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tnystrk-exe · 4 years ago

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Another Love

Zemo x Reader

Helmut Zemo considered himself a logical man. He knew about anything a person could imagine, art, cars, history, love, and various other things. Never one to stay quiet from voicing his opinion on a matter he considered black and white.

When a widow or widower would take on a new partner, he would scoff at the idea. The love he had for his wife was unmatched. He couldn’t fathom how someone could just forget what they lost and move on. Starting all over with someone else wasn't in his cards. Why would it be?

“You’ve never been in their shoes,” his wife would say simply, “It must be difficult losing your love. The distraction must help.”

“Well, my loyalty will always be with you,” he spoke with certainty at the time before shrugging off the notion, “Either way, we’ll never have a reason to understand them.”

It was foolish at the time, to be so certain. Speaking as if he had any say in the world. But that was the gift of the young and in love, the invincibility you felt from all of it. If he could see himself now.

That younger self would hate himself more than anything right now.

He however couldn’t bring himself to care.

His hand played with a strand of your hair. Your breathing was rhythmic against his chest. Occasionally you’d nuzzle yourself closer to him, the warmth you radiated sunk into his cold bones. Maybe you’d mumble his name softly. He pressed a kiss to your temple.

Why you chose him, he’d never know.

You deserved better. He knew that. More than anything he wanted to give you that. To hand himself over to you with just as much ambition as you had given yourself. But he couldn’t let go. He had promised her forever, never ‘til death. Promised loyalty everytime the conversation had come up.

There were things he just couldn’t do for you. His favorite places were shrouded with the memory of her. He never brought you your favorite flowers, because they were hers too, so he went with the second best. Songs were far and few in between to be hummed to you at night, because there weren’t many he hadn’t already sang to her. The worst was the subtle, sad looks you’d give him when you thought he didn’t notice. It would always happen after you’d get to interact with a child. You’d coo over them dotingly for that moment you were allowed. Then you’d swallow back the idea and return to him.

A couple times you had tried to leave. He never cried. All his tears were spent. They belonged to another. It would be selfish of him to keep you any longer than you wished to be by his side. There were things he was unable to give you and he wanted you to feel that happiness too. It really was the true epitome of life in his eyes. He hoped one day you’d get smart and find it for yourself.

Still, when you’d inevitably return, he was selfish enough to allow you to stay. Things would go on as if nothing happened. As if the tearful things you said about hating your position in his life had never been spoken.

“You’re packing.”

You sighed, looking him over. “I’m tired, Hel.”

“I know…”

“We would have never even crossed paths if…” you stopped yourself short as you muttered to yourself, “...sometimes I wish we hadn’t… really had to fall for the one person that couldn’t return the favor. Is he even worth it?”

“I’m sorry, hase,” he said calmly.

You shut your suitcase harder than intended. “For once, can you be angry. Please. I’m leaving you. And you never care.”

“What would you have me say?”

“What would I have you…” you scoffed, “Just let me know you give a damn if I’m not around for once Helmut! God! Just for once let me know that the thought of not getting to see each other in the morning is unbearable.”

“That wouldn’t be fair to you.”

He’d sit on the bed, watch you pack away your things and wonder if this would finally be the time. His heart always clenched at the thought. He did love you. But it was never voiced. Small gestures. A kiss to your forehead as he passed by. Things you wanted that you had mentioned in a conversation once. That was what he could do for you.

Saying it was still too hard.

It was easy in his marriage. A simple thing thrown out at any and every opportunity. Something that he was lucky to be able to take for granted at the time. Now it was a heavy weight. If he spoke it out loud, you could be ripped away from him violently. ‘I love you’ was the last thing he had ever told her. ‘I love you’ was the last thing he heard on his voicemail before he deleted it. Her voice was slowly fading away… A man of calculated risk he was, but that? What if those three words sealed your fate too? He’d much rather you give up on loving him and finding another if that meant you got to stay on this world with him.

You were a saint. He could understand that it got to you from time to time. It must have been a difficult thing to handle on your side. The rejection you must have felt at times…

He kissed your temple. “I’m sorry, little hase.”

You stirred beside him. “Hel? You alright?” You asked sleepily.

“I’m just caught up in my thoughts,” he answered honestly, refusing to block you off from any other parts of him.

You looked at him concerned, a hand coming up to hold his face softly, “Are you alright, love? Did you have another nightmare?”

“It’s not them,” he clarified, leaning into your touch, “I don’t treat you as you deserve. It makes me sad, because I want to…”

“You do enough. I know you care.”

“You shouldn’t… you’re missing out hase. There are things I’m unsure I will be able to work through. Your life shouldn’t be strained with my burden.”

“Helmut,” you moved closer to kiss him softly, “You’re not a burden. You’ve been through a lot. I knew what I was getting into when we started this thing we have together.”

“And if, at the end of this long life, you regret it?”

You bit your lip thinking through your words. “I think it’s hard to make it to the end without regrets. I’m not saying I won’t regret anything at all, but thinking of a life where I didn’t have you is horrible. You’re worth it. I could never regret you.”

“We all say things we think are true. The truth only reveals itself after.”

“We’ll find out.” You settled down back against his chest. “Besides I really don’t want to do that thing where we stay in each other’s lives through letters. Then after my death my children find them and read them out to each other dramatically. I would pay to see the reaction to realizing the love of my life was Baron Helmut Zemo. Imagine it? Their mild mannered father I settled with to Sakovian royalty that single handedly pulled the Avengers apart.”

“You’ve put thought into this,” he said amused. “Are you really sure you don’t want that?”

“It’s just for fun.” You thought about it, “I’m fine. I don’t want to settle when I can be with the person I love. It feels meaningless to spend a life like that.”

#tfatws #Helmut Zemo x reader #baron Zemo x reader #zemo x reader

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inventors-fair · 3 years ago

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Congrats to our winners this week (this year?), @corporalotherbear, @i-am-the-one-who-wololoes, and @nine-effing-hells!!!!

Phoenix of Fables by @corporalotherbear Contest: Kald’ve Would’ve Should’ve (A card that could have appeared in Kaldheim )

That sure is a “phoenix with set mechanic”. Typically, I’m not a huge fan of these, since they require very little in the way of original design, but this one may have single-handedly changed my mind. The card as a whole is just so clean and concise, and it feels like a legitimate card that very well could have been in Kaldheim. It is a bit more self-recursive than other phoenixes, but the way that foretell slows down the resurrection makes it a very good play pattern. Since you can only foretell and cast it on your own turn and not on the same turn (barring shenanigans), you’re getting it back at most every other turn, and you’re constantly pouring two mana into it. My favorite part about this card, though, is that it’s not always the correct choice to keep bringing it back. Eventually, a 2/2 flying haste just isn’t worth it anymore, and that’s really what keeps this card from feeling oppressive and repetitive. You’ll get a few uses out of it, but it’s just middling enough that eventually your mana will be better spent elsewhere. My only real critique is that is that I wish it did something more to maintain the hidden information aspect of foretell, kind of like how Jeskai Infiltrator does, but that's pretty minor all things considered and is a lot less clean than this design.

Feign Weakness by @i-am-the-one-who-wololoes Contest: I Can’t Quit You (Tell a story without flavor text )

Art Direction: A hunter is on the higher left quadrant of the image. On one knee, with an arm forward, smiling, trying to convince some feline cub come closer. The cub is in front of them in the lower right quadrant of the image, it looks playful. The tail is out of the hunter's sight, under the body. It ends with a scorpion sting.

Just to get my minor nitpick out of the way, it’s “double that creature’s power” rather than attack. I assume it’s a translation issue, but it doesn’t affect the card as a whole, so I wanted to point it out and move on. This card is for the contest where you were asked to tell a story without flavor text, and this does that job very nicely. The art direction in particular really sells it; the name and the abilities give me a general idea of “strong thing pretends to be weak until the right moment”, but the art puts me into a specific situation. I can imagine the whole story playing out, even the things before and after the moment that the card depicts. The effect of this card is interesting, making it weaker against creatures in exchange for a massive hit once it manages to get through. I honestly think I would like it better without skulk, though. As it is, this basically reads that the creature can’t be blocked, meaning it will get that power buff basically for free. I think some messing around could be done to make that into a more interesting decision for the opponent, and also maybe to make the card feel more like a surprise? I’m not sure how that could be done, but it’s worth looking into. However, kudos on the hybrid, though. I can see this as either a simic or a golgari card, both mechanically and flavorfully.

Living Weapon by @nine-effing-hells Contest: From Text To Title (Card whose name is based on but unrelated to a keyword)

“From Text to Title” had some amazing entries, but my favorites were by far the ones that took the mechanic name and completely recontextualized it into a completely different meaning. This is the perfect example of that. The Phyrexian “living weapons” were about actual physical weapons being possessed and animated. This is pretty much the opposite of that, but still works cleanly within what we understand as a living weapon. I wasn’t totally sold on it just being some keywords and a small buff, but then I saw the flash, and that’s what tipped it into the winner’s circle for me, because that’s one of the neat things about bare-handed fighting prowess: it comes out of nowhere. The flavor of an unassuming figure suddenly busting out some martial arts is great, and the play patterns are really neat too. I like that it’s an aura rather than an instant. It helps set it apart from other combat tricks, and it gives the creature more staying power. My one gripe is that instant-speed vigilance isn’t very helpful, so this card is trying to get you to play it at two different moments: right before attacks, and right after blocks. Vigilance is flavorful, but I think I would prefer a different keyword instead just to keep the card more cohesive. Also, the flavor text is a tad cliche, but in the absolute best way possible. ~ ~ ~

Thank you all for your entries!!!!!

-- @naban-dean-of-irritation and @loreholdlesbian

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventors' fair #inventor's fair #rewind 2021 #winners

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hualianff · 4 years ago

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T.F.T.A (I.H.) II 《I》

William’s Theme — Sophism

The company that hired XL is called Paradise Deals Enterprise, a corporate business that provides stock investment services. It’s a fairly new company that has impressive success rates. Furthermore, customer reviews are more than ecstatic about their results.

Two months prior, XL had been looking for a new job after being let go from his truck-driving position. He restarted the process of posting his updated resume to a job-searching website. Skills XL excelled at included customer service, cleaning, and physical labor. While he also enjoyed calligraphy, martial arts, and photography, XL came to find those were not strengths companies would hire him for.

Which makes it all the more surprising how XL was hired only one month after being released from his previous job, and by a prosperous business no less. A man named Yin Yu reached out to XL through email, introducing himself as the associate manager to one of the CEOs, offering the job with no interview process needed. After looking over the descriptions of cleaning and completing simple tasks for company employees, then seeing the salary, XL emailed a positive response back within twelve hours.

SQX rejoiced with XL about the job acquisition, and they went out to a nice dinner to celebrate with XL’s two other close friends, MQ and FX. While they were skeptical at first, they couldn’t help but be satisfied that XL’s luck had changed for the better in job hunting.

Now, XL wakes up to his alarm blaring its usual obnoxious beep beep beep, the clock displaying that it is 5 a.m. XL slowly opens his eyes, not quite having gone back to sleep after the nightmare that shook him three hours earlier. With a deep breath in and out, XL reaches over to bop the alarm off. He rolls out of bed and stretches with a tiny mewl.

One hour until his shift begins.

XL leaves his apartment thirty minutes later, wearing the company outfit shipped to him a few days ago: dark gray pants and shirt, subtle enough to blend in and confirm that XL does indeed work at Paradise Deals. Using his out-dated phone for directions, XL begins walking towards his destination. Luckily, XL found a reasonably priced apartment that’s close to the downtown area, and in ten minutes, he’s scanning the tall buildings in search of the investment company.

After five more minutes of walking, XL doesn’t have to look hard to find the tallest building on the block, with dark maroon bricks and enormous tinted windows. XL’s jaw drops open in astonishment. When he looks back at his phone, he sees the word “headquarters” after Paradise Deals Entertainment.

Ah, they must have relocated their headquarters to a city as big-scale as Shanghai to maximize customer engagement and business deals.

XL enters through one of the numerous revolving doors. He approaches the desk, informing the receptionist that he is the new custodian. She asks for his license and a few more questions about his application before nodding with approval. XL smiles for his company identification card and is told to wait to be shown around the building.

At first glance, XL looks around to see many people walk in and out of Paradise Deals. Suddenly, the five revolving doors—in addition to two automatic and stagnant doors—make sense. Additionally, there are eight elevator doors, four on either side, where the constant stream of people continues. Just from the outside view, XL could guess there were no less than thirty floors.

The people walking around ranged from sleek businessmen to others dressed in outlandish outfits, almost hippie-looking. XL spots a woman carrying an instrument on her back, another man in an athletic tracksuit, and a couple in wedding attire.

They were an odd sort of people, XL thought. But then again, many considered him to be odd. Besides, what constituted who was odd and who was ordinary anyways? The people walking out of the elevators all wore expressions of pure joy and satisfaction, so who is XL to judge them by their appearances?

A massive clock shows it is 6 a.m., right on the dot. A man dressed in a simple black suit steps out of the elevators from the right side, heading towards XL. If it weren’t for XL’s hypersensitive observant skills developed with the tough jobs he’s done in the past, the man wouldn’t be noticeable at all, with how briskly and silently he moves.

“Hello, you must be Xie Lian,” the man greets. XL nods. The other man holds out a hand. “I am Yin Yu. We exchanged a few emails regarding your employment. I am very grateful you accepted our position.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Yu,” XL says with a kind smile, briefly shaking YY’s hand. “I’m grateful you reached out in the first place.”

“Wonderful. Allow me to bring you to your work area.”

With that said, YY gestures for XL to follow him into an elevator on the left side, explaining a few housekeeping things about the first floor before they head on up.

As they’re riding up in the elevator, YY explains that XL is not responsible for cleaning all the floors.

“That would be quite outrageous, wouldn’t it?” YY comments off-handedly, checking his phone for a quick second.

“Regardless, the pay is abnormally high for custodian services, don’t you think?” XL questions, adjusting the collar of his shirt. His hand gravitates to his nameplate, tapping the cool metal with a sense of pride. “I’m sure I could be very efficient during the fifteen-hour shift.”

