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lizzie-is-here · 3 years ago

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acta, non verba

infinity war- part i

summary: two years pass, and you almost get comfortable. and then thanos happens.

wordcount: 5.3k

warnings: violence, cussing, pining, death

series masterlist

The two years after you saved the Avengers were relatively peaceful. Bucky went to Wakanda for a few months and returned as a free man, one step closer to healing. You and Steve had both sprinted toward him when the Wakanda jet landed, scooping him up in a hug. His old silver arm had been replaced, and you’d been the first to fawn over the sleek black and gold vibranium replacement.

“Look at you! You could go on Vogue!” you’d shouted, gently holding the carefully crafted hand. You took note that he didn’t shy away from touch as much as he used to.

He seemed to be a bit more extroverted after that. Whatever had happened in Wakanda had really helped him, and he often made trips back to the welcoming country. T’Challa had brought his sister Shuri along to New York, the latter of whom had taken an immediate liking to Peter Parker.

Speaking of Peter, you’d called his school a month before his sophomore year began and requested to sub for the law teacher. They’d eagerly accepted, and you’d managed to stop in a few times. The students often got a bit off track, asking mildly invasive questions about your day-to-day life.

“Does Captain America have one-night stands?” one had asked, causing you to choke on your energy drink. Other than that, the kids had been well-behaved.

You were outraged when you realized a few students made fun of Peter, thinking his internship was a lie for popularity, but he’d gotten his payback when you and Tony had organized a school field trip through Stark/Avengers Tower, making sure to have Peter hanging out in the lounge when the herd of students stopped through.

You even attended a few of his band competitions, smiling as he busted out a jazz solo that left the crowd cheering. He’d even had a run-in with a small-time weapons dealer. You’d let Tony deal with disciplining the kid. You would have felt too guilty to lecture him.

Tony had made up with Pepper, and after much pestering by you, finally proposed with a classy ring. It had been trending on Twitter for a week, maybe due to the fact that you’d sent a horde of requests to every news station you knew requesting them to cover it.

Wanda and Vision had officially been dating for almost a year now, the couple rarely ever seen without the other. You and Nat had teased the young girl relentlessly, asking embarrassing questions and making lewd innuendos at dinner.

Nat had even let you facetime her sister, Yelena. The young girl had a warm personality, and had been quick to apologize for shooting you on a mission all those years ago. You waved it off, saying that the scar was barely visible anymore, even if it was still a warped patch on your shoulder.

Sam and Steve had forced Barnes into their early-morning runs, and you often woke up before they got back, making them breakfast after they’d showered. You refused to serve sweaty people.

At Bucky’s 100th birthday party, Tony had finally forgiven him properly, pulling the taller man into a bone-crushing hug. He had pulled a similar move four months later at Steve’s party. While they still weren’t the best of friends, they were slowly rebuilding what had once been.

Life was pretty good. Until recently. Today, you were heading over to Wakanda. Nat, Sam, Rhodey, Wanda, Vision, and Steve were stopping by to pick you up for a mission. Apparently Tony had had an encounter with some particularly genocidal aliens.

You stood on the landing dock as the quinjet landed, excited to see your friends after a few months apart. They’d been running missions around the globe against arms dealers and the scraps of HYDRA left behind.

Throwing up a peace sign as the bay door opened, your eyes widened at the sight of Captain America rocking a beard. He looked years older, much to your discomfort.

“What the fuck?” you asked, patting the coarse hair as you laughed.

“I told you she’d make fun of you for it,” Sam said, Nat pulling you into a hug.

“It’s not bad, per say. Just different.”

“You’re a bad liar.” You both knew he was a worse one, but you let it slide.

The greater shock was to see Bruce Banner behind them. You pulled him into a hug, yelling about how he’d dropped off the map for three years before questioning him about the mission.

“There’s an alien named Thanos. (Y/N), he destroys worlds, this could be bad.” That sounded like a lot of work.

“Why wasn’t I notified earlier? Where’s Tony?”

“Lines are down. He’s in space with that Spider-Kid and some wizard.”

“Peter’s in space?” you exclaimed, gripping Bruce’s shoulders a bit too tightly.

As you hurried into the jet, dropping off your bag, it flew on its own, a complimentary feature of Stark’s latest work.

Nat piped up as she strapped down your bag. “So, have you told him you like him yet?” You groaned, almost having forgotten her constant matchmaking behavior, even in danger. Ever since she planted that idea in your head, you’d been infatuated.

Everything Bucky did stuck in your brain permanently. And since everyone had been busy, you’d had many days where it was just the two of you at the Compound or Tower. While you’d grown closer as friends, it had also put you in a limbo.

For a while, you’d been content with being friends. He was a quick learner and picked up on modern slang and media quickly, surpassing your own knowledge in a few reality TV shows.

You realized that you properly liked him when you took him to the Smithsonian for the first time, watching as he wandered the halls, growing more interested by each exhibit. When he’d arrived at the Avengers section, he’d complained rather loudly that you didn’t have a display, drawing the attention of a few people nearby. As he’d ranted about how you played a vital role in the team of superheroes, your brain had short-circuited, leaving you awestruck and swooning. You never swooned. When you got home and checked your phone, people were messaging you about petitioning for your own exhibit.

It got even worse when he asked you to take him to your favorite café, lighting up when you arrived at a cat café. You’d both spent over an hour trying various pastries, leading to a few cute candid shots by paparazzi.

When he woke you up from a nightmare, the only thing saving you from confessing was the dark room, hiding your blush even though you were sure he could hear your heartbeat racing. It could’ve been passed off as panic, but there was more to your racing breath and heated skin than just a bad dream. He’d hugged you close, muttering quiet Romanian until you’d fallen asleep.

It was after that night that you’d called Nat, confessing that she’d been right before you heard Sam and Steve whooping in the background. Turns out you’d been on speaker phone, and they’d heard your dramatic lament.

From then on out, the trio had been the world’s worst wingmen. Your only reassurance was that they wouldn’t out you to him, so Bucky was still oblivious to your stares and “accidental” touches. It wasn’t like he didn’t reciprocate. The first time he’d called you “doll” your heart had jumped out of your chest, leaving you a blushing mess as he teased you.

You’d taken up your own nickname to tease him back, often referring to him as “my boy”, or other pet names you could hide your very-real infatuation behind. They never seemed to have as much of an effect on him, though.

“Hellooo? Earth to (Y/N)?” Nat waved a hand in front of you. “Did you ask?“

“No, not yet.” The entire plane, save Bruce and Vision, groaned.

“Just kiss already, my god!” Rhodey shouted, causing you to hide your face in your hands.

“I just don’t want to mess things up!” Your excuse fell on deaf ears, your friends shouting over each other about various relationship advice.

You weren’t aware that they’d been saying the same things to Bucky.

For him, it had begun when he’d told Steve, who’d told Sam, who told Nat about the museum visit.

“She didn’t even have an exhibit? What was I supposed to do, just ignore that?” His exasperated yells startled the nearby goats at his hut. Sam waved his hands wildly.

“So you shouted in a silent area of the Smithsonian for five minutes about how ‘important she was to the team’?” He mimicked Bucky’s voice.

“I didn’t shout!”

“Sure you didn’t, Buck.”

Then escalated after the call you’d made.

“James Buchanan Barnes-“

He’d cut Nat off. “Ew. You sound like my mom.”

“-just ask her out! What’s the worst that could happen?” He’d glared down at the hologram of her, Steve, and Sam crowded around a phone.

“Oh, well, she could reject me and I could ruin the first pseudo-friendship I’ve made in 70 years with a person I really like,” he’d rambled.

The three matchmaking musketeers were growing impatient with the both of you.

Bruce stared in confusion. “Wait, who?” They caught him up to speed on the recent events, giving you a short break from their pushiness.

As the quinjet approached top speed, hurtling towards Wakanda faster than your racing pulse, you quieted them down, promising to tell him soon. Nat leaned toward you as Sam and Steve told Bruce about your recent dilemma.

“Tell him today, hon. It’d be a great backdrop for cute pictures!” In the middle of an alien battle?

You rolled your eyes, declining further interrogation about your dating life after Sam decided to ask how long it’d been since you’d kissed anyone.

The jet touched down in Wakanda a few hours later, all of you racing off the ramp. After an awkward exchange where Bruce tried to bow to T’Challa, they began discussing strategy, walking along the sunny grounds.

“You will have my Kingsguard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and…”

“A semi-stable 100-year-old man.” Goddamn, he looked fine. His hair was freshly washed, likely with a high-quality Wakanda product. Shuri had shared in your disgust when you learned he’d been using a 2-in-1, and had promptly given him dozens of products.

If he noticed your staring, he didn’t comment on it as Steve pulled him into a hug. Wanda, on the other hand, leaned in.

“Your daydreams are very telling,” she whispered. You swatted at her, watching as she dodged.

“What did I say about poking around my head?” She laughed, saying that she couldn’t help it if your thoughts were so loud.

As the group began making their way to a lab, Bucky fell back to walk by you.

“How’ve you been? It’s been a while since we last caught up.” You smiled, adjusting your tactical suit.

“Alright. Kind of glad I got pulled from work; Tony’s been forcing me to make him a wedding board on Pinterest.” Bucky laughed, not even realizing the effect it had on your mind. Wanda cast you a cheeky smirk from where she was supporting Vision, who’d been injured in a fight with one of the aliens. Apparently, the Mind Stone needed to be destroyed, but had to be removed from his body first so as to keep him alive.

As you arrived in the lab, Shuri approached, offering a hug. Once she and Bruce got on a science talk, you zoned out, left in the dust as she prepared to do neurosurgery. On a robot. The girl was 18, for Christ’s sake. Her genius was almost unfair.

“Something’s entered the atmosphere,” Okoye said, causing a chill to run through your body. T’Challa and Steve both led the strategy, sending Sam and Bucky outside to monitor the area. Shuri grabbed you before passing you a simple gold chain.

“A new suit I designed for you,” she said, activating it. “It’s vibranium. You’ll need it for the fight.” The design was gorgeous, sleek and far less bulky than the one you were currently wearing.

“I worked with Stark on some nanotech integration, so the hilts and holders for your weapons will appear automatically. Plus-“ she gestured for you to pass her your sword. When you did, she scanned it with her kimoyo beads, attaching a small machine to the hilt.

A glowing silver film encased it, shiny and razor sharp.

“Vibranium?” you asked, gently taking the weapon back. Shuri nodded and you thanked her profusely before going to change.

You slipped the necklace on before telling it to activate, watching in awe as the suit encased you. It was much lighter and more flexible than your usual tac suit.

You sprinted down the halls, machine gun in hand. Whatever had entered the atmosphere was likely almost here, and you knew that the team would need all the help they could get.

“(Y/N)! New suit?” You nodded at Sam, joining the two near the landing pad.

