“I’ll stop when you stop.” Idia snickers, using his shoulder to push at Piper in an attempt to distract her from the game they were playing together. A very unprofessional move for a real gamer. If he were playing the game competitively he’d never do something so under handed. But considering they were just goofing around, wasting time after classes, he allowed himself a bit of mischief. Moments he’d only before shared with his brother. At this point trying to distract one another from finishing the race had become as much part of the game as actually beating it.
In what would be considered a highly uncouth move in the gaming circles Idia leans his whole body in front of Piper blocking their gaze from the screen as he tries to speed ahead of them with his shy guy. A laugh that would be considered creepy by most escapes when he picks up an upgrade. Even when he leans too far to make him lose his balance and fall over in front of them he doesn’t stop laughing or smiling, actually enjoying his time.
“Ha, gotcha! Now there’s no way you’ll catch up to me!” That’s a bluff, it’d be fairly easy for them to catch him. But what’s gaming without some well earned taunting?
@exceptone asked: "Babe, babe, hey — look at this." Piper is laying on his bed when he walks in, laptop on her stomach, head propped up on a pillow to see. It's not a flattering pose, something she'd worried about at the beginning, but they’re far past that. They wave him over without so much as a hi, turning the laptop to show him and beginning to dissolve into laughter — "somebody — hah — somebody made a wikifeet article about you." IT WASN'T EVEN THEM.
GOOD NEWS FOR piper: she doesn’t even need to call leona over. he comes into the room and he’s making a line for the bed, as usual, the only real sign that their calling him over had any effect being a little curious sound he makes. he lays on his side beside her, a hand finding their red hair to idly run his fingers through as he faces them.
BAD NEWS FOR leona: literally everything that comes out of piper’s mouth and everything on the laptop display. “ a fuckin’ what?? ” he asks, but with the page being up it’s a pointless question of shock more than genuine misunderstanding. ugh. bunch of weirdos. but it comes with being a prince and therefore in the public eye at all despite his best efforts. he closes his eyes as he rests his head on a pillow, groaning in annoyance even as piper shakes with laughter beside him, hand withdrawing from her hair to lightly flick her ear. “ ‘m blaming you till you give me a reason not to, princess. ” this sounds too much like the shit she’d pull and they both know it. “ and laughing’s not helpin’ your case. ”
@exceptone : "Let me make one thing clear to you, punk." Okay, maybe cornering him and glaring and talking like a delinquent is overdoing it, but Piper's nothing if not dramatic, and selling it well to boot. ( it's not like piper is actually concerned that the wannabe honor student would intentionally hurt her. and piper has unintentionally hurting her down pat. ) They glower at Deuce with the energy of a deeply concerned older sibling. "If you so much as consider breaking Barbara's heart, I BREAK YOU. We clear?"
ordinarily being approached in this manner tends to trigger his bad boy mode. but the mention of barbara changes that this time around. does this diasomnia guy know about them? how did it get out? deuce hasn’t told anyone except his mom ( which he got permission about ). that in addition to the threat makes deuce straighten, eyes wide as he stares back at the upperclassman. ❛ yes sir! ❜ wait he can’t confirm that he’s seeing barbara that’ll ruin everything. he’s gotta play dumb. ❛ i mean! -- i’m not seeing barbara! who’s barbara?! ❜ not that dumb!
@exceptone asked: "You like girls, right?" Piper asks once day, leaning too close where they sit across from one another. When he nods, confused, Piper grins sharply. "Good," they reply, and then lean forward to press a kiss to his mouth before sauntering away with nothing more than a "Bye ~ !" THEY JUST THOUGHT IT'D BE FUNNY TO SEE HIS FACE.
it’s a weird question to get suddenly, especially from someone he’s not especially close to — pearce is fine, sure, but cater always gets the vibe that he’s... not a fan of him, which contradicts the proximity and the question. “ ah, yeah?? ” comes his response, voice confused and questioning as he gives a nod.
it’s a weird question, but what happens next is weirder. the distance between himself and pearce is closed and then his lips are captured in a kiss. cater’s green eyes are wide, expression pulled into one of abject shock as they pull away. he can’t even stammer out a question, as flabbergasted as he is. all he can do is watch pearce ( ? ) as they saunter away, clearly pleased with themself.
it’s not much later when his mind has finally cleared enough to put together the question and his response and their response and then the action —
[ txt : pearce 🐉 ] i might be slow but are you trying to tell me you’re a girl?????
