#perhaps. one other thing about them (specifically mario) is that there's more to him that meets the eye insofar that he's decidedly Worse. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lanatusnebula · 2 months

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Thinking about Reploids...

Caver Kanger Mouse's presence around a human at their time of death ends up becoming the main thing that sets off his descent. Pulled into the court where they label the more politically charged reploids as potential mavericks, he had to plead to those above him not to blame him for the accident. (It was a cave-in tbh)

While right in that he was innocent from harming a human, the manner of which he still broke a law of robotics was clear - "A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm." He has a problem with processing risk, which is part of his abilities as a cave spelunking assistant. The risk was too great, and rather than stopping the human from advancing into the cave, froze out of "fear". (emotions in reploids was still new at this time - something that is never really explained in the series is how each reploid responds to feeling emotions for the first time, as none of them are ever given the chance to experiment with these things as infants, since they never *are* infants).

I'd imagine that the earlier models made based on X's schematics are not as tweaked as the ones we see later in the actual game entries. This is all functioning under the assumption that robots in Megaman's time were simply emulating emotions in order to properly communicate with humans. But they were limited in what they could emulate. This presents the definitive line between X and Megaman - not just free speech, but true emotion. X functions under his own rules, and likely the Laws of Robotics, while Megaman functions in a semi-free manner under the orders of Dr. Light. I can't really explain it well because I'm extremely stupid, but the gist is - whatever Megaman felt was fake, whatever X felt is real.

Expecting a reploid, specifically an earlier model, to be able to handle raw emotions logically upon first being felt is a sort of story writing overstep. There's a lot of details in the games that suggest that replicated X's effectiveness in being as human as possible, is difficult or impossible. If they couldn't even create a reploid that could balance when wartime was necessary and when peace was the better option at this point in time, then there had to be some sort of evolution in how reploids handled emotions.

Zero's case specifically was unique. I don't think upon initial creation that he had the ability to feel and process emotions on the level of X. He might have! There are people who suggest that Zero's schematics are based on those stolen from Dr. Light (though I think I've seen his internals and they look pretty different...). Because we see Zero in Power Fighters 2, but not X, I'm unsure how true this is. There could very well be a situation where Zero and X were made separately with no real borrowing from each other, since we also know that Dr. Wily was equally as intelligent as Dr. Light.

I don't know. I don't like Classic Megaman LOL. It's all over the place so I'm just going based on the few games that actually did have plot (that I've played... somewhat.) I'm an old fogy (not as old as most Classic fans though) so my memory escapes me. Not trusting the wikis because I have seen some... things... that compromise its validity. (COUGH the mangas being suggested as canon ever COUGH)

ANYWAYS. Back to the reploid theories. They're advanced beings, but are flawed as they're creations of mankind. Like the robot masters before them, they likely had to undergo a series of improvements before they were considered viable as equals (in, what, MMZ?). As mentioned before, Zero's case is unique. There is a bit of a trope where a virus can rattle things in a machine's brain to give it emotions on par with humans (seen in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Dramatical Muder, Cafe Enchante...). I think it's bizarre. However! If a stroke can cause a human to gain a talent they never had before, perhaps there's some validity in it. Let's say Zero was nothing smarter than a mechanaloid in terms of emotional intelligence. Let's say that Zero's programming was made in a way that fixed whatever problems Bass may have had (such as disobeying orders). The virus that was intentionally (???) included in Zero might have locked him to this sort of mental state.

So, really quickly, Bass was an interesting case. He was an asshole. A creation (I believe) entirely made by Dr. Wily, probably ripping off Megaman's designs, seemed to have more flexibility in his mental processes than Megaman did. He could get mad, he had an attitude, etc. He had only one command given to him by Dr. Wily - to destroy Megaman. But he did a lot of other things, didn't he? He showed a degree of jealousy and scorn at the idea that Dr. Wily had another project that he was working on (Power Fighters 2) and I think that says volumes. He's not created to mimic the experience of having a child. He's not made to be someone's friend. He's a killing machine who is for some reason giving his opinions. Opinions. Megaman's dialogue typically had a one-note feel about them from what I recall. "Fighting is not necessary" (really following Laws of Robotics 1 and 3), and "Wily you have gone too far!" (following Dr Light's direction to stop Wily). What would Dr. Wily have to order Bass to do in order to get him to act in the way that he typically did? One might suggest Protoman had a sense of emotion as well, but I think that logic is... moreso tied to the mangas which I am pretending do not exist for Classic or MMZ. He seemed confused and aimless, if anything.

So back to Zero. A creation of Wily's, released who knows when, in reference to when X was awakened from whatever sleep Dr. Light put him in. The timeline seems scrambled in the PSP remake of X1. We can assume Zero was found after X? Maybe? ???? Was he put into a slumber like X or was he going around the entire time, only stopping occasionally to recharge? We just don't know!

At least, I don't know.

Zero and X being the bases (in a way) for the reploids (replicated androids) that came after them left humanity in a state where they had a bunch of knockoff Gucci merchandise running around. Zero's brain, organically being rewritten by the virus... leaving... his mind? I don't know how that works - And X having been polished until a man died and somewhat after that allowed them to escape the complications that the modern day ripoff had. Neither of them were afflicted by close proximity to other infected reploids. The virus didn't seem like it ever really affected them. X5 suggested otherwise very slightly, but that situation had to be set up in a VERY specific manner in order to happen.

And then X dies and Zero outlives him and still never really gets the virus after that. Zero was old as actual shit and yet had more emotional stability than a reploid made a mere 10 years prior. (Then again Copy X was made by a mere child so of course it had issues) But MMZ reploid mentalities are a whole other can of worms.

For the sake of storytelling, I will assume that initial reploids had emotional stability problems. They either didn't feel enough or felt too much. The ones that felt too much and acted on the newly acquired "impulse" emotion are then set up to be great hosts for maverick viruses or political maverick statuses (I guess like Boomer Kawanger).

I lost track of what I was talking about.

#lana please shut up #text post #caver kanger mouse

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pixies-and-poets · 1 year

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Hey Bramble, I come with another question:

Do you think that Bwario and Bwaluigi are causing ruckus here? What would have happened had Cursa recruited them into her army and brainwashed the Wario bros into serving her? Would they be one single mission or could they have been pestering nuisances?

I plan on making posts about their potential moveset and weapons, I ask because I want to know from you what you think about it.

So I assume you mean like, not only Bwario and Bwaluigi but like, the actual Wario and Waluigi being recruited as well? Because oh dang that sounds like one heck of a problem, haha. And a lot of fun cutscene potential.

I don't think any of them would give up so easily such that they would just be in one battle, and I imagine they could fill out some kind of recurring miniboss role. Had they been in the actual maingame of Sparks of Hope, they could perhaps replace some of the battles that were against just masses of darkmess (even though I tended to like those)- or rather, they could have been the enemies guarding the darkmess eyes instead of just random enemies. Like imagine fighting them on the train in addition to having to deal with attacking the corrupted wiggler on the side, instead of just being a bunch of stooges and medicians or whatever. They could be the appointed guardians of the mess that Cursa has already caused, while the actual spark hunters are trying to handle more high-level things (as when we meet them, each of them was trying to deal with a specific other person that Cursa saw as a threat - Midnite: Rabbid Rosalina, Bedrock: Bowser and Daphne: Momma).

Since there are five main planets, maybe you start out dealing with just one of them, and each planet adds another, until you have to fight all of them at once.

I'll leave moveset ideas to you, but one thing I thought of is that Wario can pick up Bob-ombs in the environment and throw them at the heroes, if you don't get to them first, since an affinity for bombs is a thing in a lot of his appearances. I also have Waluigi's affection for piranha plants burned into my brain since I was introduced to him in Mario Party 3 where they made a big deal of that, so idk if you want to run with that at all. It would be funny for Waluigi to have crazy movement range due to his long legs. And I was thinking of Waluigi having a magnet dance type thing, since one of his most notable villain appearances is in DDR Mario Mix of all things, which... come to think of it, Bwaluigi already has that, is that what that was supposed to be a reference to all along???!?!

#alter answers #mario + rabbids #mario plus rabbids #mario rpgs #bwario #bwaluigi #wario #waluigi

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sprnklersplashes · 2 years

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soulmate tattoo au because I’m trash (ao3)

Charlie Spring has spent the past four years and eight months of his life wondering how he ended up with this particular soulmate tattoo and which sin he committed in a previous life to be stuck with it.

It wouldn’t be so bad if he were like Elle and Tao, whose tattoos are so specific to one another that Tao fell off his chair when he first introduced them. And even when it took them a week to work it out, that was nothing more than stupid little preteen butterflies dancing in the way. Or perhaps if he were more like Isaac, who manages to be still blase about the concept of soulmates. Whenever Charlie asks, Isaac simply offers a wry smile and says that his soulmate is whichever book he’s reading at the moment. It’s slightly puzzling to Charlie, how he can treat the idea of his cosmically approved life partner with such disregard, but it makes him sort of calming to be around. He keeps him from completely spiralling, and sometimes he forgets how much he needs that.

These are the two options. One the universe could have given him, in the form of a less-general, more unique soulmate mark. The other he could give himself by simply calming down a little, not spending close to every waking moment obsessing over something he can’t control.

But no. Instead, he gets to be the type who clings to this as-yet-unknown soulmate, to cross days off his calendar until the day they finally meet. And that wouldn’t be so bad in itself if his soulmate tattoo, the first words his life partner will ever utter to him, is fucking hi .

So yes. He would have a serious bone to pick with the universe if he were the bone picking type. And his soulmate, whoever the hell they are.

“Are you sure that’s all there is to it?” Tao had asked him one day. They were thirteen, sitting in Tao’s room on a long-overdue Mario Kart session. Charlie had dropped the controller at the question, causing Yoshi to fly right off Rainbow Road. He turned to Tao, his mouth agape and his eyebrows so far raised that his fringe hid them. Tap had simply shrugged, so innocent-looking that Charlie wondered for a moment if he’d misheard them.

He told them all, Tao, Elle, and Isaac, just under a year prior. He knows that you’re not meant to tell anyone except your soulmate. It’s either a complete breach of trust or a bit taboo, depending on who you ask. But he’s found more people who’ve flouted that rule than followed it. Especially in school. Girls gleefully pull up shirts and roll up sleeves, showing their friends the sacred words inked on their skin and squealing with delighted anticipation. Boys tease each other, daring their mates to defy the universe and share it with them. It’s some macho thing he’s never understood, a contest of who is brave enough to be so vulnerable.

Besides, it’s not like he doesn’t already know Elle and Tao’s. If only because Elle called him the day after meeting Tao completely freaking out. Isaac keeps his under lock and key, and that’s fine by him. But he’s yet to meet one person who got messed up due to sharing theirs, and he needed to tell someone.

“What?” he had asked, dragging out every syllable. Tao ran a hand through his hair and looked back at the screen, his jaw clenching as his Wario slid into second place.

“Just… you know. It’s one word,” he explained. “Maybe the rest of it is somewhere else, and you just haven’t noticed.”

Charlie looks down, tossing the controller between his hands. Of course, Tao didn’t mean to, but a flurry of memories fluttered in his mind. Each one is more embarrassing than the last. Tao doesn’t press any further, but his eyes flit over to Charlie, and he watches his friend’s face soften, the classic ‘open mouth insert foot’ expression creasing his face.

“Do you want to-”

“I have checked,” Charlie says at precisely the same time. He looks over at him, their eyes meeting in a clash of openness, embarrassment and realisation. He shrugs, pretending like it’s no big deal. “Everywhere.”

“Oh.” Tao nods. Silence descends on the room for a few seconds. It cools Charlie’s cheeks and lessens the pressure sitting on his chest. The corner of his mouth even curls up, although he forces it down just as quickly. A laugh bubbles up in his throat, and he swallows it. Tao’s head is turned away from him, but when he cranes his neck, he sees the glitter in his eyes.

“Everywhere?”

“Oh, shut up!” Charlie hits him with a pillow, and then the world is enveloped in their laughter.

He meets Ben a few months later. It begins with that same word that’s been giving him heart attacks for years now, but it’s slightly different now. It’s different because Ben is pretty and has soft-looking lips and lovely eyes, and currently, he’s the only person outside of his friend group who looks at him without disgust in his eyes. His social standing has gone from bad to worse in the past weeks, so Ben even looking his way feels odd. Actual verbal words feel unthinkable.

“S-sorry? Are you talking to me?” he had said. Ben smiled at that, beautiful and slightly terrifying. They were alone in the quiet little room where he kept his drum kit, and Charlie tried not to kick himself. Ben slid closer to him, the neon lights reflected in his brown eyes, and Charlie’s blood ran cold. The fateful first words hung between them like dust in sunbeams, the anticipation so thick Charlie felt in danger of strangulation.

“Who else would I be talking to?” he said quietly. He looked around then, his jaw clenching. His knee brushed gently against Charlie’s. “What’re you doing after school?”

Charlie stumbled out of the room and into maths just minutes later, his brain buzzing like a radio searching for a signal and the ghost of Ben’s kiss lingering on his lips.

In hindsight, he should’ve listened to Tori.

His sister has similar views to Isaac on the soulmate issue. At least, he thinks she does. He knows it goes against her worldview, her professional, permanent pessimism. She’s kept her tattoo a closely guarded secret her whole life, leaving Charlie wondering if she had one. Tori is an old soul trapped in a teenage girl’s body. He wouldn’t be surprised if this weren’t her first turn about the globe. She has a kind of wisdom most people her age probably shouldn’t have, and he forgot that right when he needed it most.

“You seem happy,” she had remarked. It was a few weeks into his and Ben’s relationship, and that day was a particularly good kissing session. They had even talked a little bit before and after. Not that he was planning on telling Tori any of that, not when it was so new, and Ben was still figuring himself out. So he settled to hide his grin behind his phone and pretend he wasn’t eyeing his DMs. Tori knew, of course. “Do I get to know his name?”

“What makes you think there’s a he?” he had asked, feigning calmness. “Why can’t I just be happy about life?”

“Intuition,” she replied before taking a sip of her lemonade. “No one is that happy about life itself.”

“Well, your intuition might be off.” Tori raised an eyebrow at him, a silent how very dare you in her action. “And some people are happy about life.”

“Yeah. Weirdos.”

Charlie went back to Instagram, chuckling under his breath at Tao’s story. His friend’s newest drawing filled the split-screen; the picture turned landscape on the top and portrait on the bottom. A mess of colours and lines, and in the middle, Tao put a poll, asking his followers to decide if it was a Tree or a Lampost. He put a hashtag #impressionism for good measure. Charlie selected the tree and sent a quick “Van Gogh is shaking”.

“What did he say to you?” Tori asked. Charlie looked up, his hands tightening on his phone to stop them from shaking. He replayed the last three minutes in his head and was sure he never gave anything away about Ben.

“Who?”

“You know.” She sipped her lemonade quietly. “Your mystery boy.”

“I told you,” he said. “There is no mystery boy.”

“I see.” Tori turned her back to him then, back to whatever she was blogging about before she got the urge to annoy him. Charlie let out a long exhale and opened 2048, planning to swipe numbers into each other until his pulse returned to normal.

Unfortunately, his sister wasn’t done.

“Did he say it?” He didn’t need to ask what she meant by ‘it’. The inflection in her voice was enough. Did he utter that fateful word destined to turn his world upside down? Is this it now? Has he found the person he’s meant to be with forever? The start of a new part of his life, the one where it’s him and Ben. Is the great question finally answered?

His hand moved to his arm of its own accord, fingers brushing against where his jumper conceals his mark. It’s there. He could find that spot blindfolded in a dark room. It’s like another limb, an extension of himself despite it being flat on his skin.

The word yeah formed in his mind and stuck in his throat. The possibility of it being Ben was steadily solidifying in his mind, and he was left cold and shaky if he thought about it for too long.

“Be careful, even if he did,” Tori said as if she had heard him. “Just… be careful.” She turned and looked over her shoulder, and Charlie could see the older-sister protective glint in her eyes. “You have to be sure about those things.”

“Can I ask you something?” he asked Elle one lunchtime. The two of them sat in the corner of the art room, watching Tao slave over a project he had until the end of the day to finish. There’s enough space between them that he doubts Tao will listen in, plus the pure, unbreakable concentration on his work has him trapped for at least an hour.

“Sure.”

Charlie rubs his hands together, his mouth dry. He wrote three drafts of this question down during maths and muttered it under his breath repeatedly, yet now his mind is a blank page.

