(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

[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.]

[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.

[stefanged]

Huh. [Stefan scratches out 'lighting bolt' and writes 'The Flash.' Even if his gaze is momentarily diverted, he can't hide his amusement. He wouldn't have pegged Barry as a superhero fan.] So the lighting bolt's his emblem.

[A symbol of hope, too, if he remembers his comic books. The hero swoops in and saves the day from the criminals who threaten to ruin the peace. Once again, the day is saved thanks to the mighty Flash!

It sounds... nice, actually. Even if the guy wears a mask or a cowl, people are allowed to openly acknowledge his presence. Stefan's curiosity is officially piqued, and he even closes the journal so he can better look at Barry.]

He must be a pretty cool guy to get cupcakes designed after him.

[accelerate]

[ barry tries to keep his cool. cat grant had a sharp eye for stories and a talent for knowing when someone was trying to overcompensate and hide something. he'd underestimated the communications mogul by a long mile. but he'd learned a lesson that day in national city — stop being so damn obvious about the flash. ]

[ so he tries to implement that lesson now, without so much as a course guide. ]

[ he shrugs his shoulders and tries to downplay it. ]

I guess. I mean ... He's got a drink named after him at Jitters, and I'm pretty sure he's got a figurine in the works ... [ his tone embodies the but whatever flippancy he can never quite sell. barry allen cares too much to be as nonchalant as he wishes to be. so, he preoccupies himself with taking a bite out of a cupcake, then he offers stefan one by holding the plate on the open palm of his hand. mouth full: ] Want one?

[stefanged]

[If Barry weren't a fan - or at the very least, someone who liked that emblem's design - he wouldn't have wished up cupcakes. Stefan doesn't point this out. Not everyone wants to be reminded of their hero worship, and for all he knows, this Flash guy could be skulking around Wonderland.

(He sure hopes not. Poor Barry probably wouldn't know how to handle meeting his hero.)

Stefan's smile only grows wider as he sets the notebook aside and reaches out for the other cupcake.] Don't mind if I do.

[He bites right in, intent on savoring every moment. Stefan normally doesn't care for dessert, but the buttercream and the moist, sweet cupcake reminds him of more than sugar. It'll forever remind him of perfect pie, and friendship, and intangible things he can't find inside those enormous closet walls.

This, as Barry said, was a total win.]