[COLOR=GRAY][CENTER][img]https://i.imgur.com/mi2pSVZ.jpg[/img][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=SILVER][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]Team 78 Campsite[/I] - [I]Southern Plateau, Dundas Island[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=SILVER][b]The Homecoming Trials #1.110:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Bees[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][sub][hr][/sub][INDENT][sub][color=SILVER][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I]Ariel [@Lawful Newtral], Sierra [@JunkMail], Jonna [@Pirouette][/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=SILVER][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Pineapple Icebreaker[/I][/right][/SUP]
[INDENT]The wind in the cliffs was still howling, and the benches kept playing it softer on repeat with the snap, crackle, pop of sparks in the background and people sitting on his shoulders alongside cold spells and winter rain. It was… The sort of soundtrack that spelled out horror in the background until a better rhythm picked up nearby falling tinny out of earbuds and then rising to a nice crescendo. Had him blinking out of smiling loose and grateful at the girl for making sure the plush was safely stowed in his pocket once more and glancing around again. With more people gathering around, the music playing, and nothing too much to add from their clothes, it felt a little less daunting being in the middle of a group feeling an itch under his skin that the oven’s heat only aggravated. 

But, well. [color=deb887]“Thank you. Thanks. It’s alright now.”[/color] Answering nobody in particular as he addressed his gratitude to two people at once and finally pulled his pizza out of the oven with a grimace, Lucas wasn’t really trying to keep track of who was saying what. It wouldn’t have been too hard if he’d put in the effort, but he was more used to just going with the flow, picking up the pieces down the way like he was standing in a river hauling in a net full of words and other peoples’ scraps. Nobody asked much of him then. Better than raising anyone’s expectations to disappointment the next time they met. This way, he could just smile and nod if his head was too loud and no one would bother him into pushing against the tide. Besides, he was working on putting all that earlier explanation together. Picking words out of the weave around him and feeling more than pleased with himself for trying, despite the fact there weren’t many other words to find. The bench made voices hollow. It was almost easy, separating Miranda’s voice from the older conversations. 

Picking out names. Finding other voices to remember for later. Eating his pizza. Ariel. Efraim. Harlowe liked music. Dominik… No one looked upset about anything when he glanced around trying to figure out what the apology was for. 

But that glance was all he needed to startle him out of his own head as he registered one girl slightly farther away who looked—he double checked—very similar to the one sitting next to him. And then another one even farther away. Sisters? Sierra. He heard that. Three times in a round when it echoed in his head. [color=deb887]“Sierra?”[/color] All of them? 

He adopted the same, though slightly more confused, hesitant stance when she offered her hand to shake as when he’d asked her to help him with the plush. She seemed to understand and he nodded absently. [color=deb887]“Yeah, sticky.”[/color] Also greasy now, and kind of full of pizza. He’d have shaken her hand otherwise. He was also considering her question and wondering if it was a group talk with the other voices starting to chime in or if he was supposed to answer it when the wind flared up and his hands weren’t full anymore. He’d been holding everything too lightly, trying not to burn his fingers on the fresh from the oven dinner and now it was on the ground. Of course it landed cheese-side down.

He'd only had two bites…

Well, the crust might still be good. 

Kneeling so he could right the plate and peel the crust up for an inspection to see if it really was salvageable or if the dirt had somehow managed to spread between the cheese and the sauce, he finally figured that it wasn’t group so much as grouped up discussion, even if they were all gathering around the pizza ovens. [color=deb887]“Sorry, I, huh?”[/color] 

New distraction. There were a few right now. But, uh… The pizza was floating. Lucas wasn’t sure if it was some new technique, and magic trick, or a display of something hyperhuman, but it definitely stalled him completely until the girl had set it down and joined them with a very big grin. Then, he tried, he really did, to go back to Sierra’s question while he still remembered and before she decided he wasn’t going to answer. He’d lost track of his place in his own clothes though and the itch was back. Tiny little claws pricking at his skin. 

[color=deb887]“Uh… Okay. There’s leaks in my head and things get in so it's itchy…”[/color] Already scratching at his arms to back up his words, he scowled at the people nearest him before landing on the one wearing long sleeves and sitting there too quiet for innocence. Didn’t know if they’d said their name yet, but since no one else was next to them, he didn’t need to specify more than his stare already was. [color=deb887]“You have bugs? They’re crawling in my skin on your clothes.”[/color] He started out almost accusing but not quite sure. It felt like the little hooked feet of insects tucking around thread, but usually that came with old things, not new. Or panic. But… No one was flailing. So, he ended with a rather more plaintive than not, [color=deb887]“Why?”[/color]

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