maskormenacelogs | Rinse, Lather, Repeat Over and Over and Over...

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Rinse, Lather, Repeat Over and Over and Over...

WHO: Max Mayfield & Eleven. Possibly others??
WHERE: DeChima #6
WHEN: March 19 - March 26 aka Groundhog Week
WHAT: Dealing with the same crap on a different day.
WARNINGS: None so far, will update if needed.

[Max wakes up early - 3:28 AM - and groans involuntarily before pulling herself out of bed. Time to deliver newspapers and make some money. The money is nice but waking up that early? Not so much. She's not a morning person. She's never been a morning person. The house is silent as she gets dressed and heads to pick up her papers for delivery. She makes it back to the house by 5. Thank God for super speed, she thinks as she crawls back into bed. She passes back out and wakes two hours later, reluctantly getting up once more, this time for school. She showers, changes clothes, eats a bowl of cereal for breakfast and heads out the door by 7:42.

School is boring and she has to force herself to pay attention. She wonders if school even really matters here. It's not like world history here is going to help her if she ever gets sent back. But frankly she's hoping she never gets sent back.

After school she spends some time riding her skateboard up and down the street, working on some new moves she's trying to learn. The Ollie Impossible is not truly impossible. She knows people who've landed it. People who make it look easy. She's not using her super speed capabilities and while her balance is advanced here, the board flips and she hits the ground hard, skinning both of her hands and tearing the knees out of her jeans. She grits her teeth, annoyed, and she grabs up her board and reluctantly gives up for the day since she needs to go clean up.

It's nearly 6 when she makes her way into the house, pausing momentarily when she sees Eleven on the couch in front of the TV. For the most part she's avoided the brunette since the Great Kitchen Incident of 2018 a few days ago. She presses her lips together, giving her a short nod before heading past her to tend to her bleeding knees and hands.]

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[When Max comes back, she shoots the girl a look of neutral acknowledgement and returns to her TV show. While things have been tense between them, it's certainly eased up in the past few days. They just have a long way to go. Eleven will eventually trust that Max won't be a threat to her. In the meantime, she's wary.

Her stomach gurgles as her dinnertime hunger pains catch up with her. She makes her way to the kitchen to toast some waffles. While she waits for them to finish, however, she hears a loud spark from the other room. The sounds coming from the TV have stopped.

With anxious curiosity, she looks back at the TV to find the screen is off. But she didn't turn it off herself, and Max isn't nearby to do it either. It was as if... just like... how Hopper... with the TV...

Instantly forgetting about her dinner, Eleven runs to the TV and begins pressing every button she can find. Nothing comes of it. It's dead. She's working into a panic at this point and her rapid fire "no"s grow louder and more urgent. She can't lose her TV again. To her, this is a matter of life or death.]

Edited 2018-03-19 19:29 (UTC)

[Max drops her skateboard off into her bedroom and then heads into the downstairs bathroom, closing the door behind her and locking it. She winces at the scrapes on her hands and sighs. Wasn't the first time, won't be the last. She turns the cold water on, gritting her teeth against the stinging pain as she washes the wounds out with water before pulling open the medicine cabinet and fishing out the peroxide.

She's just poured some onto her left hand when she hears a soft cry, and cocks her head to the side, starting when she hears it again.

By the sound of it, Eleven's crying in the other room. Not crying - hysterically repeating no over and over. She abandons the peroxide instantly, unlocking the door and yanking it open before heading down the hall to see the other girl knelt in front of the TV, distressed.]

Are you okay? What happened?

[In this moment, Eleven doesn't care about any animosity between the two of them. This is by far a more pressing matter. She turns to Max and does her best to convey an explanation of the problem as well as how big a deal this is.]

It's gone! It's gone!!

[She turns back to the TV, stands up, and slips between it and the wall, searching the cables for disconnections or shorts. No sign of tampering. ...Except for the power socket in the wall to which the cord is connected.

