What Is Unseen [TONY]

[LUCIA MARIE NEWMAN]

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Lucia despised homework.

And, well, okay, no one really liked homework. Well, at least, not normal people. And by no means did Lucia claim to be normal. Oh, no, she knew she was strange. She was perfectly okay with it, too. After all, no one would want to be normal, now would they? But back to homework. And it wasn't like she hated all homework. Some of her teachers made it fun - she had definitely enjoyed her photography homework (taking abstract pictures), and loved researching mythology for her other classes. Lucia was the type who liked reading, and she enjoyed writing papers. Yes, she was a dork. But, again, she was okay with that.

But this? This was crap. Lucia pushed back from the desk in disgust, folding her arms across her chest, glaring at the paper. Normally, Lucia loved her psychology class. It was interesting, engaging, and a whole lot of fun. It was easily one of her favourite classes. But right now she was rethinking that ranking. Her professor had given them all a research paper - something she honestly didn't mind - but it was the topic that was irritating her. The blonde girl picked up the paper, re-reading the heading once again. Describe one thing that you fear the most, and give an explanation for it. Analyze how it has affected your life and what you can do to start solving it. Lucia wished they were still talking about Freud - this was so much worse than a sex-starved raving lunatic.

There were very few things that Lucia was truly afraid of. Unlike most teenagers, she did fear humiliation, or self-consciousness. No, Lucia honestly didn't give a rat's ass what others thought about her. Only the people she cared about mattered, and that's how it should be. She didn't fear heights, since she had flown all over the world. But what she did fear made absolutely no sense. She feared the dark, even though she was seventeen. It was humiliating, having a near nervous breakdown whenever she was stuck in a dark room by herself. Lucia also feared being alone. After her brother had left, she had been left all by herself, an abusive father being the only one she could rely on.

Lucia really didn't want to explain any of those to the teacher. She sighed again, folding her arms on her desk and putting her head on her arms. Even the day seemed to echo her mood - thunder rumbled in the distance, and lightning crackled. Lucia humorlessly wondered if instead of empathy, she had weather control, but knew that'd be too good to be true. The green eyed girl closed her eyes. "This day sucks." she muttered. "I wanna go back to bed..."

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[STETSON TONY GILLIAM]

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Tony was not good at math. In fact, he was awful at it. He always had been. It was almost like a law of physics. It was getting sort of late, and there were entirely too many distractions in his dorm room right about now for him to be able to finish his very last bit of homework before . . . Well, before it was time to go to class, he figured. So Tony grabbed his books and headed to the library; it would be quieter there and he could get some actual work done.

However, when Tony got to the library he recognized the back of his friend's blonde head. Even from behind, she seemed pretty somber, and Tony couldn't just let her be miserable like that. He knew it could just be homework blues, but what if something seriously terrible had happened? He would feel bad if he just went about his business and pretended he hadn't seen her.

Tony slid into the seat next to her, a big smile on his face. "Turn that frown upside down, Goldy. Aren't blondes s'posed t'be all sunshine and smiles and rainbows?" Tony winked and let his books fall to the table with a thud. "You're too cute to be so sad. What's the matter?"

Tony really hated to see other people upset. He was rarely ever in a bad mood himself, so he tried to do his best to make everyone else around him happy all the time. At least, those people who were already his friends. Especially lately; it had to be difficult to adjust to a new school, deal with normal teen drama, and then have the added pressure of discovering the quirks of a super power that gives the government the right to basically treat you like game. It was hard, being who they were, and Tony thought it would be pretty nice if he could make it a bit easier on even one person.

And Lucia was a good person for that, because he cared about her.

