multifandom oneshots/preferences

xlviii. cigarettes and cheap cologne--jim root (slipknot)

a/n: thanks to @pigliarjester for this request! dm me if you have a request :)

a l s o theres some poor romanization for a few russian words. privyet means hi, zaebis' means holy shit

One of the fun things about being bilingual with english as your second language is that anytime you go to a coffee shop, the barista will always ask where you're from. 

This question launches a repeat Groundhog Day type conversation where you explain that you're from Belarus. No, it's not just a subsection of Russia. It hasn't been since the Soviet Union collapsed. Yes, it is under a dictatorship and no, you do not support it. That's why you live in America. Why did you choose to live in Iowa? The rent is cheap, and there's actually a comfortable little eastern european community in Des Moines, the cornerstone of which is a Ukrainian-owned store called Aleksey's. Isn't eastern europe so much more interesting than America? Maybe so, but living two hours away from Putin's shitshow and the saturation of crackheads and creeps make it not the fun kind of interesting. What does a Belarusian do for work? In your case, work at a clothes store and try to make the visual artist and musician thing get off the ground. 

It's during one of these conversations that one Jim Root first saw you. He'd never heard eastern european music before, so once you get your drink and a pastry and you've sat down, he approaches you. 

"Mind if I sit?" he inquires. 

You nod, mostly because you've always had a soft spot for a man with longish shaggy hair and a band shirt. 

"I overheard you talking to the barista earlier," he starts. "You're from Belarus?"

"Yes, Minsk," you confirm. 

"And you make music?"

"Mh-hm."

"Could I hear it sometime? I've never heard Belarusian music before."

"I suppose. It does not sound very different from English music," you shrug. 

"What kind of music do you make?" your companion sips his coffee.

"Goth-y type stuff, post punk is what it's called I think?"

"Ooh! I'm interested. Do you play shows?"

"Sometimes. I don't really like playing live. Usually I wear a mask when I do."

"No way, I do too! Well, it's a part of my band's schtick," you friend smiles. 

"Your band?" you raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm a guitarist in a band called Slipknot."

Hm, that sounds vaguely familiar. Maybe you've been to one of their shows?

"Ah, I would like to hear your music sometime as well."

"Do you like metal?"

"Uh," you glance down at your Behemoth shirt. "I think so."

"Right, of course," your companion laughs to himself. "I'm Jim, by the way."

"I'm Y/n."

"It's good to meet you. I don't meet Ru-uh, Belarusians often."

"Good save."

...

It's been about four months since your first encounter with Jim from Slipknot, and in that time, you've felt more creative than ever. 

You've also just felt more than ever considering an influx of 9 new friends in your life  who rarely let you go a weekend without hanging out with them. Even at work they find you. They come in to bother you and usually end up buying clothes because you give them your employee discount.