“When you… heard Tao for the first time…. How did you know?” Elle turns, her eyebrow raised. Her mouth might hang open, too, were it not for the raw carrot she just bit into. She chews slowly, digesting Charlie’s question, and he sees her mind working behind her eyes.

“Why?” she asked in a low voice. “Did someone-”

“Maybe,” he says quickly. Her eyes widen, and he jumps in before she can start the parade. “I just need to know. Mine is so common. It’s not fair. So was there anything else? Some… other sign that you knew it was Tao?”

Elle leans back, her hands pressed flat against the table. Her legs kick in the air as she ponders, lips pursed, and Charlie waits with rapt attention and regrets opening his mouth.

“Yeah,” she says after a while. “Yeah, I guess there was.” There’s a sort of dreamy, soft smile on her face that almost lessens his regret. “I can’t explain it. But it was like… It was like realising I was trans. Minus all the… you know… stuff.” She gestures vaguely with her hand. “But it was this feeling of…. Oh. Like some missing piece of myself slot into place-the world slotted into place.” She picks at her trousers. “Sorry if this sounds weird.”

“No, it’s fine,” he said. “So you just… even if you’d forgotten what your tattoo said… you’d have known.”

She pauses for a long time, then whispers, “yeah”. It sounds almost like a prayer, like something he shouldn’t overhear.

She slips her hand into his and gives it a squeeze.

“Don’t worry, kid,” she tells him. “When you find your little hi, you’ll know.”

“My little hi,” he echoes. He turns to her, a dumb joke about ‘feeling a little high’ ready, but his buzzing phone cuts him off.

‘Meet tomorrow morning?’ He turns his head slightly as he answers, hoping Elle won’t see the pink blush on his cheeks. He does note the irony of Ben texting him now when he’s been on his mind all day. As though Charlie willed this text into existence.

Timing is a funny thing, to put it mildly.

He made up his mind that night; Ben was his soulmate. It wasn’t just a coincidence; it was fate. Ben didn’t even know what his tattoo said, and he’s the first person who said it to him and stuck around. He felt everything Elle said she felt with Tao, an overwhelming rush, feeling like he’d finally found his place. As for Tori, she was just being protective. Ben was his soulmate, he decided he knew it, and everything else was just because soulmates are scary.

Unsurprisingly, he was wrong.

He had asked Ben carefully, quietly, a month into it. Ben had pulled away from him, face creasing with confusion, and asked why he wanted to know. Charlie even offered to show him his. Ben had just smiled in a way that was just ambiguous to make him believe it and said he’d show him later. Charlie didn’t mind because everything about Ben lived in the land of later. He’ll introduce Charlie to his friends ‘later’, they’d hang out at his house ‘later’, so Charlie can see his soulmate tattoo ‘later’.

Except later came, and he never saw it. Charlie showed him his though, and in the absence of anything else, he took Ben’s kiss as proof.

He discovered Ben’s lie just before Christmas break. Discovered the girlfriend, what his mark said, everything. They came after each other in quick succession like a stream of bullets fired at him. Ben dealt with it by ignoring him and then distracting him with kisses when they were alone. Charlie had pushed him off, a deep shame filling him. First for believing him, then for having unknowingly gone behind this poor girl’s back. All he could do was ask why; “why didn’t you tell me about her, why didn’t you tell me your mark wasn’t about me, why did you let me think it was?”

“Why do you even care?” Ben shouted back, his voice echoing off the lockers. They were alone; everyone else had gone home for the break, which was likely the only reason Ben was being so loud. Charlie squirmed at the disgust in Ben’s eyes, the exact look he’d spent months enduring from his classmates. The one Ben didn’t have, which drew him into him.

“Ben I-”

“What?” The corner of his mouth twitched up then, disbelief clouding his brown eyes. “You thought we were soulmates?” He barked a laugh, cold and jagged as barbed wire. “You’re not even my boyfriend, Charlie. How could you think that?”

“I-” The syllable spluttered out pathetically, and his voice wasn’t nearly as strong as his answer deserved. “I never want to see you again.”

They both stood there, digesting his declaration. Charlie watched as Ben’s image blurred and distorted, the colours of his uniform blending with the colours of his skin, his hair. Vaguely, he heard Ben warn him not to tell anyone about them. He grabbed his arm and pulled him close, his hot breath scratching against Charlie’s face.

When he let go and walked away, Charlie looked down at his arm. The fabric of his jumper was twisted and wrinkled, right over where his mark is.

How could he think that indeed?

If Charlie was frustrated by his mark before, this is what makes him loath it. He sits in the corner of his room that night, staring down at his arm. The two letters sit in neat handwriting, and he kicks himself again for thinking it was Ben. Every story he has heard about soulmates thus far talks about the joy of finding your life partner, the safety of knowing you’ll never have to go through anything alone. Even those who haven’t found theirs treat their marks with reverence, dreaming about their person being out there, somewhere. The marks make every day an adventure for most people, yet his has made his life unbearable.

He shudders against his wall, his skin crawling as Ben’s phantom hands wander on it. He’s not the first to have kissed someone other than his soulmate, and there’s no rule saying you can’t. But he believed he was, and the violation cuts deep into his body. He touches his fingers to his lips, only to gag when he remembers they’re the same lips Ben had kissed. He had let Ben kiss him there and was happy to as long as he dangled that promise in front of him. The more he thinks about it, the deeper the knife goes, and worse still, he can’t stop. It’s like an addict chugging drink; his mind goes deeper despite his heart’s pleas to stop. Tears and snot mix with the sweat running down his face, and he drags his nails up and down his bare legs, praying for a relief that never comes. His heart gets louder and faster and louder and faster, and it crawls up in his throat until he grabs a pillow and releases his scream into it.

Tori appeared in the doorway, her laptop clutched close to her chest. There’s a distinct lack of “I told you so” in her gaze that most sisters might have, making it worse.

“Go away,” he mutters. She doesn't listen because, of course, she doesn’t, and the bed sinks as she sits down beside him. She doesn’t say anything, though. Instead, he feels her hand on his back, rubbing between his shoulder blades. They stay there; no words exchanged, just her hand and him crying, which turns to hiccuping and gasping, which turn to shuddered breaths. Eventually, his legs move, and the pillow is soaked through and turned from yellow to a sort of beige. Tori pulls his hair away from his sticky cheeks and smooths it out, bringing back memories from their childhood. Her touch is so gentle that it almost shocks him. This whole thing had nearly made him forget soft touches existed.

Seconds, then minutes, pass in silence, but Tori’s eyes never leave his face. Her intuition can only lead her so far; she needs him to finish the puzzle for her. His throat tightens as he tries to say it, his body begging him to leave it in the past. Let him pretend it never happened.

“I showed him,” is all he says.

Tori doesn’t need to say anything. The look on her face is enough.

He decides he’s finished with soulmates after that. Everyone else can have theirs, fine, but looking at his mark now makes him retch. He first covers it with a plaster, then with makeup. It takes time to get it right, and even then, he lives with the knowledge that it’s there, just a baby wipe away. The mark taunts him with the knowledge that he can’t remove it. Nothing in life is permanent except this stupid thing, and it will be a reminder of every time he got his hopes up and that day he was stupid enough to let someone in. Some days he swears he feels it burning on his skin; other days, he can’t bear to use that arm for anything.

He wonders if he could cut it out. He tells himself he wouldn't, but he Googles it all the same. Just to check. Apparently, very few have tried cutting their soulmate mark off. To do so is unthinkable, even as he considers it.

He finds one story from a girl whose soulmate died too soon. She said she sliced through her mark when it became too painful to look at, but when the wound healed, the words remained, as did the scars.

“They were the first words she ever said to me,” her statement reads. “And now I’ve ruined them forever.”

Below is an image of her soulmate’s first words to her inked across her shoulder blades, but thick white lines run between and behind them. The picture is shocking, even with the warning beforehand. To see a mark disfigured like this is like to see a person with their face sliced away, and Charlie snaps the computer shut.

So the mark remains hidden until he learns to live with it.

“Oh! If it isn’t Charlie Spring, happy new year.”

“Hi, sir.”

“Come to join the ranks of Hamlet House?”

“Apparently so.” If Mr Lange picks upon his prickly disposition, he doesn’t comment on it. It’s not as though he didn’t try to pick himself up. And the Christmas break had been better than he thought it would, though he has a sneaking suspicion much of that was down to his friends and Tori going out of their way to cheer him up. Movie nights, letting him control the remote, Tao even let him talk about a new book he’d started for an hour straight. Some days, most days, he’d forget about Ben and soulmates for a few hours, and almost believe he was okay.

Then school started again, and Truham did what Truham does; fucked him up. Last night, he lay in bed with lead lining his stomach and a head full of potential scenarios, none of which had him coming out on top.

“Let’s see, where did I put you on the seating plan,” Mr Lange says, pulling Charlie back to reality. “Ah yes, you’re over there. Next to Nicholas Nelson. He’s in Year 11, so only one year older than you. One of the rugby lads-”

He thankfully is able to stop himself from yelling out, “are you fucking kidding me?”. Year 11 is not ideal, but rugby lad is worse. Ben might not play rugby, but he’s friends with people who do. People like Harry, who makes life hell for anyone outside the straight cis white male demographic. His entire friend group has been the target of Harry’s harassment. And yes, not all rugby boys are like that; Harry and Ben are particular breeds, but the word is enough to set him on edge.

He swallows his tirade just as Mr Lange finishes talking and turns to meet his new neighbour. He doesn’t look like a rugby boy, although who is he to decide what someone should look like. He-Nicholas, he remembers-bends over a notebook, scribbling something with a pen, oblivious to the sea of chatter going on around him.

He’s quite pretty, Charlie realises as he inches closer. His brown hair falls over his forehead slightly, his profile giving the impression of soft-looking cheeks, his arms just slightly straining against his shirt. He looks up then, and Charlie sees brown eyes, full lips, and freckles scattered across his nose and cheeks like tiny autumn leaves. His breath catches in his throat, even more so when Nick Nelson’s mouth turns up into a slight smile. The morning sun streams through the window, giving him a gentle glow, turning his hair even lighter brown.

The air swiftly rushes out of his lungs as he sits down beside him. His hands wrap around the side of the chair as he pulls it in. He’s even prettier up close, with full cheeks and more freckles than he thought possible and eyes that are impossibly deep.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Nick Nelson replies.

For the first time, he doesn’t flinch at the word. In fact, he barely registers it at all. All he can feel is this overwhelming yet puzzling sense of peace. Like he’s not in school at all but sitting on the beach in the middle of summer, looking out at the ocean. Open air, open space, open everything. Like he could run into the glittering sea and keep going, unafraid.

It takes him a minute to put two and two together. It takes him all morning to process it.

At lunch, he washes the make-up off his arm.

It takes a year for Charlie to ask. A year of…, not perfection, but also a year of happiness and laughing and hugging and kissing and loving. Just purely loving someone freely and unabashedly. A whole year, and he’s still not tired of it.

They’re sitting in Nick’s bedroom, curtains drawn and lights on. Charlie wears Nick’s jumper because it’s softer than his and feels like him. And they’ve spent all night playing Mario Kart and kissing, and Nick played with his hair… so he asked.

“I’ll show you mine too,” he says. Nick nods, apprehension dancing in his eyes, but his smile shines like the little stars above his bed.

“Okay.”

They break apart their spoon and sit with their knees touching, their eyes looking into each other, both hands on their sleeves. Charlie’s on his left arm. Nick’s on his right. He should be scared, he thinks. Maybe he is, a little. If they’re wrong, the past year of his life will have been for nothing.

But even as his heart pounds in his throat, it doesn’t feel wrong. Even as his world grows more uncertain, Nick is the one thing he'd bet his life on.

“On three,” Nick agrees. “One…”

“Two…”

“Three.”

There it is. There, sitting just inside Nick’s elbow, written in a handwriting he’s known all his life. Hi.

A twin to the one on his own.

He thinks of all the times he cursed his mark, those two little letters that mocked him and drove him insane and let people take advantage of it. The mark he tried to cover up, wished didn’t exist. The mark that now proves who is soul-and heart-belong to. The boy sitting across from him and smiling brighter than any star could.

“I knew it,” Nick says. “I bloody knew it.” Before Charlie can say anything, Nick’s lips are on his. He tastes like tea and feels like coming home. He kisses him until he's breathless and until they're flat on the bed with legs tangled in sheets. He kisses like a declaration, saying everything his words can't. I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, you're amazing, I never want this to end.

And that's one of the best parts of a soulmate. Once you find them, there is no end. Just them.

#heartstopper #nick x charlie #heartstopper fanfic #nick nelson #charlie spring #alice oseman #charlie x nick #i tried tm

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aminiatureworld · 3 years

Text

Spotlight

Characters: Albedo, Kazuha, Xiao, gn!reader

Word Count: 3,707

Warnings: Swearing

Premise: Modern AU in which the reader’s s/o is famous.

Author’s Note: My first crack at a modern AU and I enjoyed it immensely! My personal media of choice definitely came through in this prompt. I would now kill for Albedo to read Shakespeare. Also streamer Kazuha is an inspired idea, thank you anon for that! Not to mention musician Xiao, truly chef’s kiss.

Albedo

Albedo was a stage actor, both by education and by trade. Starting in high school he began in local productions, before entering into the Mondstadt Theateracademie. After appearing as Estragon in a filmed version of Waiting for Godot, he began to be scouted for various television miniseries, eventually becoming a well-respected film actor.

You arrived somewhere in the middle of his career. Working as a costume assistant at the Academie you had quickly fallen for the inquisitive and deceptively intense soul that exuded every color of emotion onstage, from raging anger to soft sorrow, before stepping into the wings and resuming an aura of utter calm. He had captivated you, both as an actor and as a human being; and when you learned that he had also become slightly infatuated with you, well, it was hard not to feel like you had stepped into a wonderful play, or perhaps simply a wonderful play had been brought to life.

The switch from theatre to screen was certainly a jarring one for both of you. When the first film contract was offered Albedo had stared at it for a long time, rereading it over and over again as the coffee in front of him quickly turned cold.

“Is there something wrong with the contract?” You had asked.

“No, it’s not that. It’s only…”

“Only?”

“Only on stage there is a single audience. You can feel their reactions, can measure their response. There is nothing nebulous about the people around you. But on film you cannot do that. You cannot adjust for time of day, or whether it’s a weekend or a Friday performance. You must let your lines out and hope that they land without even being able to calculate it.”

“It’s not a science experiment my darling,” you had teased.

“Maybe not,” Albedo admitted. Still he continued to read and reread, and it was only until the next afternoon that he had told you his answer.

Still, you had to admit that he made a fantastic actor. The naturally inward part of your partner’s personality, the part that always seemed to jump out the moment he left the stage, worked well to balance with the camera’s need for subtlety, unlike the projection required for stage plays. It was little surprise then that he should grow so popular. Despite all the worries about measuring audience response, there was no doubting the success of Albedo’s acting career.

Being a naturally withdrawn person Albedo mostly stayed off of social media. He had one private Instagram for friends – he didn’t post anything; one private Facebook for family – the only picture was one of you two in the mountains next to a particularly weird looking rock; and WhatsApp – which could barely be counted. Thus when he started blowing up on Twitter – a platform you had a mostly unused account on – the reaction was mostly one of “why are they talking about me?”

Not that Albedo minded fan enthusiasm, indeed when people started showing up in droves at the stage door for him he was always careful to thank everyone collectively and talk to as many people as possible, it just sort of confused him that so many people should take a vested interest in the actor and not just the character.

“It’s because they want to show you how wonderful they think your performances are,” you’d explained.

“I don’t have Twitter,” Albedo deadpanned.

Despite his protests though you sometimes caught him scrolling on your account, face slightly red at all the positive attention. His habit of internal self-deprecation had never truly gone away. That fact became slightly unfortunate in the face of hate comments. It was hard for Albedo not to take things personally. If someone said his acting was shit then you would catch Albedo reading the same line over and over again, as if to achieve mathematical perfection. It was a difficult urge to fight, and you were always careful to give Albedo plenty of reassurance when these things popped up, as well as surreptitiously blocking the trolls that wandered their way onto your dash.

This habit to take things at face value did not apply when you entered the mix. As far as Albedo was concerned you were his partner and no amount of complaining online would make him second guess that or second guess your worth. Even if you thought that you had a better hold on social media assholerly than he did Albedo would still make sure that for every hate comment that floated your way there were at least three compliments on his part. Mentioning you off-handedly in press interviews, saying that he had to go home to his partner, leaving small sketches on post-it notes scattered throughout your apartment, there were no lengths that Albedo wouldn’t go to assure you. And, if you had to admit, these things truly did make you feel better on the days when the small part of your brain said that this wasn’t mindless social media harassment.

