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cellophaine · 7 months ago

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Chapter I: SERVE

Masterlist

Pairing: Art Donaldson x F!Reader

Word Count: 2377.

Warnings: None.

Author's Note: The first chapter is here!! I'm so excited to finally release this as this idea formed in my head a while ago and it's been itching to take shape. I hope you will enjoy this chapter and stay for the messiness of it all!

GIF Source: @harcive

2021. San Francisco.

Your bedroom, 2 AM. Outside, the storm raged. The whistling notes of winds pried their way inside through the seams of the window. You lay on your side, watching the maidenhair tree as its leaves and branches were torn in different directions, but the thick trunk barely wavered. The constant pattering of rain running along the window soothed your troubling mind.

Another sleepless night.

It was also raining like this on the day that you met him. Perhaps it was nostalgia, maybe it was your indulgence of self-loathe, either way, you often recalled that day over the years, long after it was over, thinking about how cruel fate was even though you didn’t believe in it. You often thought about how had you listened to the weather forecast on that portent day, there wouldn’t be so many sleepless nights.

2006. Stanford University.

The angry and ruthless storm swept over the campus’ ground, painting a murky varnish over the courtyard. You didn’t bring an umbrella. The cafeteria was almost empty with the exception of some other unfortunate souls like yours. Your messenger bag wouldn’t survive in this rain with its metal clasps broken and glued together, its nylon strap peeling off along the edge, and its canvas surface thinning.

You chose a seat by the big bay window overlooking the courtyard. The rain railed on the glass panels, loud and blurred together in a clashing harmony. The perfect background for your wandering thoughts while you stared out the window. You had a shift at the coffee shop on Friday, then the weekend to yourself. The library’s copy of Mrs. Dalloway was due the following Friday, but you didn’t need that much time. You could finish it this weekend. You should return your mom’s missed call and your dad’s message. Probably more of what you didn’t want to hear, but you should respond nonetheless.

Out of the peripheral of your vision, a moving silhouette headed in your direction. You ignored it until they stopped at your table, far enough that you couldn’t touch them if you reached out, but close enough to make your head turn. Your eyes caught onto the white shirt before skipping along the length of the torso before reaching the face. You were taken aback by his appearance, and most of all, his piercing eyes on you.

“Hi. May I sit here?”

He had a half smile that softened the outer corners of his eyes. Blond locks swept all over, framing his face in tousled waves. A sharp jaw that your eyes couldn’t help but trace along. He was cute. There was an easy air about him that almost disarmed the guard you placed when it came to strangers. Almost.

Your eyes quickly flitted around the nearly empty cafeteria involuntarily as if to signal that there were other seats he could take. But you nodded regardless with a thinly veiled hesitance and watched as he took his seat across the table. You wondered what he wanted from you.

“Looks like we’re stuck here for a while.”

You bobbed your head in agreement.

“Yeah. I should’ve brought an umbrella.”

“Me too. It doesn’t rain very often so I thought today would be one of those days, you know? Should’ve listened to the forecast.”

You hummed noncommittally and turned your head towards the window again. He moved a little in his seat as if he was trying to pull at your attention physically.

“I saw you sitting alone from over there, and uh … I thought you might want some company.”

Your eyes squinted at that and watched as he reached over the table.

“My name’s Art. Art Donaldson.”

You shook his hand and told him your name. His name stirred at a memory in the back of your mind.

“I know you. I mean, I’ve heard of you.”

His face lit up ever so slightly at that.

“Yeah?”

You nodded.

“Your name is mentioned pretty often, especially whenever tennis comes up. Some people in my class seem to be fans of yours.”

He chuckled, the sound warm and light.

“What about you? Are you a fan of me?”

You pretended to think about it and shook your head.

“Ouch.”

You held up a hand in defence.

“Hey. I’m just not a sports person.”

“That’s fair. We’re pretty annoying anyway.”

You blurted out before you could stop yourself.

“Yeah, I can tell.”

Your eyes widened in disbelief. You could see the way his smile dropped, the way his body went still, and guilt trickled in rapidly until it was a big, sweeping wave.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say it out loud.”

“So you were thinking it?”

“Yes, I mean, no, but kinda?"

Art only stared at you. You straightened in your seat.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? It just came out, I honestly don’t mean anything by it. My roommates said that I’m very sarcastic and if you don’t know me you might think I’m very mean but honestly I really don’t mean it I’m so so sorry …”

You trailed off as Art’s smile grew until his body shook with the sound of his chuckle. It was you that stared now. Your heart was pounding, nerves pulled tight across all directions, unsure of where they were heading.

"Uh …"

Your voice wavered, and you cleared your throat. Art waved a hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about it. No offence taken.”

The joy he seemed to get from your momentary despair cast his face in an endearing light. You found yourself staring at the way his eyes crinkled, the way his lips quirked up, one side higher than the other.

“Still. It was rude of me.”

Art looked at your rueful expression, and you could almost tell the moment his light bulb went on.

“You’ll have to make it up to me.”

“What?”

He leaned forward. He was now halfway over the small table.

“To fix my broken ego. You’ve just destroyed it, after all.”

You fixed your eyes on his and met him in the middle, turning the distance into proximity.

“You know what they say about having a fragile ego?”

"What do they say?"

"Hm, I thought you knew already."

Art held your gaze for a long moment, searching for your tell. You couldn't hold the grin back, and he mirrored you, understanding your sarcastic nature a little more now. You broke away first and stood up, eyes roaming around the cafeteria and eventually landed on the food counter. You turned to look at Art, jerking your chin towards the other side of the room.

“Alright, let’s go. Whatever you want, on me.”

Art chose funnel cake fries with vanilla ice cream. You could feel his eyes on you as you smoothed out the slightly crumbled bills, counted the change and gave it to the woman behind the counter. His gaze made you feel a little insecure. You kept your eyes on the woman as you thanked her.

“Anything on it?”

She held up the paper box. Art turned to you and asked if you wanted anything. You said caramel sauce absent-mindedly as you put your wallet back in your pocket. After a generous drizzle, she passed the box to Art, along with two spoons.

“Wait, it’s your treat. Why did you ask me what I wanted on it?”

He shrugged as if the answer was obvious.

“I thought we could share.”

You returned to the table. The rain had calmed down, reduced to a light shower. It took some convincing from Art as you refused to have some as it was your treat for him, but eventually, you shared the first few bites in silence. You tried not to pay too much attention to his lips every time he licked the spoon when Art broke the voiceless air and asked about your major. English, you said, as your parents dismissed and scorned. Despite their disapproval and incessant attempts to convince you otherwise, you still wanted to be a published author, dreaming of seeing your name on the shelves one day.

“The scholarship helped a lot. If it wasn’t for it, my parents would have forced me to stay home and attend the community college there.”

“I'm guessing you didn't want that?”

“Not at all. And don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the college back home, but …"

You considered our next words properly. A cold feeling crept up your spine, but you found the words that you'd never had the courage to say out loud before tumbling out.

"I just don’t want to be stuck there, you know? In the same place that I grew up in for years and years on end with my parents, and it's …”

You met Art's eyes to find that he was staring at you. All of a sudden, the cold became unbearable, and you felt so uneasy that you felt an instinctual urge to physically press your lips together to prevent anything else from slipping out. The baggage was too much for someone you met not even an hour ago. You cleared your throat.

“Anyway, what about you? Are you going to be a pro tennis player?”

Art's brows slightly furrowed, and he took a moment before responding. He seemed to sense your discomfort, but he let it go. You felt the weight eased off your stomach, feeling grateful that Art chose not to pursue the topic further.

"Yeah, I hope so."

"Is it something you've always wanted to do?"

He thought about it for a brief moment.

"I … think so. It's something I've known for a long time, and very well."

You nodded, taking another spoonful of ice cream.

"Okay, maybe not as well as my friend Patrick."

"Tell me about him."

The funnel fry stopped just before it reached Art's mouth.

"Why? Are you interested in him?"

“Sure am. I’m the kind of girl that needs more information on a guy before expressing my interest. So tell me."

A small frown formed on his lips. His hand made a slow descent to the table, the fry forgotten. He looked like a kicked puppy, and you felt bad for your harmless joke. You reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Art. I'm joking."

He took your words in, and an amused smile slowly spread across his lips. With the other unoccupied hand, he rubbed on his ear, which drew your attention to it as it turned into a faint shade of pink. He cleared his throat, and you pulled your hand away.

"Uh– okay! So … Patrick."

You nodded, encouraging him to continue. He told you about the Mark Rebellato Academy, how Patrick was his roommate and became his best friend, how they played tennis together and made …

"Fire and Ice?"

Art nodded.

"Who's who?"

"He's Fire, and I'm Ice."

"So when you're together, what do you make? Warm water?"

"Okay, when you put it like that, it doesn't sound very exciting. But we're good, I promise."

You put the spoon down, decided that you were done with the dessert and let Art finish the rest.

"When can I see you guys play together?"

Art thought about it for a moment.

"I don't think it'll happen soon. He's trying to pro, and he's busy with a tour right now."

"I see."

The rain had ceased to light mist, which made Art's silence became palpable.

"Do you miss him?"

"I– I'm happy for him, I am. He's doing exactly what he has always wanted to do, which is becoming a pro and not having to concern himself with a degree, but …"

"You wish he was here, playing tennis with you. Like how you used to."

Art nodded. You felt the air become heavier, so you switched it up.

"What about your family? They must come to your game to support you?"

Art smiled, but his voice was tinged with a sadness that made you regret even asking.

"My grandma asks me about every game I've ever played. And, uh … my parents enrolled me in Mark Rebellato, but they don't really come to my games. They don't … ask me about them, either."

The silence thickened like honey, but it wasn't confining. A tangible thread of mutual understanding wrapped around you, binding you together across the small table. You couldn't bring yourself to say something, anything, but when your eyes locked, the kindness in his eyes assured you that you didn't have to.

You blinked and allowed the quiet moment to slip through your fingers.

"I have a question for you."

He gestured for you to go ahead.

“Why me?”

“What do you mean?”

You arched a brow.

“You know what I'm talking about. There are other girls in there. Why did you choose me?”

“Just wanted to introduce myself to the prettiest girl here.”

You rolled your eyes at his smirk. He picked up the last funnel fry and popped it into his mouth.

“Do you really use that line on every girl you've met? Has it ever worked?”

“No, not every girl. And, you tell me.”

You shook your head, trying to fend off the inevitable smile that tugged on a corner of your lips.

“It’s not working.”

You said before standing up. Outside, the rain had cleared for the sun to poke through. Taking the empty box and cutlery, you put everything in the trash bin nearby while Art was still sitting.

“I guess I’ll have to get your phone number.”

You returned to the table, where Art looked up at you with that playful look.

"Why?"

"So I can prove myself to you."

“There’s no need. I’m sure I’ll see you again around the campus anyway.”

You picked up your bag, signifying the end of your talk. Art sprung off the seat as if it was on fire.

"But–"

You placed a hand on his shoulder and applied the tiniest bit of pressure.

“This has been enjoyable, really. I’ll see you around, Art.”

