. Not the familiar but comforting darkness. Not the idea of a normal, carefree summer vacation.

Because with a burst of light coming from the sky, it all came to a horrible, violent end.

#nine inch nails fic #nin fic #fanfic: the lights in the sky #trent reznor fanfiction #my fanfiction #my works #cw: rpf #rpf safe

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missmonsters2 · 8 months

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SO MANY THINGS HAPPENED IN SUCH LITTLE TIME JANEJAWQENQWJE AAAHH VANNNN.

I talked to her. I mean I approachjerd her. And she smiled and oh my fucking god how can you have such a precious smile please explain me and I just stood there like an idiot bECAUSE AGAIN I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK. I STRUGGLED SO MUCH VAN I swear I might just cry because it was so damn embarrassing. But she was so patient and sweet and didn't mind that I stuttered every three seconds or couldn't properly pronounce a single word because of that damn smile and she said that sure, she'd like that. AJWEJQ AND I JUST ASKED HER OUT. CAUSE MAN I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME BUT SHE WAS SO AJEIQAWEQWEWQK. AND WHAT AM I GOING TO DO BECAUSE SHE ACTUALLY SAID YES AND THAT DAMN SMILE AND I'M GOING TO FUCKING CONVULSE BECAUSE- MAN. Man I can't. I completely lost my shit. Van, wHAT AM I GOING TO DO. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO HAVE DATES. I'M FUCKING TWENTY AND I NEVER HAD A DATE. VAN WHAT AM I GOING TO DO. I'm a ffucking eremite Van, how am I supposed to do this

I thought maybe watch a movie? I know that's so KAQE idk, cliche, maybe? but I think watching movies is such a good idea for starters, to get to know what she likes and stuff, and at the same time that will mean I don't have to speak much, mostly listen, aND THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE I DON'T FUCKING KNOW HOW TO SPEAK TO HER. Van djqwjejw she was so damn sweet, she was so so patient I swear I had like a literal stroke right there again because she's just so precious I can'tw. I thought that maybe we could, I don't know, watch them in my place, you know? but I don't want to make her uncomfortable? maybe she would actually like to go out, you know? I want to ask her but at the same time right now she's doing her workout while I do mine and we just spoke and I just can't speak to her again OK JWEJQWJEK. I guess I'll text her later? btw, where's my mirror mirror chapter? how are you doing today? did you actually sleep????

VAN I'M SO DOWN BADJAQWNEQWE help me

AHHHHHH IM SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP FOR YOU. I'm so proud you somehow got the words out even though I have no idea what you said to her and it sounds like you also don't know LMFAOO BUT IT WORKKED

She sounds so sweet 😭😭

OKAOYKAY IT'S OKAY I CAN HELP YOU PLAN A DATE. I THINK. I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE LMFAO

Me, personally, I'm not a fan of watching a movie on the first date. Mostly because it's 2 hours of sitting in silence when I prefer to talk to get to know them better. Unless there's a movie you both REALLY want to watch and are excited over, I would say no to a movie. I also feel like watching a movie at someone's house lowkey puts a vibe out you're looking to do other things during a movie, and if that's the vibe, i support y'all!

I would try to scope out the vibe to see how she would feel about being at your place on the first date? I just actually ended things with this guy I was seeing cuz he kept trying to get me over to his place when I said I wasn't comfortable for the first few dates. But then again, I don't trust men and I think I hate them so LMFAO that's for me to unpack LOL

But this other girl I'm talking to is also not comfortable being at her place or mine for the first few dates. I think it just depends on the vibe and if you ask. It might be different since she's known you a while at the gym already.

Here are some first dates i've planned (btw there should always be food involved prior or after an activity LOL)

picnic in the park & painting. i've bought cheap paint supplies from the dollar tree or walmart

Lunch, digestion walk through a nice park/trail (whatever is in your area) and ice cream

pottery painting places if you have them!

I've done cocktail themed bar nights but idk if 20 is the legal drinking age where you are LOL

Escape room & dinner

I generally just try to see what activities or events are going on in my area.

If she's comfortable being at your place on the first date, you can see about the movie, but I'd plan to either order food in or make something for her depending on your cooking skills LOL also make mocktails together (if y'all can't drink or if y'all just don't like drinking).

I've done board games at a girl's house before and that was super fun!

I wish you luck my friend!!

Also the update is in 3 hours!!! 😱😱😱😱😱

#mm: answered #🦈 anon

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cammie-morgan-goode · 11 months

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Hello!!! Can you plz write something about Zammie's first valentine's as an official couple? Tysm, love you and your wroks 🫶♥️♥️♥️

Cammie hadn’t thought about Valentine’s Day since her dad’s disappearance. He would bring her and her mom a rose each and a box of chocolates. Her mom would laugh and eat hers while Matt and Cammie would share the pieces of chocolate, laying on the floor on their stomachs in the living room.

Valentine’s Day was bittersweet and a holiday that her father had said was overrated. She hadn’t cared, besides she never had a reason to celebrate it. Cammie Morgan had never had a boyfriend for Valentine’s Day, until this year.

She didn’t know whether or not she had to get Zach a gift. Did she need to get him chocolates or make him a card? Cammie didn’t know. Zach hadn’t said anything about the holiday so did that give her a free pass? Or was it a surprise and she’d show up empty handed looking like a jerk?

Walking the halls of the mansion was different. Girls handed cards and various items made of chocolate and strawberries to each other. Valentine’s Day at the Gallagher Academy was just a day to celebrate the friendships within the ivory walls. (And a day to steal some ice cream and chocolate from the cafeteria without worrying about burning it off in P&E)

Cammie racked her brain for the perfect gift. The only way to get Zach something was to sneak out of the mansion and pick something up from Roseville. That was her next best bet.

So she enlisted the help of her friends. Bex would be her partner in crime. Liz would work the comms. And Macey would stay back at the mansion to make sure that nobody would notice them missing.

On February 13th, operative’s Morgan, Baxter, and Sutton left the walls of the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women at 1800 hours, skipping dinner which operative Morgan was very upset about.

Shopping for a gift for your boyfriend in the town of your ex boyfriend is completely new territory.

Bex took one side of the street and Liz followed Cammie on the other. It was safer for Bex to be alone than it was for Liz. (Liz once got lost in a Walmart in Texas for two hours!)

“So what are we thinkin, Cam?” Liz asked, looking up at her best friend. “What about a tie to match his eyes? Or a new pair of socks? You can never have too many socks! Because you always get that one hole by your heel and then another by—-“

“I got it, Lizzie. Thank you.” Cammie says, cutting her off. Liz had a tendency to rattle… a lot.

Zach wasn’t the type to wear a tie. Also as far as Cammie knew, Zach had a ton of socks. Right?

So going from one shop to another, Cammie and Liz searched high and low for the perfect gift for Zach. However, nothing stood out to Cam. Zach didn’t need deodorant or shaving cream. He didn’t need a prescription for back pain. (Although she did need some allergy meds. It’s so not attractive to keep sniffling as you’re talking!)

Operatives Morgan and Sutton came back to the gazebo at 1925 hours empty handed much to Operative Morgan’s disappointment. Although Operative Sutton did get a magazine from Tiger Beat.

“Maybe Zach forgot about Valentine’s Day. Statistically men always forget major important holidays.” Liz said.

Cammie shrugged. Maybe it wasn’t a big deal. Maybe she was only making it a big deal. After all they hadn’t even established the whole gift giving process! Wasn’t that the one of the first things that gets talked about? Major holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries?

“I’m sure it’ll be okay, Cam. We told Bex we’d be back here at 7:30. Where is she?”

Liz was right. Bex was nowhere to be seen. Cammie scanned the street, looking for her best friend. It wasn’t like Bex to be late…. Usually.

“Didn’t I tell you she was beautiful?”

Cammie spins around and there’s Bex. And Zach.

And Cammie is totally empty handed.

Zach makes his way towards Cam and offers her his hand. Cammie looks back at Bex and she winks which makes Cammie feel a little bit better.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at school?” Cam asks.

“I can ask you the same question, Gallagher Girl.” Zach shrugs. “If I got the dates right, tomorrow is a certain heart holiday.” Cammie follows next to Zach, both of them holding hands.

Part of Cammie wondered where Bex and Liz would wander off too. But she didn’t truly care. Not now.

So obviously Zach hadn’t forgotten. And Cammie still didn’t have anything to give him. Girlfriend points were severely lacking.

“Is that so?” Cam says and Zach laughs. He actually laughs.

“Did you think I would forget?” Zach glances at her while they walk.

And then they come to a stop.

Again.

“No but I—“ Cammie cuts herself off.

In front of them in the gazebo was a blanket with flowers and chocolates placed on top. It was simple. It was perfect. How had Zach accomplished this?

So Cammie follows Zach and they sit on the blanket. It’s quiet. It’s perfect. And maybe just maybe… Cammie will start to like Valentine’s Day.

(Written by: @cammie-morgan-goode)

#gallagher girls series #gallagher girls #ally carter #cammie morgan goode writes #zach goode #zachary goode #cammie morgan #cameron morgan #zammie #valentine #valentine’s day #writing #asked and answered #answered asks #answered

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mylifeascoley · 1 year

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A ramble on dating and how its bringing about the end of the world as we know it

The truth about modern dating is that in the near, upcoming future it will be the reason society as we know it self implodes. I know there are many many things that could lead to this including global warming, inflation, Donald Trump, drugs the list goes on. However, the way people treat each other and choose to behave in the dating sphere will have a much bigger impact on individuals. Have I lost you yet?

Good. Because I don't care if you agree or not, I speak solely from my own experience and before you start harping on about the pandemic and this and that, that's not an excuse for the world to have lost any shred of decency in how they treat people.

I am a last thirty something female who has been on my own personal journey through hell and I am barely living to tell the tale. But seriously online dating and lets say dating in general because where else does it happen other than 'online', is its own hellish landscape full of torture, pain, agony, hopelessness and the feeling of eternal damnation. See I told you it was like hell. As it is I have subjected myself to this personal hell for the last three years give or take six months. I say subjected because engaging in online dating is and always will be a personal choice. One we may be forced into but a choice none the less. No matter how many people or romantic comedies demonstrate, I do not believe I will run into a viable partner, or love of my life, while roaming around the frozen food section of the local Walmart. (and if he is roaming around in the cereal aisle and you happen to see him send him my way) In some ways you have no choice really but to choose the online dating life (online dating life choose me). Gone are the days of the elegant dinner party where the purpose was to have various friends meet and interact in a defined setting. Social clubs are also out....when's the last time someone invited you to play bridge? I'll wait until you remember.......never right, okay moving on.

