#also this is like my third time trying to post this oooogah

[charcadett]

Indirect Kiss Headcanons (Gender neutral reader)

Characters: Rika, Larry, Hassel, and a certain endgame spoiler character I’ll put under cut

If there’s one thing I love more than casual intimacy, it’s the most agonizing mutual pining you can imagine. I also enjoy hyperbole. This was supposed to be a simple headcanons post until I get a better grasp on the characters, but I got kind of carried away, oops-

Side note: Don’t put too much thought into the AI Turo one, because I sure didn’t put in a lot of thought into whatever AU that happened with his scenario. I just think robot man is cool and I’d like to hold his hand.

Rika

- Rika isn’t one to get flustered by an indirect kiss, though she would absolutely take the opportunity to tease you. It’s her love language.

- The two of you enjoy spending your breaks together. Even if you aren’t talking, wandering side by side through the streets of Mesagoza as you enjoy a comfortable silence, is a wonderful way to relax and stretch your legs. With the sprawling city in front of you, with its beautiful architecture and blue skies, it’s easier to keep yourself focused on your surroundings, and not your unfairly attractive coworker. If only by a small margin.

- After finishing your lunch, Rika insisted on buying dessert. Twirling two lollipops between her fingers, she smiled as she let you take your pick. One was strawberry-flavored, while the other was green apple. You plucked your favorite before Rika had a chance to snatch it herself.

- “Seriously? That one’s my favorite.” Her tone was light and her smile was lopsided. You tried not to think about how much it made your heart race.

- She popped hers in her mouth in tandem with you, humming contentedly as you enjoyed the rest of your break. Checking your watch, your heart sinks just a little. Five more minutes and your time with Rika is over. Sure, you'd only be a few feet from each other, and there was always tomorrow, but that’s beside the point. Sometimes, you wished you could tease her as much as she teased you.

- “Can I try yours?” You asked, mouth moving faster than your brain. Rika’s eyebrows shot up for only a second – you can’t help but feel a swell of pride, your confidence boosting more than you’d like to admit – before her lips twitched into her usual grin.

- “Sure, as long as I can try yours.”

- You traded, and you purposefully brushed your hand against hers as her finger slid across the back of your hand. Trying to keep your breath steady, you stared into her eyes as you sucked on the candy. It was embarrassing how much your hands shook as she met your gaze.

- “Taste good?”

- “I think this one’s better than mine.”

- Rika blushed at that. You win.

Larry

- Like Rika, Larry isn’t someone who’d get flustered over an indirect kiss. Unlike Rika, he just wouldn’t notice in the first place.

- Starting a new job had always been a bit nerve-wracking. It was new people, a new building, a new region, everything was brand new and scary. Except for the work. The work was always the same, and that was the one and only thing you appreciated about it.

- You still hadn’t gotten to know your coworkers, through no fault of theirs. Everyone had been incredibly welcoming to you. It was your own awkwardness that had been your downfall. Each time someone approached, you could feel your palms sweat and your breath catch in your throat. Sentences tangled together in your mouth until all you could respond with was one or two words.

- It definitely was not the best recipe for a successful social life.

- One fateful day, you’d forgotten your lunch at home and had resigned yourself to spending the rest of the day hungry. That was, until, your coworker overheard a particularly loud (and embarrassing) growl from your stomach and offered to buy you lunch.

- You recalled seeing him around, though, for the life of you, you couldn’t remember his name. He wasn’t remarkable, and he certainly didn’t stand out among his coworkers, with his simple suit and plain expression. Even his voice was flat. But you weren’t one to judge, and you were rather hungry, so you agreed.

- It was a quiet lunch. He didn’t talk much, which you were thankful for because that meant you didn’t have to stumble your way through a conversation for an hour. The food was good. Very good even. You managed to get an almost unnoticeable smile after you told him. When you got back to work, you parted ways with a simple nod.

- That night was spent sleepless, of course, as all nights following a social interaction were spent. Were you weird? Did he notice when you accidentally dribbled food onto the front of your shirt? These were totally normal things to worry about. It wasn’t until the next day when he offered to buy you lunch again did you stop agonizing over any made-up faux pas you could have committed.