“It looks nice,” Bucky said, adjusting his grip on his own gun. You thanked him, a loud roaring causing you to stare at the giant ship descending from the sky. As you began to run from the crash zone, he tugged your hand.

“Watch.” The ship crashed against an invisible barrier, engulfed in flames and smoke.

“I love this place,” he said. You nodded in amazement. Was that Shuri’s work?

Soon, Okoye and the Dora Milaje powered up a Wakandan jet that looked more like a hovering platform. Bucky jumped on first before helping you up. Sam soared past, taking a head start

Nat asked Bruce about how he was handling the Hulkbuster suit, followed by the scientist zooming by and tripping on a large rock. Rhodey scouted out two heat signatures, and Steve, Nat, and T’Challa prepared to go speak with the aliens. One looked relatively humanoid, though their skin was ashen and eyes dark. The other was a hulking mass, with spiked skin and lizard-like features.

You stood near Bucky in front of the Wakandan forces. He seemed to notice your blank stare, and asked what was on your mind.

“Do you ever get tired of fighting?”

He nodded. “I never really wanted to, to be honest.”

It seemed you were both in agreement.

A rumbling in the distance signaled the large pillars rising, releasing hundreds of dog-like aliens. They scrambled against the barrier, many dying in a rabid attempt to break through.

Your three friends returned, watching in horror. A few of the stronger aliens made it through. The Border Tribe raised shields from their vibranium cloaks, providing a solid defense against the oncoming horde. They shot blasts of energy from their spears, precise and calculated as they wiped out the aliens. Bucky sniped a few from next to you as you raised your own gun.

“Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us… there’s nothing between them and Vision,” Bruce warned.

“Then we better keep them in front of us,” Steve decided. You turned to him, holstering your gun and unsheathing your sword.

“Like the Ural Facility?” A while back you’d both been on a mission in Russia, and had to take out a swarm of HYDRA agents by bottlenecking their numbers. He nodded.

“How do we do that?” Okoye asked.

T’Challa considered his options before turning to his lead general. “We open the barrier.” He commanded the control center to open the barrier on his signal.

“This will be the end of Wakanda,” a man said. You guessed he was a leader of one of Wakanda’s five groups.

“Then it will be the noblest ending in history.”

On the king’s signal, the forces of Wakanda ran forth, scythes raised as aliens charged through the crack in the barrier. Steve and T’Challa were quick to run ahead, their super-speed carrying them past trees at lightning paces.

You stopped before a shallow but turbulent river. Maybe you could rely on the foaming waters to slow the aliens before they reached you, allowing you to take advantage and slay them as they scrambled on the slick stone.

As one barreled toward you, you swung with all of your might, the vibranium blade cutting through the flesh and bone effortlessly and leaving you swinging from the extra force. Its remains fell at your feet.

As the armies clashed, you were left in a whirl of action. You dipped and dodged past swiping claws and teeth, targeting weak spots. The field was a blur of bodies.

After some time, you saw Bucky get tackled by one of the dogs, knocking his gun from his hand. You ran toward him, unsheathing a knife and shouting out.

“James! Catch!” You flung the knife toward his hand, leaping up and driving your sword into the monster’s back. It reared back and Bucky struck, targeting the exposed stomach. You tumbled away as it collapsed, avoiding its claws. As he helped you up, you swept your face over the battle.

You were losing. T’Challa and Steve were in the kill box, overrun with enemies. Rhodey had been knocked from the sky by the giant brute, and even the Hulkbuster armor was overwhelmed.

Just as you were beginning to lose hope, a blinding light shot from the sky. Thor. From the multicolored beam of pure energy, a war axe flew, chopping down aliens and leaving a trail of lighting in its wake.

As the axe returned to its owner, the beam disappeared, revealing a short-haired Thor, a tree alien, and… was that a raccoon? With a gun?

“Bring me Thanos!” he shouted, electricity buzzing in the humid air. With a god on your side, the enemy was slowly being swept away, Thor taking out the dog-creatures by the dozen.

As the tide of battle turned, the two leaders joined the fight. The larger one had a giant hammer on a chain, while the smaller had a sort of spear. You stayed far away from both of them, targeting the strays with your new twin guns that shot blasts of energy; Shuri truly had thought of everything.

The biped raccoon approached you and Barnes, wielding a foreign machine gun. It didn’t even look at you, instead opening fire without hesitation.

“Come and get some, space dogs!” it howled. It could talk? Eyeing more aliens approaching, Bucky turned to you.

“Back-to-back.” You agreed, watching as he grabbed the intelligent rodent and spun in a circle, you staying pressed against his back the whole time. The three of you were a tornado of gunfire, managing to take out enough aliens to catch your breath.

“How much for the gun?” he (you guessed it was ‘he’) asked.

Bucky was unphased. “Not for sale.”

“Okay. How much for the arm?” When he didn’t receive a response, he mumbled to himself, “Oh, I’ll get that arm.”

“Hate to burst your bubble, Remi, but you probably won’t get that arm. He cares about that thing like it’s his child.” Bucky laughed at the reference, but the raccoon rolled his eyes.

“What crawled up his ass and died?”

You stared at him. “Why do you know human slang?”

The raccoon grumbled something about “Stupid Quill,” before running off. He ran on all fours, confusing you even further.

As soon as the battle started to look more in your favor, the tides turned once again. Of course this couldn’t be easy. Colossal machines tore through the ground, passing right under the barrier and splitting the grass under your feet. They resembled wheels with the razor sharp edges.

You and Bucky were far enough away that it wasn’t an immediate worry -not as immediate as the hordes of aliens that continued to pile through-, but Nat was right in the line of fire. You were about to run toward her when a blaze of red energy landed on the field, encompassing the machines and using them to obliterate the countless aliens.

You sprinted down the hill and when you caught Wanda’s eye, she used her powers to lift you over the enemy, setting you down gently next to her.

“You did so good!” you exclaimed, hugging her. Spotting a dog-creature behind her, you pulled away. “Oh, hold on- cover your ears, hon.” She did as requested and you blasted the oncoming mass of legs and muscle with your gun before you turned back to her and continued praising her skill.

“(Y/N)! Come here and meet my friends!” Thor’s voice interrupted you and you waved to him, running over as Wanda continued her magic, a deathly whirl of red energy and rocks surrounding her.

“Hey Thor,” you said, lightly shoving him. “You didn’t visit,” you complained, shooting down another alien.

“I’m sorry.” He threw his new axe past you, allowing you to peer closer at him.

“Is that… is that a prosthetic eye?” He caught the battle axe in his other hand, smiling.

“Yeah, a lot’s happened since I last saw you all.”

“Same here.”

“We got a Vision situation!” Sam shouted over comms. Both Bruce and Wanda went to find him, but you only saw the Hulkbuster suit heading toward where he fell. Wanda was occupied fighting the smaller leader. You watched as Okoye and Nat ran down into the ditch to help her.

“Guys, Vision needs backup, now!” Bruce’s voice was loud in your ear, and you flung a hand to your ear to respond.

“I’ve got it. I’ll need a boost, though. Some of us aren’t super powered.” Rhodey flew down, not even touching the ground as he scooped you up effortlessly. Once you spotted Vision being stabbed by another alien leader, you signaled for him to drop you.

As you plunged through the sky, you released a grappling hook, hoping that it would catch on a nearby tree. Sure enough, you swung under a limb and straight into the alien, knocking him off his feet.

The (you guessed male, alien genders were confusing you) grey figure stood, about to say something when Steve attacked him from behind.

“Get outta here!” he yelled at you both. The synthezoid was still too weak to run. Steve continued to spar against the alien, but he was fatigued and losing. Eventually, he knocked the spear from his hands, but was promptly kicked into the brush. You saw the weapon fly a few feet away.

As Steve was choked out, you dove for the spear, spinning around and driving it through the alien’s chest, tossing both to the side when you were sure he was dead.

“I thought I told you to go,” he said as he helped Vision up. Vision took a shaky breath.

“We don’t trade lives, Captain.” A rumble from above alerted you to Thor soaring between the giant ships, reducing each to rubble. Wanda descended like a battered angel to help Vision, and you and Steve left him in her care.

“Something isn’t right,” you mumbled as you and Steve trekked through the woods. “It’s too… quiet.” You reached out a hand as wind rustled the trees, sending a leaf spiraling into your palm.

Steve had learned to trust your instinct. “Everyone on my position. We have incoming.” The team was scattered through the trees, tossing wary glances as the wind circled.

A cloud of blue light and grey smoke appeared from nowhere, a violet alien stepping from the fog. That was the “Thanos” that they spoke of, he had to be. You shivered.

“Cap. That’s him,” Banner confirmed. Steve simply readied the Wakandan shields and began storming towards the colossus.

“Eyes up. Stay sharp.”

That wasn’t an option. You’d been told of the Infinity Stones three years ago, warned of their power and capabilities. And now, as you caught glimpses of the golden gauntlet on Thanos’ left hand, he had five of them. The only one left was the Mind Stone.

Bruce was beaten without effort, the blue of the Space Stone covering him and sending his suit phasing halfway through a cliff. The same Stone was used against Sam, malfunctioning his wings and sending him sprawling.

The Power Stone was used on Steve, flicking him off like a fly. Your heart sank as you readied your sword. Where was Tony? Peter? If he’d gotten the other stones, he must’ve encountered them.

The titan didn’t even use the gauntlet for T’Challa, simply punching him hard enough to knock him out and send the energy his suit had stored flying across the ground.

From behind you, Wanda’s powers activated. Teary-eyed, she aimed the wisps at the Mind Stone, Vision not even flinching from the pain you knew he could feel.

Thanos crushed Rhodey’s suit and took out Bucky, Okoye, and Nat with only one stone. When the tree alien tried to fight him, he shrugged off the roots. You ran to the crushed War Machine suit first, trying your best to help Rhodey from the crushed shell. At your request, FRIDAY opened the suit, sending the man inside spilling onto the ground, groaning in pain.

You were vaguely aware of the alien passing behind you as you checked pulses. You knew it was dumb, but your worry overpowered your logic. Wanda continued her onslaught against the Mind Stone, taking one hand to fend off Thanos. You fired shots off in an attempt to slow him, but he barely took a moment to use the Power Stone to throw you against a tree.

You coughed as you sat up, shielding your eyes from a sudden burst of golden light. Wanda had won. But if you were supposed to feel happy, why did that twisting in your gut persist?

Your question was answered in the form of a green glow. Time. You were frozen in horror as time rewound, Vision barely having a moment of relief before Thanos grabbed him, effortlessly ripping through the vibranium body and tearing the Mind Stone from his head.

The color drained from the synthezoid’s body, leaving him in a colorless husk. As he placed the final Stone in his gauntlet, you could feel the power radiating off of him. As he raised his hand, you were shaken from your stupor.

Running past your teammates, you slammed your sword against the purple mass, hurling insults you wouldn’t have dared to say otherwise.

