(open) there's miles between what we say and what we mean

[stefanged]

Who: Stefan Salvatore and you!!
Where: All over the mansion
When: The month of December
Rating: PG
Summary: Stefan's rediscovering himself - and probably setting himself up for failure in the process. Also includes a couple of closed starters.

The Story:
a) press start to continue (open to all!)

[After hanging out with Elena in the Youth Center, Stefan drops by later to peruse their video game selection. He can't remember if he likes them. He also can't remember if he hates them. So he's going through the entire selection - one by one - and wasting almost an entire day in here, keeping copious notes on each genre and what he likes and what he doesn't. His notes grow progressively messier and more tea-stained as the day grows on.

> FARMING SIMULATION: hard pass. girls are hard to please. also what the hell is a blue feather???
> RHYTHM GAMES: okay?? maybe??
> BEAT 'EM UPS: bring them on.
> CITY BUILDER: VERY HARD PASS.

If he's not actively wasting his entire immortal existence in front of a screen, he's alternatively exploring the Chapel, kneeling down and murmuring a broken, quiet prayer to whoever might be listening.

He's not terribly sure of what he's saying, but he stops every now and then, just to gauge how he feels. It's hard for him to tell.

Or maybe you've caught him in the kitchen, with a whole assortment of snacks and beverages. Once again, there's copious notes, and he's scribbling down how he feels. Soda's okay, orange juice is decent, but he sure can't say he likes chocolate milk (blasphemy).

He's gonna be all around Wonderland this month, trying out things new and old, so even if you don't catch him here, give him a wildcard and see what sticks.]

b) you get in your own way (closed to Cami)

[Stefan's tired of pretending that he's okay.

He can't give himself advice when he's stuck in an eternal rut, and he sure can't find inner wisdom in his diary entries. He'd picked up a new one, while he was browsing his closet, and the whole thing feels so hollow.

He's not the old Stefan. He can't pour out his entire heart, and he sure can't see a point in keeping a permanent record. He can, however, see the point in seeking therapy - in seeking an outside, uninvolved third party for said guidance.

So he makes his way towards the Therapy Office and takes a deep breath as he knocks on the door. Out of habit, because he keeps forgetting that he's a vampire:] Um, hello? Is anyone there?

c) apple pie in the sky hopes (closed to Barry)

[After their first successful coffee shop visit, Stefan's determined to master the secret to decent closet pie.

So he's invited Barry to visit his bedroom and teach him the secrets of pie whispering. Pizza pie whispering? Either way, this is a mystery he's determined to unlock, and he'll do the Frank Hardy thing to uncover this treasure trove.

He leans back on his bed, with his back pressed against the wall,] So how does this go? Is there a specific combination or phrase I should be thinking of?

Comments

*kicks leggy up real high* That's the MTT Brand for ya!

[mettatonvevo]

You are very welcome, darling.

[Beautiful people need to know they are beautiful, that's just how it is.

Mettaton can sometimes have the same impression as a teenage girl, so, take that as you will.]

Ah, well, a star like me is always going to have some kind of drama happening in my life. It's nothing I can't handle, of course.

[That is a blatant lie, Mettaton, you're not speaking to half of the people you know from home-]

These sorts of things ebb and flow, as you know. Especially with people from the Underground.

[You absolute stupid sack of metal bricks.]

As long as I have the rest of Wonderland to talk to, I will be fine.

[stefanged]

[Hang on. Last he heard, blue turtles only showed up when you were in... last place, wasn't it?? Bonnie.]

Oh, absolutely. [He laughs, putting everything else away except for his journal. Can't leave that out!] I'll remember my hideous fate for the rest of eternity.

How about... winner forces loser to play whatever they want?

[stefanged]

You'd better. As much as I like finding myself, it can get kinda lonely.

[He could theoretically ask his brother, but he's afraid (even now) that Damon didn't mean what he had said, and that Damon would subconsciously box him into some role Stefan was never meant to play.]

If you're free, I was uh, actually trying to figure out what my favorite food was.

[stefanged]

[Time also stops for the immortal. This, Stefan keeps to himself as he accepts the cupcake. He gets the sentiment well enough: he can't dwell on a past he can't remember, nor can he dwell about those lingering, broken pieces forever.

