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Post by zuyuri on Sept 23, 2022 18:41:35 GMT
“Guess I’ll have to pick what I’m interested that say in if I want to keep you both happy.”
While Zuko didn’t laugh, there was a tiny gleam in his gold eyes. Utena and Bella were both incredibly different, bit that wasn’t a bad thing. If he was in a combat training mode, he could seek her out. If he wanted to be more quiet, he would look for Bella. She mentioned a glee club, and deep down, Zuko felt a small inkling to try out. He wouldn’t dare say it out loud though
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Sept 25, 2022 2:49:35 GMT
"You're sure to find something, there's an outlet for almost everything around here," Bella said encouragingly. Even if it wasn't an official club or anything, you were still bound to find at least one person that liked some of the stuff you did. Or they could introduce you to something new. Bella was always happy to recommend a book to someone if they were interested in finding something new to read.
"Or if all else fails, there's always the internet," Utena added. "They have groups and forums for practically everything." While Utena wasn't about to substitute the internet with the social life she had, it was still a good way to meet people. And superheroes were no stranger to it. If they pulled off a cool stunt or caught a bad guy, they were sure to be trending on Twitter.
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Post by zuyuri on Sept 25, 2022 4:07:19 GMT
“I think for now I’ll avoid the Internet for now. You never know how deep some people’s troubles go from just reading a simple post. Besides, my version of reading is…old fashioned. No audio books or tech books for me. I prefer old paper and ink.”
He didn’t say it yet, but he was also avoiding his mother. She was incredibly tech savvy when she wasn’t burning people to a crisp with her powers. Besides, Zuko didn’t want people associating her vigilante work with him. Not like he had the means to tell people to keep it quiet. This was also his first time admitting that he preferred paper reading to ebooks. Something about the book being right there was more comforting. There was a temptation to burn the book when it got horrendous, but he always kept it firm.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Sept 25, 2022 18:42:48 GMT
"Me too," Bella agreed enthusiastically. "There's nothing better than the smell of a new book, am I right?" It felt better to have a physical book in her hand and being able to turn the pages. E-books just weren't the same. Besides, having a shelf full of books was a main feature of her bedroom. She was the kind to always put a lot of thought into which ones she brought with her to school, despite the fact that her mom wasn't too far away from campus.
Utena kept her thoughts to herself, although she did think to herself that if Bella got along with Ruby, who loved comics, the two of them plus Zuko could probably get a book club going. Or maybe just have something unofficial going on. It would probably be less complicated if the school wasn't involved.
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Post by zuyuri on Sept 25, 2022 22:25:15 GMT
Zuko rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I mean...I prefer getting hand me down copies. Half the price and comes with the, uh, book smell if you know what I mean." He also didn't have as much time for reading as he would like. Maybe training was getting to his head. It had been a while since he found a world to escape to. The last one he was invested in was taken away and reduced to ash. He hadn't fund a copy of it since.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Sept 26, 2022 23:15:41 GMT
"Hey, I don't knock used copies," Bella replied. "It makes them feel like they've got history, you know? Like, if one part makes you feel really tense, you wonder if the previous owner felt the same way." New, used, it didn't matter to her. Plus, some older versions of books had really nice covers or pretty artwork on the front. Some new stuff nowadays was so boring.
"Or if a part sucks, you suddenly realize why they gave up their copy in the first place," Utena joked.
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Post by zuyuri on Sept 27, 2022 0:23:28 GMT
“Huh. Never would have figured a crappy art design on a book cover, or just a bad paragraph, translated to history, but I guess that’s a good point.”
That explained why so many stories got reprints. Covers either were just the Titus in fancy letters or the design was so dated that it was laughable. Both girls made him interested in looking at books once more. Not like the two blonde students he saw with piles of books and little gadgets spread out in front of them like toys - did they go anywhere without books or scrap metal? - but enough for a simple investment.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Sept 27, 2022 23:57:17 GMT
Bella smiled, glad to hear that Zuko agreed with her. The bell suddenly rang over their heads though, causing her and Utena to look up. It looked like lunch was drawing to a close.
"Whoop, we gotta get going," Utena said before shoving a rather unladylike amount of mashed potatoes into her mouth.
"Don't choke on that," Bella cautioned, giving her sister a look.
Utena swallowed before saying "Hey, I need the energy. I've got weapons class next. What about you?"
"Biology." Bella sighed. "I hope we don't have to dissect anything." Upper classmen loved to spread rumors about that, talking about all the icky stuff you could find if you had a frog to take apart, or something worse.
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Post by zuyuri on Sept 28, 2022 2:13:15 GMT
Zuko was about to ask another question to the twins, since the ice was finally broken, but the shrill ring of the bell cut him off. He had finished just the mashed potatoes, but he wasn’t feeling hu gray. After class, he’d feel the hunger. Maybe he’d get something on his shift. And apparently he wasn’t going to class alone. Utena would be there.
“Oh. I have weapons class next, too!”
He didn’t know Utena as well as Bella. Maybe sparring with her would change that. And deep down, he did feel better about having a classmate he could confide in.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Sept 28, 2022 23:33:39 GMT
"Ooo, fun. You'll have to be my sparring partner, I wanna see what you've got," Utena said with a grin. Zuko seemed like an interesting guy, and like her sister, he seemed to open up a little bit more once he was comfortable around someone. There was probably to him that she would learn once they'd been friends for a while.
"Take it easy on him Utena, we don't want anyone being sent to the nurse's office," Bella lightly teased.
"Hey, I haven't sent anyone to the nurse's office...yet," Utena replied. Teachers couldn't let things get too crazy, otherwise students would end up with injuries every day. But Utena knew that her drive to get better could turn into competitiveness and it got the better of her sometimes.
"I'll catch up with you two later," Bella said, waving before hurrying off.
Utena did the same before turning to Zuko. "We'd better head off before the hallways get too crowded and we end up like sardines in a can," she said.
((End thread?))
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Post by zuyuri on Sept 29, 2022 13:59:46 GMT
“Hope to see you around soon, Bella.”
Zuko’s wave was small, but every ounce of truth at seeing her again was worth it. Trust was still foreign, but like a tiny sprout, it was starting to grow. Now he had to worry about Utena sending him to the nurse. She claimed it hadn’t happened yet, but it was now a point to help curb her attitudes. He knew that fighting, especially people with powers like his, could be dangerous. Yeah Bella said Utena could heal quickly, but how quick as it? He’d find out during class, and he followed Utena’s advice, getting into the crowd just as he heard the chorus of chattering students ((End))
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