ladyfebruary82-blog

[lunearobservatory]

Okay I LOVE Wild magic Sorcerer Florida but also consider he's a dual class with levels in the Arcane Trickster Rogue subtype.

I can't decide if Loui would be a Circle of Spores Druid or Circle of Land Druid, but honestly Loui as a Druid is so goated.

New York as a barbarian is interesting because I would more consider TEXAS as a barbarian. I was thinking of New York as a Rogue or Monk.

California as the worst Bard ever is also hilarious. I think he's just waiting it out until he can take a dual class. Maybe he'll takes levels in being a wizard or a warlock.

OOH I see it yeah I see it HMMMM i have a few others as possible multiclassers so mayb Florida is a special lil guy (he has a secret he has a secret he has a secret im not gonna say what it is yet heehoo) as long as he's able to cause some chaos he's happy. I just... the surge table is so important, whatever else he is or does, I need him to have it

On my funny little ideas doc Texas is a (possibly minotaur?) barbarian hehehe don't you worry, that was like the literal first thing I put down. Get me this freak in a rage state !!!

WAIT A MINUTE... you may be on to something,,,, monk with a club (baseball bat) NY. LMAO ok ok ok. I'm writing that down I'm gonna play with that

I like California being a cringefail bard so much. Like. Honestly I said I have him as a wildfire druid but I am noooootttttt settled on it at all (it was a mostly haha fire joke recommendation from my brother who's a professional DM, he's helping me with this lol) and alsoooo that's kinda cramping louie's whole druid thing. I just think he should try giving bardic inspo and be like. erm !! 😀😀😀 yeah !!!! 😄😄😄😁 woo yeah !!! 😁🙂🙂 lets go gamers !!! 🫶🫶🫶 yeah girlie go get em !!!! What a fucking dweeb I want him to trip over his shoelaces that Florida tied together

SPEAKING OF LOUIE. WOAAAAHHH CIRCLE OF SPORES... HOLLLYYYY SHIIIIITTTTTT UR SO RIGHT. FREAKY MUSHROOM AAAH I wanted to give him sooommeeething to do with death but wasn't committed to giving him full on necromancy 🥲 that feels like too much, but fungal infestation is so fucking perfect for him WOWWIE AAA hell yeah HELL YEAH

[incognito-insomniac]

🖊🖊 oooh!!! can u tell us abt ur goofiest oc? i love a silly lil character heheh

Ooooooo....I don't have a goof. Like none of them are just outright goofballs. Even Evera Hawke who was very purple sometimes I wouldn't call a goofball. Evera's just so drenched in grief she cannot truly goof about. She is a depressed goof. A reformed goof? No just a deeply traumatized goof. It's all sarcasm and self-deprecating humor now.

But you've put two pens so let's rifle through them shall we?

Wendel Downfoot it probably the closest to a goofball I've got. He's a D&D character for a campaign I'm playing at the moment. He's a big time prankster. A thief. He'll fib for a laugh. But our little friend crippling trauma comes to play as well. Wendel is haunted (Phantom Rogue 5e) and gloomy and doesn't play nice with others most days. So his pranking days are few and far between. But he is a true goof at heart. Latest nonsense was to lead 200 pigs or so through a portal into what is essentially our allies' command center. Hehe.

Axle Ryder will pull a goof. She'll bring about the goofening. She will prank and roughhouse and roll on the floor giggling with the best of them. She loves a good time. But she is also….a badass motherfucker. A long term stint in a mercenary gang and being daddy's little disenfranchised delinquent will get you pulled off the goofball list pretty fast. She's a "punch first ask questions later" kind of gal. Whiskey, pistols, and punk rock are her favorite things…along with baseball (there's a suppressed math nerd in there somewhere)

Now dorks we have.

Liam Harper is a dork. He is a tall lanky silly dork of a man. An author with crippling social anxiety and writer's block. He likes bow ties with clashing print button-downs and will wear shorts and boat-shoes with socks without shame. The man has a handlebar mustache and horn rimmed glasses for crying out loud. He makes dad puns. He overuses fingerguns. Liam would like to pull a goof. But it would probably go horribly wrong and he would end up with burnt pie and broken arm.