Being an actor Albedo had an incredibly fine-tuned sense of the way that people responded to emotions, as if he were performing some grand sort of scientific experiment to see how many people he could sway with his gift. As of such he was always careful that, regardless of his success, things between you were never upturned. You were with him before he was really famous, and you would be there during and after. Albedo loved you deeply; though he often said that he hated romance plays for how sappy they were in his mind your relationship was the one, glowing exception – regardless of the other happy couples in the world. Though it was slightly idealistic, it was the kind of intensity that comprised Albedo’s personality, was the thing that had garnered him so much success.

Albedo loved you deeply, and no amount of surprise movie contracts would change that.

Kazuha

You had to admit that when you had met Kazuha you had no idea about his double life as a streamer. He was merely one of the many singers that came and went to the recording studios, all people eager to unleash their talent on the world. But unlike the rest of them, Kazuha could make you laugh.

Perhaps then it was unsurprising that Kazuha should be a popular streamer. Though his often florid talking style might seem on paper like it would be too grating for streaming, in reality his soft cadence combined with a dry sense of humor made him wildly popular. He rarely lost his temper, making him palatable to those who wanted to have a fun time without blowing their ears out, and when he did lose it his hyper-specific, often nonsensical insults were the stuff of memes. No, in retrospect it was not all that surprising that Kazuha was a beloved streamer.

At heart though, Kazuha had told you over coffee, the enthusiastic and earnest internet sensation was a poet.

“When you’ve had a life as dissonant as mine, how can you not be?” He’d joked. And indeed perhaps he was right, for Kazuha was as wonderful a poet as you had ever read. He was born to be a writer, you had told him.

You were also an aspiring singer, as well as a friend of the studio owner where you did your recordings. As such you had made it a habit to help around the studio when you weren’t also working or studying. As you and Kazuha were both students with intense side jobs, the good natured complaining of overworked students also made their way into you rapport, a friendship that grew day-by-day. Eventually it sprouted into love.

Though you knew that Kazuha was a streamer when your relationship started, in reality you hadn’t realized how truly popular he had become. The first time you watched one of his streams you were blown away by his popularity. Watching your first livestream only cemented that. It was hard to believe that your down-to-earth, slightly self-effacing, partner could have garnered such a large fanbase. Not that you didn’t think he deserved it. He absolutely did. However after seeing that you admitted you were a bit awestruck.

“Why? Am I not the same person on screen and off?”

“Of course you are! It’s just, well, my partner’s a celebrity!”

“I would go that far,” Kazuha laughed.

“Well you certainly are to me!”

Nevertheless your dynamic didn’t change much afterwards, besides the occasional teasing on both of your parts. Kazuha was after all Kazuha at the end of the day.

At the beginning Kazuha didn’t mention you much on stream, certainly not by name, you had to admit you were a bit intimidated by the idea of being recognizable on the internet, even if it was just by name.

“This is also my partner’s favorite map.” Had been his first mention, during a game of Mario Kart.

Despite this offhanded remark however the chat had almost immediately exploded, followed by the rest of the fanbase. Though there was, of course, some disappointed buzz – isn’t there always – the reaction was immensely positive. Positive, and curious.

After a while Kazuha started mentioning you more often in streams, especially after the two fo you moved in. Sometimes you would hear him as you passed him room – Kazuha liked to keep the door open – other times you would watch it on stream yourself.

“My partner hates this character. Too bad you can’t throw evidence.”

“Nobody tell my partner that I’m afraid of basements. I don’t need them to know that when laundry day rolls around.”

“Hey if you’re watching this dear, I promise that it’s not that much money. You don’t need to look at the bank account. Who am I kidding, this is why we don’t share one.”

“Hey, darling I know you’re watching this. Can you check and make sure I left my keys on the coffee table, they aren’t on my desk. Also can you make tea?”

Despite fans knowing very little about you, you were surprised by the amount of positive comments that flooded the streams. You had to admit that your initial expectations had been “people are going to find me annoying”. Instead funny comics of your voice drifting in from the other room popped up, along with a lot of waving and “tell your partner not to trust you with the keys” after Kazuha fell off a cliff one too many times. It was an odd experience, to be so happy about the comments of faceless people, people to whom you were also faceless.

Eventually Kazuha’s hardwork in singing paid off and his first single was recorded and given a deal. On the evening of the release livestream Kazuha set up in the living room, angling the camera so that you could sit on the chair just out of frame. You had talked about the release for months now, and a few weeks ago Kazuha had brought up the idea of a pseudo-stream reveal.

“I was wondering if you’d like to say hello to the audience or wave when my song is released. I understand that you’re hesitant about those sort of things, and I would never ask of you something that would make you uncomfortable. This relationship is the most precious thing to me, and I wouldn’t want you to feel pressured or exploited in any ways.”

“Thank you for being so considerate Kazuha. I’ll think about it.”

Now you sat in the chair, fidgeting slightly, waiting as the countdown on his laptop reached one. You excitement certainly seemed matched by that of the fans, who were typing wildly in the chat.

Eventually the screen faded to black and the chatting quieted down. The first few notes of a wooden flute emerged, combined with the strumming of a guitar. As the familiar words began to echo through the laptop speaker you found yourself washed away. Kazuha was always enthralling when he sang. At the end of the song was a dedication, and though Kazuha had already alluded to it, the sincerity still took your breath away.

To my dearest partner. My compass and my guiding star throughout this realization of my dream. You are my sun and my stars, and I’m forever devoted to you. Thank you for sharing in this project, and thank you for giving me such love.

Perhaps it was slightly saccharine. Regardless you felt the sudden, uninhibited urge to cry.

“So, what did everyone think?” Kazuha asked into the mic, face reappearing on screen. He was slightly giddy, and you watched as his hand tugged on the fabric of his linen belt.

Immediately the chat exploded, as waves of “that was amazing”, “I’m crying now”, and “the end was so sweet!” flooded the screen.

“Thank you all for the encouragement!” Kazuha let out a laugh, one that you could tell was one of utter euphoria, and no little relief. “There’s someone else I think who would like to thank you.”

Who knew that a small sentence could cause such a splash?

You barely had time to let out a tentative “Hello,” before an immediate wave of excited screaming covered the bottom left of Kazuha’s stream. “Thank you for supporting Kazuha’s song. And thank you for always being nice to me.” With a tentative wave of the hand you collapsed back on your chair, slightly hysterical laughter rising inside you out of the relief that flooded through you upon seeing the enthused fan reaction.

Afterwards your voice became the occasional guest on Kazuha’s streams, always greeted with enthusiasm. Kazuha continued to grow in popularity, and his music continued to capture a larger and larger audience.

All throughout this you never felt a snag in your relationship. Kazuha may have been a big streaming personality, but he was also a kind and considerate partner, the best that one could ask for in a significant other. Kazuha’s love was never in question. And neither was yours.

Xiao

Sometimes you were a little self-conscious about the way that you met Xiao.

Though Xiao had definitely grown a following by the time you met – being the main pianist for a popular singer and a classical pseudo-prodigy in both piano and flute his own right certainly had roped him an enthusiastic fanbase – you had simply known him as “the guy who hogs the practice room”.

“I swear to the gods, how long can that bastard take to practice!” You texted angrily at your friend one day. Qixing Conservatory was the premiere music place in Liyue, but what should’ve been an amazing opportunity was being overshadowed by a practice room partner who appeared to not have a life, one who also had the obnoxious habit of playing the same damn thing over, and over, and over again.

“Playing the same piece as before?”

“Yes! Ugh I don’t even know what it’s called but I’ve heard it enough times to last a lifetime, maybe five!”

“Damn I’m sorry, what time does he usually end?”

“I don’t even know. Some time in the early evening. It’s obviously never gotten through to his brain that other people also need to practice. Or that hearing the same notes over and over while waiting makes me want to chuck my binder against a wall.”

“Lol. I kinda want to hear it now. Can you send a video, will the sound pick up?”

“I don’t know how it wouldn’t.”

“…”

“Holy shit! Okay, I need you to watch this video and tell me if you recognize the pianist.”

Safe to say you nearly fell out of your chair upon figuring out Xiao’s identity. Not that you weren’t already about to out of pure exasperation. Still, there was something much more intimidating about shaming a successful musician, and you no longer had the urge to glare at Xiao every time he left the practice room. Honestly, you would have been perfectly happy keeping your head down and never interacting with him at all.

Fate, however, has a sense of humor.

To be fair, some of it was your fault. You knew that Erlkonig was a massively difficult piece. You knew that you should’ve picked something else, knew that even Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata mvt. Three had to be less painful than the non-vocal arrangement you’d placed in front of your eyes. You were never trusting your music taste with your piece choices again. This was a terrible mistake.

“These stupid fucking running notes!” You let out, a groan of exasperation racing through you. Half slamming (you weren’t crazy) the piano cover down you swung the door of the practice room open. You didn’t want to deal with this anymore. Trying to ignore the embarrassment that rose up seeing Xiao waiting on a chair next to the door you went to walk down the hallway.

“You should work on it with a dotted sixteenth note pattern.”

It was the first time that Xiao had ever spoken to you.

Afterwards a rapport slowly grew between the two of you. Often Xiao said nothing as you passed, rarely you made a gesture of recognition when he finally reappeared from the practice room. However soon the occasional word or phrase of advice grew into longer sentences, later these sentences evolved into pieces of conversation. Soon enough you discovered, to your slight horror, that you found yourself yearning for Xiao’s company.

Almost as soon as you’d finally figured out your feelings you were hit with a wave of denial. You weren’t falling for Xiao? How could you fall for someone who got on your nerves so much? Sure he gave you advice, but what about it? You deserved it after having to hear him over and over again while waiting. Certainly Xiao didn’t seem interested in you, he barely talked to you! Yeah he was getting more talkative, but it’s easier to talk to people when you’re giving them advice. There’s no way you were in love with Xiao. And there was no way he was in love with you.

To say that Xiao’s career as a musician, never mind his genuine technical talent at two instruments, was a barrier would be an understatement. The moment you thought you were making some progress, finally admitting to yourself that this crush was, in fact, real, a wave of anxiety would pass over you. Xiao was too good for you, he was too important. Here was a man who had a successful musical career already up in the air while you banged frustratedly on the keys. Why would someone that successful be interested in you? Not to mention the fact that he didn’t seem interested.

Because, you had to admit, you did like Xiao’s music. Not just his classical repertoire, but his pop music as well. It was slightly jazzy, mellow and playful and utterly unlike the scowling musician behind it – something you secretly thought extremely cute and surprisingly charming. To him you were just a practice roommate, and you were sure he’d find the idea of dating someone who was more familiar with his public persona irritating.

So you buried your feelings, or tried to. Unfortunately like sometimes attracts like, and just as Xiao secretly had the emotional understanding of a teaspoon, you weren’t nearly as clever about things as you would like.

“Is there something on my face?” Xiao asked, his voice gruff and slightly reluctant.

“No, why would there be?”

“Because you’re staring at it!”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” You let your head drop, looking intently at the ivories in front of you. Eventually there was a sigh.

“You don’t have to do that. I… I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! You staring down is weird too. Let’s, let’s just hurry up and do this passage.”

After that you became more aware of your staring habit. You also became more aware of Xiao’s own habit, leaning towards you. Sometimes you swore that you could feel the tips of his hair tickling your neck, light and feathery and stealing all your attention.

“Hey, Xiao, do you need glasses?”

“Why would you asked that!” Xiao flared up, face reddening. By this time you’d become more accustomed to these flareups of grumpiness, and ignoring it you pressed on.

“It’s just, you seem to be leaning forward.”

“I’m not!” Immediately Xiao shifted back, almost stepping away. Without thinking about it you reached to grab his hand.

“I didn’t mean it was a bad thing!” You got out, before becoming aware of your hand grasping Xiao’s. The touch felt electric, and you were suddenly so very aware of everything, yet unable to focus at all.

“Then you shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Xiao grumbled.

Slowly the musician leaned closer to you once more. You had already half stood up and now you found yourself stepping closer to Xiao. The world continued to shrink until you were almost pressed together. Xiao was leaning forward, as were you, and the longer tufts of his hair were tickling your cheek, helped by the fan whirring away in the corner. Your hand was still in his, but all your thoughts appeared to have died away.

“Xiao?”

“Is this, too close?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Xiao?”

“What?”

“I like your music. I hope that doesn’t bother you.”

“Why would it?”

“I don’t know. I just, I also like you, not just your music. But I also like your music.”

“I also like yours too.”

Perhaps it wasn’t the most romantic of confessions, but at that point you were far too carried away by the moment, or maybe by the fact that was the most sentences Xiao had strung together that weren’t about triplets. Regardless of the fact, you were suddenly seized by incredible happiness, as all appeared to right itself.

Afterwards initially little changed, Xiao was a gruff as ever, you were still itching to play in the practice room more. Nevertheless when you went to a concert of his for the first time and he let out a small, almost imperceptible, smile your way you knew things had changed. They would keep changing perhaps, or maybe they wouldn’t. After all, this moment was beautiful.

So much that you didn’t even mind the hours spent waiting for the practice room.

#genshin impact #albedo x reader #kazuha x reader #xiao x reader #genshin albedo #genshin kazuha #genshin xiao #genshin impact fanfiction #requested #my writing #scenarios

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bastillewolf · 3 years

Text

Kinda Sketchy (II)

Pairing: Corpse Husband / Reader

Request: “Can you do a part two of kinda sketchy where they slowly fall in love?”

Notes: Sorry this took me so long, but I had zero inspiration as the request left a lot of questions hahaha. Still fun to write, I hope you like it!

Tag list closed.

Chapter II

You’d fallen into a routine for a while. You’d do groceries, he’d do the dishes. You switched cooking, though it was also fine if neither of you felt like it, which is when you’d just order takeout or eat leftovers. But what seemed like the normal thing for two roommates to do on a spoken terms of agreement, it actually appeared you did those things for each other because you wanted to. You’d find some left over dishes in his room which you’d clean, and the next morning you’d find the forgotten tea on your nightstand already back in the cupboard. If you fell asleep working, reading, or watching something on TV, you’d somehow always end up in your bed even though you couldn’t remember getting up to get there yourself.

It had grown into this wonderful friendship between two people who had found it convenient to live together. You knew he could just as well live on his own now, knowing how big his YouTube channel had gotten within the time you’d first seen it up until now- in only a few months, at that. You’d asked him about it, but he’d simply brushed it off, saying it was easier for him this way. He wasn’t sure if he would ever do a face reveal, and having you go outside so he didn’t have to was a great bonus to the shared rent and company. It had hurt you slightly to hear him talk about it so plainly when you had already realized you were starting to feel more for him than you were supposed to.

It had started gradually, to be honest. You hadn’t noticed it at first. You simply took for granted all the times he jokingly bumped his shoulder into yours, or when he hugged you tight when he saw you needed it, or when he even kissed you on the cheek while having a debate with you on what a ‘chef’s kiss’ meant when you’d cooked a – if you may say so yourself – sublime meal.

But now, you had to miss all of those things. It seemed, when you agreed to his basic explanation of how easy it was for him with you living here in order to hide your disappointment, he’d seen it as a sign to stop doing all of those things for granted.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, please. But it’s just easier. I’ve gotten recognized before in a drive-through and I don’t want to go through that ever again,” he said.

You shook your head, even though your heart was plummeting down a set of stairs. “No, I completely get it. We’re roommates and it’s what we agreed upon. That’s it.”

“That’s it,” he repeated.

And that was it. The cups of leftover tea on your nightstand had started to form a fort, and you suddenly found yourself waking up on the couch in the middle of the night, feeling cold and grouchy as you realized you had to walk back to your bed. If you did sleep there until morning, you’d wake up from the sound of the coffee machine with a mumbled ‘sorry’ from your roommate, but other than that, he never said anything about it.

You’d wondered if he was angry with you. You’d even made a peace offering by cleaning up the mess in his room. Even that he didn’t mention.

So, one night while you were waiting on him at the table to show up for dinner, he didn’t come. He wasn’t in the apartment, he hadn’t texted you, he hadn’t left a note. He was nowhere to be found. Of course, you��d think something happened to him. You called Sykkuno first, and luckily you’d chosen exactly the right person.

“Oh, yeah! We’re playing Mario Kart, and he’s staying over. I thought he’d told you?” he said.