I think I like Pearce ? well, I don’t know exactly. of course, I like Pearce, but it’s not the normal feelings you’re supposed to have for your friends. sometimes I want to hold their hand and just yesterday, I kind of thought about kissing them... maybe. it’s very quick and brief and really took me by surprise ! I just don’t know what’s going on ! I do know that more than anything, just being around them brings me incredible happiness. it feels similar to when I ride my carpet or play music ! sometimes I quietly ask the stars to never let the sun set just because I don’t want to stop being with Pearce.
it’s so new and different, and I don’t know what to do ! I might need to ask cater and lilia about it. they’re both so smart, they’ll know what it is I’m feeling for sure ! usually when you like someone, you tell them, right ? are you supposed to start dating then ? or is that only when you love someone ?
love and dating... I wonder if Pearce has thought about it as well. have they ever been in love ?
Tuesday, June 28th
Pearce doesn’t want to hang around me anymore. they never said it to me, but they’re doing the same thing jamil does where they don’t come around me anymore. we don’t meet in the mornings or eat together or talk like we used to. I don’t know why, but it has to be my fault. maybe I said something wrong or made them feel bad, but no matter how much I think about it, I can’t pinpoint the exact moment. jamil always told me I needed to pay attention more, and I really should have listened. maybe I could have said sorry ? but I don’t know what’s wrong, and I haven’t seen them long enough to apologize.
I screwed up again. just like with jamil, I keep hurting my friends. I really miss them though. I just want to see them again, even if it’s only one more time.
Wednesday, August 29th
it happened again. Pearce got hurt protecting me, and now they’re in the infirmary resting. they haven’t woken up yet, but the doctor said they’ll be okay. they look so peaceful while they sleep, like nothing’s happened at all, like they’re not in pain. even if they’re fine, I can’t bring myself to leave. what if when I do, something bad happens ? what if they wake up, and I’m not here ? I know I asked to see them one more time, but it wasn’t supposed to be like this.
they probably still dislike me, but I have to stay here, even if they wouldn’t want me to. there’s so much I still have to tell them. it does feel nice, being able to hold their hand again. it lets me know that they’re okay, and they’re still here with me.
“You remind me of someone I know.” Not Neku as he was now -- Neku as he was when Joshua had shot him dead in front of Hanekoma’s mural / the Neku who swore to shut everyone out with those headphones / Neku in whom Joshua thought would find salvation / would find ERASURE and QUIET -- only to discover that yes, this world could be beautiful.
But Joshua’s words aren’t. “So, what’s your sob story? Is there one? Or is your Soul just like this?” ANYONE CAN CHANGE. Joshua knows this now. Had bet the city on it. But he’s not the best catalyst for such change. No use pretending he’s something he’s not. Good things never come of it -- only attachment and a newfound love for the RG...which made his job all the more difficult.
@exceptone is an annoyance : Piper's voice is a cheerful shout, hand waving over their head as they try to get the other's attention. "HEY, CHESTER!" — from exceptone :)
thing is, che’nya actually likes pearce. who wouldn’t. they’re fun and it’s harder to jerk their chain than most, in the way that che’nya tends to when joining someone else’s orbit for a moment. pearce, che’nya’s found, jerks back.
alchemi alchemivich pinka is too hard for people, so they go by che’nya instead. che’nya. their tail swings from side to side, feline eyes growing sharp—but then the moment passes, and che’nya’s lips curl smoothly and they tilt their head. ❛ hi, peace. ❜
@exceptone sent: He'll find a small bag of candy — caramels, the kind he liked as a child — outside his room's door one morning. I wonder how those got there.
the sound of something hitting thin plastic greets him when he opens his room door, and his brow furrows as he peaks around the door to see the cause. it’s a bag of... ah.
jean’s expression remains furrowed as he sighs, some sort of upset slipping between the cracks. after a moment of debating with himself he leans down to pick up the bag. it’s the same brand, too, and he almost rolls his eyes — but it’s an exasperated thing, almost pained. piper.
