InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I have asked you thrice!"

Tarim Vasquez (halfpinthero) wrote in avalonis,
@ 2010-07-18 20:00:00

Entry tags:

marco vasquez, tarim vasquez

Lazy Sunday
Who: Marco and Tarim Vasquez
When: Sunday Evening
Where: The Vasquez apartment, South-East Quarter
What: Brothers bonding over video games
Rating: PG for safety, will update if content changes unexpectedly
Status: In Progress

The Vasquez brothers weren't very sentimental, but like any family, they had their traditions. Two years ago, Tarim had bought an old Super Nintendo from a kid at a garage sale, including several games. Ever since, the brothers had held Sunday evening as a holy night: Marco had several hours off of work, and Tarim was usually finished with all his homework. So, for nearly two years now, the boys had a weekly video game brawl to top of their week.

For Tarim, he was grateful for an excuse to take a night off from his "job" in Downtown. He had lost his focus the night before, and earned a nasty cut along his right arm for his efforts. Luckily, Marco had been off at a job all day, so he could clean and bandage it properly. Now that Marco's shift is nearly over, he wears a long-sleeved shirt; he might be sweating, but it's better than having to lie to Marco about yet another beating.

It's a little after seven, around the time Marco is due home. After a day of homework, first aid and cooking, Tarim places a bowl of chips and dip on the coffee table, before taking a seat. Holding a controller loosely in his hands, Tarim watches as Mario and Luigi bounce along the screen until he hears the door open. "Marco!" He shouts, grinning to himself as he holds up another controller. "It's game time!"

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aboutaverage
2010-07-19 04:19 am UTC (link)

"Work?" Marco responded from the other side of the room. "It is what it is. Nothing major today, just a long shift... But no one pointed a gun at me today, so, you know, that's a plus." Marco returned to the couch with his soda, plus an extra for Tarim, which he left on the table for him. "I didn't hear anything about Downtown, though." He didn't bother to ask why Tarim wanted to know. He could only assume that he was looking for news on their mother.

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halfpinthero
2010-07-19 04:23 am UTC (link)

"Oh." Tarim says, clearly disappointed as he grabs a soda from the table. Over a year, and still no word about a new vigilante Downtown? Not even stories about some good Samaritans? 'I need to get out more.' He thinks to himself, touching his sore arm gingerly for a moment. Instead of unpausing the game, he sits there, playing with the pull tab on his soda. "I know you hate the heroes, but would you like them better if they spent more time on Downtown?" He suddenly asks, watching Marco carefully.

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aboutaverage
2010-07-19 05:07 am UTC (link)

Marco froze, soda in hand, surprised by the question. It was a strange question for Tarim to ask, and Marco wasn't sure what he was trying to get at. "Um..." He thought about how to answer. "I don't... I don't know. It's not so much about where they work, it's more what they do, I guess. Everything has to be flashy, and ridiculous. Eventually it stops being about helping, and starts being about headlines." He shrugged. "That's my problem. And I don't hate heroes. Anyone can be a hero. I just hate the ones who think they need a cape to do it."

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halfpinthero
2010-07-19 05:10 am UTC (link)

Tarim nods quietly, smiling inwardly to himself. Maybe he could bring Marco around... slowly, very slowly. "Well, you know when I become a badass superhero one day, I'm going to have a six-foot cape. There's nothing you can do about it." He jokes. Even as a kid, Tarim had joked about one day becoming a superhero. So far, for all Tarim knew, Marco still thought it was a joke. 'So glad I haven't added a cape yet...'

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	aboutaverage 2010-07-19 05:23 am UTC (link)
	"Right, because a cape that's taller than you is perfect for running around rooftops. There's nothing that could possibly go wrong there." Marco smirked. "If you want, I'l even get it bedazzled for you. Maybe even some nice multicolored sequin, so people can't miss you when you trip off the fire escape." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

halfpinthero
2010-07-19 05:33 am UTC (link)

"See, you should totally be my fashion designer." Tarim jokes, finally unpausing the game in an attempt to gain an advantage over Marco. "I'll be off saving the day, and you can hem my pants and clean my room and have dinner going when I come home. You can be my Alfred!" He suddenly exclaims, eyes widening at the mental image. Marco would look awesome in a penguin suit!

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	aboutaverage 2010-07-19 05:39 am UTC (link)
	"That was uncool!" Marco nearly dropped his soda as he grabbed for the controller, but managed to grab it without spilling or killing Mario. "I'll only be your Alfred if you're a rich billionaire who pays me to tell you that you're being reckless. Then t might be worth hemming your short people pants." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

halfpinthero
2010-07-19 05:42 am UTC (link)

Tarim chuckles evily as Luigi races ahead, watching his brother squirm. "We could make a badass team, too, you know. You run after the bad guys, and they shoot you, and I'll be all 'stop, evildoer!' and block the bullets!" He proclaims, hopping slightly in his seat. "They'll call us... umm... riot shield! And you'll be Riot, and I'll be Shield." Tarim nods to himself. "I think this could work."