Erim Lavellan is a dork. Bookworm supreme. Man would live in the library if the Inquisition and his husband didn't insist he pull his nose out of a book every once in a while. But he is too much of a lovely honest cinnamon roll to be pulling goofs. And he has deadly agility and precision on the battlefield. So really just a bookish boy who gets excited about history and helping people. Now you're saying that's not a dork. But I assure you his lopsided grin and penchant for stammering with a little blush across his freckled cheeks will convince you that he is in fact 100% Grade A Dork material.

And that's it. I'm tempted to say some of the others have goof like tendencies but I would be lying if I said it was a hallmark of their character.

[spaceraceart]

scamton would totally play the saxophone

[miroyuuu]

What do you think the boys would collect or like what hobbies they'd do? We know Toki builds model planes, I'm definitely assuming Pickles picked up tennis in high school since he was the only one really participating in that one episode, Skwis probs collects guitars, Murderface likes all the weird torture or items related to tragedies, and I don't think they've shown Nathan really into anything that I can remember. So like. Do you think they'd collect or do other things besides the things we've blatantly seen I guess is what my question is 😂

Yes i love pickles bein a lil jock ahem in cheer au he plays baseball too 🥺 ofc he bakes, a skill he first learned by baking edibles and realizing hey this is actually kinda fun. He strikes me as a big dog guy. Maybe he plays with the yard wolves with skwisgaar hehe..

heh i think maybe nathan likes to learn abt the ocean and sea creatures in his free time! he finds it surprisingly interesting and likes reading nonfiction books about sea creatures, especially ones he deems brutal in some way- sharks, box jellyfish, whales ofc etc. He also likes to watch national geographic/animal planet videos, sometimes he plays them while in the hottub with the boys.

I think murderface likes watching documentaries, about histories and anthropology and stuff like that! He finds it fascinating and gets really sucked into a certain topic for a few days during which he'll drop random facts about smth he learned in a documentary in conversation, and he feels real intelligent about it too. Charles is one of the only ones that will entertain him and have a discussion about whatever random new thing he's been interested in lately.

Ever since i drew that request of skwisgaar playing dota a few months ago I have been In Love with the idea of skwisgaar being a lil gamer on the side who plays shooters hehehe he's super toxic, always on the mic talking trash and talking about fucking his teammates moms 🤡 heh he's a lil game gremlin that ragequits and gets super competitive n tilted af. Not sure if his focus, dedication and precision with his hands would translate to good aim or if he'd be really bad and end up quitting out of frustration or alternatively, grind really hard. Omg. Skiwsgaar playing mmos. He has so much money to sink into mmos skfhdksks also as @strawbrygashez mentioned before he probably plays rythm games and gets sucked into the gacha

I think with toki's interest in crafts and assembly he might be into sewing/making little clothes for his stuffed animals? Or those little diy knit your own stuffed animals/cute lil models stuff. Also painting those preproduced statues of like, teddybears and cute houses and shit like that. Idk if they do it in America or if theres a name for it but that sticky tape sand art? And that rainbow scratch art!

[turtle-steverogers]

I Watched TWS for the Millionth Time So Let’s Over-Analyze This Shit

-TFA theme at the beginning 🥰 (that theme is so fuckin good)

-Sam’s lil jogging route around the Tidal Basin/Mall

-Steve being sassy , just as a general

-Steve’s sadness errands

-Sam relating to Steve on the soldier front and making him feel seen

-Just. Sam Wilson

-The way that Steve’s to-do list in the movie varies from country to country (For instance, the UK list has Sherlock instead of I Love Lucy and The Beatles)

-Also I wanna know Steve’s thai order

-The fact that this whole exchange is happening at 6:39 am

-Natasha drives with all the recklessness of a 16 year old that just got their license

