Tweak

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Tweak says, "Only the paranoid survive!"

Jay Guthrie (wingbearer) wrote in tensor,
@ 2011-03-10 18:48:00

Entry tags:

adrian_corbo, jay_guthrie, roberto_dacosta

Roberto & Adrian
Jay tossed his bag against his bed and tugged his tie off. It had been a very, very long day. He couldn't get those poor people out of his mind. He was looking forward to eating dinner with his family and just taking the time to be together under one roof for a while. His back was also at a breaking point and he was just about at his overall.

Shrugging out of his blazer, he unbuttoned his shirt and draped it neatly over his desk chair. He'd hang it up later. He'd do his homework later. His whole system was set to crash, and stepping back to his bed, he dropped into it chest first with a heavy sigh that was immediately swallowed by his mattress.

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re_flex
2011-03-11 05:09 am UTC (link)

Adrian had blushed immediately after he'd spoken - yeah, great way to say hello, Mr. Complain-y Pants. One hand ran through his hair and the other absently took another Kleenex as he listened to their easy banter.

"I... I didn't mean to be rude," he said, wiping his nose. "But... uh, could we... um, make it... less hot in here, please? I can't sleep at night."

Adrian looked timidly at each boy like he expected them to jump him for asking.

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	wingbearer 2011-03-11 05:22 am UTC (link)
	Jay shifted until he was slightly twisted and looked at Roberto. "You are killing our roommate." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

riosungodling
2011-03-11 05:25 am UTC (link)

'Berto rolled his eyes and sighed, but then clasped his hands melodramatically to his chest and leaned back, weight still resting solidly over Jay's thighs and hips.

"I am in imminent danger of becoming a murderer!" It was almost a declamation. Then he dropped his hands back to Jay's hips - and partially has backside - and gave Adrian a somewhat sympathetic look. "You could have said something sooner, you know," he told the boy. "They thermostat's by the door." He wasn't happy about it, but he didn't want the boy to melt...it would be messy.

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re_flex
2011-03-11 05:46 am UTC (link)

Adrian wanted to protest 'no, no, I'm fine, it's okay' but his nose chose that moment to bond with gravity and he spent the next few minutes blowing furiously, his back to the boys so they wouldn't have to see the disgusting-ness. Feeling a bit light-headed he turned back, nose red and cheeks flushed.

"I didn't know," he admitted in a soft voice. "I didn't know our room was warmer. I thought they were all this temperature. So I didn't want to complain."

Walking toward the thermostat, he looked apprehensively at them. "Are you sure? I mean, really?"

Adrian had never done something as... as... powerful, as... adult as use a thermostat. At Hull House money (and power needs) determined the temperature indoors, and only the employees had been allowed to touch the thermostats. Or rather, had keys to unlock the metal boxes that housed them.

His hand hovered near the arrow keys. He was surprised (but not much) to find it was around 75 degrees (f and not c, another bothersome conversion). He remembered Hull House had been set at 18 (c and not f, and because he'd been curious about that kind of thing), but didn't think someone who liked it at 23 C would like it at 65 F.

"Is..." Adrian did the math quickly in his head, "uh, 68 degrees okay?"

"That's pretty warm," he said, trying to sell the product, eyes hopeful like a battle weary elementary school kid trying to move magazine subscriptions. "It's like, shorts weather in Hamilton."

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wingbearer
2011-03-11 06:02 am UTC (link)

"First rule about Xavier's? Practically everything's adaptable or adjustable. Keepin' everyone comfortable is real important to powers control. M' brother Sam's roommate is pretty much th' opposite of him," he said, gesturing at Roberto again, before rocking up his other elbow. He stretched for a moment, hands over his head and slowly let his brow contact the ground. "Bobby'd never survive in here. He'd start t' get sick and it'd be a mess. Dunno how Sam lives like that, but then I guess the same could be said 'bout us." He waved a hand that encompassed himself and Roberto.

"Sixty-eight should be fine." His leg rocked up, heel tapping 'Berto's back preemptively. They'd been the four of them in the same room since he'd started middle school, and while rotations occurred, they hadn't been shifted once until this year. But making it so everyone could live safe was a lot more important, and they'd get used to Adrian and he to them soon enough.