YY’s eyebrows furrow at that, which XL doesn’t catch as he looks at all the levels. There are forty levels in total, sectioned off into four distinct categories by color: jade green, royal blue, maple-red, and pearl white.

“In that case, you will only be in charge of Mr. He Xuan’s territory. This includes floors 11-20,” YY explains, the elevator arriving on the twentieth floor. “I’ll escort you to his office so he can provide more specific instructions on how to manage his domain.”

“Sounds good,” XL proclaims, exiting the elevator with a bounce in his step. YY leads XL down a long, single corridor with numerous doors on both sides, the symbol of a fish painted on each door. The color of the carpeted floor is the same as the elevator levels, royal blue–endlessly rich like the ocean.

Perhaps he will be vacuuming the length of the corridor? Wiping down the doors and polishing the knobs? As he passes a few paintings of random faces and sea creatures, XL ponders if he shall dust too?

It appears YY is leading XL down to the large set of doors at the end of the hall. Before they make it to Mr. He Xuan’s office, XL rushes up to tap YY on the shoulder.

“If I may ask, what are these rooms? Will I be cleaning inside them as well?” XL asks, a bit hesitant. YY stops in his tracks, pocketing his phone and giving XL a wary look.

“You will not be required to clean them. The employees take care of that on their own,” YY speaks slowly, seriously. “Never go inside unless you are specifically requested to.”

When XL vigorously nods in understanding, YY whirls around and continues walking. When they arrive at the set of doors, YY rings the intercom on the side of the wall.

“Black Water, your helper is here,” YY says while looking at the upper left corner of the hallway. XL figures there must be a camera that captures who is on the outside of the door. Without thinking about it, XL enthusiastically waves to the camera, a warm smile etched into his face.

There’s an awkward moment of silence, and XL pauses his hand mid-wave, wondering if he is being too much. But according to the quirk in YY’s lips, the other man didn’t seem to think so.

A muffled voice croaks through the intercom.

“He may enter.”

《III》

#tgcf #heaven offical's blessing #hualian #hualian au #xie lian #hua cheng #yin yu #he xuan #TBC #paradise deals enterprise offers the best deals trust me #yay xie lian has a job #employee of the month yes i'm aware this is his first day #cerdrabbles #tian guan ci fu #I am once again asking you to read the webtoon purple hyacinth

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monkhsuns · 5 years ago

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Was Sun's tail always like that? It looks different! :o

// OOC

Shello Anon! Thanks for the inquiry. 💙

The short answer to your question is “no.” But, it’s a bit more extensive than that. So I’ve detailed that out beneath the cut if you’re interested. 💙

When I started playing Sunsgerel, there was a lot to her character that was a mystery. This is a character who started off as an NPC but was beloved enough by those around her to become a PC (and from that journey, one of my mains, and the leader of the Midnight Pearl). However, this was never a character that I expected to survive beyond her original plot point. Her visual design wasn’t as fleshed out as characters like Hoshichou or Simi (my other two mains at the time of Gerel’s development).

The more she became a character, and the more her interactions expanded, the more I realized I had to put actual thought into what she looked like. There were some points that were important to me:

She was albino

I wanted her to have a witchy aesthetic

Lunar & Sea Vibes

I wouldn’t say I was “new” to the game by the time Sunsgerel became a PC, but I was still at large new to the community, and I made the mistake of caring a little bit too much about outsider perspective. I figured that I would make a few changes to the model (much like my previous mains) and that would be good enough. That was when I commissioned Angel and they gave me Sunsgerel’s first design.

As time went on, however, I grew a larger disconnect from this design. She was beautiful in this state, don’t get me wrong, but she wasn’t how I envisioned a character that was meant to be just as much the moon as she was the sea. I wanted her to be more than just her monochrome variant. This disconnect also came with a greater comfort with the comfort (and a growing “Idgaf” about the community’s opinion on my character design).

I contacted Angel about how I was feeling: which was pretty defeated and depressed. This is a character that I had grown to love very much, a character whose story I resonated with, and one whose story I came to feel important to tell. But, she wasn’t where I felt she should be visually. And for me, that was a pretty big fault. Beyond feeling like I had failed as a descriptor, I felt like I had failed her — the character — in presenting her in her true form.

Angel single-handedly picked me up from despair and saved me from yeeting into what would have ultimately been some bad writer’s block.

I gush about Angel a lot but there’s a reason for it (beyond the fact that they’re my friend, lmao). Angel has always been able to capture my characters in ways that just… make them feel alive to me. They’re so detail orientated, so open and kind, and genuinely so inspiring. Angel knows how to bring a concept to life like few artists do. If you haven’t already, please check our their various medias, because honestly… breathtaking.

tumblr: @angelstasia-art

instagram

twitter

—But to get back on track! I’ve always played characters that are close to the moon and sea, and those characters always had a stronger pirate/mermaid aesthetic. I guess in some way I should have known better than to fret about community opinion? But we all make mistakes!

Angel spent a late night / early morning talking to me until we were both too tired and needed sleep. They came to me with pictures, colors, concepts, and just… really found that sweet balance between her lunar aesthetic and her oceanic aesthetic. After that, they quickly got to work on drawing up the half body and then also went back and redesigned my character sheet.

Meanwhile, there were some things that happened in Sunsgerel’s storyline — particularly with her tribe — that led to her transfiguration. That way, it wasn’t a retcon to anyone who knew her by the former appearance, and it allowed for me to feel like I was properly connecting her with who she is. By the time it was all said and done, I finally had my main OC in a place that I felt honored her as a character. I’ve never been more happy with a design.

Thank you again for the ask and I hope the answer is satisfactory! 💙

#ooc #Anonymous #skin beneath the cut #character design image

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diveronarpg · 5 years ago

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Congratulations, BREE! You’ve been accepted for the role of BIANCA. Admin Rosey: I think the first thing that came to mind was how powerfully you captured Bunny's voice, Bree. You. Absolutely. Killed it. Your plot points built upon one after the other which shows how you plan to lay the foundation for her and force her to grow, no matter how much she kicks up her heels about it. It can be difficult trying to force a character like Bunny to grow without taking away from what makes her so intriguing and fun, but wow. Am I so very glad to have her added to the ranks, ready to bring us chaos and absolute ruin. Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

Out of Character

Alias | Bree.

Age | Twenty.

Preferred Pronouns | She/her.

Activity Level | I’m studying engineering and running collegiately, so the short answer is that I’m not entirely sure. The long answer is that my activity will ebb and flow depending on my schedule; some weeks are easier than others. But I’ll do my damnedest to be around, even if that means firing off ugly-formatted replies on mobile (or having Rosey or Kiersten format them for me… we’ve done it before).

Timezone | CST.

How did you find the rp? | English class my senior year of high school, with the help of Rosey (no, seriously). I’ve been watching from afar, and I couldn’t stay away.

Current/Past RP Accounts | here, here, and here

In Character

Character | Bianca; Bernadette “Bunny” Dupont

What drew you to this character? | Well… originally, I wrote her. But since that sounds like a cop-out and I can never pass up the opportunity to wax poetic about one of my literary children, I’ll bite. ;)

She’s a piece of work. No, not that kind of work, not artwork—given her art forging expertise, that would be a cliché, and neither I nor Bunny are particularly fond of those. I mean that she’s single-handedly both the easiest and the most difficult character I’ve ever written and, I might argue, will ever write. Self-absorbed and yet oddly self-aware, vulgar in the delicate way only someone with a face like hers could be, and so tenderly cruel it’s endearing—she’s awful, but writing her has never been an inkling as heavy as writing equally diabolical characters has been in the past. She’s somehow able to be a light-hearted character in an environment where that sort of label tends to be reserved for characters like Maeve, all flower petals and naivete and ripe for the slaughter—without encompassing any of that. I don’t know, maybe it’s her youthful appearance, maybe it’s her love of candy and strawberries and her tendency to act so much like a child, or maybe it’s that careful balance between what she appears to be, what she’d like to be, and who she is, but she manages to check off some boxes that appear at first glance to be mutually exclusive. She lacks any concrete ambition outside of being revered, yet she possesses the potential to climb, to do some terrible things, because of that unfocused ambition. Her selfishness makes her a target for manipulation while being an avid manipulator herself. Her priorities are bottoms-up and she’s hardly got what most would call a good head on her shoulders, but damn if she isn’t a coquettish kind of cunning.

I thought I wouldn’t even know where to begin, but I’m having trouble finding where to end. The point is, I love this little brat.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? | Where do you see this character developing, and what kind of actions would you have them take to get there? 3 future plot ideas would be preferable.

Piss off, Picasso: It’s only fitting, I suppose, that a little girl so proficient at mocking her sister (and her friends) behind her doting parents’ backs should grow up and learn to put that art of imitation to good, more mature use in the mob. She’s got it all going for her, really; wealthy upbringing, an eye for detail, and a shameless disregard for plucking coins from the purses of others to feed her own greed—what could go wrong? Plenty. And while I’d definitely like to explore the aftermath of what might happen if she got sloppy and was found out, she’s got her fair share of trouble on her plate right now with her—er, bad publicity. So first, I’d like to see her do well. I’d like to see her get overconfident, make connections, be successful. Once she’s finished throwing her little tantrum about my next plot idea, she’ll probably be inclined to hone her skills, sell a few more paintings to get out of the hole she stumbled into. After all, respect isn’t earned in Bunny’s world; it’s bought.

Paparazzi: It’s not what it looks like. Come on, he isn’t even that cute. Bunny’s moment of weakness, if it can be called that, presents obvious potential for her to either pull herself up by the bootstraps (imagine) or dig herself even farther. This might be the first time she’s gotten into any real trouble, especially the kind that Daddy Dupont couldn’t fix, and she’s not going to handle it well. But her knee-jerk reaction should make for good comedy and some even better plots. How far will she go to prove that she’s still just as loyal to the Capulets as she’s always been (which is to say, not particularly?)? What other mistakes can she make? It’s time to get her pretty little hands dirty, I think. She’s too proud to ask her sister for help, but all bets are off when it comes to Cyrus. Hell, maybe even her connection to Boris can come into play here (counterproductive, probably).

This Is What Makes Us Girls: The relationship Bunny has with Maeve and Juliana is one of my favorite parts about her, because it’s one of the best means for me to flesh out and play with all of the different sides of Bunny. They’re a pretty integral part to the image she keeps up—both that of a dignified daughter and a girl still steeped in candy-lacquered youth, and it’s for that reason that her secret dislike/jealousy of them both is so… telling? Bunny’s conceited, sure, but she is—at her core—insecure. And insecure people—insecure teenage girls, although she’s aged out of that territory—do pretty terrible things. I want to explore the dynamic within this friend group. I want to see her sabotage something important to Juliana. I want to see her have Maeve do her bidding, see her put her friends in harm’s way. Betrayal doesn’t always call for bloodshed; sometimes cutting deep doesn’t call for a knife.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | Eh… as much as I’d love to give the usual “yes, give me all the angst,” I’m not really sure that Bunny is the type of character whose death will serve a purpose/further the plot, to be honest. Only the good die young, and she’s anything but.

If at any point the plot calls for it, we can talk about it, but I don’t foresee her developing in such a way that I’d suggest it.

In Depth

What is your favorite place in Verona? |

That’s a stupid question, she thinks, smoothing out the hem of her skirt and settling contentedly into the plush armchair, half-business and half-play. It’s a copout, almost—the daytime equivalent of asking someone’s favorite color in truth or dare. It’s a wasted turn, a missed opportunity. If she wanted to write love letters to the streets of Verona, she’d pick up the noble art of journaling.

In any case, the answer was most certainly a harrowing tie between her clawfoot bathtub and the half of her king-sized bed farthest from the window—but that sounded so infantile even she might’ve quirked an eyebrow at such a response. This, she realizes, is what it’s like to grow older: to make terrible small talk over lukewarm tea and lie in more dignified ways than she had in her youth.

(She’s twenty-one years, two months, and three days old. This is middle age. This is melodrama.)

“There’s a little candy shop a few blocks from the foot of the Castelvecchio. Their chocolate-covered strawberries are to die for.”

What does your typical day look like?

She likes this one—likes the way it sounds like a question straight out of the magazines she reads in her near-infinite free time, all gloss and understated glamour. In fact, she’s spent a perhaps embarrassing amount of time crafting responses to such a question in the event that she were ever asked, and although this isn’t exactly the avenue she’d had in mind, it’ll do.

Let it never be said that Bunny Dupont cannot compromise.

“I like to wake before the sun,” she lies elegantly, matter-of-factly, knowing damn well that just this morning she’d slumbered until noon but eager to portray the image of a young woman with her shit thoroughly together. The corners of her pink lips turn up in a smile, as if the very thought of a sunrise sways her to cliché thoughts of new beginnings and second chances, of the kinds of phrases befitting the tacky dollar-store decorations Maeve collects like an old man does stamps. How very carpe diem of her.

“I wash my face, have a cup of tea, and try to get a bit of reading done.” When she puts it that way, it sounds quite a bit more like a sophisticated heiress devouring novels in the early morning light than the slightly-less-respectable-but-nonetheless-true alternative of a troublemaker surveying last night’s damage, pastries piled with whipped cream within arm’s reach.

“I like to meet my friends for brunch. Juliana and I are regulars at The Phoenix and the Turtle,” she says delicately, deliberate with her inclusion of the Capulet girl’s name and her exclusion of any others. “I’ll paint a bit in the afternoons…” The little blonde trails off, green eyes darting about as if calling the remainder of her routine to mind. The truth is that she’s already grown bored, and perhaps that’s her own fault; it can get exhausting, pretending to be responsible, truly exhausting—but playing pretend is too fun. “And home for dinner, always.”

What has been your biggest mistake thus far?

She twirls a strand of cotton-blonde hair around her finger, a coy display of sheepishness befitting a schoolgirl. What was her biggest mistake? The question demands a certain sort of humility, a level of introspection and honesty she’s never had the need to stoop to in all her years as the Dupont family darling, and if she were a tad less shameless it might even be a little—what’s the word?—unnerving. There was a reason she’d been dutiful enough to go to church on Sundays with her father but had avoided the confessional like her mother avoided carbs, and that reason had nothing to do—okay, fine, but only a little— to do with an aversion to being on her knees.