“Where the fuck are Tony and Peter! The Iron Man and the Spider? What did you do to them?” He flung you away, but you stayed standing, skidding to a halt in the dirt. He didn’t look angry, he looked determined. You fumed as you met his emotionless gaze.

“I beat them. I don’t know what became of the Spider you speak of, but I know of Tony Stark.”

Your voice trembled.

“What did you do to him?” you demanded.

“I had to kill him. He posed too much of a threat. It’s a shame really. Stark had fight in him. He was the only one of that ragtag group on Titan to even draw blood.” No, not Tony. If there was anyone you couldn’t handle to lose… well, you couldn’t have even chosen. But something felt personal about how he spoke, taunting you.

You walked towards Thanos, sword swinging at your side, head raised as if you were heading toward paparazzi and not the being that wanted to slaughter half the universe.

“You hurt my friends.” It was a simple statement.

“It’s for my mission, little one. I know you might not be able to comprehend the inner workings-“

“Shut the fuck up. I’m going to kill you for that.” You drove your blade upwards, watching as he caught it before diving a dagger into his stomach. He flinched, yanking it out.

“You are a pest,” he growled, grabbing you by the neck. As he raised you above him, you began choking and clawing at the gauntlet. As your hand passed over each stone, you could feel the power at the edges of your fading mind. As his grip tightened, you heard a deep scream.

You were dropped on the ground as lighting filled the air. Thor. When the electricity faded, you saw a wonderful sight. His new battle axe, halfway impaled through Thanos’ chest. You laughed, raspy and quiet.

Purple blood pooled from his chest. As he laughed, a deep gurgle, you sat up, watching as Thor drove the axe further.

“…You should’ve gone for the head.” Thanos raised his gauntlet, snapping his fingers.

An outpouring of power sent you stumbling away, residual energy clinging to you. You held your own hand up as an orange glow dissipated, a tingle running through your body. Thanos, on the other hand, snapped his injured hand again, disappearing through a similar portal as he’d arrived in.

“Where’d he go?” Steve asked, cradling his side. You ran over to Bucky, helping him up as everyone condensed toward the clearing. Then he stumbled.

“Steve?” You glanced over, gasping aloud when you saw his hands disappearing into dust. His entire body went slack, collapsing through your hands as you grasped at nothing.

Steve ran over, touching the dust left by his best friend. When you looked back to the field, you saw a similar thing happen to dozens of Wakandan troops, all turning into dust. Okoye’s shouts carried through the woods.

Rhodey looked for Sam, and you scrambled over to Wanda as the dust took her over as well.

“Wands, c��mon, please?” She just smiled at you, sighing in relief when she fully drifted away. You knew she would’ve been devastated to live without Vision, but that didn’t make her dying in your arms any easier.

You’d never felt helpless, at least not in the true sense of the word. The closest feeling was back in Siberia two years ago, but even then you had control. For as long as you could remember, you’d always had some skill or trick to pull yourself from danger. But now, as soldiers and friends crumbled, your chest ached.

Brushes with death weren’t uncommon in your profession, but this fear was new. You held no control over your fate now, and it terrified you.

Bucky was gone, so was Wanda, Sam, and gods know who else. Billions, maybe more, gone with a snap. This wasn’t just on Earth. Families everywhere killed for a mad philosopher’s creed. You fell numb to the universe’s grief.

All except for a tingling in your fingertips.

When your own hands began to fade, you felt a selfish relief at the edge of your senses. You wouldn’t have to live in the mess left behind, wouldn’t have to mourn and heal.

Maybe once upon a time, you would fight back the tiredness. You would’ve fought to see the world and travel to a new city every week. To fall in love and stop fighting and live how your parents had hoped you would. You wouldn’t get the chance, like many others.

“(Y/N)?” Nat’s voice pierced through your cloudy mind. You stumbled towards her, collapsing into a hug.

“You’ll be okay, yeah?” She hesitated, but nodded into your shoulder. It was a lie, but you tried your best to believe her.

“Remember that time we went to McDonald’s at 3 am and talked about how much I liked the stars?” She nodded, more sure of herself this time.

“Will you see them for me?” Nat choked back a sob as Steve approached, giving a sad smile. You tried your best not to think about Tony and Peter, stuck and stranded in space. What about Nat’s little sister? This was Steve’s second time losing his best friend.

As if he’d read your mind, Steve hugged you as well.

“It’s alright, (Y/N). You don’t have to fight anymore.”

They would be okay. They would heal.

“You guys stick together, okay? Watch out for one another.”

You let yourself fade.

a/n: y’all i rewatched infinity war in math and almost cried for this pls enjoy <3

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fluffyydumplings · 3 years ago

Text

The Handsome Friend of a Friend

Gone - Part 4

Summary: Jiwon, the guy who had a crush on you during elementary school is back in town. And he’s brought a friend with him. A broad-shouldered fashion illustrator with chiselled features like one of the many marble sculptures that Yoongi swears his life over. But.. ties run deeper than they appear. For aside from being a beauty he happens to be an old friend of Namjoon’s and a fellow part-timer of Yoongi’s. The fun part is, they both seem to be rather fond of him. Maybe even a little more than necessary. And you can see why. He’s one charming fellow.

Word Count: 7.7k

Genre: poly!au / painter!namjoon x sculptor!yoongi x fashion illustrator!jinx traveller!reader / angst / fluff/poetry / romance

Warnings: profanity / bad childhood memory (crying)

A/N: It barely took three days. I am flabbergasted by how quickly I was able to finish this chapter. It was calming to write. And when I reread it, I felt comforted.. This chapter is like a sip of hot tea on a rainy day, a blanket draped over your shoulder..

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Perched up by the window like a bird waiting for its morning feed, shades of olive and forest green paced back and forth against the partly rough yet ever so smooth paper of his sketchbook. A kitty in the room next to that of his, legs tall and strong as marble is broke off slightly on the sides and front - by the help of a grinder and his stable yet skilled pair of hands.

He might not be doing what the Ancient Greeks did, with all the machines that are now available, but that does not make his craft any less demanding or valuable for that matter. It speaks in how carefully yet with great pressure he is dealing with the block in his reach. For if he isn’t thorough or thoughtful enough, days of work and countless aching of muscles will go to waste. And at night, he’ll end up embracing his tired body with frowns and even sometimes tears of failure.

You?

‘Huhhhhh!’ yawning for the fucking tenth time, you struggle to move. Your body is so obsessed with the feeling of being in bed and doing nothing, it refuses to stop.

‘What a nice day-’

*ring ring*

Struggling to open your eyes, you are startled and hit the headboard.

‘Who the fuck are you?!’ you cry and scream dramatically at the same time.

‘Hello..’ it’s an unknown number, but that doesn't stop your grouchy voice from passing through to the other side.

‘Wrong number.. I’m going to hang-’

Interrupted once again, you are ready to punch whoever this bastard is. How dare they disturb your sleep like this? You aren’t done sleeping just yet! How dare they!!

‘Ahaha..’

Holy oranges.. You know who that is.

Ahdhjffhdhfhhfhdhhjndjdbtngngntjghhhgghhghgjnnghjj

‘It’s Jiwon, baby,’ you can hear him winking (not literally.. But, still) - that cocky little not-so-little bastard..!!!

Freezes up and regrets all two decades of your life. Because damn.. Your choices in terms of friends, suck.. They really fucking suck!

Okay, maybe he isn’t much of a friend. More like, that small little boy who used to trail behind your back in elementary school. Who called you Noona and once embarrassed you in front of the whole school by declaring his ‘love’ for you..

The moment still has you flushing red like a cranberry dipped in strawberry syrup. You told Namjoon and Yoongi the story a few months ago and they both flipped the fuck out and started cackling.

‘Is my pain funny to you?’ you recall yourself grimacing.

‘Yes, honey.. It is,’ Yoongi never stops, his eyes crinkling with what he calls: ‘sunshine moons’. Whatever he says? *eye roll*

Anyway..

‘Y/N, the love of my life!’

Mouth vomit.. Your feet were squirming as you prevent yourself from screaming in cringe at what your ears just witnessed.

‘What do you want, Jiwon?’

As much as Jiwon was not your favourite person ever - 100th favourite person, he has a special place in your head. Okay... Maybe heart too.

He’s the annoying small fry, that irritates the shit out of you, but you’d never get rid of for fuck’s sake.

‘Oh.. Noona! Don’t you miss me?’

This brat! You swear, if you ever see him again, you will snap his head off. Always goofing around with you.

'As if!'

'Ahhhh... My poor heart.'

'Why have you called, Ji?'

'Oh.. Aren't you going to ask about how I am doing?'

'Oh, Ji.. Fine, Fine. Yadi ya ya ya.. How are you doing, Ji?'

'Wonderful.. as you are now talking to me, Noona.'

'Flirty Ji is back at it again.'

'Oh, yes. I've got big news.'

'Did you get rid of that ridiculous bob cut of yours?'

You remember him and his yellow duckling plushy. Sometimes you'd question whether he or the inanimate cotton stuffed animal was that of the same breed. A part of you finds him more of a duck than it was. In the way he'd waddle around and continuously act cute, he was a duck in all of his glory.

The plushy was gone once adulthood reached. However, his bob cut remained the same. When you sent him off to his new job overseas, he still wore it ever so proudly - even if it made him look hideous.

'I did. How did you know? Do you have eyes on me? Are you watching from that camera over there?'

'I can't afford that. Am I a secret agent that works for the CIA or what?'

'Oooh.. Are you?'

'Want me to show you my cyanide pen?'

The beauty of knowing someone for so long is that you grow scarily comfortable with them. You can begin a conversation by talking about global warming and end the conversation by talking about clowns.

'Nooo.. Noona, Noooooo.'

'Whiny as always.'

You miss having someone to tease.

Caught in a lie~

Namjoon and Yoongi are two human beings that are constant in your life. You tease them whenever you get the chance to do so. You simply just missed Jiwon.

'So.. big news, Ji.'

'Don't tell me you are getting married too.'

You've grown into a habit of babbling non-stop. Was it because of the numbers that kept adding up every year, or was it simply because you had a lot to talk about? Perhaps it is both.

'Y/N noona. The only wedding I'll attend is ours.'

That- That- That little shit!

'Guess who's back from London?'

Holy oranges! Damn you, Min Yoongi and Kim Namjoon. One has to grow oranges and the other has to live off of oranges. What a pair! Farmer, consumer.. You? You are the fucking orange. 'We both love oranges. We both love you. You're an orange, Y/N.' Says Mr Kim Fucking Namjoon that accidentally broke his damn computer for the fucking fifth time this month. Surprisingly, it doesn't have a gigantic hole through it yet. You might have jinxed it. -ㅅ-

'Y/N berry boo blue, the love of my life.'

You're going to end up with loose teeth from all this grinding. Cringe, I tell you! Cringe!