So we have no where to magically meet and look deep into each others eyes and decided we are each others missing half. Well except work and I firmly believe the old adage applies - don't fuck or shit where you eat - or more plainly don't date in the place where you earn your money to live your life. I don't know about you but I like being employed and not having to literally bring my work home with him I mean me, I mean, well you know what I mean. But I digress. Meeting people is hurdle number one in the dating game so we take everything to the virtual world which really is the wild, wild west of what the fuck.

After you decide to take the dive into online dating the next question is which site are you going to use. Which if you aren't aware most of them are all owned by the same parent company consider that your fun fact of the day. I have a theory on what you will find and who will be using each of the sites, lets dive right in. Good old Tinder, the main stage for men (I will be speaking solely from a female perspective looking for a male as I don't see how other females use the sites) as I like to say has a little bit of everything. Good looking males, to not so good looking males, those who take it seriously to those who don't. But really its like shopping at Walmart, a little bit of everything some of its quality and some of it is not. And at the end of the day they will more than likely start talking about sex or your body type by the fourth message - you have been warned. Then there is bumble - the feminist dating app. Yea I don't know about that but what I do know is that is the late 20's pretty person dating app. The fair majority of people using the site, again males, are conventionally attractive and have a personality that revolves entirely around going to the gym and hiking on the weekends with their dogs. Tell me I'm wrong. As a result there are a lot of 'bro' attitudes on the site and they are not afraid to mansplain every thing under the sun. Then we have hinge, what I think is the most relatable site out there. Its simple straight forward and caliber is much like that of a golden retriever. They are cute enough, seem to have okay personalities but they are shy and can be assholes it all depends on their upbringing. Then we have match/eharmony the land of lost souls. This is where the waters start to seem a bit too desperate and as such everything is on the table. Its some adorableness stuff between creeps and weirdos who look more at home in a murder documentary than on a paid for dating website. These are all just different circles in the personalized hell of online dating and each day you can pick a different one or if your like me experience them all in a 24 hour period, again up to you - hey its like choose your own adventure!

Speaking of those maybe, probably serial killer profiles out there what is up with all of these photos with no smiling, disturbing expressions, anger and fucking fish! First if you can't smile in a picture the message sent is not one of fun and joyfulness but disgust and unhappiness - not exactly what I am looking to add to my life. If your picture looks like you sit in a dark basement all day playing video games pissed at the world and fantasying about killing people, you probably need to re-evaluate your life and more specifically how you present yourself to others. And the fish, for the love of all I don't care that you fish or caught the big one good for you, I know your proud but I am not going to bring you a cookie for a job well done.

All of this is even before one makes any effort to swipe right or left and if you haven't run in horror maybe you are a masochist who just loves to torture yourself but hey to each their own!

But hey lets say you find the one! Stable job or at least employed, place of their own and some form of reliable transportation and you send them a message or maybe they message you - don't spook him, they scare easily! Your approach to the first message is make or break - do you want to seem cool or aloof or interested or interesting? There have been varying degrees of success and really I don't want to invest a ton of time to just be ignored so a good Hi how's your day going serves the purpose. But what about being more interesting, asking a better question? Like what - What's the meaning of life? If you were an appetizer which one would you be? What are your thoughts on the death penalty? Seriously, it all travels to the same spot - what do you do, what are your hobbies, have any children, do you want to come over and fuck. Seriously without fail every time the conversation stalls out somewhere over ocean of get to know you and stalls out headed for a crash landing into ghost land.

But say you get past that and make it safely over the ocean into where do we go from here territory. You've probably exchanged numbers maybe debated forms of medieval torture and only bantered slightly in the realm of sex and fucking. Good for you! The next port of call is to date or not to date, ask or not ask. And really yoda doesn't even have the answer. Ask them to meet you for a date and all the sudden the pressure is on, well where do you want to go and when are you free and what time works for you, it may sound accommodating but in reality its annoying as fuck. And really if you have to wait for him to ask you maybe eighty and half in the ground hard of hearing and unable to self lubricate which at that point what really is the point.

all of this to say that based on my experience we are all rightfully fucked without any actual fucking dry as the Sahara desert looking for that goddamn charging cord which is somewhere around here. I can't say much past that point because well, in three years I've only made it past the first date stage once and that it a whole other story. And each of those first dates I planned, down to when, where, what time, what are we eating and hey I think its time to end this. And no dates at home don't count period end of story don't need to explain that one any further, if you know, you know.

Anyway thanks for coming to my TED talk about how I think the whole world is going to implode because modern dating a hellish landscape that no one can escape from. The on demand sex and endless stream of new and exciting pussies keeps them in business. And for every success story I'll show you a male who is tired of doing his own laundry and needs someone to take care of him. Because lets remember men don't settle down unless they are ready to settle down, women be damned.

#dating #relationships #modern dating #hell

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moonlessnight125 · 2 years

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The incorrect quotes of metal gear rising revengeance part 2 sentence starters

"This blood loss has made me delirious, tell me a story."

"Holy shit."

"[Name] I'm playing another gacha game. Please destroy all records of my credit card debt before the police come."

"I guess you could say a good _____ never dies [name]."

"Well well well if it ain't the feds."

"Unhand these brains."

"Kids are cruel [name]. They lose touch with it at the ripe old age of twelve."

"Warcrime this, can't eat the drywall that, microwaving mice is wrong they said."

"What the fuck."

"Kids love video games, that's why I have them spinning the wheel on all my favorite gacha games."

"You refrigerated a preschool for fucking jpegs?!"

"Like every casino is one big conspiracy? Bullshit!"

"Demand for my products are about to skyrocket, like the good old days after the 9/11!"

"Wait a minute 9/11 is bad."

"Speak for yourself, lets debate this on the roof."

"Looks like you're a gacha player at heart."

"Is that because of my brain damage?"

"Now activating woman deflectors."

"Like I said [name] kids are cruel."

"I'm fucking invincible!"

"[Name] how did you get an aircraft?"

"By the way [name], do you remember that bank you sent to the past tense?"

"I'm gonna not see you in a second."

"Not today I guess."

"Oh shit free bike."

"There are rumors that the nords are attempting to capture the whole of solstheim."

"Anyone looking for work should consider the fighter's guild."

"[Name] you ran over the child 9 miles back what are you going to do?"

"Good day."

"Oh so now you decide to stop."

"I'm running late."

"Oh don't worry [name] the clown college is closer than you think."

"Yeah it's right in front of me."

"You're ass will always be cringe and my ass will always be thicc."

"Oh good, you're getting more based by the day."

"Hey [name] look at this cool bug I found!"

"Guess I don't have a choice. I challenge you to a debate."

"What the fuck? No."

"Dies of cringe."

"Zamn dog give me some of that."

"I have kept them alive by the miracle of child sacrifices."

"Well that sure made everything easier to understand."

"Oh my god it's my dad."

"Oh fuck, I've returned! With a puppy."

"Last time you got those you disappeared for 10 years."

"No! I wanted to feed you that chocolate."

"Well if it isn't saucy [name]."

"Bro are you high?"

"Let me check. Yes."

"High on American spirit, and there's nothing more American than shooting a man in this walmart of a world."

"What is ______?"

"It's heaven [name]"

"Check the internet lately?"

"[Name] hop onto _____ you need to see this."

"Fuck I hate this website."

"It's all fucking weeb shit [name] it doesn't make any sense."

"These baboons don't even know were at war with _____"

"This one is calling me a redditor"

"Memes, gacha, e-girls, all petty distractions so real men can get down to business."

"Amogus."

"That's a nice argument [name], why don't you back it up with a source?!"

"My source is that I made it thr fuck up!"

"I've got my own to debate online."

"Check it out [name] - I just got vaccinated."

"Oh god he's hot."

"Time to hit the gym."

"It's funny because thousands of people die."

"Don't fuck with this senator!"

"Snap into a slim jim."

"Read a fucking book."

"I was wrong about you, you're not cringe. Your just fucking _____

"We're making the mother of all omletes here, can't fret over every egg!"

"You need to work on your fitness."

"My blood is red white and blue [name]. I wonder what color yours is."

"You can't give up yet! Think about every mentally deranged moron you've fought up until this point!"

"You are the best chia pet."

"Even in death he's on crack."

"I always said that my sword wasn't a weapon but a tool. But this isn't my sword. It's a fucking mistake."

"You know I'm starting to have a change of heart."

"Yeah I can tell."

"If I hear another god damn pun-"

"Oh shit, my black berry."

"Well, the police might be after him for that vehicle manslaughter."

#rp starter #rp prompt #sentence starter #rp meme #rp sentence meme

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aalt-ctrl-del · 2 years

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if you think about it, and it’s not a big brain think, the whole “good guys with guns will stop bad guys with guns” is the absolute weakest argument. The algorithmic probability that the gun men will spawn in the same location as a ‘good guy’ with a gun is in the randomized factor.

“But a good guy with a gun has always shot the mass shooter in the school”

sure. But you still have casualties you stupid, gas huffing, son of a boggart. One dead child, one injured teacher, one shot by a death machine, is far too many. One is far too many. One casualty should not exist.

And then we have to factor that the police showed up in cosplay to “FOLLOW ORDERS”. What a fuking cop-out. What a drowned and soggy excuse. Waited around for orders, because some disinterested bastard with his head in the clouds, dismissed the man in a school with an assault rifle as a NONTHREAT.

A fucking joke. A laughing stock. Said that on national television. The damn super visor, the forsaken manager of texas guns and more Kmart, dismissed an armed gunman as a NONTHREAT. DISMISSED HIM AND TOLD HIS HOME BOYS TO WAIT FOR BACKUP.

What sort of backup? JESUS FUCKING CHRIST? NOAH. CAIN? GOD HIMSELF TO DESCEND AND SAY, “THOU SHAL NOT KILL.”

Blatant proof that texas has propped up the most irrelevant, shallow, pointless slabs of soured meat as their decision makers. The citizens are barely allowed the right to vote, let alone autonomy over their own bodies. For zero fuks sake.

The police know the laws, THESE SLAUGHTER EVENTS ARE NOT BRAND FUKING NEW. WHAT DID HE HONEST TO FUCK THINK A MAN WITH AN ASSUALT RIFLE WAS DOING IN A SCHOOL FULL OF CHILDREN?! CONDUCTING A REASLISTIC DRILL?! They fucking thought there would be negotiations, demands? That he was there to make a scene, SHOOT SOME KIDS, and then after killing some babies and teachers he would SURRENDER? IS THAT WHAT THEY WERE WAITING ON? THE GUNMAN TO SURRENDER?

