fandomhigh | Show and Tell, Tuesday, Period Two

Thank god next week was the last week of classes. Sparkle had only had to scrounge up like a half-dozen show and tell prompts, and he was already blanking. They'd done food, they'd done music, they'd even gone to a zoo. Sparkle supposed he could get the students to talk about their favourite movies or something, but that seemed like a weird cop-out kind of thing, and it wasn't like they had time to sit down and watch even one full movie in the class time they had.

"YouTube videos," he blurted as he stepped into the classroom, wide-eyed. "This week we're going to show off some video on the internet that we really enjoyed, or one that really helped us with something, or, shit, even the first meme that jumps to mind. We're going to do that."

Because they were usually shorter than movies, yes. And because there were all of three students in his class, he didn't have to worry about, like, dragging in a big screen or anything. He could just pull out the datapad that Atton had given him and have the class gather around.

"So, mine is... actually, like, a serious one this week," he shared. "It's this poem, actually, by a Canadian guy called Shake Koyczan, called To This Day. It can be hard to listen to; this one in particular is kind of a sometimes food, you know? He wrote it about bullying and the long-term impact it has on people, and it does touch on suicide, so yes, you're welcome to tap out on this one before I hit play."

The possible suicide trigger, he could warn for. The potential for messy tears, he'd really just brought a box of Kleenex for. He looked at his students, waited for anyone to leave if they needed to, and then started the video.

When I was a kid, I used to think that pork chops and karate chops were the same thing...

Yeah, shut up, even Sparkle was kind of tearing up a little bit by the end of that one. Maybe the Kleenex was just as much for him.

"So. Uh. Anyone have anything they'd like to share?"

They could use a mood-lifter.

[OOC: Yeah, the link above has a video that talks about all kinds of things, from bullying to drug abuse to suicide. Feel free to give that one a pass if you need to.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I mean, if we go to the zoo and don't swing by the petting zoo area, it'll be a wasted day," Sparkle agreed easily. "And, I mean, ice cream."

It wasn't hard to sell him on ice cream.

It was probably going to be more than just ice cream at some point but that was a good start.

“Excellent,” she said cheerfully. “You need time to get ready?”

She was pretty much good to go as she was. Occupational hazard.

Sparkle was also gonna demand a pit stop at the gift stop to poke through the plush toys, just because. Maybe he'd get one of those hanging monkeys with the velcro hands!

"I'm as ready as I'm ever gonna get," he shared. "I mean, unless there's some kind of 'Sparkle has to go all out and put on his make-up' rule that I missed somewhere in there."

Toys for everyone!

“Only if you want to,” she said, raising her eyebrows at him. “You look fine as is, if you want my opinion, though.”

Not her type--too scrawny--but cute enough.

Okay, Sparkle gave her a little smile, at that.

"Well, then I'm good to go," he decided. "For our utterly spontaneous totally platonic 'let's get the hell off the island for a while and do something' date."

Honestly, he'd needed this more than he'd care to admit.

Wasn’t it lucky he was keeping company with a mind reader, then?

“I like it,” she said, leaning against a desk comfortably. “Though, really, that doesn’t turn into an acronym very easily. USTP’LGHOIWSE’D? No thanks.”

REALLY NOW.

“Besides, no need to worry ‘bout it bein’ more than just random hanging out. I’m taken.

Complicated. But taken.

"And I'm, like, super gay," Sparkle laughed, shaking his head. "You're cute, you're just someone else's kind of cute."

So that worked out nicely.

"But now you've got me wondering what a better acronym might be..."

It really did!

Ino pondered that, then grimaced before laughing. “I’m not coming up with anything that sounds even vaguely innocent here. Two cuties doin’ anything ain’t gonna sound clean.”

Oh, the grin that Ino got out of Sparkle at that. Really.

"Hey, if someone's gonna take it that way, let 'em. They're gonna make assumptions anyway. People always do when a guy and a girl hang out."

“Bah, you’re right,” she said, sighing. “Can’t even be mad ‘bout that, since I’ve used it against people before too.”

When you were small and cute and had to get the job done any tool was useful.

“What ‘bout you? Got a boyfriend that’s gonna think we’re up to no good?”

"I have a boyfriend," Sparkle laughed, "but he knows better than to think I'd be into you like that. And he'd probably like if I were to see other people, too."

Theirs was a very casual sort of relationship.

“I share badly,” Ino noted, smiling quickly. “So even if we weren’t already incompatible, nope, not happening."

A beat.

“Mine’s probably just going to be all ‘man oh man, and you didn’t invite me along?!’ at me.”

That was Zack entirely, right there, yup. Ino knew him well!

"All the more reason for you to take him there yourself later," Sparkle decided. "And wow him with everything you know about the place from your trip there with me."

“Well,” Ino hesitated. “Maybe.”

It was complicated.

“Let’s get our trip over with first,” she said with a laugh.

"Fair enough," Sparkle agreed. He wasn't going to press, but really, even without being a ninja or a mind-reader, he spoke fluent 'it's complicated.' "We are so gonna spend like an hour making faces at the monkeys."

Just so she was aware.

Ino considered that. Briefly.

She was a mature adult. She was above such thi--

“Okay,” she said. “I can do that.”

She was absolutely on board with sheer stupidity.

And Sparkle's answering grin was kinda huge, there.

"See, I knew you'd see it my way."

He really hadn't.

She grinned back at him and leaned in conspiratorially, “I am usually good for almost everything. Don’t tell anyone.”

Your secret's safe with me," Sparkle replied, winking. "It's more fun letting you surprise people, anyway."

Show and Tell, Tuesday, Period Two

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle

Re: Talk to Sparkle