- That was where you found yourself now. One month later, sitting next to him at the Treasure Eatery in Medali, desperately trying to figure out what his name was. He’d invited you to lunch every day, and paid for it every time without fail. Even when you offered. You couldn’t ask for his name at this point. It'd been too long.

- Even after a month of eating together, the conversation between the two of you never got more lively. Sometimes he would recommend a particular dish and light up a bit (or as much as he could) when you took his suggestion. Otherwise, it was silent. And comfortable. Probably the most comfortable you’ve ever found yourself with someone. When you did manage to talk, he listened, and when you wanted to be silent, he never pushed. It was nice.

- “What, uh, what kind of drink is that?” You fidgeted with the napkin in your lap. “It looks good.”

- “It’s raspberry tea.” He slid the glass over to you. “Do you want to try?”

- You nodded and tried not to sweat as he watched you, waiting for your reaction. The fruity tang of raspberry mixed well with the bitterness of the tea, and you found yourself grinning.

- “Woah, it’s good!”

- “You should get it next time.”

- The lady behind the counter laughed loudly as she grinned at you. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Larry share his food with anyone. You must be a very special friend, huh?”

- You clapped your hands together in a silent cheer. “Oh! Larry! That’s your name!”

- Too caught up in your humiliation, you didn’t catch any more of the Treasure Eatery’s chef’s teasing remarks, nor Larry’s blush. Despite this, you found yourself more embarrassed upon realizing that you shared an indirect kiss with Larry rather than how far you managed to shove your foot in your mouth. That embarrassment was stored away for tomorrow night.

Hassel

- Hassel not only wears his heart on his sleeve but strikes me as a hopeless romantic. Of course, he’d get flustered over an indirect kiss.

- Working at Uva Academy was a gift you never wanted to give up. It wasn’t a job as respectable as a teacher or nurse, janitorial work was as gross as it was unforgiving. While at a few of your previous workplaces, you found your coworkers had a tendency to look down on you, things were very different at Uva Academy. Both teachers and students talked to you on level ground – even the director, Clavell, spoke to you personally a few times – and not just to ask you to clean up whatever horror show happened in the bathroom. It was a nice change

- Out of everyone, you found yourself drawn to Hassel the most. At first, you found him intimidating. Not only was he tall, with a deep voice that seemed to fill the room, but his eyes were a deep, piercing yellow. You hadn’t expected him to be an art teacher, nor did you expect how passionate he was, not just about art, but teaching in general.

- The way he choked back tears when a student showed him some of their artwork. How each piece, no matter the skill, was displayed equally and with lavish praise. You found yourself sitting in a few of his classes in between spills, to which he welcomed you readily, and you found yourself enraptured. Art had never been your forte, but maybe it would have been if you had a teacher like Hassel.

- Over time, you started to feel ridiculous for finding him intimidating in the first place. The man wore a mini-cape and his teaching assistant was the esteemed “Professor Gible.” How you could ever have been nervous around him in the first place was entirely lost on you.

- As time went on, you spoke to him more and more. You visited him between classes to see anything new the students had made, and he sought you out while you cleaned after hours to wax philosophical. Not that you minded. You enjoyed the company. Hassel was someone you admired. Not just for his passion, but his mind. He was someone who could talk for hours, and you’d find yourself listening intently every second.

- With the winter, came dry skin. You knew it was bad and didn't help at all, but you found yourself licking your lips every few seconds. Only for them to get more chapped. Great. The bell rang, and your smile widened as students poured into the hall. You knew exactly who would have chapstick and wouldn’t mind sharing.

- “Hey, Hassel!” You poked your head into his classroom with a wave. Hassel glanced up from his desk to hit you with a grin so bright, you almost had to squint.

- “Ah, [Name]! I was just about to find you.”

- Leaving your mop and bucket at the door, you jogged into his classroom. Hassel opened his mouth, likely to begin one of his rather endearing monologues, and you cut him off. You didn’t like to, but you’d be here for hours once he got started. “Before you tell me, do you have any chapstick I can borrow? I forgot mine at home.”