Typically, that is where the massacre ends. A surrender, and then arrest. Local El Paso man is still in El Paso after he blew apart a Walmart.

There are no “Good guys” with guns here to save the day. There will never be “good guys” with guns, because the fact of the matter is, the “Good guy” with a gun only exist to maybe preserve their own life from getting shot to bits during a slaughter event. But that factor is astronomically low, because a mass shooter with an assault rifle does not need to be accurate or trained to blow people to pieces. He just needs to pull the trigger, and by the time the bullet spray has finished shredding flesh, the “good guy” with a gun might already be dead or bleeding out.

And by the time the execution has ended, casualties are piled and accounted for. One person cut down is one too many. The states allowing people to own an assault rifle is permission for some hateful bastard to purchase that weapon, and cull out a grocery store or a school. There is nothing else to it. The republicans validate these people by providing them with weapons. You’re not going to argue, “for collectors” or “a citizens rights”. The only rights they preserve and protect are those to anyone with the urge to take a gun and cull a school. That is the bottom line.

No one turned into a Rambo and rushed the school. The parents were tazed or peppered sprayed by wannabe cops. Some of those ‘brave’ law enforcement were even allowed to breach the school to get THEIR OWN CHILDREN OUT, because they KNEW. THEY KNEW WHERE THE GUNMAN WAS. They left him trapped in a room with children. They condemned the children for a goddamn janitors key hidden in a Resident Evil style puzzle errand.

greg abbott victim to the trees was correct. It could have been much worse. The gunmen could have been a mobile shooter, doing a Terminator sweep of the school, going classroom to classroom. But he didn’t. He got locked in with a classroom of children. The children called 911 begging for help while the killer squatted with them and their dead peers, and the police hung around outside in full cosplay trying to figure out school locks.

But somehow, knowing the gunmen was dismissed as a nonthreat and was in a classroom of still living children, while they called for help, aches some painful injustice and nefarious botched situation planning. The gunmen wasn’t neutralized, he was decided to be a nonthreat, while children begged 911 to send the police. They were scared. They were unarmed. They were better trained, more courageous, than those shit stain grownass adults who live in one of the most pro-gun states in the entire universe. Its like the police force woke up and realized, “assault rifle exists?”

How fucking stupid. How embarrassing. How inconceivably horrendous to condemn those children because cops in cosplay couldn’t figure out a door.

#texas #uvalde #greg abbott #ted cruze #ted botched #steroids cruze #i honest to fucking piss ants want to deck the next beaver that says (good guys) with guns #the capacity to get your shit together in the presence of an unstable and active shooter is such a low integer #a nonthreat I cant get over that #WHAT OTHER REASON DOES THE GUY WITH THE ASSAULT RIFLE HAVE TO ENTER A SCHOOL BUT TO SLAUGHER CHILDREN?#WHERE THE FUK WERE YOU RAISSED MARS?#YOU KNOW THE ABSOLUTE SHITS THAT LIVE IN YOUR PROGUN STATE #THE ABSOLUTE BRAIN DEAD IDIOCY TO DISMISS CHILDREN TELLING YOU TO SEND IN THE POLICE HES NOT GOING TO KILL LESS #and what is worse is this will happen again and progun fanatics will blame everything #but the fact the shooter was able to get a gun in a vending machine

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capitanonice · 5 months

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gonna fucking kill someone today. had to look around for security cameras in this room before writing this cuz im in a fucking prison for young people and every day our rights get stripped further and further and they expect us to function normally after being spat out after graduation. i'm not going to college. my mom is gonna yell at me for that but i'm fucking not i don't care what she thinks. the stupid fucking vending machine next to me has a goddamn 'calories count check then choose' label on it. what fucking performative stupid goddamn bullshit that dumbass label is the thing that tipped me over the edge into making this stupid post. maybe don't sell death sugary slop to people and they won't have this goddamn issue of everyone being too fat and mentally ill to make it into the meat grinder that is the military. i know food choice has little to do with how your body fat works shut up about it already i was gonna go to college for nutrition i know how that shit works. but if i went they'd likely still be in the "being obese is YOUR fault" phase of food and health knowledge and i just i cannot bear paying thousands and thousands of dollars to get some info that is objectively false according to recent studies. god. i'm so sick of this shit once i graduate i'm literally never going into another institiution again literally they cannot make me this is such bullshit. has anyone else read john taylor gatto? changed my life. this stupid asshole next to me can't handle the word 'moist' and makes a huge show of how much she hates it every time it's uttered and it's like god i wish i was that sheltered. i wish the biggest problem in my head was how much i hated the word moist. what a stupid thing to attract attention to yourself for. shut up. everyone just shut up. the music in my headphones shut up. dumb fucking assholes shut up. all the freshman who are lower than the sea life stuck to the bottom of a cruise ship shut the FUCK up. you're not funny for saying nkgger you don't even hate black people that much you're just ignorant and want attention. your material is derivative and unoriginal and you cannot find genuine vulnerability and appreciation for beauty because you're too busy being poisoned by your peers into thinking everything is stupid and one day one of you is gonna kill themselves and everyone else will joke about it because what else do you know to do. it's sad really the way we are raising these men. panera lemonade killed a girl. caffeine users will really find meth and adderall users disgusting failures because they "use drugs" unlike the fucking. caffeine users who also use drugs but oooo its so normalized you know what else is normalized? driving 80 miles a goddamn hour down the interstate. that's so scary what the fuck. why does nobody care how fast we are going. why is everyone going so fast going 90 95 down the interstate the world needs to fucking slow down and i'm so serious. we need to wake up slower and get to school slower and my classes went from an hour or so to 40 minutes and the teachers barely even skim over anything anymore and tiktok is still this fucking cancer on society that makes people think mass surveillance for "weird" "clickable" behavior is normal and im tearing my hair out every day because people are AMAZED i don't have the no attention span give me all your data and buy products off of our app app. god. tik tok made me buy it is the most pre-packaged artificial stupid fucking slogan ever it always ruins my mood seeing that stupid fucking section at walmart. like are you kidding me. companies are so bad at trying to seem human anymore. you have to astroturf everything because if the people do it themselves they might THINK or ACHIEVE SOMETHING for once. i don't even think i used astroturfing right. it's got the same vibe of taking something from the people (self-advertisement to a different site or product) and hijacking it and making your own fucking store so people can give the money to you instead. its so crazy and nobody talks about how tiktok has a STORE. like it's normal.

everything makes me want to scream. i will never truly fully get a break from this. everyone is getting angrier and angrier but i dunno if we're at a breaking point yet. i might not live to see the revolution which bums me out but i try to keep optimistic about that. i saw that republican debate today and got such strong second hand embarrassment. that shit is no better than jersey shore at this point. and these are the people we're supposed to aim to be like? people who are qualified to be presidents? people who are so reactionary and childish that they throw insults at one another in a politics debate like a bunch of middle schoolers parroting what their parents say at each other? are you fucking kidding? john gatto was right the rich are so fucking good at extending adolescence into adulthood. look at these people over thirty engaging in high school behavior to appease the other high school masses who'll tweet and click and talk about it (like high schoolers) and then the debate cuts to an ad break because money money money money money money. they probably already have the president decided and this is all one big billboard or something. i dunno. drugs are seen as a moral failure but like what else is there to do in this goddamn fucking world we've made. i didn't ask for this.

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jottscoplin · 5 months

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So I tend to zone out a lot but I always snap back to reality in the middle of conversations, so here’s a combination of quotes from times that happened and just other unhinged things I’ve heard and slapped down in notes over the past few months

“But it’s like snOoPdoG”😡

-my aunt

“Stop touching my lump ☹️”

-my brother

“I’m not a milk eater😤”

- my aunt

“He found a girl named shenenjoa🙄”

- my mom

“Take the women and children, don’t hurt the money”

- my friend

“Evil chips.”

-stranger at my youth group

“Does it have a green t!t??”

-my aunt

“We don’t know if he’s straight or gay, all we know is he’s British.” - my aunt

(Mom)“When you have kids are you gonna spank them?”

“No, they’ll have shock collars, way less work”

-my brother

“A gay english lord wanted to have the tiny man arrested.” - my dad

“We’ll l let nana watch guardians of the galaxy vol3 on her own, that way we don’t end up with aunt korah shouting things about gay mens pps”. - my mom

“Oop here comes a bad guy, he’s got way too much gel in his hair to have any moral code.”(Upon finding out she was right: “told ya, gels never a good sign”)

- my mom

“You don’t need sleep, we need to hold feet.” - my brother

“Don’t come at me with those demon toes”

-kid at Jiu-Jitsu class

“I’m a slippery little worm 😼”

-kid at Jiu-Jitsu class

“He got special powers and then his dad died”

-the same kid, unsurprisingly

“🎶I believeeee I can F U C K !!! ”*flops on mat*

-Take a guess.

(What’s the capital of Florida?) ”SHIT”

-THE SAME KID. HES LIKE 6 WHAT DO I EVEN SAY TO THAT

“she was a chicken narcissist”

-stranger at Walmart

“Ah yes, my favorite pass time, throwing Fritos at my sister”

-my brother

“McGregors Pond by Dr.Sus”

-my mom

Hopefully this was enjoyable for at least a few people 😭

#shitpost #its two In the morning:(#kids smh #quotes #stupid quotes #lol #yeah #lololol #kids are weird #kids are stupid #kids are hilarious

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noellawrites · 2 years

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Some Things Never Change - Johnny Lawrence x reader

requested by: @songbirdemerald-blog

It was supposed to be your day, your celebration. Here you are, tapping your fingers on the wood of the bar table when he walks in. Johnny fuckin’ Lawrence.

It had been five years since you’d entered the Copper Bucket Bar in Reseda, your old hangout spot with Johnny. Unfortunately, five years still wasn’t enough time for him to find a new place to drink.

“Holy shit, (y/n)! I didn’t know you still hung around Reseda! Thought maybe you’d be living in a ritzy apartment in West Hollywood by now,” he hollered, stumbling towards you. Johnny was the only person who’d come to the bar already tipsy.

“What can I say, I missed the CB. Made the drive down to Reseda to celebrate a new job offer,” you explained hastily, throwing back your drink as Johnny sat down next to you.

“Well congratulations, hotshot! What’s the job for? Walmart greeter? Ooh, ooh, maybe a stripper?” Johnny half-kidded.

