-these puddles never meet a real smile-
I've been experimenting with new music. Here are some of the songs I've grown enamoured with.
Islands' Rough Gem
Pilate's Don't Stare*
Utada Hikaru's You Make Me Want to Be a Man
Gus Black's A Certain Kind of Light
Angels and Airwaves' Good Day
(*track is over eight minutes)
Finally, I've edited what I hope is a Prelude to a multi-part story based in the Slade/Robin/Red X storyline. Tyler is making a compelling argument about how this universe should be called the "Tyler-verse" because he is unique to it, and thus, somehow perfect for representing and classifying it.
He should not seek attention so actively.
Prelude
This is then...
Of the three of them, Tyler had always had the weakest understanding of the bond shared. Intuitive as he was, the moment either Slade or Robin attempted to explain the finer secrets of their connection, Tyler’s eyes would glaze over and his mind would gain weight causing those hazel-ringed irises to flicker clumsily in search of a diversion to focus upon.
Not that this had been a bad thing, for Tyler had never seen his ignorance as a disability. Sure, sometimes there came the sting of isolation, him kept separate from something exclusively shared by Robin and Slade. Though when this occurred, the feelings were unthinkingly announced through the very conduit Tyler could not comprehend and either Robin or Slade would notice. They often made the situation right.
The more devious parts of them (well, Slade having a part of himself that was not devious could be argued extensively) could also take sly pleasure in this advantage. Tyler would be in the midst of his own important ploys when, suddenly, emotion would overwhelm him. Distance did not lessen the games, once causing a newly independent Tyler to throw himself through a winter Chemistry examination so that he could escape the eyes of his peers and surrender to the shadows of a college broom closet.
Surrender he did, though it still occurred that he couldn’t explain how Slade felt every single thrust and heard every single shuddering breath from over five hundred miles away-by orchestration.
“Oh God,” he had gasped, not yet grounded enough again to think of how he would travel from Science Hall to dorm without exceptional notice. The consequences of his escapade had left him very unpresentable.
“How the hell…just…” phantom taste of Slade stuck thick upon Tyler’s tongue while his head bumped against a custodian’s shelf.
Minor miracles were Tyler’s forte and one campus exodus later, Tyler was letting the unnameable bond pull his fingers across the surface of his telephone.
Robin answered halfway through the first ring.
“Tyler-”
“He just-”
“What the hell did you say to Slade?!” shouted the voice over the phone line.
“I was in the middle of my Science test and-”
“I know!”
“He just....I had to use a fucking broom closet!”
“I know!” Robin repeated. “Tyler, I know that.”
“How do you know that?!” began Tyler’s turn to yell. Looking down at his shoes, observing the tight creases of his pants and he realized that he could still smell himself.
Robin laughed and somehow Tyler had known that Robin knew, too.
“Just…how?”
“We made that deal, that one time.”
“I know, ffft-,” he caught himself trying to swear. “I was there, if you hadn’t noticed. And I agreed to it and everything but why now? Why not last Thursday night when I got shunned by those guys I hang out with and I had absolutely nothing to do?”
“I remember that,” hummed Robin. “I bet Slade’s just screwing with you.”
Tyler sighed. “I can see why everyone thinks you’re a genius, Boy Obvious. Can’t he just show up out of nowhere after I’ve written my test and my brain is fried and I’m not expecting jack all to happen?”
“He could grab you from behind and throw you into the closet, yeah…” Robin trailed off. “I’ll have to keep that one.”
Staring tiredly around his room, Tyler shook his head. “Rob, I’m okay with the games but you have no idea how frustrating it is to be so inept. This magic bond thing, I mean…is Slade spying on us right now?”
“I’m not actually sure,” confessed the voice on the other line. “Not through our connection, but he’s probably bugged your phone while you were sleeping.”
“Oh my God,” Tyler lifted his voice dramatically. “Do you think he knows what kind of pizza I regularly order?!”
“I’d be more worried about the pizza guy you flirt with,” Robin laughed. “Look, the bond isn’t hard to figure out. It’s like a computer network connection. Try and see it that way, where you can connect and disconnect, throw in firewalls if you think hard enough an-”
“Rob,” interrupted Tyler. “Please. Just…shut up.”
Hesitation followed. And then Robin did Tyler a favour and held still for a moment. It allowed the thief to gather his thoughts.
Finally, Tyler said, “just ask me the obvious question.”
Robin stalled, but it was not long enough to concern Tyler further. “Do you regret it?”
“Not at all,” Tyler said, creating an affirmation more for himself than for Robin. “Though my confidence took a spill the moment I panicked in the middle of class.”
“He’ll always have the upper hand.”
“For now,” Tyler hummed, wondering if this was ultimately how he differed the most from Robin.
No, he decided. Robin tries to defy, too.
There existed some good feeling in having that thought. Tyler marked it down mentally, hoping he would not forget to return later to that particular musing.
“Look, I’ve been on for about five minutes. I’m just a student now so unless you want me heisting a bank to pay the bill, I’ll have to hang up.”
“Oh,” Robin responded, sounding perhaps a little disappointed. “I guess it’s my duty as a hero to let you go, then.”
“Two more weeks until I’m home,” reminded Tyler. “Guess I’ll see you later.”
“Not if I don’t think of you first with my bond-control powers.”
“You’re a dick,” Tyler drawled, putting down the phone.
“You enjoy it,” Robin got in, before the phone’s cradle had its bounty.
Tyler went to find a clean change of clothing and instead ended up draped across his bed trying vainly to snag an aspect of the bond-reversing the tables and taking initiative.
