maskormenace | 001

[The video feed crackles for a minute before it comes to life on a blonde-haired, green-eyed man. He seems calm, composed, sure of himself. Sure, he's a new face and the surroundings are obviously new, but if he's thrown by any of it, he's not showing it on his face.]

Hello. I'm Alan Scott. [He pauses, realizing that the name may not really mean something to the people here. Back home, he's well known - a public figure both as Alan Scott and Green Lantern, though very few people know that the two are one. He hopes to keep that situation the same here.] There's been plenty of these introductions over the past few hours, I know. Just in case, though, if Jay Garrick or Kendra Munoz-Saunders or Khalid Ben-Hassin are here - hey. I am too. Reach out. If those names are familiar to anyone, I'd appreciate you reaching out to me as well.

In the meantime, I'm in Heropa, working as a...decorative garden planner. [There's the briefest hint of a smirk to his face. All things considered, that's ironic.] That promises to be interesting.

If anyone here can suggest a few good places to get a drink, and suggest some of the more Wonder-friendly publications and news outlets, I'd appreciate it. Best to get familiar with one's new surroundings, right? [He pauses again and looks down at something, presumably notes that he's written out.] Right. Wonders. That's my world's term for what you call superheroes here. [It was the first clue that this world was very, very clearly different from his own. The other was this whole Cold War thing with the Russians. Back home, they dealt with aliens and alien gods. This seemed...retro, in comparison. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, though.]

So, right. Okay. That's it for now then. Thank you. And hey, if anyone needs a particularly lush, well-decorated garden, well...you know where to find me.

[For now, anyway. He hoped, eventually, to bring his media company to life here, if such a thing were possible.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think one of these days we just need to create a flow chart to compare notes.

[M's voice softens.]

I didn't lose someone like that, but yeah, I can sort of relate. It doesn't help.

An encrypted one on a computer, yes. There are as many differences between our worlds as there are similarities, it seems.

[Alan nods gently.]

I'd never loved anyone the way that I loved Sam. I don't think I'm capable of loving anyone like that again. He was world. My light. [And now Alan literally burned for him, to honor Sam. It was all that he could do.] It's not something you recover easily from.

[Okay while he was just being a little shit, sure he'd fill out an actual chart if Alan's serious.]

I was thinking giant posterboards, personally.

[This is getting real heavy for a glorified skype call. M grips his elbow with his other hand just out of frame.]

I'm not saying forget about him or even date again... but it seems to me that focusing no how he died instead of how he lived is a disservice to everyone. If he's as special as you say, shouldn't you be honoring that? You can't let grief consume you.

[Nah, Alan wasn't being entirely serious. Though, he is kind of intrigued by the idea of all of these different universes. Does he want to know more? Absolutely. But a lot of that likely has to do with the fact that he wants to find a world somewhere that he and Sam got their happy ending.]

Posterboards? You're really embracing the whole retro feel this place has, aren't you?

[Another gentle nod, though M's move doesn't go unobserved.]

Believe me, I am honouring his life, his memory, and his name to the best of my ability. [Rather, to the best of Green Lantern's ability, but M doesn't need to know that.]

I haven't even processed the grief yet. On some level, I know that I have to. But instead, I'd rather...not think about it. Which is so the wrong way to go. I'd say that to anyone. But. You know. When it's your shoes, you look at the situation differently.

I never turn down an opportunity to do things the hard way.

[His fingers curl around his elbow.]

I'm... probably not the best person to be having this conversation with either way. I'm sure you're doing fine.

[A smirk.] Somehow, I believe that.

[Alan drops his hand from the ring he's been twirling around. He licks his lips, considering something.]

I should apologize myself. It's a lot to just dump on something, and I shouldn't have done that to you. Just a lot to process. New surroundings, you know?

Hey, you're fine. It's good to get things off your chest.

[He finally releases his elbow.]

Things like emotions just don't come naturally to me, is all. I can't help you the way you deserve.

I don't think anyone can help you when your whole world has been - you know. There isn't any coming back from that. Sure, you can condition yourself to believe that you're fine, that you're moving on, but. All you're doing is learning to cope. The wounds don't heal, the pain doesn't lessen. It's always there. You just learn to not keep it at the forefront anymore.

Eventually.

[Alan releases a small, shaky sigh.]

It's funny. For a lot of my life, I strove to be a businesslike professional. Cold, calm, collected. Don't let anyone in. One smile and a hello from him and suddenly...

You'll think me ridiculous, but I wish that I could have that. What you have. No emotions coming naturally. Maybe then the loss wouldn't have been as great.

Then you'd be in for a rude awakening.

[Because M knows all too well exactly what Alan's talking about, how one smile can change way you perceive the world.]

Just because it doesn't come naturally doesn't mean I'm immune to it. It simply means that the emotions I thought were gone are now at odds with my conditioning, and I don't know which side to listen to. Doesn't quite lend itself to relatable anecdotes.

Still, in your case you aren't curled up in the fetal position somewhere, waiting for the world to go on without you. You must be doing something right.

Then you haven't seen me at three in the morning, one too many bottles of gin scattered around my bed, wishing for - never mind.

[He closes his eyes and shakes his head, trying poorly to shake the feeling that he's wrapped up in again. It's easy when he's out as the Green Lantern, saving the world in Sam's name, keeping himself occupied. Away from it...]

Listen to the side that makes the most sense. Listen to the side with the greatest pull on you. Give into it. Even if it's that scary emotional side. Something tells me you aren't the type to curl up into a fetal position yourself.

That's exactly what I've been doing. How else do you think I got to be so charming?

[Sure, it's something he had to work at, but he's beginning to feel like "him" and not the soldier Bendix and the Gardener wanted him to be.]

How about you and me go grab a few new bottles of gin and see if we can't figure out how to stop depressing ourselves? My treat.

001 | Video

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