#vacant mind

[starkerscoop]

Vacant Mind (Ch. 11)

Ch. 10

also on ao3

-

“...and then we kissed!” Peter gushed, nearly bouncing off his couch—the very same one he’d kissed Tony on the prior night. “It was the most perfect thing ever. I can die happy now.”

Ned shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you got to kiss Tony Stark. What even is your life?”

“It’s not that big of a deal, Ned.” MJ cut in. “He’s a regular person.” 

At Peter and Ned’s disgruntled faces, she begrudgingly admitted, “I’m happy for you, Peter. I was starting to think you were going to go in circles for the rest of your life.” 

“It would’ve happened eventually,” Peter protested. 

Ned and MJ looked dubious. Peter rolled his eyes and tried to think of a way to redirect the conversation. He was beaten to the punch before he could come up with anything good. 

“Was he a better kisser than Danny?” Ned asked curiously. 

Peter’s mind screeched to a halt. “Danny?” 

“You know,” Ned continued, confused. “The guy who kissed you a couple weeks ago? When Gwen was in town and got you to go clubbing.”

Peter shook his head. “I never went clubbing with Gwen. Isn’t she still in Germany?” 

“Peter,” MJ said slowly. “You went clubbing with Gwen and almost went home with a guy. You told us about it in painful detail. How do you not remember?” 

Fear gripped Peter’s heart. He’d only gone clubbing a couple of times and never of his own volition. If what MJ was saying was true, that wasn’t an occurrence he’d forget easily. Could his memory loss be impacting him deeper than he thought? 

“I remember now.” Peter laughed faintly, concealing his distress to the best of his ability. “Tony’s the better kisser, duh.”

His friends didn’t seem convinced of the former statement, but they let his suspicious behavior slide. 

“Of course he is.” Ned nodded, not seeming surprised. “He’s got loads of experience.” 

Peter winced, caught between unwarranted jealousy and desire. “Trust me, I know.” 

The trio only had time to chat for another ten minutes before they had to hang up and return to their respective lives. Once the call was over, Peter scrolled to another contact, his thumb hovering over it hesitantly. 

He didn’t want to worry anyone, but he and Tony had promised to communicate better. Peter didn’t want to dishonor that one day into their relationship. 

Peter bit at his lower lip anxiously and pressed the dial button. His phone call was answered on the third ring, despite the hustle and bustle Peter could hear from Tony’s end. He must be at the office. 

“Hey, pudding cup,” Tony said cheerfully. “How’s your morning?” 

Peter couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on his face. “It’s good. Are you at work? Isn’t it a Saturday?” 

“It is.” Tony sighed. “I had to come in for a meeting. They said it was urgent, but from what I’ve seen this could’ve been an email instead. I’d rather be with you.” 

A red tint spread across the expanse of Peter’s cheeks. “I could go to the tower? I’ll grab coffee and sandwiches along the way.” 

Tony groaned in delight. “You’re the best, babycakes. This meeting should be over by the time you get here, and if not, I’ll end it myself. I should head back in before they complain. I’ll see you soon.” 

“See you,” Peter promised.

He could hardly contain his excitement as he got ready and made his way to his favorite bodega in New York. His happiness was palpable and easily noticed by Delmar. 

“Is something wrong with you?” Delmar eyed him in concern, taking note of Peter’s unnaturally wide smile. It almost looked deranged.

Peter’s eyebrows furrowed. “No? I’m just happy.” 

“So that’s what it is.” Delmar hummed. “I haven’t seen you like that in a while. It’s refreshing, but scary. Keep it that way.” 

Peter wasn’t sure how to take that, so he thanked Delmar and made his way to Murph as he waited for his sandwiches. Cats were so much simpler to understand. He knelt down to where Murph was grooming himself.

“Hi, Murph,” he crooned. “You look so handsome today.” 

Murph peered up at him. He stalked closer to Peter and rubbed himself along Peter’s side, purring. Peter laughed brightly and scratched behind the cat’s velvety ears. Murph indulged him for another minute before he returned to his perch and resumed grooming himself. 

Peter stood up from his crouch and approached Delmar, who was waving a bag of sandwiches at him. Peter took the bag and thanked him profusely, leaving a tip in his jar and skipping out of the bodega. 

He got coffee closer to the tower. There was a Starbucks a block away, and blessedly, there were only two people in front of him when he got in line. He ordered Tony an Americano and himself a caramel frappuccino, already knowing he’d get teased for it. His drinks were given to him with a charming “Peetr” scrawled across the cups. 

He immediately snapped a picture and sent it to Tony. A response came before he could put his phone away. 