'Is your place free?'

What the!!! Does he want to stay here? Go get a fucking hotel or motel to stay at! You don't run a resort. This place isn't even yours..

Time to pack your bags and scoot your ass out of here. You'll get a new identity, and toss your phone into the sea. Ewww.. Say no to pollution. You'll sell the phone and get money from it.

Then you'll buy a yacht. Laying down, sipping tea, two pretty and kind-hearted boys on the side, fresh air and the sound of waves crashing. Fabulous. Isn't it?'

'Noona?' pleading voice.

You are weak for that.. Your knees already ache!! fdshggfjhgfjhfjhfhvhjhhvfbhnmbhm

'Yes.. And why do you ask?'

You suck at lying.. Honesty was an aspect of a person you admired most. You couldn't lie.

'I brought a friend with me. He needs a place to stay.'

'What the!! Are you sure you didn't bring a lunatic along with you? What if he kills me?'

'No.. No.. He's a Fashion illustrator who got a job transfer to Korea.'

'And that excuses him from being a possible murderer of some sort?'

'No..'

'But still.. He's safe, I guarantee my life on it.'

They must be close. You'll consider it. 'Consider', not accept.

'Is he a foreigner? With the British accent and all?'

You can hear laughter spring deep from him. The type that has your stomach clenching and your eyes watery.

'Ahahhhaaa..' his laughter only gets louder and louder over time.

'I can't... breathe,' he really can't. By the way, his word are stuck in his throat, it is evident that he's barely breathing.

'Pure breed Korean. Can't speak English for fuck's sake. Eats Korean, inhales Korean and drinks Korean.'

Man.. He's real serious about this guy not knowing his English.

'Ayeeee!' a rather aggravated and playful voice shouts.

Yep.. Korean. That 'Ayeeeee!' screamed: "If I'm not Korean, what am I?"

'Bring him over. I'll see if I'll let him stay or not.'

You can't let your guard down. You have a profound set of trust issues. Profound set of trust issues? What the fucking oranges. (Yep.. at it again).. Trust issues towards homo sapiens, trust issues towards animals and trust issues towards objects. What?! That panda might be cute, but it can rip your face off. Oh.. Yes! Those pall point pens - they can blind you with that evily sharp tip of theirs. You are already blind.. can't risk your eyesight getting any worse than it already is.

'Are you going to interrogate him? The man's going to pee in his pants. The guy can't kill a fly.. No.. The guy starts running like superman when he sees.. You know what! Not even a fly. He starts freaking out at fruit flies. He's a scaredy-cat, and coward in one package.'

Damn.. What a fun guy! What?! He sounds fun, okay. Fun! Unlike those assholes who act strong, but are weak shit. We appreciate an honest man. Who the fuck cares? Why do men have to be strong all the time? Haven't we established that a long time ago? Fuck those stereotypes. This guy's adorable.. You feel it.. You feel it.. From your soul. And- And- And.. the oranges that Namjoon harvested this morning.

'I'll be the judge of that.’

AHAAHJAAA.. You just pictured.. You and Yoongi playing the bad cop, and Namjoon sitting there and trying to be understanding - the good cop.

'Aigo! Painters are different for sure.. Aigo!' you can hear that grumpy man fussing on and on about how kind Joon is - the grumpy old man that you love dearly.

'So.. Yes?'

'Aigo! Did I say no? Bring this friend of yours over.. I won't scare him too much.'

'Too much? The guy's ready to use spring onions to scare you away. And that's his precious baby. In his words: 'Flavour.' Go easy on him.'

'He's like the older brother I never had. When I first arrived there, I had no one. That's what I thought. Until he came out of nowhere and went: 'Do you want me to help you around.' He's pretty big over in England, you see.. He's also very much familiar with the place I'm working at.'

'He's my life saviour.. Or as he likes to call himself: the handsome angel that descended from heaven to save me.'

Full of himself.. He's quite full of himself.. Interesting.

'I'm going to miss having him around. Take good care of him.'

But if Jiwon is fond of him, you are too. Jiwon doesn't hang around with just anyone. You recall his mother suggesting he make friends with this other rather scrawny little boy when he was younger. He outright refused and cried no. That same boy then appeared on the tv one day, arrested for arson. You remember many other occurrences like this. Jiwon's got a good eye and hunch. You trust him…

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

*ding dong*

'That must be him..' you poke playfully at Yoongi.

'Honey.. Why are you hitting me? And.. Why are you pouting? I mean.. you look adorable as always. But.. Why?'

Yoongi's care for you run miles and hours and through days and nights. 525,600 minutes are in year. His love for you is beyond that. He might never name a star after you ( he probably would if you asked him to), but every day he assures you that you are his entire universe - you and Namjoon. His family.. The people he would want more than ever to spend the rest of his life with.

'Without you guys, my life would be so boring. You are like chisels that shape me into a better person every day. Without my chisels, I'm a mere marble block.' his head on your lap, and his feet on Namjoon's lap (muscular fucking thighs that Yoongi secretly loves to squeeze), he becomes all sentimental.

You tease him for that once in a while.. Any time your Yoonie is soft, your heart turns into mush. The good kind of soft fluffy cotton mush.

'He's here..' you hug onto his arm - his pretty and cuddly arm.

'I know, honey.. You told me that two hours ago.'

'We need to go open the door for him, honey... It's pretty chilly outside.'

'Okay..' you never stop holding onto him.

Even as he attempts to open the door. Yes.. attempt.. Because..

'Wu-wait! What if he hurts you?.. I don't want to hurt you,' at that he giggles.

'Y/nieee, honey.. That was why you were scared? I'll be fine. I can protect myself,' he pats you gently on the head.

His silly baby..

You might be wondering. Where in the world did sensible Ms Y/n go? Can't a person be silly for once? This is a side of you that exists. There is nothing to be ashamed of.

'I'll open the door in a count of three. Three.. two.. one..' you close your eyes, but then light shines through.

Revealing a pretty face... A really pretty face.. Like, holy oranges. So fucking pretty! jnvdjjdjjhdgjjjdjhjdvjbvdvvvbb

'Jin hyung?'

Wait a moment.. He knows him? And you were scared for a second. Forehead slap.. literally!

'Ahahahahaha. You were scared of him?' This guy used to get startled by the sound of a blender turning on.'

'And yes, I used to work part-time at a cafe. 11th grade..'

You learn something new every day. One thing for sure is, Yoongi looks beautiful with an apron wrapped around his waist. Oh, how badly you wish you could have been with him then. There's no use crying over spilt milk though. It's not like you can walk through some humongous time machine and beg him to not move away. The past is in the past. All that matters now is the fact that he is here with you.

You can now wake up every morning (except for those times where "mommy" dearest actually realises that you are missing and calls the shit out of your phone) to a kitchen wafting of bread dipped in egg and milk, pan-fried to utter perfection. The smell and thought of Yoongi's homemade french toast has your feet curling out of joy.

The best part.. Drum roll please! Yoongi wearing an apron, his morning kisses, Namjoon's back hugs and his deep yet sexy morning voice. :]..

'Yahhh! You can't embarrass me the moment I arrive here. What will Y/N think of me?' Jin's ears are flaring red.

He looks about ready to explode/run away.

'After having to endure the wrath and stupidity of countless of customers, fellow employees and employers you get an inch closer or so.'

'An inch! Yi-yahhhhhh! I'm disappointed.. I thought we were closer than that.'

So.. Is this 'Jin' guy just going to stand outside and continue with looking attractive as heck? He's going to start blending in with his background soon. With his burnt orange scarf, sweater and leggings.. He seems to love the colour. Or is this shade in trend at the moment? - whatever the kids these days say. He's a fashion illustrator.. It could be.

The leaves are pumpkin orange this month, all plummeting to the ground. To gain something you have to lose something - nature is a perfect example of that. Through the shedding of leaves, water is conserved.

Lost is a beautiful process, the trees whisper into your ear. And you admit, it speaks the truth. Lost is as beautiful just as it is painful. The last breath a person takes before they die, the struggle to speak and the sad, thankful, yet regretful smile or frown on their faces as death embraces them. The thought of such has your stomach churning, yet your lips going: 'So.. this is the beauty of life. Beauty is painful.'

But.. seriously though. That gorgeous face of his is going to start looking like a crispy orangey-brown leaf any moment soon. What are we going to do next? Grind him up into orange juice?

'You should come inside.'

You are not dragging a corpse off of your (Yoongi's) front gate. Well, technically Yoongi only inhabits one apartment in this building. Nevertheless, your house. You might not pay the bills or rent, but the fact that you consider this place home is enough. Yoongi considers you a permanent guest. What more is there to it?

‘Thank you, Y/Nshi.’

You have to admit. He isn’t anything you expected him to be. Humble and rather down to earth. Not as narcissistic as you expected him to be. You can’t judge a book till you finish it. I guess Jin will be judged according to that saying - the one you made up in a matter of five seconds.

‘I will introduce my-’

‘I think we should get you warm and cuddled up first before we get to that.’

Oh, Y/niee.. Why did you interrupt him? That wasn’t polite of you.

‘Oh- I’m sorry for interrupting you.’

‘No.. No.. No.. not at all. I should have waited till we entered the apartment first.’

‘If you say so,’ your lips meet awkwardly. It isn’t a smile, it’s an impromptu method of easing the tense air lingering above two strangers.

There are people you meet that will click with you with instantly - like Namjoon. But there will be others that you will only grow closer to within time. The puzzle pieces that once refused to meet, trimmed down to do so.

‘Go on, Yoongi..’

‘Come this way, Hyung,’ his fingers accidentally brush up Jin’s one.

Now that Yoongi realises, it would be easier this way. Thus, he intertwines his hands with that of Jin’s. Cold..

Did he eat a plate of snow for breakfast? Man.. His hands are cold. Antarctica cold~ That didn't matter though. What he was meant to do, was drag Jin’s ass inside. And that was exactly what he did.

‘Namjoon.-ah. You finished painting, Joon?’

‘Yeah...’ he nods, the mocha turtle neck he had on transforming him into the big puppy he is.

‘There is nothing to be afraid of,’ Yoongi informs Jin, patting him on the back.

‘Yahh!! I know that!’ his annoyed face is more adorable than it is annoyed.

‘Holy.. Jin Hyung!!!!’

Wait.. Wait a moment! Another one? Fucking oranges!!

Jin’s list of acquaintances never ends. Imagine Santa and his list of toys - that’s Jin and the people who know him.

Everyone seems to know him. It’s because of how friendly and loveable the twenty-year-old is. He has a lot of charm to him.

You would never accept it for the love of oranges. But.. You liked him the moment you heard Jiwon talk of him. And when Yoongi and Namjoon expressed their feelings towards the elder, you just grew to like him more. You could see the sparkles that glazed their throats upon having his name meet their lips. If a man is liked by so many, there is no way he is bad. Especially when these very people are the most heart-warming and valuable beings in your world.