---

((OOC: blaaagh I'm sorry it's terrible. sdfmsoid I'm trying to study for driver's ed as I write this so I'm a little distracted. >.< ))

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[LUCIA MARIE NEWMAN]

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She could probably talk to her teacher, she knew. He probably hadn't meant to be upsetting, it was just she was too sensitive. Lucia rolled her eyes. It was silly, being afraid of the dark. Knowing her teacher, she'd probably have to read her paper out loud to the class, and then everyone would know of her absurd phobia. And while she wasn't one to care about what others thought of her, she didn't want everyone in the world to know. Actually, very few people knew. It was then when one of said few people walked over and set his books down. She jumped slightly and glanced up at the voice, and a small smile tugged at her lips.

"What if that's what all us blondes just want you to think, and we're secretly plotting to destroy the world via rubber duckies?" she responded teasingly, resting her chin on the side of her arm so that she was looking at him. Lucia cared for Tony. A lot. He had been one of her first friends here, someone she actually trusted. Yeah, she wasn't big on trusting others, and she had good reason to. Abandonment issues for the win! But Lucia highly doubted that Tony, sweet, dependable Tony, would ever do that to her. Especially since he was actually concerned about her. It was odd, in her eyes, to have friends, since she hadn't really since her brother left. It took some getting use to, this friendship thing, but she couldn't help it. Every time Tony came around she felt warm and fuzzy inside, and Lucia couldn't help but want to be around him. That was that.

The golden haired girl sighed at his question and pushed the piece of paper to him with her elbow. "I think my teacher's out to get me." she announced in a dry voice. "First he makes me stand in front of the class and analyze my habits, now he does this. It's times like these where I wish I could do something useful and like... transport him to the moon or something." Of course Lucia was joking. Sorta. She really wasn't a violent person at heart, though right now she wasn't feeling to forgiving. She rolled her green eyes, trying to hide how upset the stupid topic made her. "He seems to think it's fun, all of these odd topics..."

Lucia raised herself up, propping her chin on her hands, looking at the boy next to her. "What about you? Is math kicking your butt again?" she asked, gently teasing. Lucia was awesome at math. The only class that she had issues with was chemistry - too many things to remember, thanks! Lucia picked up one of his books, flipping through it as she waited for an answer, trying to get her mind off of her own problems.

OCC: D'aww, it's okay. This is written after I stuffed myself into a food coma. <3

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[STETSON TONY GILLIAM]

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"Then I'll just have to stay away from the bath tub, since I'm pretty sure rubber duckies can't get out of 'em." Tony was struggling to keep a straight face. He thought rubber duckies were endlessly hilarious for no real reason at all. He smiled at her initially, until she kept talking and the tone in her voice alone made him frown.

He glanced down at the paper, skimming over it until he got the gist. He felt bad for Lucia. She sounded like she was having some serious emotional issues with her school work. School work and emotions are supposed to be completely separate, he thought. Tony wrapped his arm around her in a brief hug. "Sounds like you could use a break," he said with a grin, handing her paper back. "Guess I got perfect timing. I'm a real good distraction." Tony's specialty was, he hoped, making his friends feel better. Tony couldn't stand to see anyone else sad because it always upset him. Tony was a very sympathetic person. He was sensitive, though he probably wouldn't admit it to just anyone.

"Obviously this teacher is just trying to get you to open up, Luce. You're way too . . . distant or something. He probably thinks you're gonna go postal on all of us one day, with all those deep dark secrets you got hidin' up in that head of yours." Tony tried to imagine Lucia running around like crazy with a gun shooting everyone. He couldn't do it. She was way too nice to everyone. But, he supposed, it's always the person you least suspect. In the movies, anyway.

Still. Lucia probably cried when she stepped on a bug.

Though, apparently she had no aversion to bringing up Tony's worst enemy. He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. "Yeah, actually. I finished all of my homework in like. Five minutes. But I've been doing this for maybe an hour now." Tony's brain just did not like numbers or something. He was terrible at math. So bad it hurt sometimes.

Okay not really. But he did spend a lot of time doing math homework. Much more than he would have liked. Maybe he should get a tutor or something. Whatever helped.

