November catch-all

Entry tags:

November catch-all

WHO: Max & Various
WHERE: Various
WHAT: Sleep overs, fights and various other possibilities
WHEN: Any time after her arrival through November
WARNINGS: cussing, serious angst related to murder/death, unspoken trauma / traumatic reactions - will add as needed

Prompts in the comments.

Can discuss ideas on plurk

metaljean, on this journal, or discord midknightcat if you have an idea of something you want to do.

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It's a lot for Billy, and it's a lot for Max, who has little more than a few sessions of therapy from a school therapist, and she otherwise had to grow up too fast in so many respects. She's not always sure when to ask for help, but Max likes to think she doesn't take too long.

"So...you have experience with this?" Large vocabulary for someone her age, but her emphasis on the word this means she has no idea exactly what is wrong with Billy - probably herself, but she doesn't want to admit that, just yet - or what this is supposed to mean. She'll suck up the information like a sponge, though.

Steve nods. "Not as much experience to help as one of my friends," he admits. "He's a trauma counselor for veterans who came back from war and couldn't shake the things they see in it."

He doesn't know that Max has been subjected to the same thing, that she feels the same. "Wish he could be here. He's really good at it." Steve, who only had a passing understanding of it, sort of wished he'd done a little more studying up in his downtime. Mental illnesses had been poorly understood during his service, so, he's had a lot of catching up to do.

War - Max's eyes widen. Is what they're all doing back home that much different? Maybe they could all use a little counseling. But right now, Billy remains the most immediate situation. The others seem better adjusted? She hopes they are. She is...not ready to talk, and not that bad off, no. Mental illness is still not that greatly understood in the 1980s, either.

"Too bad he's not here," Max mutters, but she manages a soft smile. "Billy will have to settle with you."

Steve smiles. "Yeah, well, I'm not sure Billy's gonna listen to me." He's pretty sure that Billy thinks the whole thing is a weakness, which it's not. But he doesn't really know how to get through to him.

Maybe Max will.

"But I'll try."

"Billy doesn't listen to anyone," Max says, before fully thinking those words through, or filtering them. "So it's not personal." Maybe she doesn't need to assure Steve, but there's something warm about him that leads her to want him to know that.

"But give it time." Maybe, she's hoping, just maybe, time will help with that. He seems to, genuinely, want to change, after all.

That does help. But, then, he also doesn't want Max to have to shoulder all of this. Still, maybe they can get Billy to open up to more than just her. She seems more understanding than most adults.

He nods. "So, what else in town do you want to see? It's not very big."

Max isn't sure about being that understanding, but she cares about Billy and she's aware him opening up to more people is best for him. She's more than willing to help find a way to get him there. For now, she looks over Steve when he asks his question.

She thinks that over, then, rather boldly, asks, "Where do you stay?" Because knowing where to find a big, strong, protective guy sounds, honestly, smart.

"I stay in the rec center," he says. "But I work at the hospital, so I'm there a lot of the time. And I'm at the diner sometimes for dinner. You already know where those are."

"Not a lot of people stay at the rec center, but I think it's great."

"What does an alien planet rec center have, anyway? I'm going to have to check it out, regardless."

She does have the hospital and diner figured out.

"Gym equipment, some games. Actually, it's not terrible. And there's a comfortable place to sleep upstairs. People usually clear out by evening." He shrugs. "There's a place on the roof to run."

"How do you even.... You run up there, don't you?" This guy. On the other hand.

Max seems to light up a bit as she thinks about that. "If there's enough space to run, is it open enough for a skateboard?"

"Oh yeah," he says. "Actually, there's all this space in the middle of the track. If we get enough materials, we could turn it into a skate park."

"Wait," Max looks up at Steve, a little wide-eyed.

"You would just help some strange kid you barely met build a skate park?" The best part is Max has experience making ramps, so she really just needs the materials and some muscle to help her out.

Steve generally looks around at the city, which is a little bit in shambles. "If you'd use it, then, it'd do a lot more good than just being something for me to look at while I run." Also, he is probably the only one using that track.

"Well, I'd use it, but I don't even have my skateboard here. Skate park first, though. Then maybe I can make a board, piece by piece."

She gives Steve a determined look. "I will use it. And I would like your help."

"I'm sure we could find some trucks and wheels and a board," he says. Maybe they can get some people to help DIY a skateboard.

"There's plenty of unused wood in the abandoned homes and buildings. We just have to find some that's still in good condition," Max points out. It could be put to use on the skateboard, or the ramps.

Luckily, for them both, her skateboard would come not too long after, but that's for New Tick. She still needs a skate park.

"You want one made of wood? I was thinking maybe we could make some concrete, give you all something a little more permanent. I'll work something out with Tony, I think maybe he'll have the resources." And also the know-how because Steve doesn't know how to make concrete.

"I just know how to make ramps out of wood," Max admits, eyes widening.

"You'd really do that? Concrete. Shouldn't that go to something important, if we have concrete here?" Not that she doesn't want a skate park, but with all of the dilapidated buildings, it makes sense to ask.

He shrugs. "That's a question for Tony and I guess Reeve." Reeve, the other architect. But he's sure they could make something out of mud and encase it. There's plenty of that.

"I guess I'll have to ask them, then. But now I'm really eager for a skate park," Max half-teases. It's mostly true.

"I'm going to head back to the hotel, though, for now."

"Great," he says. "I'll be asking Tony about the park materials.

"I'll see you soon."

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November catch-all

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wrap this for something new?

sounds good!