Arguing Hurt, No Comfort, break ups, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Mr. Scippo teaches english, Alternate Universe - College/University, Not Really AU just them in college
Summary:
Scippio and Dr. Danner are in college, and Scippio comes home drunk one too many times and this results in a night that neither of them will forget for a very long time.
TW: ALCOHLISM!
Danner had been awake for twenty straight hours when Scippio, or Steven, as the man had told him, “If you’re gonna call me your boyfriend, I’d rather you not call me my last name, Dennis.” Had stumbled into their shared dorm room, drunk out of his mind.
Dennis had been awake for twenty straight hours when the man stumbled to the bed on Danner’s side of the room, and spilled the open bottle of vodka that was loosely clutched into his hand all over Dennis’s only blanket.
He had been awake for twenty straight hours when Scippo drunkenly laughed his ass off at the sight, and proceeded to take a swig of the empty bottle, then had the gaul to look disappointed when he was met with air instead of liquor.
Danner had migraines when he was in high school, something he took hard medicine for, which he does blame for his grades tipping for short periods of time, and the reason he didn’t get into Stanford. He hadn't had one since junior year, and as a sophomore in college, he could feel the pain start in his right eye.
Normally he could ignore the man, go back to staring at endless words of biology or physics, but he physically couldn’t take it anymore.
Dennis was never a yelling man, his older sister had done enough of that for the both of them when they were younger, but he could feel the anger bubbling somewhere inside of him that he didn’t want to feel. Danner was trained in not caring, being as nonchalant as possible, keeping a straight face and a straight back, and you’ll be fine.
But after twenty hours of classes, and studying, the suffocating library, and the mind numbing smell of chemicals in a lab, he was too tired for some reason.
“Go away!” The man stood from the chair he had been in for the past three hours, and his joints burned like hell. “If you’re going to be drunk and stupid, go do it elsewhere, Scippio.”
The other man looked burned, like Danner had shot him or something. The moon light showed through the curtain, and highlighted the sad features on the man’s face. It also highlighted the scowl growing on his face.
“Oh shut it, I’m not hurtin’ no one Denny.” His thick southern accent rang through the room, he slurred his words and Danner could smell the vodka on his breath from his desk.
“The only person you're hurting is yourself Steven,” he said. “Are you going to drink all of college!? What are you going to do with your life, because if it's this!? Then you have no right to envision me in it.” Dennis was never one for crying either, but he could feel tears built in his eyes.
He wouldn’t say he was in love with Steven, he wouldn’t say he liked him, or wanted to marry the man, but he did like being with him.
Danner had always hated people, being around them, them living, a cold dead body ready for research was always nicer company than a breathing one. But Scippio was different, he could handle talking to him, spending hours upon hours with him, sleeping in the same bed as him.
And he didn’t think that was something that just happened, in his entire 22 years he had never felt like that with anyone else, it wasn’t love, Danner didn’t love, but it was appreciation, and he didn’t want to lose that.
But he also didn’t want everything that he owned to smell like liquor anymore. He didn’t want to wake up to puking - god he hated puking -, he didn’t want to pick Scippio off of the ground outside of his door every week.
“Oh, really!? I’m sorry I would have the nerve to think you’d be there for me!” He stood up now, looking over at Dennis.
“I have been here for you, and I’m sick of it!” Danner felt the need to hit something to prove his point of agitation, but he found the attempt fruitless. “I’m sick of your alcoholism, and I hate it more than anything when you get drunk and come in here and you act like this is normal.”
“What do you know about normal?”
Danner kept a gun in a safe underneath his bed. He could shoot it, and he would if he needed to, and there was nothing scarier than a man with glass in his hand and a southern drawl who didn’t know what he was doing.
Dennis didn’t get scared, but he was scared of this small man who he could probably kill if he had to. Spiders didn’t scare him, dangerous chemicals didn’t scare him, guns didn’t scare him, but if this man walked any closer to him, he would fight for his life.
“What is that supposed to mean Steven, are you calling me irregular for not wanting my boyfriend to kill himself by means of alcohol poisoning, is that what you’re saying?” His voice stayed as stable as he could make it be.
Danner wouldn’t let the man get another word in until he was done speaking.
“Because if it is, you really need to rethink your major in literature, if you live long enough to reach graduation.”