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[LUCIA MARIE NEWMAN]

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Lucia's eyes twinkled with mirth as she responded, straining to keep from laughing. "Tony, Tony, Tony. Haven't you ever heard of this nifty thing called evolution? By this time, of COURSE rubber duckies can get out of the tub. Sheesh." Her lips twitched in the barest hint of a smile. She knew she was ridiculous, but hey. She was having fun, and that was that. She needed some fun in her life, after the stupid paper had made her depressed. Which was not an emotion she enjoyed feeling, that was for sure.

The hug caught Lucia off-guard. Lucia was not really a touch-feely person, and for good reason. Physical touch amplified others emotions, usually ending up giving her head aches. Tony's hug made her stiffen for a moment, his concern for her washing over her. Normally she'd yank away immediately, but this was Tony. Lovable, puppy-dog like Tony. One of her closest friends, someone she adored. Lucia relaxed into the embrace, returning it with a little smile, resting her head briefly on his shoulder. She was glad to have a friend such as Tony. He made her feel safe, something that she would always deny, but had always longed for.

When he let her go, she actually felt a flash of disappointment. Now that was strange. Shrugging it off, the blonde girl raised an eyebrow. "Distraction, hmm? Tony, the last time you were a 'distraction', Mr. Beck nearly gave us both detention! What are you plotting now?" Lucia was some-what of a good-two-shoes, but she definitely had a rebellious streak in her. At his next words, she rolled her eyes. "Come on, Tony, really? Me, going postal? I'd rather chop off my own hand that hurt someone else, everyone knows that. Well, unless it's Jared." That guy and her had never gotten along. It was near chaos every time they were in the same room. "It's like he specifically made this assignment just for me. Everyone else was so excited about it." Lucia let her voice trail off, resting her chin on her arms again.

Lucia turned her head sideways on her arms so she could look at him while she spoke. Her green eyes twinkled with amusement again as he brought up math. "I can help, if you'd like. Math isn't all that bad." Lucia offered with a grin. "It's just numbers. Numbers are safe."

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[STETSON TONY GILLIAM]

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so my parade of life/ is walking by/ inside these lines

Tony flashed a crooked smile. "I didn't get the memo." He pouted melodramatically. "Guess I'm doomed, then." He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. "You'll just have to live with yourself knowing that you were the cause of my death," he added, in an almost-convincing tone of misery.

He fell forward laughing, his composure totally broken off. Tony wasn't good at staying serious for very long. If something bad happened, his first instinct was to crack jokes or think about the most hilarious things that had ever happened to him. He often laughed at inappropriate times and offended people with his jokes when he was nervous or upset. He'd learned to get used to it, but there were a few choice people who couldn't do the same.

Tony waved her comment away with a smirk. "That wasn't even that bad. Mr. Beck is just uptight. Plus he hates me because he thinks I was the one who put that tack on his chair. I mean, sure. Blame the kid with invisibility even though there's some dude with super speed sitting right next to him." Tony rolled his eyes. This one of the reasons he wished he had a power that allowed for people to trust him better. But, he supposed, there couldn't be many powers that made people seem more trustworthy, considering where they were. "But anyway, I didn't plan on seeing you here, so I dunno yet. I'll think of somethin'. Promise."

Tony laughed . "Yeah, I know. That's what would make it so cool, though." Tony brought his arm over to scratch his jaw, yawning. "It would be totally unexpected, you know. I would totally stay in your range of aim, though. Because it isn't very good." He laughed again, lightly, recalling the few times he'd tried to teach Lucia soccer. She was improving little by little, but, in all honesty. he'd seen five-year-olds play better. In her defense, though, she kind of lacked body-ground coordination and fell down a lot, an endless source of amusement for her 'coach'.

He chose to ignore the bit about Jared because he and Jared normally got along. He didn't want to end up pissing off Lucia because he defended Jared, so it was better to let it drop. Just in case.