You offered him a smile before letting your hand drop. You didn’t look back once when you walked away despite the urge to have a final good look of him. Art gathered his bag, his hand reached inside and grasped the umbrella lying amongst the notebooks, his eyes followed you until you disappeared.

Likes, reblogs, and comments are greatly appreciated! I'd love to read your thoughts on the story!

For updates, please follow @cellophaine-archives

#art donaldson #art donaldson x reader #art donaldson x female reader #art donaldson x f!reader #art donaldson x you #art donaldson imagine #challengers #challengers fic

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autumngracy · 3 months ago

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"Trump is better for the economy, though!"

Aside from almost every major economist agreeing that Trump's economic plans would actually make things far worse than they are now, this man can't even manage his campaign's, his businesses', OR his personal finances.

Case in point, here a list from Public Opinion of his failed business endeavors:

"Trump's companies have filed for bankruptcy at least six times. This is no exaggeration. Digital World noted this in its SEC filings. This excludes additional business failures that might not have declared bankruptcy, but closed owing vendors, employees and others."

"For the record, here are some of Trump's noteworthy business failures."

Trump Airlines — Trump borrowed $245 million to purchase Eastern Air Shuttle. He branded it Trump Airlines. He added gold bathroom fixtures. Two years later Trump could not cover the interest payment on his loan and defaulted.

Trump Beverages — Although Trump touted his water as "one of the purest natural spring waters bottled in the world," it was simply bottled by a third party. Other beverages, including Trump Fire and Trump Power, seem not to have made it to market. And Trump's American Pale Ale died with a trademark withdrawal.

Trump Game — Milton Bradley tried to sell it. As did Hasbro. After investment, the game died and went out of circulation.

Trump Casinos — Trump filed for bankruptcy three times on his casinos, namely the Trump Taj Mahal, the Trump Marina and the Trump Plaza in New Jersey and the Trump Casino in Indiana. Trump avoided debt obligations of $3 billion the first time. Then $1.8 billion the second time. And then after reorganizing, shuffling money and assets, and waiting four years, Trump again declared bankruptcy after missing ongoing interest payments on multi-million dollar bonds. He was finally forced to step down as chairman.

Trump Magazine — Trump Style and Trump World were renamed Trump Magazine to reap advertising dollars from his name recognition. However, Trump Magazine also went out of business.

Trump Mortgage — Trump told CNBC in 2006 that "I think it's a great time to start a mortgage company. … The real-estate market is going to be very strong for a long time to come." Then the real estate market collapsed. Trump had hired E.J. Ridings as CEO of Trump Mortgage and boasted that Ridings had been a "top executive of one of Wall Street's most prestigious investment banks." Turned out Ridings had only six months of experience as a stockbroker. Trump Mortgage closed and never paid a $298,274 judgment it owed a former employee, nor the $3,555 it owed in unpaid taxes.

Trump Steaks — Trump closed Trump Steaks due to a lack of sales while owing Buckhead Beef $715,000.

Trump's Travel Site — GoTrump.com was in business for one year. Failed.

Trumpnet — A telephone communication company that abandoned its trademark.

Trump Tower Tampa — Trump sold his name to the developers and received $2 million. Then the project went belly-up with only $3,500 left in the company. Condo buyers sued Trump for allegedly misleading them. Trump settled and paid as little as $11,115 to buyers who had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Trump University or the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative — Trump staged wealth-building seminars costing up to $34,995 for mentorships that would offer students access to Trump's secrets of success. Instructors turned out to be motivational speakers sometimes with criminal records. Lawsuits and criminal investigations abound.

Trump Vodka — Business failed due to a lack of sales.

Trump Fragrances — Success by Trump, Empire by Trump, and Donald Trump: The Fragrances all failed due to being discontinued, perhaps as a result of few sales.

Trump Mattress — Serta stopped offering a Trump-branded mattress, again likely due to slacking sales.

Truth Social — This existing Trump business owes big money, and may well be breathing its last.

And then of course is his long history of stiffing contractors, restaurants, and even entire cities for their event venues he used for his rallies—as well as some of his own followers—

—such as the case where he promised a greiving hispanic American family that he would pay for the burial of their daughter, Vanessa Guillén, a servicewoman who had been brutally murdered by a fellow soldier at Fort Hood in 2020, but later told his chief of staff not to pay for it after learning it would cost $60,000, reportedly saying "It doesn’t cost 60,000 bucks to bury a fucking Mexican!"

#us presidential election #Donald Trump #us politics #election 2024 #Trump Vance 2024 #us economy

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intuitive-revelations · 9 months ago

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The near future in the Doctor Who universe sure gets dire doesn't it? Especially if Mad Jack / Roger ap Gwilliam is still part of history.

I thought I'd have a bit of fun listing things out, combining as many sources as possible. Turns out he fits in shockingly well with what we know. There's a lot missing here or cut out, and for obvious reasons it's very UK / Europe focused, but nonetheless:

[ID: Scene from The Christmas Invasion showing Harriet Jones on BBC News. The news ticker reads "PM HEALTH SCARE", "Unfit for duty?", and references a "SECRET GOVERNMENT MOLE" and a quote: "BLOOD ON [HER HANDS]".]

2006-2021 (obviously the past now, but still noting for the resulting temporal and political butterfly effect) - In the original timeline, Harriet Jones remains Prime Minister for 3 consecutive terms, presumably 15 years assuming no snap election was called, referred to as a 'golden age' [World War Three]. The Tenth Doctor deliberately changes history to cause her deposal [The Christmas Invasion], leading to numerous disastrous terms in the meantime, including those of Harold Saxon [The Sound of Drums et al.], Brian Green (who tried to appease the 456) [Children of Earth], Boris Johnson (an auton host of the Nestene Consciousness) [Rose (novelisation)], and Jo Patterson (responsible for deploying cloned Dalek defence drones in the UK's streets) [Revolution of the Daleks].

[ID: Scene from Revolution of the Daleks. A 'defence drone' Dalek is used to support anti-riot police in a test, dispersing protestors with mock tear gas.]

2010s-2030s - The European Union gradually integrates further, eventually becoming the European Zone / Eurozone, a global superpower which competes with the USA through the 21st century. The UK eventually forms part of the bloc [Trading Futures].

It's likely that Harriet Jones's deposal led to this and related events being delayed or erased, with Brexit (driven by, among others, one of Jones's successors in the new timeline) reducing european unity. Most notably, Ramón Salamander's rise to power occurs now not in the 2010s [The Enemy of the World], but in the 2030s [Doctor Who and the Enemy of the World]. There are other events that are seemingly delayed by ~20 years by changes to the timeline, including future events like the dictatorship of Mariah Learman [The Time of the Daleks, Trading Futures], and yet also possibly past events like the death of Queen Elizabeth II [Battlefield, The Longest Night et al.], which may suggest something else (eg. the Time War) may be responsible.

~2030 - During a time of rising global tensions [73 Yards], Ramón Salamander convinces a group of scientists in an underground shelter endurance experiment that nuclear war has broken out on the surface. They are convinced to generate artificial "natural" disasters to fight back against the enemy. Between this and ongoing climate change, several global food sources collapse as a result, including Canada and Ukraine's corn and flour production [The Enemy of the World].

2031 - Tensions culminate in the "Great Russian War". Despite posturing, not a single nuclear weapon is fired, at least by NATO [73 Yards]. This may be later considered World War III [Trading Futures].

~2032-2035 - Following the war, tensions rise again, now between the Eurozone and the USA [Trading Futures], possibly in reaction to actions (or lack thereof?) taken by NATO during the war [73 Yards]. Both send separate peacekeeping forces to conflict in North Africa. Meanwhile, Italy is engaged in civil war [Trading Futures].

[ID: Scene from The Enemy of the World, showing Ramón Salamander.]

Over the decade, Ramón Salamander rises in power in the World Zone Authority, using his patented "Sun Store" satellite technology to aid the growth of crops by controlling sunlight over agricultural regions. In the background, he murders and blackmails officials to place loyalists into powerful positions, with the goal of ruling over the World Zone Authority as a dictator. Salamander's treachery is later discovered and he disappears [The Enemy of the World].

2037 - 2042 - Several militia declare wars of Independence from the USA. Notably, Phoenix, Arizona is destroyed in a terrorist attack. While the country largely persists after the conflicts, some territories seem to successfully secede - with, for example, a Montana Republic seemingly being in existence in 2054 [Alien Bodies].

2038 - The World Zones Accord is signed. This is later considered to have reduced the United Nations to a 'joke' compared with the World Zone Authority [Alien Bodies]. Given the extensive power it gives to the WZA, this was likely originally part of Salamander's plan, but due to his disappearance he is not around to reap the rewards [The Enemy of the World].

2039 - A group of Mexican astronauts studying minerals on the Moon go missing [Kill the Moon].

~2030s - 2040s - The Earth begins to experience major climate change effects, including "appalling storm conditions" which harm agriculture [The Waters of Mars]. The ice caps melt and flood much of the Earth [K9] with nations like the Netherlands ending up entirely flooded [St Anthony's Fire]. Some regions experience corrosive acid rain [Cat's Cradle: War Head, Strange Loops]. One summer sees Britain experience a 22 week drought. At this time, the Eurozone closes its borders to millions of North African and Baltic Sea refugees [Hothouse]. This time period may be known as the "Oil Apocalypse" [The Waters of Mars].

[ID: Scene from K9 Episode 13: Aeolian. Big Ben stands in the middle of a colossal storm of wind and rain.]

With Earth's ecosystems collapsing [Davros], humanity begin to realise it's facing extinction [The Waters of Mars]. An artificial cooling agent is spread in the atmosphere to semi-successfully combat the effects, but leads to dramatic side-effects, including freezing some areas of the globe. This is known as the "Great Cataclysm" [K9].

2041 - A three-human team, including Adelaide Brooke, lands on Mars for the first time [The Waters of Mars]. However, with this accomplishment, and increasing turbulence on Earth, Humanity gradually loses interest in space exploration [Kill the Moon].

Before 2045 - Around this time, the UK falls into a dictatorship ruled by the "Director", head of a military council that has allegedly (secretly?) controlled the government since 2028 [Britain Protests]. It is possible that this Director was previously the "Minister of War" for previous governments [Before the Flood].

2045 - The World Zones Authority evolves into a World Government, with Nikita Bandranaik being elected President. The UK is not part of the organisation [This is 2065].

2046-2050s - The Director is overthrown [Down with the Director] and the rest of the government "collapses in shame" [73 Yards]. Some of the revolutionaries celebrate now being "masters of [their] own country" [Down with the Director]. Despite the hopes of the World Government for international integration, this nationalistic streak continues.

[ID: Scene from 73 Yards. Roger ap Gwilliam, with an Albion Party ribbon on his chest declares victory on BBC News, live from Kennington High in London. Headline reads "LANDSLIDE VICTORY FOR ALBION PARTY: Majority of 92 predicted. Roger ap Gwilliam declared Prime Minister."]