It's black. Charred. The cable, the socket, all of it.

She resists the urge to touch it with her bare hands. Instead, she hoists herself back upright and peers over the set, eyes pleading to her roommate.]

Please help!! It's gone! Down here! It's gone!

[Dead. Broken. Lost. All words summed up into one: gone.]

[The fact that she's asking Max for help is an obvious sign of how distressed she is. Max's eyes are wide and she stares at Eleven as she frantically checks behind the TV. She's never seen the other girl so upset before - hell, she's barely seen the other girl exhibit any emotions except cool neutrality, or barely controlled anger unless Mike was around.

She looks from Eleven to the TV and then takes a deep breath, moving to crouch by the TV and examining the socket. She grimaces and glances over her shoulder at her roommate.]

Well, it looks like the outlet is scorched. And the cable. Which means we'll probably have to get a replacement cable and call in an electrician unless Steve knows how to fix this kind of thing.

[She has no clue.]

[Replacement cable? Electrician?

Max seems to have a much better idea of what to do than Eleven does. It's mildly calming, but she's still pretty upset. Her breathing slows but her expression is no less frantic.]

Can we get a replacement cable and electrician? Where is Steve? Can he get a replacement cable? Can we fix it?

[Yes, it's a lot of questions at once, but the only correct answer is one that would result in a fixed TV, whatever it is.]

[She's peppered with questions almost instantly and she wants to point out that this is a TV, not a life or death emergency. But that seems too bitchy, and regardless of their past interactions, Eleven's maybe the one person she doesn't have it in her to be bitchy at. So she gives the other girl her best reassuring smile.]

It's gonna be okay. I don't know if Steve can do it, but we'll either fix it or we'll get a new one.

All right?

[Eleven appreciates Max's reassurance. It's exactly what she needs right now, and her compassion reminds Eleven of her friends. If Max is truly not after Mike the way she thought she was before, maybe she wasn't so bad after all. Maybe they could actually get along well. Especially if she can help fix the TV.

She nods at Max's response. It looks like it won't be the end of the world. The wait is already threatening to drive her mad, however. She peeks behind the TV to check for any other signs she can repair it herself but comes up short. Defeated, she heads back to the couch and sits down slowly. It's an instinctive behavior she does when she's bored or stressed — sit and watch TV. Of course, she can't watch anything at the moment but that doesn't stop her from going through the motions.

She twiddles her thumbs while she asks Max for more input.]

When will Steve be home?

[She relaxes when Eleven seems to be at least a little reassured by her words. She exhales slowly, watching as the brunette looks behind the TV again and Max's eyebrows furrow with concern as her shoulders seem to slump and she moves to sit on the couch.]

Probably an hour or so? [It's a guess really, but he doesn't tend to leave them in the house alone for very long periods of time. It's probably a good thing, considering how trouble prone they all are.]

Um, I need to finish cleaning up my hands and knees, and then if you want maybe we could do something else? Play a game or...draw or something? [Her voice is hesitant, unsure.]

[Eleven hadn't noticed Max's scuffs. She cringes a little when she eyes them. They don't look fun at all. Cleaning them would probably be best, yes.]

Games?

[Her experience with them, she's learning, is far different from the rest of the world's. Games are supposed to be fun. Papa considered games to be things like seeing how far she could sense another person or how big an item she could crush with her mind. Neither of those things were fun for her. But she's learned through the boys that there are games like Dungeons and Dragons where a group works as a team to accomplish a set goal. The journey is the fun part for all involved, not necessarily the outcome.

Dungeons and Dragons is the kind of game Max would want to play, right? Nothing like what Papa would want her to do?]

What kind of games?

[She's not sure what to make of the wary look on Eleven's face at the mention of games, but she wonders if she's hit a sore spot unknowingly. Still, trying to remain hopeful about this small bit of progress, when Eleven asks, Max gives her an easy smile.]