"I know how you feel. That's my reaction every time we get math homework." Stet glanced down at the offending paper with a defeated frown. He could run 4.7 miles without stopping (on a good day with lots of water handy), lead an underdog soccer team to inevitable victory, turn invisible, and babysit like no other, but he was no match for a few measly math problems. Figures.

He looked up at Lucia and shook his head. "I can do it. It just takes me a while." A part of him knew he should have taken the offer. He really was terrible at math and a little help wouldn't hurt. At all. But Tony would have felt pathetic and that was his absolute least favorite feeling in the world. He liked being useful and strong. It wasn't easy for him to accept help with anything.

TAGGED: Lucia| WORDS: 529 | OUTFIT | OOC: hey look how fancy! xD

[LUCIA MARIE NEWMAN]

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tied together with a smile

Lucia loved that adorable crooked smile of his. It made her feel warm whenever he was happy. Much like Tony, she hated to see anyone sad, and did her best to make others happy. Lucia managed to keep her composure for longer than Tony did, though, but her green eyes were twinkling with badly suppressed humour. "Damn, well," Lucia snapped her fingers as if she was woeful about something. "I will carry the weight of your death on my shoulder for the rest of my life. It is a duty I must bear." Lucia said is as solemnly as she could, but then she cracked as well.

Lucia's laugh - unusual since her brother had left - made heads in the library turn. She covered her mouth, but her whole body shook with laughter, eyes bright. This was why she loved to hang out with Tony so much. He always made her laugh, no matter what was on her mind. He made everything seem a little bit brighter. Lucia nodded meekly to a librarian who glared at the two, though she was still giggling like a little school girl. "We're ridiculous, aren't we, Tony?" Lucia asked rhetorically, tugging a strand of hair away from her face. The curls fell back in her face, and she mentally shrugged, ignoring it. She felt better, somehow. Laughter really was the best medicine.

Lucia gave him a wry look. "But why did you have to say that it was MY idea? Mr. Beck even bought it, too, because he knew I despised him. That was SO not cool." Lucia pouted, folding her arms over her chest. Lucia's power had two sides to it. Some people hated her because she could tell what they were feeling, and it made them uncomfortable. But she didn't mean to. Lucia was more gentle and understanding because of her aptitude to see others emotions, and she wouldn't give it up for the world. Even though things of invisibility sounded awesome. "See, now that sounds sketchy." Lucia poked Tony in the chest, right above the heart. "You better not be planning anything terrible, mister." Lucia raised an eyebrow at him, a little smile dancing on her lips.

The golden haired girl rolled her eyes. "Yes, me going postal would be a great idea." Lucia would honestly rather cut off her own hand than hurt anyone else. She really wasn't a violent person, unless truly provoked. "I might be a black belt, but that doesn't mean I'll flip out on everyone who angers me." A clumsy one at that. She winced as she remembered trying to learn sports. Lucia was fairly certain that little kids could play better than she could. But that made her all the more determined to be good at them. So there.

"If you say so, Tony." Lucia wasn't gonna force her help on him, that's for sure. If he didn't want her help, well, that was his problem. Lucia sighed again. "Well, this can't be too bad... I could be playing soccer again, after all." Lucia teased. She didn't want to bother him, after all.

TAGGED: TONY |

[STETSON TONY GILLIAM]

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so my parade of life/ is walking by/ inside these lines

Tony's thoughts casually skipped on to the prospect of his own death. It wasn't a morbid thought at the moment. He only briefly wondered how old he would be (hopefully pretty old) when he died, and who would show up to his funeral, and who might cry the hardest, and what he might leave behind. Would he live a life worth building a monument for? Or would his only legacy be a few teary-eyed family members? Tony did not see how he would be able to manage the latter. He didn't much mind. A quiet life would suit him just fine. But it would be nice to be remembered for a while. Maybe as a great war hero, or a famous soccer player, or a hunky musician, or a respected politician. Maybe even a comedian. Would his funeral be broadcast on television or would his casket lie in a lonely, country church? What about his sisters? Would they be married? With kids? Grandchildren.