He wasn’t done.
“Steven, If you don’t stop drinking, I’m leaving, and I will not be coming back.”
He was done.
The other man’s eyes looked lost, like he had never envisioned a possibility that Danner would ever leave him over something so trivial to him.
“You won’t leave, because you love me.” Scippio was taught by his mommy that people who love you never leave, even through how tough it gets.
Danner was taught by his mother that you walk out after you’ve tried, and failed.
“It’s good I don't love you then.”
And stomp on everything you can before you do.
Their first and last fight was on a Tuesday night, the same night that Danner was awake for twenty hours straight, the night that Scippio came home to his boyfriend drunk the last time, the night that Danner transferred colleges, and the night they wouldn’t see each other until they were middle aged, and teaching kindergarteners English and science respectfully.
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not a request I'm just thinking of Danner and mr. Tapster...
Especially since its more like a combat between like. Energetic and Cold. I have a feeling Tapster would rant to others about how he wants to friend Danner but then immediately run when he has to interact with Danner cause he hates his guts
Thank you so much for sending this ask because this got me thinking more not only about Mr. Tapster's relationship with Dr. Danner, but also in general as a character and i had SO much fun writing this, it also includes his relationship with Ms. Applegate, i hope you enjoy reading this post and if you or anyone has any questions or anything to add on, please send an ask 🫶 i would LOVE for more asks like these in the future
And at the time of writing this post, this is the last art project i worked on for 2025, and I'm glad it is!!! (I did draw something for this post)
This is EXTREMELY long and I'll be very grateful if people read this (if not I'll be a sad Tommy 💔💔💔 LOL)
Before anything, this post references this post (click) AND this post (click 2) and if you haven't read either of these, i recommend you do before reading this one!! 🫶🫶
Everything is under the cut!!! ⬇️
"I am tired, and hungry, and totally useless." - Mr. Tapster and his anxieties
Heads up, this post is SUPER LONG!!!!!!!!
While making this post, it evolved into me thinking about how Mr. Tapster is with his anxieties and how he was when he was younger. Which i think is very important not only as to how he grew up, but as a character, too. Growing up, Mr. Tapster had a lot of issues as a kid and they became more prevalent as a teenager. (More details about that later)
Since his teen years, he's learned to accept himself and is now happier with his life. He's been seeing a therapist since he was 14 years old. However, those feelings can still linger for him. Not everyone is perfect. He ALWAYS jumps at the opportunity to make new friends, but he's always awkward about it at first.
He always had the obsession to make a good first impression on anyone new he meets, because he always worried that he'd seem REALLY weird and people wouldn't want to be friends with him. Though, he still struggles with this, as seen with Dr. Danner.
After his first interaction with Dr. Danner, he's been beating himself up since. Thinking that Danner views him as a weirdo and wants nothing more with him (which, sadly he is right to think that), he wishes he could go back in time to make a better first impression on Danner.
And you're right, he DOES vent to his friends about this too.
As examples, I'll be using my friends ocs, The Technician (owned by @r3tr0s-posts ) and Nurse Chanel (owned by @jinx-the-hunter25 ) for this section
How The Technician feels about Mr. Tapster's venting
To put this briefly, the technician has a mutual relationship with Dr. Danner, but isn't exactly "friends" with him.
The technician acts as a middle man between the two whenever Mr. Tapster vents to them about this, telling him to not take it personally since Dr. Danner hates Mr. Tapster for business related reasons. "Don't take it too personally, he's just kind of like that sometimes."
As much as Mr. Tapster appreciates them listening to him and their advice, he still can't help but take it personally.
How Nurse Chanel feels about Mr. Tapster's venting
To put this briefly part 2, Chanel relates to Mr. Tapster since she's also tried to make friends with Dr. Danner, but has also failed.
There have been times where Danner and Tapster have crossed paths, whether it's passing by each other or encountering each other in the library.
I've written a small snippet of the two meeting in the library, enjoy!
Mr. Tapster was at his desk, lounging around as usual in the library. He was playing with his marbles, rolling the orbs in between his fingers. He was almost lost in his own little world, until he heard the doors swing open.
It was Dr. Danner. The heels of his shoes clicked as he walked across the floor, coming inside the little cemetery of wood. Dr. Danner saw Mr. Tapster as he walked in, and proceeded to walk past him towards a bookshelf.
