text - absence makes the heart grow until it explodes

[h2no]

YO.

I KNOW THERE'S ONE THING A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE BECAUSE WE ALL GET IT: HOMESICKNESS.
I KNOW EVERYONE IS MISSING THEIR HOME AND THEIR FRIENDS. I'D BE SURPRISED IF THERE'S PEOPLE HERE WHO AREN'T.
NOT TO SAY IF YOU AREN'T THAT YOU'RE A WEIRDO, OF COURSE, I SUPPOSE YOU'RE JUST A BIT LUCKIER.
NOW, I'M NOT GONNA ASK YOU TO TELL ME ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU MISS OR THE PLACES YOU MISS. THAT WON'T HELP, IT'LL PROBABLY JUST MAKE YOU FEEL EVEN WORSE.
I AIN'T EVEN GONNA GIVE A BIG SPEECH ABOUT HOW WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE GOTTA TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT CRAP AIN'T GONNA HOLD UP.
BACK HOME I HAD A LARGE TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO VARIED IN AGES. A LOT OF THEM GOT HOMESICK AND WHEN IT OVERWHELMED THEM THEY WENT ON A DOWNWARD SPIRAL.
THING IS, IT'S REAL EASY TO LET IT OVERWHELM YOU.
MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU MISS. EVEN IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU THINK IS SILLY, LIKE THE TREE THAT WAS NEAR WHERE YOU LIVED, OR A CAFE THAT DID THE BEST VERSION OF A FLAT WHITE COFFEE YOU'VE EVER TASTED.
ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF. EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT FROM EARTH. I GUARANTEE YOU THERE WILL BE SOMETHING HERE THAT IS SIMILAR ENOUGH IT'LL BE LIKE BEING AT HOME. EVEN IF IT'S JUST A GIANT ROCK THAT'S THE SAME SHAPE.
NOT TO MENTION GETTING OUT AND GETTING FRESH AIR ALWAYS HELPS.
DO STUFF YOU DID AT HOME. DON'T GET WRAPPED UP IN THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT THE SAME. YOU HAVE TO ADAPT TO HELP YOURSELF, THAT'S LIFE.
BUT THAT THE SAME TIME... DON'T SINK INTO IT. DON'T THINK OF NOTHING BUT WHAT YOU MISS.
IGNORING IT WON'T WORK, BUT NEITHER WILL DIVING INTO IT.
FIND A BALANCE.
DON'T LET IT OVERWHELM YOU.

Comments

[h2no]

Yes!

[get rekt, maxie in another dimension.]

My team weren't such disasters, though Matt couldn't keep a wetsuit on without rippin' it... eventually he just wore the scraps.

[heliophilic]

My ex had that problem. I think we had a separate budget just for his costumes by the end.

[h2no]

Then extra stretchy ones ain't shit.

[another shot! they're good.]

What's the hero thing like where you're from? Don't exist for me.

[heliophilic]

It's his own fault, really, for diving into laser beams as often as he does.

[And there really isn't a whole lot of fabrics that can withstand the kind of abuse Andrew puts his clothes through.]

Typically, it's filled with men and women with huge egos who dress up in bright costumes for praise and to beat the stuffing out of each other. It's so stupid.

[h2no]

An' thats... what we're meant to do here?

...


I think I need something stronger than jello shots.

[heliophilic]

That's an entirely different question. This place, you can go the "superhero" route and do that, or you can actually make a difference. You don't need a costume for that.

[h2no]

I wanna do that second one. After what I did.

[he stacks the empty shot glasses, somewhat miserably.]

But how can I without Matt and Shelly...?

[heliophilic]

The atonement route, eh? I can't promise you it'll balance the scales, but... it helps when it comes time to sleep at night.

[M raises a hand, silently ordering another round of shots. He reserves the right to withhold them from Archie should he prove to be too drunk already.]

Who're they?

[h2no]

They helped me do it but... backed out when they realised how much we were gonna fuck up. They tried to convince me to stop but I just figured they were bein' cowards. Fucking moron I was.

[takes a shot, thumbing it.]

Shelly... said she'll never forgive me, but she'll stay with me to help reverse the damage. She's good like that. Matt... took it harder. He thought I didn't want him around because he wasn't good enough.

[stop him now he's gonna start sniffling.]

[heliophilic]

[Oh no, this got to talking about emotional stuff really quick. M tries his best, but he isn't equipped to deal with this kind of thing. What do you say to make someone feel better?]

...I'm... sure they can appreciate your honesty at least. Have you... considered... telling them this when you get home?

[M slides the shots closer to him and downs one.]

[h2no]

[unfortunately, despite his ruff and tuff appearance, archie is actually a big ol' emotional softie.]

Yeah. I was interrupted.

[he grunts, then grabs more shot glasses. all of these are going down.]

[heliophilic]

[M is still learning what emotions are and how to deal with them.]

Then what's to say they might not change their minds?

[He pulls the shots even closer to him. Maybe a second round was a bad idea.]

[h2no]

Because they can, if they want.

[he shrugs.]

Sorry, bro. I gotta stop drinkin'.

[heliophilic]

[M takes one shot, followed quickly by another.]

You've got nothing to apologize for. If anyone should be apologizing it's me; I never know what to say in these situations. Interpersonal relationships are still a pretty new subject for me. I can see the odds of almost every situation, but logic goes straight out the window when emotions are involved. For example, I can give you the odds of your friends forgiving you based on what you told me, and even if that was all of the information I needed to make an accurate prediction, it wouldn't be a guarantee.

[He takes another shot.]

And I've got no idea how alcohol screws with emotions either. Can't get drunk.

[h2no]

Issat your power?

[archie makes a face. can't get drunk? bummer.]

[heliophilic]

My "power" is a fight computer in my head that lets me figure out how something will end before it even begins. Let me demonstrate.

[He arranges 7 empty shot glasses in a straight line in front of Archie. ]

Pick one, any one. But before you do... [He pulls a napkin closer to him and writes something down on it. He then folds the napkin in half twice and places it at the edge of the table, next to Archie.]

Go for it.

[h2no]

I'm bracin' to be amazed.

[he puts a hand on his beard, like he's seriously considering this. then he taps the right-handed end one.]

Boom. That's the lucky winner.

[heliophilic]

[M points at the napkin with his chin. Written on said napkin is the following:

"Amaze me."

Puts hand on beard. Appears deep in thought. Taps right-hand end shotglass.

"Boom. That's the lucky winner."]

1/??

[h2no]

[h2no]

That's amazing!! Can you see the future?

done

[h2no]

Or were you reading my mind? Because I thought about your butt earlier and I'm sorry!

[#drunkconfessions]

[heliophilic]

Hopefully good thoughts.

[As a fellow ass man he can appreciate such a confession.]

And no, no telepathy. I've got a computer in my brain that can run through the probabilities of every possible outcome of an action. I just picked what you were most likely to do.

[h2no]

Huh.

[he doesn't respond to the butt thing.]

Does it happen all the time or do ya choose to run it?

[heliophilic]

[Ah well. M leans back in his seat.]

All the time. I've had it long enough that I can more or less keep it at background noise-level until when I actually need it.

[h2no]

Sounds like a curse I'd want.

[a pause.]

Has... it ever been wrong?