-Stealth Suit Stealth Suit

-Steve deflecting Nat’s date suggestions

-Steve’s aversion for parachutes...reckless endangerment ✨

-Steve speaking/understanding at least a little french

-Tony having designed the Helicarriers to have arc reactor power instead of turbines because “he got a close up look at the turbines” in The Avengers 2012 when he got caught in them

-“This isnt freedom, this is fear” aka the embodiment of Steve’s character

-Steve’s exhibit being in the Air and Space museum even tho he flew a plane once and crashed it

-Bucky’s display having two different birth years (1916 and 1917. the correct one is 1917)

-In the little video of Steve and Bucky, Sebastian Stan was saying “We *are* friends” after the director told them to “act like friends” for that shot

-Steve acknowledging Peggy’s family and therefore acknowledging that their relationship with each other, while still close and special, is not romantic anymore and Peggy telling Steve to move on and start over wtf endgame

-The parallel of Peggy losing her memory as Bucky regains his

-Sam Wilson willing to show vulnerability and not being ashamed of his PTSD and treating Steve like any other attendee and hoping Steve will open up too if he sees that it’s okay to

-Steve’s face after “it was like I was up there just to watch” cuz he gets it and both sam and him had to watch their other half fall

-“What makes you happy?” “I don’t know”

-The Winter Soldier theme is just Bucky’s scream pitched different and made to sound mechanical because Henry Jackman wanted it to sound like a man trapped in a machine

-Why is Steve a lucky bastard that has his own laundry machine

-Steve leaving his apartment building after Sharon points out the music and then SCALING THE SIDE OF HIS OWN BUILDING AND CLIMBING IN THROUGH HIS WINDOW LIKE CAN YOU IMAGINE SEEING CAPTAIN AMERICA JUST CLIMBING INTO HIS APARTMENT THROUGH HIS WINDOW ONE NIGHT

-STEVE’s APARTMENT I HAVE MANY THOUGHTS (i might make a separate post on that)

-The fact that “A Long, Long Time” is playing when he sees Bucky for the first time in the future and the song is about lovers reuniting after the war i’m not saying it’s gay but i am

-He calls Fury “Nick” which really indicates theyre not close in the slightest

-Steve is excellent in adapting under pressure (him immediately catching on and using Fury’s code story: “who else knows about your wife?”)

-Steve is Awful at lying but hes also Excellent at lying

-How tf did Steve get the flash drive in the vending machine without the vending machine dude noticing i-

-“Captain Rogers” “Neighbor >:(“ petty little shit

-Steve’s observation skills are A+++++ as we can see in the elevator scene

-More reckless endangerment like imagine just going through your work day and captain america falls through the ceiling

-Steve stole someones gym clothes after escaping SHIELD. let that sink in

-Natasha has about a billion masks on at all times (“I only act like i know everything, rogers” “the person that programmed this was slightly smarter than me. slightly” “the truth isn’t all things to all people all of the time”) also she’s quite insecure, especially when it comes to being perceived as a good, trustable person

-Meanwhile, Steve’s consistently himself even if it costs him

-Bucky trained Natasha in the Red Room (at least in the comics) so theres a good chance she made the connection between him and Steve and withheld that information

-The honeymoon in New Jersey😭😭

-Steve and Nat both have very different, but entirely valid approaches to situations: Steve’s is that of a tactiction, Nat’s is that of a spy’s. We see this in the scene at Pentagon City Mall

-Steve’s looking for someone with shared life experience and bucky has that

-Bucky killed JFK

-When Zola tells him that his death and life both amount to that of a zero sum, he punches the screen with his bare fist, not his shield, indicating just how much that upset him

-Pierce offers Bucky milk cuz he knows “the asset” can’t refuse or accept offers. He’s taunting him

-Sam drinks orange juice straight from the bottle and also doesnt refrigerate his mustard. There’s also a baseball trophy in his apartment so,,,,, baseball player sam anyone?