Roger ap Gwilliam is elected Prime Minister, with the far-right nationalistic Albion Party gaining a majority of 92 MPs [73 Yards]. While his government does take the step to officially join the World Government senate [Down with the Director], he seeks greater independence from other nations. One of his first actions is to expand the UK's nuclear arsenal, purchasing missiles from Pakistan and withdrawing from NATO. In his term, the world is brought to the brink of nuclear war [73 Yards], likely in the pre-2050s "Euro Wars" [The Time of the Daleks].

In this time, the "Department", a (private?) multinational security organisation is born, based primarily in the UK. They gain broad powers, which they use to control populations with propaganda and use of "CCPC"s: robotic law enforcement notorious for their surveillance and brutality. Despite its recent revolution, the country is rendered practically a police state [K9].

[ID: Scene from K9 Episode 1: Regeneration. CCPCs, hulking police robots, march down a dark alley.]

2049 - The Moon starts to dramatically gain mass, causing massive tides on the Earth, flooding entire cities. In a last ditch at survival, humanity plans to try and destroy the Moon using an array of nuclear bombs. Despite the people of Earth being offered the vote on what to do by turning off their lights, it appears the decision is made on a national level, with lights going off grid-by-grid. Nonetheless, the Moon is allowed to hatch, leaving behind a new less massive egg "moon" with minimal further destruction [Kill the Moon].

[ID: Scene from Kill the Moon. The Moon hatches in the background, as the TARDIS stands by the sea.]

Humanity's interest in space exploration returns [Kill the Moon], starting a new space race. Among these projects, Australia begins constucting a space elevator, Spain a project called "SpaceLink", while Germany and Russia each begin a series of new Moon missions. The Philippines are rumoured to be planning their own landing on Mars [The Waters of Mars].

~2050 - The UK Government (ap Gwilliam's?) is couped once more, by General Mariah Learman. With the King's permission, elections are suspended for at least a couple years, with her ruling over a "benevolent dictatorship". She is later abducted and forcibly mutated by the Daleks [The Time of the Daleks]. Despite the previous description, her promotion of Shakespeare in schools is remembered as the only good thing about her rule [Trading Futures]. (Note: As mentioned prior, it's likely that Learman's rule may have been delayed as Salamander's was. This is suggested by the mention of her in Trading Futures, set seemingly ~2030s or earlier, despite The Time of the Daleks taking place around the 2050s.)

~2050s - The Gravitron is built on the new Moon. This is used to artificially control the tides and weather [The Moonbase]. It likely also is intended to study and monitor the new Moon for future changes [Kill the Moon].

[ID: Scene from The Moonbase, giving an external shot of the base.]

2058 - 2059 - Bowie Base One is established: humanity's first colony on another planet and an international collaboration between the UK, USA, Russia, Germany, Turkey, South Korea, Lithuania, Australia, and Pakistan. One year later, it is mysteriously destroyed in a deliberately triggered nuclear explosion. In the original timeline, there were no survivors. However, after the interference of the Time Lord Victorious, the true story is eventually told on Earth. Regardless "a veil of darkness" sweeps over the planet over the next few years. [The Waters of Mars], as international tensions heat up once more... [Total Eclipse of the Heart].

[ID: Scene from The Waters of Mars, showing an internet news website. Various articles appear focused on the Bowie Base One incident, including "SURVIVORS STORY - BROOKE SAVED EARTH", "THE MYTHICAL DOCTOR", "BROOKE'S HEROIC ACTIONS SAVE EARTH", and "HOW THE COUPLE ESCAPED MARS". The feature image shows the two survivors: Yuri Kerenski and Mia Bennett.]

2060s - The "Great War" breaks out on Earth, involving every country on Earth. This is likely World War IV. Details are vague, but it ultimately ends in a ceasefire, when it's realised the conflict is risking Earth's habitability [Total Eclipse of the Heart].

#Doctor Who #DW Spoilers #Doctor Who Spoilers #73 Yards #DW Theory #Canon-Welding #Long Post

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argoscity · 1 year ago

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ULTIMATE SUPERGIRL READING GUIDE

since i've been asked a few times in the past for various reading guides for kara, i thought i'd compile them all into one post for the sake of convenience!

this guide has reading orders for supergirl comics in PRE-CRISIS (1959-1985), POST-CRISIS (2004-2011), NEW 52 (2011-2016), REBIRTH (2016-2021), and INFINITE FRONTIER (2021-present).

if you have any questions at all don't be afraid to shoot me an ask!

for each section bolded comics are required, italicized comics are recommended, and everything else is optional!

[PRE-CRISIS]

ORIGIN AND MIDVALE ERA (NOTE: you'll have to flip to the back of each issue to get to kara's section!) action comics (1938) #252, 258, 267, 276, 278-282, 285, 295, 309-310, 313, 317

STANHOPE COLLEGE action comics (1938) #318, 366-368, 372, 374 world’s finest (1941) #169 adventure comics (1938) #381, 386, 391, 395, 397

K-SFTV REPORTER — SAN FRANCISCO adventure comics (1938) #406-407, 410-415, 419-424

VANDYRE UNIVERSITY supergirl (1974) #1-10

STUDENT ADVISOR — FLORIDA (NOTE: every member of the superfamily has a story in the superman family (1974), so you'll have to flip through to find kara's section!) the superman family (1974) #165, 168, 171, 174, 177, 180, 182 justice league of america (1960) #132-134 the superman family #183, 184-186, 187-189, 191-193, 194, 196-198, 199, 200, 201-202, 203, 204-205, 206-207

ACTRESS — NEW YORK the superman family (1974) 208-210, 211-214, 215-216, 217, 218 superman (1939) #373 (second story titled “an eye (and ear) on the world!”) detective comics (1937) #508-510 the superman family #219-222

THE GREAT DARKNESS SAGA (i recommend this storyline in it's entirety, but kara only appears in the last issue!) legion of superheroes (1980) #290-294

LAKE SHORE UNIVERSITY supergirl (1982) #1-12 (cw: nazi imagery in the brief interlude in #12) supergirl (1982) #13-15 (cw: antisemitism, nazi imagery, depictions of the holocaust.) supergirl (1982) #16-23

LAST APPEARANCES AND DEATH legion of super-heroes (1980) #300-303 dc comics presents (1978) #28 tales of the legion of super-heroes (1984) #314-315 crisis on infinite earths (1985) #4-7

BONUS POST-COIE APPEARANCES christmas with the super-heroes (1988) #2 (last story titled “should auld acquaintance be forgot”) supergirl (1996) #49, 75-80 solo (2004) #1 (third story titled “young love”) convergence: adventures of superman (2015) #1-2

[POST-CRISIS]

ORIGIN superman/batman (2003) #8-13 (or you can watch superman/batman: apocalypse (2010) instead which I recommend! the art is a lot more tasteful and it's a very faithful adaptation of the comic so you won’t be missing out on anything.)

KARA WITH THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES supergirl and the legion of super-heroes (2006) #16-36

LOEB AND KELLY HELL ERA supergirl (2005) #1-5, 9-10, 19 (you don’t have to read any of this since it gets retconned anyway, but if you’re interested in kara’s early characterization, the beginnings of her friendship with cassie sandsmark, or her difficulty fitting in on earth then you’re welcome to read what i’ve provided.)

KELLEY PUCKETT ERA Amazons Attack! teen titans (2003) #47-48 amazons attack! (2007) #3 supergirl (2005) #20 amazons attack! (2007) #4 teen titans (2003) #49

supergirl (2005) #21-22 teen titans (2003) #50, 51-55 supergirl (2005) #25-33

Superman: Brainiac action comics (1938) #866-870

GATES AND IGLE HEAVEN ERA supergirl (2005) #34

New Krypton (new krypton is one of my favorite events and i recommend it in its entirety, but for the sake of brevity I’ll only be listing the issues relevant to kara.) superman: new krypton special #1 superman (1939) #681 adventure comics special featuring guardian #1 action comics (1938) #871 supergirl (2005) #35 superman (1939) #682 action comics (1938) #872 supergirl (2005) #36 superman (1939) #683 action comics (1938) #873

teen titans (2003) #66 supergirl (2005) #37-42

Friends and Fugitives superman: secret Files 2009 #1 supergirl (2005) #43 action comics (1938) #881 supergirl (2005) #45 action comics (1938) #882 supergirl (2005) #46-47

supergirl (2005) annual 1, #48-50

Last Stand of New Krypton adventure comics (2009) #8 superman: last stand of new krypton #1 supergirl (2005) #51 superman (1938) #698 adventure comics (2009) #9 superman: last stand of new krypton #2 adventure comics (2009) #10 supergirl (2005) #52 superman (1938) #699 superman: last stand of new krypton #3 superman: war of the supermen (2010) #0, 1-4

supergirl (2005) #53-57, annual 2, 58-59

END OF SUPERGIRL VOL 5 supergirl (2005) #60-64 supergirl (2005) #65-67

[THE NEW 52]

ORIGIN and SUPERGIRL VS THE WORLDKILLERS supergirl (2011) #1-7

SUPERGIRL and SILVER BANSHEE supergirl (2011) #8-11

SUPERGIRL and SUPERBOY superboy (2011) #6

SANCTUARY supergirl (2011) #12, 0, 13

H’EL ON EARTH superman (2011) #13 supergirl (2011) #14 superman (2011) #14 superboy (2011) #15 supergirl (2011) #15 superboy (2011) #16 superboy (2011) Annual #1 supergirl (2011) #16 superman (2011) #16 superboy (2011) #17 supergirl (2011) #17 superman (2011) #17

SUPERGIRL and POWERGIRL supergirl (2011) #18-20

CYBORG SUPERMAN supergirl (2011) #21-23 action comics (2011) #23.1 supergirl (2011) #24

KRYPTON RETURNS action comics (2011) annual #2 superboy (2011) #25 supergirl (2011) #25 superman (2011) #25

SUPERGIRL VS LOBO supergirl (2011) #26-27

RED DAUGHTER OF KRYPTON supergirl (2011) #28-29 red lanterns (2011) #28-29 supergirl (2011) #30 red lanterns (2011) #30 supergirl (2011) #31 red lanterns (2011) #31-32 supergirl (2011) #32-33

SUPERMAN: DOOMED (this is a whole storyline but I'll only be listing the issues that kara appears in!) superman/wonder woman (2013) #9 action comics (2011) #33 supergirl (2011) #34 superman: doomed (2014) #2 action comics (2011) #35 supergirl (2011) #35

FUTURES END supergirl: futures end (2014) #1

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED justice league united (2014) #1-5 justice league united (2014) annual #1 justice league united (2014) #6-10

CRUCIBLE supergirl (2011) #36-40

FINAL DAYS OF SUPERMAN (kara only appears in the issues i've italicized and bolded, but i put all the relevant issues if you wanted to read the full storyline!) superman (2011) #51 batman/superman (2013) #31 action comics (2011) #51 superman/wonder woman (2013) #28 batman/superman (2013) #32 action comics (2011) #52 superman/wonder woman (2013) #29 superman (2011) #52

[REBIRTH]