Well, we could do video games if we went to an arcade. Or, I saw some card games and board games in the closet. Have you ever played Uno? Or Mouse Trap?

[She tucks some hair behind her ear.]

[So many words Eleven's unfamiliar with. Where does she even start? She squirms in her seat, visibly growing more upset over her lack of knowledge.]

No.

[She glances around the room looking for the closet, somehow hoping the door would give her answers she knows she wouldn't receive.]

No, I haven't.

[Max doesn't like the upset look on her face and she hesitates before moving to sit down beside her, keeping a couple feet of space between them.]

Hey, it's okay, Eleven. Really.

[Her voice is as sincere as it can be.]

If you want, I can show you the games I found and you can look through them and pick whatever you want. If I don't know how to play it, then we can figure it out together?

[Oh, now this person is sitting a couple of feet away. Eleven is still not convinced Max doesn't have a thing for Mike, and as nice as Max was being, she isn't trusting of her just yet. Without thinking, she leans away from her to widen the gap between them.

Max doesn't act at all threatening once she's sat down, however, so Eleven doesn't leave her spot on the couch. The calmness in her roommate's voice is reassuring; there's no reason to react with hostility.

So Eleven remains seated and casts wary side glances at her. She isn't sure what kind of game she'd prefer over another, but... well, she does want to learn more about the outside world, and games are probably the safest things she can learn about.]

Okay.

[She notices the way Eleven leans away and she suddenly feels like she's seven and being accused of having cooties because she was a girl. If only things were that simple here. She is glad the other doesn't get up and move away, though.

Max sits still and silent, waiting for the brunette to decide what she wanted to do, if anything. Her lips curve upwards when she finally says okay.]

Okay.

[Max nods slightly and rises to her feet once more, motioning for Eleven to follow. She leads the way to the hall closet and pulls the doors open, wincing immediately as her hands make her regret the move. She gestures to the stack of games on the shelves.]

I'll be right back. [She draws in a breath and heads back to the bathroom to finish cleaning up her wounds.]

[Eleven stands and follows as she's told. She doesn't react when Max winces and shuffles off to the bathroom. The board games on the shelves are far more interesting to her.

So many colors and words that make no sense to her. "Boggle?" "Scrabble?" At least she's heard of the words "mouse" and "trap." Maybe that would be a good place to start.

Except that the mental image of a mouse in one of the rat traps Hopper had put outside the cabin is haunting to her. That doesn't sound like a fun game at all.

"Uno" was the other game Max mentioned. She doesn't recognize that word either, but at least it doesn't seem as morbid as "Mouse Trap." She takes the small box from atop the other game boxes and holds it in her hands, studying its cover. Lots of cards, it seems. With numbers. Sounds simple enough.]

[Max cleans her hands with the peroxide and then carefully rinses them off with cool water and pats them dry. She sits down on the edge of the bathroom sink, dabbing some of the peroxide onto a kleenex and dabbing at her knees, grimacing at the blood seeping into the tissue. She sighs heavily, holding it in place and letting her shoulders slump tiredly for a long moment, then she starts putting away the things she'd used to clean up with.

Tucking some hair behind her ear and heads back out into the hallway, seeing Eleven standing there, holding onto the box of Uno cards. She tries not to smile at the fact that she'd settled on one of the two she'd mentioned, tries not to latch onto hope that it means anything when it probably really doesn't.]

Wanna go to the kitchen table with them? It'll be easier to play without losing any of the cards in the couch cushions.

[Eleven looks at Max and then back at the box. It's a reasonable suggestion.]

Yes.

[She walks up to the table and places the box in the center before taking a seat. Really, she's fascinated. Her expression may not show it, but she's terribly curious. It's something that might be a lot of fun. She's practically forgotten the animosity she's had with Max up until this point.

With her hands planted firmly and eagerly on the table, she awaits Max's instructions on how to play the game.]

Cool.