-Sam is also a gem who immediately helps out Steve and Nat with no judgement in his tone so they don’t feel ashamed

-Nat straightened her hair somewhere in Sam’s house

-“Cuz thats really not your style, Rogers” “you’re right, it’s not” *rubs sitwell’s arm* “it’s hers”

-Steve and Nat banter Steve and Nat banter

-Sam is just *clenches fist* so cool

-Nat immediately knows where Bucky’s gonna shoot when he lands on the Sam’s car and later she knows how to affectively fight him best because he trained her so she knows his fighting style

-Steve alone saying “Bucky?” was enough to break Bucky’s conditioning the slightest bit

-Sam met Steve like 36 hours ago and he’s already being arrested and made into a government fugitive with him and it won’t be the last time

-Steve is the only one entirely restrained

-“Even when I had nothing I had Bucky”

-Everyone meets Sam and is just like “aight let’s trust him with the highest clearance security information”

-Steve looks super nauseous all through the scene where Rumlow is handcuffing him and later when he says, “he looked right at me, like he didn’t even know me” he sounds sick and choked up

-Steve carries a lot of weight on his shoulders

-Steve’s “Bucky?” after the highway battle and Steve’s “Bucky?” in Bucky’s memory in the Vault Scene being different (in Bucky’s memory, he looks more heartbroken)

-Sebastian’s acting. Just all of it. And the way Bucky just opens his mouth for the mouth guard before he gets wiped....heartbreaking

-Steve realizes an organization that was meant to protect the people has become its own antithesis so hes like “aight. get rid of it” damn that’s the right mindset right there

-In the memory scene after Sarah’s funeral, Steve is so out of it and distressed, that he can’t find his key but Bucky immediately knows exactly where it is and what he’s lookin for

-Bucky was vain as shit and also had money: tailored suit, hair w shit ton of brylcreem in it

-The big breakfast Steve had was at Sam’s house

-The whole scene on the helicarrier between Steve and Bucky is incredible here are some highlights: Steve never backing down from a fight until it’s Bucky he’s fighting, Steve dropping the shield for him, Steve being ready to die if living means he’s living in a world where Bucky’s alive and doesnt remember him

-Their acting in that scene is so genuine and heartbreaking i can’t- i can’t-

-Steve’s got a comm i’m so chances are Nat, Sam and Maria can hear a portion of what’s going down on the helicarriers

-“I’m with ya to the end of the line” is basically “til death do us part” so the equivalent of wedding vows between Bucky and Steve is what ultimately broke Bucky’s conditioning

-When bucky fell, steve didn’t jump after him but when Steve fell, bucky went after him even tho he’s brainwashed. don’t think about steve’s guilt surrounding that. youll only get sad

-Bucky waited until Steve took a breath to leave him

-Sam waited by Steve’s side in the hospital

-In the end credit scene, Bucky and Steve originally were supposed to make eye contact, but the writers didn’t want it established that Bucky remembered Steve until CW

----

Every time I watch it from here on out, I’m gonna add a lil more as I notice hehehe

[thelastspeecher]

A. Quinn “Badass” McGucket

Hehehe I think I’m being clever with the title.

Here’s some more from that “Angie is a greaser and Stan is a nerd” AU that I’m going to tag as “West Coast Trio”, bc Angie, Stan, and Ford all end up at West Coast Tech in this AU.

Specifically, in this collection of scenes, we see the first meeting of Angie (who goes by her middle name, Quinn, in this AU) and Stan, the first meeting of Angie and Ford, and also the first hints of the good ship Stangie.  Enjoy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              “Whattaya gonna do about it, Pines?” sneered Tom.  Stan could feel the bricks of the building digging into his back as he pressed up against it.  Every inch of him was shaking in fear.

              “Look, Tom, I don’t think that we need to get physical about this-” Stan started. Tom leaned in, close enough for Stan to feel his breath.

              “I think we do, charity case.  You and that freak brother of yours don’t belong here.  You know that.”  Stan clenched his hands into fists.  Before he could respond to Tom’s insult about Ford, a female voice spoke.

