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fandomweekly2021-09-29 11:02 pm
iluvroadrunner6) wrote in fandomweekly2021-09-29 11:02 pm
Entry tags:
[#106] Harder Better Faster Stronger (Original)
Theme Prompt: #106 - Competition
Title: Harder Better Faster Stronger
Fandom: Original
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 971
Summary: Orson takes the opportunity to indulge his competitive side.
“You got this, babe.”
Marie’s hands massage Orson’s shoulders as he leans back to assess the playing field. He doesn’t think she’s wrong there—the competition in this round is more general than usual. It probably won’t start really challenging him until a couple of layers higher, but Marie has been one to hype him up, even if it isn’t as much of a challenge.
Besides, it’s been a while since he’s been in a competition like this one. He could use the ego boost. The annual Bellmont County robotics competition has always been one of his favorite events, but he’s had to skip the last couple of years due to work. The timing seems to have worked out this year, with Armand and T.J. off doing their own thing for the weekend.
“Are you sure this isn’t cheating?” He glances over at her and raises an eyebrow. “The company is really taking off.” WakeTech has expanded more and more—the opportunities he’ll have to take part in a robotics competition like this one are going to narrow down.
“Not at all. You worked hard on that bot. And you said it yourself. The company may take off, but it’s not there yet.” Marie wraps her arms around his shoulders and tugs him back with a small hug. “Maybe this will be the last one. Do you really want to back out now, knowing that?”
He shakes his head. “No. I want to kick their asses.”
“Atta boy,” Marie grins as she leans in to kiss him.
They’ve both always been competitive. It’s why they both went into the highly stressful fields they did. But the best part about their marriage is that they’ve never competed directly. Their respective interests were in different directions, leaving them with plenty of room to cheer each other on. In a lot of ways, it’s a relief. Some women he’s dated have never really understood that part of his life.
He likes the competitive nature of the world. But he wants him and his partner to be on the same side.
“That guy looks like a real asshole.” Marie points to one competitor across the way, too far away for them to see clearly. “Make sure you get him really good. Maybe make him blow up like a firework.”
She’s kidding, mostly. He smirks before pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “I don’t think fireworks are strictly necessary.”
“Just because they’re unnecessary doesn’t mean it won’t be fun,” she grins, before pressing a kiss to his temple. The judges are moving into place, so the competition’s about to begin. This means any spectators have to return to their seats, so and she gives him one last kiss for luck. “Knock ‘em dead.”
“Thanks,” he grins, before turning his attention back to the pit ahead of him. The jagged wasteland of junk and obstacles lay ahead, and he glances down at his little robot friend and gently pats the top of his head before lowering him into the entry hole.
“You heard the lady,” he murmurs. “Knock ‘em dead.”
And if he has any luck, he will.
* * * * *
It turns out luck is, in fact, in his favor. While he doesn’t come in first—that “asshole” that Marie had designated earlier backed him into one of the mines and his poor buddy doesn’t last much longer after that. But it was a good game, scratching an itch that was desperately in need of relief.
And, he still gets to compete in round two with a second place finish.
As he rounds the corner out into the major thoroughfare of the arena, Marie waits for him by the door, flashing him a smile as she slides an arm around his waist.
“Not bad, hun. You really had him there until that last bit.”
“It happens. Sometimes you just aren’t as lucky as you’d like to be.” He presses a kiss to the top of her head, tucking the box of busted robot parts under the opposite arm, and one arm around her. “At least I still made regionals.”
“At least there’s that.” She frowns as she looks over at the box. “Is there anything salvageable?”
Orson shakes his head as he glances over. “Don’t know yet. I’ll have to do a full diagnostic when I get home. But, some of the other robot features gave me some good ideas for a beta model.”
“You can rebuild him,” she smirks. “You have the technology.”
“That we do.” He leans in to kiss her, before the winner approaches him from the opposite door. He looks a lot younger than he did in the arena's glare, much closer to a kid just out of college. He looks almost apologetic as he holds out a hand to him.
“Mr. Lu, I’m so sorry. I thought—I didn’t realize it was you.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Oh? And if you had, I certainly hope you wouldn’t have let me win.” The kid falters, and Orson smiles. “What’s your name?”
“Marcus, sir.”
“Marcus, I come here because I want to be challenged. It’s no fun if you just let me win because you know my work.” He reluctantly let go of his wife before holding his hand out to Marcus. “You played a good game. You deserved to win.”
Marcus shakes his hand with a nod. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” Orson grins. “Make sure you bring your A-game at Regionals, though. No guarantee you’ll get lucky twice.”
With another bright smile from Marcus, Orson continues to follow his wife to the door. “Good kid.”
“Yes, he is,” she smiles.