And what of Lucia? Would she be there, too? Tony pictured her dressed in black, aged a great deal, but still beautiful, puffy red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Her hair wasn't gold anymore and . . . Tony realized, with a start, just how morose this vision was and pulled himself out of it. He had a tendency to slip into daydreams pretty frequently; Tony's imagination was immense and he loved to utilize it. Particularly on sunny days, in classes where he sat next to the window. Even a depressing memory or a melancholy daydream was better than math certain subjects that Tony found particularly dull.

Lucia's laugh helped pull Tony back to reality and he reached over to ruffle her hair. "Nah. You're ridiculous," he corrected her. He glanced around the room and noticed a couple people still staring. He was pleasantly surprised that this didn't embarrass him. A few years ago, he would have been beet red in the face and would have hissed at Lucia to shush up. But that was all history.

Tony just shrugged. "Couldn't afford detention. Besides, I knew he was gonna let us off easy if it was your idea," he said dismissively. In truth, he had panicked. He had felt so bad about it afterwards that he had used his power to sneak into her room to leave a few boxes of her favorite candy as an apology. He never told her. He had no idea if she suspected. Talking about it made him a little nervous, though, even though it was a long time ago and she seemed totally over it. Well, almost. Except that she was bringing it up again.

"'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' Er, good. Pleasantries? Whatever. You get what I mean," he chortled. Tony was only into Harry Potter because his little sisters adored it, so he had watched the movies with them just about 10,000 times over.

Tony shrugged. "Yeah, I know. I still think it would be funny. You'd probably have a few accidental fatalities here and there from clumsily pushing people onto landmines or something." Tony's mind threatened to drag him into another daydream, but Lucia kept talking so he was (thankfully) able to concentrate on her and ignore the temptation.

Tony frowned. "What are you talking about? I thought you loved playing soccer," he protested.

TAGGED: Lucia| WORDS: 574 | OUTFIT

[LUCIA MARIE NEWMAN]

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tied together with a smile

Tony was silent for a moment, leaving Lucia's mind off to her own devices. Her brother's birthday was in two days, which was probably the real reason she was so upset. It was silly, she knew, to dwell on the past. She had once seen a movie - a musical, actually - which boasted the line 'Forget regret, or life is yours to miss', and tried to live by it. But it was easier said than done, and there was so much she didn't understand. Why had he just left? He had promised her that he'd be with her - and Zane had never broken a promise before. Why hadn't he came to see her now? He obviously knew where she was, since Lucia had received letters and cards. Lucia was just so tired of being left in the dark.

Which was probably why she wanted to be a teacher. Lucia was one of those strange teenagers that actually enjoyed going to school, and learning. Homework, not so much, but she could deal. Lucia thought the idea of teaching someone else anything would be amazing. The fact that you could impact someone else's life that drastically was a big thing to the slender blonde girl, and she was determined to do her best. Lucia dealt with younger kids better, so she hoped someday to be a kindergarten teacher. Provided that she pass this dumb class, of course.

Lucia snorted at his accusation. "Hey, I realize I'm strange. Being normal would be terribly boring. But you, my friend, aren't much better." Lucia emphasized her point by poking the middle of his chest lightly, a small smile on her face. Lucia really didn't care what most people thought about her. Her friends mattered the most, she cared for their opinions more than she cared for some random stranger. She winked at Tony. "Besides, being ridiculous is a lot more fun, dont'cha think?"

"Oh, so I'm your scapegoat?"[ Lucia asked wryly, raising an eyebrow at him. Not that she minded, actually. "Teachers always tend to go easy on me... I don't know why that is...." That day, she had been surprised to find candy in her room. She had her suspicions, but she wasn't about to out him. Tony had a reason for the things he did.... most of the time. Plus, free candy. "I don't actually mind... other than the fact Mr. Beck still looks at me as if he expects me to do something totally crazy right there in front of him..." Funny, yes, but rather annoying.