The effort only put him to sleep, but it was a good sleep.
Islands' Rough Gem
Pilate's Don't Stare*
Utada Hikaru's You Make Me Want to Be a Man
Gus Black's A Certain Kind of Light
Angels and Airwaves' Good Day
(*track is over eight minutes)
Finally, I've edited what I hope is a Prelude to a multi-part story based in the Slade/Robin/Red X storyline. Tyler is making a compelling argument about how this universe should be called the "Tyler-verse" because he is unique to it, and thus, somehow perfect for representing and classifying it.
He should not seek attention so actively.
Prelude
This is then...
Of the three of them, Tyler had always had the weakest understanding of the bond shared. Intuitive as he was, the moment either Slade or Robin attempted to explain the finer secrets of their connection, Tyler’s eyes would glaze over and his mind would gain weight causing those hazel-ringed irises to flicker clumsily in search of a diversion to focus upon.
Not that this had been a bad thing, for Tyler had never seen his ignorance as a disability. Sure, sometimes there came the sting of isolation, him kept separate from something exclusively shared by Robin and Slade. Though when this occurred, the feelings were unthinkingly announced through the very conduit Tyler could not comprehend and either Robin or Slade would notice. They often made the situation right.
The more devious parts of them (well, Slade having a part of himself that was not devious could be argued extensively) could also take sly pleasure in this advantage. Tyler would be in the midst of his own important ploys when, suddenly, emotion would overwhelm him. Distance did not lessen the games, once causing a newly independent Tyler to throw himself through a winter Chemistry examination so that he could escape the eyes of his peers and surrender to the shadows of a college broom closet.
Surrender he did, though it still occurred that he couldn’t explain how Slade felt every single thrust and heard every single shuddering breath from over five hundred miles away-by orchestration.
“Oh God,” he had gasped, not yet grounded enough again to think of how he would travel from Science Hall to dorm without exceptional notice. The consequences of his escapade had left him very unpresentable.
“How the hell…just…” phantom taste of Slade stuck thick upon Tyler’s tongue while his head bumped against a custodian’s shelf.
Minor miracles were Tyler’s forte and one campus exodus later, Tyler was letting the unnameable bond pull his fingers across the surface of his telephone.
Robin answered halfway through the first ring.
“Tyler-”
“He just-”
“What the hell did you say to Slade?!” shouted the voice over the phone line.
“I was in the middle of my Science test and-”
“I know!”
“He just....I had to use a fucking broom closet!”
“I know!” Robin repeated. “Tyler, I know that.”
“How do you know that?!” began Tyler’s turn to yell. Looking down at his shoes, observing the tight creases of his pants and he realized that he could still smell himself.
Robin laughed and somehow Tyler had known that Robin knew, too.
“Just…how?”
“We made that deal, that one time.”
“I know, ffft-,” he caught himself trying to swear. “I was there, if you hadn’t noticed. And I agreed to it and everything but why now? Why not last Thursday night when I got shunned by those guys I hang out with and I had absolutely nothing to do?”
“I remember that,” hummed Robin. “I bet Slade’s just screwing with you.”
Tyler sighed. “I can see why everyone thinks you’re a genius, Boy Obvious. Can’t he just show up out of nowhere after I’ve written my test and my brain is fried and I’m not expecting jack all to happen?”
“He could grab you from behind and throw you into the closet, yeah…” Robin trailed off. “I’ll have to keep that one.”
Staring tiredly around his room, Tyler shook his head. “Rob, I’m okay with the games but you have no idea how frustrating it is to be so inept. This magic bond thing, I mean…is Slade spying on us right now?”
“I’m not actually sure,” confessed the voice on the other line. “Not through our connection, but he’s probably bugged your phone while you were sleeping.”
“Oh my God,” Tyler lifted his voice dramatically. “Do you think he knows what kind of pizza I regularly order?!”
“I’d be more worried about the pizza guy you flirt with,” Robin laughed. “Look, the bond isn’t hard to figure out. It’s like a computer network connection. Try and see it that way, where you can connect and disconnect, throw in firewalls if you think hard enough an-”
“Rob,” interrupted Tyler. “Please. Just…shut up.”
Hesitation followed. And then Robin did Tyler a favour and held still for a moment. It allowed the thief to gather his thoughts.
Finally, Tyler said, “just ask me the obvious question.”
Robin stalled, but it was not long enough to concern Tyler further. “Do you regret it?”
“Not at all,” Tyler said, creating an affirmation more for himself than for Robin. “Though my confidence took a spill the moment I panicked in the middle of class.”
“He’ll always have the upper hand.”
“For now,” Tyler hummed, wondering if this was ultimately how he differed the most from Robin.
No, he decided. Robin tries to defy, too.
There existed some good feeling in having that thought. Tyler marked it down mentally, hoping he would not forget to return later to that particular musing.
“Look, I’ve been on for about five minutes. I’m just a student now so unless you want me heisting a bank to pay the bill, I’ll have to hang up.”
“Oh,” Robin responded, sounding perhaps a little disappointed. “I guess it’s my duty as a hero to let you go, then.”
“Two more weeks until I’m home,” reminded Tyler. “Guess I’ll see you later.”
“Not if I don’t think of you first with my bond-control powers.”
“You’re a dick,” Tyler drawled, putting down the phone.
“You enjoy it,” Robin got in, before the phone’s cradle had its bounty.
Tyler went to find a clean change of clothing and instead ended up draped across his bed trying vainly to snag an aspect of the bond-reversing the tables and taking initiative.
The effort only put him to sleep, but it was a good sleep.