But she’s nothing if not an opportunist, a performer, and she treads the line between timid and cruel when she remarks, “I held a Montague boy’s hand once. Went home and went through two bars of soap.”

What has been the most difficult task asked of you?

“Firing a gun,” Bunny admits, leaning in as if to let the intern in on a secret, “It’s harder than I expected. “Pulling the trigger, I mean. Takes a bit more pressure than they show you in the movies.” Leave it to her to turn such a grim discussion to something a bit less uncomfortable, a bit more palatable. Leave it to her to dodge the—well, difficult—questions. When have you failed? When have you struggled? How have you grown?

In two words: she hasn’t. (In another two: not yet.)

What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?

Lingering in the air like her favorite perfume was a rule oft-spoken and waiting to be broken: no politics, it’s simply not lady-like. Her father’s banks backed the Capulets, and where the money went, the Duponts surely followed. For all her selfishness and disdain for anything which drew the attention away from her and her needs, Bunny Dupont understood the necessity of these things—of petty grudges and not-so-petty crimes—for people like them. Wars, even wars like these, needed money: a lot of it.

“I don’t feel I know enough to say much about it,” she says carefully, the gleam in her green eyes looking more like a trick of the light and less like a clue. “I only wish there weren’t so much blood.”

Why? It left a nasty stain.

Extras: If you have anything else you’d like to include (further headcanons, an inspo tag, a mock blog, etc), feel free to share it here! This is OPTIONAL.

Headcanons:

When she was little, she wanted to be an actress or an only child: the former, she told her parents, and the latter, she told her sister.

Her hard liquor of choice is vodka, the flavored kind—the sweeter, the better. She’s mastered the art of taking shots of it with a straight face after many years of practice.

Strawberries are her favorite. Chocolate-covered, in champagne—you name it.

In high school, she got her kicks by scaring off boys who approached her to get a leg-up on wooing Juliana. So many potential suitors shot down, convinced that Cosimo would have them shipped off to some foreign land without their heads or their manhood.

Once, she promised Maeve she’d get her crush to ask her on a date. She was only half a virgin after that. He never called Maeve.

She’s a Gemini (May 30th).

#accepted: bianca #accepted

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lovenikkilibrary · 6 years ago

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the great, big popnikki contributors post

Greetings from Miraland! Love, the POPNikki Team

That’s all of us. All 30+*. This is the team that’s worked (for a lot of us daily) since May to brainstorm, draft, and bring life to this crazy vision-turned-project.

Now that we’re literally 30 days from Zine launch (and two weeks away from launching Site + our YouTube channel), I want to introduce you to everyone because POPNikki is not just the simple FanZine Project I started out asking fans to join. It’s since become a collective of like-minded creators, and don’t you think you’d like to meet all of us?

*NOTE: Our FanArt Team Co-Lead Kira is technically missing from this group shot, but she’s with us in spirit and despite a busy schedule WILL make an appearance in our Summer Zine after all! ^^ Also not pictured is Site Team’s periidote and IRL Team’s Luna-- also with us in spirit!

Team Leads

POPNikki is divided into three divisions and each has its own subdivs requiring, well, WORK. The following group of Contributors help me keep each sector running smoothly (including a Contributor named Lilly who you’ll meet in the next section!).

The Librarian: Editor-in-Chief of POPNikki Zine and the founder of this operation, I have a toe in every division if I really think about it. But my personal skillset lies in brainstorming, cheerleading, and editing, which is why I head up the FanFic Zine Team and Co-Lead FanVid with Sea. ^^ Follow my blog for LN Resources. I archive them neatly so we can find them all again later ^^

Clow: Site Team Co-Lead, Developer, and Zine Editor (read: my partner-in-crime), Clow is a great collaborator who can take a vision, no matter how messy and turn it somehow into exactly what you need + want. Clow’s creative but modern style (and way of thinking) is reflected in the Site she’s helped design (can’t wait for y’all to join and see! ^^). You’ll want to follow Clow’s blog for all sorts of LN related posts, my faves being the lovely Starry Corridor photos found from all over.

Yoko: Unfortunately Yoko is taking a break from Tumblr, but when Site opens, we’ll update with a way to reach her! Yoko is the other Site Team Co-Lead and Developer whose incredible patience and research skills have helped bring Site to fruition.

Ms. Loki: Ah, Loki... What can I say that you don’t already know? When I can’t find my head or my glasses (which often leads to me consistently uploading the wrong things), Ms. Loki is right there going above and beyond the call of IRL Team Co-Lead. Not only does she manage a group of Contributors (and I swear, most days, me!), but she also finds time to Contribute, herself! Look forward to her art and articles as she’s become a key part of our FanArt and IRL Teams. (And if you’re not already following for ALL OF THE LN THINGS... ^^ Ms. Loki is usually the OP!)

Val: FanArt Team Co-Lead Val has really had to step up this season due to an unexpected scheduling conflict. "Single-handedly” juggling a whole team of artists using a collaborative leadership style, Val has shown not only her skill as an artist but as a leader this term. Follow her art blog for a peek at her versatile art style or her personal blog to reciprocate the support she’s shown to POPNikki this Summer~

Sea: My FanVid Co-Lead and one of our three video editors, Sea is just amazing to work with. Perhaps it’s her eye for beauty (or the fact that she can find the beauty in everything), but every conversation ends in laughter and every problem finds a solution. She’s always ready to cheer our team on, so please do the same for her (and we’ll be sure to link you to her personal YouTube channel after Zine Launch!).

Dayan: IRL Team Co-Lead and Artist, Dayan’s ideas and participation have both played integral parts in the fruition of this project. Dayan almost bursts with creativity and an energy that really keeps you going. Did you know that in addition to her LN Blog, she also has another blog for her art? I’m such a fan of all our Contributors, but there’s something so lovely about Dayan’s style that I can’t help but share every post. I feel so lucky to have her on board, and y’all are lucky too because you won’t have to wait for Zine before seeing some of her work. She’s also been working on a very fun Site Feature that will meet you guys once we launch! ^^

*Kira: FanArt Team Co-Lead (and supposed to be on break for this issue, Kira did a few of the background illustrations for Zine articles I know you are going to LOVE! If you don’t follow her LN blog, you’re missing out on a wealth of .png and background resources.

Site + Social Media Contributors

Lilly: Despite a busy schedule offline this season, our Social Media Manager Lilly still managed to pull off a very special project, complete IRL and FanFic write ups, edit, and head the Social Media subdiv by some miracle over the past few months (thank you so much). Lilly’s eye for detail has been extremely valuable and so when you go to follow her LN blog, be sure to note how you’ll only be getting the good stuff over there ;) You may also get to chat with Lilly at some point if you follow us in her domain-- the POPNikki Tumblr (and soon, our other social media).

Red: Our IRL, Site, and Social Media Contributor, Red, has been such a gift to this project. In Fall, we can’t wait to show you the fun project he’s been working on, but in the meantime, look forward to his Game Guides. Are you counting down the minutes with us? Red can be found here and here on his LN specific blogs!

Royce: Royce recently joined POPNikki but has hit the ground running. Now our go-to for Site graphics, we can’t wait to hear how you like the awesome visuals Royce has whipped up! You may already know to follow his LN blog for only the best Royce RP aesthetics on the block. Blue roses to anyone who does XD (or check out his OCs RP blog)

Clark: Part of our Social Media subdiv and working on a super fun, super secret FanFic project for a future Zine edition (why yes we are thinking about Fall...), Clark’s been a supporter of this project from the get-go. Follow him for fun from a slew of different fandoms (Monster High meets LN, anyone? I’m just sayin’).

periidote: periidote is a Site Team Contributor who will be helping with Site FanPOP Features starting end of Summer/ early Fall! Follow periidote’s LN blog here and get ready for great content from her~

YouTube Contributors

Legs: My go-to video editor in a pinch (whether it’s for advice or for help or to make sense of this vision I had in a dream...), Legs always returns a product above and beyond expectations. July 18th, y’all. Be ready! And in the meantime, follow Legs, for game-related jargon (including but not limited to Love Nikki)

Haley: FanVid Team Contributor and YouTube Channel manager. Haley is always full of great ideas, but when YouTube opens, feel free to drop us comments with even more!

Brittany: FanVid Team + FanFic Team Contributor Brittany is also one who’s always brainstorming. We can’t wait for you to see her tutorials and meet her ideas in Zine when it drops this August!

LittleAvalonia: I’m very excited for what the future holds with an actress like LittleAvalonia on our team. Funny (and having fun), LittleAvalonia brings a new element to LN FanPOP that we can’t wait to share with you.

Witchy: IRL + FanVid Team Contributor, Witchy, is a gem in the POPNikki Contributor pool. Look forward to Halloween (feels so far, I know!) when we debut their sketch(es ^^) and articles. In the meantime, follow Witchy to check out their art and more.

Joltik: Our newest video editor thanks to her enthusiasm and helpfulness after our latest Open Call, Joltik is already hitting the ground running in her new role! Full of ideas and ready to work, I feel so grateful she’s joined our team! ^^ Don’t forget to give her a follow for LN related tips, tricks, and info.

twinklebear: Joining us with awesome content come Fall, twinklebear helps out where needed, particularly in Site Team and of course, here in the FanVid group. ^^

Zine Contributors:

Donsveertje: Donsveertje (known as Beetle to me) is a phenomenal artist who answered a POPNikki Open Call. Happy to help with any project when time allows (and actually working a few zines at the moment!), Beetle has great energy, ideas, and can really bring your vision to the page. The laughs are a blessed bonus. ^^

Fishbone: The more I work with Fishbone, the more I fall in love with her work. An artist who’s willing to try different things (no matter how crazy they sound) until they work, Fishbone is such a dedicated and positive team member. With like a million Tumblr accounts XD (follow them all here and here and here as well!).

ArtisticArmoury: Another Open Call gem, ArtisticArmoury has been so great to work with. Every part of the process is not only well done but also fun as we’ve been having a blast adding even more expression and visual color to the FanFic Feature he’s now a part of. Check out ArtisticArmoury’s art or personal blogs to get a sense of his work.

Inky: Also finding the time between a tight schedule, Inky has jumped into this project as an artist from an Open Call. You may recognize Inky as the artist of that awesome piece re: the doctor. But Inky has another, strictly LN blog that I hope you’re following because it is full of fun LN stuff (like important update infos but also MEMES y’all).

Zemiki: Zemiki is a Feature Artist in the POPNikki Zine Summer Issue. Already known for her great work, Zemiki’s providing several original pieces for fans to enjoy to accompany our second FanFic Feature! Get a feel for her style by following her art or personal blogs.

Astie: IRL Team Contributor Astie has an unstoppable energy that brings life and joy to the POPNikki Team. Look forward to the article Astie has prepared for y’all in Zine this Summer (while we work on finding the link to the Tumblr-- we’ll update you on Site after the launch! ^^).

Roulette: Roulette is such a hardworker for Zine I cannot. Contributing content to both IRL and FanFic Teams, Roulette writes articles and provides Spanish translations for our guides. Give her a follow! (EDITED TO UPDATE: her blog link! Here’s the best account to reach her at~)

Sophie: My writing buddy, I could honestly send all of the virtual hugs to Sophie. Working together on her FanFic Feature story has shown me both her dedication to the game and being a writer-- two of my favorite things in the whole wide world! XD We also share a love of tea (which is besides the point, but still). While you await Zine launch to get a taste of her words, check out her Tumblr and say hi to my hardworking team member (whose mind and articles are split between FanFic and IRL)~

Yasjupe: Another FanFic Team Contributor (and Feature writer), Yas is a writer whose gorgeous ideas flow into gorgeous thoughts and words on paper. I think you’ll truly enjoy the story she’s been working on. Check out her Tumblr while waiting for Zine to drop!

Megaera: After reading a fic by Meg re: Prehistory Lord, I knew she HAD to be a part of POPNikki’s FanFic Team this first issue. Megaera’s Summer Feature does not disappoint, and I count my blessings that I get to work with so many talented writers-- and read their work early, of course ;) Be sure to follow Megaera’s LN blog in the event she posts more fiction! She also has a personal blog you’re welcome to follow.

Rev: For this summer’s issue, IRL Team Rev teamed up with FanVid Team to create a sweet tutorial for you all. Honestly, you’ll be amazed, I think when Zine drops! In future, we might also see articles by this Contributor as Rev is known for helpful guides and great Starry Corridor pics! You can also check out Rev’s personal blog.

Iri: Many of you might recognize Iri for her helpful event guides and suit breakdowns on YouTube. We know her as apart of the team (and seriously, what a joy ^^)! Despite a hectic schedule, Iri has Contributed an article and exclusive interview for you guys this summer. Can you imagine what Fall will bring? If you’re already hype, subscribe to her YouTube channel to hold ya over to Aug. 1st ^^

Contributors Debuting this Fall

Jace-Darkheart: Officially part of FanFic Team as a comic writer and artist, we hope you’ll get to see Darkheart’s work come Fall!

Ile: Though scheduling conflicts mean you won’t be seeing our Artist, Ile’s work this Summer, we hope you can find some in Zine this Fall!

Luna: Though scheduling conflicts mean you won’t be seeing IRL Team Contributor Luna’s work in Zine this Summer, we hope you’ll be able to see her fun article on Site or in Zine by Fall!

Our Team is huge so following everyone might seem like A LOT. But don’t forget that you can follow @popnikkiofficial on Tumblr now to ask questions about the project and officially become part of the POPNikki Community here on Tumblr. In all honesty, y’all already are part of that Community, and I mean, so are we! So if you can’t follow all, here’s the best one! We’ll see your lovely comments and someone will be checking the POPNikki Ask box later this week to answer questions. (And, I mean, I’m always down to fangirl about this project lol!)

To all of the Contributors on this list (and to come), thank you all so much for making this thing happen. ^^

#love nikki #love nikki dress up queen #popnikki #the librarian is grateful #thanks y'all #secret project

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lubdubsworld · 7 years ago

Text

Bird Bones ( Jung Kook/Oc)

summary :

A small town filled with secrets. A young boy who wants to break free. A young girl who only wants to protect her baby.

Bird bones shatter so easily,

just like hearts , dancing to love’s melody.

Chapter 1.

A small town in Busan,

Sometime in the 90s.

Bird Bones.

That's what my father used to call me when i was a kid.