KARA IN NATIONAL CITY supergirl: rebirth #1

supergirl (2016) #1-8 batgirl (2016) annual 1 supergirl #9-12

supergirl (2016) annual 1supergirl #13-20

world's finest: batwoman and supergirl #1-2

ROGOL ZAAR and THE SINS OF THE CIRCLE the man of steel #1-2, 3-6 supergirl #21-33, #34-36

LEVIATHAN and BATMAN WHO LAUGHS superman: leviathan rising special #1 supergirl #34-36 supergirl (2016) annual 2 supergirl #37-42

HOUSE OF KENT action comics (2016) #1022-1023 action comics (2016) #1024-1028

FUTURE STATE superman of metropolis (2021) #1-2 kara zor el, superwoman (2021) #1-2

[INFINITE FRONTIER]

action comics 2021 annual

WOMAN OF TOMORROW supergirl: woman of tomorrow (2021) #1-8

WORLD'S FINEST batman/superman: world's finest (2022) #2-6, 8, 12

A WORLD WITHOUT CLARK KENT and RED MOON (kara is featured in the back-up story! if you want the full context of this plot i recommend reading the full warworld arc in action comics [action comics #1030-1046, superman: warworld apocalypse #1]!) action comics (2016) #1044-1046, 1047-1049

DAWN OF DC action comics (2016) #1051-1053, 1055-1056 superman (2023) #1-3 power girl special #1 steelworks (2023) #1-3

KNIGHT TERRORS knight terrors: superman (2023) #1-2

DAWN OF DC (continued) action comics: doomsday special (2023) superman (2023) #7 hawkgirl (2023) #4 supergirl special (2023)

NEW WORLDS [this arc starts on action comics #1057—kara doesn't appear in that issue but I recommend reading it for context!] action comics (2016) #1058-1060 action comics 2023 annual

JOURNEY TO FERIMBIA powergirl (2023) #5, 6-7

HOUSE OF BRAINIAC action comics (2016) #1064 superman (2023) #13 action comics (2016) #1065 superman (2023) #14 action comics (2016) #1066 superman (2023) #15

UNIVERSE END action comics (2016) #1070-1081

MISCELLANEOUS RECENT APPEARANCES: superwoman special #1 superman (2023) #21-22

#kara zor el #supergirl #reading guide #reading order #kara danvers #linda lee danvers #linda lang

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kryptonbabe · 4 months ago

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Legion of Super Heroes (2006-2008)

It's a shame this show was cancelled after only two seasons, Season 2 is so good, the amount of character development and the easy to follow, but still connected episodes giving the universe a solid base... the big cast of potentially interesting characters, the sleek designs, Chameleon Boy and Garth and Timber Wolf and Phantom Girl... I miss you

#legion of super heroes #it's been 17 years #superman #saturn girl #bouncing boy #legion of super heroes 2006 #phantom girl #brainiac 5 #timber wolf #electric lad #chameleon boy #animation #superman-x #dc comics #dc #watching log #losh #losh 2006 #thoughts

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alexthetrashyracoon · 9 months ago

Note

i desperately need a tf141 beach day episode.

What comes next? A firework episode? A sick episode? The manly males of the masculine franchise Call of Duty becoming members of a 2006 Shojo Anime?

You got it.

CW// Bad attempts at humor, don’t take anything serious, the big boys deserve a break and so do you. Drink water, stay hydrated, eat your favorite snack and pat your pets like I do all the time. Plus, whatever happened in Canon universe, stays in Canon Universe, this is a happy family.

And I hope this was what you meant, just plain old TF141. Not TF141 + Reader. Now I’m having a crisis, not wanting to disappoint :(

Wordcount: 905 Words

A Day at the Beach means a Day away from Base

“That’s it, boys. You need a break.”

If anything Kate was as thick headed and stubborn as a mule, there wasn’t much that could move her from a position she took.

“No, Kate. What we need is finding Makarov and hanging this fucker from the ceiling. He almost killed Soap. I’m not letting this maniac walk around…” Price started, hands still firmly planted on the table where various files about Makarov and his associates were scattered around, before getting cut off by a sharp glance coming from Kate.

Sometimes he wanted to strangle the woman with bare hands.

“It’s a bit like Mom and Dad fighting.” Gaz whispered between Soap and Ghost. “Just missing the bloody popcorn.” He got elbowed by Ghost for that, Gaz knew he deserved it.

“Vacation. Now. MacTavish almost, almost died. This should be enough to give you a reason to start with fresh eyes, which you can’t if you’re as tense as you bunch are right now. Just a few days. A week at max, I’ll keep the operation going, we’ve got enough eyes and ears on the ground and the air… we’ll find Makarov but not if you can’t see the woods for the trees.“

A week later Price sat by the back porch of a small bungalow at the beachside of the Netherlands. It wasn’t like this American movie beaches but damn, it was nice to stretch out his legs, sip his, to be honest very sucky, tea and listen to the annoying screams of the seagulls over their heads.

“Kate was…” Ghost started but got cut off by Prices’ hand in his face.

“Don’t say it.”

“Kate was right.” Ghost snorted and stepped onto the fresh grass, it had rained the night prior and Ghost was barefoot.

A moment later Soap and Gaz sprint out of the bungalow, both dressed in swim shorts, Soap with a water gun in his hands and Gaz carrying a big floaty, both of them looking proud as peacocks. “You two stay where you are. I won’t let any of you madmen out of my sight after last time.” Price reminded them, making them stop in their tracks.

An hour they still sit by the bungalow, this time huddled under the tarp as heavy rain fell down, again. “We could have been swimming in the damn ocean for at least an hour by now!” Soap complained while gripping his mug of coffee. Not even a moment later there is lightning cutting through the sky.

“You would be grilled if you got hit by lightning while swimming in the ocean, Johnny.” Ghost reminded him while watching the rain fall.

For the next three days it was a constant battle between simple rain and heavy storms outside the bungalow.

“Wasn’t this vacation supposed to relax us?” Gaz asked from his spot on the couch, some stupid cartoon running as a background noise. “I am everything but relaxed!”

They had been scooped up for most of the vacation now. It wasn’t any different to when they were out of deployment, just that here they aren’t in the danger of getting shot at. One plus point.

“Blame Laswell.” Price called from the bathroom. “If she hadn’t make us go on a damn vacation we could be back at home, hunting down Makarov and…”

“Sun’s out, clouds are gone. Move your damn asses mates, we gonna drown in the open sea.” Ghost called and pushed the sliding doors open. Within seconds they all had changed.

This was probably the last chance they got to actually relax at the sea, and even if the window for that kind of good weather was a small one, they would use even the smallest chance.

So an hour later Ghost lays on a towel, Price sitting next to him, nursing a bottle of Heineken while keeping an eye on Gaz and Soap who have a water fight with a group of other tourists. And they were pathetically losing right now.

“Sometimes I wonder how they grew up and why they are still alive?” Price snorted between two sips of beer.

“Not everyone can be grumpy assholes like us two when they grow up.” Ghost joked and propped himself up on his elbows, watching Soap getting dunked by Gaz, who in return gets hit with a shot from a water gun.

They clank their bottles against each other while watching Soap and Gaz race through the water, diving under water for a moment or two until the sun started to settle slowly at the horizon and the two Sergeant crawled out of the water and hiding under their towels at the spot on the beach.

“It’s fucking peaceful.” Gaz said after a moment of drying himself and removing algae from his hair, throwing it away and leaned back on his hands.

The sky turned orange, pink and yellow as the sun set, slowly disappearing behind the line of water.

“That’s what Kate had been talking about when she threw us onto this vacation.” Price said as he handed out fresh bottles of beer.

This night they returned real late to their bungalow, enjoying the cloud free sky full of stars over their heads.

A few weeks later a single picture frame decorated Prices office, showing Price, Ghost, Soap and Gaz, all grinning into the cheap camera they had brought for their vacation. A bunch of great memories were made in those few days.

Please don’t hesitate to send in more requests <:

#call of duty #cod mw2 #cod mwii #simon riley #john price #john mactavish #kyle garrick #ghost mw2 #captain price #captain john price #simon ghost riley #johnny soap mactavish #cod mw soap #gaz mw2 #kyle gaz garrick

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apolloscastellan · 6 months ago

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Our field of dreams, engulfed in fire | loss of my life chapter three

Pairing: Art Donaldson x Tashi Duncan x Patrick Zweig x FemaleTennisPlayer!reader

Summary: Your life had always been divided in two: before you met Tashi and after you met Tashi. The second you had laid eyes on her for the first time you knew you had been changed. You were soulmates, meant for each other Nothing could ever tear you two apart, or so you had thought. You could've pinpointed the junior U.S. Open as the night that changed everything. Now you have to juggle your hate-love relationship with tennis with your love-love relationship with Tashi and the two guys who you can't seem to stay away from. Tennis, after all, was only one of the most fucked up relationships of your life.

Warnings: challengers spoiler, challengers content warnings, super minor character death, terrible mother figure, use of y/n, polyamory.

Word count: 7.9K

A/N: sorry this took a little longer than usual, I was at the beach. This chapter is a little longer so! Let me know your thoughts! <3

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University of California, Berkeley. September 9, 2006:

“What are you doing next weekend?” Art’s voice comes through your phone, propped up on your table as you get ready to go out.

“I don’t know, we still have weekends free, at least until December, but I’ll probably go hit with some of the girls, catch up on homework, you know, the usual.”

“What if I drove up on Friday and took you out? Maybe spend a couple days with you?” He tries his best to not let his voice tremble.

He shouldn’t be this nervous, you’ve been his girlfriend for almost two months now, he has nothing to worry about. He had asked you to be his girlfriend one of the many late nights you had spent on the phone with each other, talking about nothing for hours just to keep hearing the other’s voice. It had been sweet, his voice almost giving up from nerves when he asked you if you would, maybe, like to be his girlfriend. His heart stopping for a second when you answered that you had been waiting for him to ask. Still, he can’t help but feel on edge as he poses the question. You haven’t seen each other much since the junior open, which means that you haven’t seen each other at all, not for lack of trying. It’s not that the phone calls are not good enough, they had been perfect to make him fall for you. But he misses you, and he wants to see you. He just hopes you want to see him just as badly.

“Oh my God, are you kidding?” It is almost too good to be true. “Don’t you have practice?”

“Well our coach is giving us Friday free because he is going to his daughter’s dance recital. And I have been doing well with school, which means that I can probably work ahead and have nothing for the weekend. I thought you might want to see me.”

“Are you kidding? Of course I’d love to see you. You can stay with me too, because my roommate will be out of town. Oh my God, this is perfect!” you can’t contain your excitement.

“Ok, it’s settled then.”

––––––––––––––––

You are still in practice when Art pulls into campus. You always stay over with one or two of your teammates, getting some extra reps in. He walks over to the tennis courts, too excited to be apprehensive. He leans on the side of the bleachers, not wanting to distract you. You are in your practice uniform, covered in blue from head to toe, california gold in your shoelaces and the logo on your chest. You look adorable, if Art says so himself. One of the other girls spots him first, pointing to him. You turn around immediately, Art cannot be worried about you giving yourself whiplash because before he can process what’s happening you’re jumping on him, hugging him with your entire body.

“You’re here” you say, out of breath.

