some guys think they can't be winners

[beanchaointe]

Comments

[phonetically]

( There's practice and there's the real thing. He tries, honestly, to only focus on Cora and Scott's voices. Scott even brings a hand to his shoulder but all he hears is the faint, distant echo and the cacophony of screams and pops and carnival music (literally another 4). He shakes his head, trying to focus on any one thing.

Does a (7) give him anything to grasp on? )

[impetere]

[The loudest thing that comes through is the thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump of the heartbeat next to him. And while that does manage to drown out the rest of the noise coming from the carnival, it's not in a good way.

Hunger flares in his stomach, and his eyes are drawn to the juncture of Cora's neck, exposed by the v-neck of her shirt, the pulse of the artery there, all he would have to do is bite down.

Cora's looks up at him, trying to read the expression on his face, but she doesn't quite catch his focus (3). Her voice is far away, fuzzy, in the background of the steady pounding of her heart, but he does hear her.]

Stiles? You okay?

[Maybe if he takes a drink, everything else will fade away. She's a werewolf. She'll heal. All he needs is a taste.

Make a will save, Stiles. Also Scott, perception check.]

[phonetically]

( It always comes back to hunger, that's being a vampire. Forget the sights and sounds. Being a vampire is pumping blood and exposed clavicles and a hyper sex drive. Hell, a hyper everything drive.

Never the strongest with will saves in anything, Stiles has more wisdom and dexterity than constitution and he rolls an (11), while an already worried and intense Scott rolls a (9). )

[impetere]

[Scott notices more than Cora does at first, likely because he's not so intently focused on Stiles' attention. It isn't so much what he sees as what he senses, the anxiety and tension roiling through his best friend reaches his finely attuned werewolf senses.

Stiles just barely manages to not tip over the edge, but his eyes do give him away, veins darkening briefly, before he manages to restrain them. That, Cora does notice, and she starts to pull him away from the crowd.]

Maybe this was a bad idea.

[phonetically]

I'm trying.

( Scott and Cora usher Stiles to the side, towards an empty picnic table that Stiles braces himself up against, taking big, heaving breaths. )

[impetere]

[He is getting better. His control is still tenuous (13), and it helps that Scott is holding him steady (19), making sure he doesn't run off and do something unfortunate. But the familiar thump-thump of his heartbeat has joined Cora's and that's not necessarily making things easier.

Cora glances over her shoulder.]

I think Caroline said she had some extra food in the car.

[Blood thermoses, but just in case someone's listening.]

Do you think that would help?

[phonetically]

( He focuses on Scott's grip, tries to focus on Cora's voice, but he shakes his head. )

We can't call her, she'd never let me back out. I can do this. I can - breathe. I can - Scott. What if you - take it. Pull the - the pain, the craving. Could it work?

( Scott doesn't know. He looks at Cora again, then down at Stiles, in pain. He'll try, anyway, one hand letting go of his shoulder to grab bare forearm. Could this work? )

[impetere]

[May ... be? It won't help with the craving, but it could help with the sensory overload that is contributing. Cora shrugs, indicating that she really has no idea on way or another, but she's willing to let Scott try.]

Just keep trying to filter the background out, okay? It'll get easier.

[They came here to practice after all.]

Maybe we should have just gone to a mall or something first.

[phonetically]

( Stiles nods. )

Hey. I'm going to get this. And I wouldn't be caught dead inside a mall.

( But, his frustration with Cora's frustration lapses any progress he made (6), and the sound he focuses on, the thing that drowns everything else out is the blood coursing through hers and Scott's systems. Not... great, right? )

[impetere]

[No, definitely not great. His game face is definitely on and isn't going away this time. She takes another step backwards, shielding her behind as she sticks her wrist out to him.]

You need to do something. So either take the edge off or get it together.

[Because as much as Cora cares about him, she is not the soft touch. Him biting her is better than him biting someone else. So make the choice, Stiles.]