‘Kim Namjoon.. If it isn’t smart cutie in the corner,’ blood trailed the corners of Namjoon’s cheeks.

‘Do you perhaps know that retired baker that now keeps on burning his bread?’

You were going to go for it. If he knew Jiwon, Yoongi and Namjoon. What are the chances of him not knowing Mr Lee?

‘Do you smell that?’

‘Oh shit.. Is Mr Lee at it again? Close the windows or something.’

‘My heart is burning for you.’

You stood there, mouth ready for birds to nest in. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! The cringe!!!! Aghhhhhhhhhhhdbbfhhhfhfhfhfhgh!!! Hhsjdjdjd

‘Ahhhhhhhh!!’ Yoongi is the first to scream.

If anyone heard him, they would have thought the apartment caught on fire and people were trapped inside.

‘Hehehe..’ Namjoon just giggles to his heart's content.

They were the same as he remembered them as. The one that was all flustered and shy at his jokes, and the one that started screaming like crazy at how cheesy yet absurd they were.

He misses these two. He knew a lot of people, but they never meant much to him.

And perhaps there was even a time where he used to flush over their words. Okay.. there was. Namjoon was the cute guy in the corner, with dimples and pretty caramel skin that he used to gush over and take quick glimpses of. The same guy who he soon gradually got to know through a group project - the one where they had to make a 3D solar system model. (He recalls cussing at his teachers the whole duration of the project.) The same guy he lost contact with after tenth grade.

Yoongi on the other hand. He apparently had been studying with Jin ever since sixth grade, but they never gave a fuck or tried to give a fuck about each other. Then one day, 16.. 17-ish-year-old Yoongi started showing up at all of Jin's part-time workplaces. They started off with cleaning or taking orders not so comfortably by each other's sides, and the next thing you know they are standing up for each other against unfair treatment.

Everything seems to lead to a bomb of dad jokes, whether it was Joon or Yoon. After all, Jin has a great passion for them. Plus.. They make him happy.

'So.. Do we let him stay, or do we throw him out on the streets and let him starve?'

You were messing with them. Someone like Jin would be a great addition to this home. He's all cheesy and gross. Namjoon and Yoongi have been quite out of it lately. They haven't been themselves lately.. Until now that is.

'We keep him.'

...Kitty eyes, yeehaw! Yep, we are keeping him. Just keep up with those kitty eyes, Min Yoongi.

'Can we keep him?'

...Small Namu with innocent eyes. Yipeeee! We are keeping him. WE ARE KEEPING YOU, SIR JIN!

'You do realise that Yoongs own this place, right Joon?'

'Can we keep him, Y/niee?' Yoongi sits down on the sofa and acts nonchalant, despite knowing what he did to your poor heart.

'Boo, it ain't my fault if you end up getting stabbed.'

'Ahahahaaaha.. Did we just witness the 'Y/N' using the word ain't? I should have recorded this. This is a moment that deserves to be recorded down in history..'

'Jin, do introduce yourself.'

You are not letting this man expose you like this. You are very out of date, and you know that well. But.. Min fucking Yoongi, you are getting nothing out of this.

'Kim Seokjin.. 24 years old. Fashion illustrator that is in need of a home to stay. Has extraordinary cooking skills, can't sew, and enjoys listening to the sound of birds singing.'

'I'm a fashion illustrator. I only draw, I haven't got a single clue of how fabric works.'

Straightforward and hates going on and about. Nice..

'How long are you going to be staying here for?'

'Until I find a suitable place for me to stay at.'

This was starting to sound like a job interview more than anything. Scarier even.. Jin is frankly scared of you more than he was that of those snazzy fashion designers that eyed him up and down two years ago.

'You can stay..' you assure him with a smile.

A smile that made him feel accepted and welcomed. One that prompted him to smile as well. Oh boy.. What a gentle smile it was? He's adorable..

'Thank you,' he felt a sense of gratitude towards you.

He would have ended up sleeping on the streets if it weren't for the three of you. Oh, the embarrassment he would have felt if he arrived at work the next day, covered in grime. He might end up getting fired on the spot. Appearance is pretty important over in this field - or any job for that matter. No one wants a filthy rat working for them. It isn't fun having people whisper: This company hires blah blah blah.

Jin would also hate to disappoint his younger self. He loves this job, he doesn't want to lose it. Not after all those nights spent buried under his covers, studying fashion that people preferred and liked at the moment. Not after all those days spent sketching a design over and over again, simply because he isn't satisfied yet.

'Yoonieeee.. What are we having for breakfast this time?' he turns over to look at you.

'Oatmeal.. Oatmeal soaked in almond milk overnight, honey.. Your favourite.'

Ahahahhahahaa! Yaaaaaass! You love yourself some good old oatmeal. It's filling, nutritious and delicious. You'd kill someone for a bowl of that right now. A jar.. plate.. It's oatmeal either way. Who cares?

'Eat slowly. You can't choke and die just yet. You can't leave me.'

You laugh.. The future is cruel.. Life is cruel.. You were aware of it then. But you didn't know how far life was willing to drag you down. If only-

'Why?'

'Because I love you, honey.. Now, eat your breakfast.'

'You have a shift at 12:30 pm.. Eat up.'

He says it out of nowhere,

My heart set up on fire,

My cheeks red from love,

I love this man more than ever,

Oh, my love..

I'll never leave you,

I had thought then,

But I was lying,

Lying without even knowing

'Excuse me, sir.. How dare you say that out of nowhere?'

What were you? In the musical Hamilton?

'Ayee! Ayee! Aye! Eat up, honey,' evil flares up his way.

You evil man.. How dare you! How dare you-

'Uhmm.'

Well.. This oatmeal is scrumptious. Props to Min Yoongi for making this for you. And.. Kim Namjoon who grew these strawberries.

'Yummy.. You are forgiven, sir.'

'I love you Y/Niee.. Uh- mm uhmm.. This is great, man.'

Not another one! AHhhhhhhhhhh!

'What? Morning ritual, Bae.'

Stunned! Yo, Kim Namjoon. Don't 'Bae' me, focus on the bowl.. If he drops it, he pays.. Yoongi made those. They are special.

"If he drops it, he pays." As in, you both get to attack him with tickles and kisses.

'I love you, Joonie..'

You brought a knife to a gunfight, bae.. I'm sorry, bae..

'Oh..'

Backfired! Cuteness Attack... A-i-eeek-ag-i-eek-ag

'Just eat, already.'

'Huhhh,' Jin twinkles from the way you interact with one another.

This perhaps is the beauty of love- those little banters, where you pretend you are mad when you really aren't.

Sometimes the sight of their face can drown bad days with joy and make them good, but sometimes they are the reason why you end up crying on the bathroom floor all night.

Yet, you choose to stay for a reason.. Because you believe, trust, love and care too much to even think of leaving.

Maybe Jin was meant to find his way here, after all. He has a hard time believing in fate, however, this.. It contradicts his believes.

'Jin Hyung... Do you want some pancakes instead? I know you aren't quite fond of oatmeal as Y/n over here is.'

'Yeah.. sure.. Why not?'

Eating calmly as ever, you watch over Yoongi's back. People always think of a relaxing day, as one where they are laying on a folding chair, orange juice in one hand and the breath-taking see right ahead of them. Your version of a relaxing day is this. Watching over the love of your lives was more than any beach could offer.

'Pancakes.. For a Kim Seokjin.. I'm looking for a Kim Seokjin.. Pancake 120492?'

Will you look at that? Min Yoongi just grew plane wings and is now looking for his missing passenger. Plane wings made out of pancake mix, powdered sugar and maple syrup.

'I am Pancake 120492..'

'Enjoy.. Don't choke on it.'

'Yahh! Is that a threat?'

'So.. what if it is?'

'Don't fight just yet, children..' Namjoon stuffs a spoonful of food into his mouth.

'Listen to Caretaker Joonie, children.'

'Yes, mommy,' Jin nods, speaking in a rather mocking tone.

And as time progresses, they get closer and closer. So close.. you can't help but notice the way they glance at him - because it's the same way they glance at you. The: 'I love you †o the moon and back.. and so much more,’ glance. Is it so wrong of you to feel a pang of jealousy here and there, when they always will be yours?

It's your insecurities persuading you to believe so. For now, it succeeds. Because when you look at Jin, you see perfection. When you look at yourself, you see cracks.

And to fill in those cracks, you hissed at the gold that could have fixed you up instead of the glue that is now there. You avoided him... Yet even if so, he’d treat you well.

‘We ran out of rolled oats. I’ll get some on my way to work.’

‘There’s this shop I visit often.. They were displaying this cute little brown teddy bear. I recall Yoongi telling me about your love for teddy bears. So, I bought it.. Because.. Because it reminds me of you.’

‘I was cleaning around and saw that your alarm clock was set up to the wrong time. So, I fixed it for you.’

Despite his efforts and kind acts, you remain emotionless.. You were grateful though - for every one of them. You just didn't know how to say thank you. You feel bad.. Jin was too good for words. You were nothing..

I guess by how Jin stopped interacting with you all of a sudden and how Jin tended to pretend that you were never there, your theory was proven. Then again, it’s your fault for being so terrible at expressing emotions.

Namjoon and Yoongi though? You didn't have problems with them.. How is Jin different?

Maybe.. because- he’s older? You haven’t had such pleasant experiences with those who are older than you are. And now you are applying that to him. Afraid to express what you feel.. What if he steps all over you because he’s older and ‘wiser’?

What if he- What if he-

You wish you would have the courage to engage in a conversation with him and put your past aside. You wish you could clear the air and start anew.. Jin’s a fantastic person. And you care for him and enjoy his company.

For, after Jin built a dam between the two of you. You often find yourself peeking over walls or anywhere to get a glimpse of him. To see whether he bought something for you, did something for you or wanted to tell you a bunch of cringey art jokes. Some cringey art jokes you kind of miss.. Like, a lot..

And that opportunity comes quicker than you ever thought it would - you never thought it would come to begin with. Yet here you were, caught right into their traps.

'Oatmeal cookies.. Oatmeal cookies..' you muttered innocently, wandering your way through the pantry.

Your version of a garden-like utopia.. The chocolate pies, Berlandriera Lyratas that are still yet ever so alluring. The Cheese puffs, dandelions pollinated by the wind. The red packet of ramen, fertile soil that is the foundation to everything. A packet of lollipops, green grass singing along with the wind.

There is a door in and out of this garden of yours. A door that can shut close and struggle to open any fleeting moment - that moment was now. For the two guards outside were irritated by the the stubbornness of their queen, and wanted her to fix the problem she has with the newly instated knight. He is an important figure in her life, and they do not want her to regret losing him.

'Nutella.. Nutella..'

Two birds trapped into a cage they willingly entered.