There was a lull of silence as the bartender slid you another vodka cranberry. “Is this man bothering you?” he asked.

“Jesus, don’t you remember us? We used to come here all the time, she was my girl,” he explained in a softer tone.

“It’s for Vice President of Distribution at Sony, actually.”

“That sounds like a bullshit job. Wait, like the Sony?”

“Yep. It’s my ticket to the top, like I always wanted,” you mumbled, knocking back your drink.

When you broke up with Johnny five years ago, things were so much different. You had dropped out of college and just hung out at bars, half-naked and desperate for attention. The first few years you spent with Johnny felt like you were on Cloud Nine. You would get drunk every night, have sloppy sex, wake up and repeat the cycle.

After you had your first pregnancy scare, you vowed to clean up your act and go back to school like your family had been begging all along. You and Johnny had a nasty fight about it that had ended with him shoving you into the wall. Johnny thought you wanted to leave him, that you were too good for him and his lowly lifestyle.

You were tired of his drinking and thought you both could use some betterment. Maybe you even had a shot to make it out and start a family, for real. But the bottle won over Johnny and you left for good.

“For the record, I always knew you had it in you. You’re a fighter, you’re badass. I’m proud of ya,” Johnny said, with an ounce of guilt in his voice as he began to sober up a bit.

“Thanks, Johnny. It really is good to see you. What’s been going on in your life lately? I tried to find you on Facebook a couple years back but I didn’t have any luck m,” you explained, sipping on your third vodka cran.

“I actually just opened a karate dojo, and I’ve got ten students so far. They’re good kids, you’d love ‘em.”

“That’s amazing, I’m glad you’re back into karate again. I’d love to come to your next practice and see them in action,” you suggested.

“I’m not sure, I don’t want them asking too many questions about my personal life,” Johnny shrugged.

He ordered one Coors Banquet (some things never change) from the bartender, and you thought about Johnny’s new life. You wondered if he was seeing Robby again, but you didn’t want to pry.

“So, uh, any new men in your life?” Johnny asked subtly, taking a swig of water.

“Nah, the men in this industry are real jerks. I prefer the blue collar kind,” you laughed, moving to nudge Johnny’s shoulder. You lost your balance and fell forward towards Johnny’s chest.

“Woah woah, are you drunker than I am?” he laughed, playing it off as he lifted your torso off of him, helping you sit upright.

“Maybe. I don’t even think I want this job anyway. My life has taken a tumble since I broke things off with you. I tried dating apps b-but everyone on there is a prick. I miss you, Johnny,” you sniffled.

You gestured for another drink and the bartender brought it right over.

“The chick is drunk, okay? Don’t you stop serving people when they’re intoxicated? Jesus, what a bunch of pussies,” Johnny groaned.

“I-I think I should go. I’ll talk to you later, Johnny,” you said, downing your drink. You climbed off your barstool to leave and wobbled a bit.

“Hey, hey wait, how ‘bout you let me drive you home and we’ll come back in the morning to get your car,” he sighs, wrapping his arm around your waist to keep you steady.

“Johnny I’m so sorry I was a bitch to you, I love you. I’m a mess without you,” you cried.

“It’s just the alcohol talking, you’ll be home soon,” he laughed sadly, putting you in the passenger seat of his new Dodge Charger.

Some things never change, he thought.

#johnny lawrence x reader #johnny lawrence imagine #cobra kai x reader #cobra kai imagine #johnny lawrence oneshot #karate kid imagine #karate kid x reader

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americancowgirl19 · 3 years

Text

Acceptance

Summary: You find the love of your life in the middle of a highway.

Warnings: violence, soulmate, fluff, angst?, implied smut

Reader: Female Reader

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Word Count: 3,680

A/n: This was requested by @fyeahtaylorp : Could you please do a Bucky Barnes x plus size female reader imagine where you see black and white until you meet your soulmate and they meet during the winter solider when he’s not really him and he’s protective of her and she works along side Steve and she has weather manipulation powers and they meet again and he’s still protective and there is smut please. - I am so freaking sorry that it took me forever to get this written and published and I didn’t get to the smut, so sorry. I also changed it just a little bit so I hope you still like it!

Masterlist

“Hey, are you Sam Wilson?” You question, standing on the man's front doorstep. He frowns his eyebrows, crosses his arms, and sizes you up. You know you don’t look like much, but your mother always said that looks were deceiving. “Can I come in?”

“And who are you?” He asks, standing tall in the doorway.

“She’s backup,” Natasha states, coming into view. You instantly send a smile her way. “We can trust her,” She reassures him. Sam presses his lips together but nods and moves to let you in.

“You look good... All things considered,” You compliment her. She looked like her naturally beautiful self with only a couple of scratches and bruises on her skin.

“It’s been a rough few days,” Natasha tells you. “We could use your help,” You smirk and cock your head to the side.

“That’s what I’m here for. Where’s Cap?” Once the question leaves your lips, the golden boy comes into the room. “Heard you were in a tight spot,” You state when he looks at you with arched eyebrows. His eyes move from you to Natasha, who gives an innocent shrug.

“We could use her help,” Natasha states. “We can trust her,” She vouches. Steve looks hesitant but nods before giving you a polite smile.

“Rough few days, huh?” You mutter, looking at Natasha, sensing that her words were a bit of an understatement. “What exactly are we up against?”

Natasha and Steve both begin to fill you and Sam in on what’s been going on. You weren’t surprised Shield had been compromised. You didn’t trust anybody outside your small group. You preferred being on your own in a secluded area.

However, Natasha is one of the select few that has your complete trust. Therefore, when she called, saying she needed help, you came without hesitation.

“So, the question is: who in Shield could launch a domestic missile strike?” Natasha questions.

“Pierce,” Steve realizes.

“Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world,” Natasha sighs.

“But he’s not working alone. Zola’s algorithm was on the Lemurian Star,”

“So was Jasper Sitwell,”

“So, the real question is: how do the two most wanted people in Washington kidnap a Shield officer in broad daylight?”

“The answer is: you don’t,” Sam states, dropping a military file on the table. Natasha pulls it toward her.

“What’s this?”

“Call it a resume,”

“Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you,” Natasha states. “You didn’t say he was a para-rescue,” She mumbles, looking at Steve.

“Is this Riley?” He asks, and Sam nods.

“I heard they couldn’t bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use, a stealth chute?”

“No. These,” Sam corrects Natasha. Steve flips through the file.

“I thought you said you were a pilot,”

“I never said pilot,” Sam smirks with a hint of smugness. It’s enough to get you grinning. You decide that you like him.

“I can’t ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason,”

“Dude, Captain America needs my help. There’s no better reason to get back in,”

“So, where can we get one of those?” You wonder, peaking at the pictures. “I don’t think Walmart has those in stock,”

“The last one is at Fort Meade,” Sam answers, an amused grin on his lips. “Behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall,”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Steve assures him.

“I’m assuming you have a plan?” You ask, Steve. “Or is this a wing-it kind of mission?” Natasha grins a bit before they start laying out the plan.

Your part of the plan was to keep them from dying, basically. Nobody knew that you were involved. You were to stay in the background and only intervene if needed. Knowing Natasha, you would need to step in sooner rather than later.

You watched them from a distance. You smirked when you saw Sam flying around with his wings. They were a cool contraption; you weren’t going to lie.

Borrowing someone’s car, you followed them from a distance. You watched for anyone suspicious. Everything seemed normal until someone caught your eye.

This, someone, was dressed in black, but he stood out from everything around you. Like everyone else who had yet to meet the one they’re destined to be with, the world is dull and colorless. Only after meeting and accepting your soulmate could you see the world the way it’s supposed to be seen, full of color.

So, while his attire is completely black, his pale skin and silver arm stand out. You knew this was the man, The Winter Soldier, that Natasha and Steve had warned you about. You knew you should have warned them, but you were frozen by the revelation.

When he leaped from the car he was on and onto the one with your friends, you snapped out of your daze. Cursing, you sped up to try and get to them, but by the time you were able to weave around traffic and catch up, their car had crashed.

“Some backup you are, Y/n,” You mutter to yourself. You slam on the breaks and put the car in park before climbing out. You race down the highway and toward the men shooting at Natasha and Sam.

You stop a few paces away from the shooters and begin to conjure fog to cover their escape. Before long, Natasha can get away, and the attention is on you instead of Sam.

Able to see through your fog clearly, your search for your soulmate. When you find him, you send a powerful gust of wind in his direction. The force sends him flying back and through a car. You wince, but at least he’s not within the fog’s grasp any longer.

You move around as bullets come flying your way. You had given up your position, but it had been necessary. Once you find a safer place to stand, you begin to manipulate the fog once more. Your breath is now visible as the air around you drops rapidly in temperature.

To add to the cold, you begin to make the air thinner in their area. You see them shivering, and some drop to the ground due to the lack of oxygen.

In the corner of your eye, you notice one of the men had escaped the fog’s perimeter. He aims his gun at you but forces the fog to become thicker as you slip into its protective cover. Within the fog, you notice that more than one man has escaped.

You huff in annoyance, but at least you have eliminated a couple of the problem people. You see a few people standing at the edge of the highway shooting down where you assume Natasha, Steve, and Sam are.

Before you deal with them, you turn to the one that continues to hunt you just outside of the fog. Giving him an annoyed glare, one he doesn’t see, you point your hand at him. Like Palpatine, you release streams of lightning from your fingertips.

The man screams in pain and drops to the floor. You continue your ministrations until his screams stop. By then, however, the fog has dissipated, allowing the others to see you. Their guns turn to you, but before you can defend yourself, a stream of bullets lodge into their heads.

Your eyes snap to the source and notice the Soldier standing there. You both stare at each other before he stalks to the edge of the bridge and jobs down to the lower level. You race to the edge to watch him stomp off a crushed car and continue onward as nothing happened.

“Oh, no, you’re not getting away that easily,” You mutter. Lifting your hands, you manipulate the air around yourself. It lifts you off the ground and gently sets you down beside the car the Soldier had crushed when he landed.

You run in the direction the Soldier had gone. You see him locked in a fight with Steve. It looks like Cap finally met his match.

A groan catches your attention. Your breath catches in your throat. You jog over to Natasha and inspect her bullet wound.

“This is gonna hurt,” You warn her. She looks at you before closing her eyes. When she nods, you place your hands on either side of her wounded shoulder. You conjure enough heat to cauterize the wound.

“I hate it when you do that,” She mumbles. You smile at her.