Mr. Tapster couldn't help but say something as he watched Dr. Danner walked by, "Oh, yo Dan!" He shouted, despite being in a quiet sanctuary, "Ya looking for a book about plants?" He then asked.
A loud crack could be heard as Dr. Danner snapped his head towards Mr. Tapster, scowling, "...Do NOT. Call me 'Dan.'" He demanded.
"Ah... Sorry, Danner." Mr. Tapster apologized, "Did ya still--"
"DOCTOR Danner to you." Dr. Danner corrected him, "And no. I can look myself." And just like that, Dr. Danner's head snapped back to the bookshelf in a split second.
As much as Mr. Tapster understood, he couldn't help but feel the dread slowly eating him away at a failed attempt to make small talk with the brainiac. Though, he quickly saw another opportunity as he noticed he was having trouble looking for the book.
"Uhhh, I can help, y'know! I know the library like the back of my hand--" Mr. Tapster was then cut off.
"Oh second thought, I'd rather rot my brain by looking at a computer screen than spend another second with you." It was clear there was a tone of annoyance as Dr. Danner spoke, especially at the last part.
Mr. Tapster felt as though he had to apologize again, but before he could open his mouth, Dr. Danner swiftly left. He slammed the library doors behind him shut.
Holding the marbles in hand, Mr. Tapster stared at them. Staring at his reflection, he saw a sad man looking back as the corners of his mouth formed into an upside down crescent moon.
"Good job, Thomas." He said sarcastically, "Surely he'll want to talk with ya next time." He doubted his own words.
No matter how hard Tapster tries, Danner just doesn't like him and doesn't want anything to do with him. And Tapster has a hard time accepting that.
This art segues into the next relationship Mr. Tapster has with another staff member, which is Ms. Applegate. They have a past with each other, they're high school exes.
Even though Mr. Tapster is scared to interact with Ms. Applegate due to their past (fearing she might lash out at him), he also wishes that they could still be friends. It's similar to Dr. Danner where Tapster would avoid Applegate, but sometimes he does try to interact with her in hopes to fix their past. Sadly, he always fails to do so.
Applegate doesn't like Tapster. Though she won't admit it, she does secretly still have some feelings for him. But she keeps these feelings deep inside her and chooses to be hostile towards him as a way of coping.
Mr. Tapster does vent to his friends about this, too. I'll also be using two of my friends ocs as examples. The technician (@/r3tr0s-posts), and Silas the gardener (@/jinx-the-hunter25)
How does the technician feel about this?
To put it briefly, the technician doesn't care for Ms. Applegate nor do they like her all that much.
Their advice for Mr. Tapster is to just let it go. They don't think it's important to care about her opinion if she's just going to get pissed off at every little thing Mr. Tapster does. "If she's just going be pissed off about everything, then there's no point hurting yourself trying to be the ONE thing she possibly likes."
As much as Mr. Tapster appreciates this advice, he can't help but note let go the sliver of hope he has between him and Applegate.
How does Silas feel about this?
To put it briefly (part 2), while Silas might not like Ms. Applegate, he will comfort Mr. Tapster about this.
He'd encourage Mr. Tapster to try and be friends with her again and be supportive of this. However, it is also up to Ms. Applegate if she's ready to let go of the past and be friends still. "Look kid, while Applegate, is rather someone you'd avoid. But I'm not you, it's your choice. You make the decision here; whether she wants to be friends or not, it up to you two to decide where to go from there."
Nowadays, when the two cross paths it almost feels like it's intentional. Have another short snippet of the two bumping into each other in the teacher's lounge.
Opening up the door, Mr. Tapster walked right into the teacher's lounge. He wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings, he was more focused on getting a quick soda from the vending machine. The only thing he really comes here for. That was until from the corner of his eye he saw a violet, laced dress by the microwave.
It was Ms. Applegate. Immediately, he felt obliged to say something, "Oh, Uh... Hey Amelia!" He greeted her, "Ya hungry?"
Ms. Applegate was heating up her lunch, a single hot pocket, in the microwave. She was watching it spin as she spoke, not moving her eyes towards Mr. Tapster, "What does it look like, Thomas?"
