❥ 007 video
video.
[Daneca comes to easily enough and at first, it doesn't set right in that she's been asleep for all this time. It's not until she picks up the communicator that she notices the disparity in time and covers her mouth in silent shock. Daneca spends time flipping through some of the network posts as she is wont to always do her research/homework.]
[Timidly, she turns the feed on.]
So, um, I obviously missed a few things. I was in one of those comas and from the looks of it for about a month. Sorry if I worried anyone. I think I'm okay though. I don't feel groggy or anything like that, which is weird. I'm glad things were relatively quiet for around here. No zombies or anything like that.
[She smiles faintly.]
Anyway, I guess we also have some new people while I was out. My name's Daneca. Sorry I wasn't able to say hi when you first arrived.
private - cassel.
Are you okay?
[The underlying question being, of course, did you do anything stupid while she was out cold.]
private - scott.
I saw the network. Are you... Do you need anything?
private - bond.
You didn't poison yourself with alcohol while I was asleep, did you?
[Daneca comes to easily enough and at first, it doesn't set right in that she's been asleep for all this time. It's not until she picks up the communicator that she notices the disparity in time and covers her mouth in silent shock. Daneca spends time flipping through some of the network posts as she is wont to always do her research/homework.]
[Timidly, she turns the feed on.]
So, um, I obviously missed a few things. I was in one of those comas and from the looks of it for about a month. Sorry if I worried anyone. I think I'm okay though. I don't feel groggy or anything like that, which is weird. I'm glad things were relatively quiet for around here. No zombies or anything like that.
[She smiles faintly.]
Anyway, I guess we also have some new people while I was out. My name's Daneca. Sorry I wasn't able to say hi when you first arrived.
private - cassel.
Are you okay?
[The underlying question being, of course, did you do anything stupid while she was out cold.]
private - scott.
I saw the network. Are you... Do you need anything?
private - bond.
You didn't poison yourself with alcohol while I was asleep, did you?
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I like spending time with you too, Daneca.
[He lapses into silence again; is it wrong, he wonders, that he likes her this much? There's Kira to consider, and the fact that he knew Daneca best when Allison was still...still. He's going to give himself a headache and worse while he chases his thoughts in circles, so he squeezes her hand lightly, and turns his smile on her.]
I'm glad you came.
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[And yet, at the same time, she feels like they're toeing a dangerous line. Daneca doesn't feel much of anything for Sam anymore, she knows that deep down. Whatever they had died when he get angry at her for not telling him she was a worker. She's forgiven him for getting so angry and turning her away, only wanting her when she began to try and move on, but there was nothing either of them could do to undo the damage that was done. The most they could hope for is friendship.]
[And maybe that's the most she should allow herself to hope for with Scott. But it's hard. It's so hard to remember that when he looks at her the way he does. It's been a year for him. A year that, no doubt, he spent with his girlfriend or maybe someone else or maybe no one at all. Either way a year, to completely forget her or to set her aside and he hasn't done any of that. He's here holding her hand walking with her. He's not afraid of her or what she can do even after what she did on the other Barge.]
[And all Daneca wants is to not be forgotten again. She just wants to be enough.]
[The light squeeze to her hand brings her out of her thoughts and she smiles lightly up at Scott.]
Me, too.
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He doesn't want to tell her, and he doesn't want to not tell her.]
Daneca...
[He wants to kiss her, and he wants to throw up, and it's one of the worst things he's ever felt. Stopping, facing her and reaching for her other hand, Scott looks down at them, running his thumbs over her covered knuckles.]
I should--
[He's not sure how to say it, any of it, so he bites off his words and turns his head, sniffing the air. He buys some more time.]
I smell water. A lake, probably. Come on, let's check it out. [He manages a smile, turns in the direction he smelled and pulls her gently with her. He can't forget her, and he can't forget who he lost. And he doesn't want to tell her, just to watch her pull away.]
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[And part of her, if she's honest, feels annoyed. No. Agitated. They need to talk. Whatever it is, they have to talk about it. And it won't resolve itself until they do. But Daneca keeps her smile in-place as she lets Scott pull her along. They'll talk about it. She's not going to let them head back to their separate cabins without talking about it. But she'll let Scott take the time that he needs.]
You're not expecting us to get in it, are you?
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It might be fun.
[Or totally frigid, it might be that too. But it also might be fun to splash her.]
What, don't you like swimming?
[He feels grateful, and guilty, this time for the start and stop, and he knows he needs to tell her all of it. Maybe the lake or pond or stream or whatever it is will be a good spot. He owes it to her not to be a coward about it.]
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[Scott, please. Still, Daneca laughs.]
Should I be worried you're going to push me in? Because so help me, Scott, you'll go down with me.
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[He grins, and makes himself a silent deal: until they reach the lake, everything is fine, and he can enjoy the time with her. When they get there, he has to tell her the truth.
He nudges her side.]
You might be totally screwed, though.
[lbr he'd freeze to keep her warm.]
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[Or thanking her, who knows. But look, you can't be mad at this smile, right?]
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I think the only way that could actually be a bad thing is if you couldn't ride a horse. Otherwise, girls like a guy in armor. I think you'll be fine.
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[And he's pretty sure it would flip out if it smelled him.]
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Okay, well, to be fair, neither have I. But I thought you worked for a vet's office. You never had to deal with a horse?
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[This was not typical vet work, Scott....]
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[She arches a brow and cants her head.]
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[He still does not even.]
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...Werelizard...
[She shakes her head.]
You know, Scott, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your world is really, really weird.
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Yeah, I noticed. It's called a kanima, actually. He wanted to be a werewolf, and Derek bit him, but....sometimes the shape you take reflects who you are inside.
He probably should have just turned into a giant dick in that case, but I don't make the rules.
[He can see the trees growing less densely; they're almost on the lake. He tries not to slow his pace.]
It worked out okay, though. He wound up a werewolf.
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I can't imagine someone wanting to be a werewolf. [Daneca shakes her head a little.] Not that there's anything wrong with it. Obviously. But I just mean it caused you a lot of problems. You'd think someone would want to try and avoid all of that.
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Jackson just....wanted to be the best at everything he did. I don't know. He had some issues with his parents - he found out he was adopted and I guess that messed with him.
[He is slightly sympathetic; Scott doesn't hate Jackson, he just really doesn't want to be buddies.]
He saw what I could do after, and he wanted it. I mean, I went from asthmatic second-stringer to star of the lacrosse team. He didn't believe me about any of the other stuff, or he thought he could handle it better, or whatever. It didn't go like he planned. ...Obviously.
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So how many different kind of were-animals are there? There aren't like...werebears are there?
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I have no idea. There's so much more than I thought there was. My boss, the vet? He's a druid. So is his sister, who was our freaking guidance counselor. There was an alpha pack, a darach, banshees, kitsunes...
[He trails off there, presses his lips together and looks out at the lake. Big pond? It's more of a pond.]
You're right, it's totally weird. Daneca, I need to tell you something.
spam
What is it, Scott?
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When I was home - a lot happened, obviously. Allison broke up with me months ago, and--
[His mouth dries up for a moment, and he pauses to swallow, wet his lips with a dry tongue, anything. It's like swallowing sandpaper.]
There was this big fight, these things we couldn't stop. We were trying to save our friends, and Allison...
[He swallows hard again. He doesn't know how to word it, because it never feels like enough, no matter how he says it.]
She figured out how to kill them, she figured the whole thing out, but - they killed her. [It still doesn't sound real.]
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