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riosungodling
2011-03-11 06:11 am UTC (link)

'Berto was wishing they'd found someone like Bobby to put Adrian with instead of them. He could tolerate sixty-eight, but he wasn't going to be happy about it. He'd have been happier at eighty, really, but had compromised between seventy-four and seventy-eight for the most part.

"Bobby would be your ideal room-mate," he informed Adrian, leaning to absently smooth his hands across Jay's back once more before sliding off to one side to let Jay get up. "He likes living in an arctic wasteland...and apparently Sam does too." 'Berto wrinkled his nose in distaste at the idea. He was fairly sure it was generally in the fifies, if not lower, in Sam and Bobby's room.

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re_flex
2011-03-11 06:19 am UTC (link)

"Oh, it's not necessary for my powers," he said quickly, though he didn't know whether or not the same could be said for his short-circuiting immune system.

With the lightest of touches he pressed the arrow key till the temperature read 68. "Thank you, thank you both so much," he said, sincerely. "I was roasting."

Adrian's forehead wrinkled, but he had his back to Roberto so he wouldn't see it. He didn't know if Berto's comment meant that Berto wished Adrian were in another room... probably. But he smoothed his face and turned back as the fans kicked in and the vents started clearing the hot air from the room. Adrian caught a series of sneezes with his elbow.

Back to his desk, Adrian slowly took out his homework, but curiosity got the better of him. To Jay he asked, "Is Sam older? I have an older brother in the high school named Jared."

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	wingbearer 2011-03-11 06:21 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah. Sam's a senior. You know, you should see a healer about that. You've been sniffling for a week." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

riosungodling
2011-03-11 06:25 am UTC (link)

"Sam iss also a sasquatch," 'Berto volunteered, flopping next to Jay on his back and tipping his head back to look at Adrian upside down over the edge of the bed.

"And you should," he agreed. "You've single handedly killed most of a forest in tissues just since you moved in, maybe one of the healers can do something about it." And then they wouldn't have overflowing waste baskets of tissues to contend with. Not to mention the snuffling and sneezing.

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re_flex
2011-03-11 06:30 am UTC (link)

Adrian's cheeks burned again. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's just a cold. I've been taking Tylenol and someone at the Reyes Center saw me."

Feeling a bit wretched, he said again, "I'm so sorry. I don't mean to bother you."

As a child who'd been sick on and off for his whole life, Adrian had found most of the tricks to making life around him tolerable (though not great). He did his best to sneeze quietly, to cough into his shirt or pillow, and to blow his nose instead of sniffle.

He was fairly certain Roberto didn't like him now, and the thought crushed him for no reason he could logically think of. "I'm... sorry," he said again, feeling lame and wishing Jared were there... for once.

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wingbearer
2011-03-11 06:35 am UTC (link)

Jay got up, and would have gone over to him and slung an arm around him if he didn't already look so cornered. "It's all right," he replied, stretching to one side, arm bent over his head. "You ain't gotta apologize for bein' sick. I was jus' saying you might want t' be better faster is all. No sense in being miserable." He shifted to stretch the other side. "'Specially not when you c'n help it."

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	riosungodling 2011-03-11 06:48 am UTC (link)
	'Berto sighed and actually managed to feel at least a little bit bad for Adrian. It wasn't actually his fault he was sick, after all, even if it was a bit disgusting and irritating. "Will it help that it's not so warm now?" he asked, with a decent show of something like concern. Empathy definitely wasn't his strong suit, but he was better than he used to be. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	re_flex 2011-03-11 06:53 am UTC (link)
	"I didn't think they'd have a healer power up for just a cold," he admitted. "But I'll go over later tonight." "Oh yeah," he said immediately, "I wasn't sleeping hardly at all, it was so hot. Monday I just sweated into my bed all day. It'll help. It'll help a lot. Thank you." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	wingbearer 2011-03-11 06:59 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, if you're feeling bad enough you miss class, they'll zap you as better as they can. Colds tend to be on the upper end of what the center healers can handle. You'll probably be all better in no time." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

riosungodling
2011-03-11 07:05 am UTC (link)

'Berto grimaced at Adrian upside down. No matter how displeased he was at the reduction in temperature, he was almost as displeased by the idea that their new room mate had been miserable for days and just hadn't said anything about it.

"You know you can tell us if something's wrong. Like the temperature," he advised the boy, perhaps a bit gruffly. "We would have helped even if we couldn't have changed the temperature."

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re_flex
2011-03-11 07:16 am UTC (link)

And now the Latin looking one was making faces at him.

"I'll be seeing them a lot then," he said glumly. "I get sick a lot."

Great news, roomies. Your noob fourth is a bearer of pestilence and disease. Hurrah.

Roberto's words surprised him, and Adrian didn't know what to say, mostly because the juxtaposition of word/facial expression didn't jive. Grumpy face, grumpy voice... kind words. Adrian didn't know which one to trust was real.

So after a pause that was between six and eight months pregnant he said tentatively, "I didn't know you back then, so I didn't want to bother anyone. I'm new so I'm, y'know, last. You have... seniority. Over what happens. Or, you should."

That was how it was at Hull House (even though Adrian was conveniently forgetting that by the time he'd left he was senior to 70% of the boys in his dorms and still bowing to majority rules).

Subject change! That would either make things lighter or create an awkward enough situation that he could justify fleeing. Looking down into 'Berto's grumpy face, he asked respectfully, "Where are you from?"

And up at Jay he said, "You too. I like how you talk."

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	wingbearer 2011-03-11 07:22 am UTC (link)
	Jay cocked a grin and sat back down, folding up his legs. "I'm from Kentucky. He's-" He prodded Roberto in the belly. "From Brazil. Don't get him started. Just accept the fact now that nothing will ever live up to the glory of Rio." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

riosungodling
2011-03-11 07:28 am UTC (link)

'Berto snorted and stuck his tongue out at Jay at the prodding. "Get me started, meu amigo?" he asked. "As if it were not a service to educate you poor, benighted souls."

He twisted back up onto the bed properly, rolled onto his side, and dropped his head onto Jay's thigh so he could see Adrian almost right side up.

"Setting foot on the beach at Ipanema is like stepping into heaven," he informed Adrian solemnly. "And do not even try to deny it," he added, tipping his head to look up at Jay with a grin. He'd found out first hand last summer, after all.

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re_flex
2011-03-11 07:33 am UTC (link)

Kentucky, if Adrian remembered right, was in the south. Sort of right in the middle of the country. "I'm from Hamilton. It's in Ontario. Canada."

Nothing exotic that made his speech into something that tickled his ears.

"Rio, like Rio de Janeiro?" Said in possibly the whitest way possible. Trying to find a point of reference, he asked, without thinking, "Where all those drunk people go for spring break and make those videos?"

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	wingbearer 2011-03-11 07:51 am UTC (link)
	"Think that's mostly Cancun." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

riosungodling
2011-03-11 07:55 am UTC (link)

"And Miami," 'Berto added...and possibly added something very quietly under his breath about ignorant cretins. "Rio de Janeiro," he continued, giving the name its proper pronunciation, almost musical the way he said it. "Is the jewel in Brazil's crown." Though he knew well enough its dark underbelly was ugly and vast. That was not something that needed to be discussed with strangers.

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re_flex
2011-03-11 08:04 am UTC (link)

Adrian didn't hear what 'Berto said, but saw his face go grumpy again. But his mouth quirked on one end in what passed for his smile when the bigger boy said the name properly. "Sounds a lot nicer when you say it."

Unfortunately, there was not a lot Adrian could say about Canada, other than how it was the second largest country in terms of landmass, barely had an army, and featured woodland creatures on its money. The only real claim to fame in Adrian's mind was the West Edmonton Mall, which was the biggest mall in the world for several decades. It had a petting zoo and an indoor water park and of course, Adrian had never been.

His thoughtful face moved on from that disappointment and asked 'Berto, "So I guess you go there a lot, huh."

And apparently Jay had been there too. "What else can you do besides beaches?"