“Eh, no, he didn’t,” you replied, rubbing your eyes. “It’s fine. You guys have fun.”

“Thanks! You should come next time too, if you’re not too busy. Corpse told me how much work keeps you up.”

“He did?” you ask, sounding as monotone as could be.

“Yeah, but I think it’s just because he doesn’t want you to meet us yet. We kinda make a crazy first impression on everyone, and I’m pretty sure he wants us to be on our best behaviour when you come over… He- He does talk about you, a lot.”

“He… what?”

“Rae started teasing him about it, but then he brushed it off saying he’d never cheat on me, which is kind of weird considering we aren’t-“

“What did he say about me?” For a moment you felt guilty cutting him off, but your curiosity and heart got the better of you and Thomas didn’t really seem to mind.

“Oh, you know, how you’ve been taking care of him more than he’s ever taken care of himself. I thought it was kind of sad, but he talked about it pretty fondly. Rae caught a hint of that and started asking very personal questions, like what’s going on between the two of you, and then he stopped. I think he just doesn’t want to throw things out there, you know? I think he- Oh, here he is now! Do you want to me to hand you over?”

“No. Thanks, Thomas.” You’d quickly ended the call, but it seemed to late when you’d still heard him ask with that raspy voice of his, “Who are you talking to?”.

So, you ended up eating your dinner alone. He didn’t come home until after midnight, when you were still sitting at the same table, this time with your laptop in front of you doing some last bits of work so you wouldn’t end up falling asleep on the couch again.

You didn’t even turn around when you heard him walk in. He seemed to even hesitate for a moment, judging by his footsteps, before he said ‘hey’. You muttered it back, pretending to be engrossed in your work.

He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water, before leaning back against the counter, his face turned to you. “You know, maybe you should just work in bed. I highly doubt falling asleep with your face smashed against the keyboard is very comfortable.”

You suddenly stopped typing, leaned your elbows against the table and linked your fingers together, looking him dead in the eye. “Maybe I want to feel the pain in my back as a punishment knowing I fell asleep like this again.”

“Fair enough,” he sighed.

You let a silence linger just a bit longer, before you continued typing and said, “You could’ve told me where you were.”

He was probably staring at you, but you still pointedly ignored him. “I didn’t know that was in our arrangement.”

“Well, I didn’t know our arrangement was that unpersonal to you. Seems like all I am is someone who just gets your groceries for you.” It was a low blow. But you just needed to make him feel the stabbing, the way he stabbed you.

“Jesus, I told you not to take that personally. That’s not what I meant at all,” he said.

“I didn’t take it personally until you thought that conversation was enough to start ignoring me,” you lied.

“I think you know just as well as I do why I’m keeping my distance.”

You met his eyes. Nothing you could see in there, besides the frustration, gave you any answers. You couldn’t help it, you were glaring back at him just as hard even though all you could feel right now was confusion. He shook his head and sighed.

“Maybe it’s time this agreement ends.”

The thought had crossed both your minds, but he was the one who had said it out loud. And probably stung harder for you than it would have for him if you’d cut the cord. He left you sitting there, with tears now blurring your vision, slamming the door behind him for good measure.

***

He wasn’t home again. It gave you the perfect opportunity to quickly pack the rest of your shit up and leave, quietly. A cowardly move, perhaps, but you knew you didn’t have it in you to face him for this. You still hadn’t found a new place yet, since everything in Cali was way too fucking expensive and most ads looking for a roommate even sketchier than the one from Corpse you’d replied to. One of your friends had come to your aid, however, so you had at least a temporary place to say without having to suffer in this tension any longer.

You were just shoving the last of your books in a cardboard box when your phone rang. It was Thomas.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Uh… well, I was wondering if you could tell us that…” Sykkuno hesitantly asked.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh- give me the phone-“ “Hey!” there was an evident struggle, before Rae was suddenly talking to you, clearly having ripped the device from Thomas’ hands.

“Corpse is acting all weird! We know something happened between the two of you, but he doesn’t wanna talk about it! It’s like he’s gone back to his brooding old self and I’m worried! So you better start talking!”

“Unless it wasn’t your fault-“ you heard Thomas call out. He was quickly shushed by Rae.

“There’s nothing to say. He made it very clear that our living arrangement was just that; an arrangement, and he stopped talking to me. I confronted him about it, he started saying vague shit and asked me to move out.”

“Wait, what did he say?! I need specifics!” “Rae talks Corpse language, apparently,” you heard Toast mumble in the background.

“He said ‘I think you know just as well as I do why I’m keeping my distance’,” you imitated, your voice not nearly going as low as his.

“Wait, what?”

“I think he just figured out I have feelings for him. I understand how he wouldn’t want to be friends anymore.”

“Oh my god, you’re both such idio-!“

The call ended before you could hear the rest of Rae’s frustration. You shrugged it off, understanding why she would be mad at you by upsetting Corpse. He was her friend first and foremost, after all.

You stuffed your clothes in garbage bags, tied them up and pushed all of it into the living room. You’d dusted, vacuumed, and taken the bedsheets off. While balling all of the laundry up in your arms, you heard the door open. You immediately froze.

Footsteps were coming closer. Maybe if you didn’t move he would think you weren’t here. You didn’t want to do this. You didn’t want to see that he didn’t care. Your heart was pounding in your chest and your hands were wringing the fabric of the bedsheets. God, you should’ve packed quicker. You shouldn’t have been so organized, you should’ve just shoved everything in a few boxes altogether and made a break for it. You should’ve.

He was at your door opening. The footsteps had stopped. You still had your back turned to him.

Just keep walking. Please, just keep walking, you pleaded, closing your eyes. Waiting for the final blow.

However, it didn’t seem to land. Not anywhere near you, at least.

You simply heard his breathing, which seemed more erratic than usual, but perhaps you were just imagining things. Please, just keep walking. Please, I can’t-

“Please don’t go,” he rasped.

Your brows furrowed. If anything, your eyes squeezed shut even tighter. He had to be joking with you.

But then he said your name, pleadingly. He stepped behind you, and you could feel his warm breath against your neck. “Please don’t go. I don’t want you to go.”

“I think you do,” you tried to convince him, as well as yourself.

His hands found his way around your waist and across your stomach until his chest was flush against your back. “No, I don’t.”

Your hands felt numb, so numb you barely noticed them dropping the bedsheets. He turned you around slowly, and you opened your eyes.

“I… heard what you said to Rae.”

“Oh.”

You watched as he leaned in, the tip of his nose brushing against yours. You didn’t stop him- of course you didn’t want him to. His lips pressed against yours gently, in a question, which you responded to. It was still laced with a certain hesitance, but not one strong enough to make either of you want to pull back. It was tingly, warm, and comfortable as the stress of the past few days came washing over you.

He smiled shyly as he pulled back. “I’m sorry. I thought you knew about how I felt.”

“I’m sorry too. I think we need to set up some things in our agreement about communication.”

“Please, no more fucking agreements. I think Rae would definitely kill us.” You both laughed.

TAG LIST CLOSED!

@annshit @simonsbluee @majolittlemixgurl18 @redosmo @mythicalreader @gracehaileym @leikarinn @its-bootz @ollwinchester @thehatredofshiprrick @curlyhairedbrock @thatbandchick39 @reddeserths @mitseuul @potenzel @tanchosanke @tooturntashbash @stephn-prkr @missingpuzzlepiece @sweetasphyxiation @goldiefox1 @imrisaluk @chimchimsugakookies @helena-way07 @danny-devitowo @iknowyouthinkimbulletproof @cherry-piee @artist-bby @bluewneptune @bratttyaphrodite @eccedxntesiaast @faithneko @thebootythrasher @bethpiercwhy @theeerealpunkin @heartbroken-writer @chisaikuki @realnicoleworld @candystoregirl @derpygiraffe43110 @rintomoj @phantomamethyst @helloitsmeamie203 @falcon-arrows @nvthvlyy @ellomellows @loraleiix @ladolcedea @lunaruss @princess00wifi @pennnyroyalty @cultofandom @easygoingtheatre @crpseclt @thatonefangirlbornonfriday @myherotrashbin @hufflepuff-always-and-forever @martinimom @gummybear123 @sparklingblacktea @lovelynervouskingdom @kingsuals @weeblyheaux @flightsandfantasy @chanelle-jackson @actual-spawn-of-satan @dixielumsden @consumegods @mirandabarry @ikearandl @narwhalsaremagicalbroski @armycandy10 @chillininahottub-withaghost @mitchiesdungeon @yeolliedokai @alyofmusic @qatiee @dzzizzi @johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt @leilanixx @thefuckthesaurus @hughugh20 @thanossexual @moneybagmara @squintyangel @motheroffae @arossebyanyothername @vacaprincess @jinxedanxrchist @peterparkerspjsuit @chrysanthykios @wildflowerwhore @punkrainbows @justalilsimpsometimes @bunniwritesx @sunnsettee @justxanotherxshipper @alilshit @dekahg @laugh-like-the-moon @sadness-babee @corpsie-bby @corpsesgirl @dead-boys-stuff @roses-and-grasses @sakusawife @byunniebaekhyunnie @lazy-little-me @phantomamethyst @letsloveimagines @polahorvat @sokkas-paintings @possiblyanxioushuman @a-dot-dev @aniyahsucks @choicesstan1 @error-loading-sorry @bi-andready-tocry @agustdpeach @xibrokensunriseix @genjicats @forest-rav3n @devilishducky97 @alyss01 @anacrcarvalho @siriuslystupid @bakugonua @n0t-a-simp @notmewrongb1tch @c00ln3rdz @rolls-and-rolex @namjoons-crabssss @laurenfangirlsout @lickmyleeches @and-claudia @netflix-imagines @bigdickdaddysatan @iambashfulperson @helloitsmeamie203 @peachdoppi @easygoingtheatre @danielle143 @kyky9103 @tayloryorkscurls @v-kouya @jeezkiddo @smokeynaomi @lukoivichi @boiled-onionrings @nerdinthecorner @corpse-husbandsimp @ramdomtails @elebeleb @captainbuckyy @smile-its-psychotic

#Corpse husband #Corpse husband x reader #corpse x reader #corpse #youtube fanfiction #among us #e girls are ruining my life #cat girls are ruining my life #never satisfied #white tee #cabin fever #agoraphobia #miss YOU!

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devilrainbunnie · 4 years

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Gamer Boy Shigaraki // Headcannons

a/n: i wrote this last night because i saw @itzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzdamy ‘s comment on one of my posts about gamer shiggy and i just know he would be exactly like this. also wanted to include soft tomu baby, i just want to goof around with him in animal crossing so bad.

cw: mentions of p*rn, swearing (sorry hehe)

GENERAL HEADCANNONS:

Definitely is addicted to energy drinks, probably Bang, or Monster. He drinks that shit like it’s water, man doesn’t care for his health properly. I literally think that’s cannon, man doesn’t have a proper sleep schedule. He’s a villain for crying out loud, the man sleeps like 3 hours every day.

Really likes eating things with cheese or cheese flavored. Fucking cannon too I swear, the man is a gamer. He probably plays CSGO, Apex, COD, GTA etc. Of course he eats cheese balls and makes microwave nachos at 3 am. Man lives off of it, he just plays round after round and in between loading screen downs whatever kind of chip is near him. I swear.

Has a VR set. And no, it is not just for gaming if you catch my drift there. He definitely watches some VR hentai or hardcore porn using his headset. I’m not wrong. I’m just not.

Most definitely is the meanest person during a match. He will bully the fuck out of you, no questions asked. He’s ruthless, don’t piss him off.

(S/O headcannons below the cut)

WITH HIS S/O:

Definitely wants to play games with his s/o. Having them sit on his lap while they play depending on the game sometimes he prefers the distance so he doesn’t accidentally jerk his body and smack them. But more often than not, he’s touch starved. Let him hold you.

He loves to talk about recent games with his s/o. Absolutely loves going on, and on about games he’s passionate about. Telling you everything you’d ever need to know about it, even if it’s not your style— you listen anyways, because god is it not the cutest thing ever when Tomura gets giddy about a subject he doesn’t get to talk about too often.

Will not allow you to speak to any of the people he plays with. He knows these guys, and some of them are fucking mean. He doesn’t want anyone to hurt your feelings, or any of the guys in his server/team to flirt with you. The few times they heard the two of you talking, there were horrendous comments that caused Shiggy to scream at them in the mic to shut their traps. But not a loss, they’re probably all creeps anyways.

Most definitely calls you player two more than your actual name. He thinks it’s a cute nickname, even if other people think it’s cringe, he’s gonna squish your cheeks and call you that randomly. You’re his favorite person. Partner in crime, you're literally his player two in real life.

If you play Sims, he forces you to make him a Sim that is married or dating your sim. He gets very jealous for some reason over it, if another male sim is even talking to your sim he tells you to stop playing. Usually you just ignore him and tell him to shut up. He does so.

If you play Animal Crossing, he gives you cute gifts all the time. Anything you’d like really, if you check your mail you’ll find something in there waiting for you. He really likes leaving you flowers for your island, doing cute emotes of love sick faces and bashfulness whenever he visits you. If you ignore him in the game he’ll follow you and keep doing that stupid fucking heart break emote. Or the shocked one with the piano noise JUST to annoy you. Even if he’s literally in the room with you. Damned brat. Sometimes he’ll start swatting you randomly or running laps around your character. Sometimes even trampling your flowers. DAMNED. BRAT.

If you like playing Mario Kart, he becomes a little gentleman. Oh, you want to get a specific character? He’ll let you decide whichever one to choose first, anything for his little monarch/king/queen. But when you play, he becomes ruthless. He is going to try to make you fail, whether that’s biting your neck, kissing your lips and pinching your sides, or throwing things specifically at you, ramming you off the road, and even once smacking his controller on top of yours when you kept winning— he’s gonna be an annoying little shit. He’s so goddamn competitive. He is such an Aries bye.

He likes playing games with you he doesn’t have to take too seriously, and can just goof off at with you. He wants to have fun, be cheeky and do things that only he might find funny. This is the only time you get to see him super playful, child-like, and just so free. Perhaps that’s why you beg him to play games with you all the time.

Overall though, you make the gaming experience better. He loves every moment he spends with you when you’re doing something fun together, he just hopes you appreciate it just as much. Which you obviously do.

#shigaraki tomura x reader #tomura shigaraki x reader #shigaraki x reader #gamer shigaraki #shigaraki headcanons #mha shigaraki #bnha shigaraki #headcannons #he is so cute #baby #soft shigaraki

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puppyluver256 · 2 years

Photo

[Image Description: An androgynous person with somewhat dark skin, short two-toned violet hair, hazel eyes, and a small mole under the eye visible to us. They are wearing a maroon turtlenecked tunic shirt, a blue sweater with turquoise accents, blue pants, and violet slip-on shoes with lavender accents. They are looking to the side in pensive thought, a hand holding a blue pen held up to their chin. Beside them is the Pokemon Claydol. It is a large dark brown mud sculpture with rounded arms and stubby legs, white and yellow designs on its front, and white ridges over a bunch of red "eyes" circling its "head", each "eye" separated with a yellow bump resembling a nose or beak. The background behind them is Verdanturf Town from the Pokemon games that take place in Hoenn (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sappire), specifically the area in front of the Contest Hall and entrance to Rusturf Tunnel. End ID.]

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"'The Trainer approaches their next challenge...Pokeball tightly gripped in one hand, they stand on the battlefield, feeling a confident smirk cross their own face...' Yes, that could work. It does seem a bit generic at first, but one could argue that almost every battle starts in much the same way. Ah, pardon, I still have yet to introduce myself. I am Lian, a writer in both profession and passion. Unfortunately while my passion remains, my ability to conceptualize ideas is less than spectacular at the moment. Battles are my main source of inspiration, so perhaps in this battle, we can serve to inspire one another!"

More Battle Peak representatives! Hoenn's representative is Lian, a writer with a serious creative block. They're hoping that their time at the Battle Peak can help to reinvigorate their main source of inspiration, which is watching Pokemon in battle and participating in battle with their own Pokemon. And yes, I know there is a canon Lian in the Pokemon universe already I have played Legends Arceus I knooowwwww, but 1) when I started developing my Lian, either Warden Lian hadn't been announced or I just forgot about him, depending on how early in the background that I started making the Battle Peak challengers, and 2) I don't subscribe to the "One Steve Limit"/"One Mario Limit" principle with my OCs as it is, hehe. Also, this is Pokemon. HOW many Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys do we have again? And if we're sticking strictly to the games, let's not forget all those Youngster Joeys! ;P

Given that Battle Peak is a Battle Tower-esque setup, Lian's team is slightly randomized depending on what battle conditions you have set. They will select either three (for single battles) or four (for double battles) from their "full" team of six. They will always include Claydol on their team, and the rest of their team can include Milotic, Metagross, Absol, Altaria, or Swalot.