"Your're so fragile Dasom, " he would say, gripping the huge piece of concrete as he single-handedly maneuvered it into the sculpting stand in his studio. He would then proceed to chip away at the block , cutting and molding it into something beautiful. Most of my memories of him were happy ones. I loved my father. And i know, that deep down my mother had loved him too.

They weren't married. In fact they never even liked each other that much , or so it seemed. But my mother let me stay with my father often and didn't try to poison my mind against him. she accepted that he was a flawed human, unwilling to be tied down and she respected his choice to be a single and free artist as opposed to a committed husband and father.

Not to say he wasn't a good father. He was. Probably a better father than some of the douchey ones that came to pick my friends at school, who treated their kids like non-entities and took for granted the security that came with a legal family.

Bird Bones.

Why did he call me that, i used to wonder. I wasn't fragile physically. I was normal. Tall at around 5'5". A healthy 110 pounds. I had bouncy black hair, long and strong and my waistline was always trim enough to squeeze into size 6 jeans.

But then , I had my first brush with evil and i knew exactly what he meant.

"You're a bastard! Your father never even wanted you enough to marry your mother!" A boy in eighth grade threw at me and honestly, it felt a bit like my heart had been frozen to sub zero temperatures before being shattered by a well-aimed blow with a hammer. I stood in the cafeteria, unsure how to react to the vindictive fury in the boy's tone and unsure what i'd done to deserve it.

My bones felt like they were being shattered and suddenly it made sense.

Apparently , a few harsh words was all it took to shatter my bird bones.

And now, here i was , sitting with my fingers entwined on my lap while Jeon Jung Kook stood a few feet away, his father and mother glaring down at me with such evident disgust while their son looked frustratingly blank.

"So, you're not going to have an abortion?" Mr. Jeon barked loud and angry and I swallowed, glancing up at Jung Kook for some kind of support. I was here, alone and pregnant, facing down one of the biggest media entertainment moguls in the country.

All because of one night of alcohol induced bad decisions.

Was it worth it, Somie?

I didn't even remember the night.

" No. I'm not. "

"Are you ... against abortions?" His mother said with a frown .

Jung kook sighed.

"Dad, Mom. Just stop, will you. It's her body. She's the one who gets to decide. It's not like she owes us an explanation." He said calmly.

Jung kook apparently had a functioning brain.

who knew?

Jung Kook was the golden child in our small town .

Like me , he was a senior in the Jeon Academy of Arts, majoring in dance and music while I majored in Englkish Lit., and Creative Writing.. He was also a successful Indie singer, the heir to his father's immensely succesful company .

"You do know Jung kook is engaged to marry Sana?" Mrs. Jeon said loftily, looking down on me with evident distaste.

Sana was the daughter of the Dean in our college. She was just one of those girls that you couldn’t help but like. She was beautiful, friendly and nice. Granted, she had her own clique of rich girlfriends and she seldom acknowledged the rest of us but she didn’t go out of her way to bully people either.

“ "I wish them the best. " I said lamely and mostly sincerely.

Jung Kook snorted and I felt myself turn red.

Why was he such a jerk, really? And what had I been thinking?

"If this gets out, it could be a really bad thing for us and our family. Not to mention the emotional distress that would cause our daughter in law. So we've drawn up this NDA..."

"What?" I blinked.

"It's a non disclosure agreement. You sign this and agree that Jung Kook waives off all responsibilities as father. " Mr. Jeon said firmly.

Jung kook looked embarassed , not meeting my eyes and I just stared at him in disbelief.

“I... what?” I said , surprised.

" Ms. Lee , my son will pay, out of his own savings , for your confinement and your delivery. He will also support the kid till he or she turns 18. Any expenses incurred while raising the kid would have to be cataloged and recorded and sent to us at the end of each month so we can reimburse you for it. But , in return, you promise us that you do not reveal the baby's parentage to anyone. including your son or daughter."

The last bit made my fists clench. My father hadn't wanted to marry my mother. But he had at least wanted to love me. To know me.

I couldn't even bring myself to look at Jung Kook.

Mr. Jeon bowed gracefully.

"Of course, you don’t have to answer at once.. You can take a whole week to discuss it with your family. It's quite the offer, you know."

"She doesn't have a family." Mrs. Jeon smirked and I bit my lips.

Mr. Jeon frowned.

"What?"

"Her mother was an unmarried mother as well . She ran off with some man or the other and dumped Ms. Lee here with her philandering father. The man died a few years back. As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." She scowled at me.

Jung kook made a noise of impatience and stepped forward.

"Mother, that's enough. Da Som ssi... Please let me escort you to my car." Jung Kook materialized right next to me, fingers curving around my upper arm in a firm grip as he glared at his mother.

I was too shocked from the blow of her words to resist, letting myself be lifted out of the chair and led down the corridor. I felt completely stunned , my mind short circuiting and we were half way across the parking lot before I came to my senses.

"i can take a cab." i choked out, yanking my hand away from his.

Jung Kook sighed.

"Don't be irrationally stubborn. I'll drop you off at the dorm. " He said gently. I stared at him, remembering the way he's brushed me off in front of his friends. That was less than a week ago.

"Don't act like you even care." I opened my mouth , ready to let loose when the smell of engine oil, pungent and intrusive crept up my senses.

I felt my stomach clench, bile rising up in a sudden involuntary gush. i clamped a hand on my mouth, turning frantically before spotting the small restroom in the corner of the lot.

it was a dungeon, hot , sweltering and not really clean but i rushed into the stall, vomiting the little bit of toast I'd swallowed for dinner. The morning sickness was by far the worst thing to happen to me.

it left me drained and exhausted, my limbs weary and my muscles aching so badly that i wanted to curl on the dirty floor and sleep.

The knock on the stall made me jump.

"Are you okay, Da Som??" He whispered, voice urgent and mildly concerned and I wiped at my mouth with the sleeve of my sweater, feeling equal parts embarrassed and sick.

I pushed out of the stall and he looked genuinely worried, having somehow procured a small water bottle. He held it out to me.

"I keep water in my car. " He said softly and I took a gulp.

"thank you... If you could get me a cab , I'll..." i jumped a little when he took the bottle out of my hand turned on his heel, moving away to a shiny black car, probabaly very expensive, a few feet away,

"this again! Come with me. I'll drop you off. We don't have to talk, if you don't want to." He opened the door of the car with a beep and I sighed in defeat.

"I don't want to talk." I said waspishly , letting him strap me down to the expensive leather seats, . He looked like he wanted to shout right back but he bit his lips and held it in.

"Fine."

A few minutes of silence later, Jung kook cleared his throat.

"What about Hoseok ssi ? " He said casually and I grimaced.

Hoseok was a professor as well as a dance teacher in college and i knew he taught Jung Kook.

I didn't reply.

"Everyone in college thinks you both are an item. " He continued. "Am i even the father? You're not trying to foist off hyung's kid on me , are you?" He frowned suddenly.

I felt my blood run cold with fury.

"Why would I? If he was the father, I wouldn’t come anywhere near you and your pretentious family.. " I said softly.

Jung Kook clenched the steering hard.

"Can’t you stop with that attitude? I get that you hate me, but can you not consider my perspective?." He said.

“Why should I? I’m the one pregnant and poor.” i shot back.

He rolled his eyes.

"Come on! You're to blame for what happened that night as much as me. We were both too drunk to make an informed decision and i know that it isn't an ideal situation. But could you please not stare at me all the time like i'm scum?! it's not like I can drop my entire existence and marry you or something.!!" He growled.

I didn't want to open my mouth and bite his head off. it really wasn't even worth it, I thought.

"Like I want to marry you. Just drop it Jung Kook. I've already made up my mind. I'll sign the stupid NDA and you can go back to your ' life'. " I rolled my eyes.

He sighed .

"Look, I fucked up. i know ... Just... don't hate me without cause alright? I'll try to help in any way I can. Drop you off to your classes, carry your stuff , take you to the doctor appointments. Whatever. I'll take responsibility but I'm still my father's son. I can't just ... go against them or something.."

I'd had enough of the topic actually. I shifted a bit, freezing when a sudden unprovoked shaft of pain went shooting right up my spine.

"What? What's wrong?" He said quickly, one hand reaching out almost instinctively, palm open and hovering over my stomach. " Are you okay?"

I stared at his fingers, long and a little knobby, a simple silver ring on one of them.

"I'm fine.. Just hurry up. I'm cold." I muttered. He pulled his hand away and slowly swerved, moving the car to the slow lane and actually pulling over.

"what are you doing?" I said, confused. He snapped open his seat belt before shrugging out of his suit jacket. Before I could protest he draped it over my body, tucking the sleeves around my sides till i was drowning in warmth and male cologne. I almost pushed it away but it was like a little furnace, his body heat deliciously warm on my chilled arms and the scent very soothing.

Which was a surprise in itself. I'd been feeling so turned off by smells of all kinds. I bit my lips and snuggled a bit more into the soft lining of the coat. Why the hell was it so warm. Damn this man to hell, really.

"I... Thank you. This feels nice." I said grudgingly.

Jung Kook smirked.

"You have to give it back though. It's like 3000$" He grinned.

I rolled my eyes.

"You can drop me off at the bus stop. i don't think it's good if we're seen together on campus." I said. He frowned again and I noticed ( again ) that he looked better frowning than smiling and that was just all kinds of wrong.

"Do you honestly believe that? That it's bad for you if you're seen with me?" He muttered , sounding vaguely hurt and I couldn't help the snort of disbelief.

"Are you serious right now? You've never even spoken to me before and if you start coming up to my dorm all of a sudden and then i turn up pregnant , they're going to link you to me. Which will completely defeat the purpose of the NDA your parents want me to sign..."

"Case in point. : My parents want that. I don't..."

I blinked.

"What ?"

"If I wasn't my father's son... I would do the right thing too. I mean...maybe not marry you but I'd do all the other stuff. I still want to."

"You want to help me through my pregnancy? You're serious?" I stared, completely thrown.

"why is that so hard to believe. Jesus Christ, you act like I murder puppies in my spare time or something. is it really that hard for you to accept that I'm a decent human being?" He growled.

I sighed.

"it's too late for this. Just drop me off .. somewhere and I'll talk to you when I'm not exhausted." I let my head fall back against the neck pillow.

"It's still a twenty minute drive away, your dorm. Take a nap, if you want. I'll turn down the music." He fumbled with the buttons on his stereo and I felt myself drowning a bit in confusion. Why was he being so nice?