“I missed you so much. You’ve tanned!” he says, pulling back to look into your eyes.

“That’s what the California sun will do to you,- sir. Well, not you, clearly” you tease him, giving him a once over.

You pull him by his t-shirt, without hesitation, unable to wait a second longer to kiss him. He reacts quickly, cradling your face with his hands and returning the kiss.

“I’ll go grab my bag and we can go. I need to grab a shower before we go to dinner” he nods, too out of breath from the kiss to think of a reasonable reply.

He watches you run over to your bag and pick it up, while your teammates laugh and whistle at you, giving you shit for the very public display of affection. You bat them off, waving goodbye at them as you make your way over back to Art. He takes your bag from you as soon as you are close enough to do so. You try to protest but there’s no use. He wraps his other arm around your shoulders and lets you lead him to your dorm room. He thinks there’s no way he could ever be happier than he is right now.

––––––––––––––––

Art lays on your bed while you shower. He calls Patrick to get himself entertained, not willing to think too much about how you are barely a wall away, showering. He has made reservations, he doesn’t want to miss them.

“Yeah we have our first preseason matches in…”

He cuts himself off as he sees you walking out the bathroom. Your hair is still wet, falling on your shoulders in soft waves and you are wearing a dress you should have never been allowed to wear, for his own sanity. Patrick yells in his ear, asking him if he’s ok, but he is too busy getting lost in you to notice.

“Who are you talking to?” You wonder, your voice finally snapping him off his trance.

“Oh, It’s Patrick.”

“Hey Patrick!” you yell, as you put on your heels.

“Tell her hello and that I miss her” Patrick calls, from the other side of the line.

“Patrick says hi” he says, instead.

“Can you put it on speaker?” he does as you say, intrigued as to what you have to say to his best friend. “Pat you need to text me back, I have to talk to you.”

“Sorry doll, I haven’t been on my phone much, I’ll check as soon as I hang up.”

You nod, satisfied with his answer. You turn around to grab one of the purses in your closet.

“What do you need to talk to him for?” Art asks, Patrick still on the phone.

“Oh, just Tashi stuff, you know. It’s really not that important, don’t worry about it. Now, say goodnight to your boyfriend, we’re going to be late.”

––––––––––––––––

The restaurant that Art picks for your dinner is on the fancier side. It’s technically your first date, your second, if you count that night at the hotel, but there were too many people for him to count it. So it’s your first official date, and he wants to impress you. It’s a little crazy, how much you both know about each other without having really gone out together once. You don’t look even slightly out of place as you follow the waiter to your table and ask for what you want. He knows you have grown up very wealthy, probably as wealthy as Patrick, if not more. It only makes him want to work harder, to be better. He tells himself he is going to be great, to give you the life you deserve.

“I can’t believe you know how I sound when I’m about to fall asleep but you’ve never taken me out. I have to step up my game before you think I’m easy” you say, mirroring exactly what he was thinking.

“Well, seeing as you made out with me and my best friend the first night you met us, I think we’re a little bit past me thinking you’re easy” the laughter bubbles out of you unexpectedly, slightly too loud for the place you are in.

“You’re a dick, you know that?” but you don’t mean it.

You didn’t expect him to bring it up at all. You expected him to act as if it had never happened, like you had done every single time you spoke on the phone. You don’t mind it, you realize. You are still smiling when they bring out your food. You thank the waiter and wait politely until he leaves before diving into your plate.

“Don’t get me wrong, I am mostly excited that you are here and I would be satisfied with rotting in bed with you all weekend, but this is such a wonderful break from dining hall meals.”

“Don’t you ever order in? Or go out?”

“I mean, sometimes my teammates will invite me, but no, not really.”

“Why?”

“Well my scholarship gives me 200 dollars a month for miscellaneous expenses, but I’m trying to save for when I either graduate or drop out to go pro. I’ll have to pay for coaches and other stuff so I want to be ready.”

“I thought your mum was really into you playing tennis, why is she not helping?” the smile drops off your face as soon as those words leave his mouth, he regrets it immediately, wants to take it back, but it’s too late.

“My mum and I, we.. We’re not on speaking terms right now” you realize how vague that is and sigh, encouraging yourself to just tell him, he is your boyfriend, he deserves to know. “By that I mean that I cut contact with her. I haven’t spoken to her since the summer.”

“That’s why you said yes to Berkeley” everything made sense in his head now. He put his hand on the table, palm facing upwards, there if you wanted to take it, which you did immediately. Then, with the softest voice he could muster he asked, “Can I ask why? You don’t have to tell me, but I would love to know.”

You bring your hands together, as your right hand starts to play with the ring on your left, rolling it around your finger. You know you need to tell him. You want to tell him, you want to share this part of you and your life with your boyfriend. You want to show him that you trust him

“My mum used to be a tennis player, when she was younger. She was great. She was this amazing up and comer, beat some of the biggest names really early in her career. She was supposed to be the greatest player in history, but then… She met my dad, and she got pregnant with me. It was a complicated pregnancy and she could never play again, not like she used to. So she resented me and my dad. The only reason she stayed with him was because he was very wealthy, and she had nothing for herself except her failed tennis career. And then she realized I could fulfill that failed career, so I became her project. I had half her genetics, so it was a given to her that I’d be good. I stopped being her daughter, I was just her little tennis star. That was all our relationship was about, tennis.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry baby” he squeezes your hand, then asks gently, “What about your dad?”

“He was great, he… He died. I was eight. He gave me this ring” you say, showing him the ring you had been playing with all night. “It's my most prized possession.”

When you look back at Art he looks so sad you want to take it all back, say that you were joking, that you love your parents and everything is ok. You hate being this vulnerable, hate people feeling sorry for you. You hate feeling like a burden. You hate making a big deal of things that you’ve accepted, that you’ve already grieved. Somehow, Art has the perfect thing to say.

“It is a gorgeous ring” he whispers as he examines it under the restaurant’s lights trying very hard not to think about giving you a ring in a much different context, now is not the time.

“Yeah…” you hesitate for a second, debating whether or not you should say what you are thinking, but the boy in front of you looks into your eyes in a way that makes you believe you could do anything, so you continue, “I don’t want you to pretend I never told you any of this. There’s a reason why I told you, I wanted you to know, but can we move on and have fun? I don’t wanna spend the three days you’re here talking through my trauma.”

Art smiles, and you know everything is going to be ok. You feel a weight lift off your chest

as he launches off into a story about one of his new teammates falling down the stairs. You laugh, the guy is fine. It feels good to be honest. it’s not like you had been purposefully trying to keep secrets, but having things out in the open and knowing that Art doesn’t think any differently of you makes you feel much lighter.

––––––––––––––––

You stumble into your dorm room slightly tipsy, hands in Art’s hair. You fall backwards on your bed, giggling, Art following right after, settling on top of you. You stop him with a hand on his chest when he sneaks his hands under your dress, brushing dangerously close to your panties.

“I’ve never… I’m not… I’m a virgin.”

Your words seem to sober him up immediately. He backs up, sitting at the end of your bed. His eyes are wide open, his pupils blown. You follow him, sitting right in front of him.

“We don’t have to… If you’re not ready, I mean, I don’t want you to think this is the only reason why I came because it’s not true and…” you interrupt him by crushing your lips against his again.

“I want to, I really do. I want it to be you, I just thought you should know.”

“Okay” he says, out of breath, then lets you kiss him again.

You get rid of each other’s clothes slowly. He starts with your dress, gasping as it lowers to reveal a matching set of lingerie you had bought for the night. You take off his polo and he eagerly helps you take off his pants. It’s frantic but tender. He kisses you in every spot he can reach, holds your hand as he pushes in for the first time. He whispers sweet praises in your ear, and you tell him how good it feels. You warn him when you’re about to come, he smiles, burying himself on your neck and sucking a mark low enough for it to be covered by a shirt. He follows right after you, coming with moans of your name in his lips. You lay next to each other, tangled in the bedsheets and a feeling neither of you is brave enough to name. He cuddles up to you, hands in your body, legs intertwined.

“That was… Wow” you whisper.

“I know,” he says right back.

“I’m glad it was you” like it’s a secret.

“Me too” he’s never meant anything more, that’s it until the next words fall off his lips. “I love you.”

But you are already asleep, too tired by the day to keep your eyes open for another second. It’s ok, he can say it again in the morning, and repeat it over and over again, for the rest of his life. He falls asleep shortly after, dreaming of the rest of his life, you by his side.

New Rochelle, New York. August 24, 2019:

Art Donaldson: 2-0-0

Patrick Zweig: 6-0-0

Both Patrick and Art are shirtless by the time Tashi comes back. As soon as she has sat down two young girls come up to her. She is kind, taking pictures with them and making conversation. You can’t help but feel sad to see people congratulating her on her job with Art. They should be impressed by her own game, the way she moves on the court, not the one she was able to force onto her husband. The all too familiar pang of guilt settles on your chest. When they turn to look at you, they are almost shaking. You will never stop being surprised that people recognize and admire you.

“Hi Ms. Y/l/n, could we get a picture with you? We are really big fans.”

“Of course, but please call me Y/n” you say, as you flash the camera your brightest smile. “Plus, I should tell you, it's Zweig now.”

“No way!” they both screech, excited.

You and Patrick had gotten married earlier that year. it had been a small, incredibly intimate wedding, just you, the officiant and a couple of friends to act as witnesses. You had planned to announce it in Roland Garros, having them announce you both as Zweig. However, Patrick’s injury had kind of put a damper on that, so not many people knew about it. You hadn’t even announced your engagement, the few interested people had figured it out when he started wearing your ring in his finger and you started wearing a different one. Although you are still going to be announced as the Zweigs in the U.S Open you figure there’s no harm in people knowing beforehand. Although he had a flare for the dramatics, neither of you cared much about making a spectacle of your private lives. Which is the sole reason why you aren’t millionaires yet.

“Can I ask you a question?” the younger-looking girl asks, almost shy.

You nod inmediately, flashing her a comforting smile

“Why do you only play doubles? You are so good!”

“Well I enjoy playing doubles a lot more, the singles life wasn’t really for me. Plus, I think I’ve always played my best tennis with a partner.”

Tashi scoffs next to you, playing it off by looking down at her phone. There’s no way you actually believe that, that you are better playing with Patrick Fucking Zweig than on your own. By yourself, with a good coach, you could have been the best tennis player in history, breaking every single record in the book. Hell, your first three years competing you had won a career Grand Slam. Until you had rekindled your flame with Patrick and given up on everything you had ever dreamed of.

You ignore her, continuing to chat with the two girls until the umpire calls for the second set to start. You look at Patrick and smile at him. He grins right back before standing up and taking his position on the court.

Stanford University, California. February 23, 2007:

You can’t contain your excitement as the bus pulls into Stanford. As always, you get there in the morning, with time to spare so all of you can do your own thing and not have cramped up legs from the bus. Usually, you and a couple other teammates explore whatever college you are playing. However, you’ve made it clear to everyone that you would be unavailable, too busy catching up with your best friend and your boyfriend to bother exploring. Plus, it’s not like it was your first time in Stanford. You spot Tashi as you walk down the steps of the bus. Immediately, you drop all your bags, making a beeline to hug her. She runs towards you too, meeting you in the middle. You sway back and forth, too happy to say anything. Then, you pull away. You’re both smiling, but her smile doesn’t really reach her eyes.