Lucia smiled again. "Mischief managed!" Lucia was a fan of Harry Potter. She had always loved magic, and the fact that she possessed something like it made her happy inside. "As long as you don't decide to tickle me again, I think we'll be fine. We don't want me kicking you in the face again, now do we?" Lucia said with a sweet smile, batting her eyes innocently at him. It had been an accident, and she had felt bad, but it was his fault. "And humph. I'm more likely to trip over thin air and end up killing myself!" Lucia retorted with an eyeroll. She had definitely done that before- not the killing part, but the tripping.

Lucia smiled. "I do like soccer. But I know I'm terrible at it - I'm fairly certain four year olds play better than me!" And Lucia wasn't exaggerating, either.

TAGGED: TONY |

[STETSON TONY GILLIAM]

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so my parade of life/ is walking by/ inside these lines

Tony watched the other students in his peripheral vision, and wondered if Hailey or Bailey would have liked it here. Bailey would have, for sure. She would have loved the people here and she would have loved the opportunity to discover new things about herself in this setting. Hailey would probably love the library, and the Hub, and maybe even the beach. But she would have hated the school. Even as young as she was, Hailey was very opinionated about the place and she thought that people like Tony should be allowed to work on their abilities in the comfort of their own home. She didn't believe in the school.

But as far as he knew, the girls were basically squibs so far. It was just further proof that his father was the one whose genetics had been tampered with rather than his mom. But, if they did start to develop their own abilities (apart from the very eerie way they can communicate with one another without speaking), Tony would know for sure, then, that it was his mother who carried the genes. But then, why had she never told him about what she could do?

Tony, again, sensed that he was going down a scary path with his thoughts and refocused on Lucia. It wasn't difficult. Tony didn't think he'd ever met someone so magnetic. It was like people were just drawn to Lucia before they even met her. Like they could sense that she had a great personality. Tony laughed and put his hands up in defense. "You got me there. But, yeah, you're right. We're a lot better off this way. We could be boring or something. Wouldn't that be dreadful?" Tony tried to imagine a more dull version of himself and Lucia. He couldn't do it.

Tony grinned, and shrugged. "It's your own fault, really, for being such a goody two-shoes, Luce. I mean, I'm no rebel or anything, but damn. You needa loosen up." Actually, Tony could name a few people at this school that he thought needed to loosen up. Then again, there were just as many who might need to tighten up the reigns. Or something along those lines.

Tony smiled at the idea that his reference had been appreciated. Harry Potter was sort of a guilty pleasure of his, even though his sisters definitely liked it a ton more than he did. Probably, they liked it a tone more than most people did. "Don't kill yourself, Luce! I need someone to keep my nose straight." He had been sure, the time she'd kicked him in the face, that she had broken his nose. It didn't really concern him. It had been broken before. But it hurt like hell.

Tony snorted. "Probably. My sisters kick harder than you do, Luce." He reached over to tug playfully at a lock of her hair. "Soccer balls, anyway. As for my face, well, I'm not too eager to find out how they size up to you."

TAGGED: Lucia| WORDS: 511 | OUTFIT

[LUCIA MARIE NEWMAN]

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tied together with a smile

Lucia sighed quietly, a sad look crossing her face for a moment. Zane had always been different, she knew. The blonde girl knew that her brother was also, well, gifted. She had never seen him actually do anything outright, but he seemed to make things around him… lucky. He had always been able to diffuse her father when he got angry, which was quite often. Lucia had been the one to hide behind him when all hell broke loose – her father’s near-constant violence towards her made it impossible for her to be anywhere around her Marine father. Plus, the raging emotions from her father always made Lucia sick to her stomach. Zane had protected her.