Had I misjudged this man?

~~~~~~~~~

The next day. I found Jung kook leaning on the wall opposite my lecture hall, whistling and smiling at the passing students, exchanging hi-fives and winks with some of them. I hesitated, momentarily thrown by seeing him in the light of the day.

In the confined darkness of the car he hadn't seemed so intimidating. But here, in the corridor, he looked devastatingly handsome and altogether out of my league. Swallowing , i tried to ignore the way his glance landed on me, pretending I hadn't noticed and moving to the entrance of the door.

"Da Som ssi!!"

I groaned.

Jung Kook sauntered over, hands in his pocket as he aimed a bright smile at me like a weapon of mass destruction. which it kind of was. Momentarily blinded by his teeth, I shook my head to clear it.

"uh.. yeah?"

Before he could reply , a familiar arm landed on my shoulder.

"Somie, did you finish typing up that report i asked you about..." Hoseok's voice was cheerful and loud as always and I tried to ignore the way the other students immediately started making faces.

But then, they were always making faces. i was used to it.

the thing about a small town is that everyone who has lived here has always lived here. and the children heard all the tales that the parents spun for them, and one of the favorite town stories had been the one about my mother. how she had lived in sin, carried a baby out of wedlock and then had run away with some other man. my mother was a man-crazy slut and by default, any daughter of hers should lean in that fashion, only.

Many mothers warned their sons about me. Most girls stayed away , to avoid getting a bad reputation, by virtue of being in my company. Some of the boys thought it was a game. they made bets on who could get me into bed. Some others enjoyed acting like I had tried to chase them. They would tell elaborate tales of how I’d come onto them and how they had refused me.

As if.

But the most annoying ones were the ones who seemed sure that i was sleeping with Jung Hoseok.

I wanted to snarl at all of them.

Nothing inappropriate existed between me and Hoseok.

He'd been my mother's best friend's son and somehow, over the years, the only person who had cared to actually stay in my life. He was just a weird combination of guardian/older brother.

"Uh.. Jung Sunsengnim... I'll try to drop it off at your office."

"A report, Sunsengnim? What possible report could an English major have to write for the Arts department?" Jung kook butted in unceremoniously and Hoseok frowned.

"Kookie? Why are you here. You have an economics lecture that's right across campus... Kim Namjoon ssi is already on the way there. Don't miss your classes." He said sternly and Jung Kook glared but nodded.

"I'm only here to get my jacket back." He said coolly.

Silence.

For a second it seemed that everyone had heard. I felt my ears flame red.

"I'll drop it off later..." i hissed.

"When? After class? What's your last class?"

"Creative Writing.. Lecture Hall 5B ... Leave!!" I all but shouted and he smirked.

"I'll meet you outside lecture hall 5B then."

Once he left, Hoseok gave me a nice long stare.

"Care to explain?"

I groaned.

“He’s just being difficult. It’s nothing serious.” i lied swiftly . I didn’t really want to tell Hoseok that Jung Kook was the father. Hoseok was still very upset about my pregnancy . It would only make things worse if he knew that it was the star pupil in our college and someone who was already engaged.

“I’ve told you about these rich types right? You have to ...” Hoseok began but it was a sort of recycled speech at this point. one i’d heard and mulled over a lot of times.

“Be careful not to let them too close.” i repeated monotonously. “ i know, oppa. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. give him his jacket or whatever and I’ll take you home today. You want to crash at my place? I’ll make you dinner.” He smiled brightly.

I nodded swiftly. The thought of going back to my dorm wasn’t particularly appealing anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~

"I thought you'd run." Jung kook commented mildly, pushing off from the wall that he was leaning on. I’d just exited the lecture hall and i was a little surprised that he was already out here, waiting.

I noticed that he was wearing his usual stonewashed jeans and hoodie, sleeves rolled up to show veiny forearms. The backpack on his shoulder was Gucci, probably worth more than my entire existence. I sighed and dropped my test notes into the locker and grabbed my wallet and my messenger bag, slipping my phone into the bag before turning to him.

"If I could, i would. Unfortunately, ?i have nowhere to run to. It's either here or on the streets." I hadn't meant to unload on him and there was more than a little bitterness in my tone, but Jung Kook didn't pursue it, holding out a letter instead. I stared at it, frowning before taking it from him.

"what is this?"

"It's a letter from my family physician , exempting you from any mandatory , physically strenuous responsibilities. I heard that you volunteer at the gym and the tennis club , this will make sure you don't have to go there and you get to keep your credits too." He said swiftly. I stared at him, confused.

"Why are you doing this ?" I frowned.

He shrugged.

"It's still my baby." He said , voice going soft and i felt my heart skip a few beats. There was something oddly territorial in the way he stared at my flat stomach. i was barely six week along and it would at least be a couple of months before I would start showing.

I couldn't think of any sensible reason to encourage this thing with Jung kook. He and I were just different on so many levels. And whatever skewed sense of responsibility was making him do this, i had to put an end to it.

"It doesn't have to be your concern, Jung Kook. I won't resent you for it either. We're both adults, here. Besides, I'm going to sign that contract your parents are drawing up, anyway. It should release you from all responsibility anyway." I said, locking up the combination lock and pocketing the keys, before starting down the hallway. I slipped the form into my bag anyway. Jung kook hurried to keep up with me, falling into step next to me while making a noise of impatience.

"About that...I was wondering.. could you maybe, not?" He said nervously.

I rolled my eyes.

"Not what?" I said confused.

"Not sign that contract.."

I stopped short and he walked right into me, hitting my back. It wasn’t intentional but he was built like a wall and i had always been a little too frail.

the force of it ended up sending me sprawling to the floor.

Jung kook flailed, trying to catch me but missed by an inch and i landed hard on the floor, the impact jarring me badly. I sat there, stunned and slightly winded while jung Kook looked like death, dropping to his knees next to me.

"Holy shit!! Fuck, i'm so sorry... Are you okay... Let me call an ambulance..." He grabbed his phone and i panicked.

"what.. don't! Are you insane? i just had a little fall!!" I hissed, trying to lever myself back up. My tailbone hurt a bit but otherwise, i felt fine.

"But you're pregnant! Pregnant ladies shouldn't fall!!" He shouted and I smiled before i could stop myself.

"Jung kook, i'm fine..Stop, seriously.... Just..."

"Somie!!! What are you two upto now?" Hoseok's voice made me jump a little and i sighed in relief when I saw that he was already packed and ready, clearly done for the day.

Next to me, jung Kook stiffened and moved a little closer, hands reaching out to grip my wrist.

"Tell him you're going home with me." He said suddenly.

I blinked.

"What?"

"I'll drop you off at your dormt. Tell him to leave." He hissed.

I stared back and forth between the pair of them, watching Hoseok stalk over across the long corridor , staring at Jung Kook very suspiciously.

"Jungkook what is wrong with you? " I stared at him, yanking my hand away from him. The touch of his fingers still lingered,

“You should be taking rest, not running around tiring yourself out. “ He said angrily and I felt my mouth drop open in mild surprise.

“What are you even-”

“JungKook what are you doing?” Hoseok snapped and Jung Kook moved even closer, glaring defiantly.

I sighed, too tired for games.

“I’ll be staying with Hoseok ssi, tonight.” I said bluntly.

jung Kook gaped at me .

“What?”

“You heard me. He is someone very important to me. i don’t know what you’re trying to do, but this ends, now. Stop taking liberties with me.” i said angrily.

Jung Kook frowned.

“that is my child you’re carrying. i would like to be sure that you aren’t putting him or her in danger.”

Next to me, Hoseok let out a shocked sound.

“Are you serious?” he glared fiercely at me and i groaned. But jung kook wasn’t done.

“I want to think about my child. There are a lot of things that I’ve been thinking about. “

Hoseok gave me a look of deep disappointment and then turned to Jung kook.

“i appreciate you trying to do the right thing jung kook. But Dasom needs rest. I’ll make sure to take good care of her. And here, this is my home number.” He held a card out. “ You can call me at anytime and enquire about her whereabouts. i will call you if she needs anything , as well. “ Hoseok said reasonably.

Jung kook looked unhappy but took the card nonetheless.

“I don’t... i just... I want her to be safe...” He said softly.

i stared at him, confused and annoyed and tired.

“Leave,. jung kook. “ i whispered, before taking Hoseok’s hand and walking away.

#angst #sad stuff #jungkook smut #jeon jungkook #bts fics #bts scenarios #jungkook fics #jungkook scenarios

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imagine-nerd · 7 years ago

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may fate decree we meet again

@mooguriklaine-art i was ur ygo secret santa! I hope u like ur present!! have a happy holidays and a wonderful new year :3

So it had not been a good idea to hold the grand unveiling of his new system in center square. The press had all the available options to cut him off on his escape and that extra security team he had hired had been the worst service he had ever received. When the time came for him to leave, it was getting both Mokuba and him out through the crowd of press together or getting Mokuba out of there safe whilst trying to fend off the press on his own. The later option was what currently had him hiding through the streets of Domino city.

He’d done stupider things before. He wasn’t worried about getting away, he’d escaped from higher stakes before and this would be nothing compared to then.

Ducking his head back into the current alley he was stopped in at the sound of nearby reporters he noticed someone in the corner of his eye. Someone stood on his other side near the back of the dead end alley. Someone with golden skin and eyes like dusk. He quirked an eyebrow at the stranger who had not been here when he had first entered the alley. The stranger looked just as surprised to see him as he was to see them. The reporters yelled somewhere in the distance, why were they so persistent?

“If you’re looking for a place to hide, I think I know a place they will never find.” the stranger’s voice was alluring as if beckoning him just like the stranger was currently. Well it was this or the press and he’d rather die a pretty death. He followed the stranger through a doorway hidden away down a small alcove, one he was sure was not there earlier.

“You’re a magician.”

The stranger chuckled, “and you’re an observationist.”

Behind them the opening to the alley closed and they were now walking down a dimly lit corridor. One that he was almost entirely sure was simply made of magic itself. He watched the stranger with a curious eye, “I thought all the magicians were dead.”

The stranger turned over their shoulder to look at him. A curious eye caught his own before they turned back around, “No, not all of us.”

“Then why hide?”

“You of all people should know the answer to that question Seto Kaiba.” The stranger didn’t offer anything else but that.

They walked in silence for a while. Eventually the corridor opened up into a bustling street. The stranger pulled the purple shawl from around their neck and handed it to him. This was the open market, a place where he could escape without being noticed with that shawl wrapped around him. They were off to a small alcove with the market just barely in view, all he had to do now was leave. Mokuba would be worried about him if he didn’t return soon.

The stranger held the shawl out and sighed, “Well are you going to take it or not?”

Accepting the shawl, he took in the stranger’s golden bangs and dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. He could see the tied tips of faded iris and maroon. A small, golden eye rested on a chain around the stranger’s neck. That meant....

“I have something to ask of you.” He didn’t want to ask for help. But if anyone could do it, it would be this person. He had no other choice

“Oh? I helped you and yet you still request something of me?” The stranger was unimpressed, maybe even offended. But he didn’t have any other options

“Please teach my brother how to control his magic.” That golden eye, this stranger had ties the millennium school of magic. If anyone could help his brother it would be them. He had spent so long searching for anyone, any magician with some level of magic skill to teach his brother but so far he had nothing.

The stranger stared at him in surprise, “That’s some request coming from you, but I will have to decline.”

“You didn’t even think about it.” No. No, they had to agree.

“I have other matters to attend to.” With that the stranger turned to head back into the magic corridor, leaving him just as surprised as he had first been in the alley. There was hesitation in their step as the wall closed up behind them. A soft breeze of magic left him with the stranger’s final words, “If fate so decrees it Kaiba, if fate so decrees.”

“... Then we will surely meet again.” Sighing, he wrapped the shawl around his head and headed out into the market. There was someone he would need to contact after years of silence. Maybe they would have answers for him.

“So you’re saying that you don’t know where this magician is?” His office was a mess, plans for his mana system were strewn everywhere. There was a large stack of reports to his right and an even larger stack of documents he had yet to touch to his left. But what held all his current attention was the man in front of him, Yugi Mutou.

“Nope, not a clue. I haven’t seen him in years Kaiba, I didn’t even know he was alive.” Yugi was a magician himself. One of the reasons Kaiba had been able to develop the mana system. But most of the magic Yugi could once do was impossible for him now. He never bothered to ask why, it didn’t concern him and he could really couldn’t care less about it. After all, both of them had lost something to magic.

“And you’re positive that you can’t teach Mokuba?”

“Yes, I am completely sure that if I tried to teach him it would not end well. We have completely different types of magic and he has a far greater amount than I do.”

Rubbing his forehead, he tried to fight his oncoming headache, “Damn it all. It won’t be long til someone figures it out and comes for him. He does not need any other reason to not be a normal kid.”

Yugi laughed, “Aside from being your genius little brother?”

He glared over his desk and stacks of papers, “I didn’t invite you here to sass me Yugi.”

“Well if fate -”

“-decrees, yes I know. Why do you magicians keep saying that? All of you, all the time. Is that your immediate answer the second you don’t know the answer?”

“Well yes, I, that’s what we're taught on. The fates have granted us this gift and in turn they guide us with it.”

“Well, I think these fates are complete bullshit.”

“Kaiba…” Yugi meet his gaze, it looked as if he wanted to say something more. But he had enough of digging up those memories on his own time. He would not share his weakness with anyone.

“I think it’s time you left Yugi.”

Yugi frowned, but got up from his chair anyway. He hesitated in the doorway of the office, “At least try and give it a chance.”

“I already have, and it failed.”

Time passed. It wasn’t long after that the new technology mana grid was implemented around the world. The lacking of magic users had left the mana once used for everyday life and tasks unusable. The new Kaiba Corp system took all that mana once used to power humanity that had now been forgotten along with the magicians and made it accessible again. The second renaissance was in motion as humanity reclaimed the advances it had to set aside to survive in the lack of magic users that had come to be.

At the center of it, he was bringing in the new era single-handedly. Yet his brother was a magic user, an untrained magician, and there was no one left to teach him. He had been out of options when that stranger appeared. If anyone found out Mokuba was a magic user, they would hunt for him. A magic user, even untrained, could do so much more than any normal person possibly could dream of doing. But there were three types of magic and if he trained for a type that did not match his own then it would kill him.

He didn’t even know what type of magic Mokuba had. They had no way for him to safely use it yet with the level of power he had. If he could just see the color of his brother’s magic he would know which of the three types he had, but for now there was nothing he could do. Nothing but wait for fate. What a joke. His brother needed help. Which meant he was going to find that magician whether fate wanted him to or not.

He searched everywhere for the magician. He would always think he spotted them in the corner of his eye, just out of reach before they would vanish again. If fate really did exist well then fate was a major asshole.