“Well, stop getting shot, and I won’t have to do it,” You wink at her. “You’ll be alright,” You assure her before standing up. You turn back toward the Soldier and Steve. For the first time, you see him without his mask.

“Who the hell is Bucky?” He asks Steve before aiming a pistol at Steve. Your breath hitches again when Sam comes in and kicks the Soldier away from Steve. When he regains his footing, you notice Natasha aiming a grenade launcher at him.

“No!” You shout, shoving Natasha, forcing her to miss her target. When you look back, you notice the Soldier is gone. Before you can react, a collar is locked around your neck, preventing your mutation from working.

“It was him... He looked right at me like he didn’t even know me,” Steve mutters.

“How’s that even possible? It was like 70 years ago,” Sam states as Natasha stares at you intently. You avoid her gaze and continue to stare at Steve, wanting to know as much about him as possible.

“Zola. Bucky’s whole unit was captured n ‘43, Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and...”

“None of that's your fault, Steve,” Natasha assures him.

“Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky,” Steve whispers.

Great, my soulmate is a ninety-something supersoldier that’s in Hydra. You think sarcastically. Although, if he doesn’t even know who he is, how can he willingly work for Hydra? He protected me from his own men. Hydra soldiers don’t do that. There’s hope for him.

“Oh, you’re on our side?” You ask when one of the masked persons beats the sit out of the other two. “Oh, hey Maria,” You greet when she takes her helmet off.

“Ah, that thing was squeezing my brain... Who’s this guy?”

After making the grand escape, you’re all lead towards a hideout. There you find Nick Fury, who’s apparently not dead. After an argument on how to go about things, you prepare to take on Shield/Hydra once again.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on, or am I going to have to start guessing?” Natasha questions. You glance up at her before looking back down at your feet.

“You’re smart, Nat... I’m sure you’ve already figured it out,” You whispers. Natasha doesn’t say anything for a minute. She then comes toward you and sits down.

“Can you stop him?” Nat asks. You meet her look.

“If I can... You won’t be seeing me for a while,” You tell her. She sends you a small smile.

“Do what you have to do... Just be careful,” She advises. You smile, bumping your shoulder with hers.

“You’re the one who should be careful... Once I find him, I’m going to get him to leave with me. You’ll be in the fight the whole time,” You remind her.

“I’ll be fine,’ Natasha whispers. “Just get him and go,” You smile and slowly nod.

With those words said, the two of you leave the room. You approach Shield with Steve and Sam. The two of them go their separate ways while you start your search for the Solider... For Bucky.

During your search, you take down as many Hydra agents as possible. You wanted to help the cause, but finding Bucky was more important.

It wasn’t long before you were officially labeled a major threat. This meant that their focus shifted toward you. Things were slowly getting out of hand, but you continue to literally take the air from their lungs and the warmth from their bodies until they died. You offered a foggy cover for the Shield agents that were your allies while shooting your enemies down with bolts of lightning.

When you began to get surrounded, someone came to your aid. He had found you before you found him. He didn’t waste ammo—a single bullet to the head of those around you.

You two shared another look. Instead of looking into sunglasses, this time, you were looking in his eyes. Everything around him would continue to be black and white until he accepted you. You wondered if he could see in color. Despite not knowing him and him working for Hydra, you accepted him. You wanted him. You hoped that he would trust you.

You got lost in the beautiful color of his eyes that you forgot what was happening around you. When he moved to leave you and continue with his mission, you shouted his name. He froze, and you moved a few steps closer.

“Look at me... please,” You whisper to him. He remains motionless. “Your name is Bucky. You were friends with Steve Rogers,” His head turns slightly to you. “I don’t know what’s happened to you, nor do I know what you’ve been through, but I can tell you that things don’t have to be like this. You don’t have to be their weapon, their machine,” You risk a few steps closer to him. “I’m your soulmate. I will never hurt you. I only want you to be happy... To keep you safe,”

He stays still for a moment. He’s so still it’s as if he’s a statue. Then, he moves forward as if the words you just said didn’t matter to him. They probably didn’t. You weren’t going to give up that easily.

“Bucky,” You say again, latching your hand around his wrist. He whips around and wraps your throat in his metallic hand. You tense but don’t move. He’s not cutting off your air; it’s a warning. Your free hand lifts and covers his metal wrist. I won’t hurt you... and I won’t ever let them hurt you again,” You promise him. “Who cares about what’s going on here? It’s not our fight,” You tell him. “Come with me,”

“They’ll find us,” He whispers. You smile brightly.

“They’ve been looking for me for over a decade and haven’t come close,” You tell him. “They couldn’t find me then, and they certainly won’t find us now,” You assure him. “Please, come with me,”

Miraculously, he listens. The two of your leave the battle fairly easily. Anybody who gets in your way ends up dead. You switch your methods between sucking the air from his lungs to overheating or sudden frostbite. Bucky, while amazed by your abilities, settles for a simple bullet to the head. You two work with each other fluently.

You both stay away from populated areas. It’s harder within the city, but once you borrow another car and head into the countryside, it gets easier. You tell Bucky to stay in the car while you quickly buy him some comfortable clothes. Then, you drive him to your home. With your abilities, it’s impossible for anybody else to find, let alone get into, your home.

There’s an intense fog almost a mile thick around your property. Within the fog are intense temperatures. Some temperatures are too high or too low for a human to survive. Outside the fog, everything is normal and up to mother nature.

“Welcome to my home,” You say before climbing out of the car. He hesitantly follows you. “Nobody can come in without my consent,” You tell him. You walk to the house before slowing and turning back to him. “If you really want to leave, let me know... You may be a super soldier, but I’d be surprised if you could survive out there,” Bucky looks at the woods. “Come on; you must be hungry,”

You and Bucky live in silence for a long time. He doesn’t want to talk, and you don’t make him. You try to fill the silence with your ramblings, but it doesn’t always work to make him relax. He has nightmares at night, during the day as well. You want to help, but it’s a complicated situation.

It doesn’t help that he continues to be the only thing in color. He hasn’t accepted you yet. It hurts, but you don’t give up on him.

It takes a month for him to start conversations. It takes him even longer to hold those conversations for more than a few seconds. At this point, he’s knows everything about you while he’s still a mystery. To be fair, he’s still a mystery to himself.

You introduce him to the internet. There he can research himself and Steve. He learns a lot, and you find him behind the screen more often than not.

Around the end of the second month, Bucky seems to be relaxing even more. He still has his nightmares, he still is trying to find himself, but at the same time, it’s like he knows he’s safe. He knows nothing can’t get to him while he’s here. Yet he still won’t let you in.

In an attempt to get him to accept you, you try to do more for him. The meals you cook get more complicated, and you try to be more romantic and supportive. He entertains you but still keeps his distance.

It isn’t until the fourth month you begin to lose hope. You’ve done everything you can to get him to accept you. You’ve given him space, you’ve set him free, you’ve protected him and supported him. You have given him clothes and home, yet still, you get nothing.

You sit on the front porch. You’re thinking through everything. You know, four months, in retrospect, isn’t that long. It’ll take years for Bucky to recover. You had just hoped that he would want you. He’s taken your help, but you wanted him to want you.

When he comes back from his midafternoon run, he pauses right before the porch. He can tell something is bothering you but hasn’t a clue what to do.

“Do you know what soulmates are?” You wonder. Bucky stares at you for a moment before slowly nodding his head. You get a bit frustrated. “Do you trust me?” He hesitates again but ultimately nods. “Do you not want me then?” You whisper. It’s subtle, but Bucky tenses. You read his posture wrong. “Alright,” You whisper, standing up.

“Wait,” He says, jumping up onto the porch. His hand grabs your wrist. You stop, look at his hand, and then up into his eyes. “You’re beautiful. You’re strong. You’re everything I could ever want,”

“Then why haven’t you accepted me?” You whisper. He sighs slowly. As if giving into a desire, he caresses your cheek with his hand.

“For decades, all I’ve known is fighting. I went from one to another. Before that, I never thought I’d see in color. Then you come out of nowhere and turn my world upside-down. As perfect as you are, that doesn’t change who I am. I’m haunted every day, and I know Hydra is hunting me. Just being here will endanger you, but I can’t find it in myself to leave. I don’t want to get to the point of no return. I don’t want you to get attached to me because one day I’ll have to leave, and I don’t know if I’ll come back,”

“That just won’t do for me,” You shake your head. “You see, Buck, I’m in this for life whether you accept me or not. If you leave, I’m just going to follow. Whether you go to Steve or Hydra or even Hell, I will follow you,” You tell him. “You distancing yourself is hurting us more than the potential of you leaving. I’m not going to let you go, Buck... You’ll realize that eventually.”

Things continued the same for a while as Bucky digested your words. Eventually, however, there was a change. It was a slow change, but it was progress nonetheless.

Bucky began to open up to you more. There were subtle touches and lingering gazes. He sat closer and spent more time with you. As the weeks passed, everything began to amplify. The subtle touches turned into handholding that eventually turned into cuddle sessions. The words exchanged turned into flirtatious whispers.

The day you could see everything in color was the day you pulled him into a kiss. You both were the happiest you’ve ever been. The kiss made you both feel as if you had been touch-starved. Neither of you could get enough of each other.

The kiss had started in the kitchen. You were making breakfast when everything turned from black and white to various vibrant colors. You whipped around to him. He had this lopsided grin on his face as he stared at you.

You marched up to him and kissed him without a second thought. He had been leaning on the wall the separated the kitchen from the living room, but he switched positions so that you were pressed between that wall and him.

“I love you,” Bucky whispers. You begin to smile even wider, your heart hammering in your chest. “You’re-”

“I love you too,” You whisper back to him before kissing him once more. Bucky smiles into the kiss and leans into you even more.

You breathe in deeply when he picks you up. He doesn’t hesitate to take you back to your room. The room he’s spent the last few nights cuddling you in. He lays you down on the bed with a tenderness that has your heart fluttering.

“I love you,” He whispers again. He would tell you that all night. He didn’t want to stop kissing you, stop touching, nor stop telling you how much you meant to him. You changed his world, and you became his world.