“Do you think Patrick is in love with me?” is the first thing out of her mouth.

“What?”

“Do you think Patrick is in love with me? I know you talk to him, I'm not an idiot. Has he said anything about it?”

“Ok, so no ‘hello’? No ‘I missed you’?” that seems to snap her off, she closes her eyes, rubbing her face with her hands.

“I’m sorry, you're right” she says, hugging you again. “I missed you, how was the trip?”

“Not horrible, I slept the entire way through so…” you can tell she is not fully into the conversation, so you pick up your bags and interlace one of your arms around one of hers. “Ok, take me to your dorm. We can talk then.”

Catching up and silly banter can wait. If Tashi needs you, then you’re going to be there for her.

––––––––––––––––

It’s not the first time you’ve been to Tashi’s dorm, but it feels different. You don’t take in the books, or the pictures of the two of you on the wall, you just look at her.

“Ok, so what’s this thing you were telling me, about Patrick being in love with you? Why are you asking me?”

“I had lunch with Art the other day. He had extra lunch credits or something like that. He was being a little bitch. He said he was shocked we were still together?”

“He said that?” Tashi nods.

“Yeah so i kept pressing because the was being all coy and mysterious after saying that, like, what the hell? And then he just said that Patrick is not in love with me.” She looks back at you, clearly fuming. “So, what do you think?”

“Well I… I don’t know Patrick as well as Art, but he always seems to care a lot about you whenever I talk to him. You are literally 80% of what our conversations are about.”

“Do you think he’s seeing other girls on tour?”

“No” you say immediately, completely sure of your answer. “Poor guy’s actually losing for the first time in his life, he's traveling on his own and he is trying to juggle a long distance relationship and two long distance friendships. I promise you he has no time to fuck other girls.”

“He never talks about his feelings…” she groans, you can’t help but laugh.

“Pot, meet kettle” she looks back at you, unimpressed. “Look, he is getting here in what, an hour? Less? Just talk to him. I know it’s hard but it’s the only way to know what he’s thinking. Be honest with each other!”

She launches herself into you, making you fall backwards onto her bed.

“I hate when you’re right.”

“I know you do. Now, sleep, you need to be well rested so I can beat your ass later.”

That finally pulls a smile from Tashi’s face. You close your eyes and smile, satisfied that you were able to make her feel better. You can only hope she follows your advice.

––––––––––––––––

You get woken up by incessant knocking on the door. You and Tashi are still tangled on the bed, your head now laying on her chest.

“Tashi!” you hear Art’s voice through the door. “I have something for you in exchange for my girlfriend!”

You go to stand up, but Tashi pulls you back against her, shushing you when you make a startled noise.

“If we don’t make any noise, they’ll think we’re not here and leave.”

However, the knocking on the door doesn’t stop.

“Y/n told me when you guys were, I’m not leaving without her. Open the door.”

“Sorry” you wince, standing up.

You don’t bother making yourself look presentable, yanking the door open as soon as you are close enough. The sight of the two boys standing there knocks the breath out of you. You don’t have time to process it because as soon as he sees you, Art is enveloping you with his arms, lifting you from the ground and kissing you.

“Ok, let her go now, man, you’re going to squeeze her to death” Patrick interrupts, pulling Art back from you and taking a step forward to hug you. “How are you doing doll? I missed you.”

“Look at you” you smile at him. “You’re getting buffed.”

The both of you laugh. When you look back at Art he has an unreadable expression in his face, lips pressed against each other, eyes fixed on you.

“Well, your girl is inside, probably back asleep, so me and Art are going to take our leave” you say, pulling his arm so he’s walking with you.

It’s only when you’ve made it back to his room and you’re sitting on his lap, facing him, that you dare bring Tashi up. You take your own advice, communication is the only way to go about things.

“Why did you tell Tashi that Patrick wasn’t in love with her?” you ask.

He looks a little confused at first. Then, realization dawns upon him.

“I don’t know, I thought she deserved to know?”

“Is it true then? Does he feel anything for her?”

“I don’t know. We’re boys, we don’t really talk about this stuff, you know us.”

“Why would you tell her, then? Why would you say something to her you don’t even know if it’s true? What were you hoping to accomplish?” you try not to raise your voice but it’s getting progressively harder.

“Why are we fighting about their relationship right now? Why do we care?”

“That’s a good question, Art, why do you care?” you say, standing up from where you were perched on his lap and sitting on his desk chair. “Why did you get involved?”

“You’re one to talk! You’re constantly talking to Patrick about it!”

“That’s different, I’m not trying to get into his head. I just ask because I care. Plus, Patrick is my friend, we don’t only talk about Tashi.”

“Well, maybe Tashi is my friend! Maybe I was asking because I care.”

“What about Patrick? Do you care about Patrick?”

“Patrick is my best friend, of course I care about him!”

“Well you’re not acting like it!” you yell.

“If you care so much about Patrick maybe you should be his girlfriend, then!” he shouts back.

You stop, he does too. He stands up, takes a step towards you. You stand up too, but you take a step back.

“Y/n… I didn’t…”

“I don’t have time to do this right now. I have a game in an hour, I need to go get ready” you say, walking towards the door, you turn around to look at him before you leave. “We’ll talk about this later. See you at the game?”

He nods, of course he is still going to your game. Then, afterwards, he is going to apologize, and all four of you will go to dinner. And everything will be ok.

––––––––––––––––

You think it’s strange, how Tashi doesn’t even look at you when you two step into the court, facing one another. Something is wrong. As the two number ones on your team you were going against one another first. You had won your first match, a doubles one. Tashi doesn’t play doubles, so this is the first time she is stepping onto the court. You look to the bleachers and spot Art immediately, sitting alone. Patrick is nowhere to be seen. You look back at your best friend, who is still frowning and refusing to meet your eye. You think she might just be in the zone, that she has developed a new game face in college. It’s still unsettling when she doesn’t smile at you before she gets ready to serve.

It is clear that she is angry the second she hits the ball. She is too good to have no precision, but it’s obvious that her focus is on the strength of the hit, rather than where she is trying to send it. It’s obvious to you thar she is not in the right mindset. She should be wiping the floor with you, because you have already played a set when she just stepped out of the locker rooms, but, somehow, you’re winning. It’s throwing you off. You’ve played with and against Tashi a million times, enough to know her game like the back of your hand and this, it’s not it. She’s playing well, but it’s not her.

That’s when it happens, you backhand the ball onto the opposite side of the court she is standing on. She is not prepared to hit it there, but she runs towards the ball anyways. She’s about to hit her when she collapses on the ground. She falls like a piece of paper blown by the wind. In a second, she is on her back, screaming for her life.

You jump over the net immediately, not caring about conduct, or rules or anything that’s not getting to Tashi as soon as possible. You couch down next to her, reaching your hand to try and rub her arm, trying to comfort her. She is screaming at you as soon as she identifies that it’s you touching her.

“Get the fuck away from me! This is all your fault!”

You don’t know what to do. You pull back, your breath catching. Art is on your side in a second. He pats your back, telling you he will go with Tashi to the hospital so she won’t be alone, that he’ll keep you updated. He probably says something else, tries to reassure you. You don’t remember. You run away from the courts as soon as you get the nod from your coach. You don’t have any more matches, and it’s not like you could play in your state, even if you did.

When Patrick finds you, you’re rolled up in an empty corner of campus. He is crying, but you don’t notice because he dries away his tears when he hears the heart wrenching sobs coming from your body. He is next to you in a second, one hand on your back. You feel it, but you can’t recognize his voice. You jerk away, breathing erratically. It feels like you’re about to die.

“Hey, hey, Y/n, it’s me. It’s Patrick. Can you hear me?” he doesn’t really know what to do, you’re still shaking, but you nod, so he places a hand on your shoulder and keeps talking. “It’s ok, you’re ok. You’re not dying, I promise. Everything is ok.”

He looks around, wondering if anyone is coming. Maybe Art, a nurse, or even a random student, anyone could do a much better job at calming you down than him. But he doesn’t see anybody. He grabs your hand and places it on his chest.

“Can you feel my breathing? Can you try to copy me?” you nod as he over acts his breathing motions.

Slowly, you start breathing calmer again. You’re still crying, but your vision becomes a little bit less cloudy and you don’t feel like you’re dying anymore. You finally recognize the boy in front of you and you launch yourself into his arms immediately. He is shocked, but he wraps his arms around you anyways.

“I ruined her career. It’s her knee, probably ACL, she’s never going to play at the same level again. I ruined her career like I ruined my mum’s and now she hates me and…”

“Hey, hey” Patrick says when he feels your breathing grow erratic again. “You’re gonna get yourself worked up again. Do you have somewhere to stay?” he asks, trying to stir away the conversation from the accident, for his own sake as much as yours.

You shake your head, still burrowed in his shoulder.

“I told my coach I’d spend the night with Tashi, they didn’t book me a room.”

“Ok, what about this, I’ll take you to my room, you can shower and spend the night there. And tomorrow, when everyone is calmer, we can talk again.”

––––––––––––––––

You call Tashi a million times, each of them going straight to voicemail. You feel like that’s impersonal, so you hang up and you try again. She is out of surgery, you know that because of the updates Art has texted you. He doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t ask how or where you are, so you don’t tell him. You give up after an hour of trying to reach Tashi, and you record a voicemail.

“Hey, Tash. I know that you’re mad at me, and I’m really sorry. I just want to know how you are. Everything is going to be ok, and I’ll be here every step of the way. That’s all I want you to know. That I’m here. You’re my best friend and I love you. I’m really sorry Tashi. Please call me back.”

The next time you try to call, it says the number doesn’t exist. You cry in the bathroom, and you’re very grateful that Patrick pretends he doesn’t hear you. Art stops replying. You feel like you just lost the two most important people in your life, you don’t know how to cope.

––––––––––––––––

When Patrick wakes up the next morning, you’re gone. On his bedside table there’s a note.

“Dear Patrick,

Thank you so much for all you did for me last night. I decided to leave on the bus this morning with the team instead of staying for the weekend like I planned. It’s obvious that neither Art nor Tashi want me around and I dont have the extra money to stay around if that’s what it’s going on. I hope I’ll see you around!

Y/n”

You get an email three weeks later. An offer for an Adidas sponsorship and a campaign. The news of your dropping out and going pro go public three weeks later. Patrick doesn’t call, you don’t either.

New Rochelle, New York. August 24, 2019:

Art Donaldson: 2-3-15

Patrick Zweig: 6-1-0

Like you expected, Patrick got cocky, and now Art is slowly making his way back. It’s what he is best at, waiting for Patrick to fuck up, then making his move. Patrick reaches for the ball, it goes past him.

“Out!” he calls, immediately.

“Thirty, Love” the umpire announces.

You see Patrick turn around, shock and anger written all over his face.

“That was out! That was way out!”

“The ball was called in.”