*ppupp*

You were locked inside.. With him! With the one man, you tried to avoid for so long!

'I think we're trapped in here.. No- We are trapped in here.'

Face your fears, they say. You're going to tell Jin everything you've always wanted to tell him.

'Let's keep ourselves entertained.. Shall we?' it seems like you were the only one who was trying.

'Oh- Aren't you going to talk? I can't talk all day, Mr World Wide Handsome. Ah- Ah-.. My throat already hurts,' you stress out, your lips jutted out into a pout.

This was the friendliest you have ever been to him. He likes it.. He's been envious of your attitude towards the other two for a while now. You are always so relaxed and chill around them. With him.. your eyebrows contract, your face freezes up and your hands quiver. You couldn't stand him. At first, he thought it was because he was a stranger you weren't familiar with. For that reason, he tried getting closer to you. To no avail, he concluded that you simply didn't want him around. So.. he stopped trying.

When you distance yourself from someone, it only makes you want them more. You weren't like chocolate to him, you were a bowl of raspberries. You weren't an unhealthy obsession his mother would try to hide in the cabinets. You were something he needed, wanted and craved. You were good for him.

'What do you want me to say?' the heat that branched out from his lips traced over your fingers and neck.

The cabinet was small.. You were now huddled together in the dark. You enjoyed having him close by. He was always too far away.

Having him so close like this brings a rise to certain thoughts that were buried deep underground and once out of reach. Even when you barely could see anything, his eyelashes you could count and his eyes you were intrigued with. What would it feel like to have him hold you? What would it feel like to lay against his chest?

'Whatever you want? Something you want.. uhh.. you want to get off of your chest? We could die in here for all you know.. Better die relived rather than frustrated.'

'Ahahhaa.. What type of logic is that?'

There's the Seokjin you missed.. The one you drove away..

'My logic.'

You weren't wrong. He can't do anything about it.. -ㅅ-

'Nice logic,' his eyes rolled all the way back.

This guy!

'Then follow it,' you are firm in terms of sorting things out.

How does he even start?

‘Why do you hate me so much?’ his eyes are big and pleading, he was desperate to know.

‘I don’t hate you, Jin..’

It's true.. You don't hate him. It's just- just- complicated.. Extremely complicated.

‘Then why do you treat me differently?’

‘What do you mean, by “differently”..’

You understood what he meant. You just wanted to stall a little more time.

You know how stupid you are. You know the moment Jin realises that he’ll only hate you further.

‘Unlike that of how you treat Namjoon and Yoongi.’

‘Because you’re older.’

Your father and mother were mountains. Too tall to reach, and never willing to reach down to your height or even turn their backs around. You were a hill in need of attention.. Yet you only got fed with the privilege of being alive. Your height grew over time, but the confidence in you plummeted into a void of non-existence.

‘We’re two worlds apart. I’m not supposed to talk in such a way with people who are older than I am.’

He saw how broken you were.. He saw the memories in your eyes. Your cornea a looking glass he had access to. It wasn’t yours that he saw, it was his imagination reflecting his childhood memories onto that of yours. A small girl crying in the corner, the curtain that covered her tear-stained face the only comfort she could get. He saw that.

He was born the heir to a company he never wanted. The only reason to why he is where he is now is the night his father announced his retirement. The same night he dropped down to his knees and dared to stoop so low. Clinging to his father’s feet, refusing to let go. Screaming and crying for the decision to be taken back.

‘I need a few more years.. Give me four years..’

‘So you can have a taste of that dream job of yours? You know Seok-Woo can never run the company.. He’s not like you.’

‘Yes.. That's all I need. I’ll take over after the four-year mark reaches. So, please reconsider..’

‘You better keep that promise of yours. Or I’ll have to make sure you keep it myself.’

Four years is a lot, he remembers thinking.. Somehow, two have already passed by.

‘I want you to treat me like you do everyone. I’m not anyway superior to you because of my age. You can talk to me, tease me or even make fun of me. I don’t mind.’

Was he for real?

‘Is this a joke of some kind?’ shock morphed into your eyes.

‘What the oranges?’ ‘Oh my!’ ‘Really?’ he could see it swirling in the corner and hanging onto your eyelashes. You tried to hide them, but passion fueled your gazing tool. He could read your thoughts..

‘The thought of speaking against someone that was more advanced in age than I was scared me too. Then I woke up one day and realised that it was nothing. If someone is wrong they should be corrected. Even if they are older. Humans are either wrong or right. There is no in-between.’

‘I’ll try.. I can’t promise you anything though.’

‘You don't have to promise me anything.. Just be yourself.’

You sit there, legs touching and hips attached. You could hear every breath and every gulp he took, just as he did you.

‘I don’t hate you, Jin. I quite like you actually.’

‘Hahhahaa,’ he bursts into laughter, the windows outside being wiped clean not as loud as he was.

‘Why are you laughing?’

‘I like you too..’

You smile. You are glad that he does.

You were a plain white dress buried and hidden among a pile of clothes. He picked you up and glued flowers where he thought you needed them. You are now no longer a plain white dress. You are a gown elegant enough to belong in a fashion exhibit of some sort.

‘I love the teddy bear you bought for me.. I love teddy bears.’

‘I know.. That's why I bought it, silly.’

‘Don’t call me silly,’ you pout excessively.

‘But you are silly..’ he has an evil glint and smirk sewed on his face, ‘Do you know what else is silly?’

‘What? What else is silly, Mr World Wide Handsome?’

‘My love for you.’

‘Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!’

‘I knew you would react like that.’

‘Tell me more?’

What a weird person you were..

‘I’m sewing you for how beautiful you are,’ his hands reenacted the sewing of fabric, stitching slowly across the surface of his shirt.

‘You can’t sew..’

‘Ayeeee!! That’s beside the point of my clever joke.’

This man and his self-esteem. How does one become so confident in themself? You ought to ask him that..

‘How are you so self-assertive?’

‘We’re all imperfect pieces of shit. If we don't accept ourselves.. Who else will?’

‘Y/N-ah.. How long are we going to be stuck in here for?’ he pulls you close to his chest.

He loves the way you smell.

‘What type of shampoo and lotion do you use?’

‘I- what?’

‘You smell nice.’

It would take even the visually impaired only a few minutes to spot the red on your cheeks.

He was so close.. He too smelt nice.. He looks so pretty.. His voice is beautiful.. He’s Jin..

You were this close to falling asleep when the door creaked open.

‘Ahaaa!! Our plans worked!’

‘Yahhhhhhh!!’ Jin is the first to scream.

‘You bastards,’ and you are the first to yank on their ears.

‘Honey, owieee..’

‘Noona.. Ouch..’

‘Don’t go owieee or ouch at me you two.’

‘Yeah.. don’t. We could have died in there!’ Jin backs you up.

Your cheeks hurt.. Oh, how happy you are to have him back.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

You'd think pumpkins would disappear by the time November reached, but fall wouldn't be complete without one. The carved faces and bright lights might have gone away, but pumpkin lattes and pies were everywhere. The sweetness invading bakery windows and your way home. They were enticing, orange and comforting.. It was about time you picked one up.

'One pumpkin pie and two cinnamon rolls, please.'

You strolled back with great pleasure. Opening the door to a scene you soon were to treasure. They were all asleep on the couch, a bowl of a quarter-finished popcorn left dry and cold on the table nearby.

You are to cherish them for a minute or more. After.. They are to wake up.

'Pretty boys.. Wake up! Choppidy Chop Chop! Today's campfire night. Remember?’

Would anyone be angry to have to wake up to such a sweet voice? If you were being productively deep into sleep, you would. Sweet or not, some people need their sleep.

'Uhhhh! But, Yoon Yoon needs his sleep.'

'Ewwwww.. Did you just call yourself, Yoon Yoon? Ahhh- where's my Yoongi? Bring him back!'

'Ayu..Wady, yu call me - uhhhh.. Yoongi Boongi and Yunniee.'

'Nam Nam is sweepy tooo.'

'Jin-' your hands fall on his lips.

'Wood Choppidy Chop Chop, gentlemen!'

'Alright.. Alright..'

And so they began hacking down pieces of wood, as you help of course. Candidly, you were never good at this.

Namjoon wasn't any good at it either, Jin might have went off track upon the arrival of the insect kingdom, Yoongi got distracted once or twice by the kitty hiding by the trees. The camp-firing life wasn't for you. Is it for anybody though?

As the fire illuminates your faces that glisten with sweat, the moonlight casted beautifully onto the lake's surface. Embracing your tired bodies with its hovering presence. Was the fire worth building? The warmth that bubbled from your inner soul would agree.

'Jin.. Tell me one of your jokes. Because I'm about to get all sentimental,' you manoeuvre your way next to him, leaning against his head and sharing his blanket.

'I'd tell you one about the moon, but that joke is full of holes.

'Now.. proceed with what you do best, Ms Sentimental.'

'Time passes by so quickly, Jin.. It feels like I've only met you a few days ago. Yet, in reality, a year has passed by.'

'We met in October of last year. It's November of the next year.'

'Is this when you confess to me?'

Aggaagagagaaggag!

'What?!'

'Honey.. Isn't it great that no one can hear whatever the hell we say here?'

'Yeah.. it is. I can curse at my boss all I want, and he wouldn't know.'

‘Me.. too.’

'Yoon, Joon.. You don't work for anyone.'

'Yeah.. we are shouting at our work-selves.'

'Yahh! I should be the one who's doing that. I have an actual boss.'

'Go ahead, Mister..' Namjoon urges.

'Okay.. I'm shouting now! If I burst your eardrums, I take no responsibility.'

'MR JEON! I FUCKING HATE YOU! FUCK YOU, OLD MAN!' he reacts with his whole body, jumping up and down insanely.

'Yoons, is he okay?'

'Bae, he is.'

'Ewwww... You learned that from Joon. Didn't you?'

'Sorry Bae.. It isn't me.'

'Sure, it isn't Juan..'

'Ayee! My name isn't Juan.'

'Haha..'

'What do you want, Key?'

'Yahhhh!'

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

It's always the unexpected that meets with a surprise. Today marks the second year with Namjoon. Just because another ending is approaching, it doesn't mean that there is no room for new beginnings.

Closing up the flower shop, you soak up the flavours of the night.

'Here..' you were soon gifted two flowers.

One a daffodil and another a rose.

'What are they for?' you eyed your boss suspiciously.

The sweet old lady, the parent you've always wanted.

'What do they mean, Y/N dear?'

'Daffodils.. new beginnings.. roses.. love.'

'Here..' you were gifted a bouquet, a white card hanging loosely on top.

'Travel postcards and stamps?'

A bouquet of fucking travel postcards and stamps!! Hdjdjjdjf!!!

'The handsome fellow dropped by months ago and begged me to make it for him.'

*opens card*

Dear, Y/niee.. ._.