💖🐶 Check out my pinned post for ways to support my artwork, among other things! 🐶💖

~If you like, please reblog to show your friends! Likes are appreciated, but reblogs let more people see my content! If you have something to say, feel free to give feedback in tags/comments/replies as well!~

Claydol and other Pokemon concepts © Nintendo/GameFreak Lian Wen, the Cantessy Region, and artwork © PuppyLuver Studios

#pokemon #cantessy region #peak challenger lian #claydol #jess drew the thing #sfw #image description

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estrellaphantom · 2 years

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Milena Gómez (Oc) x Bruno Madrigal Part 1.

What is promised is debt, here I explain a little about who the hell Milena is and why she became Bruno's first (and perhaps only) love.

But first I present Milena Gomez from her and some little things about her.

Family:

Luis Gómez (deceased father)

Fernanda Gómez (late mother)

Carmen Gómez (older sister)

Margarita Gómez (paternal aunt)

Rubén López Aguilar (ex-husband)

Claudio and Mario (adopted children)

Rubén (biological son).

Sofía (biological youngest daughter)

She is of Colombian origin, was born and grew up in El Encanto, her family was dedicated to tailoring; her father, her mother and her aunt took care of the business. As in Encanto everyone knows each other, they knew perfectly well who they were and in particular they knew who the daughters of the couple, Milena and Carmen, were.

Both had shown that they had a great talent for dancing and singing; besides being considered such beautiful girls. Although Milena was especially talked about more than her sister, everyone thought that she was the best dancer and the prettiest. However, they always got along very well.

He also had a great friendship with many of the children who inhabited el Encantot, but with whom he had a better relationship was with the Madrigal triplets.

Specifically with Pepa and Julieta, they were great friends and they were the ones with whom I spent the most time playing and dancing. On the other hand, little Bruno was too shy and because of that they did not talk too much, even Milena came to think that Bruno did not like her and preferred to avoid her, despite this Milena did like the little boy, she seemed very friendly and funny, besides seeming "charmingly" shy, which made him look cute.(?

She remained in Colombia and in El Encanto until she was 9 years old, until she and her family had to leave there because her sister, Carmen, mysteriously disappeared from the town, and when she noticed that through a mountain there could be a cave through which you could go through to get out, they immediately thought that maybe someone strange had entered and kidnapped her.

The family immediately went to Mrs. Alma Madrigal to ask for her help but in general the best thing they could do would be to go look for her, however they did not know how far she had gone to get out without even a clue. Milena gives the idea to ask Bruno for help, with her gift they might have a clue to find her, however, the small and bad reputation that Bruno had been given about his visions of bad luck, made his father immediately refuse. adamantly to ask for the little boy's help, saying, "he didn't want to see a future where his daughter would never come back to him."

Milena knew that Bruno tended to give bad news most of the time in his visions of the future, but she knew that this was not her fault and he was her only hope to find her sister.

So that night while her parents were meeting with Alma and the other villagers, she ran away from home to go to Bruno, Pepa and Julieta's house (who were alone in Casita) to beg for Bruno's help; Doubtful and fearful (but mostly nervous about being with Milena) he agrees to give her a vision about the whereabouts of his sister.

Bruno confirmed that Milena and Carmen would be together again safe and sound, but not for a long time, they would find her in the United States in a very famous theater and she would be there. Milena thanked Bruno for his help and Bruno asked if she didn't want to see more of her future, but she refused saying that whatever she expected she would prefer to find out for herself.

Luis and Fernanda had realized that she had run away from home and learned from a neighbor that she had gone to Alma's house. Once there and in front of Milena, they reprimanded her for having disobeyed and having gone to see Bruno and his horrible visions. Making the little boy feel bad, however, Milena defended him and showed them the emerald tablet with Bruno's vision and explaining where it was. would find his sister, this made the couple calm down and immediately asked Bruno more, and so with more answers and instructions they decided to leave the day after Enchantment to go in search of Carmen.

So, they prepare their things to leave, but Milena wanted to say goodbye to her friends Julieta and Pepa, but more than anything she wanted to talk to Bruno one more time. She thanked him for helping her find her sister and promised that when they met again she would pay him back, so she kissed him and with great sadness said goodbye to him and so she and her family left their home and went in search of Carmen.

They did not know very well how long it would take them but without a doubt with the great help of Bruo they were already calmer and despite the fact that they were moving away from their home and from the place where they were always safe, they had the hope that Carmen would be fine until the day that they will find it encouraged them to continue.

The distance they would travel was long and whatever they would have to go through, they would be together until then.

So far because I'm already lazy xd.

Milena's story is quite extensive and I really want to do it well, I want the details to be understandable and that they know her well uwu.

I'll upload the next part or parts, I don't know how long it will take me but just hahaha, Come out bye~ uwu I HAVE OPEN COMMISSIONS

✨Facebook, Wattpad, Deviant art: @EstrellaPhantomhive. ✨Instagram: @estrellaphantomhive6 ✨Twitter, Tik Tok: @Phantomtaker245/@phantomtakeruwu

#Encanto #encanto bruno #encanto oc #brunoxoc #bruno madrigal #oc Milena Gómez

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rootsrockweirdo · 3 years

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The September issue of Honky Tonk Times is available now at thehonkytonktimes.com. This month I interviewed Mario Carboni and Norm Hamlet, who served as Merle Haggard's bandleader and steel guitar player for over 49 years. These interviews are a dream come true!

Carboni, Hamlet carry on Bakersfield tradition of music and kindness

Mario Carboni might be the nicest guy you’ve never met. From the start of our half-hour-long interview, Carboni exhibits the personality traits not of a traveling musician but of a man who genuinely concerns himself with the happiness of those around him. The 35-year-old piano and trumpet player extraordinaire is driving across Alaska in a van purchased specifically for runs in The Last Frontier. A mix-up has caused him and his lone bandmate to miss their hour-long set at the state’s largest festival. Instead of dogging the head of the event, Carboni simply says: “They’re busy. They have so many acts in there it’s understandable.” It’s not the reaction I expected, but as our conversation continues, it becomes clear that perhaps his heroes have not only influenced his music but his attitude toward life as well. A native of Oregon, Carboni’s lifelong affair with music began at 9 months old when he started playing the piano (yes, you read that correctly). By the age of 10, he added the trumpet to his repertoire. “I started out playing ragtime and improvising,” he says. “I ended up playing the trumpet in various school bands, then figured out how to play the two of them together when I was about 20. I ended up going from there, starting to play shows – I did a year of college, and it was not at all what I wanted to do – so I went over to Bakersfield and started meeting folks I considered to be my heroes and met Red Simpson in 2015.” One of the originators of “truck driving country,” Simpson rose to popularity as both a recording artist and songwriter in the mid-1960s, scoring hits such as “Roll, Truck, Roll” and “Hello, I’m A Truck.” The Bakersfield native remained a permanent fixture in the area's music scene, coming to the aid of many aspiring musicians until his death in January 2016. “Red was always helping younger folks and kids,” Carboni says. “He’d record a record with somebody in their little home studio, mention them in a radio interview or tour with them. He toured with me; he didn’t have to do that. The two of us recorded two records together; they were the last two records he ever recorded.” Following Simpson’s death, Carboni received an invitation to play at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, where a chance meeting with Norm Hamlet would change the trajectory of his career, forming an unlikely duo billed as “The Rebel and The Stranger.” As a member of Merle Haggard’s Strangers, Hamlet served as bandleader and steel guitar player for nearly 50 years, playing on more than 30 No. 1 hits and performing in some of the most recognizable concert venues in the U.S. Upon Haggard’s death in April 2016 and despite his age at the time, Hamlet too found himself wondering what would come next. “We were both hired to play in a band at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, and we started talking that night,” Carboni recalls. “I asked him if I could have his number and eventually called him up and told him I’d like to shoot a video of the two of us playing three songs; I’d pick my three favorite songs that he’d recorded on. We filmed this series of videos and put them out. I think there was one of ‘No Reason To Quit,’ another of ‘The Roots of My Raising,’ and it was really special to me because he’d played on the original hit with Merle in the ‘70s. I told him I could never afford to pay him what it was worth, and he was very nice to do that for me. “We put them out on social media and turned around a week later, and they’d hit 600,000 views each or something like that. I called him up and said, ‘Hey, this is significant. We should start a project.’ We started talking a little more about it, touring a little bit more and more dates started coming our way. It seems like the more stuff that we do, the more stuff people want to hire us for, and it just snowballed from there to the point where we’re touring the country.” For 86-year-old Hamlet, whose career began nearly seven decades ago and whose resume also includes working with Rose Maddox, The Farmer Boys, and once as part of a band opening for Hank Williams, the decision to return to the road

seemed like the natural course. “Mario had such a charisma about him,” Hamlet said. “When he played music, everybody loved his singing and playing, and I thought the same thing. It had been a long time since I’d seen a piano player that plays as good as he does, so I thought, ‘Well, I might still try to go out there and play a few things.’ This turned into a good job. At my age, I didn’t know how long I’d be able to go out and do it. As long as I can do it health-wise, we’ll keep going out there.” In addition to their busy tour schedule, the two recently completed their debut album, "Hello Heartache," a collection of 10 songs recorded aboard Carboni's tour bus, affectionately dubbed "Ol' Red," on the streets of Bakersfield. Of the 10 songs, eight were written by Carboni and Hamlet. “Most of the songs are upbeat in the Bakersfield sound, traditional style, with a slight twist of the piano being the rhythm and bass instrument instead of a traditional instrumentation,” Carboni explains. “. . . The album also features dobro played by Norm on one track called ‘Miss the Mississippi and You.’ We brought the instrument out of the museum in Nashville to record the album. The last time it was on a recording session was in 1969 on Merle Haggard’s ‘Same Train Different Time’ album.” For now, the album is only available at the pair's live performances, which Carboni says features a mix of songs made famous by some of Bakersfield's heavy hitters, including Haggard, Buck Owens, and Simpson. "They call it a second career when somebody does what Norm's doing, I guess," Carboni says. "He helps me out by playing with me; we help each other out. I get to be his rhythm section, and he lends his incredible reputation to what we're doing, and that's a really special thing, that's important." The pair has several dates scheduled for September. To view their complete schedule, visit www.honkytonkrebel.com. As for the aforementioned festival performance, Carboni and Hamlet were given a time slot for the following day, proving once and for all that nice guys don't always finish last. At least not the ones from Bakersfield.

#Mario Carboni #Norm Hamlet #Country Music #Bakersfield #Honky Tonk Times

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pochiperpe90 · 4 years

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Beware of the thief

How do you become the longest-lived criminal in the history of Italian comics? For LUCA MARINELLI it all started as a child, at the zoo. Before the eyes of a panther

«The cold determination of a panther that silently approaches its prey: this is the expression I tried to instill in our Diabolik's gaze». When Luca Marinelli frowns and lights up the panther's eyes - the writer has had the opportunity to get a taste of it during the interview - the first instinct is to flee that look: too intense. It will be him, armed with a dagger and dressed in the famous tight black jumpsuit, with a hood that leaves only the icy eyes uncovered, to interpret the anti-hero born from the imagination of Angela and Luciana Giussani - the two sisters of Milan well known in history as the Queens of Terror - in the awaited cinematic adaptation of the comic directed by the Manetti Bros. (Ammore e malavita), in cinemas from December 31st.

«Fifty years in the homes of Italians. 150 million copies sold. Impressive numbers. Diabolik is an icon, it belongs to the IMAGINARY of hundreds of thousands of people"

During a walk along the Kreuzberg canal in Berlin, his adopted city since 2012, the Roman actor explains that the choice to be inspired by the feline for the interpretation of the character is not accidental. «Fans will know that Diabolik takes his name from a panther. Their meeting, which lasts a few moments, is significant: after a high-tension face-to-face, the feline decides to spare the boy, almost as if he had smelled a fellow in him. The panther was one of my favorite animals as a child. I remember like it was yesterday the day my parents took me to see it at the zoo, and my amazement in front of that creature, that night-black mantle, shiny and iridescent, with bluish reflections, and that deep, rhythmic breathing. Finally, particularly indelible in my mind is the feeling of sovereign calm that emanated from the animal». “From the beginning, I had a good feeling about this film,” continues the actor. «The first meeting with the Manettis, which I have been following with interest since the time of Zora the Vampire, took place in Rome, in the neighborhood where both Antonio and Marco and I grew up. They explained to me that they had a very specific vision of the character's personality, but that they would like to see what I could offer them. We auditioned together, which was very useful in igniting the spark of collaboration. I have a clear memory of that day and the subsequent exchange of emotions and thoughts. When I later found out that I was chosen for the part, I was very happy».

Luca Marinelli is certainly not new to acting challenges. From the dazed Mattia in ‘The solitude of prime numbers’ (2010), the character with whom he conquers notoriety, over the years he engages in roles that are not very easy, very different from each other ("The only thing they have in common is my nose", ironically, pointing to his face), showing great versatility and an extraordinary capacity for psychological identification. Among his most convincing interpretations, that of the Zingaro in ‘They call me Jeeg’ and that of Martin Eden in the homonymous film by Pietro Marcello, with which he won, respectively, the Silver Ribbon and a David di Donatello as best supporting actor and the Coppa Volpi as best actor. But dealing with a myth like Diabolik, the object of an almost sacred cult, is a new challenge.

«Fifty years in the homes of Italians. 150 million copies sold. Impressive numbers. Diabolik is an icon, and for this reason it belongs to the imagination of hundreds of thousands of people. If you think you can satisfy them all, you start off on the wrong foot: you risk that the final result is not what you really want to stage, but I'm sure the public will not be disappointed, or at least I hope. You will see how much love and respect there was in implementing this transposition", explains the actor, who speaks with full knowledge of the challenge of interpreting an icon: in 2018 he plays a true sacred monster, Fabrizio De André, in ‘Principe Libero’ by Luca Facchini. A friend told him: you're crazy to take this part. But he, careless, immerses himself in the biography of the singer-songwriter, ventures like a shrink into the maze of his psyche, and he returns to the man of that icon, receiving critical acclaim for that insidious role. The only flaw, some malevolent purists observe, is his Roman accent.

Despite being a comic book hero, to face Diabolik, the actor «decided to avoid any comic characterization of the character, trying to give a convincing representation from a human, psychological point of view. Who is this mysterious man, who with his criminal findings terrorizes the rich city of Clerville? What vicissitudes lead him to become a king of crime? Questions that have become the starting point of my research. For months and months, my flat was flooded with comics, scattered all over the place. And for every hundred I read, the Manettis - who I suspect know all the 800 and more numbers in the series - were ready to lend me as many». Day after day, Marinelli has thus sneaked into the lair of the King of Terror: he spied on his objects, opened his wardrobe, rummaged in his drawers. “I fell in love with him, unconditionally, without giving in to the temptation to express a condemnation or an acquittal. It is a precious lesson, which was passed on to me in the Academy: never judge your character. You risk that a distance will form between you and him which, I play hard, is negatively reflected in the quality of the interpretation».

The result is a film that is radically different from the first film adaptation, directed by Mario Bava, in 1968. "Among its strengths, there is a fascinating 1960s aesthetic, made up of machines, costumes, places and a thousand technological inventions of our Diabolik», he says. “To my great pleasure, I was involved in the discussion of the character's look right from the start. Particularly difficult was the development of the mask and the legendary black suit, designed by Diabolik himself and equipped with fantastic characteristics, not repeatable in reality. An almost impossible mission, but after weeks of attempts, thanks to the collaboration of all departments, we arrived at a result that was very satisfied: we did it by working together. I want to emphasize the all together. When you work with the Manetti Bros., this aspect is deeply tangible: everything takes place in an atmosphere of great exchange and collaboration. Many have known each other within the crew for years, and one almost has the impression of having been adopted by a large family, rather than working on a normal set ».