              “Tommy boy, what are ya doin’?”  Stan and Tom looked over.  A girl Stan had seen around campus a few times was idly leaning against the wall, chewing gum.  She blew a large bubble and popped it.  Tom took a step away from Stan.

              “N-nothing,” Tom stammered.  Stan glanced at Tom in surprise, then turned his attention back to the girl.  Her hair was roughly chopped short and dyed a bright magenta, popping against her dark leather jacket.  She cocked her head curiously.

              “Sure ‘bout that?” she asked.  “‘Cause it looks to me like you were messin’ with this poor feller.  Intimidatin’ him, perhaps?”  Her voice was breezy, but an undertone of threat wove in with her southern accent.  Tom swallowed.

              “Nope.  Not- not at all, Quinn.”

              “See, I don’t think I believe that,” the girl – Quinn – drawled.  She stood straight.  The arm she was holding behind her back fell to her side, revealing that she was holding a large, wooden baseball bat.  Tom blanched and stepped further away from Stan.  “You know I don’t tolerate folks beratin’ other folks.”

              “I wasn’t-”

              “Kid,” Quinn barked.  Stan stood up straight.

              “Y-yes?”

              “Was he botherin’ ya?”

              “…yes,” Stan said.  Quinn glared at Tom.

              “I’m gonna- I’m gonna leave,” Tom stammered.  Quinn’s eyes narrowed.

              “I think that’s fer the best.  You can get a head start that way,” she said in a low voice.  Tom sprinted away.  Quinn strode over to Stan.  She looked him up and down.  “He didn’t hurt ya, did he?” she asked.

              “N-no,” Stan mumbled.  Quinn frowned.

              “Ya sure?  You seem a bit…quiet.”

              “I’m- um-”  Stan rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  Quinn stuck out her hand.

              “Quinn.  Quinn McGucket.”  Stan shook the offered hand.

              “Uh, Stan.  Stan Pines.”

              “Stan…”  Quinn’s eyes widened.  “Oh! You and yer brother work on that comic strip in the school paper, don’t ya?”

              “Y-yeah.”

              “I like it.  It’s funny.” Quinn cocked her head, a small smile curling the corners of her mouth.  “Think you’ll show me how ya make it sometime?”

              “M-maybe.”

              “I’d like that.”  Quinn sighed and looked over in the direction Tom had run off.  “But right now, I’ve got other fish to fry.  See ya ‘round campus!”  She marched away, whistling a tune that sounded vaguely familiar to Stan, but he couldn’t quite put a name to it.  Stan felt a slight flush spread across his features.

              That was…the most badass girl I’ve ever met.

-----

              Ford didn’t turn when the door to his and Stan’s dorm room opened.  He was too engrossed in his biology assignment. He scowled at the worksheet.

              Why is this so difficult?  It’s a simple pairing question.

              “This is where the magic happens,” Stan’s voice said proudly. There was a soft chuckle.

              “The magic, huh?  Ya have a mighty big opinion of yer lil comic strip, don’t ya?” a southern voice asked. Ford’s head shot up.

              A female southern voice.  He spun his chair around to face the door.  Immediately, dread dropped into his gut.  Oh, no.  Standing in the doorway with Stan was a young woman Ford had seen around campus.  From her brightly colored hair to her thick combat boots, every inch of her stuck out like a sore thumb among the other students, who tended to come from upper-class backgrounds.  Most likely, she does that on purpose.

              “Oh!  Quinn, this is my twin brother, Ford,” Stan said, gesturing towards Ford.  Ford inclined his head slightly in a small nod. “He co-creates the comic strip with me. Ford, this is Quinn McGucket.”

              “I know who she is,” Ford said.  Quinn raised a blonde eyebrow.

              “My reputation precedes me, I see.”  She grinned viciously.  “Good.”

              “So, Stan, how did you meet Quinn?” Ford asked.  Stan shoved his hands in his pants pockets and grinned.