Her hand crept up to an old forgotten scar on her face, a long cut across her cheek. It had been one of the wounds that ended up sending her to the hospital; the faded white scar was a constant reminder that she’d probably never be safe. What a dreary thought. Lucia thought wearily. She tried to push the sad thoughts away, but the haunted look still remained in those emerald eyes. She half-smiled at Tony. ”Ew. That is a mental picture I don’t wanna picture. I like you the way you are, thanks.” Lucia said it decidedly. Herself, she could do with some changes, but that was beside the point.

”Hey. Getting into trouble means getting yelled at. Which means that emotions clobber me.” Lucia said rather plaintively, crossing her arms over her chest. If Tony was to point out to her that she drew people, she’d be rather surprise. She didn’t do anything, after all. But Tony always had strange ideas. But she loved him anyway. He was probably the only one she adored as much as her brother – in a different sort of way that Lucia wasn’t really prepared to think about. ”And me? Loosen up? What do you want me to do, go to a party or something?” she asked with a roll of her eyes.

Lucia laughed and reached forward to rest her hand on his lightly. Touching wasn’t something she was very fond of, but Tony was different. ”I promise just for you that I won’t kill myself.” She said, her lips curved in a light smile. ”I think that’s cowardly, anyway. Plus, I’d miss all the mischief we get into because of you.” she added with a twinkling look in her eyes. She swatted at him as he tugged on her hair, grinning.

”Oh, hush. It was only my first time playing soccer, for goodness sake!” Lucia said, making a face. ”And I did apologize for your nose!” Lucia added, looking guilty. She hadn’t meant to do it… and still felt awful about it. Silly her.

TAGGED: TONY |

[STETSON TONY GILLIAM]

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so my parade of life/ is walking by/ inside these lines

Tony noticed the shift in Lucia's mood and wondered what was going on in her mind. This thought came to him at least a dozen times a day, really. It almost disturbed him, his urge to constantly know about anything that went on in Lucia's head that would make her unhappy. He knew he had a constant want to fix people, but it had always been a bit stronger with Lucia. Maybe it was because she was so clumsy, so he was always worried about her being hurt physically. Yes, that had to be it.

Her next sentence put it out of his mind, however, and he grinned. "Aw. Thanks. I'm pretty fantastic, huh?" Tony might have gone a little too far with his self-esteem-boosting project in some areas. "You're pretty great yourself, though. I prolly wouldn't be your friend if you were anymore boring than you already are, Miss Nerd Queen." Tony himself took his grades rather seriously, but it was always a sense of amusement for him to make fun of Lucia's own scholarly habits.

Tony took her suggestion into consideration. "Yes. Go to a party with me, and I'll make you loosen up . . . . On second thought, go to a party with someone who drinks. I can't drink. Gotta keep this body in tip top shape." Tony stripped off his hoodie and flexed for her to get his point across. If anything, Tony had his body to be proud of. He definitely worked for it. If he wasn't in the library, he would have taken his t-shirt off too. As it was, he was pretty sure that that sort of behavior would be frowned upon. Besides, he wasn't that vain.

Tony shrugged his jacket back on and laughed at her. "Welp, that's a relief, little one. Dunno what I'd do without you." Fail math, surely. And he would probably have quite a few Saturdays freed up.

"It's okay, I'll have you playing like a pro in no time. And my nose is fine, so you're good." In all honesty, getting kicked in the face had been more embarrassing than painful, but by now, Tony was completely over it. He just wished that Lucia would stop apologizing for it.

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[LUCIA MARIE NEWMAN]

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tied together with a smile

Lucia looked up, noticing his worry and gave him a small smile. It was nice to have friends, she had discovered. When she had first come here, she had kept to herself. Back home, talking with others often got her beat. Her father only wanted her socializing with people he deemed worthy. But here, she was allowed to talk to whomever she wanted. It wasn’t in Lucia’s nature to be all quiet and shy, anyway. Being quiet was incredibly boring, and Lucia tended to be a bit destructive when she was bored. Having friends was still sort of new to her, but she loved it all the same. Tony was her best friend, and she wouldn’t trade him for the world.