Patrick turns around, looking at the line judge.

“Are you blind?”

You want to yell at him, tell him to get his shit together like you do when you’re on the court next to him. Unfortunately, you can’t do that from where you are, so you just watch helplessly. The Umpire warns him again but he doesn’t let up.

“Are you here to do your job or are you just excited that Art Donaldson is over there?

“”I’m going to give you a code violation if you don’t stop this.”

You know he’s not about to stop. Patrick doesn’t give up like that. He pushes and pushes and doesn’t let up. So you know it’s coming.

“Hey Art!” he yells across the net. “This lady wants your autograph!”

“Code violation. Unsportsmanlike conduct. Verbal abuse. Point penalty, Zweig.”

You roll your eyes but you’re not shocked. Without you down there to settle him, it was only a matter of time.

“Is this how you wanna get your points?” he calls towards Art again.

“I’m ready to serve, Patrick.”

“Yeah, I bet you are.”

You sigh at the telltale sign that he is done. He is finally letting it go. He settles back, ready to play again.

“Forty, Love” the umpire says through the speaker.

Art serves.

Manhattan, New York. March 15, 2010:

You’re at one of those galas Adidas keeps insisting you need to attend when you see him. You’re standing to the side in a long maroon dress, trying to go unnoticed. He is on the snack table, stuffing his mouth almost embarrassingly. His suit is a little small on him, a little crumbled up. He has his back towards you and he looks a little different, but you would recognize him anywhere. You have missed him too much to let the pang of guilt on your chest stop you from walking over to him.

“Patrick” you say, tapping his shoulder twice, his name falling from your lips like a prayer.

He freezes, then turns around. His mouth wide open with no regards for the food he just stuffed there. He closes his mouth, swallows, then blinks a couple times. Like he is trying to fiigure out if you’re really there or if he’s making it up.

“Y/n?” he asks, you nod. “What are you doing here? Oh my God, you look gorgeous!” his arms wrap around your shoulders, yours make their way around his waist.

“This is a brand event for my sponsors, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, it’s an Adidas event? I had no idea. To be perfectly honest I snuck in, but don’t tell anyone.”

“They have security on the door, how the hell did you sneak in?”

“I am pretty charming.”

You are out of breath just by looking at him. It’s been three years.

“Hey, do you want to get out of here? I’ve done my appearance and I can’t stand this anymore. I’ll get you dinner.”

He was going to say yes without you offering to buy him food, disregarding completely the reason why he is here in the first place. The offer of food just sweetens the deal.

“Yes, let’s go, right now” his eagerness makes you laugh, it reminds you of that first night.

––––––––––––––––

You and Patrick sit in a booth across from each other, too overdressed for the shitty restaurant on the side of the road you’ve ended up in.

“So… Are you going to tell me why you’re going around sneaking into brand events in a shitty suit and trying to eat all their food?”

He almost chokes on the sip of water he was drinking. It shouldn’t shock him, the way you read him immediately and how you have no qualms on making your thoughts known. However, he hoped he would have a little more time before he had to explain his shitty life to you. It’s a little intimidating, you have everything and you look gorgeous. on the other hand, he is sleeping on his car and weaning the suit he wore to his cousin’s Bar Mitzvah five years ago. You don’t relent, looking at him expectantly but letting him gather his own thoughts. Letting him speak at his own time.

“Well, if it wasn’t obvious, I’m not doing great. I haven’t won in a long time, so” he shrugs his shoulders, you’re still looking at him, not saying anything, so he keeps going, “I’m kind of living off my car and signing up to all the shitty tournaments I can make it to to gather the participation money.”

“What about your parents? Could they not help?” Patrick never talked about his parents, but it was never a secret that they were very well off.

“I haven’t talked to my parents for about as long as you haven’t talked to your mum” you nod, understanding the feeling. “Apparently, having a son like me was a disgrace.”

You frown, shaking your head rapidly.

“That’s bullshit. You’re great.”

“Yeah well, say that to them, and Art, and Tashi. And every single person who’s ever played me. They might disagree,” the self deprecation in his voice is such a stark contrast from the confident, slightly cocky guy you were friends with. “Enough about me tho, what’s up with you?”

“I wanna quit,” you say, blunt, his mouth drops open.

“You’re joking. You’re winning tournaments and slams left and right, and you haven’t even reached the peak of your career!” he knew, because he had been following you, your career, the same way he had with Art and Tashi. “You have a career Grand Slam!”

“Yeah and I already hate it,” you sigh, looking around, checking if anyone could overhear you, but the place was empty. “Every time I step into the court I feel so… Guilty. It’s like I took her career from her. This was supposed to be her, breaking records, getting slams, even the Adidas sponsorship. It’s like I took her life. I was never meant to be the one who made it.”

“Well, your mum would be proud,” his comment makes you giggle and he smiles. “Why did you go pro, then? Why didn’t you just stop playing after college?”

“I thought about it. I didn’t feel like I deserved to play after I injured her.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” he protests.

“Well she wouldn't agree.”

“It was an accident.”

You shrug your shoulders, you know he is right, but you will never be able to let go of the guilt you feel when you think about your ex best friend.

“I was going to quit, but after everything happened… I started failing everything. I was so alone. Tennis was the only thing I could get myself to do. It made me feel close to her, to both of them. I spent hours on the court and, somehow, everything in Berkeley reminded me of them. So when Adidas offered to sponsor me if I went pro I didn’t have to think about it. I needed to leave. And now… It pays the bills.”

“Why do you wanna quit then?”

“My name means something now, which could push me enough to open an academy or something. I could move to some rich neighborhood in New York City and spend the rest of my life making decent players out of spoiled rich girls. The only reason why I haven’t quit yet is because I was always hoping I would run into Art or Tashi at a tournament, but I’m starting to lose hope. And even if I saw either of them, I don’t think they’d speak to me at all.”

“Yeah, I know how that feels. I should probably give up too. Get a real job as a waiter or something. But… I can’t”

“‘Cause you love tennis.”

“Yeah, I do,” he nods, then looks straight into your eyes. “But you do too.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never played for myself, or by myself. I played for my mum first, then I played for Tashi. I love tennis but it’s never felt so lonely as it does now. On my own, it’s just not as fun. I love tennis because I loved playing with Tashi. Like how you loved playing with Art. There’s something about falling in love with your doubles partner, am I right?” you say, adding a humorous tone to your voice, but it’s not funny.

Patrick’s head shoots around, then turns to look at you. His mouth and eyes are wide open, the shock is written all over his face.

“How did you know…?

“About you being in love with Art? Patrick that first night, at the Junior U.S Open, it was like I was looking in a mirror. The pining, the eagerness, the awkward first experience you need to say out loud because you want to make sure it actually happened. It was almost freaky. And I’m sure you felt the same way looking back at me.”

“I mean… Yeah, me and Art both thought that you had a thing for Tashi, but then you started dating him so we just thought we had made it up. I thought you were in love with Art?”

“I was, probably still am. With both of them. My love for Tashi didn't take away anything from my love for Art, it’s something I’ve learned about myself.”

“How did you not hate me?” he asks, curious. “Because I kinda hated you a little, just a little bit. I kept flirting with you on front of Art to piss him off, which was as shitty move, thinking about it now.”

“I did hate you very slightly. I was living vicariously through the things you told me about Tashi, but to be fair, I was also quite infatuated by you so, it went away quickly,” you laugh, he does too. You don’t know where you are finding the courage to be so honest with him, but you guess you always kind of felt that way around Patrick, like you could bare your soul in front of him without fear. “I used to hope the four of us would figure it out somehow, a way to make it work. I thought Art and Tashi might have been harder to sway, but I always thought you’d agree if I ever brought it up. It doesn’t matter anymore, but…”

“I would have” he says immediately, nodding, looking at you in a way that tells you he understands you completely. “I was also quite infatuated by you.”

It should be scary to be seen so openly by someone. But with Patrick, it just feels safe.

“Have you ever thought about playing doubles?” you ask, as you’re walking back to his car.

He has offered to bring you back to your house. You are trying to gather the nerves to invite him to spend the night.

“I mean, yeah, it means more tournaments, but I am not the best team player with most people and the one guy I’d like to play with hates me, so I don’t know who I’d possibly play with.”

“What about me?” you ask, his hand stops midair, on the way to open the door of his car for you.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re not winning, and I hate playing by myself. It’s perfect. My team could manage us both, you could live with me until you get back on your feet…”

“I can’t afford your team, or to pay you rent, I couldn’t ask that of you.”

“You’re not asking, I’m offering. And you wouldn’t have to pay until we start making money. You’d be doing me a favor.”

“What about your career?”

“I don’t care! I don’t want to hate what I do for the rest of my life. I need to fall back in love with tennis. You could still play singles if you really want to, but it could be our brand. We only play mixed singles with each other. I’m sure Adidas would buy it if we sold them a love story.”

“A love story?”

You’re too confident in your idea to feel shy right now. You’ve been thinking about this since you sat down for dinner, the conversation you had only proving how good of an idea it was.

“I mean, you did say you were quite infatuated by me. And the other people we’re both in love with hate us both so… I just thought we could shoot two birds with one gun.”

“I don’t think that’s quite how the saying goes.”

“Patrick,” you warn, his refusal to acknowledge your proposal head on is making you grow more nervous by the minute.

He opens the door to his car and you jump in. He drives to your house in silence, the only noise coming from the GPS giving directions. You think that’s your answer, and you wonder if there’s a way you can come back from this, if the two of you can still be friends. You’ve missed him, after all. He parks his car in front of your house, which is not as big as he was expecting. You’re about to tell him the offer for a place to sleep is still on the table when he turns to look at you, dead serious.

“So what’s the plan, then?”

You squeal in excitement, jumping over the console to hug him, you’ve never felt happier. You help him take his things from the back of his car to your guest bedroom.

“I am willing to try this. All of it,” he says, more decided that you’ve ever heard him sound. “But I don’t wanna rush it. I wanna do things right. And I don’t give a shit about playing singles, I’d love just playing with you.”

You both sit on the kitchen table as you go down the plan you’ve made in your head with him. The call you’ll have to make to Adidas, the practice times, how you’re going to make it public, the possible media reactions, etc. Patrick listens attentively, nodding and humming and asking questions in all the right places. He kisses your cheek as you both separate for the night, and for the first time in three years, you think you might be alright.

#challengers x reader #challengers #art donaldson #tashi duncan x reader #tashi duncan #art donaldson x reader #patrick zweig #patrick zweig x reader #annie writes challengers #patrick zweig x art donaldson x tashi duncan x reader #patrick zweig x art donaldson x Tashi Duncan #loss of my life series

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celaenaeiln · 11 months ago

Note

What are some of your favorite Dick Grayson moments?

Please and Thank You 😃

My favorites will always be Dick being the canonical center of the DC universe 😌

Dark Crisis Issue #1

The greatest hope and the leader of the ages

Nightwing (2016) Issue #49

The Brave and Bold (2007) Issue #15

"And no one doubts that you're the best one to strategize a counterattack."

"Next to Superman, Dick Grayson is the one guy alive that every other crimefighter trusts."