              “She saved me from getting my ass kicked and realized that I work on the comic strip.  Turns out she’s a big fan.”

              “Yes, I am,” Quinn said.  She shrugged. “It’s funny.”

              “Yeah, that part’s all me,” Stan said proudly.  Ford quirked a small smile.

              “He’s right.  Stan’s the comedic genius of the two of us,” Ford said.  Quinn chuckled softly.  “What are you majoring in, Quinn?”

              “Biology.”

              “Ah.  A noble field.  Not as noble as some fields of science, but-”

              “Let me guess,” Quinn said.  “Yer a physics major?”

              “How did you-”

              “All the physics majors I’ve met act that way ‘bout biology.”  Quinn turned to Stan.  “So, where do ya get yer ideas?” she asked in a low tone. Satisfied that his role in the conversation was finished, Ford turned back to his homework.  He didn’t realize Quinn had crossed over to his desk until she spoke behind him.

              “You’ve got that wrong,” she said lightly.  Ford’s arm jerked in surprise, leaving a streak across his worksheet. Quinn pointed at the matching problem Ford had been having such a difficult time with.  “That’s not the coccyx.  It should be the pharyngeal arches.”

              “How did you know that?” Ford asked, erasing the streak as well as the incorrect answer.

              “Uh, did ya not hear me say I’m a biology major?”

              “No, I did, I just assumed that you weren’t-” Ford started.

              “Oh.”  Quinn’s voice was completely flat.  Ford looked over at her.  She had stepped away from his desk and was watching him with a disgusted expression. “I see.”

              “I- I just mean- you come from an upper-class background-”

              “No, I don’t,” Quinn snapped.  She crossed her arms.  “My parents run a farm.”

              “Then how did you get into West Coast Tech?” Ford asked.  Quinn’s eyes flashed with fury.

              “On my merit,” she snarled.  “Just like you and yer brother.  What, ‘cause I’m a girl, I can’t get in on my brains?”

              “No, not-”

              “Or is it ‘cause I’m southern?”  Quinn’s voice became harsher as she continued to speak, viciously biting off the end of each syllable.  “Maybe ‘cause I grew up in the country?  ‘Cause of course, no southern hick chick could ever be smart?”

              “No!” Ford said desperately, holding his hands up.  Quinn did a double-take at the sight of his splayed fingers, but returned her fierce gaze to his eyes.  “No, none of those things!  You’re just- with the-”  It was one of the few times in his life Ford found himself at a loss for words.  His explanation died on his tongue as Quinn’s raw anger magnified.  “The hair and the jacket and the boots-”

              “Oh!  It’s ‘cause I’m tough!” Quinn said.  “I get it.” She looked around, caught sight of a stack of books on Ford’s bed, and shoved them onto the floor.  “You should learn how to judge people by gettin’ to know ‘em, not by rumors or appearances,” she spat.  “You seem like the kind of person who has a lot of experience with folks judgin’ ya exactly fer those things.”  With that, she spun around and stormed out of the dorm room, slamming the door shut behind her.  Stan crossed his arms, glaring at Ford.

              “I didn’t mean to-”

              “Yeah, Sixer, that’s pretty obvious.”  Stan rolled his eyes.  “C’mon, man! My first shot at a friend here, and that’s how you treat her?”  Stan shook his head, then exited the room.  Ford pursed his lips.

              Should I follow?  At least to apologize?  I don’t want Stan to socialize with a delinquent like her, but he could use a friend other than me.  He has higher social needs than I do, after all.  With a sigh, Ford got up and walked to the door.  Before he could open it, he picked up on muffled voices.  He pressed his ear to the door.

              “I’m sorry,” Quinn’s voice said.  “That was- that was rude of me, to push someone’s things ‘round when I’m a guest in their livin’ space.  I do apologize fer that.”

              “It’s fine.  Ford was being a dick,” Stan’s voice said.  “He deserved it.”

              “Maybe.  I just- I have to go study fer class.”

