02 ▷ video

[nostalgiabomb]

[ The video flips on to what appears to be a music store -- various racks and displays of instruments to one side, rows and rows of CDs (who even buys CDs anymore??) to the other. On the instrument side, in front of the rows of guitars, there's a sheet of lined paper that reads "'STAIRWAY' BANNED. OTHER SONGS AT EMPLOYEE DISCRETION." And just beneath that in smaller letters, "(Seriously. Don't test me.)"

The device moves, and the camera along with it, to point down at a CD case on the counter. Specifically, this CD case. ]

Three guesses for what I found in the used CD section? And the first two don't count.

Even the dog doesn't look happy to be there, which is amazing, 'cause dogs love being everywhere.

And that poor kid. One day, her dad -- I mean, I assume it's her dad -- is gonna be like, "Hey, kiddo, did you know you were on the cover of an album?" And that girl is gonna get all pumped, thinking she's as big as the Gerber baby or something, and then nope, her dad whips this out. He'll be all grins and she'll just stare at it in horror, and it'll ruin her teenage life when her parents mention it every time her friends come over.

[ A pause as the camera shifts, showing the handsome gentleman that is Star-Lord, a.k.a., Peter Jason Quill. ]

Anyway. 'Parently I've been out of commission for a month. I hear I missed Night of the Living Dead and Smaug swoopin' down to attack the village. Don't supposed there's anything else anyone feels like sharing? Each interesting tidbit gets a kudos point, redeemable only for Star-Lord's Gratitude and, I dunno. Warm fuzzy feelings.

Comments

video;

[earnedmystripes]

Wow.

[Not even Kotetsu thinks that CD cover is cool. And he's like, secondhand embarrassment personified.]

permavid;

[nostalgiabomb]

Right?! I mean, even the dog knows this isn't a good idea. Even the dog.

permavid;

[earnedmystripes]

It's a sad day when there's something even treats aren't enough to buy a puppy's approval of with. The whole point of puppyhood is loving like, everything. That's practically the whole reason they exist.

[nostalgiabomb]

Exactly. Like, puppies' default moods are "everything is awesome!" But if this little guy is pissed? You know you fucked something up.

[earnedmystripes]

[He chuckles]

Well, on the bright side, next time my kid says I'm embarrassing I can just be like, "At least I'm not that embarrassing."

[......not that he. would remember. BUT WHATEVER, not thinking about that.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter smiles a little. ] I'm pretty sure it's every kid's right to be at least a little embarrassed by their parents.

How old's your kid?

[earnedmystripes]

Maybe a little.

[Much more than a little in your case, Kotetsu]

Ten.

[...eleven by now, if time moved properly here. It aches a bit, even though he's glad he's not just been mysteriously missing for a year.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ -- ah. Peter's expression falls a little when he sees that sort of wistful look on the guy's face. ]

I'm gonna guess your kid isn't here with you, huh.

[earnedmystripes]

Yeah. But--I kinda prefer it that way. I mean, I miss her, but she wouldn't be safe here.

[And he'd also become her sole caregiver which he hasn't done like...ever. He hasn't even been her primary caregiver since Tomoe died seven years ago. God, he'd be terrified of screwing it up.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter nods slowly. ] Yeah, that's probably fair, especially with the mess I've been hearing about. Can't imagine a place with dragon attacks and zombie infestations to be especially safe for bringing up a kid.

[ He has a momentary pang of guilt, thinking about the natives who are forced to do just that.

But after a moment, he's careful to brighten his voice a little. ]

What's her name?

[earnedmystripes]

Man, you don't even know the half of it.

[If he looks particularly disgruntled at that remark it's because he's spent a year dealing with various kinds of Bullshit like every other month. It's to the point where he feels obligated to attend every advertised event just in case there's a bombing or kidnappings or giant fucking attack birds, and spends most of the time he's there waiting for the other shoe to drop when there isn't.]

...Kaede. Her name's Kaede.

[In contrast to before, when he says her name, it's soft, and gentle, with that sort of fatherly warmth and pride to it. The part that stings the most about the month he missed is that he didn't even get to spend it with his daughter. If he couldn't be here helping out, at least that would've been worth it.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter pauses, biting on the inside of his cheek nervously. After a moment, his voice is slightly hesitant when he speaks. ]

Hey, if you'd rather not talk about her...

[earnedmystripes]

[He seems a little bit surprised when Peter suggests that, as if he didn't even notice he was getting lost in his thoughts.]

No, no, it's not that.

[He just--misses her a lot. It's funny how you can take something as simple as being able to call your family every day for granted until it's suddenly gone.]

I don't mind talking about her at all. Did you uh, want to hear anything in particular?

[nostalgiabomb]

Anything you feel like sharing. You said she was ten, right? Gettin' to that age where everything family-related is embarrassing?

[earnedmystripes]

Pretty much, yeah. She loves to point out how uncool my beard is, I think it's like, public enemy #1 by now.

[Well, right up until just before his arrival it was probably public enemy #2, next to his job, but then secret identities were revealed and the path was paved for things to get better on that front. Too bad that he ended up here before he could even start his retirement to spend more time with her.]

[nostalgiabomb]

-- Well, admittedly, it is a pretty unique shape. Cool, but kinda weird.

[earnedmystripes]

[He heard cool in there, he's taking it.]

Unique's totally the point, though. Beards are like, a dime a dozen. You gotta do something interesting if you want people to remember it.