Then one day it happened. When he was looking for his answer, Mokuba was taken right out from underneath him. His whole world just taken like it was nothing.

There was a ransom of course and now he was running out of time. They had found out about Mokuba’s magic. All because of those damn rumors, that he couldn’t have created a system that re-purposed mana unless he had a magician to help him. They were right more or less, he had magicians help him, but magic was not that simple. They were baseless rumors and now he was paying the price for them. He had no idea where to find him and now his whole world would be gone.

There was a knock at his office door. It opened before he could respond and in waltzed Jounouchi Katsuya with the whole dweeb patrol right behind him. He all but screamed, what the hell did they want at a time like this!

“What -”

“Are ya doing here yada yada yada, we heard your brothers in trouble and an old friend requested we help ya out.”

“Unless you know where he is you have no reason to be here.” He turned his back towards the group, he did not have time for this.

“We don’t know but an old friend does, the one you've been looking for.” That got his attention.

“…” He turned to face the group. Yugi, his annoying friends, and the dog. They couldn’t possibly mean…

“Well are gonna wallow in the room all day or are you coming with to get him?” Jounouchi held out a hand. One he ignored when he brushed past the group and out the door.

“We're leaving.”

The dead men who had taken Mokuba were holed up in an old house near the outskirts of the city. They had left the car a block away so they wouldn’t give away their position. Approaching the house, Kaiba recognized the silhouette of the magician he’d spent the past months searching for.

“You have a lot of nerve to show up now.”

“And you’re quite rude to someone who found your brother.”

“My brother is still in that house with the thugs that did this, have you found where yet?”

“Second floor, top right bedroom, the one right in front of us actually that has a view of the street. Probably so they can watch and see who is coming.”

“All that attitude isn’t just bark and no bite. Good, now are we going inside or are we just playing stakeout?”

“We need to make sure they don’t try and just run, we need a plan to go in, what are you -”

“Screw that, my brother is in trouble and I’ll be damned if I lose anyone again.”

Standing up, he walked up to the side window on the first floor and pulled the wooden boards off it. They were rotting and falling of the nails they had been attached to so it wasn’t hard. Jumping through the window, he took a look around the first floor. It was also rotting and falling apart. But there wasn’t any sign of life down here. Which meant that the group of thugs was upstairs. Judging from the sound of the creaking floor, there were about four of them. Good, he’d had some pent up anger recently, it would be great to get it all out.

He was halfway up the stairs when someone caught his left wrist. Whipping around he glared at the magician. For the love of, what now! Hadn’t he wasted enough time already? Mokuba was up there, alone, for hours with these assholes. He was right there and now he was being pulled back?

“What now!” Hissing, he tried to yank his arm from the magician’s grasp but they held tight.

“Magic, a lot of it, whoever took your brother has some means of magic.” the magician whispered, looking up towards the top of the stairs as if waiting for something.

“You idiot, that’s probably my brother! Why do you think I asked you to teach him?” He wretched his wrist from the magician’s grasp and charged up the stairs. If anything or anyone had put even a scratch on his brother there would be hell to pay.

Approaching the bedroom, he reeled back in shock as the door burst open and four large men came barreling out of it squealing like pigs. A bright blue light came from the bedroom. Creation magic, just like hers. No, he couldn’t lose Mokuba too.

Running into the room he was nearly knocked off his feet be the sheer force of the magic emanating from his brother. His brother who had glowing blue eyes and was completely encased in his magic. No, no, no! It would kill him!

“Blue… creation magic… the same as my own.” The magician walked into the room, eyes in awe as their hair whipped around in the force of the magic.

“Please you have to save him!” He yelled over the magic, hoping the magician could do it. “Please I can’t lose him too!”

The magician said nothing. They simply stood there. For a moment, he thought it was foolish of him to rely on someone else to save what he cared about. But the force of the magic simply vanished. The light died down as the magician moved closer to Mokuba. They were saying something but he couldn’t hear it. Just like that the magic vanished and the air in the room returned to normal.

“Mokuba!” He rushed forward and grabbed his little brother. He hurriedly inspected him and was relieved to find him unharmed.

“If his magic is that powerful, it would be unwise to leave him untrained.” the magician approached, but did not come closer to where he held his brother. They laughed, “I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other now.”

“This whole thing could’ve been avoided if you had just said yes the first time I asked.” He was not impressed, all this trouble could’ve just been avoided if they had just done as he asked.

“Maybe, maybe not.” The magician shrugged.

“Your cryptic speech habits better not rub off on my brother.” Hoisting his brother into his arms, he went to leave. Only stopping to turn back to the magician.

“They shouldn’t, but if they do you’ll just have to become better at understanding the way I talk.” the magician turned to face away from him towards the window, “When he is ready, all you have to do is call.”

“And who exactly am I supposed to call to find you when you drop off the face of the earth now?” What was with all the dramatics? What was the magician going to do? Simply vanish into thin air and return when he’s called?

The magician smiled at him, before a blue light engulfed him and he vanished. A small blue butterfly came to land on his shoulder. With a soft whisper it spoke, “Just call my name, Atem.”

“Atem huh?” shaking his head, he left the bedroom. “And I thought I was dramatic.”

#mooguriklaine-art #ygosecretsanta2017 #this took me forever to decide on a topic #i hope its okay!!!!#if u wanted posted to ao3 too just let me kno!!!

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housebeleren · 7 years ago

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Ixalan Limited - Bomb Rares

So the last piece of my rundown for Ixalan Limited are the Bomb Rares. These are the first picks, the must-answer threats, and the cards you will otherwise be stoked to open but hate facing yourself. This will cover the Rares & Mythics of the set that you really want to see in your prerelease pool this coming weekend.

White

BOOM. Wakey wakey eggs & bakey here is serving up some Kool-Aid realness and gurl I am drinking it up. Okay yes, 8 mana is a lot. And yes, triple-White can be annoying. But I honestly think this card will be totally playable, particularly in sealed. The format seems like it will be slow enough to stall to 8 mana, and there is some ramp between Explore, Treasure, and Dino-centric cards like Kinjalli’s Caller and Drover of the Mighty that I think it’ll be doable. And once she comes down, gurl, it’s game over. You done won.

Honestly, I think Mavren Fein here will be underestimated at first, since people will assume that he’s the one that has to be attacking, and by himself, he’s behind curve. But if you can play a 1 or 2-drop Vamp, then drop Mavren turn 3 & swing, you got your value. From there, it’s just extra gravy. If you’re on the beatdown, he’s absolutely brutal. I’d prioritize other Vampires with evasion as well as combat tricks quite highly if I found one of these in my pool.

Dusk Titan here is going to be an absolute headache. She’s a little under curve, so removal and tempo to keep her clear of large blockers will be critical. But man, if you can keep her alive for even a few attacks, she’s a value machine. Again, combat tricks will be your friend here to keep your Bishop swinging away into the sunset.

Blue

I predict that, more than any other card in the set, this is the one that will immediately be followed by the word “Scoop.” This effect is absolutely devastating, and will even be good when you’re pretty far behind. This will obliterate token strategies, and if your opponent has multiple 4 drops & up, forget it. Just be sure you have at least something on the board before you play this, otherwise your opponent gets the chance to rebuild before you do. But honestly, this is the kind of card that will steal wins out of nowhere, and that’s an effect I am pretty damn stoked for.

Yes, I am hot for Jace. Yes, I want him to make a illusion copies of himself so I can fulfill my all-Jace orgy fantasies. No, I have no shame.

All that is beside the point. The point is that Pirate Jace has real potential to dominate games right from the get-go. I mean, if you’re able to play one of the several 1 or 2 drop Blue fliers, you’ve got yourself a build-your-own looter machine. If Jace is your first play of the game, he can at least drop a blocker in the way to keep himself alive until you can start playing bigger threats & tempo. And if you do manage to get him to 5 loyalty, then he’s going to run away with the game faster than you can say “Arrrrrggh.”

Or in this case, “Unnnngghhhh.”

LOVE me some control magic. This card basically speaks for itself. Steal their shit, LOLs ensue.

Seriously though, play this card.

Black

This is one card I’m anxious to see in action. Personally, I think it’s great. He comes down and eats a chunk out of everyone’s life, but then protects you by being a big body with Deathtouch. On your next turn, your opponent has to decide between letting you hit them for 4, which will be nothing to shrug off when they’ll already be at 13 or under, or double block, thereby handing you a 2 for 1. In an aggressive Pirate deck, he seems like he can nab you a turn 5 or 6 win pretty easily, and in a defensive deck, he can help you stabilize. He also is a fine inclusion in a Vampire lifegain deck. Imagine swinging with a bunch of Lifelink creatures immediately after landing him.

I already know I’m going to lose hard to this guy. He gives weenie decks the one thing they desperately need: reach against an opponent who has stabilized. Vampires will be excellent at hitting for some early damage, then mucking up the board with tons of tokens. But they’ll be outclassed by Dinos & maybe even Merfolk in size pretty quickly, so cards like Sanctum Seeker are going to be just the topdeck you need to close out the game, maybe not with a bang, but rather with a mournful sigh.

Premium removal be premium removal. Pick this card highly and make sure to bring your best shit-eating grin when you cast it. Like “Oh damn, that’s a big Dino. Shame he’s fucking exiled mothafucka!”

Just kidding, always be courteous to other players. Be smug, but be smug on the inside. And shake hands nicely after you own their sorry ass.

Red

Again, I understand that this is a 7-Drop. I understand its base stats are below curve. I also understand that if you have any sort of reasonable board presence out, you can probably just end the game on the spot the turn you cast this. This is the card that ends board stalls, because suddenly your creatures all outclass your opponent’s creatures. You only want one card in your deck that’s above a 4 or 5 drop, but this card will win games. Period.

Suck it, Vampires! (LOLZ GET IT?!?! SUCK? VAMPIRES?!)

Sorry, I won’t do that again. But seriously, this card nerfs the Vampire deck so hard. And a 3/3 Menace creature is super solid for 3 mana anyway. Clearly the idea is to play fewer large threats, and if you can do that, you’ll win by sheer attrition. Other players won’t see this coming, and I guarantee they won’t have a game plan for adjusting their strategy for it post-board either.

What makes this card baller is that it’s pretty close to on-curve anyway, so you’re really not paying for the ability. (Except, obviously, for the 3R that you actually pay for the ability.) But the issue with Threaten effects is that they’re typically not worth the card slot. Being able to bash your opponent’s face with their best creature every turn seems like a sweet deal to me, particularly since it also clears their best blocker out of the way at the same time. Once your opponent starts having to block and trade their own creatures to keep from getting pummeled, you know you done right.

Also, way to go Wizards commissioning the fantastic Winona Nelson of 8-Pack fame to do this art. Very clever, and I emphatically approve.

Red did good on the Rares this set, which is good because the Commons kinda sucked nuts. Repeating Barrage is serving up Hammer of Bogardan 2.0 fierceness, and it is giving me life. Or, y’know... giant arrows to the face. But honestly, this card can take over a game single handedly. You’d play this card even if you couldn’t buy it back, but having that Raid ability takes this card from a solid removal spell to the best card in your deck.

Green

Big Dumb T-Rex is big and dumb. And can’t be countered or removed. In other words, this card is going to cause so much groaning when it shows up to ruin someone’s day. Seriously. Remember when 4GG got you a 6/4 vanilla? Jesus.

In case Green didn’t seem like obviously the most busted color of the set, allow me to introduce you to this friendly fellow. Just your run of the mill, unimpressive 4-mana 4/5 card advantage machine. Nothing special, right?

Attacking into this with anything other than a 5/x creature is just plain incorrect, as is chump blocking. And even if you do trade in combat, the Raptor-wrangler still ends up a card ahead! Cards like this make bad cards like Rile good.

Yeah, that seems good. Play a bunch of early Merfolk and beat face early, then once you run out of cards just start chucking Lands at your opponent. No biggie.

What I love most about this design is that it ensures that no card is a blank draw in the late game, even Lands, making this a virtual form of card advantage that I think people will underestimate.

Multicolored, Artifacts, and Lands

Bigger, Dumber T-Rex is bigger and dumber. So... if you can cast Gishath, and you have even a few other Dinos in your deck, I don’t see how you can lose. The problem will be whether or not the format can support 3 colors reliably. If so, I could totally imagine slamming Gishath. I have a hunch that this will work, but also that more people will try to make it work than should.

Huatli is the real deal. Even if you never do anything other than pump out 3/3s, she’s paid her dues after only 2 turns. Seriously... you could just treat her as an enchantment that makes a 3/3 every turn, and that would be a card we would all play. The rest of the abilities are gravy. Though I do like the ultimate as a good way to break board stalls. Make no mistake, Huatli is a limited BOMB.

Pirate Vraska is a little less certain, particularly since she’s in a relatively unsupported color combo. But, on the other hand, I am absolutely convinced you could play a U/B or B/R pirates deck that uses nothing but treasure to splash for the one Green mana you need to cast her. Once you do, she’ll own the board. Destroy whatever else is pissing you off, or just churn out pirates every turn because why not?

Here’s the thing. Forget even being able to cast the creature and just focus on one fact: Worst case-scenario, Hostage Taker is a Blue-Black Banisher Priest. In other words, highly playable. Once you cast the creature you exiled, you’re in phenomenal shape. If you can find a way to retrigger via blink or recursion after casting said creature, your opponent should just fold because you just won at Magic.

Oh, y’know, whatever. Just spending 5 mana for 7/7 worth of stats, as per usual or something. Like, are they kidding here? Honestly, the only reason I believe this card exists is because Verdurous Gearhulk already broke my disbelief glands beyond repair. Make no mistake, 5 mana for a 4/4 and a 3/3 with Haste is gross.

So... this is another card where I think people are going to be distracted by the high life cost of the Vindicate ability and overlook the simple fact that a 4/4 Vigilance Lifelink creature is worth 5 mana. Vona is super playable just on stats alone. And if/when you need to snipe something, you have that option. Once you do, you can keep swinging and just regain the life you paid. I definitely do not look forward to facing this card.

Most of the Transform cards have enormous Constructed potential. However, out of all of them, Treasure Map seems like the best suited for Limited. The price on the ability is right, and the filtering is super useful. Once it transforms, you get all the mana back plus an immediate way to cash in the tokens for card draw. I honestly don’t see a downside. All but the leanest, most aggressive decks will want this.

So, this one may seem a little out of place, but I mention it for a reason. And that is that nobody will want this piece of shit except one player, and that player is the lone weirdo who is drafting B/G Explore. In that deck, this could be a solid bomb. If you can get this to 3/3, you’re almost on curve for Vehicles. At 4/4, you done good and have a solid threat on your hands. If you can get it to 5/5, you’ve built your own Renegade Freighter, and that’s just disgusting.

So that’s that. The bombs of Ixalan. There honestly were a few more, particularly in Red & Green, that I could have highlighted. But these struck me as the most likely to be the powerhouses of the format. Let me know what you think. We’ll start talking Ixalan for EDH soon.