#soulmate au #soulmate #bucky #Bucky Barnes #bucky x reader #female!reader #x fem!reader #x female reader #Female reader #plus sized reader #mcu #request #one shot #mutant #mutant!reader #enhanced

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duuhrayliegh · 3 years

Text

A Friend of Yours - pt. 2

pairing: bucky x reader

summary: reader meets up with Bucky, Sam and Zemo to figure out this Flag Smasher drama

word count: 6386

warnings: canon lvl violence? SPOILERS FOR TFATWS, (it’s the episodes with yn in it, like rlly) language throughout the whole thing, i think that’s it.

a/n: i’m actually really proud of this guys. there is a part three that has WAY more Bucky x YN content that’ll be posted in a few days <3 i hope y’all love this!!

i just want to remind y’all that this started out as a request from @dramaticwittch it won’t let me tag you for some reasons babes :((

be sure to read A Friend of Yours - pt 1

A Friend of Yours - pt. 3 is up too!!!

p.s.: my requests and tag lists are open!!

check out my other writing here!

xoxo ray <3

You had the same contacts as Sharon, so finding the Three Musketeers was no problem. It baffled you that Sharon had access to satellites. Makes you wonder what she was doing during those five years you were gone. When you got to their safehouse, you were impressed to say the least. It was nice, cute little pillars next to the dining area, some couches, just enough to make it livable. One thing that struck you as strange was that it was also empty, they weren’t there.

“Fuck it.” You dropped your bag onto the dining table and walked over to the kitchen area. You opened several cabinets, searching for alcohol that you could drown your frustrations in. You found an unopened wine bottle, releasing a little cheer, you popped the cork and brought the bottle to your nose. A sweet plum scent invaded your senses, grabbing a glass and pouring it full for yourself before re-corking the bottle. You grasped the cup walking to the stained glass windows on the opposite side of the room. You could hear footsteps approaching the doorway, then the door being forced open. Muffled conversations were taking place during their entrance.

“Well, I got nothin’. No one’s talkin’ about Donya.” Bucky said as he waltzed into the room. Sam followed closely behind him, Zemo immediately going to the kitchen.

“Yeah, Karli’s the only one who’s fighting for them.” You said, startling the pair of men who were now lounging on the couches. “Aren’t you supposed to be good at this?” You dropped next to Bucky, offering him a sip of your plum flavored wine.

“She’s not wrong.” Bucky shot Sam a look, questioning his thought process. “Look, for five years these people were welcomed into countries that have kept them out using barbed wire. There were houses and jobs.” Sam sighed, “Folks were happy to have people around to help them rebuild.” You stopped listening halfway through Sam’s speech, thinking of Sharon. You only refocused when Bucky placed his metal hand on your knee, giving you a look, asking if you were okay.

“That little girl. What’d she tell you?” Bucky asked after you nodded at him. His face never left yours, until Zemo approached the three of you on the couch. He was holding a tray with a clear teapot and cups. He placed it on the coffee table, stepping back and clutching a cup for himself.

“The funeral is this afternoon.” Zemo was always one for the dramatics, so you’re sure that he had something else up his sleeve. Bucky squeezed your knee and you knew he was trying to calm himself.

“You know the Dora’s coming for you any minute. In fact, they’re probably lurking outside right now. Keep talking.”

“Leaving you to turn on me once we get to Karli.” He made a noise of acknowledgement, “I prefer to keep my leverage.” Bucky hauled himself off the couch to stand in front of the Baron. You gaze flicked to Sam’s, unsure of what Bucky was going to do. Bucky puffed his chest out, clenching his jaw as he gripped Zemo’s teacup and chunked it at the concrete wall behind him. Zemo flinched as Bucky began talking to him.

“You wanna see what someone can do with leverage?” Sam stood quickly, trying to diffuse the situation before it escalated.

“Take it easy, Buck. Don’t engage him.” You were taking a drink of your wine, as you observed Zemo’s actions.

“Watch out, he’s going to extort you and do that idiotic head tilt thing.” Zemo’s eyes darted to your figure on the couch as he straightened his head. Sam left to make a call, you assumed Sharon and Bucky followed closely behind him. Zemo offered you cherry blossom tea to which you declined by holding up your wine glass. As Bucky left the room, the Baron released a sigh of relief causing you to laugh at his actions.

“You’re really scared of him, aren’t you?” You teased the man who was now glaring at you.

“If you have made him as angry as I have then you would be too.” You shrugged your agreement. You hadn’t made Bucky mad, and you definitely hadn’t been a part of reactivating him as the Winter Soldier to reach your goals.

“Yeah, well you’re a dumbass, so.” You got up and walked to where Bucky and Sam were gathered. Sam’s phone was still pressed to his ear, but you could tell you were catching the tail-end of his conversation. You could hear Sharon’s voice over the phone talking about the Power Broker. In all your years of living and conducting business in Madripoor, you never tangled with the Power Broker. That didn’t mean anything, it was just suspicious because of how successful your operation with Sharon was.

“What’s the plan?” You asked, dumping the rest of your wine in the sink, casting a glance at an appalled Zemo. “It was shit wine.”

“Zemo has a contact that can show us where the funeral is, and that’s all we got.” You nodded before looking at Bucky and Sam.

“Well, what are we waiting for?”

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

You were walking down the cobblestone roadway with the Three Musketeers when a voice shouted at you from the stairway before you. “Karli Morgenthau is too dangerous for you guys to be pulling this shit!” A scruffy looking man approached you. Both him and his partner were clad in tactical gear, the scruffy one’s resembling a Walmart version of Steve’s Cap suit. Bucky spread his arms out.

“How’d you find us now?” The man’s partner responded to Bucky with equal annoyance.

“Come on, man. You really think two Avengers can walk around Latvia without drawing attention?” As he got closer you could read Hoskins on his vest.

“No more keeping us in the dark.” Scruff said before anyone else could fire back. He stopped walking in front of Zemo, effectively stopping your forward motion. “You can start by telling us why you broke him out of prison.” You were walking just behind Bucky to his right and you watched him cock his head back, his voice taking on a sarcastic tone.

“He did that himself, technically.” Scruff’s face contorted as Bucky talked.

“This better be an unbelievable explana--” Scruff’s voice was cut off by Sam’s hand bumping into his chest.

“Hey, take it easy before it gets weird.” Zemo began talking over the group around him, explaining what was going on. You remained quiet, observing the interaction between Scruff and the Three Musketeers. Clearly, the Three Musketeers did not like him and so you assumed he was the ‘new Cap,’ whatever that means. The group began walking again with Zemo leading the pack.

“Alright good, we’ll move in fast. Take her by surprise.”

“No, I wanna talk to her alone.”

“I’m not losing her again.” Scruff was insistent but so was Sam.

“Look, the person closest to her just died, she’s vulnerable.” The group had stopped walking again, focusing on the conversation. You could see the wheels turning in Hoskin’s head as Sam spoke. Scruff was not having any part of what Sam was suggesting.

“What? No. Wait, no! No. Stop. Hold on. Stop, okay?” Scruff ran ahead in front of the others, stopping the forward motion, once again. “I think we’re way past reasoning with her, unless you forgot the fact that she blew up a building with people still in it.” This was news to you, deciding to stay offline in hopes of remaining under the radar. The back and forth continued until Scruff turned to Bucky.

“You gonna let him do this?” Bucky tilted his head at the man. “Are you gonna let your partner walk into a room with a Super Soldier alone?”

“He’s dealt with worse. And he’s not my partner.” You knew Bucky was referring to himself in Winter Soldier mode. Your heart hurt for him to have to go through this again with some clueless nobody.

“And last I checked, he’s a grown ass man who makes his own decisions, Scruff.” Your arms crossed over your chest. This had been the first time you spoke since Scruff and Hoskin’s had arrived.

“Who the hell is this?” Scruff pointed at you. “You break her out of prison too?” Sam interjected before you could sass back.

“I used to counsel soldiers dealing with trauma, okay? This is right in my wheelhouse.” Scruff’s gaze hadn’t left your face. He continued staring at you as he countered Sam’s claim.

“Yeah, I know. And I know those soldiers, which is why I know this is a bad idea.” Hoskin’s hand came up to rest on Scruff’s shoulder.

“Wait, John. If he can talk her down, it might be worth a try.” Scruff was not happy with Hoskin's agreement to the situation. Scruff said something to Zemo, who mostly ignored him, acknowledging the little girl waiting under an archway. The group began moving toward her and you focused on Bucky.

“Hey, you okay?” He just nodded at you, denying you the pleasure of a verbal response. You’ll take what you can get. Bringing up the rear of the group, you entered the factory type building last. The little girl pointed up some stairs, and Zemo translated. Sam walked up behind the girl, making him way up the stairs as Scruff handcuffed Zemo to a metal contraption.

“You got ten minutes. Then we’re doing things my way.” Scruff yelled after Sam, who darted his eyes at you and Bucky, a silent instruction to the both of you. Scruff rested his weight against a table, holding Steve’s shield in front of him. His breathing became increasingly worrisome, an ode to how stable he was in the moment.

“You aren’t looking so hot over there, Scruff.” Bucky shot you a warning look, but it didn’t deter you. “The government is really harping on you to get this shit contained, aren’t they?” Scruff pushed off the table, bringing the shield around his back. You were leaning against a pillar near Zemo and Scruff made his way over to you. His face was about six inches from yours as he spoke.

“Do you know who I am?” He was trying to intimidate you, which clearly wasn’t working.

“Do I look like I give a shit?” Scruff’s eyes darted over your frame, a look of recognition washing over his features.

“I know who you are.” He glanced at the clock across the room before looking back at you. “I could arrest you right now. Enemy of the State, standing before me right here.”

“We’re not in that state, dumbass. Technically, you don’t have jurisdiction.” The corner of your mouth raised in a smirk as Bucky called your name. You pushed off the pillar behind you to stand next to Bucky, who was leaning against the railing of the stairs.

“Don’t antagonize him, Y/N.” Bucky berated you, to which you shrugged a shoulder. Scruff began pacing back and forth, frustration getting the better of him.

“It hasn’t been ten minutes, John. Just sit tight.” Hoskin’s tried to calm Scruff down.

“Don’t do that. Don’t patronize me.” He shot a look at Hoskins, then the clock, then Bucky, making a decision in his head. “I’m goin’ in.” Bucky rose to his full height, not allowing Scruff to get by him. “This is all really easy for you, isn’t it? All that serum runnin’ through your veins.” You watched Bucky’s jaw clench, you could see the anger bottling up. “Barnes, your partner needs backup in there.” Bucky was an immovable fortress of solitude. “Do you really want his blood on your hands?” Oh shit.

You watched as Bucky’s resolve faded, allowing Scruff to step around him. Bucky was tired of being the cause of other people’s deaths. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust that Sam could take care of himself, he just didn’t want the burden any longer. He was finally free of being a murder machine, finally able to rinse his hands clean. Scruff knew just which buttons to push to get what he wanted.