- Hassel froze, which you found odd. “Are you sure? You wouldn’t find it uncomfortable?”

- “Of course not. I mean, we’re friends, right,” You trailed off, and leaned against a nearby table to keep your feet from shuffling. “Does it bother you? I don’t want to overstep.”

- “No, no anything to help a friend.” You relaxed at his confirmation of your friendship. It was out of character to get insecure over something so small, what was wrong with you? Gratefully, you took the chapstick from him and relished in cool relief. Damn, winter and its tendency to dry you out like jerky.

- Hassel’s gaze jumped from your lips then to the ceiling, and then to the wall. He cleared his throat, adams's apple bobbing. “You should see this wonderful portrait one of the students did of Professor Gible while he was Terastillized today….”

- It took three months to discover the students had betting pool on how long it would take the two of you to date. Only two more days to discover the contributions of the other faculty members. Only Clavell wins.

AI Turo

- As much as the professor’s memories are a part of AI Turo, I feel like the more sentimental and emotional aspects were an afterthought. Would AI Turo know what an indirect kiss is? Probably. Would he be able to connect that that’s the cause of feeling flustered? Probably not.

- Professor Turo came out of the Great Crater, half Terastillized and oddly enough, glitching. Or at least that was what you knew. You suspected the real secret to his return would only be known to the quartet of kids that followed him out, Director Clavell, and himself. Even your knowledge was a bit greater than everyone else’s, no one else seemed to know about the Terastillized or glitchy part on the news. Being a night owl seemed to have perks in the most unexpected of places.

- You eventually found out one of the kids was his son, Arven, who seemed to make it his sole purpose to avoid Turo no matter the cost. Not that it was hard. Professor Turo kept mostly to himself despite the fascination and curiosity that surrounded him. When he wasn’t in the dorm he was provided, he was in Clavell’s office, and when he wasn’t there, you could find him looking miserably down at an aged violet book in his lap.

- Eventually, because one can’t mope forever, the Professor began doing guest lectures at the Academy. Though you suspected it was at Clavell’s request, as the days went on, he seemed to enjoy it. His steps were lighter, his expression easier, and he didn’t stare at that book as miserably as he used to. Although, there was a good bit of misery still there.

- You really thought you were being discreet while you watched him. He only caught you a few times, and being the assistant Battle Studies teacher with Dendra, you thought yourself pretty fast around corners. It wasn’t weird, you were only curious! Anyone would be. It wasn’t until Professor Turo showed up as a guest to one of the advanced classes that you were confronted by just how conspicuous you were.

- “You are the person who has been watching me.” He was blunt, and you wished your body���s instinctual reaction to being caught wasn’t to blush so red, it was almost like you glowed.

- “That wasn’t me,” You denied too fast, with your voice far too high to be believed.

- Before Turo could respond, Dendra started class with an exuberant ‘Osu!’ and his attention was pulled elsewhere. There was something strange about him, which you would usually chalk up to him being a professor or his time in the Great Crater. The science types always had a tendency to lean toward eccentricity. Turo, however, went a step beyond that. There was an almost robotic quality to the way he moved and talked. As soon as class began, he hyper-focused on the task at hand. He performed calculations of a move's power within seconds, which again, could simply be a ‘professor thing’ but all things considering you doubted it.

- After class, while Dendra was preoccupied answering some last-minute questions, Turo made his way over to you. Oh. That was why you found him so strange. He didn’t blink.

- “Now we can return to our previous conversation. I recognize you.”

- “I have no idea what you’re t-” You were cut off by a young student running in a full sprint from the schoolyard into the halls. Without thinking you grabbed the whistle around Turo’s neck, unintentionally yanking him closer to you, and blew out a loud warning trill. “No running in the hall! I saw that!”

- When you pulled away, he seemed a bit dazed. His eyes unfocused, blue light shining behind them. “That felt strange. What was that?”

- You steamrolled past his question into your own. “No clue. Are you a robot? You’re totally a robot.”