              “…Oh.”  Stan sounded disappointed.  “I guess I’ll-”

              “-have to give me the grand tour when Ford’s not home,” Quinn finished for Stan. Ford couldn’t see his twin, but could easily picture the broad grin stretched across Stan’s face.

              “Yeah.  Definitely.”

-----

              Ford turned his head to the side.  Being pressed up against the side of the chemistry building and threatened was rote at this point.  His primary concern was to avoid Bennett’s disgusting breath.  It was futile.

              Did he eat onions marinated in garlic?  It reeks.

              “I told you before, freak,” Bennett breathed.  “I don’t like it when people show me up.  I warned you last time not to open your damn dirty mouth in class, and you didn’t listen.  So.” Bennett grabbed Ford’s shirt, snagging Ford’s skin in his roughness.  Ford’s eyes began to water, both from the pain and the smell of Bennett’s breath.  “You’re gonna pay, freak.”  Ford resisted the urge to point out that Bennett had used the insult mere moment ago. Abruptly, Bennett was pulled off Ford, startled enough to let go of Ford’s shirt.  Bennett hit the ground, landing on his back with a heavy thump.  Ford looked over at his rescuer.

              “Bennett Thompson,” Quinn snarled, standing over Bennett.  “Prep school bully extraordinaire.”  She tossed her bright purple locks.  “Remember how you asked me out last week?”  Quinn smirked at him.  “Yer insistence on harassin’ folks was just one of the reasons I said no.  The other one is yer nasty-ass breath.”  Quinn cocked her head.  “Have ya ever even heard of a toothbrush before?”

              “Quinn, I-” Bennett started.  Quinn’s face hardened.

              “No,” she said flatly.  She slammed a boot-clad foot onto one of Bennett’s hands.  There was a sickening crunch.  Bennett let out a yelp.  Quinn leaned over and whispered something in Bennett’s ear.  Bennett nodded, his face pale as a sheet.  Quinn straightened again.  “Good.”  She slowly lifted her foot off Bennett’s hand.  “Skedaddle.”  Bennett jumped to his feet and rushed away, cradling his hand.  Quinn turned to Ford.  “You all right?” she asked gently.

              “I- you-”  Ford stared at Bennett, quickly disappearing into the distance.  “Quinn, that was vicious.”

              “I don’t pussyfoot around.  But you knew that.”

              “Yes, I suppose I did, I just-”  Ford swallowed.  “You used such force to assist with someone who isn’t even a friend of yours, I-”  He stopped at the sight of Quinn’s heartbroken expression.

              “…We’re not friends?” Quinn whispered.  Ford’s heard plummeted.

              Oh no, I’ve offended her.  Quinn looked away, blinking rapidly, as though she was fighting back tears.  No.  I’ve hurt her feelings.  That’s worse.

              “I didn’t mean-” Ford started.  Quinn let out a harsh laugh.

              “Is that yer catchphrase or somethin’?  I hear it come out of ya all the flippin’ time,” she said.  She was attempting to portray a light tone, but her voice was thick with emotion.  Ford thought back to his first impression of Quinn.

              That she’s insisting on being a lone wolf because she knows she’ll be mostly on her own as is.  Quinn kicked a pebble.  It bounced a short distance away.  She’s decided to lean into it, embrace it.  It’s the same principle behind Stan’s motto when he was hospitalized but still cracking jokes.  You either laugh or you cry.  You find a way to spin it in a positive way, even if it feels like you can’t or shouldn’t.

              “Whatever,” Quinn muttered.  She began to walk away.

              “Wait!” Ford blurted out.  Quinn stopped by the stairs leading into the building.  She turned.

              “Yes?”

              “I- I do apologize.  Sincerely,” Ford said.  Quinn rolled her eyes.

              “Sure.”  She crossed her arms.  “Look, I get it.  You think I’m a delinquent.  I’ve heard ya say as much to Stan.”