[She follows the brunette to the table, dumping the cards out of the box and shuffling them as she explains the rules of the game to her. She's not sure if Eleven's really that interested in the game, but she does seem to pay attention to Max's explanation, and that feels like a small victory to her.]

Does that make sense?

[It's a lot to take in, but Eleven believes she'll pick it up all right if she's given the chance. She awkwardly picks up the cards she was dealt and holds them in a stack, pulling one card out at a time to study it and return it to the middle of her stack. She's only able to see one card at a time this way, but she doesn't know of any other way to go about it.]

I think so.

[She can definitely use help when it comes to playing card games. She's ready to learn, but she doesn't really know where to start.]

[She smiles faintly at the other girl, nodding and nonchalantly fanning her own cards out so she can see them side by side, not wanting to offend the girl by suggesting she do the same. She takes a moment to put all her greens, reds, and yellows together in numerical order, which is a weird thing she's done since she was a kid and her dad taught her how to play.]

This game is fun, but it's usually more fun with a big group. Maybe when everyone else gets home they'll want to play, too.

[She's absolutely including Steve into this equation. Steve Harrington: nail bat badass, #1 babysitter extraordinaire, UNO player.]

Edited 2018-03-23 00:16 (UTC)

[Eleven notes Max's tactic of holding cards and attempts to do the same. Each time she tries to move a card in her hand, it gets stuck between two others, so she gives up and sets them on the table with a huff. With an intense stare, she wills them to float off the table and hover in front of her in a line so she can see them all at once. Might as well do it the easy way.

Now that she can see what she's doing, she peers over the line of cards at Max and awaits more instructions.]

Maybe.

[As long as Max doesn't get too friendly with Mike.]

[Max glances up just in time to see that Eleven's making her cards float in front of her so she doesn't have to hold them and for a moment she just gawks a little. Then she grins.]

Cool.

[Look. She grew up reading Super Girl comic books. Even though she has powers of her own here, she knows they're not really hers. But Eleven? Eleven's powers are actually her own. She didn't get them when she came here, and she'll still have them if she ever goes home. It's still amazing.]

Okay so.

[She reaches out and flips over the top card on the deck, laying it down. A red 6.]

Since I dealt the cards, you get to go first, so you either need a red card, a six, or a WILD card - a regular one or a WILD card Draw Four one.

[Eleven suppresses a grin at Max's reaction to her powers. Even with everyone's "superhero abilities" here, she still manages to impress the other girl—a reason Mike would have to prefer her over Max.]

Okay.

[She does inventory on her collection of cards. She isn't sure which would be better: a six, a red, or a WILD card, which she doesn't have. Her Draw Four card seems important, so she decides to save that one for later.

To play it safe, she uses one of her two different Six cards and places a yellow one down on top of Max's. She thinks she's doing it right, so she awaits her opponent's next instructions.]

[Max watches her eye her cards before carefully choosing a yellow six down and she nods encouragingly at her.]

Perfect!

[Max studies her own cards for a moment before laying down a yellow three, the only yellow that she has.]

[Cool. Eleven thinks she's starting to get the hang of this.

She's starting to forget her animosity towards the other girl.

She doesn't hesitate to put down a yellow five. Hopefully this is all it'll take to win and Max won't be carrying a Draw Four card.]

[She's out of yellow, and she doesn't have a five, but she does have a regular Wild card, so she lays it down.]

I'm gonna change the color to...green.

[Since two of her remaining cards are green.]

[Eleven has two green cards, but she hasn't seen a Wild card yet and isn't sure how it works. She furrows her brow as she decides how to word her question.]

With the Wild card, what about the numbers?

You don't have to worry about about numbers with the Wild cards. So you can play any card as long as it matches the color someone's called when they play one.

[She explains.]

With a Wild card Draw Four, the person who plays it calls the color, but the person on their right -- or in this case, across from the player - has to draw four more cards from the deck in addition to what's in their hand.

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Rinse, Lather, Repeat Over and Over and Over...

this is long and I'm sorry!

<3

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