semifreakingnormal | ( 012 ) Ω ( Video )

[He's been back about an hour, just sitting in his room. It's not that he doesn't want to be here. He does. He needs to be here, to make things right again, and still all he wants is to rewind the clock, to go back to weeks ago, before their darkness spilled out into the world. Everything had looked bright. Okay. And now...

Now he understands why Stiles didn't want him to go back. Nothing will be like it was. Not until he saves Allison.

And he can't do that by letting people think he isn't here. He gets up, splashes water on his face, stares at himself in the mirror until he thinks his expression is normal. It's close enough. Drying off, he goes back to sit on the bed and picks up the communicator. When it clicks on, he smiles, and it's still Scott underneath, even if it's not quite as bright. He's older, though, only a year but it feels longer. His hair is shorter, he looks stronger. He's trying to hide the rest, and doing a decent job of it. But only decent.]

Hey, guys. I'm back.

[He waves his free hand. Semi-awkward Scott McCall is still under the new haircut! And is that a tattoo peeking out from under his left sleeve?]

So, did I miss anything good? I think...I was a troll, the last flood. How long ago was that?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Last Christmas, we kinda wrote like, Santa letters to the Admiral. I asked for gear for a whole bunch of people. There might even be some in the gym - Cassel works there, we can get him to check.

[It's a little easier to breathe, and a little easier to smile. To let the distraction take hold. You can't spend every waking moment miserable. Sometimes the best thing you can do, is put the brakes on and find a way to enjoy yourself, just for a little while.]

Archer told me he played when he was in school, so he'd totally be up for it. And maybe we can like, guilt Dean into it. Some other people might play, too. We can totally get this moving.

Peter can even be on your team. [Because obviously they are team captains. u_u]

Dude. That's awesome. [And somehow he's not surprised that's what Scott wished for for Christmas -- stuff for other people.]

Think Cassel would play? And Dean mentioned someone named Alex, but I have no idea who that is.

[He grins at Scott's suggestion, even if it will be kind of weird playing on an actual team against him. Lacrosse seems like it would be a good thing to use to deal with things. Help both of them deal with things. He tries to think of the other people he's met, but he hasn't talked to them about lacrosse at all.]

[Christmas is awesome on the Barge: he made out like a bandit.]

He says he won't, but I think he will. [With proper motivation.] He's not really into sports, but whatever. He'll learn to like lacrosse. [Because who wouldn't?]

Yeah, Alex will play - he sounded interested, back when I first brought it up.

[It's so much easier talking about this. The weight is still there on his shoulders, but not thinking about it makes it a little easier to bear.]

We're totally doing this.

Between the two of us we can talk him into. [Because they just can.]

Who's Alex, anyway?

[It is easier to talk about this, even if it's just briefly. Some semblance of normalcy is needed if they're going to get through however long it takes to complete their deals.]

Hell yes.

Alex Summers? Blond guy, kinda gruff. I don't know him that well yet, but he seems like a good guy.

[The name has not clicked yet. Scott Summers he'd recognize, but it's been a while since he read comics with any regularity.]

[It's not ringing a bell for Stiles, either, so he just shrugs, willing to go with Scott's assessment of the guy.]

I'm sure we can find enough people to play anyway.

Totally. Maybe after a flood or something - that's usually a good time. Lots of people need distractions.

Oh, good idea. That makes sense. We should definitely practice before then though. I might be rusty.

Tomorrow? The CES'll be good for it.

[Tomorrow will give him breathing room, enough time to take a giant step forward in regards to his grief.]

[He tries to remember what the CES is. He knows someone told him on his first day, but his mind is far from clear lately.]

What's the CES?

It's...[His brow creases for a moment, and he leans back with the realiztion.] I have...no idea what it stands for. But it's like, this floor above the deck, you go in and it's a forest, or a beach, or whatever. I think most of the time it does some place you're familiar with - I'm pretty sure it was the Preserve, the first time I went in.

Like a computer generated hologram of places? [Whoa. That's...interesting.]

I guess? I mean, it's not a hologram, like. It all feels real. Looks, smells, probably tastes, too. [But he is not going to catch a bunny without his little werewolf oven u_u]

[That's something. He's going to have to check this place out soon for curiosity's sake. Because curiosity never leads to badness. Nope.]

Okay that sounds kind of cool. It's just places, though, right? I mean...you don't ever see people there? [Like his dad. Or Allison. Stiles would be glad to know Scott isn't planning to eat raw bunny anytime soon. >.<]

No, no people or buildings. Like, I've never seen Beacon Hills in there. Just the Preserve, going waaaay further than it should.

[Anything else would probably royally mess with him.]

[Stiles is pretty sure that would royally mess with him, too. Especially if there were people.]

So does it like, choose for you or does it pick from your unconscious mind or because of where you want to be, or...

[Yep, he's officially fascinated.]

[Scott's grinning. Yeah, he missed having Stiles around.]

I don't know, dude. Maybe it picks, but I haven't like, tried walking in there thinking about a beach.

[He can't help but grin when Scott does because it's sort of an infectious thing.]

Dude. That's the first thing I'm gonna be trying. [And probably very soon because a beach sounds pretty awesome.]

Then I better be, like, right behind you. I'm definitely not missing out on the beach.

Well, obviously, yeah. Can't go to the beach without a lifeguard anyway. [He smirks.]

I guess that means I should learn CPR.

As long as you know how to doggie paddle we're probably okay.

( 012 ) Ω ( Video )

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private

Private