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	wingbearer 2011-03-11 08:11 am UTC (link)
	Jay laughed softly at the boy's phrasing. It generally didn't mean anything, but when it came to 'Berto, you wanted to be saying everything as close to how you meant it or else he'd turn it into flirting. He was distressingly good at it for someone who spoke English as a second language. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	riosungodling 2011-03-11 08:18 am UTC (link)
	Jay knew him entirely too well, and 'Berto's expression shifted to something undeniably suggestive. Flirting was like breathing, really, and he was frequently no more consciously aware he was doing it. "Better to ask what can you not do, yes?" he corrected. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

re_flex
2011-03-11 08:25 am UTC (link)

Missing all cues and suggestions, Adrian's gaze turned frank. "You can't ski there. You're probably not allowed to dump toxic chemicals. You prob'ly won't find decent Russian food. You're not allowed to kill anyone, or kidnap people. And I don't think you have a baseball team."

None of this was said in a taunting way, but factually, as if the question had been literal.

Adrian was very good at killing the mood.

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	wingbearer 2011-03-11 08:32 am UTC (link)
	Jay laughed outright, laying a hand to 'Berto's chest as he doubled over. It was a while of hitched laughs around hisses of pain before he gasped, "Don't...don't make me laugh...ow..." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

riosungodling
2011-03-11 08:37 am UTC (link)

'Berto started to laugh himself, amused beyond reason by Adrian's utter obliviousness, but the unmistakable edge of pain in Jay's laughter stopped him. He rolled from his side to his back, looking up at Jay's face from incredibly close quarters as his friend hunched over, and reached up and around to splay a hand across Jay's back, willing the heat into it. With the other hand he reached up and smacked Jay lightly upside the head.

"If it hurts so bad then do not do it," he chastised gently.

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re_flex
2011-03-11 08:43 am UTC (link)

It happened a lot and Adrian didn't mind. Things he said that weren't funny to him at all and quite serious and completely true... making people laugh. His lips quirked again as he joined in in his own way, not understanding the joke but knowing it wasn't on him.

"Sorry," he said. But it wasn't like he could say he'd promise not to make the guy laugh. He hadn't been intending to that time.

Feeling bad he'd made Jay ache anyway, he said, "Is there anything I can do?"

His helpfulness was marred by another quick turn of the back to use another ten or fifteen Kleenex.

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	wingbearer 2011-03-11 08:48 am UTC (link)
	Jay wiped at his eyes, shoulders still shaking slightly with mirth. The heat eased the tension of his muscles quicker than a few deep breaths would, and he rested his hands to his thighs while it sunk in. "Nah, thanks though. Only cure now is t' wait it out." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	riosungodling 2011-03-11 09:04 am UTC (link)
	"Sim," 'Berto agreed with Jay's assessment. "Wait it out and see if it is going to be eagle wings or sparrow wings or perhaps iridescent hummingbird wings," he teased, grinning broadly up at Jay, his hand still splayed between his shoulder blades. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	re_flex 2011-03-11 09:07 am UTC (link)
	"You're growing wings? That's so cool." Adrian was instantly jealous. Knife hands were so lame. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	wingbearer 2011-03-11 09:56 am UTC (link)
	"It ain't all that cool," Jay was quick to counter. "It hurts like a motherfucker. I know what all th' people in those Alien movies were feeling." Plus, there was the whole flying = heights = loooong fall. But that was a very limited list of need to know. And so far, Jay wasn't saying. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	riosungodling 2011-03-11 07:03 pm UTC (link)
	"It is still cool," Roberto insisted loyally. "It is just a pain in the ass while you wait for it to be finished." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	re_flex 2011-03-12 01:02 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah," Adrian agreed. Jared probably wouldn't think flying was lame. "You'll need new shirts," he said. The temp in the room was rapidly cooling and Adrian was visibly relaxing as the heat dissipated. "What's for dinner, do you know?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	wingbearer 2011-03-12 06:52 am UTC (link)
	Jay sighed. He had been thinking about that for a long while now. "Yeah, I know." After a moment he shrugged. "I'm going t' be eating over at my Momma's, so I didn't check." (Reply to this) (Parent)

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