“Who is this mysterious man who terrorizes the rich city of Clerville? What led him to become what he is? For months these questions have been my RESEARCH"

The film - which the Manettis defined as "darkly romantic" - will also tell, to the delight of fans, the prodromes of the love story between Diabolik and his partner in crime, Eva Kant (Miriam Leone). "Two special, different people who first sniff each other with suspicion, only to recognize each other as soul mates," he explains. “I really like their level of complicity. Diabolik, however, is a very tough and reserved character, who rarely shows a feeling: this is certainly one of the differences, perhaps the clearest, between him and me. I am his opposite: as a good romantic and empathetic, I confess, I often cry. I think that doing so can be an important moment of openness, growth and awareness, which we should learn to actively seek. Are you feeling down? Play the saddest song you know and give yourself a treat: enjoy your tears, a friend once told me. Holy words: woe to keep everything inside. You run the risk of walling yourself up alive behind a senseless wall of hardness».

Although "very interesting", the actor prefers to gloss over future film projects out of luck. "At the moment my wife and I (the German actress Alissa Jung) are very busy with our association: we are about to open the headquarters of PenPaper-Peace in Italy, the association founded by Alissa in Germany, with which we built two schools in Haiti after the disastrous earthquake of 2010». As the actor launches into the memories of his first trip to the Caribbean island, the weeping willows of the Kreuzberg canal that framed the interview mentally give way, for a moment, to the lush vegetation of the Caribbean. «Indelible memories. Two years after the disastrous earthquake, I found a country on its knees, surrounded by rubble, pain and despair, but also many smiles and a contagious desire to live", he says. As the name of our association suggests, all you need is a sheet of paper and a pen, and you can give a child education, and with it a possibility, a future. And this not only in Haiti, but all over the world. At the moment we are focusing on a project in Italy that will support the boys and girls who are going through this difficult period of the pandemic».

GQ Italia

Just wanted to translate this interview for the non-italian’s fans ^^ (sorry for my English)

#Luca Marinelli #interview #diabolik #english #translation #magazine #GQ Italia

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34saveme34 · 4 months

Text

Episode review I guess!!

After looking at today's episode I uh

god damn the references

like I've seen others talk about it and while I don't see all of them, it's definitely really interesting

so, spoilers, obviously

the Shrek dating sim was an interesting choice, especially for the hunky shirtless Shrek like cmon also combined with the clingy GF asmr we get the cringiest most hopeless bisexual to ever exist

might I add, as a crack theory to be funny since there's no real evidence for it, but as a funny headcanon, perhaps that is his type in men, and perhaps maybe kind of 3 aligns with his taste and maybe that's why he called him rizzless in his head in the elevator.... as someone who is trying to deeply understand 4, I think about that scene a lot. it's such an intimate thought since it's only in his head and he doesn't actually say it to anyone

Also the 3 related searches really have a vibe if you ask me. the vibe that they need to really up their communication skills. there's no way 3 just randomly threw toilet paper over his castle, there must be a reason

anyways

this is like, top 10 worst communication skills moment in history, he is so... easily agitated, which is very noticable if you look more. Especially with the elevator. They have so much unresolved tension, I want them to sit down with a couple's psychologist or what is it called

although based on this, he does care and he's trying, I can just feel him about to cry because 3 refuses to talk to him after hurting him and him doing his best to try and get 3 to forgive him, like... my god, beautiful, they should show more of that

like I wonder how it actually went here. what did he actually see to question whether 3 showers. he probably searched his stream to spam his chat about 3 not showering

like I know the supporting the homies is so real but based on that kind of search, he definitely went in there to call 3 stinky, like, I can't see it any other way

but he did at least regret it after wards, he definitely hurt 3's feelings and dignity with that, I think it would make a funny crack-esque fluff fic with the 2 about it. But yeah, I'm glad that 4 can actually get himself to apologise, although it is strange that he has to search how, it is an interesting touch. me personally wanting it to be him panicking so much about him losing his Friend over this that he doesn't know what to do so he has to search it vs the people who write him off as an asshole who would imply he did it because he doesn't know how to do it because he's a piece of shit like that

honestly, thinking about it, I'm likely the one right about it, he definitely cares about 3, that's for sure

now I'm trying to think what the shampoo and conditioner thing could possibly mean here. It's so specific so I can't really put it anywhere in my head. It doesn't fit the narrative set up before it

so I think it's best to write it off as being unrelated, although it would be funny if he searched it to roast 3 further in some way about how he also needs to wash his hair better or something like that. it does lightly fit

also some that preceeds the 3 shenanigans, the addicted to pasta thing is crazy. I wonder how he could find something like that. Idea he may have searched it because he was wondering about Mario's addiction to pasta. caring about him in a weird way or something. not much else way to interpret it, besides it being a reference that means nothing but that's boring, we don't like doing that in this house

also it's not like 3 starts everything,

I'm sure 3 wasn't happy about whatever this is implying......

now this implications here, as unfortunately, this can be read in many ways

but regardless, we all know the crew knows the fans and we all know that regardless there's a layer of fruity slathered on top of this thing, especially since they're shown together like this

what the implications could mean: big event in june=pride month, I can't really think of anything else, besides them shittily teasing something big coming in june like this. which sounds stupid but kind of interesting at the same time

also his tsundere search baffles me. he used the word himself. he knows what it means. is this here just to cement the idea that 3 calling him and only him baka is meant to be recieved at least a little bit unironically? that it's not just stupid haha? did he need to check just in case? Is he affirming 3's love for him (<- getting into stupid brain territory) ? also this ep truly confirming 4 to rizzless, awesome

now this. not going to lie, I'm having a hard time to believe he's 178 cm tall. I think he's lying. he is short to me forever and ever

also look at him lying about being a virgin, or maybe he thinks gay sex doesn't count

the religion: shrek makes me think Shrek was his bisexual awakening, it should be, it makes sense and it would fit him, especially with that dating sim, that's my headcanon now

also him reaching acceptance about the toiler paper, truly, a fanfic was written right before our eyes, it would be a beautiful crack fic. we were shown a scenario with 3 and 4 without them even interacting directly in this episode. truly, the power of the gays <3

that's a bit. too specific, why would he search it. what is he dying....

beautiful amount of spam mail, canon compliant with how bad he is with computer security

however I'm quite stuck on the salsa dancing. now this may be a long shot, and you may call me crazy, I'll allow it, but what if that's what the sexy dance would've been in wotfi 2023? I know it's probably not but there's that tiny bit of possibility. I mean there's like... no way they would've made him pole dance or some shit on youtube, but salsa... yeah, it would've definitely been interesting, especially if he actually tried and dressed for the occasion (feminine style, we know he isn't 100% against dressing up like that) it would've been awesome, now I lament the gay it could've given us

I trailed off a bit, huh? well that's just how I get

you should've seen the way I went off about 3 in my head and how I think about him in general but I decided to spare the world of such burden

tbh congrats if you managed to read all this, Idk why I speak so much

#Nicc-thinks #smg34 #I mean I talk about it it's right there #I'm obsessed with analyzing how their dynamic exactly works

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squidbulborb · 3 years

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Ok, so in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and Luigi are law enforcers, plummers and doctors, Luigi is also a private investigator, Peach and Daisy are rulers of neighboring countries, Bowser is pretty much the ruler of the third country by now, Wario is an archeologist and game developer, Pauline became a mayor, so she's working for Peach. But what about Waluigi? He is so criminally underutilized that I actually feel bad for him.

Finally, an excuse to discuss mario lore! Here's my extensive look at the professional record of each of Super Mario characters mentioned in your ask!

(Keep in mind that I'll be focusing on main line titles, as these are where most of what Nintendo considers canon to the Super Mario franchise is. So no spin-offs like mario kart or the rpgs)

Mario: He first began as a carpenter in the Donkey Kong arcade game, but after that he began working as a plumer on Brooklyn (or possibly the Metro Kingdom) with his twin brother (as seen in the Mario Bros arcade game). Nintendo at some point claimed Mario had officially left the position, but other official sources appear to contradict that. So for now I think we can assume that, ever since the events of SMB1, Mario stopped prioritizing his plumbing business.

After rescuing Peach moving to the mushroom kingdom, I suppose law enforcement could be one way to interpret his current occupation, but it's not like mario is doing nightly patrols to the mushrooms (at least not that we know), so it's hard to tell exactly if he even has a official profession.

And as for Dr. Mario, it is a bit unclear if he's just a persona mario assumes or if he's a different character entirely (we aren't even sure that he has a medical degree), but from I could gather it appears he is the same person as Mario (though perhaps from a universe where he focused more on his professional career rather than his adventurous one).

Luigi: He appeared, along side mario, as a plumber in the Mario Bros arcade game, and it appears he followed a similar carrier path to his brother. Though, due his more cowardly nature, he isn't as willing to go on as many adventures.

Still, luigi sits at a similar position to Mario in the Mushroom Kingdom, so he doesn't appear to have a former title or anything. Even in the Luigi Mansion series, he's not hired as a ghostbuster, he doesn't do it out of financial gain, mostly is just trying to help professor E.Gadd and save those he cares about, any money he does aquire is just a byproduct.

Monarchs: I'm putting these together because, unlike the Mario brothers, their official position is much less ambiguous.

Both Princess Peach and Bowser are part of their respective monarchies, serving as important political figures in their Kingdoms. But while Bowser, a.k.a King Koopa, is clearly portrayed the main leader in his country, Peach is always just referred to as a Princess, which could mean that she isn't the official ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom.

However we never seen the king or queen, presumably Peach's parents, in any main line Mario games. There are Kings in SMB3, but not only are there multiple of them, they never appear again in the series, which personally leads me to belive that either no longer considered canon, or they are just the ones responsible for guarding each specific world of that game, putting them bellow peach in the hierarchy.

Either way, with no official mention of a king or queen, I feel like it's safe to assume that Peach holds the highest position of power in the mushroom kingdom, and her title of princess is merely a name.

The same things mentioned with Peach apply to Princess Daisy, as she's the princess of Sarasaland, yet no king or queen are ever mentioned, making me believe she's probably the main ruler of the kingdom.

(Also, you mentioned Pauline working for Peach, but Pauline is actually the Mayor of the Metro Kingdom, a.k.a New Donk City, which seems to be a completely independent Kingdom)

Wario: Now he is a interesting one, He started as thief, taking over Mario's castle in SML2 but, after his defeat, he focused his endeavor in adventuring and treasure hunting in the Wario Land series. Of course, in the WarioWare franchise, he starts a gaming company in Diamond City: WarioWare, inc.

So, ironically, Wario actually has a more consistent and less ambiguous carrier than Mario or Luigi.

Now we are only left with Waluigi. We know almost nothing about him, probably due to the fact that has yet to appear in a main series Mario Game. In fact one could argue he's not technically a canon character to begin with!

The only mention of anything related to what sort of job he has that I could find is his Bus Driver variant in Mario Kart Tour in the London Tour. I'll let you decide if that's canon or not.

TL:DR: The only characters with unambiguous job titles are Bowser, Pauline, Wario and Princess Peach and Daisy (though their titles as princesses may not accurately reflect their position of power).

Mario started as carpenter, then became a plumber along side Luigi, and now both of them might have left the profession entirely in favor of just going in adventures and helping those in need.

Waluigi does not exist.

#ask #long post #mario #super mario #super mario lore #I've been holding this analysis inside of me for far too long and I had to get it out #AND LET'S NOT EVEN MENTION ROSALINA #SHE'S LIKE A COSMIC ENTITY PROTECTING THE UNIVERSE OR SOMETHING #crazy stuff

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cupidcreates · 4 years

Note

akdsfjkdksj I wasn’t expecting you to churn all this content out so quick (´∀｀)♡ omgosh you went above and beyond with the love language ask!! I love to see your interpretation of these characters so what do the cast consider the perfect date to be? low key vs high key? local vs out of town? -😌✨

Thank you! I’m glad you liked the love language post, sorry it took so long lol. As for their favorite dates I think I’ll do the same characters here:

Katsuki Bakugou

Rock Climbing/Hiking Dates

Canonically one of Katsuki’s favorite things to do is go rock climbing so he’d definitely want to bring a SO along every so often. If you’re an athletic person and enjoy being outdoors this will be a very fun date! If you’re not a very athletic person (as many of us aren’t) Katsuki will settle for just going for a short hike along a trail. Katsuki gets super talkative on hikes as well, as you’re walking he’ll just be talking about literally anything! From Hero work to his friends/family, to things that have been bothering him lately. Whatever is on his mind he’ll share with you while you’re both out, which is incredibly helpful as he doesn’t ever discuss his feelings at any other point in time. Plus it gives him a chance to show off how fit he is in front of you, which you both always consider a plus.

Izuku Midoriya

Movie Dates

A Classic, perhaps a little plain even, but Izuku absolutely loves to take you to the movies. He loves everything about the date, from discussing what you’re about to watch, to getting the snacks, to whispering in the back row (if you’re the type to get annoyed by talking during a movie he’ll keep this to a bare minimum). He loves being able to snuggle up next to you and hold your hand while discussing the finer points of the plot (If you’ll tolerate talking of course). Don’t think he’s being innocent here though, he definitely uses the darkness surrounding you as cover as he runs his hands up your thighs. Unbeknownst to most, Izuku is actually very much a horndog. He conceals it very well but he’s only barely capable of keeping his hands to himself when it comes to his SO. Any chance he gets to touch you he’ll take it, more than likely this is why his second favorite type of date is usually a stay-in date...

Shoto Todoroki

Dinner Dates

Another Classic, Shoto loves to treat his SO to expensive treats with his favorite being food-related dates at lavish restaurants. Not a week goes by that he doesn’t take you out on the town for the night at some place you’re sure you couldn’t even afford a glass of water at. It’s almost never the same place twice either, Shoto is actually a foodie and enjoys trying new types of cuisine whenever he can. He’s got a whole list of places he wants to take you, and if they require reservations he’s already got them locked down. If you love eating Shoto is your man, he’ll make sure you’re set with a wide variety of foods to choose from and always remembers any place you happen to be partial to.

Denki Kaminari

Amusement/Water Park Dates

Denki is a fun-loving guy through and through, he knows how to have a good time and wherever you happen to go he makes sure you do too. That being said, his absolute favorite place to take you is to an amusement or water park. It’s not often you two get to go, as you’re both very busy with your respective hero work most days, but when you do it’s a day-long affair. You’re there from the minute the park opens to the second it shuts down, riding as many rides as you can manage, eating greasy garbage food, and making sure to strike the dumbest poses for any rides that take pictures. You’ve got a whole scrapbook of these photos by now, their ridiculousness increasing with each new one added.

Eijirou Kirishima

Beach Dates

You wouldn’t expect Eijirou Kirishima to be a Thalassophile (Def. Person who loves the ocean) but he is. He adores being on the beach and it’s his preferred location for a date. You’ve spent many a sunny afternoon seaside with Eijirou, building sandcastles, chasing crabs, and just enjoying the ocean. One memorable afternoon you found yourselves right next to a sea turtles nest and you got to watch the babies pop out of the sand and scurry towards the ocean, assisted by Eijirou as he chased off the seagulls looking to make them a meal. Eijirou also enjoys surfing, and if you know how to do so he’ll get you matching boards so you can ride the waves together. If you’re not partial to surfing he’ll be sure to pull out all his tricks while you watch him, he’ll even let you onto his board with him so you two can just float together by the shore. Of course you two can’t go to the beach year round, but when you can you’re both sure to make the most of these sunny days, even if he does get an awful sunburn by the end of it.

Hitoshi Shinsou

Gaming Dates

Hitoshi isn’t what one would call ‘social’ when given the choice between going out for a night and staying home he’ll almost always choose the latter. So it’s expected that his favorite type of date is one where you two can stay inside and enjoy each others company. You both work so hard as Heros, why not spend your days off relaxing with one another? He can spend hours alone with you, preferably kicking your ass at Mario Party or some other multiplayer game. He doesn’t need anything except you, his consoles, and a pile of your favorite snacks to have a good time. That being said, if you want him to go out for a date the best way to convince him is to take him to some kind of arcade, especially if it’s a VR arcade. He feels a kind of nostalgic joy for these places and won’t hesitate to return and feel like a kid again. Plus it’s always nice to repeatedly prove to you that yes he is the champion of Dance Dance Revolution and you will never usurp this title from him.

Tamaki Amajiki

Park/Picnic Dates

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, Tamaki loves spending time outdoors; surrounded by and in awe of nature and it’s complex inner workings. He enjoys just taking time to appreciate the world around him, so dates where you can both relax outside and enjoy each other’s company are his favorite kind. He has a specific hill at his favorite park he likes to take you, bringing a lunch of all your favorite foods he sets you both up under the biggest shade tree for an afternoon. You both lay back on your worn picnic blanket and just cloudgaze, talking for hours about anything and everything. Much like Bakugou, Tamaki gets very talkative on these dates, discussing his week with you and anything new he might have learned over the course of it. He’s so very endearing on these dates its easy to fall silent and just listen to him for hours.