He may feel stuck, but this journal would prove him otherwise, should he diligently choose to write in it.

Huh. In a way, Barry's figured him out without actually knowing it. Stefan can't quite help grinning as he inhales that first bite. Mm, it's good.]

I know I will. I used to be the kind of person who wrote down every little thing, no matter how small, and you know? Now that I'm really thinking about it? That's a quality I'd like to keep.

[accelerate]

[ despite pacing himself, he devours the cupcake like it's oxygen and he's been starved. unwrapping the wrapper from around the base of another, he's almost putting that into his mouth before he's finished properly chewing and even swallows. ]

Your life's what you make of it. [ he swallows, then looks down at the icing on his cupcake. ] Just because someone tells you you're going to do something, or you used to do something, doesn't mean it's who you are or who you should be.

[ what incredible advice for barry allen, boy wonder and time travelling speedster, to give. how many times has he been spoiled on his future? how many times has he felt like a slave to it? it's why he's always run back to the past; it's there he can easily see where things have gone wrong and try to fix it, instead of remaining in the present and dealing. ]

[ if only he ever ran toward his own advice than away from it. ]

[ with his mouth full, ] — Should write this down. Win.

it sure is *^*

[stefanged]

[He tilts his head, almost amused as the pieces start to click into place - ]

So you're like me. [Stefan sounds a little too pleased there, even though he shouldn't. He really, really shouldn't.] I'm not uh, from an "Underground" or anything, but things are super tense between me and people I knew back home.

[With that shared sympathy in mind, he rolls up his sleeves and motions to take a spot by Mettaton.]

It sucks, so why don't you, uh, show me how it's done? Get your mind off the drama for a bit?

[mettatonvevo]

[That all-too-pleased tone of his garners a small pout from Mettaton's end. Don't you enjoy his misery! Not unless it's part of one of his scripted shows where he is about to pull a dismissive heel-turn and defeat this week's villains!

Though that dissipates as Stefan keeps talking and Mettaton, for once, lets his walls down just a little bit.]

...You're right. It does suck.

[He moves aside, letting Stefan take his place beside him.]

I'll think I'll take you up on that offer, since you asked so nicely.

[He's smiling, though it has a more relaxed air to it than the picture perfect smiles of before.]

[deathlessness]

Always a worthwhile endeavor.

[She makes her way around the counter to eye the options he had in front of him curiously.]

Do you cook?

[Because if that is the case, she will totally hang out and mooch on whatever he happens to be making for himself.]

[stefanged]

[He returns that smile as he takes that place, careful to stretch his legs before he tries any serious dancing.]

Why, thank you. I'm nowhere near as uh, talented so you'll have to be a little patient with me.

[He kids, only a little - Stefan's read enough of his old diaries to know that he can dance, if he can tap into those instincts and unlock the (supposedly inaccessible) memories. Either way? He knows this round'll be way more entertaining than the first.]

[stefanged]

I try to cook. From what I understand, I'm best at Italian dishes.

[Which, duh, he's a Salvatore. His Italian roots are gonna demand that kind of culinary prowess.]

That said? I can't make anything without a recipe in front of me.

[mettatonvevo]

I'm sure you've got some talent in those legs of yours!

[And he totally wasn't casually watching him stretch, no siree, not at all

Mettaton has no idea that there are any memories Stefan needs to access, so he merely waits to see what moves this "human" can make.]

[deathlessness]

[Hmmm. Freya considers for a moment before moving to one of the closets and closing her eyes for a moment of focus. And after a moment she pulls out a recipe card and places it on the counter in front of him.]

Grilled chicken risotto. How does that sound?

[goeth]

[ what! ]

You're on.

[ her chin lifts, teenage invincibility once again taking the wheel and swerving into oncoming traffic: ]

As long as I can be Bowser.

[stefanged]

[He shoots Mettaton an incredulous look - yeah, he caught that, and he still has no clue what to make of that.]

Um, you might wanna withhold judgment before you see it.

[Picking a song at random, he waits for it to load and oh. Yeah, no, he's gonna struggle to move to that rhythm. Even if he tries his darndest, because then he'll be way too fast - but points for effort?]

[stefanged]

Done. I was feeling like Yoshi, anyway.