I discussed it all with Namjoon and Yoongi yesterday. They said they wouldn't mind me be being part of your relationship. They would love for me to join actually.. That's what they said.. (Is that too straightforward of me?)

We have known each other for quite a while, haven't we? Don't tell Namjoon and Yoongi this. But.. I've always had a crush on them. (pinky promise).. That's far from what the point of this letter is.. aishh! I don't know how to say this.. eek.!

I like all of you. Love.. actually.. (Is it too early for that?). It's true though. I love all of you.. Namjoon and Yoongi seem to like me in such a way too (romantically). I'm really happy they do.

There's one person I haven't asked out yet. And.. that's you..I was really nervous. I know we didn't start off well. But.. Here goes nothing. I hate how I can’t say this in person. One, because I’m busy. Two, because I know I’d turn red and up running away. And three, I'm allergic to pollen.

I wanted this to be special.. I would love to see your face right now, Y/N love. Are you smiling or are you disgusted?

Uhhh.. Y/N, will you be mine?.. (I'm so bad at this)

- Love, Jin

*holds card to heart*

'He was sneezing horribly under that mask of his. He came over to see how everything was, yesterday.'

'You can leave now, dear.. I can close the shop by myself.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yess.. yesss. I am sure! Now go!'

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

'Are they okay? My boys.. Are they okay! YAhhhhh! Where the fuck are you, Jimin!

‘Woah.. Woah.. I was busy alright.’

‘Are they okay?’ your eyes haunted him, submitting him into feelings of empathy and sorrow.

‘I can’t tell you. Those above me forbid me to do so. You'll know once you view the next window.’

‘What is the next window?’

‘You already know what it is.’

‘The future?’

‘Mhmmm..’

‘The future..’

Menu Time!

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phoebehalliwell · 4 years ago

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how would you rank the seasons from least to most favourite?

alright okay right off the bat worst season season 7. for starters i think this season has no staying power i mean like since i’ve been running this blog 4 so long now my knowledge of charmed is encyclopedic and insanely vast more than like it ever need be but for the longest time. i could not remember season 7. like wtf even happened there?? evidently leo became human??? cole returned? the avatars??? like all of it was just. it’s not even necessarily forgettable it’s just i straight up could not remember it for the longest time. and i’ve said it before the concept of utopia was way to advanced for a show like charmed to tackle i am not watching charmed for moral philosophy i am watching bc i love these girls ♥ hee hee hoo hoo magic adventure ✨ tho if i am to offer a single comment on utopia: it’s awfully rich for a show to go on about destiny and fate and then take a stand against utopia in the name of free will. but w/e. i don’t like leo in the avatars i don’t like his dynamic with piper in this season i don’t like whatever phoebe’s doing this season there’s like leslie?? maybe there’s someone else? boring & flavorless they should have been setting up her endgame instead of puttering around. and kyle. zoo wee mama. could have been a great antihero. morally gray. duplicitous. self serving. but no. they gave him all those traits and called him hero/love interest. s7 left a lot to be desired out of the characters and their relationships also gave us phat L’s such as the charmed ones are werewolves don’t worry about it and feminism peaked with naked women. shout out to zankou: demon, dilf, dub & the noir episode.

you know what? fuck it i’ll say it second worse season 5 genuinely fuck season five. this is probably a Very Specific beef 2 me But. i hate what they did to the charmed universe. this was the season that marked the transition of charmed from supernatural drama to campy soap which like. i love camp! i do! but fr. fuck this season and what it did to the worldbuilding. the early season have Such A Vibe to them man with warlocks and witches and just a couple niche monsters from assorted lore that the show took and made their own. season five opens with mermaids goes directly into fairytales then gives us superheros whatever the fuck was going on in that mummy episode the sandman leprechauns and nymphs. and i hate it for that. it takes away from this urban fantasy things that go bump in the night what lurks in the shadows of the back alleys of san francisco in favor of the ugliest cinderella dress ever put to television and an onslaught of horrible irish accents for a full episode. other issues with season five: cole’s still here? why? they don’t know and neither will you! we’re not redeeming him! phoebe’s not getting back together with him! yes he died we just refuse to let him go! the cherry on top of course being a cole-centric 100th episode. shout out to. hmm. lemme think about what i actually liked about this season. i like jason dean as a love interest i don’t remember what he did in s5 but i know he was there. the season finale i’ve talked about how stupid & shitty it was but idc i still love that episode and then shout out to bacarra the only original villain this season that was a proper serve. the crone gets second place.

next on this come on we all saw it coming season 8. it’s a bad season! and i get bts there was a whole lot happening budget cuts missing actor etc. but it goes beyond that. it was a bad season. billie and christie were bad. and i’ve said this before but billie in herself is not an inherently bad character. she was just the literal worst for the show. she was a dollar store buffy blonde confident cocky skilled and ready 2 fight evil But. we are not following her like we followed buffy we are following her mentors. it’s like if we had a show called giles that aired for seven seasons And Then buffy showed up. billie was insanely irritating to watch from our perspective and in general wasn’t like. well written. attempts to humanize her / give her more depth often fell flat. and then christy. oh nelly. oh my god. barely a character. not well acted but hey it would have been a miracle if she was. negatives include dumain who was a mess omg bringing back the triad bringing back the source billie & christy obvi and also involving homeland security. which is season 7′s fault which is why it’s the worst. dubs on the other hand include both coop and henry i really liked them the shoehorned love interests weren’t great but i like their characters i though the way the got rid of leo to save on the budget was really creative and gave us a great piper episode and of course the sugary sweet finale i love it i do what can i say.

yet another controversial choice aptly coming in fourth is season 4. i respect what season 4 set out to do. i think it was a good idea. long form narratives, keeping a darker tone, focusing on character-driven drama and growth. too bad it fucking failed miserably at all of this. cole as the source and phoebe as the queen of hell was just so so botched. they had a very unique opportunity following the death of prue to explore these characters and what it means to them to be charmed, to be witches. they saved the world but the cost is insanely high. they’ve lost an older sister. they’ve gained a new sister. how do you even begin to cope with all this? episodes such as hell hath no fury and brain drain fuck so hard because they work with exactly that. had the whole season been like those episode season four would sit at number one with flying colors absolutely no competition. but alas. we can’t have nice things. the show got so bogged down with phoebe & cole, in a way that was just so, so messy. for starters, whether you loved cole or hated him before, we can all agree source!cole sucked. he was such a strong 180 from what we had seen that the show had to make the source some type of possession to justify half the shit they were trying to pull. and then to pit phoebe and paige against one another over a man was just. disgusting. and the ending of course felt rushed because it was! they wrapped up that entire issue in a nice little bow much faster than they reasonably should have been able to. it could have been a great season. it was definitely not. shout out to the seer an iconic mastermind on barbas levels, as previously stated brain drain and hell hath no fury Specific shout out to piper’s scene at prue’s grave shout out to paige as a character i like what they did with her and um. yeah that’s it.

okay we’re exiting the shit tier in favorite of the good tier welcome to the upper half. kicking us off is season 6. season 6 did what season 4 could not in that it gave us a long form plot that still left plenty of room for like. normal demon of the week episodes. i love phoebe early in this season with her faboo haircut her brand new empathy power and her relationship with jason dean. obvious strikes against for whatever the fuck that baby crazy stint was and also the mata hari episode. yikes. i love paige’s hair color in this season nothing paige as a character necessarily stands out to me however i like how they seem to have hit the blend of work-magic with paige where she wants a life and career outside of magic however she still loves the craft and embraces is with an open heart and mind. season six also gives us chris who was a very fun male lead imo we really didn’t have many like him he’s bitchy. he whines and bitches a lot he’s got an agenda he’s a bit secretive but at the end of the day he just wants a family i like him. i like the character growth we see out of piper i like seeing her try to move on from leo i love seeing her get back together with leo i like her dynamic with chris and her fears about motherhood. i also liked richard but that one takes a lot of justification. L’s are witchstock hyde school reunion used karma off the top of my head also the paige/richard/addiction plotline was so tone deaf. also the girls were mean to darryl : ( he deserved so much better. dubs were chris as a character, tbh the episode little monsters, phoebe with empathy specifically saying i love you too to jason i could write a dissertation on that line alone also the courtship of wyatt’s father and i thought the reveals of evil wyatt and chris being piper and leo’s son were both fun and interesting plot twists.

coming in third is actually season 2 a season i really do love it’s just. it lacks structure. imo there is a lot to love about season 2 morality bites and pardon my past are both delightful time travel episodes we get jack sheridan and bane jessup two of my personal favorite prue love interests we get p3 h2o and a great prue plotline regarding the death of patty we get the super cute cupid episode it’s a great. collection of episodes. it’s not a great season. there’s just imo not a strong enough thread connecting the stories together it’s mainly held together by having the same characters in it over and over again i really liked dan personally but like. i knew we were wasting time there. he was just an obstacle. a super cute loving and caring obstacle who’s great with kids but lbr piper and leo were always endgame. wasting our time on dan was stupid. i do love the sister dynamics in season two “gotta hand it to those pesky little demons they sure have brought us closer together” but again. this season could have benefitted from a rex and hannah type or even like a cole or zankou. this season is less of a season and more of just like a handful of episodes, and while there are some fat dubs, there are also some definite swings & misses. shout out to the time travel episodes the prue centric episodes phoebe’s character growth and maturity throughout this season (e.g. her going back to college) and i also think the fashion got a lot more fun this season.

second place i’m saying season one season one was a really strong start and gave us these really compelling characters with interesting relationships between one another But. a lot of it just kinda falls flat. and credit where credit is due it was a brand new show getting its feet under it but the fourth sister feats of clay which prue is it anyway they just simply aren’t dubs imo. also i don’t like that 70′s episode bc again i am an asshole concerned about The Lore i can’t believe one bitch ass warlock caused the Charmed Ones to grow up without powers. it just really bugs me. all in all the plots as a whole like aren’t great imo they’re nothing to write home about (save for from fear to eternity) it’s really the characters that make this season so goddamn good.

first place congratulations to the one the only season three. this is just because it kinda hits all my requirements in that it has some banger one offs (e.g. all halliwell’s eve, the good, the bad, and the cursed) it has an overarching plot at the exact same time as the source becomes more prominent and obvi cole is also there with murderous intent i like the character growth we see especially from prue i like piper and leo finally get married overall i really like the aesthetic of this season that blends a darker urban fantasy tone with still some charmed fashion and whimsy. strikes against tbh phoebe and cole’s relationship i am insanely picky with my enemies to lovers and the do not come remotely close to cutting the mustard in fact they are almost immediately disqualified however from afar i can see and respect The Drama. shout out to recasting victor prue with pistols death as a character and shannen directing episodes

#and of course this is a matter of opinion i'm not expecting everyone to agree w me Howver #i think you'd also be hard pressed to talk me out of my opinion #like the closer you get to the top there's more wiggle room like what's the best season i think changes with the wind #but the shit tier stays shit tier in my mind it's a matter of personal preference and i personally prefer my season to be good #charmed #💌

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newstfionline · 3 years ago

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Monday, September 20, 2021

Biden’s Entire Presidential Agenda Rests on Expansive Spending Bill (NYT) Biden’s entire presidential agenda is riding on the reconciliation bill being crafted in Congress right now. No president has ever packed as much of his agenda, domestic and foreign, into a single piece of legislation as President Biden has with the $3.5 trillion spending plan that Democrats are trying to wrangle through Congress over the next six weeks,” Tankersley writes. “It is almost as if President Franklin D. Roosevelt had stuffed his entire New Deal into one piece of legislation, or if President Lyndon B. Johnson had done the same with his Great Society, instead of pushing through individual components over several years. If he succeeds, Biden’s far-reaching attempt could result in a presidency-defining victory that delivers on a decades-long campaign by Democrats to expand the federal government to combat social problems and spread the gains of a growing economy to workers. If he fails, he could end up with nothing. As Democrats are increasingly seeing, the sheer weight of Mr. Biden’s progressive push could cause it to collapse, leaving the party empty-handed, with the president’s top priorities going unfulfilled. … If Mr. Biden’s party cannot find consensus on those issues and the bill dies, the president will have little immediate recourse to advance almost any of those priorities.