#mtg #magic the gathering #ixalan

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2000adonline · 8 years ago

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40 Years of Thrillpower - Judge Dredd’s Greatest Epics

Last month, of course, saw our beloved weekly Prog reach the big 40. Cue cliches about life beginning at 40, or how 40 is the new 28, or some other bullstomm, that makes middle-aged people feel better about growing old.

In the case of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic however, similar to the anti-ageing drugs that Dredd himself is occasionally required to take, the mighty mag is regularly infused with youthful talent, keeping it fresh and vital.

But we’re not here to discuss the present roster of top-rate talent, this is a brief history of Dredd’s most memorable multi-part adventures, or as we know them better - the mighty mega-epics!

Dire, deadly threats to the future metropolis, Mega-City One, and its bizarre, vulnerable citizens, are an unsettlingly frequent occurrence. The only defence to these city-shattering challenges are the Judges, sworn to protect MC-1 and its inhabitants. One such lawman in particular takes this oath incredibly seriously, his name, of course, is Judge Dredd and he will do whatever it takes to ensure that his city remains the pre-eminent superpower of his post-nuclear world.

Unfortunately, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, or should that be heads.., Sadly, this sprawling megalopolis that once housed 800 million citizens, over the years has been decimated, and is presently a shadow of its former self.

Recent tragic events aside, Mega-City One would have perished many years ago, several times over, if not for the iron will of Justice Department’s legendary lawman, Judge Joseph Dredd. Prepare for a tour-de-force of mega-epic proportions, strap in it’s gonna be a bumpy ride...!

The first multi-part storyline, Robot Wars (Progs 10-17, 30Apr-18Jun’77). John Wagner (w). Carlos Ezquerra, Mick McMahon & Ron Turner (a), deals with an idea, that has now become a science fiction staple: robotic servants rebelling against their human masters. In Mega-City One unemployment makes up over 85% of the human population, a robotic workforce deals with the menial tasks deemed beneath mankind. In reality, it’s a lot cheaper to use machines that don’t require payment, complain about workers’ rights or require time off! In other words; the perfect labour force.. Even robots, though, can apparently be pushed too hard. So when a messianic leader, a lowly carpentry droid (sound familiar?), known as Call-Me-Kenneth), malfunctions, overcoming his programming, he hacks the city’s broadcasting outlets and urges his fellow robots to turn on their human owners, with the battle cry: “Death to the Fleshy Ones!” The machines rise up. Only one man can stop this crazed robot, but can even Dredd stop an army of messed-up mechanoids?!”

Possibly the most popular and fondly remembered of all of Dredd’s mega-epics, is timeless classic, The Cursed Earth (Progs 61-85, 22Apr-7Oct’78). Pat Mills takes a rare outing into the world of Judge Dredd, but produces a vintage Thrill-powered tour-de-force. On a mercy mission across the atomic wasteland that was once middle America, the future lawman reveals a more heroically humane side by bringing a life-saving serum from Mega-City One to its west coast counterpart, Mega-City Two, where the inhabitants are tearing each other apart due to the 2T (Fru-T) virus. Fighting all sorts of vicious desperadoes, back-stabbing townsfolk, mutant gangs, and even roaming dinosaurs...not to mention the myriad of mutated Cursed Earth fauna! Breathtaking art duties are shared between two Judge Dredd creative legends, Mick McMahon and Brian Bolland, although employing wildly differing styles, the pair are master storytellers even at this early stage of their careers. A must-read true classic.

The Day the Law Died - Having just saved Mega-City Two from certain doom, you’d think that Dredd would be given a hero’s welcome on his return to his own city, however not everyone is pleased to have the legendary lawman back at Justice Department. A certain ambitious senior Judge, head of the infamous Special Judicial Squad (SJS) - the Judges who judge the Judges - Judge Cal, through blackmail, coercion and ultimately murder has managed to seize the reins of power, in Dredd’s absence, and install himself as Chief-Judge. Cal, aware of Dredd’s influence and possible obstacle to his plans for absolute domination over Justice Department and the city, has been plotting the heroic lawman’s downfall.. The twisted despot successfully frames Dredd for murder. Fatigue and some convincing video footage has even Judge Dredd questioning his innocence. Put on the shuttle to the penal colony on Titan, reserved for Judges who break their own rigid laws, Dredd finally snaps out of the haze of confusion fogging his mind, and with almost superhuman strength breaks the cuffs he is wearing. Dredd overpowers the pilot and guards, and escapes from the downed craft, with the help of Judge Giant who also distrusts Cal and believes in his friend’s innocence. Meanwhile the crazed Cal has enlisted the help of an army of reptilian alien mercenaries known as the Kleggs, appointed his pet goldfish as Deputy Chief-Judge and humiliated, bullied or creatively executed anyone who dares to criticise his increasingly bizarre behaviour. But Dredd isn’t the kind of Judge who goes down easily, as Cal rightly feared, and together with a rag-tag rebel army made up of other Judges and citizens, including a gigantic, baseball bat-wielding simpleton, known as Fergee, ‘King of the Big Smelly’, prepares to fight back.Can Judge Dredd succeed against all odds and defeat Judge Cal before he destroys the entire population of Mega-City One? Find the answers in The Day the Law Died.. wth artwork from a plethora of top UK art talent: Brendan McCarthy, Brett Ewins, Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Garry Leach, Mick McMahon & Ron Smith.

When Judge Feyy, Mega-city One’s oldest pre-cog has a vision of the city being destroyed in 2120, Judge Dredd and a select group of other Judges (including future Chief-Judge Hershey), are sent on a mission to find a boy bearing a birthmark of the Justice Dept. eagle, thereafter referred to as the Judge Child. Apparently, young Owen Krysler may have the power to stop the apocalyptic event from ever happening. It is discovered that an insane 22nd century self-proclaimed pharaoh, Filmore Faro ‘the Garbage God’, has also learned of the child’s alleged psychic powers. In turn, an infamous Texas City badlands family, known as the Angel Gang, steal him away from Faro’s followers and swiftly spirit him off-planet. With the fate of the ‘Big Meg’ in the balance, Dredd follows the boy’s trail through the irradiated wastelands of the Cursed Earth and venture out into the depths of uncharted space to find him!

Often the most critically acclaimed of the multi-part Dredd epics, The Apocalypse War stands out (and holds up) due to the sheer scope and genuine threat to the survival of Mega-City One, Justice Dept., and even Judge Dredd himself. Moreover, it sees the return of art droid, Carlos Ezquerra, to the strip that he co-created after five years away from his character, single-handedly drawing every panel of this 25 episode, 150 + page classic. Mega-City One has maintained an uneasy peace with it’s eastern European counterpart, East-Meg One, for years. However, the Sov-diktatorat, the ruling, military government of East-Meg One, led by the warmongering Supreme Judge Bulgarin, along with Judges Vlad and Snekov, break this detente by releasing the Block Mania virus on the citizens of the Big Meg. The effects of this contaminant, introduced into the city’s water supply by the Sov’s top agent, Orlok the assassin - a thorn-in-the-side of MC-1 and Dredd’s human nemesis time and again - turned citizen against citizen, driving people into a murderous rage, causing all-out wars between neighbouring citi-blocks. Weakened by this viral attack, East-Meg One press home their advantage by launching a devastating nuclear assault against Mega-City One. After the missiles have flown, ground forces invade, led by ruthless War Marshall 'Mad Dog' Kazan. Supported by Strato V aircraft, Rad Sweeper tanks and killer robot Sentenoids, overwhelming numbers of Sov troops cause Dredd and the remaining survivors to engage in a desperate guerrilla war to maintain control of the streets. Kazan, mad with power, eliminates the diktatorat, and takes complete control of the Sov forces, setting up base in the captured Grand Hall of Justice. Chief-Judge Griffin is held prisoner, and becomes a victim of Sov psycho-surgery, transforming him into a propaganda tool - forcing Dredd to assassinate him. The lawman, apparently dead by his own hand, pulls off a dramatic escape, assisted by his loyal droid - Walter the Wobot. Dredd hatches a plan to end the war once and for all, leading a small hand-picked team on a virtual suicide mission. Against all the odds, the squad successfully infiltrate a Sov missile silo and a steely, battle-hardened Dredd, having witnessed 150 million of his citizens die at the hand's of the Sov-Blokkers, destroys East-Meg One along with its population of half a billion people by launching their own nukes at them. Dredd ends the conflict by publicly executing Kazan, and a deflated, dispirited Sov army agrees to unconditional surrender, with remaining survivors fleeing to East-Meg Two. A brutal story, with a massive toll on the population of the ‘Big Meg’, virtually cutting the population from it’s initial 800 million, in half to a more manageable 400 million, and the utter annihilation of another, showing a ruthless, win-at-all-costs side to the heroic lawman, effectively making him the biggest mass murderer in history. One which could come back to haunt him in the decades to come...

The next major mega-epic, Oz (Progs 545-70, 24Oct’88-16Apr’89) focuses on an infamous citizen; serial offender, Marlon Shakespeare aka Chopper, wall-scrawling graffiti artist-turned-illegal World Powerboard Champion, aka the ‘Midnight Surfer’, is a hero to many of the city’s disenfranchised youth. Unfortunately, he is currently serving 18 years in an Iso-cube, for his reckless-but-death defying aerial exploits, in Supersurf 7, that made him the greatest sky surfer of his generation. However, a new, cocky, powerboard protégé, Jug McKenzie, a beer-swilling loudmouth from the Sydney-Melbourne Conurb in Oz, is boasting of his prowess on a ‘board, claiming that Chopper is deliberately avoiding attending the now-legalised Supersurf 10, despite being barely 3 years into his 18 stretch in the most secure detention facilities in the world! The resulting backlash from fans of the ‘Midnight Surfer’ in MC-1 caused a demand for his release to attend the forthcoming world championship on the other side of the planet. Of course, Justice Department were having none of it. But the burgeoning outcry from an outraged populace to silence the mouthy McKenzie and restore the pride of Mega-City One, caused the Judges to move Chopper to an even more secure unit. Somehow, the citizens get wind of this extreme resolution, and when Shakespeare is led from one Iso-cube, carrying his property, including the World Championship-winning powerboard, to a new location, a crowd had formed leading to an unruly mob clamouring for a glance at the high profile prisoner, and perhaps, even a chance to spirit their hero away. In the intervening chaos the ever-expanding horde of highly-charged onlookers burst through the hastily erected Justice Dept. cordons, jostling Chopper’s judicial escorts causing the keys to the prisoner’s cuffs to be dropped. Seizing his opportunity, Shakespeare unlocks his restraints and leaps onto his board, zooming off into the Mega-City skyline. Hiding amidst the towering citi-blocks, avoiding the intense glare of searchlights from Justice Dept. hover-wagons, Chopper makes his way cautiously to his childhood friend, and fellow powerboarder, Flip Tillis’ apartment window. Flip had inherited Chopper’s spare suit, power cells and other paraphernalia associated with their chosen pastime, after Mrs. Shakespeare couldn’t bear to keep them once her son was sent to the isolation cubes for many years. Flip also supplies Chopper with food, whilst informing his friend of the huge clamouring of public support for the Mega-City skysurfing ace to take part in the upcoming Supersurf 10, though it would be held thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean in Oz. The ambitious Shakespeare, ever rebellious with a yearning to be free of MC-1′s harsh laws, has a dawning realisation: give himself up to the authorities and go back to the Iso-cubes - probably for decades, after his daring escape - or make a near-suicidal dash for freedom, cross the Pacific Ocean on a powerboard, win Supersurf 10, in Oz and, most importantly for Chopper, prove that he is the best in the world and, unlike his parents, along with most of MC-1, he is somebody! Meanwhile, as angry as Dredd appears that Chopper got away, it conveniently coincides with a series of attacks on Justice Dept.’s top brass. Mysterious, strange-looking, physically superior assassins, garbed in a twisted version of a Judge’s uniform, have been teleporting straight into the Grand Hall of Justice and targeting important senior Judges. Justice Dept. set up a trap, putting a huge security detail on any vital, veteran Judges, including Dredd himself. They succeed in capturing two of these ruthless killing machines, and killed a third. After interrogating one, who immediately commits suicide by crushing a lethal vial hidden in his tooth, they reverse the controls on the attackers’ teleporters and make the return journey back to a hidden base in the middle of Ayers Rock in Oz. Whilst there, Judge Dredd discovers a hidden race of Judges, cloned and controlled by a former, founding Judge, Morton Judd. Judd was a brilliant, but radical, senior Judge whose cloning programme kick-started the success of Justice Department. The problem was that he wanted to clone the citizens of MC-1, from Justice Dept. material, ensuring a law-abiding, controllable populace. Fortunately, the ‘father of justice’, first Chief-Judge Eustace Fargo vetoes this somewhat sinister solution to crime and public order. A furious Morton Judd storms from the room, but later returns to the Grand Hall, using Judges loyal to him, and attempts to assassinate Fargo. The coup fails, but before he can be captured, Judd flees the city, ending up in Oz, founding a base in Ayers Rock, from which he could build an army of Super-Judges without detection. So, armed with this knowledge, using the cover story that he is there to extradite the fugitive Marlon Shakespeare aka Chopper, should he make the unlikely journey across the Pacific Ocean, Judge Dredd heads to Oz. Fighting muties, giant birdmen, dodging random gunfire and the odd Justice Dept. H-wagon, Chopper has made it across the Cursed Earth to the Pacific Ocean. He looks across the endless horizon and is faced with the sheer enormity of what he has set himself to achieve - crossing the largest body of water on the planet, thousands of miles of hostile conditions, and unknown horrors lurking beneath the waves, on nothing more than a flying plank! After an incredibly eventful journey of stunning wildlife encounters, adverse weather conditions and murderous robotic ship’s cooks, Chopper eventually makes the perilous voyage, barely standing on his board, to a hero’s welcome in Oz. Of course, there is one person who isn’t giving the intrepid skysurfer such a triumphant reception: Judge Dredd.. Immediately, the Mega-City lawman attempts to take Marlon into custody. However in a country where low-level powerboarding is not a crime, and has hosted the last three Supersurf World Championships, the Oz judiciary refuses to cooperate with MC-1, denying any extradition orders, threatening to arrest Judge Dredd himself if he uses any force to bring his fugitive back to Mega-City. A disgruntled Dredd turns his attention back to his primary mission: to capture Morton Judd, destroy his base in Ayers Rock and possibly turn his army of cloned Judges into assets for MC-1′s Justice Dept. Dredd succeeds in destroying the base, but Judd is killed and the brainwashed Judda are too far gone psychologically to be of any use to the Mega-City Judges. Supersurf 10 goes ahead meanwhile, and in a death-defying demonstration of powerboarding mastery, between the ‘Wizard of Oz’, Jug McKenzie, and ‘Midnight Surfer’, Marlon Shakespeare aka Chopper, a nail-biting race for the line ensues. Sadly, for all Mega-City One proud Chopper supporters, the Ozzer, McKenzie pips the ‘Midnight Surfer’ to the post. Fickle fans of the MC-1 man, quickly forget his impossible Pacific Ocean crossing, and no longer want anything to do with the heroic ‘loser’. A begrudgingly respectful Judge Dredd is at the finish line, determined to bring his fugitive to justice, despite Chopper’s fantastic feats, and has a clear shot at his quarry, as Shakespeare turns his back on his nemesis. In an increasingly rare moment for the cynical aging Judge, Dredd hesitates. The previously boastful Jug McKenzie, too, has a newfound respect for his rival surfer, and, ‘accidentally’, flies into Dredd throwing off his aim, as Chopper disappears into the Oz outback, and freedom! An unimpressed Oz Justice Dept. take Dredd into custody, and he leaves the continent empty handed. Back in MC-1 however, there is one of the Judda still alive in custody. Taken from the genetic material of former Chief-Judge Fargo, Judge Kraken, as he is named, is basically a younger version of the aging Judge Dredd. Assigned to Dredd, as his Rookie, Kraken’s future rests in the hands of his older counterpart. Although an outstanding specimen, crackshot, and takes to the streets of the ‘Big Meg’ very quickly, Dredd spots something in this flawed ex-Judda. Others in Justice Dept. disagree, including current Chief-Judge Silver, and overrule the veteran lawman, forcing Dredd to resign and take the ‘Long Walk’ out into the Cursed Earth, but that’s another story...