Tony: You need to legally change your name to Peetr now.

Tony: Never mind, FRIDAY’s got it.

Peter: You’re joking right?

Peter: Tony?????

No response. Peter huffed and stowed his phone in his pocket. He placed the drinks in a carrier and left the Starbucks, coffee held firmly in one hand and sandwiches swinging from the other. The walk to the tower was quick, and soon he was waiting for Tony’s private elevator to take him to the penthouse. 

“FRI, can we go just a teeny bit faster?” Peter pleaded, aiming his puppy eyes at one of her sensors. 

FRIDAY cautioned, “It’s against safety guidelines.” 

Nevertheless, Peter felt the elevator speed up and was brought to the penthouse level faster than he could finish thanking FRIDAY. 

“Boss is waiting for you in the living room,” FRIDAY announced. 

The notice wasn’t necessary, but Peter thanked her anyway. The elevator was stationed at the back of Tony’s rather spacious living room. Due to the nature of the design, Peter was able to spot Tony the moment the elevator doors opened. 

They strode towards each other eagerly. Tony took the coffee and the bag of sandwiches, setting them down on a side table before pulling Peter into himself and greeting him with a kiss. 

Peter pulled away after a moment with an inflamed face. 

“Hi,” he said breathily. 

“Hi,” Tony mimicked. 

They grinned at each other and let go, although Tony didn’t let him stray too far. They settled on Tony’s plush couch, their weight pulling them deeper in. Tony took his first sip of coffee and the stress of his earlier meeting melted from his shoulders. 

“It’s so good,” Tony praised. “I needed this. You’re an angel.” 

Peter waved off the compliment. “I didn’t make it.” 

“But you knew what to order.” Tony reminded him. “Though it seems your decision making skills took a hit when you ordered that cup of syrup.” 

Peter clutched his frappuccino to his chest. “It tastes good! You need to at least try it before you hate on it.” 

“No, all I need is common sense.” 

Peter shoved his shoulder and took his own first sips from his drink. When he pulled away, his cheeks were smudged in whipped cream that must’ve gotten on the lid when the barista made his drink. Before he could wipe it away, Tony leaned towards him and pressed his lips to his skin, drawing the whipped cream into his mouth. 

He moved back into his original position with dark eyes. “You were right.” 

“That doesn’t count,” Peter argued weakly. “Um, we should eat our sandwiches now. Wouldn’t want them to get cold.” 

Tony snickered and passed him his sandwich.

-

Tag List: @starkersomnia @longlivestarker @senor-cummies @consciencecoward @aoifelaufeyson @rebel13lion39 @katzenbaby1 @helaisthequeen @im-a-goner-foryou @hornvey @darker-soft-starker @nerdylocksandthethreebears @canreadbutcannotwrite @carelessannie @mirrorballtingz @briesb1tch @skimparker @idiyeet @blushing-starker-queen @buckettbarnes @thegreenmetblue @staticwhispersinthedark @just-things-things @snowstark        

[sermna]

this is the face she makes when she's not hearing a word you're saying becuase she's very busy trying not to stab you or anyone else

[5ummit]

[ahhrenata]

making myself a bookmark for funsies 🙃

[sunmoontruth-stiles]

I need a completely rewritten teen wolf series with Derek Hale as the main character. I think it would heal me.

[disastersteps]

you may not be me, i may not be you, but we're one and the same.

[foxsnails]

Lil vid about my two art markets this weekend and why I regret doing two of them, two days in a row ✌️

[acephysicskarkat]

"adora doesn't want me, not the way i want her" could very easily have gone a direction where c*tra finally, finally realised that the universe did not revolve around her and decided to save adora not for the sake of the relationship she wanted but for the sake of adora's value as an individual and it will never not suck that none of that happens because at that point in s5 getting c*tra to make out with the increasingly tenuous cardboard cutout that had once been an engaging main character was all anyone was allowed to aim for

[manufactoredxbyxdesign]

[Some day I hope I have the confidence of a boomer 15 mins before an office opens.]