Child care in the US is a ‘broken market,’ Treasury report finds (Yahoo Money) A Treasury Department report this week characterized the U.S. child care system as “unworkable” as Democrats push reform that experts say is an “overdue and critical investment.” The average American family with at least one child under age 5 uses 13% of their income to pay for child care, according to the report, nearly double the 7% that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers affordable. Additionally, less than 20% of the children eligible for the Child Care and Development Fund—a federal assistance program for low-income families—are getting that funding. “Child care is a textbook example of a broken market, and one reason is that when you pay for it, the price does not account for all the positive things it confers on our society,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement on Wednesday. “When we underinvest in child care, we forgo that; we give up a happier, healthier, more prosperous labor force in the future.”

Inspiration4 Astronauts Beam After Return From 3-Day Journey to Orbit (NYT) After three days in orbit, a physician assistant, a community college professor, a data engineer and the billionaire who financed their trip arrived back on Earth, heralding a new era of space travel with a dramatic and successful Saturday evening landing in the Atlantic Ocean. The mission, which is known as Inspiration4, splashed down off the Florida coast at 7:06 p.m. on Saturday. Each step of the return unfolded on schedule, without problems. Within an hour, all four crew members walked out of the spacecraft, one at a time, each beaming with excitement as recovery crews assisted them.

Haitians on Texas border undeterred by US plan to expel them (AP) Haitian migrants seeking to escape poverty, hunger and a feeling of hopelessness in their home country said they will not be deterred by U.S. plans to speedily send them back, as thousands of people remained encamped on the Texas border Saturday after crossing from Mexico. Scores of people waded back and forth across the Rio Grande on Saturday afternoon, re-entering Mexico to purchase water, food and diapers in Ciudad Acuña before returning to the Texas encampment under and near a bridge in the border city of Del Rio. Junior Jean, a 32-year-old man from Haiti, watched as people cautiously carried cases of water or bags of food through the knee-high river water. Jean said he lived on the streets in Chile the past four years, resigned to searching for food in garbage cans. “We are all looking for a better life,” he said.

Three Weeks After Hurricane Ida, Parts of Southeast Louisiana Are Still Dark (NYT) For Tiffany Brown, the drive home from New Orleans begins as usual: She can see the lights on in the city’s central business district and people gathering in bars and restaurants. But as she drives west along Interstate 10, signs of Hurricane Ida’s destruction emerge. Trees with missing limbs fill the swamp on either side of the highway. With each passing mile, more blue tarps appear on rooftops, and more electric poles lay fallen by the road, some snapped in half. By the time Ms. Brown gets to her exit in Destrehan 30 minutes later, the lights illuminating the highway have disappeared, and another night of total darkness has fallen on her suburban subdivision. For Ms. Brown, who works as an office manager at a pediatric clinic, life at work can feel nearly normal. But at home, with no electricity, it is anything but. “I keep hoping every day that I’m going to go home and it’ll be on,” she said. Three weeks have passed since Hurricane Ida knocked down electric wires, poles and transmission towers serving more than one million people in southeast Louisiana. In New Orleans, power was almost entirely restored by Sept. 10, and businesses and schools have reopened. But outside the city, more than 100,000 customers were without lights through Sept. 13. As of Friday evening there were still about 38,000 customers without power, and many people remained displaced from damaged homes.

Favela centennial shows Brazil communities’ endurance (AP) Dozens of children lined up at a community center in Sao Paulo for a slice of creamy, blue cake. None was celebrating a birthday; their poor neighborhood, the favela of Paraisopolis, was commemorating 100 years of existence. “People started coming (to the city) for construction jobs and settled in,” community leader Gilson Rodrigues said. “There was no planning, not even streets. People started growing crops. It was all disorganized. Authorities didn’t do much, so we learned to organize ourselves.” The favela’s centennial, which was marked on Thursday, underscores the permanence of its roots and of other communities like it, even as Brazilians in wealthier parts of town often view them as temporary and precarious. Favelas struggle to shed that stigma as they defy simple definition, not least because they evolved over decades. Paraisopolis is Sao Paulo’s second-biggest favela, home to 43,000 people, according to the most-recent census, in 2010. Recent, unofficial counts put its population around 100,000.

The barbecue king: British royals praise Philip’s deft touch (AP) When Prince Philip died nearly six months ago at 99, the tributes poured in from far and wide, praising him for his supportive role at the side of Queen Elizabeth II over her near 70-year reign. Now, it has emerged that Philip had another crucial role within the royal family. He was the family’s barbecue king—perhaps testament to his Greek heritage. “He adored barbecuing and he turned that into an interesting art form,” his oldest son Prince Charles said in a BBC tribute program that will be broadcast on Wednesday. “And if I ever tried to do it he ... I could never get the fire to light or something ghastly, so (he’d say): ‘Go away!’” In excerpts of ‘Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers’ released late Saturday, members of the royal family spoke admiringly of the late Duke of Edinburgh’s barbecuing skills. “Every barbecue that I’ve ever been on, the Duke of Edinburgh has been there cooking,” said Prince William, Philip’s oldest grandson. “He’s definitely a dab hand at the barbecue ... I can safely say there’s never been a case of food poisoning in the family that’s attributed to the Duke of Edinburgh.” The program, which was filmed before and after Philip’s death on April 9, was originally conceived to mark his 100th birthday in June.

Relations between France and the U.S. have sunk to their lowest level in decades. (NYT) The U.S. and Australia went to extraordinary lengths to keep Paris in the dark as they secretly negotiated a plan to build nuclear submarines, scuttling a defense contract worth at least $60 billion. President Emmanuel Macron of France was so enraged that he recalled the country’s ambassadors to both nations. Australia approached the new administration soon after President Biden’s inauguration. The conventionally powered French subs, the Australians feared, would be obsolete by the time they were delivered. The Biden administration, bent on containing China, saw the deal as a way to cement ties with a Pacific ally. But the unlikely winner is Britain, who played an early role in brokering the alliance. For its prime minister, Boris Johnson, who will meet this coming week with Biden at the White House and speak at the U.N., it is his first tangible victory in a campaign to make post-Brexit Britain a player on the global stage.

Hong Kong’s first ‘patriots-only’ election kicks off (Reuters) Fewer than 5,000 Hong Kong people from mostly pro-establishment circles began voting on Sunday for candidates to an election committee, vetted as loyal to Beijing, who will pick the city’s next China-backed leader and some of its legislature. Pro-democracy candidates are nearly absent from Hong Kong’s first election since Beijing overhauled the city’s electoral system to ensure that “only patriots” rule China’s freest city. The election committee will select 40 seats in the revamped Legislative Council in December, and choose a chief executive in March. Changes to the political system are the latest in a string of moves—including a national security law that punishes anything Beijing deems as subversion, secession, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces—that have placed the international financial hub on an authoritarian path. Most prominent democratic activists and politicians are now in jail or have fled abroad.

The Remote-Control Killing Machine (Politico/NYT) For 14 years, Israel wanted to kill Iran’s top nuclear scientist. Then they came up with a way to do it while using a trained sniper who was more than 1,000 miles away—and fired remotely. It was also the debut test of a high-tech, computerized sharpshooter kitted out with artificial intelligence and multiple-camera eyes, operated via satellite and capable of firing 600 rounds a minute. The souped-up, remote-controlled machine gun now joins the combat drone in the arsenal of high-tech weapons for remote targeted killing. But unlike a drone, the robotic machine gun draws no attention in the sky, where a drone could be shot down, and can be situated anywhere, qualities likely to reshape the worlds of security and espionage.

Israeli army arrests last 2 of 6 Palestinian prison escapees (AP) Israeli forces on Sunday arrested the last two of six Palestinian prisoners who escaped a maximum-security Israeli prison two weeks ago, closing an intense, embarrassing episode that exposed deep security flaws in Israel and turned the fugitives into Palestinian heroes. The Israeli military said the two men surrendered in Jenin, their hometown in the occupied West Bank, after they were surrounded at a hideout that had been located with the help of “accurate intelligence.” The prisoners all managed to tunnel out of a maximum-security prison in northern Israel on Sept. 6. The bold escape dominated newscasts for days and sparked heavy criticism of Israel’s prison service. According to various reports, the men dug a hole in the floor of their shared cell undetected over several months and managed to slip past a sleeping prison guard after emerging through a hole outside the facility. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have celebrated the escape and held demonstrations in support of the prisoners. Taking part in attacks against the Israeli military or even civilians is a source of pride for many Palestinians, who view it as legitimate resistance to military occupation.

Jaw-dropping moments in WSJ's bombshell Facebook investigation (CNN Business) This week the Wall Street Journal released a series of scathing articles about Facebook, citing leaked internal documents that detail in remarkably frank terms how the company is not only well aware of its platforms’ negative effects on users but also how it has repeatedly failed to address them. Here are some of the more jaw-dropping moments from the Journal’s series. In the Journal’s report on Instagram’s impact on teens, it cites Facebook’s own researchers’ slide deck, stating the app harms mental health. “We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls,” said one slide from 2019, according to the WSJ. Another reads: “Teens blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression ... This reaction was unprompted and consistent across all groups.” In 2018, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said a change in Facebook’s algorithm was intended to improve interactions among friends and family and reduce the amount of professionally produced content in their feeds. But according to the documents published by the Journal, staffers warned the change was having the opposite effect: Facebook was becoming an angrier place. A team of data scientists put it bluntly: “Misinformation, toxicity and violent content are inordinately prevalent among reshares,” they said, according to the Journal’s report.

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