JLA/Titans Issue #2

"--Founders of the original Teen Titans--"

Titans (2003) Issue #23

"It's a natural thing when Nightwing shows up. None of us are conscious of it, really--but we all look to him for orders."

Nightwing (2016) Issue #9

"You vouching for someone is worth its weight in gold. It was true in my world, and it's true in this one. In fact, of everyone I've met here, you're the least changed from the version I knew. Always confident, always kind, always cool. Dick Grayson--the multiuniversal constant."

JLA (1997) Issue #73

"It was sad at first. We were discussing the work--this work...and I asked him if he ever felt pride." "He didn't....then he stopped for a second and said...'The only time I ever feel pride is when I look at Nightwing. Sometimes I think he's the only thing I ever did right.'"

Batman: Urban Legends Issue #22

"We have a shorthand I don't share with any of the others, save for maybe Alfred. He's always been the one keeping me centered. Grounded."

"Dick's the beating heart of this family we've created, whether he realizes it or not."

Titans (2003) Issue #6

JLA (1997) Issue #71

Nemesis - The Impostors Issue #3

Batman!Dick - he's so freaking cool!!!

He's so amazing and cool and extraordinary and over competent. He's what everyone looks up to. He's collectively placed on a pedal so high by every hero and anti-hero in that everyone wants to be him or be acknowledged by him. People have died in his footsteps. Even the Titans, his own friends, hero-worship, look up to him as the peak of excellence and goodness.

Justice League of America (2006) Issue #50

Roy

World's Finest: Teen Titans Issue #5

Titans (2016) Annual 1

The paragon of rightness and justice of the world - Superman - thinks dick is the best thing to ever come into existence.

Whenever you read a comic, there's always some character that goes "Nightwing!" when something happens and another responds "Dude, he's Nightwing. He'll be fine. He always is." That's the amount of confidence heroes have in him to always succeed and excel.

Like Kon said - when he shows up, people automatically fall in line. It's like second-nature to just follow him.

Dick has that Charisma, the leadership, and the strength to hold the entire community together and as a result the world. He's proven it, he's done it. Whenever the Justice League evaporates in any situation - because this isn't the first time the JL have died/gone missing - everyone turns to Nightwing for order and direction.

Truly, he's the greatest.

#dick grayson #nightwing #bruce wayne #batman #clark kent #superman #diana prince #wonder woman #oliver queen #green arrow #justice league #batfam #titans #titans as family #batfamily #cl confusedhummingbird asks #cl asks #thanks for the ask!

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tenebraevesper · 1 year ago

Text

Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 1)

Welcome to the first part of my personal elaboration on the topic of why ''Prime!Shadow is peak Shadow!'', or in other words, why Prime!Shadow is one of the best written iterations of Shadow's character.

Will I try to make proper arguments for his character writing? Of course. Will I also be biased as hell just because he's my favorite character? Absolutely!

So, if you can handle both of that, we should dive in!

Before I start, I suppose I should give a brief overview of Shadow's character and how he had been handled through the years. The general consensus seems to be that Shadow was at his peak as a character from Sonic Adventure 2 to Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) (as well as Pre-Reboot!Archie Comics during Ian Flynn's run), being someone who was deeply traumatized by the death of his sister Maria Robotnik, had his memories manipulated to get revenge on humanity, only to sacrifice his own life to save the world Maria cherished, losing his memories in the process and trying to carve out his own path, only to finally solidify his role as a protector of the world, even if his methods aren't always the most peaceful ones.

So, where does the idea of edgelord Shadow come from?

Yeaaahh... let's just say that Shadow's own game, Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), didn't do him any good in the character department, because it seems that all that people remember was that one time SEGA decided to give Shadow a gun and let him deal with an alien invasion. The confusing story routes didn't help either.

In time, Shadow's character went from a complex and layered character to something akin to Vegeta (no offense Dragon Ball fans!), much to the disappointment of everyone who understood character before he underwent this transformation. Also, I'm not counting Boom!Shadow in this because Sonic Boom is a different universe and its own thing, but I won't argue against the fact that Boom!Shadow's characterization as a complete jerkass didn't do Game!Shadow any favor either. That's not even mentioning the Sonic IDW Comics, where Shadow had many mandates tied to him that even the writers found it annoying to write him (although with the most recent arc where Shadow was shown, it seems that the mandates have loosened a little).

Of course, I might be missing out on some information, but this is the general gist of the history of his character. So, when Sonic Prime revealed that Shadow would be one of the major characters, you can bet that I was nervous about how he would be written and I decided to keep a close eye on his characterization; and honestly, I went from genuinely pleased to excited when I realized that Shadow was being written as a very compelling character. Not only that, but he also appeared to have gone through subtle character development over the course of the show.

Starting from the very beginning, I'm certain that you remember how Shadow's first appearance was basically him punching Sonic at the end of Episode 01: Shattered, a very impactful first impression that left us with more questions and headaches. The following episode, Episode 02: The Yoke's On You, gives us more details in regards to why he punched Sonic, seemingly out of the blue.

Shadow's proper introduction kicks off with him searching for the Chaos Emerald... and I have to ask, when was the last time we even saw Shadow genuinely smile? Was in the Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games franchise? I don't really remember.

In any case, being clearly happy about finding the Chaos Emerald, he speeds off, only to suddenly sense that something is wrong and is met with a giant blue pulse of energy (released during Sonic's fight with Dr. Eggman) and a vision of Sonic using the Paradox Prism energy.

''Sonic!''

This expression just screams ''Something bad is going to happen and it's Sonic's fault! I'm going to kick his ass before he does anything stupid!''

We then follow Shadow as he searches for Sonic, clocking him square in the face for something he hasn't done yet. Eh, I'd say that this one wasn't really deserved.

Even before Sonic starts explaining his relationship with Shadow, we immediately get an understanding of Shadow's character. He is serious, works alone, quite fast and powerful, prefers to fight over talking things out, is willing to do anything to protect his home and clearly has a history with Sonic. Sonic proceeds to add how Shadow is his biggest rival, a buzzkill and that he totally roller-skates.

''They're air shoes!''

Did... Did Shadow just break the 4th wall? Did he just make a joke? Dude, not even Boom!Shadow got to do that and Sonic Boom was the epitome of wall breaking!

Yeah, let's just say that my jaw dropped when I heard this, realizing that Shadow's character in Sonic Prime will be different than what we got used to see.

So, after knocking the Rings out of Sonic (I mean that literally), Shadow questions him about what he has done, with Sonic pointing out how Eggman is the bad guy, clearly confused about why Shadow is attacking him.

''You literally shook the world!'' ''That's because I'm good! And powerful apparently! Jealous?''

After a bit of teasing from Sonic, he and Shadow get into a race, during which I had noticed something. While Sonic keeps teasing Shadow (and also having fun fighting him), Shadow tells him to stop and listen for once.

''Clearly you're angry, which is normal,... but I'm supposed to be on a bit of a mission here, Shadow!'' ''What mission?'' ''None of your business.''

Sooooo, have you noticed it too? Because there is something very telling in this interaction. If you haven't, I'll let it play out until the end. Anyways, to continue, Shadow knocks Sonic into a rock, with Sonic confirming another aspect of their relationship.

''Ughh, I know, we're fighting again. Don't worry guys, I'll calm him down.''

We now know that this certainly wasn't the first time they had a fight and it won't be the last time. Sonic points out that, whatever beef they have, they aren't going to settle it this way. While Sonic is right, I will admit, I had to gush over the excellent animation and fight choreography. X3

Sonic then hears an explosion from the cave where the Paradox Prism is and tells Shadow that he needs to get to his friends, only to get punched for his troubles.

''Learn to focus!''

Now that the flashback is over, what exactly is going on between the two?

First of all, the main thing I have noticed is that both Shadow and Sonic seriously have a problem with communication. Shadow knows Sonic is about to do something stupid, and from his actions (aka choosing violence over talking) he is trying to prevent Sonic from doing whatever he was about to do. It does paint Shadow as a bit of a jerk, but Sonic isn't completely innocent here either.

An observation I had made was that Shadow probably knows that if he tried to just talk to Sonic, Sonic would either blow him off and run away or just tease him back, which was confirmed when Shadow asks him on what kind of mission he is with Sonic responding that it's none of his business. I imagine that there were previous events where Sonic was doing something stupid and Shadow tried to stop him from making things worse, and that violence was indeed the answer to Sonic's antics.

If Sonic had explained to Shadow what the deal is, I'm certain that Shadow would help him out. Perhaps Shadow could've told him about his vision, but going by Sonic's behavior, Sonic would probably not listen to him.

This brings me to my second point - this moment establishes that, if there will be character development for Shadow, it will be mainly through his interactions with Sonic and them learning to work together and listen to each other, something I'm really excited to talk about in later episodes.

The flashback continues in Episode 03: Escape From New Yoke, where Sonic does the old ''Hey, look behind you!'' trick and Shadow falls for it, hook, line and sinker. Sonic knocks him into a wall and speeds off to where his friends are fighting Eggman, leaving Shadow to recover and follow him.

I do like how Shadow just shakes his head here. Even if he doesn't say much, you can clearly see what it is going through his mind. He's angry at Sonic, but acknowledges that this is just typical for his blue rival.

in Episode 07: It Takes One to No Place, we see that Shadow manages to reach the Paradox Prism cave, just as Sonic is about to shatter it.

''Chaos Control!''

Unlike Sonic's friends and Dr. Eggman, Shadow manages to use Chaos Control, preventing him from being shattered just like the others.

''Sonic!''

Instead, he finds himself floating in The Void. I'll leave what happened to him in The Void for the next part, but what is important to note is that he cannot enter the individual Shatterspaces, but he can communicate with Sonic every time the latter gains enough speed to use the Paradox Prism Energy.

''Sonic, it's broken! It's all broken!''

Sonic is at first freaked out, thinking he's just hallucinating. I suppose that explains why Sonic keeps ignoring him in any subsequent appearances, despite Shadow trying his best to contact him and trying to explain him what to do, like telling him how he's lost in The Void and for Sonic to keep moving and to not stop (which also leads Sonic to find out how he can travel between Shatterspaces).

I suppose this can also be interpreted as ''Sonic leaves Shadow on read''. X3

Once Sonic accidentally gets out of No Place in Episode 08: There Is No Arrgh In Team, he is confronted by Shadow, who is absolutely furious. Not that Sonic notices, given how he had a really rough day himself.

''Shadow? Ugh, I don't have time to deal with whoever you are. I just wanna go home.''

''Home? Home doesn't exist anymore BECAUSE OF YOU!''

Considering what Sonic had done, yeah, this punch was definitely deserved.

As I said above, the first eight episodes are here to establish Shadow's character, his relationship/rivalry with Sonic and his own flaws (mainly the lack of communication on his part, choosing to fight Sonic instead) and it is clear that in order to overcome those flaws, he will have to work with Sonic (calm down Sonadow shippers, we didn't get there yet), something I'm excited to explore in the second part of this analysis.

#Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 2)

#Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer (Masterlist)

#Ten's Thoughts #sonic prime #sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #sonadow prime #sonadow

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