[phonetically]

( Her wrist, Caroline, or oblivion. Can he take it. Could he stop himself from going too hard. Could Scott stop him?

With a (16), Stiles tries to rise above and speed off while Scott's true alpha strength (nat 20) tries reaffirming his grip. What would result from that? )

[impetere]

[Scott does manage to keep him in place, but trying to draw that much concentration and focus to pull him away from the blood is enough to clear his head, just for the moment. The noise seems slightly less cacophonous, fading to the background, and he feels like himself, for the moment.

If he makes this last will save, maybe he can keep it.]

[phonetically]

( Screaming from a passing rollercoaster seems to reorient his baseline, as he clears his head and separates the sounds around them. But, his head is clearer now as he looks back up. )

Wait.

( Cora and Scott can see his eyes have returned to normal. His pale look is - well, 1% less pale.

Straightening up, he lets go of the picnic table. )

I'm okay. And, it's like -- the pool. You have to throw me in, so, let's all jump. And you're both here. If I feel it again.

[impetere]

[Cora glances to Scott, seeing how he feels about this. Stiles isn't wrong - eventually they're going to have to trust him to make the right choice. But given how stressed everyone was, it's hard to say whether or not the statement rings true.]

Are you sure?

[phonetically]

( Scott trusts his friend, but, he's worried. Stiles would say anything, especially if he was still desperate. Scott tries to sense Stiles' motive, searching his eyes and his tone (3)? )

[impetere]

[Fortunately (or unfortunately?), Cora doesn't do much better (2). As much as the werewolves get extra information when they need to, that doesn't mean they can always make sense of it.

Cora nods and takes one step back, willing to trust Stiles for now.]

Okay. Let's go.

[phonetically]

( With what they're working with, Scott lets go first, stepping back. Stiles needs to be able to do this on his own, even though Scott's nervous.

But, Stiles straightens up, more himself than he was before his panic attack. )

Let's go.

( He sticks close to his friends, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells, but much more together than he had it. )

What should we try first?

[impetere]

[She takes a deep breath, before shrugging. It's been a while since she's been to a carnival.]

Food or rides?

[phonetically]

Food. Then rides.

( Really give something to slosh around. )

[impetere]

Food it is.

[And they'll head off to the midway, where Cora will get an appropriately werewolf-sized pile of food. Cheesesteak, fries and a soda and moves towards the wooden picnic tables set up for the patrons to sit and eat. She'll go grab a table for the boys to track her down.]

[phonetically]

( Scott gets his own werewolf size meal, some of which Stiles will snack from despite not being able to actually enjoy any of it. The flavor's there, at least, but he's pushed through the cravings. He does wish he'd brought his flask. Did Scott?

Scott indeed slipped Stiles' flask into his coat and passes it over to Stiles as he takes a swig and the two men join Cora at the table. )

See. I can do this. I got this.

( Another pull before he closes the flask again. )

[impetere]

[He does seem to be doing better so Cora relaxes some more. Yeah, this will be fine. There's nothing about this that's going to go wrong at all.]

I didn't think you couldn't. But this is the kind of thing that takes practice.

[phonetically]

What with you being the expert on all things vampire.

( Scott stays out of it, sipping on a soda. )

[impetere]

[Cora's eyes narrow at him as she takes a sip of her own soda.]

I have super senses too, you know. And my own capacity to go homicidal. That's not an exclusively vampire thing.

[She's just saying.

But Scott will get a convenient exit as his phone begins to vibrate against the wooden table, with the name "Davina" flashing on the caller ID.]

[phonetically]

( "Try not to debate impulse control too hard," Scott says, slipping away.

Stiles watches Scott walk away, curious and then he looks back. )

I know. Remember that I am just getting used to my newfound homicidal tendencies. The worst I could worry about being human was incurable insomnia and what some might call obsessive tendencies. Hype that up to 100 and add in my ADHD. ( He muses. ) You think they make Ritalin for vampires?