[hemo-goblin-a1c]

I can't believe Yona was so unpopular with the fanbase upon the game's initial release..... Like I love the idea of Sidon x Link fish yaoi too but like it was never gonna happen in canon lol. Female characters are not "getting in the way" of gay fanbase shipping like corporations hate making prominent and active female characters and they hate gay romance even more. Yona is fine, I like her, I like that she has a reasonable head on her shoulders, I like that she has a similar """feminine""" healing magic domain (portrayed as useful) to Mipha but she's a lot more..... independent and active in her personality. I think my biggest complaint is nothing about her personality and everything about the fact that metatextually her character seems tailor-made to be the Perfect Fiancee who has graceful and feminine talents BUT she's independent enough that we don't need to see too much of her before the Boys go on the ACTUAL main quest. Like it's obvious that from a narrative standpoint she's padding and it sucks that another woman got sidelined, on the other hand from what bits of her personality we DO see I think every decision she makes is sensible and she's easily one of the most level-headed and goal-oriented Zora characters. It would've been nice if she was MORE of a character, if anything, but she wasn't, and we can still all draw Link x Sidon BL without like taking it out on a fictional woman

[starkerscoop]

Vacant Mind (Ch. 13)

Ch. 12

also on ao3

The tension between Peter and Tony was palpable.

The tower wasn’t far from the restaurant, but the distance seemed to stretch on the farther they walked. Peter took small peeks at Tony, trying to gauge how he was feeling. He was preparing to break the silence himself when Tony beat him to the punch.

“Peter,” Tony said slowly, as if hesitant to speak his mind. “Can I ask you something without you getting mad?” 

Peter cocked his head to the side. “Yes?” 

“Are you lying about not remembering Daniel?” At Peter’s disbelieving look, Tony shrugged. “You don’t have to spare my feelings. Whatever you two had, it’s in the past.” 

Peter drew in a long breath, gathering the few morsels of patience he had left. “I am not lying.”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Tony admitted, teeth catching on his bottom lip. “I’d rather have you be a liar than an amnesiac.” 

“I’ll take that into consideration next time,” Peter grouched.

Tony released a soft sigh, vulnerable in a way he never usually allowed himself to be in public, whispering, “I don’t want you to forget me.” 

“That’s not possible,” Peter said resolutely, latching on to Tony’s hand where it hung limply at his side.

Tony didn’t say anything for a while, only tightening his grip on Peter. They were nearly at the tower when he asked, “Do you find Daniel attractive?” 

“Are you really jealous?” Peter raised his eyebrows skeptically, holding back a laugh that threatened to burst free at any moment.

Tony rolled his eyes. “I don’t get jealous.”

“So that’s a yes.” Peter smiled, squeezing his hand gently. “I don’t find him attractive, Tony.” 

Tony squinted at him. “You tried to ‘get in his pants’.”

“I was drunk,” Peter countered.

Tony pushed him away lightly. “The classic cheater’s excuse.” 

“We weren’t even together yet,” Peter said defensively. “And anyway, you said it yourself. It’s all in the past.” 

Tony frowned. “I did say that, didn’t I?” 

“You’re the one who gets nominated for sexiest man alive every year.” Peter reminded him. 

Sometimes, all it took to cheer Tony up was to stroke his ego.

Tony huffed cockily, squaring his shoulders. “He has nothing on me.” 

“Oh yeah.” Peter nodded along, snickering quietly. 

They entered the tower and made a beeline for the private elevator, which opened before they could press the button to call it, as if it was waiting for them. Peter aimed a grateful smile at FRIDAY’s nearest sensor and stepped in. The elevator was carrying them up when Tony’s phone buzzed in his pocket. 

Tony ignored it, watching the numbers rise on the screen that rested above the array of buttons. 

“Are you going to answer that?” Peter asked when the phone continued to vibrate insistently. 

Tony looked surprised. “Why would I? I’ve got great company already.” 

“It could be important,” Peter pointed out. 

“Your incoming call is from Dr. Stephen Strange, Boss.” FRIDAY pitched in helpfully. 

It was Peter’s turn to be surprised. “That guy has a phone? I thought that was against wizard law.”

“Who knows?” Tony shrugged. 

At Peter’s pointed look, Tony groaned, throwing his head back. “Fine. I’ll answer.” 

The elevator doors slid open just as Tony accepted the call, which connected to the speakers throughout the penthouse. Peter could listen in too. Tony wasn’t going to keep anything from him anyway. 

“Stark,” Stephen spoke through gritted teeth. “Why must you be so hard to reach?” 

Tony threw his hands up. “Do you know who you’re talking to? I’m a genius, billionaire, ex-playboy, philanthropist. A guy gets busy with so many titles.” 

Peter smiled to himself at Tony’s description. 

Stephen muttered something indiscernible under his breath before speaking up again. “I’ve got a sorcerer on the loose. Have you seen anything?” 

Tony hummed in interest. “No. What’s he up to?” 

“There’s a sorceress in the presidential cabinet. She keeps an eye on the rest of them and reports back to me if she notices anything that concerns the metaphysical. She’s my direct contact in the event that something world-ending is on the rise. I need you to keep that quiet.” Stephen’s voice was firm.