“Disappointed you didn’t get any fireworks?”
Marie laughs as she reaches forward to open the door for him. “You can always make it up to me later.”
Title: Harder Better Faster Stronger
Fandom: Original
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 971
Summary: Orson takes the opportunity to indulge his competitive side.
“You got this, babe.”
Marie’s hands massage Orson’s shoulders as he leans back to assess the playing field. He doesn’t think she’s wrong there—the competition in this round is more general than usual. It probably won’t start really challenging him until a couple of layers higher, but Marie has been one to hype him up, even if it isn’t as much of a challenge.
Besides, it’s been a while since he’s been in a competition like this one. He could use the ego boost. The annual Bellmont County robotics competition has always been one of his favorite events, but he’s had to skip the last couple of years due to work. The timing seems to have worked out this year, with Armand and T.J. off doing their own thing for the weekend.
“Are you sure this isn’t cheating?” He glances over at her and raises an eyebrow. “The company is really taking off.” WakeTech has expanded more and more—the opportunities he’ll have to take part in a robotics competition like this one are going to narrow down.
“Not at all. You worked hard on that bot. And you said it yourself. The company may take off, but it’s not there yet.” Marie wraps her arms around his shoulders and tugs him back with a small hug. “Maybe this will be the last one. Do you really want to back out now, knowing that?”
He shakes his head. “No. I want to kick their asses.”
“Atta boy,” Marie grins as she leans in to kiss him.
They’ve both always been competitive. It’s why they both went into the highly stressful fields they did. But the best part about their marriage is that they’ve never competed directly. Their respective interests were in different directions, leaving them with plenty of room to cheer each other on. In a lot of ways, it’s a relief. Some women he’s dated have never really understood that part of his life.
He likes the competitive nature of the world. But he wants him and his partner to be on the same side.
“That guy looks like a real asshole.” Marie points to one competitor across the way, too far away for them to see clearly. “Make sure you get him really good. Maybe make him blow up like a firework.”
She’s kidding, mostly. He smirks before pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “I don’t think fireworks are strictly necessary.”
“Just because they’re unnecessary doesn’t mean it won’t be fun,” she grins, before pressing a kiss to his temple. The judges are moving into place, so the competition’s about to begin. This means any spectators have to return to their seats, so and she gives him one last kiss for luck. “Knock ‘em dead.”
“Thanks,” he grins, before turning his attention back to the pit ahead of him. The jagged wasteland of junk and obstacles lay ahead, and he glances down at his little robot friend and gently pats the top of his head before lowering him into the entry hole.
“You heard the lady,” he murmurs. “Knock ‘em dead.”
And if he has any luck, he will.
It turns out luck is, in fact, in his favor. While he doesn’t come in first—that “asshole” that Marie had designated earlier backed him into one of the mines and his poor buddy doesn’t last much longer after that. But it was a good game, scratching an itch that was desperately in need of relief.
And, he still gets to compete in round two with a second place finish.
As he rounds the corner out into the major thoroughfare of the arena, Marie waits for him by the door, flashing him a smile as she slides an arm around his waist.
“Not bad, hun. You really had him there until that last bit.”
“It happens. Sometimes you just aren’t as lucky as you’d like to be.” He presses a kiss to the top of her head, tucking the box of busted robot parts under the opposite arm, and one arm around her. “At least I still made regionals.”
“At least there’s that.” She frowns as she looks over at the box. “Is there anything salvageable?”
Orson shakes his head as he glances over. “Don’t know yet. I’ll have to do a full diagnostic when I get home. But, some of the other robot features gave me some good ideas for a beta model.”
“You can rebuild him,” she smirks. “You have the technology.”
“That we do.” He leans in to kiss her, before the winner approaches him from the opposite door. He looks a lot younger than he did in the arena's glare, much closer to a kid just out of college. He looks almost apologetic as he holds out a hand to him.
“Mr. Lu, I’m so sorry. I thought—I didn’t realize it was you.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Oh? And if you had, I certainly hope you wouldn’t have let me win.” The kid falters, and Orson smiles. “What’s your name?”
“Marcus, sir.”
“Marcus, I come here because I want to be challenged. It’s no fun if you just let me win because you know my work.” He reluctantly let go of his wife before holding his hand out to Marcus. “You played a good game. You deserved to win.”
Marcus shakes his hand with a nod. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” Orson grins. “Make sure you bring your A-game at Regionals, though. No guarantee you’ll get lucky twice.”
With another bright smile from Marcus, Orson continues to follow his wife to the door. “Good kid.”
“Yes, he is,” she smiles.
“Disappointed you didn’t get any fireworks?”
Marie laughs as she reaches forward to open the door for him. “You can always make it up to me later.”