Lucia laughed again, though she rolled her eyes. She mock held her hands out, as if she was pushing something away. ”Careful there, Tony, you are starting to crush me with that ego of yours.” She teased him Lucia rolled her eyes again at the Nerd Queen comment and, in revenged, reached over and tousled his hair. ”I am not boring. I just happen to think that grades are sort of important. Plus, some of the classes here are actually interesting, Mr. Sports Crazy.” she informed him. Keep good grades was more of a habit than anything else. It was something left over from her old life, and there wasn’t much she could do about it.

As he pretty much stripped in the library, Luce raised one eyebrow at him. ”I pretty sure your body is in tip-top shape all the time, m’dear.” She reached over and poked one of his biceps, suitably impressed. Lucia herself was muscled from her years of being a blackbelt in karate, but she didn’t tend to show them off. ”Besides, a party without you wouldn’t be any fun. We need someone to crash it, right?” Lucia grinned up at him. ”I haven’t been to many parties, either…” Lucia trailed off, looking rather thoughtful.

”I’m glad I can provide such relief,” Lucia said dryly. ”And I’m not little!” Okay, she was. Lucia was barely five feet, something that she viewed with a certain amount of chagrin. It wasn’t her fault… Lucia made a face at the soccer comment. ”Right. Tony, I can’t even hit the ball in a straight line! I highly doubt I’m gonna be a pro anytime ever. And if you’re sure….” Lucia still felt bad, though.

TAGGED: TONY |

[STETSON TONY GILLIAM]

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so my parade of life/ is walking by/ inside these lines

She has the best smile, Tony thought out of the blue. He shook it away, though, because it obviously couldn't mean anything, right? Luce just had a pretty smile was all. Right.

Tony ran a hand through his hair to get rid of the nervous feeling his thoughts gave him and laughed at her comment. Big ego? Please. That's just a show." He winked at her, an easy grin on his face, but it was true. To make up for losing all the nervous habits from when he was Super Shy Stetson, Tony had to compensate with a defense mechanism. So he'd developed his humorous, ostentatious arrogance. It wasn't real, of course, and he thought it was clear to most people, but it worked to make him feel more comfortable, so he stuck with it. He had tried, once, to ween himself off of it, but it was no-go. He supposed it was better than all the awkward stumbling and face-touching and . . . everything else.

Tony smiled, but he wanted to frown. His grades were important to him, too, but they'd been slipping since he started here. It was harder to keep up with everything here. Now he had to focus on controlling his power and all the emotions that came with it, being more sociable and less awkward, worrying about his sisters and his mom, and making new friends in a place full of city kids. "Well, you can have your lit-urr-uh-churr. I got soccer and that's all I need," he joked. He felt the compelling need to ruffle her hair all the time, and he had no clue why. Maybe it's because it was so pretty and soft.

Stop that.

Tony smirked when she commented on his body. "You would know," he teased, letting his jacket slip into his lap and giving her a slow wink. Tony nodded at her party statement, a little sadly. He wished he had become more open with people a long time ago. He'd be more practiced at this sort of thing. "Of course. 'Cause I've never be invited." He rolled his eyes. "Actually, I would probably crash it whether I was invited or not."

Tony bristled at her tone, and his expression went downward. "Sorry, Luce," he said brightly, chippering up real fast. He genuinely felt bad, but he liked to keep the mood light. He reached up and flicked the tip of her nose playfully.

"I'm a good teacher." He doubted that, though. He probably couldn't teach squirrels how to find nuts. But he sure as hell was going to try.

He waved away the last thing she said, because, really, it was a done deal. Or at least, he wanted it to be.

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