"Hah... I guess you're right." Mr. Tapster awkwardly laughed, "I'm not hungry though, I'm thirsty." He waited for her to laugh at his attempt at a joke.
But, she didn't. She just continued staring at her cold food spinning around. There was a long silence, you could just hear the dread forming in Mr. Tapster's head as he stood there.
Mr. Tapster just felt like he had to say something else, to break the long silence. And to fan away his dread, "Soooo..." Mr. Tapster began, taking out his wallet to seem normal, "Ya see any new shows?"
"God, Thomas. You're still so immature." Ms. Applegate groaned as the microwaved beeped soon after.
"Ah, I suppose you're right..." Mr. Tapster grabbed a dollar, inserting it into the machine, trying to think of something else to say, "You haven't changed a bit either, y'know?" He said, desperately attempting to turn this conversation into something lighthearted.
In the middle of taking a bite of her food, Ms. Applegate almost choked at that. Her eyebrows furrowed, her face then flushed red with rage, "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!" She yelled, sounding offended.
Immediately, Mr. Tapster jumped at her raised voice, "UH-- NOTHING! THAT'S A GOOD THING?" He quickly tried to explain before Ms. Applegate could grab her pointing stick, "How about we just, uh-- catch up? Watch a movie? Like old times?" He then suggested out of the blue.
"Psh, as if it'll be like old times." Ms. Applegate rolled her eyes, there was steam seeping from her ears, "We barely did anything as teens."
"Uhh... Um... You're right, Amy. I'm sorry" Mr. Tapster began to stammer, apologizing, "I'll just... Leave ya alone."
Before he left, he finally grabbed a soda and walked away from the scene. As he left, he bumped into the door on the way out. He was an anxious mess.
"Toodles." Ms. Applegate simply said as she watched the wobbly mess of a man walk away.
As Mr. Tapster left the teacher's lounge, he began talking to himself, "Next time I see her it ain't gonna be pretty." He then opened his soda and took a long sip of it, as if he were trying to drown his anxiety with a sweet drink.
Ms. Applegate continued to eat her food, she couldn't help but think to herself, "God. He hasn't changed either."
It sounded like she was insulting him, but deep down she knew it was something she was happy about, too.
Now we're getting to the good stuff.
Mr. Tapster's mental health as a teen
I describe Mr. Tapster's teen years as a tiger trapped in a cage. He never really got out as a teen, specifically in his early teen years due to how bad his anxiety was growing up. He had many family issues, which in turn gave him crippling anxiety. During his late teens that's when he began to slowly find himself and become very rebellious. He even began to use substances to cope. (Smoking, drinking.)
I describe his late teens as the tiger being unleashed from the cage and finally experiencing his wild side. Which isn't always a good thing. His mental health began to worsen during these years.
His home life was a lot like Cindy's. This is why he's really close with her, he doesn't want her to grow up like him, so he's looking out for her to make sure she grows up to be a healthy young lady. Unlike Mr. Tapster, who never got to experience that. This is why he worries so much about the other kids, too. He wants the best for them.
His psychiatrist always suggested to him that he should get a job to keep his mind busy and to get accustomed to interacting with people. He listened, and now he's here at school as a librarian.
He's slowly getting better with his mental health but he's still struggling. Thomas Tapster is a really sad man the more i think about him. But he doesn't want his anxiety to control his life anymore.
Some songs i describe him with are What's My Age Again? By Blink-182 and L.G. FUAD by Motion City Soundtrack
Thank you again for this ask! I hope you enjoyed reading all this, i had so much fun with this and i encourage more asks like this in the future to flesh out Mr. Tapster more 🫶
(Realized i can't send an ask on my kg sideblog oh well) Your art is absolutely AMAZING!! i loved how you drew danner!! I love your use of shapes to differentiate characters its so pleasing to look at!!
Thank you so much!!!! 🫶🫶 I'm so glad you enjoy my art, have another Danner but with Diana, and don't mind the gif!!
I haven't had this much fun drawing so many different characters in a long while, I'm heavily inspired by the early 2000s geometric, thick lines art style (aka the UPA art style), and because of this game series I've been trying to push the shapes in my art.
Dr. Danner is definitely a bunch of rectangles to me, with some circular curves. I used The Professor (PPG) and Professor Membrane (IZ) as references when drawing him!
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