Which brings us neatly into our next mega-epic, the terrifying nightmare which would lead to Necropolis (Progs 672-99, 31Mar-6Oct’90) After Dredd left, Chief-Judge Silver faked Kraken's death, and kept Dredd's resignation secret from the public, to instil Kraken as a replacement for Dredd, regardless of his failed assessment by the departed Dredd. Kraken was easily manipulated by the Sisters of Death, who had attacked and left Dredd for dead in the Cursed Earth in The Dead Man saga, to bring about the Dark Judges; Judge Death, Mortis, Fire and Fear. They would go on to wreak havoc in Mega City One, creating their own Necropolis, with life the ultimate crime. Kraken was also made a Dark Judge for the duration of their reign. Dredd, who had regained his memory, although visibly scarred, returned from the Cursed Earth along with ex-Chief Judge McGruder, as he sensed that something was wrong with the city he had served so loyally. The Dark Judges had soon taken control of the remaining Judges, who were now executing citizens, that were often committing suicide or succumbing to disease or starvation. Dredd and McGruder met with a group of cadets who were in hiding from the Dark Judges, along with Psi-Judge Anderson, and a plan of action was formed. Firstly, Dredd killed fellow Judge Kit Agee, who had been used as a psychic bridge for the Dark Judges to return. This caused the remaining judges to return to normal, free of the Sisters of Death's control. With the Judges now together and able to form a unit, they began to capture the Dark Judges. All but Death himself were captured, who had flung himself from a city block down into the city bottom, and vanished among the sixty million dead from the Dark Judges' tenure. Judge Kraken, now free of Death's control, accepted his execution at the hands of Dredd. Among the chaos of the Dark Judges' reign, Chief-Judge Silver was killed and then reanimated as a zombie.

Judgement Day (Progs 786-99, 6Jun-5Sep’92) & (Megs 2.04-09, 13Jun-22Aug’92). This multi-part adventure was significant for a number of reasons. Firstly, this was only the second mega-epic not written by Judge Dredd creator, John Wagner (the other was early classic The Cursed Earth by Pat Mills), scripted instead by future comics superstar, Garth Ennis. Ennis himself, admits that it wasn’t his best writing, citing his closeness and childhood affinity to the strip and character as reasons for his below par storytelling Secondly, this was the first ever crossover event, sharing story arcs with recently-released sister comic, the Judge Dredd Megazine (of which Wagner & Alan Grant had been editing, as well as writing, to ensure its success), essentially meaning regular readers had to buy both comics to keep up with the storyline. Set mainly in 2114 it tells of how the Fourth World War took the lives of three billion people when a powerful necromagus called Sabbat raised all the corpses in the world as zombies. It also killed off most of the supporting cast of Judge Dredd. On top of this. it was the first story to feature Johnny Alpha since he was killed off at the end of the Strontium Dog series (from Alpha's point of view it was set two years before his death). The pair had encountered each once before, leaving Dredd initially distrustful of the future bounty hunter who had transgressed one of Justice Dept.’s minefield of strict laws, and escaped unpunished. Alpha & Dredd resolve their issues, and assemble an elite squad of world Judges to bring the fight to the all-powerful dark sorcerer, Sabbat. Using hi-tec Hondo City combat suits, capable of HALO jumping, whilst protecting the wearer from all-manner of threat, including zombie attack, of course. Many Judges are killed off in their frontal assault, including another former adversary of the mega-city lawman, Hondo’s Judge-Inspector Sadu. Alpha and Dredd are also captured, but eventually turn the tables, with their usual mixture of cunning, wile and extreme violence! The lodestone, a massive-crystalline object Sabbat was using to tap into the Earth’s leylines, harnessing the power of the planet, finally became his headstone when Dredd decapitates the planetary overlord, skewering his head onto the crystal’s sharpened point. Although Ennis is critical of this mega-epic, read in one volume, Judgement Day is still a drokking good adventure story. it didn’t quite work, mainly because it was split over the two publications (it’s very rare to have Megazine crossovers these days). Artwork is a slight issue, too, as multiple art droids were drafted in to lighten the load of main artists, Carlos Ezquerra and Peter Doherty, including Chris Halls (aka Chris Cunningham, creator of disturbing Aphex Twin videos) and Dean Ormston. Judge Dredd is a notoriously difficult character to pin down, and other than the legendary Pat Mills who played up Dredd’s heroic side, as opposed to Wagner’s grim-faced stickler for the law, it is only the recent crop of Dredd script droids who understand the relationship between the legendary lawman, and the crazy city he loves, laying down his life over and over, again to ensure its survival; let’s be honest life in the ‘Big Meg’ is rarely boring! Ennis, whilst commendably showing us a view of the larger picture of Dredd’s world outside of MC-1, he takes away the main protagonist, the future megalopolis itself. The most memorable scene from this mega-epic, now an iconic image from co-creator, Carlos Ezquerra, comes in the full-page final scene, showing a bruised and bloody Judge Dredd and Johnny Alpha striding side-by-side; Alpha reminds Dredd that they have a long walk through the most dangerous, inhospitable place on the planet, the Cursed Earth. Dredd simply replies: “Who the hell’s gonna mess with us?”! Classic 2000AD! Great fun, with a massive worldwide death toll, Judgement Day is an enjoyable read, showcasing the talents of a young comics writer, who would go on to write some of the best comic books in recent memory.

Origins - The ambitious, epic history of Justice Dept. and the reign of the Judges. A box is delivered to Chief-Judge Hershey, who informs Dredd that it contains a ransom note and a sample of living tissue which matches the DNA of Judge Eustace Fargo, the first Chief-Judge and the revered founder of the Judge System. (Forensic tests establish that toxins in the tissue show that the source lived through the last century, and so the sample must be Fargo's rather than Dredd's.) The note requires payment of a billion credits in exchange for Fargo's body. As required by the terms of the exchange, Dredd leads a small, lightly armed party on a mission across the hostile Cursed Earth to retrieve their esteemed "Father of Justice". Since Fargo was believed to have died in the year 2051, and the mission takes place in 2129, much of the story consists of Dredd explaining to the members of his team how it is that Fargo could still be alive – a secret history which was concealed from the public for decades. The middle chapters of Origins cover Fargo's life history, and how he founded the Judge System in 2031. After serving twenty years as Chief-Judge, however, Fargo succumbed to a moment of weakness and had an illicit affair with a female colleague, something strictly forbidden by the Judges' code of celibacy. Unable to cope with his own lapse in the exacting moral standards he had inflexibly demanded of his subordinates, Fargo tendered his resignation to the President of the United States. Spurning the entreaties of his two deputies, Judge Solomon and Judge Goodman, and of President Pierce, to reconsider his decision and resume his office, Fargo instead chose to commit suicide. However his attempt to take his own life failed, leaving him with significant brain-damage and without the use of his legs.Fearing that their political enemies would use the scandalous circumstances of Fargo's resignation and injuries to destroy Fargo's legacy, Solomon and Goodman covered them up. Using sophisticated video technology, they faked footage of Fargo bravely sacrificing his life in the line of duty, gunned down in a brutal drive-by shooting. This enabled them to present Fargo as a martyr, increasing public support for the Judges. This deception had been conceived while Fargo's doctors had predicted that he would not long survive. However Fargo defied their expectations and began to slowly recover. He was therefore kept in a secret medical facility, isolated from the world so that the cover-up would not be discovered. When his condition began to deteriorate again, Chief-Judge Solomon had him cryogenically frozen in suspended animation until such time as medical science could cure him.By 2070 President Robert Linus Booth was in the White House, having illegally rigged the voting computers to win the 2068 presidential election, and murdered one of his aides who threatened to expose the fraud. Booth pursued an aggressive foreign policy, openly stating that he would begin a nuclear war if the rest of the world did not comply with his demands. The Judges – now led by Chief-Judge Goodman – attempted to dissuade him, but to no avail, and the Third World War laid waste to most of the world. Booth had believed that his new "nuclear screens" would protect America from retaliation, but only Mega-City One on the east coast, Mega-City Two on the west coast, and Texas City survived. The rest of America was virtually annihilated, creating the Cursed Earth which became populated by mutants and outlaws. Consequently another of Booth's aides turned against him and provided Goodman with evidence of Booth's earlier crimes. Goodman made the evidence public, and public opinion turned against Booth. A demonstration outside the White House became a massacre when troops opened fire on the crowd. But the evidence of election fraud was not conclusive, and impeachment proceedings against Booth were too slow for Goodman to protect his position, for Booth had discovered that Fargo was alive and had been revived from suspended animation. Booth sent troops to arrest Fargo, intending to expose the myth of his death and thereby destroy the Judges' reputation for integrity. Joe and Rico Dredd, cadets at the time, managed to rescue Fargo from capture. However Goodman realised that urgent action was needed to defeat Booth, and the constitutional mechanism for trying him and removing him from office could not be completed in time. On Fargo's advice, Goodman deposed Booth, suspended Congress, and usurped the government of the United States. For his crimes Booth was sentenced to 100 years in suspended animation, to let posterity decide his ultimate fate. Goodman became dictator of the United States (which soon split into three sovereign city-states), with Fargo – his existence still a secret – advising him from behind the scenes.However Fargo soon deteriorated again. He also became demoralised, having intended that the overthrow of democratic government should be temporary, and regretting his own part in establishing a lasting dictatorship. Shortly after surviving an assassination attempt by renegade Judge Morton Judd, Fargo was returned to suspended animation once more. However only one month later Fargo's body was stolen by Judd's agents. When Judd was eventually brought to justice and Fargo's body was still not recovered, it was thought lost forever. Thirty years later Booth's cryogenic machinery failed, and he was inadvertently revived. Judge Dredd resentenced him to life working on a farm in the Cursed Earth, to make amends for the destruction he unleashed on America. (This was first portrayed in the The Cursed Earth.) Instead, however, Booth raised an army of mutants, the "New Mutant Army," who he intended to use to overthrow the Judges and become president again. By 2129 he had discovered Fargo's stolen cryogenic unit, which had been lost in the Cursed Earth when Judd's agents' hovership crashed. When Dredd attempted to exchange the ransom for Fargo, Booth double-crossed him and put him on trial for treason, intending to execute him. However Dredd had anticipated this and planned a timely rescue by his comrades. Taken hostage for use as a human shield, Booth was killed by his own side during the ensuing battle.Back in Mega-City One, Fargo was revived again, but this time he did not survive. His final words were spoken to Dredd alone: "We created a monster ... we're the monster!" He told Dredd that the Judges had gone too far and had destroyed America, and urged Dredd to do everything he could to undo it. Dredd's reaction to this plea was not shown, but when Chief-Judge Hershey asked him what Fargo's last words had been, Dredd lied and pretended that Fargo had said something else less controversial. It was speculated at the time that this theme may be followed up in later stories. This speculation was soon proved correct. Origins was indeed expounded upon in a series of stories, starting with "Mutants in Mega-City One", written by John Wagner. In the first episode Dredd admitted to Hershey that he had lied about Fargo's last words. Hershey in turn admitted that Fargo had said the same thing to her, and that she had told the same lie to Dredd! However, whereas Dredd took Fargo's warning seriously, Hershey dismissed it as the ravings of a brain-damaged invalid, adding that she hoped Dredd would not consider resigning over their differences.This story also featured the return of some of the mutant Fargo Clan (who were first seen, briefly, in Origins) – mutant descendants of Fargo, and therefore Dredd's relatives. In this story, Dredd put forward a motion to repeal the anti-mutant laws, beginning a new story arc about mutants.

Tour of Duty - This far-reaching mega-epic will possibly be Dredd’s toughest test to date. Full of intrigue, betrayal and ultimately murder, primarily within the hallowed corridors of power inside Justice Department itself, who can the city’s greatest lawman truly trust? Dredd’s softening on the ‘mutant issue’, largely in part because of his own mutated genetic heritage, causes him to review the harsh laws on mutant’s rights. Dredd’s new stance to repeal the anti-mutant laws, has not gone down well with the citizens, and this is reflected with many of his colleagues in the department, earning him powerful enemies. With only the backing of Chief-Judge Hershey (and precious few others) Dredd knows that other factions within the Grand Hall are vehemently opposed to his proposed legislature, and feel the time is right for a regime change. Enter Judge Dan Francisco, star of his own hit reality TV show, The Streets of Dan Francisco. Having Mega-City One’s top-rated vid show means that he is a familiar face to the citizens, with a massive fan base. Behind the scenes lurks the ambitious desk jockey, Judge Martin Sinfield. Recently promoted from Head of Traffic Division, to re-organise Administration, the shrewd Sinfield notices Hershey’s dramatic fall in popularity. Together with fellow senior Judges, Cardew and Millan, Sinfield just needs a credible figurehead to lead a campaign to remove Hershey from office in a recall election. Heroic street Judge and TV star, Dan Francisco, is the perfect patsy - a good Judge with a high profile, and massive public approval rating. After an on-screen assassination attempt, with Francisco barely surviving, the popular candidate wins the election hands down. With new Chief-Judge Francisco still in critical condition, Sinfield is made Deputy-Chief. However, he easily establishes himself as the real power behind the throne. His first act, realising the necessity to remove any opposition in his rise to power, was to send Judges Dredd and Hershey to oversee the construction of the newly-built work farms out in the Cursed Earth. Having sidelined Judge Dredd into managing the Cursed Earth mutant camps, the manipulative Judge Sinfield’s plan to take over Mega-City One starts to unfold. With the newly appointed Chief-Judge Dan Francisco being too ill to carry out his duties, Sinfield’s inexorable rise seems to go without a hitch; that is until he unknowingly clashes with the wrong man - notorious serial killer PJ Maybe. Maybe, bored with life of luxury in the corrupt Central American mega-city of Ciudad Barranquilla, concocts an elaborate scheme to install himself as Mayor of Mega-City One, and it turns out he was pretty damn good at it! With his life in danger, Sinfield can only turn to one man for help - Judge Dredd! Mega-City One’s toughest lawman returns to his streets determined to bring Sinfield down and a killer to justice! This hugely significant story arc, is a riveting read, with plot twists galore and a fantastic pay-off. It also reprises Dredd and Alpha’s monumental Cursed Earth crossing, with Joe’s younger clone, Rico Dredd replacing the mutant bounty hunter - worth the cover price for that iconic final page alone!

There are a few multi-part storylines we’ve missed out, including, City of the Damned, The Pit & the more recent seismic shock of Day of Chaos, but the featured classic mega-epics cover most of the disaster-prone history of Mega-City One. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favour and read them. And even if you have, heck- read ‘em again!

#Judge Dredd #Mega Epics #2000AD #40 Years of Thrillpower #classic comics

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