Do you kick over sandcastles and tell kids about the horrors of the monarchy too? What is it called when you only get mad at a certain type of person for a kink so ubiquitous women will call their boyfriends daddy without pre-negotiation?
You are mad at people playing toys and convenient for fascism.
I'ma jst squeeze in here- OK HEAR ME OUT!! Kaboodle x Reader BUT they get in an argument when trying to 'save' someone or in the ship (whatever is fine, and the argument topic is up to ya!) And, yes, MAKE KABOODLE TRY N APOLOGIZE FIRST- *ahem* anywayz, yah :3
WAIT I LOVE THIS
also this is my first fic writing literally ever, so idk if i like how it turned out? it's a bit rough, but i'll probably edit it later (this has just been sitting in my ask box for so long, i felt guilty and wanted to post it asap!)
INFO:
kaboodle x reader could be platonic or romantic, it's whatever your heart desires (reader also has they/them pronouns)
i used y/n like once, but i try to avoid saying y/n because i think it takes you out of the moment a bit. if it bothers you, lmk and i'll replace it :)
word count: 1,117
divider credit @/strangergraphics
synopsis: kaboodle fucks up, you fuck up, and kaboodle fucks up even more. it's like a little mistake sandwich! delicious
"You are an asshole." You said quietly, eyes fixed on Kaboodle. Your last mission had finished just a few minutes ago, and you'd been trying to talk to him ever since. He'd been resolutely avoiding eye-contact, pretending to work on some mechanical aspect of the ship as you sat in the pilot's seat. You put down the stray thread you had been fidgeting with.
"I mean, really? That person was helping us, was practically on the ship, and you-"
"That 'person' was weighing us down. Besides, it was just some stupid side character." Kaboodle stated matter-of-factly. As if it didn't matter to him, who lived or died.
You almost laughed, but it got stuck in your throat. His voice was so infuriatingly even, his attitude so unbothered, and he still refused to fucking look at you. Did he even remember the person's name? Or the face they made as Kaboodle shoved them off of the landing deck? Maybe the scream and thud as they slammed to the deadly rocks below had stuck with him, though you doubted even that.
You couldn't forget any of it, though. Every detail, every sound, even the feel of the breeze was engraved into your memory. Yet your mind still felt floaty, like everything was blurred over. You could feel one thing acutely, though. A piece of clarity in the shithole of your current mental state.
Anger.
"God, can you have a heart for once in your life? Some compassion?" You yelled, finally standing and taking a step closer to Kaboodle as he persistently hunched over the ship controls.
"It's really not that serious." Kaboodle laughed. Not a real laugh, more of a forced, dry, fake.
"Oh, really? Then why won't you look at me?"
Finally, Kaboodle turned around to glare at you.
"Look, I don't know what 'Morally Superior Mx. Perfect' part you're trying to play here, but it's not working. That little side character was holding us down. If I hadn't kicked them off, we'd all be float! What part of that don't you understand?!" Kaboodle snapped. His attitude was an improvement from the stoicism earlier, but not by much.
"Well, I don't understand how you could be so heartless, Kaboodle!"
"I don't get how you're so brainless! Can't you just use your mind for once?" He shouted, stepping closer so he was right in front of you.
You took a step back, observing Kaboodle in silence.
"Kaboodle, why are you even here? Don't you see that the whole point of the Farcade is to save people? If you're really going to call me 'brainless', then do yourself a favor and join the fucking Syntax." You hissed, glowering at him.
Oh.
Shit, that was too far.
Kaboodle stared at you for a moment, wearing an expression you couldn't name. Every ounce of his being seemed to be in conflict, like he was a bowl of emotion just about to spill over. You both stood in silence for a second that felt like forever before he finally shuttered his expression into something neutral. When he finally spoke, his tone was forcefully even, every word spat with venom.
"I would have left you on your planet to die, if it wasn't for Kit."
There was a long beat of silence. All of the anger seemed to have drained out of you, leaving only a bone-deep hurt that couldn't be fixed with any item. The part that burned the most wasn't the actual words (though those stung as well), it was the fact that he seemed to mean it.
Was that what he really, truly thought?
You took another step back, mind still reeling, when Kaboodle finally seemed to realize what he said.
"Oh. Oh, wait, fuck! You- You know I didn't mean that, right? I mean, it wasn't meant to be taken seriously! Wait, no, what I meant to say was you shouldn't be this sensitive about it! Or, no..." He stammered, as the full weight of his words hit him.
Was this really his attempt at an apology? This was pathetic. It was like he was sprinkling salt in a wound, then rubbing it in as deep as possible. With a piece of sandpaper.
"Really?" you said, monotone. "It sure seemed like you meant it."
You stood there for a beat, waiting for him to say something else. He never did. He just looked up at you with a sad, apologetic stare, as if that could fix anything.
Well, wasn't that stupid? Weren't you so stupid? How could you ever think Kaboodle thought of you any differently than everyone else on the ship? How could you have believed he thought of you as more than another Gobbles or Flappers?
His words must have been true. He was just a cold, metal robot, after all. How could you expect him to behave any other way?
You turned around and started walking to your room. Sure, you were still stuck in the same ship as Kaboodle for the forseeable future. And sure, this probably wasn't the best way to deal with things, but who cared?
God, your brain needed to calm down with the questions. Just as you were about to walk out of the control room, something grabbed your arm, jarring you out of your thoughts.
It was Kaboodle. Looking up at you with those same, kicked-puppy eyes that infuriated you, even if it was slightly unfair. You almost ripped your arm away from his, until he started talking. Tumbling his way through another apology. Somehow, though, this felt different.
"Look, you have to know I didn't mean to hurt you. No, not that... I'm sorry for hurting you. I was wrong. I was mad and pissed off and fucked up and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I- I just..."
He was looking straight into your eyes. It was as if you could see every thought, every emotion in his mind.
You could tell he was being honest. But did that even matter now?
"Kaboodle, I fucked up too. And I'm sorry for that, too. It's just, like- I don't know if I can just sit here and pretend to ignore the stuff you said. I don't know if that would be right."
You gently removed your arm from his, offering him a small smile. Maybe his words still stung a little. And maybe you had still hurt him as well. But, all things considered, the last ten minutes just weren't worth ruining your best friendship over.
Now that you thought about it, it had been kind of a while since anyone had been actually piloting the ship. Hold on, was that-
"OH SHIT KABOODLE WE'RE ABOUT TO HIT AN ASTEROID!"
this line coming from little miss you're the most excellent cdc is sooo crazy to me. she KNOWS carmy's better. she tells other people he's the BEST. in the fucking WORLD, even. and then she pulls this shit???? it's so fucking funny she was so PISSED she just wanted to hurt carmy's ego. but maybe, for a second, it wasn't enough. like sure, carmen, you're better, but you're making everyone miserable and that's why i even considered leaving ! but carmen is so sure both him and syd smoke adam he doesn't even care about sydney's provocation. he is so sure syd is also the best he's suddenly clear minded. that's the only thing he is certain about in his entire fucking existence, so he starts to go off about how great she is.