              “Yes, well…”  Ford rubbed the back of his neck.  Quinn scoffed.  She began to turn away.  “No, Quinn, I- thank you.”  Quinn stopped.  She stared at him.  “Not just for saving me, but also for saving Stan.  It’s- I- to be frank, we could use the protection.”

              “I ain’t yer personal bodyguard.”

              “No, I know, I just-”  Ford swallowed.

              Let’s try a different tactic.

              “I get the feeling that you have roughly the same amount of experience with friendships that I do.”  Quinn’s expression changed from frustrated to bemused.  “That is, minimal outside of family members.”  Quinn leaned against the stair handrail.

              “Is this yer way of sayin’ that ya suck at communication?” she asked.

              “I- yes.”

              “Hmm.”  Quinn looked away.  “That explains why ya keep puttin’ yer foot in yer mouth.”  She sighed.  “Didn’t know ya were observant enough to catch onto my own…social deficits.”

              “Wh- I’m very observant!” Ford protested.  Quinn shrugged.

              “Sure, with science ‘n data.  But with people?  I’d say yer more oblivious than observant.  Or did ya forget ya managed to insult me within ten minutes of meetin’ me? Or what just happened a few seconds ago, where ya upset me after I saved yer ass from bein’ turned to creamed corn?”

              “Creamed corn?” Ford asked.  Quinn scowled at him.  “Never mind.” Ford looked down at his feet. “You’re still upset that I had made an impression of you even before we met.”

              “Yup.”

              “You can’t honestly blame me for thinking you might be dangerous after hearing about the numerous occasions in which you beat someone up with a baseball bat.”

              “Sure, I can,” Quinn drawled.  She looked off into the distance.  “All those folks deserved a good kneecapping.”

              “I-”  Ford let out a wry laugh.  “Fair point.” He chewed on his lip, thinking. “Why do you do it?”

              “Kneecap folks?  ‘Cause they deserve it.”

              “No, not that.  Well, not that alone.  Your entire…thing.”  Ford walked over to Quinn and leaned against the handrail as well.  “I know how it feels to stick out.  Why would you choose to do it, when you could easily fit in?”

              “You have far too much faith in our classmates,” Quinn said dryly.  “I doubt I could ever fit in with them boys in letterman jackets and boat shoes.”  She was silent for a moment.  “I don’t need to prove myself to others,” she said softly.  “I don’t need to bend to the whims of what society says a lady should be.  I can succeed without doin’ either of those things.”

              “That’s…not an answer.”

              “Yup.”  Quinn grinned crookedly.  “It’s only part of one.”

              “What’s the full answer?”

              “Oh, I ain’t tellin’ ya.”  Quinn met Ford’s eyes.  “It’s somethin’ I’d only tell a friend.”  A challenge sparked in her gaze, daring Ford to say they were friends just to get a full answer.

              “Cruel, but fair,” Ford said, backing down from the unspoken challenge. Quinn raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.

              “Hmm.”  She looked away.

              “I suppose I could always get Stan to ask, and then he would tell me,” Ford remarked.  “Since the two of you are friends.”  Quinn rolled her eyes, but a small smile played around her lips.  “By the way, Stan wants to be more than friends with you.”

              “Oh, I know,” Quinn said.  A faint pink blush began to spread across her cheeks.  She ducked her head, hiding her smile, which was getting stronger.

              “You do?”

              “Yes.  I might not have a lot of experience with friends, but I know my way ‘round body language and social cues.  Unlike some folks.”

              “Ouch.”  Ford watched Quinn’s face continue to flush.  “I take it you feel the same way about him?”

              “It don’t matter if I do or not.”  Quinn stood straight and stepped away from the handrail.  “He can’t handle me.  Not yet.”  She glanced at her wristwatch.  “Biochem starts soon.  We should head inside.  I’ll walk with ya.  Someone’s got to protect ya from bullies.”

              “Maybe I should hire you as my personal bodyguard,” Ford mumbled. Quinn laughed.

              “Nah.  You couldn’t afford me.”