Mirio Togata

Crafting Dates

Mirio likes to have memorabilia from your dates, so you can expect a lot of dates to center around making things. More than just your average painting classes Mirio has also taken you to sculpting, woodworking, and glass blowing classes to name a few. At the end of your dates you both exchange what you’ve made and Mirio absolutely adores anything you craft, regardless of its quality in your eyes. He puts his heart and soul into making you something and more often than not it turns out spectacularly. Mirio wasn’t as good with the ceramics class, but you love the warped vase he made (even if it was technically supposed to be a cup at the start, we’ve all been there). Mirio’s kept everything you made him and even has a shelf in his house just dedicated to what you’ve made, it makes him so happy to come home after a hard day of work and see physical memories of his time with you.

Keigo Takami

Aquarium/Zoo Dates

Underneath Keigo’s charming and charismatically upbeat personality lies a bitter and broken man, drained by his role in Hero Society and left an empty shell of his former self. Underneath that personality lies a kid who never got to have a proper childhood and desperately wants to make up for it. He now uses his dates with you to do just that; not that you mind of course, dates with Keigo are always fun and lighthearted and you love to see him truly enjoy himself for once. Keigo’s favorite places to go are definitely large and intricately designed Zoos and Aquariums. He loves to look at the painstakingly accurate and detailed natural habitats, make fun of the stranger animal names you find, and learn new information about foreign bird species. Loves to mimic their calls too, much to the irritation of the birds and the zoo employees. He makes it a point to always get you a stuffed animal at the end of the date, ensuring that you now have a massive collection of them sitting all around your room. You’re always kept up to date on any Zoo or Aquarium events thanks to Keigo, as he has a calendar dedicated to all the unique events they have going on throughout the year.

Touya Todoroki

Crash Dates

Dabi is...well he’s unpredictable at the best of times and it’s very rare that you two have time for anything even resembling a date (being an S class villain does make it hard to exist normally in society and do normal couple things but it ees what it ees). However, when he can take you one a date --well the term “date” is generous here- it’s never a dull one. You’re not sure how he does it but when you go out you always manage to end up somewhere Dabi could never get into naturally. From sold-out concerts, to stand up shows, to parties at lavish houses belonging to people you’ve never even heard of let alone met before; dates with Dabi are always somewhere you two definitely shouldn’t be. One memorable morning he took you to a country club where you got to each fancy exclusive rich people food and play a horrible facsimile of golf before you were eventually found and chased out. It’s always fun to see how long you two can crash an even before being found out.

Tomura Shigaraki

Cemetery/Haunted Places Dates

Tomura Shigaraki is a man who enjoys his space from other people, in his opinion the only good person is a dead one (unless he’s talking about you, of course). So it’s not abnormal for your dates to be in a place far away from others. Again the term “date” is being very generous, more often than not he’ll approach you, tell you to follow him, and you’ll wind up in some abandoned building or graveyard. Normally this would be cause for concern, as this is exactly what happens in horror movies before someone gets killed, but Tomura has a soft spot for you so your safety is ensured. Tomura loves to see a place reclaimed by nature, vines growing over a run down house or worn out gravestones breaking apart into chunks of marble with barely legible words on them. He doesn’t talk much on your dates, but will often give you a random bit of insight about him; like on one date where you both walked alongside abandoned train tracks at dusk and he told you about the dog he had as a child. He seeks no pity from you, and these dates are not the conventionally romantic type, but you enjoy being able to be with Tomura in a way no one else ever has or ever will.

#answered #mha #bnha #katsuki bakugo #izuku midoriya #shoto todoroki #hitoshi shinsou #denki kaminari #eijiro kirishima #tamaki amajiki #mirio togata #keigo takami #mha hawks #touya todoroki #dabi #tomura shigaraki #this took forever to finish I'm so sorry lol #bnha headcanons #mha headcanons

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darker-soft-starker · 4 years

Photo

Starker High School AU, Pt 3 (Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 4, Pt 5)

-----

There were two things in life that Peter was unequivocally certain were true.

Number one was that Monday mornings were a universally despised, unpleasant experience that no weekend could ever ease the pain of having to endure.

And number two: Sit-ups were a specific and profound mechanism of torture that no person should ever be required to engage in, recreationally or mandated.

Of course, it would be just his luck that the two were combined on this very Monday morning.

It was cruel and unusual is what it was, Peter thought, hands curled at his temples as he pushes himself into a sitting position, falling back onto the dewy grass with a thud that steals the breath from his chest.

Bucky, holding his ankles, encourages him to complete his set.

“I can’t,” Peter gasps, his stomach trembling as he pulls himself up again. “I - oh fuck - I hate this. I hate exercise.”

Bucky squeezes his ankles tighter. “C’mon, Parker, only three more. You can do it.”

Peter shakes his head, even as he pulls himself up again with a pained groan.

“No, I can’t. Make it stop.”

“Two more. You got it. Sit-ups are not the boss of you.”

“Yes - ahh - they are!”

“One more!”

Sweat pours down his neck and his muscles protest as he pulls himself up for the last time. He gets probably only most of the way up before his gravity slams to the ground.

Bucky slaps his bare calf encouragingly as Peter stares up into the glaring morning sun, arms splayed out, his chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath. Oh, god. Never again. That was the worst.

Covering his eyes with his quivering arms he wonders if maybe coach will indulge him just this once. Maybe he can stay here until training is over, perhaps curl up into a ball and try to blend in with the grass so that no one sees him or subjects him to any more exercise.

Except Coach Danvers is already yelling at him to get off the ground and get moving.

He smacks his hands over his ears but it’s no use.

“Get up Parker, last warning!”

“Respite!” He yells back pleadingly, curling in tighter upon himself. “Please!”

Her whistle pierces the air.

“Now!”

Coach has been on edge all morning. Her harsh has turned razor edged in the face of their upcoming match against Kingston this Thursday, reminding the team of her expectations, tolerating nothing other than complete dedication.

Which, whatever.

Peter’s dedicated, okay? It’s Monday. He dragged his ass out of bed to be here at an unholy hour, exhausted and bloated from his indulgent weekend, didn’t he?

Erring on the margin of spite towards Danvers and self motivation, which he suspects is her aim, he pushes himself back up. Taking each of Bucky’s ankles in his grip, he starts counting as Bucky begins his set.

Not that he needs the assistance, Bucky proves his strength by ripping through the set like a bull stampeding through a brick wall. He doesn’t even break a sweat. Dude’s crazy athletic.

It’s really not fair.

As he mentally counts the reps, Peter thinks Bucky’s the kind of fit that Peter both hoped and never hoped to be. He’s effortlessly capable at any physical task, but he works hard for it, harder than Peter would ever dream of working, dedicating hours to gym time and conditioning. Bucky’s not even out of breath when he strikes up conversation.

“How was your weekend, PP?”

“S’okay. Played Mario Kart with my Aunt all weekend.”

Bucky grins as his upper half rises to meet his knees. “Oh, party animal. She doing okay?”

“Yeah, she’s good,” Peter grins wryly, taking one of his hands from the other’s ankle to push the sweat-damp hair from his eyes. “Kicked my ass though. She always takes Toad.”

“Switch?”

“Nah, GameCube. How was your weekend?”

“Boring. Parents were home all weekend and wanted some ‘family time’.”

“So, you just watched The Voice all weekend?”

“Yup.”

“Nat sneak in after?”

“Yup. How’d it go with Stark on Friday?” Bucky accepts Peter’s hand as he finishes his set. Peter pulls him up and pats him on the back.

The set off in a jog to complete a lap of the field, Coach yells that only five minutes are left, urging them to pick up speed. Peter’s lungs burn when he speaks.

“It was fine.”

Bucky looks at him dubiously, flyaways whipping at his face.

“Well not like, fine-fine, but no bloodshed. See? All limbs intact.” He holds his arms out mid-sprint.

“Wow, so you’re basically best friends now.”

“No.”

“Did you hold hands and braid each other’s hair?”

Incensed, Peter shoves at Bucky to the sound of his snickering,

“Ew, stop, I just had breakfast. Look, the first experience was painful enough. Can we move on? I really don’t want to talk about it.”

---

“And then he hit on my Aunt,” Peter complains in the showers, soaping up his chest. “Literally right in front of me. Who does that?”

“Did she flirt back?” Bucky asks, dipping his head into the spray.

“What? No. He said he was just trying to get under my skin,” he puts his head beneath his own shower head, the water pleasantly lukewarm against his heated skin. “I mean, what kind of psychopath does that?”

“Yeah, but your aunt is super hot though,” Wilson says to his right. “Stark’s an asshole, but he’s not crazy.”

There is a general murmur of agreement around the showers.

“I’m going to need you all to shut up right now,” Peter warns, turning to point at them all. “Keep my aunts name out of your mouth while you’re washing your balls, alright?”

“You heard him, move on,” Rogers cuts in, offering Peter a sympathetic smile.

He nods gratefully as conversation quickly turns to girls, grades and the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays. There was a reason why Peter was on Roger’s side all these weeks ago, he thinks, observing how the entire team respects his command without query. The guy was just interested in doing the right thing, and that’s pretty cool.

By the time they’re all dried and dressed, the topic is forgotten, much to Peter’s relief. He’s nearly late to first period though, too busy watching Wilson and Barnes smack each other with wet towels and attempting to tame his unruly curls into something resembling neatness. He’s not proud of the amount of gel it takes, but it’s what he’s got to work with.

It’s not that he’s obsessed with his appearance or anything, but he has a routine that he sticks to. Gel and lots of it.

Once, in third grade, Flash pulled one of Peter’s tightly coiled ringlet between his fingers, pulled on it and said oink. Peter still had some lingering baby fat at the time and so, as cruel as children can be, Peter was donned Piggy Parker for a time afterwards. Sometimes Porky Parker. They’re friends now, but the oinking and snuffling that followed him around the playground still haunts him.

Anyway.

On the way to first period Rogers walks alongside him down the hall. They have English together, but usually make their way separately. It kind of weirded Peter out for a moment because while they’re team-mates, they’re not really friends.

“Heard you got paired with Stark for an assignment,” the other boy says, his wry smile caught between amused and sympathetic. “That’s shit luck, Parker.”

“You’re telling me,” Peter agrees, waving to Ned and Betty as they pass. “Dude’s a freakin’ prick.”

Rogers bumps their shoulders together.

“You said it. Want me to have a word with him, get him to back off?”

“Nah,” Peter shakes his head. “I can handle Stark, he’s just some bored rich kid looking for a fight. Besides,” he gives Rogers a once-over, “pretty sure you’re supposed to keep your distance after your last brawl with him.”

“True,” he concedes, clamping Peter’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze as they stop before their room. “But we’re a team, alright? Just say the word and I’ll encourage some sense into him. Promise to be gentle.”

Peter clamps his hands over his heart with a flair of drama, despite being truly touched. “You’re my hero, Captain Rogers.”

Rogers rolls his eyes and shoves him into the classroom.

“Alright, smartass. Let’s go.”

Inside, he smiles sheepishly at Mrs Perez who glowers at them for their lateness and takes his usual seat between Clint and Shuri. He signs a good morning to the former and smiles at the latter, who is staring down at her desk with disdain.

“What’s wrong?” He nudges her chair with his foot to grab her attention.

“The curriculum.” She raises her head and points to the board miserably. It reads Lord of the Flies.

Oh, great. He could use the nap.

Peter smiles sympathetically, opening his nearly full notebook up to a blank page. “How was your weekend?”

“Meh.”

“Meh?”

“Mmm,” She nods, gesturing airily. “You know, eh. Oh, oh! I heard you spent the weekend getting cosy with Stark,” Shuri follows, pretending to search through their textbook. “Wow, that’s a three-sixty, PP. Didn’t know you had it in you.”

“What?” Peter hisses, voice lowering when their teacher looks around as roll-call commences. “That’s not -- ”

“Parker!” Perez yells for roll call.

“Present!”

Shuri snickers as Peter’s hand shoots up.

Lucky for him it’s the last he hears of it.

Kinda.

---

His next class is Bio with MJ who, thankfully, says very little through class. She inspects him with bleary eyes when he enters, nursing a coffee in her hands, always earlier than Peter who has to come from the other side of the school.

Peter’s grateful for the reprieve. When she does speak to him, it’s to borrow a pen or to offer him a sip of her coffee. It’s not a lab class today, only note-taking and listening to their teacher drone on about plant anatomy in the same monotone, so he accepts the bitter black coffee without hesitation.

It’s only then that he ventures to initiate conversation.

“So,” he begins precariously, doodling in his notebook, “how was your weekend?”

She shrugs, appearing more awake than earlier. “It was okay. You?”

“It was okay.”

And that was that, he’s relieved to note, companionable silence falling between again as they turn their attention to their teacher again. It’s not until they’re packing up their books at the end of class that MJ speaks to him again.

“See you at lunch?”

“Yeah, dude. Save us a table?”

“You bet. Oh, and by the way, I heard Stark is gonna be your new step-daddy. Congrats.”

Peter groans.

“How do you -- you know what, no,” he says, pulling his backpack over his shoulders and making a x with his arms. “Nope. No more talking about Stark, he is persona non grata. I’m traumatised enough.”

MJ pushes his glasses up after they slipped precariously down his nose during his declaration. “You’re so dramatic, dude.”

He bumps their shoulders together on the way out of the room and shakes his head.

“Why do people keep saying that?”

---

Ned texts him during recess; Peter is taking an extended break in the bathroom despite not needing to be there, but he’s definitely not hiding, nope. He’s just chilling in the cubicle.

< heard stark spent the weekend < lol wtf < plz verify < actually i don’t want to know < no wait i do tell me < dude

< hello?

----

Traitors, all of them.

He wonders if he should leave this school and start anew elsewhere.

---

Here’s the thing.

As much as Peter loves his friends, he has limits to how long he can spend with them before needing a time out.

They’re his motley crew of village idiots. Some he’s known since first grade, like Ned and Flash, others only since he came to the school and subsequently, the football team.

This school headhunted him because of his academic merit. With his pursuit of scholastic excellence - and the fact that some of his best friends would be attending the school, he applied for and was awarded a scholarship. It was a no-brainer - he had big dreams and even bigger expectations of himself to achieve them and he wanted May to be proud of him.

Which was why when it was suggested that he try out for JV, having exhibited some physicality during gym class, he decided to give it a try. It would look great to have on his applications, he was assured.

So he did. Somehow his wiry frame and years of gymnastics was considered an asset and he was promptly recruited by Coach Danvers. At first he deeply regretted the additional commitment -- the early hours, the soreness, adapting to the internal culture within the team. But he’s persevered and he’s glad that he did.

And for the most part, he copes okay. He can juggle football obligations and after-school activities and the odd tutoring jobs here and there and stay sane, right?

Sort of.

Because as grateful as he was for his broad circle of friends, Peter was still, at heart, an introvert. And right now, his social energy is running on fumes.

It’s because of this - and nothing to do with the relentless questions about Stark - that Peter retreats to the library at lunch that day.

Nestled away in the dusty, back corner, near the collection of old encyclopaedias that nobody reads, are an assortment of bean bags. It’s away from the main area, quiet and disregarded by most. It used to be a thriving recreational area way before Peter’s time, but there wasn’t any maintenance to it over the years. Now the bags are old, terribly lumpy and are speckled with suspicious stains, the fabric is thinning and aged. Most people purposefully avoid the old rec area, which is why Peter likes this spot best. It’s his secret hiding space.

He prepares to disassociate for the next forty minutes by getting comfortable on his favorite bean bag and popping his earphones in.

Next, he retrieves his slightly soggy ham-tomato sandwich from his bag and takes a large bite after unwrapping it. The first burst of tomato hits his tongue at the same time as the music begins.

Ah, to be alone.

Closing his eyes, he allows his body to sink into the bag and for his thoughts to wander freely.

Of course, because his luck is as poor as he is, his seclusion lasts all of three songs before someone else enters into his space. Well it’s not his space, technically, but it should be.

When Peter creaks an eye open to see who is intruding he’s surprised to see Thor perched on the bean-chair opposite him. They catch each others stare and smile.

Well, alone time is overrated.

Maybe his luck isn’t down the drain after all - because this is his opportunity to prove he isn’t a total fumbling loser. He doesn’t know which deity he pleased to be alone in a quiet corner of the library with Thor, but someone up there is clearly looking out for him.