Tony glanced at Peter. Well, two could keep a secret. “What does she know?”

“The entire cabinet has been complaining of headaches, weakness, and confusion. She’s noticed a trace of magic around them.” 

Tony’s eyebrows furrowed. “Someone’s tampering with their health.” 

“Yes,” Stephen confirmed.

“So, why isn’t she experiencing the same thing?” Peter piped up.

Stephen stayed silent for a moment. “Parker’s here?” 

“He is and he’s not leaving.” Tony gestured for Peter, who was inching towards the door, to stay in the room. 

“I would expect nothing less,” Stephen said, annoyed. “My contact is resistant to the sorcerer’s magic. She’s more powerful than he is.” 

Tony figured it made sense. “How do you know it’s a guy?” 

“There’s about ten seconds of CCTV footage from the White House before all the cameras shorted out. I can send it over,” Stephen said.

Tony sank down onto his couch, grabbing a tablet from the coffee table. “He’s probably left DC by now. I’ll have FRIDAY scan for his face throughout the country. We have backdoor access to just about every camera, but it might take a while to find him.”

“I’m going to ignore how illegal that is. Thank you for the help.” Stephen forced out the words as if they physically pained him to say.

Tony grinned. “What’s one more task when you have a thousand?” 

Stephen hung up the phone and sent over the footage. Peter joined Tony on the couch, curling up next to him and peering at the tablet’s screen. The footage was dark and grainy; they could barely make out the man stalking through the carpeted hall, a cloak billowing behind him. The video ended before they could see where he was going. 

“What do you think he was doing?” Peter murmured, staring at the sorcerer’s vague outline. 

Tony shook his head. “Nothing good. Maybe he was planting something for the cabinet.” 

“Something that tampers with their health when they encounter it, so he doesn’t have to do it himself,” Peter mused. “It doesn’t sound too far-fetched.” 

Tony tossed aside the tablet. “I’ll have FRIDAY on the case, but she might not find anything. That wasn’t exactly 4K quality.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious,” Peter said.

Tony pursed his lips. “I’m more worried about you than David Copperfield. We still need to get you checked out.” 

“It’s too late now.” Peter nodded towards the windows, which revealed the darkened sky. “I’ll have to go tomorrow.” 

“I’m going with you.” Tony tugged him into his arms, feeling the need to be closer. “You better be okay, Parker.” 

“I always am.”

-

Tag List: @starkersomnia @longlivestarker @senor-cummies @consciencecoward @aoifelaufeyson @rebel13lion39 @katzenbaby1 @helaisthequeen @im-a-goner-foryou @hornvey @darker-soft-starker @nerdylocksandthethreebears @canreadbutcannotwrite @carelessannie @mirrorballtingz @briesb1tch @skimparker @idiyeet @blushing-starker-queen @buckettbarnes @thegreenmetblue @staticwhispersinthedark @just-things-things @snowstark

[liminish]

not sure if partycoffin intended this, but wally gives off some serious “evangelical cult leader” vibes. a+ horror, love it for his character.

[kdo-three]

Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant (1977) Steve Jones / Paul Cook / Glen Matlock / John Lydon from: “Pretty Vacant” / “No Fun” (Single) "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols” (LP)

Punk | UK Punk

JukeHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

YouTube (Official Video)

Personnel: Johnny Rotten: Lead Vocals Steve Jones: Guitar / Bass Guitar / Backing Vocals Paul Cook: Drums

Produced by Chris Thomas / Bill Price / Dave Goodman

Recorded: @ The Wessex Sound Studios in London, England UK during February of 1977

Single Released: on July 2, 1977 (UK)

Album Released: on October 28, 1977 (UK) on November 11, 1977 (US)

Virgin Records (UK) Warner Bros. Records (US)

The song gained attention for vocalist John Lydon's phrasing of the word "vacant", emphasising the last syllable to sound like the vulgar word "cunt". - Wikipedia

[rastronomicals]

4:03 AM EDT August 4, 2024:

Sex Pistols - "Pretty Vacant" From the album Never Mind the Bollocks (October 27, 1977)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

[a-leg-without-fear]

hey y’all. my brain is seriously Not Working so tuna tober is on a bit of a pause. i’ve been trying (and failing) to keep working on it but my mind is apparently on vacation. i shall take a break for now until my brain decides to Work again, then i’ll pick up where i left off. thank you for understanding!!

[unknownarmageddon]

killer smiling all wrong at cross and cross like. he holds his hands up, "take it easy.."

and there's big, thick droplets slowly rolling down killer's face, and his smile slowly stretches wider, "you'd like that wouldn't you"