[Bitty dinosaur against King of the Koopas - that ought to be a match of the century. Show him how it's done and maybe snag a designated driver next time!]

[mettatonvevo]

[Stefan gets a big, mischievous grin in response to that look. And it continues at his statement.]

Really now?

[He sees the song and looks positively delighted at how fast it is going. Is it because it's challenging? Is it because it has the potential to give him something to tease Stefan about? A little of column A, a little of column B.]

Well darling, let's see how you handle this!

[stefanged]

Perfect, actually.

[He rolls up his sleeves, already rummaging around for various bowls and ingredients they'll need. Stefan may not remember cooking, let alone the chemistry of it - but he can follow a recipe to the letter.]

So which would you rather be: sous-chef or taste-tester?

[stefanged]

Probably not any better than now!

[He's completely serious, though he forces himself to take a moment and concentrate on the song at hand. Stefan's no slouch when it comes to rhythm and timing, and each movement indicates it.

He may have struggled at first, but bit by bit, he's getting the hang of it.]

[deathlessness]

Definitely the latter.

[She shakes her head.]

Unless it involves something simple, like chopping things.

[stefanged]

[Solid advice, too. Stefan should brush aside those preconceived notions and seize the traits that make sense to him. He's been given the opportunity of a lifetime. He's effectively a blank slate that can hum an entire Madonna album (thanks, Silas), but still one that can interact with the world anew.

Pulling out a pencil, he carefully writes down on the next row, in ornate cursive that betrays his true age - ]

Lighting bolt cupcakes? [He taps his pencil against the paper.] Was that what you thought of when you got these?

[They're cute, and look a little like a bullseye when he squints, but he has zero idea of the emblem or its significance.]

[mettatonvevo]

[As he goes, Stefan will find that Mettaton is as good an audience member as he is a performer, oohing and ahhing at just the right times and clapping excitedly when he gets a particularly hard step down.

All in all he's very supportive as he goes. So supportive, in fact, he sets the machine up to add Player 2 and jumps in, mid-song. There's no way his score will beat Stefan's by the end due to the late entrance, but the points rack up high anyway as he dances his way to perfect combos.]

Have some confidence, darling! You're doing better than you said!

[stefanged]

Hm... In that case, you can sit back and watch me work.

[Stefan laughs, keeping that in the back of his mind as he sets everything necessary on the countertop. Freya's far from the first who's told him that, and part of Stefan wonders how often he did cook back home.]

But uh, I wouldn't mind some wine to go with it. [He peers again at the recipe card.] We'll consider it a tag-team effort: I grab the food, and you grab the drink?

[The work seems equal in his head - and this way, he'll have company on his culinary journeys (because this isn't gonna be anywhere near their last).]

[stefanged]

Thanks, but "better" doesn't necessarily mean "great!"

[But he laughs, moving along with the rhythm almost as well as Mettaton. Stefan must've known how to dance, before his amnesia wiped away everything - most of these steps feel natural, as if he's danced them a thousand times before.

He just wishes that ability had manifested a lot sooner.]

[accelerate]

[ barry knows he has to answer this one carefully, so it takes him a very short moment. ]

Yes.

[ he looks to them and figures there's no harm in calling them what they are. though dustin had been the first person to receive the flash cupcakes from himself and had then discovered his true identity, there's no sharp knife in stefan's hand as there had been in dustin's. they're not trapped in the middle of an event where stefan's viewing him as the enemy. ]

[ with a bright smile, ] They're Flash cupcakes. They're named after a superhero in my city. [ he glances down at them, then adds, ] The Flash.

[mettatonvevo]

[Mettaton laughs too, enjoying the company and the game and how casual it all feels. It's been awhile since he's just had fun with things like this, and he's quietly thankful for this chance to just be.

Stefan doesn't give himself enough credit, clearly. The robot watches him as they dance together and he notes how naturally and easily the steps come as he moves along. With each passing moment he gets better and it's thrilling to see.

When the song winds to an end and Stefan's score is declared the winner, Mettaton throws the man another happy, genuine smile.]

Well, Stefan, with improvements like that, you could have a place as one of my background dancers one day!

[Because that's how you compliment people, clearly.]

You did much better than you made it out to be. Did you learn how to dance on your own, or were you taught?