Scruff busted into the memorial site, guns blazing. You trailed behind Bucky who was fighting against Hoskin’s to try to reach Scruff. Karli and Sam were previously engaged in peaceful conversation, until Scruff announced that Karli was under arrest. Betrayal laced her features as she looked at Sam, defending herself against Scruff advances. She threw Scruff’s weight into Sam, launching them both into the table behind. Bucky took off after her, chasing her through the halls. You crouched next to Sam, making sure he was okay.

Sam recovered quickly, racing down a different corridor leading to another stairway. You followed close behind, allowing Sam to attempt to navigate the area around you. The two of you eventually went down enough of the wrong corridors, that you met up with an equally confused Bucky. You head perked up at the sound of gunshots somewhere in the building. Not sure who the culprit was you turned to Bucky and Sam, who looked just as panicked.

The three of you retraced your steps to find Scruff standing over a knocked-out Zemo with crushed vials wetting the floor. Scruff tossed a glance back at Hoskins and then one to the three of you on the staircase landing. “What did we miss?” Sam directed his question at Scruff, who didn’t dignify him with an answer. Scruff nodded to Hoskins before walking away from the rest of you.

“Thanks for your help, asshole!” You shouted after him.

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

Hauling Zemo’s deadweight back to the safehouse was a job that you and Sam decided Bucky was fit for, being a super soldier and all. Through much complaining and whining on Bucky’s part, he did get him to the safehouse relatively injury free, dumping his body on the couch, jostling Zemo just enough to wake him up. Bucky promptly left the apartment after dropping Zemo off, going to clear his head was the explanation you got as he left.

You huffed, discontent with everything that was going on. You walked to the kitchen, wetting a rag and tossing it at Zemo. “For your head, cover your eyes, it’ll help.” You then popped a few cubes of ice in a glass and poured whiskey over it, handing it to Zemo as well, tapping your temple at him. You went back to the kitchen, jumping onto the counter, letting your legs dangle over the edge. Sam had pulled out a laptop and was typing furiously.

“Were you ever offered it?” You knew Zemo wasn’t talking to you, but to Sam, who hadn’t looked up from the laptop screen. You zoned out of their conversation, trying to decide what Sam was sending Sharon now. “Sam, you can’t hold out hope for Karli.” This made Sam pause and turn to face Zemo, who continued talking. “No matter what you saw in her, she’s gone. And we cannot allow that she and her acolytes become yet another faction of gods amongst real people.” Zemo removed the rag from his eyes, locking gazes with Sam. “Super Soldiers cannot be allowed to exist.”

“Isn’t that how god’s talk?” You interjected, then you asked quietly, “And if that’s how you feel, what about Bucky?” It was a valid concern. “Blood isn’t always the solution.” Bucky waltzed into the apartment, stripping his jacket from his shoulders, giving a perfect view of his two contrasting arms.

“Something’s not right about Walker.”

“You don’t say.” Sam quipped, closing his laptop and facing Bucky.

“Well, I know a crazy when I see one. Because I am crazy.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“Shouldn’t have given him the shield.” Bucky jabbed at Sam, sticking to his guns on this.

“I didn’t give him the shield.” Sam was exasperated in his delivery.

“Well, Steve definitely didn’t.” You turned to Bucky.

“Hey. Back off, Buck.” Bucky was going to say something in reply when the door burst open again. In walked Scruff and Hoskins, all gung-ho about something.

“Alright. That’s it. Let’s go.” He pointed a finger at a now standing Zemo. The whole room began shifting, Sam in front of Scruff, Zemo to the side out of direct view, and Bucky to your other side, glass in hand. “I’m now ordering you to turn him over.” Sam stopped before Scruff, annoyed.

“Let’s be clear, shield or no shield, the only thing you’re runnin’ in here is your mouth.” You added from your spot on the countertop. Scruff pointed his finger at you.

“And I’m taking her too.” Bucky stepped in front of you, blocking Scruff’s view of you. You placed your hand on his left shoulder, letting him know you were still there.

“I had Karli and you overstepped. He’s actually proven himself useful today. We’re gonna need all hands on deck for whatever’s comin’ next.” Scruff puffed out his chest, attempting to intimidate Sam.

“How do you want this conversation to go Sam, huh?” He stepped back slightly, “Should I put down the shield? Make it fair?” Taking on a condescending tone with Sam, making your brows raise. Suddenly a spear lodged itself in the pillar next to Scruff’s face, all eyes darted towards the woman across the room. Two more warriors walked in, holding spears by their sides and Bucky looked resigned. This was new territory for you, who the fuck are these people? One of the women stepped forward near Scruff. She spoke at Bucky in a language that sounded vaguely familiar to you.

“Release him to us now.” Scruff ignored her instruction, deciding to step towards her, holding his hand out for her to shake.

“Hi. John Walker. Captain America.” You scoffed loudly.

“No, you’re not!” You received a look from Sam at your comment.

“Let’s put down the pointy sticks and we can talk through this, huh?” Sam stepped forward, warning Scruff against tangling with the Dora Milaje.

“The Dora Milaje don’t have jurisdiction here.”

“The Dora Milaje have jurisdiction wherever the Dora Milaje find themselves to be.” Your hand balled into a fist, quickly covering your mouth.

“That’s a burn, Scruff!” You yelled like the little shit you are.

“Y/N! Cut it out.” Sam snapped. Scruff, for some reason, thought it was a good idea to place hands on the Dora he was speaking to. She quickly brought her spear up to force his hand off her shoulder, then bringing it downward into the back of his knee and finally bouncing it off of the front of his helmet. She launched her foot into his chest while he was dazed, sending him backward into the spear behind him and face planting on the ground below. Scruff recovered quickly, sliding his arm into the straps of the shield to protect himself from the spear coming at his body.

The three warriors began fighting with Scruff and Hoskins, much to yours and Bucky’s delight. Sam backed up to stand next to Bucky, who crossed his arms over his chest. Sam looked at Bucky.

“We should do something.” You had just barely heard Sam say it when you and Bucky yelled at the same time.

“Looking strong, John!” “You’re doing great, sweetie!” Bucky gave you a look at your term of endearment, not understanding that it was a patronizing use of the word. The warrior battling Scruff was about to drive her spear into him, until Bucky gripped the handle, stopping her attack.

“Ayo!” Bucky yelled at her. “Ayo! Let’s talk about this!” Ayo had effectively yanked Bucky towards her body, then throwing him backwards. Sam stopped another warriors spear before it drove into a downed Hoskins. The last warrior threw her spear at Scruff, trapping the shield against the table. She began her approach to him and Sam yelled your name to help him.

You got down with a groan, unhappy that you had to save this asshat. All movement was stopped when you heard a metallic thud against the floor. Your head snapped to a now one armed Bucky, his vibranium arm laying on the ground. You released an audible gasp as Ayo walked away from Bucky, his blue eyes wide. Everything around you faded as you watched a broken Bucky, kneel to pick up his metal appendage. Your eyes flicked to Sam, who was just as shocked as you.

“Did you know they could do that?” Sam gestured to Bucky’s immobile arm.

“No.” He swung his arm around once to restart the systems. You heard Hoskins checking on Scruff’s wounded ego, but that didn’t matter to you.

“Bucky. Are you okay?” He avoided your question, grabbing his jacket and telling Sam that Zemo had gotten away. You held your arms out in front of you, what the fuck? Are you the enemy now? You followed after them, not sure where you were going. You got closer to Bucky, grabbing his left arm and yanking him back to you, making his attention be on you for a second or two. “I’m talking to you, dickwad.” His eyes hardened as you continued. “I don’t know what the fuck just happened back there, I’m assuming that has to do with you not being the Soldier anymore. I don’t really care. What I care about is if you’re okay or not.” You stopped walking, still holding his arm.

“What do you want from me, Y/N?” Bucky inquired.

“I want you to fucking talk to me. I’m here for you to unload on.” His brows scrunched and you realized what you said. “Oh my god, not like that, sicko. Well, I mean--”

“Y/N.” Bucky smiled at your humor.

“There, see? How hard was it for you to smile. Just talk to me. I’m making sure you’re okay. Don’t shut down, I hate it when people do that.” Bucky went to say something else when the both of your attentions shifted to a concerned Sam.

“She said what?” A pause, “Right. Hold on, hold on. I know, I know.” He sighed loudly, “Listen, pack an overnight bag and take the boys.” He tried to calm the other person down. You began walking again, Bucky asking quietly.

“What happened?” Sam dropped the phone to his collarbone.

“Karli called Sarah. She threatened my nephews.” Bringing it back up to his ear, he continued. “Go somewhere safe. Only pay cash, alright? Let me know when you get there.” You turned your attention to your surroundings. The bland streets offered little to no security, but they did give too many vantage points to count. “She wants me to come alone.”

“I’m coming with you.” Bucky fired back, not changing his mind about this one.

“Yay, more friends. She’ll love that. Where we going now?”

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

You’ve never seen Sam as mad as he was when he walked into that building. Although you weren’t sure if it was anger or if it was betrayal that he was displaying as he climbed the stairs to the second floor. “You called my sister? That’s how we’re gonna play this?”

“Sam, I would never hurt her. I just wanted to understand you better.” Her accent shone through with every word. You could tell that she didn’t want to hurt you. Her demeanor was relaxed, her guard was up, but she was being civil, almost like a politician. You were good at analyzing the people around you, so when Karli mentioned Sam and Bucky just being tools she really meant it. She wasn’t interested in hurting people she deemed innocent.

“Hey, Sam, new Cap is moving, looks like he’s found them, or maybe they found him.” Sharon’s voice snapped you back to reality. The two of you hadn’t spoken since you left Madripoor.

“Scruff’s coming, guys and you know it’s not going to be pretty when he does.” Bucky jumped over the ledge and Karli followed suit. Jumping into Bucky, slamming his body into the post. You ran alongside Bucky to the location Sam had sent to your phone. By the time that you had gotten to the building where Scruff was, you had lost Bucky. Taking an entrance that was already knocked open you heard gunshots from a few floors above you. With your gun raised, you scanned the room for any friendlies.

“Y/N, you’re about to come up on Hoskins. He’s not moving, may need an assist.” Your brows furrowed as you entered the room cautiously.

“How the hell do you know that, Shar? How did you get access to satellites?” You questioned as you approached a tied-up Hoskins. “Need some help, Battlestar?”

“I totally had that.” He said as your knife snapped the zip tie around his wrists.