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	aboutaverage 2010-07-19 05:54 am UTC (link)
	"Really? You think so? Because I sort of have a problem with the part where my whole gig is that people just shoot at me." Marco complained as he tried to get Mario to jump off of Luigi's head. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	halfpinthero 2010-07-19 05:57 am UTC (link)
	Tarim nods. He hates to think of just how dangerous Marco's job is; it's easier to joke and pretend that there's no chance Marco won't be coming home after work. "See, that's why you have me around. We could even get matching outfits. It'll be awesome." He declares triumphantly, even biting his tongue as Mario jumps on Luigi's head. 'Crap.' (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	aboutaverage 2010-07-19 06:11 am UTC (link)
	Marco laughed and nodded, then shook his head. "Yeah, no, that's just not going to happen. You will never ever get me to wear spandex. Just sayin'." He grinned. "So am I winning yet?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	halfpinthero 2010-07-19 06:15 am UTC (link)
	Tarim sighs, pausing for a second and pointing to the screen. "You lost a life. I lost three." He explains, a bit shocked. Despite Marco's apparent lack of how the games work, he always manages to win. "I'm starting to think that, when you're at work, you're actually going somewhere and practicing. That's the only possible explanation." He whines. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	aboutaverage 2010-07-19 06:19 am UTC (link)
	"My job is just a series of events involving me jumping on turtles and going down pipes. I have real world video game experience." Marco joked. "Maybe you should practice more. I hear that video games are more important than getting an education nowadays." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	halfpinthero 2010-07-19 06:22 am UTC (link)
	Tarim rolls his eyes. "Alright then, next time I'm picking the game. We're getting a soccer game, and a biking game, and... uhh..." Tarim sits, boggled, trying to think of a non-incriminating activity. "...sleeping in until noon and making waffle sandwiches for lunch?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	aboutaverage 2010-07-19 01:28 pm UTC (link)
	"You picked this ti- did you just say 'waffle sandwiches'?" Marco made a face. "I don't know if I should be terrified or sad that I've missed out on this." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	halfpinthero 2010-07-19 06:50 pm UTC (link)
	"You should be so sad." Tarim responds, his voice sounding sincere. "See, you put two waffles in the toaster. Then you spread peanut butter between them. Then you slice up bananas. Voila, waffle sandwiches." He finishes with grandiose flair. "...what? It's healthy!" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	aboutaverage 2010-07-20 12:31 am UTC (link)
	"What part of that is healthy?" Marco wondered. "I'm just going to avoid the breakfast sandwich of death. You know, now I see why we go through groceries so quickly." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

halfpinthero
2010-07-20 12:37 am UTC (link)

"Well yeah, since you stopped buying me Nutella." Though it was less for health, and more than Tarim would consume an entire jar a day if allowed, Tarim was still a bit bitter about Marco's embargo on Nutella. "Besides, you eat weird, just eating little things here and there. I like big meals." The reason was obvious: Besides lunches at school, Tarim never really had a proper meal while living with his mother. Being able to eat huge amounts of food at once was new, and pretty damn novel. Tarim had gotten used to it very quick.

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aboutaverage
2010-07-20 12:47 am UTC (link)

Marco had never really taken to the whole meal thing like Tarim had, but then, he'd had a lot more years of eating lightly than Tarim did. Getting his nutrients from small meals and snacking was fine with Marco.

"You kept forgetting that Nutella is made out of hazelnut. I had three rashes and a trip to the emergency room from your Nutella experiments." Plus now Marco would crave Nutella every once in a while, which was annoying when he knew it could potentially kill him.

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	halfpinthero 2010-07-20 12:51 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, nuts. Your kryptonite." Tarim mumbles, maneuvering trickily in the game. "Maybe that's why you're mad at the superheroes, you're jealous. Did Superman ever have to stop rescuing Lois because the baker didn't mention the donuts have crushed nuts on top? Nope." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

aboutaverage
2010-07-20 01:09 am UTC (link)

"I'm sure that's it." Marco shook his head, then made a face as he attempted to recreate the move Tarim had done. Instead, Mario ran forward at full speed and jumped off the nearest cliff. Marco made sure to try harder the next time.

After a few more tries, and nearly killing Mario each try, Marco was able to to mimic Tarim's move. realizing he'd gone silent in the meantime, he frowned. "So, what happened with that girl in your science class? The one with the laugh, and the smile, and whatever?"

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