TRUTH OR DARE

[cactusy]

1) Post your characters, one per comment.
2) Comment around ICly asking other characters "truth or dare?"
3) Truth is self-explanatory; dares should involve tagging out to another character's top level somehow ("Insult someone you find terrifying", "Tell someone you think is hot one thing you find sexy about them", "Strike up a conversation using the most awkward non-sequitur you can come up with", etc.)

Comments

Re: Maddy Perez

[cactusy]

Truth or dare?

[somethingintangible]

Let's go with truth.

[cactusy]

How scared are you?

[somethingintangible]

Really scared. Like, shit my pants scared. But the thing about being scared is that, unless you act like it, nobody has to know. [ Plus she has a sword now! That helps, especially when SOMEONE wouldn't let her use their gun. ]

Truth or dare?

[cactusy]

You don't actually hide it that well. But that's fine, being scared in a situation like this is smart.

-- Truth. And don't ask me if I'm scared; I'm not, but that's because there's something wrong with me.

[somethingintangible]

I'm trying, okay? I'm eighteen. What do you want me to do?

Most people who have something wrong with them don't know they do. But okay. What's wrong with you?

[cactusy]

I said it was fine; calm down.

No feelings. No big ones, anyway.

[somethingintangible]

I am calm. If I wasn't, you'd know. And by the way, telling somebody to "calm down" usually makes them freak out more. Just so you know. [ Said in the most annoying I-am-18-and-know-everything voice. ]

How come? Do you know? Was it always like that, or did something happen to you?

Sometimes I think I have too many feelings. Or too many big feelings. Maybe if we just became one person, we'd be perfect.

[cactusy]

[Shaw snorts, but it's a light, halfway amused sound.]

Yeah. Maybe.

It's always been this way. It's a personality disorder; a brain chemistry thing. No reason for it. It just is what it is.

You like having big feelings?

[somethingintangible]

No. It sucks. I feel everything too much. I wish I was like you.

Do you like not having feelings?

[cactusy]

No. I mean, it's useful, sometimes. I wouldn't be so good at my job without it. But trust me, kid; you don't wanna be like me.

[somethingintangible]

I mean, I like being like me. Most of the time. But sometimes I wish I could dial some of these feelings back. It's hard.

[cactusy]

Don't get me wrong, it looks exhausting. But, uh-- the grass is always greener on the other side, or whatever.

Being empty all the time isn't a cakewalk.

[somethingintangible]

It is. I mean, it can be fun sometimes. But it can also be really hard. And sometimes normal people with normal feelings, like... I don't know. They don't get it. They don't understand why I feel everything so much.

If you could not be empty all the time, would you?

[cactusy]

Yeah.

I've had people in my life who loved me. My parents; my team. They deserved just as much feeling in return.

[somethingintangible]

You're lucky, then. I had somebody I thought loved me like that, but... [ She trails off. ] Anyway, it's stupid. I don't want to end up like my parents. They don't love each other anymore. If they ever did. I don't know. Their whole relationship is like... they're no passion, no anything. It's just convenience.

I don't want to end up like that.

But sometimes I get tired of this too.

[cactusy]

You sure it's not just a teenager thing? Maybe it'll even out when you get older.

[somethingintangible]

Ugh. You sound like my mom. No! It's not. This is just who I am.

[ In some respects, that's true. Maddy tends to be a very deep feeler by nature, even by teen girl standards.

In other respects... man, hormones are a hell of a drug. ]

[cactusy]

[Literally something a hormonal teenager would say... but also exactly what Shaw says when annoying people assume that her whole emotionless schtick is just a tough-girl front rather than a semi-debilitating psychological condition. Ugh. The struggle.]

Never compare me to anyone's mom again; gross.

[#nailedit]

[somethingintangible]

Whatever. Truth or dare?

[cactusy]

You know what, give me one of each.

[Would a boring old mom say THAT?]

[somethingintangible]

Okay. If you think you can handle it.

[ If she was trying to look cool to a teenager? YES. ]

Truth: how did you lose your virginity?

Dare: I dare you to catcall one of the [ ADULT ] guys.

[cactusy]

It's not actually a good story. When I was sixteen, I decided I wanted to lose my virginity, and me and this basketball player had kind of been eying each other from afar for a while. So we made it happen, and it was fine. I didn't start having actual good sex until college.

Also, you suck.

[somethingintangible]

[ Giggles! ]

You did it! I guess you are cool after all. [ Maddy wants grownup validation after all. She figures some grownups probably want cool teen validation too. Is Shaw one of them? Guess she'll find out! ]

[cactusy]

Pfft. I was already cool.

[Sorry, Maddy. She cares about no one's validation.]