“Yeah, yeah.” You held your hand out, hauling him to his feet. “It’s okay to be the damsel, ya know?” He shook his head at you, not engaging in your hilarious banter. “Jeez, who pissed in your Cheerios.” You shoved your knife back into your thigh holster, leading the way to where the others were.

When you walked in, Bucky had just caught a knife that Scruff had so deflected. He twirled the object in his right hand, ready to defend against the Flag Smasher attacking him. Their fight was quick and ended with the Smasher on their back, the knife Bucky was holding embedded in the floor inches away from their face. You jumped in, helping Sam fend off another Smasher when suddenly Bucky’s fist flew by your face.

“You’re welcome.” He darted off to deal with the others. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Scruff being held by a Smasher and Karli coming with a knife in hand. You started towards her to stop her, until you saw Hoskins attack from her other side. He tackled her to the ground, Karli bounced back quicker than Hoskins, allowing her to throw a punch at Hoskins. Your jaw dropped as you watched his body fly into the concrete mainstay behind him. His whole body slackened and Karli stood in shock.

Scruff was struggling in his captors hold, thrashing about to get to Hoskins. Once he was free, he shook Hoskins and pushed his fingers against his neck, checking for a pulse. “Hey, hey. Hey. Lemar!” You stood silent in between Bucky and Sam, unsure of what to do. It wasn’t until Scruff stood again that you knew what he was going to do. He had a half-second head start, but it was long enough that he was able to reach the Samsher that was holding him back before you could reach Scruff.

You had to push through the crowd to see what was happening. The Smasher had his hands protecting his face against the slam of the Captain America shield that was being hammered into him. You gasped and had to turn your face into Bucky’s shoulder. This is not happening, but it was.

And the whole world saw it too.

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

The next time you saw Scruff was in an abandoned warehouse. He was talking to himself, yelling about different things. If you weren’t sure before, you definitely were now. John Walker had taken the serum and it was enhancing all the wrong things. Scruff was kneeling, resting his hands on the bloodied shield before him. You were on Sam’s right when Scruff walked up to you.

“You guys should see a medic. You don’t look too good.” He paced in front of the three of you. “You saw what happened. You know what I had to do. I killed him because I had to! He killed Lemar!”

“He didn’t kill Lemar, John.” Bucky’s voice remained calm. “Don’t go down that road. Believe me, it doesn’t end well.” Scruff sent Bucky a disgusted look.

“I’m not like you.”

“You convincing yourself or us, Scruff?” You recognize that this probably isn’t the time to pull his strings but he wasn’t thinking clearly anyway.

“Listen, it was the heat of battle. Okay? If you explain what happened, they may consider your record. We don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” Scruff never stopped pacing, his hand flexing in the shield.

“You gotta give Sam the shield, Scruff.” He stopped pacing and turned to you, getting a little close for comfort.

“Oh, so that’s what this is.” He leaned forward, “You almost got me.” His index finger jabbed into your chest then rested there as he spoke. “You don’t wanna do this.”

“Yeah, we do.” Came Bucky’s reply before all hell broke loose. Bucky and Sam rushed Scruff, fighting for a way to get the shield from him. Scruff sent Sam flying backwards with a swift kick to the stomach. This gave you the room you needed to launch yourself onto his shoulders, attempting to flip him using his own body weight and your momentum. Your move distracted him enough that Bucky got a few decent hits in, but it really just served to piss him off further. He whipped one arm around, gripping the waistband of your jeans and dumping your weight off his shoulders. He threw you into a wooden shipping container, knocking all of the air out of your lungs.

You watch, as you lay there gasping, Bucky get beat to his knees by Scruff and Scruff’s attention is turned by Sam flipping in the air, kicking the shield to the side. You rose to your feet, readying yourself for the opportune moment. Once you found it, you flung yourself at Scruff, sending the both of you to the ground and the shield away from the both of you. You resituated yourself to straddle his stomach, this position didn’t last long because he flipped the both of you. Slamming your back against the ground, he gripped your wrists, yanking them way up high causing you to groan out at the stretch. He released you but not before delivering a swift punch to your cheek.

Your vision blurred, but you could make out Bucky going head to head with Scruff again. Scruff threw the shield at Bucky after kicking him into a lift. Luckily, Bucky was able to catch the shield and shift it to his own arm before Scruff attacked him again. Scruff pressed the shield tight against Bucky’s body, then began speaking to him.

“Why are you making me do this?” You and Sam shared a look then watched as Scruff tossed Bucky clear across the room into an electrical outlet, short circuiting his arm. Sam flew at Scruff, trying to catch him off guard. He was unsuccessful in his efforts, ending with Sam facing Scruff as you crouched in Scruff’s six.

“This isn’t you, John.” Sam began trying to reason with him. He is who is way past reasoning, not Karli. Scruff’s head tilted as he spoke in that condescending tone again.

“We could’ve been a team.” Sam didn’t say anything. He deployed his wings, flying past Scruff and sending a small grappling hook to try and take the shield. Scruff flipped through the air, then braced himself against one of the lifts. You came up from behind him and tackled him off the lift, sending Sam to the ground as well. As you landed, you hit your head on a piece of broken concrete, disorienting you. The shield was out of Scruff’s hands, and he wasn’t happy about that. They both dove for the shield but Scruff managed to get to Sam first, landing on top of Sam.

“I am Captain America.” Scruff grunted out as he ripped Sam’s wings from his suit. You watch in horror as Scruff holds the shield, ready to give Sam a face lift. Bucky knocked Scruff off just before he could land his hit. Scruff had pinned Bucky to the ground after driving Bucky’s head into the side of the shield. You hauled yourself to your feet again, wrapping your arm around Scruff’s neck, hindering his movement. Sam came from the front, delivering a harsh blow to Scruff’s face. You continued to hold your chokehold as Bucky and Sam pried the shield off his arm. You heard a sickening crack as Sam withdrew from the hoe down. Bucky rose to his feet and spit out the blood collecting in his mouth, reaching out his hand for you to take.

You walked over to Sam, you hoped that would be the end of it all. Lo and behold though, Scruff got up yet again. “It’s mine.” He growled possessively, starting towards Bucky again. Bucky ducked lifting Scruff over his shoulder and Sam threw his whole body weight into Scruff who was dangling off to the side of Bucky. The three of them laid on the floor, bloodied and sweaty as you stood over them.

Bucky rose to his knees, the shield in front of him and he used the leverage of it to stand fully. He dropped it next to Sam, pausing for a few seconds and then walking away completely. You stood next to Scruff, in disbelief. “This just got a whole lot more complicated didn’t it, Sam?” He didn’t reply to you, but you watched as he tried to wipe the blood off the outer rings of the shield.

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

You stood outside the building where Donya’s funeral was held, listening to Sam talk to someone else named Torres. Bucky had walked right past you, not a word said. He was shutting down and running away, at least that’s what it looked like. You wouldn’t know because the whore wouldn’t talk to you. You sat down on the stairs, head in your hands frustrated about what was going on. Your phone began buzzing in your pocket, so you took it out ready to deny the call, until you saw who it was.

“Shar.” You sighed into the phone speaker.

“Y/N. How’s it going?” You could hear the smugness lacing her tone.

“Alright, just get it over with. Tell me that you told me so, just make it quick.” She scoffed.

“I mean, I did tell you so, but now I don’t want to tell you that I did.” You laughed at her.

“You realize you just did, though?” You sense that she was smiling.

“What happened?” Her tone switched into a serious one on a dime.

“Walker took the serum, went batshit, killed a Flag Smasher, and then beat the shit out of Sam, Bucky and me in order to keep his precious shield because he ‘is Captain America.’” Your voice morphed to imitate Scruff.

“Well, that was bound to happen sometime. He’s all over the place.” You nodded, pulling the phone away from your ear and switching to speakerphone so you could talk and scroll through Twitter.

“He’s already trending. Captain America Kills Innocent Man, what a great headline. You know the worst part about all of this, Shar?” You switched the speakerphone off, bringing it back to your ear. “I don’t even think that Karli is in the wrong here. She’s doing what she’s doing for good reason, she’s just doing a shit job of getting her point across.”

“Yeah, well she’s becoming a pain in everyone’s asses, so that puts her on everyone’s shit list.” Sharon took a deep breath before continuing. “You need to get out of there. I know you’re not technically in the States, or alive, but you know how the government is. They’ll find a way to get you, if they want you.” She was lecturing you out of love, you knew, but it was frustrating for you still.

“Can you not trust that I know what I’m doing?” A grunt released from her end of the phone. “No, seriously Shar. We grew up the same, went through all the same training, what makes you know so much better than me?” Deep down, you knew that wasn’t what she meant, but you had always felt second best when it came to Sharon.

“It’s not that you don’t know what you’re doing.” She sighed heavily. “It’s that you were gone for five years and things have changed. Governments have become stricter and you don’t understand that they aren’t the same as they were.” You remained quiet, expecting her to say something else. “That’s why it’s good you have me because I know how they work.”

“You know how they work, do you?” You were fed up with her. “Then explain to me how you have access to satellites, Sharon. That’s not something that you just happen upon.” Your tone was accusatory. “Are you working for the Power Broker behind my back?” You heard a sharp intake of air on her end. “I swear to God, Sharon. We promised each other we wouldn’t work for that asswipe. He’s involved in too much bad shit. If the US government were to ever find out that we were working for the Power Broker, they wouldn’t grant us pardons, Shar. Did you fuck this up for us?”

“I didn’t fuck anything up and you need to check your tone when you’re talking to me.” Your brows shot to your hairline.

“The fuck did you just say to me?”

“You heard me. We need to work this shit out. I didn’t fuck anything up and neither will you if you come back to Madripoor right now.” You were shocked, Sharon had never talked like this to you.

“I really don’t think I would be comfortable being somewhere that I’m clearly not welcome anymore, so I’m going to stick with what I know.” Sharon began backtracking as you resigned yourself to being on your own for the first time in forever. “Goodbye, Sharon.” You ended the call and shoved your phone into the pocket of your jeans.

You dropped your head into your hands in defeat. Being on your own was daunting and you weren’t sure how Sharon survived without you well enough to grow your business all on her own. You tried to think of your next move, deciding that sticking with Sam would be your best bet. He’s the easiest to guess where he’s going since Bucky has been mentally MIA towards you.

You recalled Sam mentioning his sister and nephews, thinking he would go there to check on them. You hauled yourself out of your slump and to Zemo’s apartment to collect your things before going. You were going all in if you were going to do this, so why the fuck not?

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

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