He wants to say something, to strike up a conversation that might make Peter seem cool and only casually interested - something that would make him sound both smart and like, available.

But not too available.

With little success, Peter wracks his brain for the best opening line but frets because he’s ever been cool or collected a day in his life. And great, now he’s just been sitting there smiling for like two whole minutes like an absolute weirdo. Come on, Parker, say something!

Thor acts well before Peter has the chance to say anything, pointing at him, his mouth moving with words Peter can’t hear.

Realising a moment too late that his earphones are still playing music from his phone, Peter hurries to tug them out if his ears, smacking himself in the face in the .

“Sorry, I was --” Peter gestures to his ears, hands shaking, cheeks going hot. God, Thor is talking to him. Him! Peter Parker! “Sorry. What did you say?”

“I said I like your shirt!” Thor replies, way more loudly than what would normally be socially acceptable for a library, but Peter does not care. Thor likes his shirt.

“This?” He asks, gesturing downwards to his shirt where crumbs are dusted at the collar. “You like Nirvana?”

“I do not know Nirvana,” Thor smiles, “but it looks very cool. Peter, right?”

“Uh yeah,” he nods, face positively flaming because again, he knows Peter’s name. Quickly sweeping the crumbs from his shirt, he extends his hand out to the older boy who shakes his hand. Holy shit. Be cool. “I’m Parker -- I mean, Peter. Yes. Nice to be here. I mean, nice to be speaking. To you.”

Even as Peter’s arm is roughly jostled with Thor’s exuberant hand-shaking embarrassment crawls up his neck, and he wants to disintegrate into the bean bag where no one has to witness his persistent, glaring awkwardness. Palms sweating, Peter has to bite his lip to stop himself from commenting on how big Thor’s hands are.

Stop it, he scolds himself, be normal, play it cool.

“Thor, right?” Peter asks, as if he didn’t doodle their initials together in his notebooks. “You were at training last week.”

“Yes, you fell on your face,” Thor nods, gesturing to the yellowed bruising on his jaw, “I saw.”

“Oh, okay, so you saw that! Uhh -- ” Peter waves a hand at his face, laughing nervously. “This? It’s nothing. I’m totally fine.”

“You are clumsy,” Thor states, not unkindly.

“Well, no -- I mean, yes --” Peter tries to come up with an explanation, but falls short. “I’m not always a klutz, promise. Just sometimes.”

“Happens to the best of us. Well, not myself, but you know, generally speaking. In any case, I’m happy to see you’re okay.”

Thor unzips his backpack then and from within it retrieves a truly gargantuan protein shake, followed by a sub wrapped in foil so large it could be the same size as Peter’s forearm. Sneaking a look down at the remainder of his own lunch, his pickings look pretty slim in comparison.

“Sorry,” Thor says. “Just peckish for a snack.”

Peter watches, dazed, as the older boy consumes half his sub in a single bite, washing it down with several mouthfuls of his shake.

A snack.

“You’re fine. Anyway, football isn’t really my forte,” he admits after a moment, drawing his knees up. “I mean, I’m okay at it and I like it, but it’s not really what I’m best at, y’know?”

The blond boy nods, “I’m on the varsity team,” he proclaims, wiping his mouth. “Whatever that means.”

His accent is so thick it takes Peter half a moment to figure out what it was that he said.

He’s not sure if Thor is being serious or not but the one question Peter has is why is he so fucking cute?

A silence follows, albeit not an awkward one. It gives Peter the opportunity to inspect the older boy, nearly a man at his height and stature, of course helped along by the generous distribution of facial hair across his lower face.

“Uh, did you play football back at home?” Peter asks, keen to keep conversation going. “Soccer?”

“Oh yes,” the boy nods. “Soccer, tennis, volleyball. Water polo. Badminton.”

“Wow,” Peter blinks, “that’s a lot of sport. You’re like the whole Olympics here.”

He’s awarded with a lazy grin for that comment. Thor, to his credit, doesn’t appear to be boastful about his physicality, seemingly a result of his passions instead of a product of vanity.

“Close enough, I suppose. What else do you play, besides football?”

“Uhh --”

Oh god. How is he supposed to respond to that when the idea of doing additional sports outside of football is abhorrent? He can’t tell Thor that. Surely he can fake a common interest. Think of something, Parker, think, think.

The first bell rings, saving him from having to provide a potentially humiliating answer, seeing as all how all that could think of was chess, or PC. Both of which are true and accurate, but not exactly something he thinks that would make him appear more attractive or endearing.

Thank god for fifth period.

“To be continued?” Peter asks as he picks up his backpack, just a little hopeful.

There’s an awkward bit of shuffling as they rush to get off the sagging bean chairs, moment filled with odd squeaks of polystyrene as they attempt to stand.

Thor nods and to Peter’s surprise, doesn’t immediately rush to get away from him. There’s an awkward bit of shuffling as they rush to get off the sagging bean chairs with, odd squeaks of polystyrene as they stand. Instead, he accompanies Peter all the way out of the library, walking alongside him into the main hallway where a flurry of students are intersecting to get to their next class, walking alongside him.

Heads turn to watch them as they depart the library and enter the halls. For a moment, as kids part like the red sea to make way for them - for Thor - Peter wonders if this is what it’s like to be famous. Or to be on the arm of someone famous. It certainly feels like it, because even though the revere isn’t for Peter specifically, it seems like the weight of everyone’s awe is on them.

He doesn’t like the attention. But he likes Thor.

To his delight, the older boy follows him to his locker. Embarrassingly, it sticks when Peter tries to open it, as it usually does. He struggles with it for long, humiliating moments before Thor opens it with one hand.

“Thanks,” he says, blush creeping back up his neck. “You’re like, crazy strong, dude.”

Thor flexes and inspects his own bicep, as if seeing it for the first time.

“Perhaps,” he concedes, smiling roguishly. “Back at home I used to lift my brother for weight training.”

“You what?”

“A story for another time,” Thor shakes his head, shuffling closer to be heard over the traffic of students. “Anyway, I should be going. But there was something I have been meaning to ask you, if I may take a moment --”

Peter freezes. Oh my god, this is it, he thinks.

It’s happening.

“-- seeing as you and I have similar interests and we seem compatible, it would please me greatly if you would agree to --”

Heart racing, Peter turns, a fervent yes already on his lips.

It dies when there is a loud call of his name in the hall.

“-- Hey, Parker!”

Whatever Thor was going to say wilts at the interruption, seemingly forgotten as he waves at the intruder. Peter turns to see who called out for him and instantly wishes he didn’t.

Heart dropping to his stomach, he squeezes his eyes shut and sighs.

This is his luck.

Never has he wanted to melt into the floor and die like he does right now as Stark approaches the pair in quick strides.

Hands shoved into his jean pockets, Stark’s wide eyes dart between them inquisitively, a shadow of a smirk crossing his face, disappearing just as quick.

“Well, pardon me. I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Tony places a hand on his heart and leans on the locker next to Peters. “Thor, barely a pleasure as always.”

“Stark,” Thor nods.

Tony simpers, smile saccharine sweet and gestures to an uneasy Peter.

“I am just so sorry to intrude, but would you mind if I spoke to my husband here? He’s such a slippery one, aren’t you, sweetums?”

Thor looks between them, head going to and fro like a pendulum.

“He’s not my husband,” Peter rushes to assure, acutely pincered between Thor’s confusion and Tony’s mischief. “I mean he is, but it’s for an assignment. We’re not really -- it’s not real. I don’t like him.”

Tony exhales heavily, looking at Thor with dismay. “That’s not what he said in our wedding vows.”

Peter wants to punch him in the throat.

“I understand,” Thor smiles, patting each of them on the shoulder. He dips his chin and catches Peter’s eye. “To be continued?”

“Y-Yeah,” Peter nods enthusiastically, probably too enthusiastically, he thinks, as his aim is to pretend to be cool and disinterested, but he doesn’t even care because maybe not all is lost after all. “To be continued. See you.”

All of the pomp bleeds away from Tony as Thor walks away, his posture turning into a slump against the locker.

The smile drops from Peter’s face. He sends Tony a heated glare as he retrieves from his books, shoving them into his bag.

“What do you want?” he grumbles, slamming his locker shut. “You have the worst timing, you know that?”

“It’s part of my charm,” the other boy shrugs. “What can I say, I’m delightful.”

“You’re deplorable.”

Tony gasps in mock offence. “Deplorable? Good lord, Parker, is that any way to speak to your husband?”

“If the shoe fits,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Look, I have to go to class. Say what you want or move out of the way.”

Tony rolls his eyes. “Oh, don’t be like that. C’mon, what were you and He-Man grunting about, hmm? Grr, me big, you tiny?”

“Unless you have a point,” Peter asks, pointing to the main hall, “I’m leaving.”

Tony puts his hands up in surrender, however the glib expression doesn’t quite leave his face. But at that moment Peter doesn’t have it within him to care, he’s not here to entertain him and sooner they get this over with, the better.

“Alright, alright, buzzkill. Come outside, I have to talk to you about the assignment.”

Peter looks at him, perturbed.

“I need a smoke,” he explains, tutting at Peter dispiritedly. “Also, don’t lie, I know it’s your free period.”

He doesn’t wait for Peter to respond, heading straight for the double doors that lead to the courtyard at a sedate enough pace for Peter to follow. Nonetheless he jogs a few paces to catch up after debating whether or not it was a good idea to follow or if he should hide in the boys bathroom.

Again.

It’s fairly chilly out, the wind whipping through his clothes. He wishes he had a scarf or gloves or something, opting to shove his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and hooking the hood over his head.

“How do you know it’s my free period?” he queries loud enough to be heard over the wind.

“Because,” Tony turns to walk backwards, the breeze whistling around them, “it’s also my free period and you always stink up the library so I can’t go there,” he rounds the corner to lead Peter to the shaded area behind the auditorium where a few students are lingering, most of them smoking.

“And you take the best seat. Personally, I think it’s selfish. I can’t possibly sit there after your ass has warmed it.”

Willing himself to not rise to Tony’s level of pettiness, he crosses his arms over his chest as they come to a stop. The wind is at full force now that the surrounding buildings aren’t taking the brunt of it and it is cold as all hell, although Tony’s in a black t-shirt and doesn’t look affected at all, probably because he’s cold-blooded or warmed by hellfire.

Tony cups his hands over his lighter to protect the flame from the breeze, struggling briefly to light his cigarette. Once the end is properly alight, Tony takes a drag while staring at him.

His hand comes to rest at his thigh, smoke rising idly from the cigarette. After a moment, he exhales the smoke in Peters direction.

“Wow. You’re disgusting,” he waves his hand in front of his face to dispel the smell. “Don’t you know second-hand smoke can kill?”

"Yes. Do you want a drag to speed up the process?”

“Don’t be a dick,” he says as Tony seems to find himself funny, offering up the cigarette in jest. Peter has half a mind to snatch it out of his hands and stomp on it. “I know that’s hard for you.”

“I’m joking, okay. I thought the wind would redirect the smoke. My bad.”

Peter rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure. Anyway, the assignment? Still waiting for whatever was so urgent."

Tony takes another drag, flicking ash to the ground before answering.

“I booked an appointment with a realtor for tomorrow after school.”

That has Peter’s curiosity piqued. “Really? Where?”

“LIC. One of the agents has agreed to be a reference so our domestic nightmare can be officially documented. Yay, go team.”

“Yay,” Peter deadpans. “What time?”

“Appointment’s at four-thirty,” Tony retrieves his phone from his pocket and hands it to Peter. “Give me your number and I’ll send you the details.”

Peter accepts it with a grimace. It’s warm from Tony’s body heat. Ugh.

“And now you can say: ‘thank you for being proactive, Tony, you’re so much better than me, Tony’.”

“Thank you for being proactive, Anthony, even if you’re a self-aggrandizing jerk,” Peter mutters, voice getting progressively more sarcastic.

A wide smile blooms on Tony’s face, clearly pleased with himself.

“You’re welcome, Parker.”

He is going to let that one go, Peter decides, feeling magnanimous on spite of the circumstances. He’d never admit it, but he’s kinda surprised by Tony’s apparent initiative, and even genuinely a little grateful that the other boy has arranged this so quickly. Or even that he thought to arrange it at all - field research was one of the highest scoring components on the rubric for this assignment.

Eyes flicking up for a moment, he assesses the other boy. Maybe he’s not as much of a slacker as Peter thought he was.

Tony, slumped against the brick wall, rubs his stomach and burps quietly.

Or maybe he is.

Nevertheless, Peter types in his details and saves his contact in Tony’s phone as Your Better Half.

Peter isn’t too much to look at, he knows, but he’s not the weak link here.

Tony accepts the phone back and wipes the touch screen on his shirt before pocketing it.

“Alright then, meet me after school tomorrow in the parking lot. Don’t be late,” he flicks his cigarette to the ground and steps on it to put it out. Tony bends at the waist then to pick up the stub, clutching it in his fist for later disposal instead of leaving it as litter.

That surprises Peter a little, it’s more thoughtful, conscious a gesture than he would have expected to come from Stark. Not that he’s ever personally seen such behaviour from him, but it wouldn’t be a stretch with his devil-may-care attitude. Would it?

He’s about to make mention of heading back inside when Stark takes two purposeful steps towards Peter, bridging the gap between them.

Peter freezes on the spot, breath caught in his chest as Tony brings them nose-to-nose.

He flicks his eyes down at Tony’s lips when his solemn expression morphs into an impish smile.

“Dude, what -- ?”

While Peter is distracted, Tony’s hands dart out to grip the strings of Peter’s hoodie, tugging them until the hood shrinks around his face.

“Do me a solid and try to wear something that doesn’t make you look like you’re a step away from lining up at a soup kitchen, okay? Y’know, something nice.”

Peter smacks his hands away furiously, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as Tony backs away, snickering.

“You really get off on being a prized piece of shit, don’t you?” he mutters, somewhat self conscious as he tries to correct the hood. “Poor jokes, that’s real nice. Sorry not all of us were born wearing Balenciaga.”

He continues to struggle with it as they move away and head back towards the main building, pushing it off his head altogether.

“Calm down, Charlie Brown, it’s not that deep,” Tony says drily, although his flippant demeanour softens significantly. “I have no doubt that you’d still manage to look like a hobo even if you were loaded, okay. You just have that grubby vibe.” Tony claps his hands together. “So, tomorrow. Meet me in the parking lot. Yes?”

Inside, away from the wind, Peter is still helpless to quell the hurricane that is Tony Stark. He gives him a tired thumbs up.

With that Tony sets off in the opposite direction, leaving Peter to wonder what the hell just happened, and what his life has become these last few days.

“What a jackass,” he says to himself.

Now alone, he rubs his hands up and down his face, fruitlessly attempting to scrub away the memory of Tony close to him, eyes warm with mirth, the heat of his body up close and the smell of nicotine on his breath as he quite literally tugged Peter’s strings. It takes longer than he likes to will the image away and to calm the furious beat of his heart.

Furious; a feeling Peter is becoming progressively more familiar - and uncomfortable with.

Ben used to say that being angry at someone was allowing them to take up space in your head, rent free. He was right, because it never served Peter well to house animosity when acceptance was kinder to his soul and psyche, and to others -- but he can’t help it with this guy. Tony Stark is like an ear worm of the brain. He has this completely obnoxious way of making himself front and centre despite Peter’s best efforts to cast him to the sidelines.

While he’s willing himself to move on his phone vibrates inside his pocket with a new message.

> ur not my better half, loser > why r u like this > nvm i already know lol. > remember, don’t be late 2morrow

Peter, just a little satisfied with himself for getting under Tony’s skin, saves his contact as Tiny Stank and types back quickly, eager to get back to his seat in the library - assuming Stark hasn’t already occupied it - and make the best of his remaining free period.

< whatever helps u sleep at night < also, plz lose my number after this is over

> way ahead of u, princess > say hi to aunt may for me

Ugh, Peter cringes, pocketing his phone without replying.

That guy is the worst.

---

tagging: @bylerboyfriends, @ravens-starker-stuff, @starker-rays, @ironspiderstarker, @muse-of-gods, @notfor-temporaryuse, @tabbycat1220, @sugarfreecult, @rebel13lion39, @plueschpop, @spideravocados, @jellybbunny, @booktrashme, @elfkido, @mycatislickingmybedsheets, @queerghostboyo, @disneyprincessdominatrix

#starker #ironspider #high school au #tony stark x peter parker

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