savetheearth | [CLOSED]

Who: John Smith and Sheila Go
When: The 21st
Where: John and Sheila's apartment
What: John gets his Echoes back. It's a Fun Time.
Warnings: Will add if needed.

John hadn't been completely clueless about the circumstances while he was out of it. It was absolutely absurd to not have all your memories, but he'd written notes for himself, similarly to what he'd done when he went to the UK to talk to his family. At least that way he knew what was going on, and he followed it best he could without properly being a part of it. Having Sheila around certainly made that easier.

The most absurd part was, however, to know you actually looked different. He still did, to an extent, because everything was more fussy than it had been, but all the same ...

Coming back to it was even more confusing, however. It wasn't the first time; entering the Echo boundary again after the trip to the UK had been an experience. It wasn't one he had been keen on repeating, either.

Perhaps luckily so, however, that was what he had to do.

That morning, he stumbled out of his bedroom dressed in pyjamas and dressing gown, changed back to what was now normal, for him. Didn't mean it felt all that normal right now, not to mention he suddenly found himself with a headache. He scrubbed a hand over his face, and groaned quietly. He didn't mind mornings much, usually, but now he looked like he was everything but a morning person.

If there was hot water ready, he could definitely use tea right now.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Even though she was hopelessly unemployed, Sheila couldn't get out of the routine she normally kept during the school year. Which meant she was up already, showered, and dressed. As soon as she heard John moving around, she put the teapot on to boil. After all, it was in her favor to stay on his good side right now, if she still wanted a place to stay.

And also, John was much more pleasant after he'd had his morning tea.

She grabbed herself a clementine from the fruit bowl on the counter as he came in. "Morning, John. You, uh." Yeah. That definitely got a double-take. "You're looking a bit more yourself, this morning," she finished dryly.

John dropped his hand and blinked blearily around himself, noticing the teapot on the stove. Oh, good. It was there this morning too.

He sighed, and shuffled to the cabinets to get the tea.

"When I went through this transformation the first time, I was out cold for days afterwards. No such luxuries when it comes back like this, it seems."

"I gotta be honest. I prefer it this way. You'd have scared the hell out of me if you'd gone comatose. Need a painkiller?" Somehow, somewhere down the line, all of this had become depressingly normal. Sheila wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"I have to say, I'm kind of glad you're back. Trying to explain why I was staying in your apartment after you'd lost the echoes? Awkward."

There was that. People going comatose wasn't a fun experience at all.

He huffed, lips twitching into a smile, and shook his head. Carefully.

"Sorry about that. I hadn't read my notes yet." He put the Earl Grey down on the counter and rubbed at his temple. "A painkiller might help."

"I'm just happy you left notes at all." Heck, she'd started keeping a journal after that. It definitely came in handy. "Try not to do that again without giving me some warning, hm?" She was teasing, of course. She knew he couldn't help it.

The aspirin was easy enough to hunt down in one of the cupboards. "So. Do you remember everything, now?" She wasn't clear on how this process worked.

He moved the pot off the stove and filled a cup with hot water before he took the aspirin from her.

"I remember enough that if there's something I don't remember, I don't know I don't remember it."

He dropped a tea bag in the cup, and then went to the sink to fill a glass with water and take this aspirin.

She had to laugh at that. "Yeah, okay, that's fair. If anything does come up I'll try to fill you in." She poured herself a mug of tea because why not? And sat at the kitchen table. "Do you... know what caused it to begin with?" The idea that she'd just suddenly lose herself was pretty distressing, actually. Moreso now that she'd watched a friend go through it.

"Not a clue." He frowned, putting half a spoon of sugar in the tea cup and getting the milk from the fridge. "I've been under the impression it happens with no reason. No one's ever hinted at anything else."

He'd always been a little worried it might happen. Someday it could be permanent, and then he'd have nothing but his notes. It was something, but not the same, and the contact to the network made a big difference. What could he do without that?

"That's what I'd heard, too." Sheila frowned into her own cup of black tea. "I'd hoped it was wrong." Things that she could predict and control were a lot less scary than things that might creep up on her without warning. At least John came back, but she wasn't especially comforted.

"Well. At least you're back. We should celebrate."

After pouring some milk into the tea, he put the carton back in the fridge and went to sit as well, absently stirring. He gave Sheila a raised eyebrow as he settled down opposite of her.

"Celebrate how?"

"Good question. My usual go-to is the bar, but I suppose I don't have the funds for that kind of thing anymore." And she doesn't like having to admit it. "I don't suppose you have any ideas?"

"I'm not much for bars anyway," he said, and undoubtedly that wasn't a surprise. "We could simply do something at home. Good food and some wine."

That was more his thing.

"That... sounds really nice, actually." Sheila hadn't grown much socially, after college. Still a revolving door of boyfriends (until the whole Numbered thing happened), still going out on weekends, drinking and dancing. And she enjoyed it, but these days she just didn't have the energy for it anymore. Not with everything else going on.

Maybe she was growing up a bit, because a quiet dinner with a friend sounded just right. "...glad your back. Really. Not that I don't like you when you're normal, but..." It was easier, having someone to share this with. Perhaps she was being a bit selfish.

Growing up or simply adapting to the circumstances, probably. Hard to be certain. Not that he knew much of what her life had previously been, but he'd never been a bar or club person even while young. He preferred his books, a cup of tea and some good food, or quiet evenings at home with a friend or two.

Of course he was well aware a lot of people liked going out and partying. The difference had always been a very tangible thing, especially while he was studying. Most of his classmates drowned their stress and panic in dancing and drinking, but had he done the same he would only have gotten more stress. For him the stress relief came in finishing a good book, playing his recorder (and that was gathering dust now, wasn't it?) and drinking perhaps a bit too much tea.

And then there had been his girlfriend, who'd been content to just sit with him. She'd helped loads too.

He smiled lightly and shook his head.

"It seems I am perfectly normal in both cases, to me," he said, because at this point this was just ... life. "But I'm glad to be back too.

[CLOSED]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject