Scouts that will hold you SPELLBOUND!!!!

Liam rubs at his eyes, feeling uncharacteristically drowsy for having an afternoon nap-

-wait

Did he even take a nap? No. Wait.

He reaches his hands to his neck.

He touches bare skin.

"WHOA. IT’S GONE. ITS FUCKIN’ GONE!! WOOOOO!!!!”

Liam doesn’t even care that he’d probably been drugged, he’s practically in tears over the fact that his hideous collar is finally gone. Though when he goes to stand up, it’s too fast and he stumbles to the floor. That he doesn’t care about either. He crawls over to Hamlet, who has now trotted over to find out why his master is yelling so much. 

"AW HAMMY, IT’S GONE!" Liam smooches his dog on the nose before bolting out the door, because naturally if his is gone…

One, the sheet of paper sticking to his face via dried saliva;

Two, the fact that his head is still snugly pressed against his desk;

Three, the lost time, really, he could have sworn that five minutes ago was not five hours ago, where did his day go, it got sucked in a black hole;

Four, the lingering smell of chloroform that rests deep in his nostrils. Ugh, he hates that smell.

*He blinks.*

*Liam is also thankful for the topic switch; it’s clear that Donny looks progressively more distraught the more he talks about Calvin.* 

*Donny nods a bit, thoughtfully.*

I guess I ought to. It’d feel… weird if I didn’t. I think they’re the big ones, but yeah she’s uh, pretty good. Used to have a job making them, I think.

*At Liam’s suggestion, Donny laughs a little. Things are still a little weird between him and Max, but that does sound like something she might get into.*

*He’s starting to feel like a sheltered dumbass the more he speaks*

Yeah, I mean, Pepe’s always workin’ on somethin’. I bet they’d both have good ideas. I mean, I dunno how good friends you are with Max, but you must be cool with her if she’s givin’ you fireworks. Shit, maybe she is workin’ with Pepe already..but he’d tell me though. I mean, tsch, I aint the jealous type or nothin’. Naaaaw, he’d tell me. 

*though the thought of Pepe finding a new science buddy in Max makes him a little sad* 

Heh, well uh, I guess so. I grew up in Chinatown, a lot of people just immigrated and never went any further East. There are some stuffy rich people too. And lots of hippies.

*The Pyro looks a little sheepish. He doesn’t really want to bring up the whole ugly business with Max, but at least he can say something that’s sort of the truth.*

She’s… well we, uh, kinda dated. It’s still a little awkward, but… well like you said, she did make me fireworks. She can’t hate me completely.

*And he moves on from that quickly.*

...But fireworks! Yeah, awesome. Sweet. I'll definitely be there. And uh..

*He blinks.*

Yeah, I… I really, really hope so.

*Glancing back up at the Scout, he manages to smile a little. Though he’s helped somewhat, it still isn’t something he’d like to dwell on. Thinking about just keeps reminding him that Calvin’s not here, and he’s unable to do anything about it. He tries to think of something more positive.*

*Liam is also thankful for the topic switch; it’s clear that Donny looks progressively more distraught the more he talks about Calvin.* 

*Donny nods a bit, thoughtfully.*

I guess I ought to. It’d feel… weird if I didn’t. I think they’re the big ones, but yeah she’s uh, pretty good. Used to have a job making them, I think.

*At Liam’s suggestion, Donny laughs a little. Things are still a little weird between him and Max, but that does sound like something she might get into.*

*He's starting to feel like a sheltered dumbass the more he speaks*

Yeah, I mean, Pepe's always workin' on somethin'. I bet they'd both have good ideas. I mean, I dunno how good friends you are with Max, but you must be cool with her if she's givin' you fireworks. Shit, maybe she is workin' with Pepe already..but he'd tell me though. I mean, tsch, I aint the jealous type or nothin'. Naaaaw, he'd tell me. 

*though the thought of Pepe finding a new science buddy in Max makes him a little sad* 

*He blinks.*

Damn..she drove you out in the middle a’ nowhere. That’s..jeez. 

*This was actually pretty alarming to the Scout, knowing that Bathory had no qualms in punishing them with death. Had Perkins not gone and found Donny, he’d definitely be dead. Had the same happened to Calvin? He hopes not, for his friend’s sake.* 

Yeah, I… I really, really hope so.

*Glancing back up at the Scout, he manages to smile a little. Though he’s helped somewhat, it still isn’t something he’d like to dwell on. Thinking about just keeps reminding him that Calvin’s not here, and he’s unable to do anything about it. He tries to think of something more positive.*

*Liam is also thankful for the topic switch; it's clear that Donny looks progressively more distraught the more he talks about Calvin.* 

*He blinks.*

*Donny looks a bit lost in the midst of Liam’s rapid talking. But one thing he said sticks out, and the young man turns pale.*

She… she

called your family? *He tries hard not to panic. The last letter from his mom hadn’t mentioned anything about a call from Ms Bathory, and he knows without a doubt that if anyone had told her about his relationship with another guy, he’d be getting one hell of an angry call.

*Liam’s brow furrows* Really. Like..damn. This long?? Wow…m’sorry dude. I didn’t know. I..jeez. 

*Now he feels a little lost, rubbing at his arm. Being separated via collar was nothing compared to something like that. Liam can’t imagine what it’d be like if Pepe just disappeared for weeks. He’d be a mess, that’s for sure. If Donny was a mess too, he’s damn good at keeping it together.* 

I just… they could be doing anything to him. You know they cut off one of Des’ fingers? And she wasn’t even gone very long. Or what if they… they could have dumped him somewhere, like, like me, only nobody found him in time.

*Sighing shakily, Donny runs a hand through his hair.*

I feel awful. I don’t know what to do. Randy’s been looking, out in the desert, but I can’t, you know? I… I can’t go back out there. I’m a coward.

*He trails to a stop, shamefaced. Liam doesn’t deserve to be burdened with his troubles. He has to admit it feels a little better once it’s all out, though. Liam probably is the only one here who he can share this with. Now more than ever.*

Damn..she drove you out in the middle a' nowhere. That's..jeez. 

*This was actually pretty alarming to the Scout, knowing that Bathory had no qualms in punishing them with death. Had Perkins not gone and found Donny, he'd definitely be dead. Had the same happened to Calvin? He hopes not, for his friend's sake.* 

*He blinks.*

*Donny looks a bit lost in the midst of Liam’s rapid talking. But one thing he said sticks out, and the young man turns pale.*

She… she

called your family?

*He tries hard not to panic. The last letter from his mom hadn’t mentioned anything about a call from Ms Bathory, and he knows without a doubt that if anyone had told her about his relationship with another guy, he’d be getting one hell of an angry call.

But then Liam brings up Calvin, and Donny’s heart sinks. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, trying to figure out what to say.*

Liam, Calvin’s… he’s not here. He, uh, they… took him, I guess. Probably because he lost his fight. I don’t know really, just nobody’s seen him since before I came back…

*Liam's brow furrows* Really. Like..damn. This long?? Wow...m'sorry dude. I didn't know. I..jeez. 

*Now he feels a little lost, rubbing at his arm. Being separated via collar was nothing compared to something like that. Liam can't imagine what it'd be like if Pepe just disappeared for weeks. He'd be a mess, that's for sure. If Donny was a mess too, he's damn good at keeping it together.* 

*He blinks.*

I’m sorry- that’s so fucked up… No one should ever do that. I remember what that was like- I just…

*Taylor squeezes him* I don’t know. Write her a letter, get all your feelings out? Ask for an apology from her?

Liam, I haven’t spoken to my mom like a proper human being in years… I don’t want you to have to go through that. It makes you feel less than human to have someone you want to love so much hate you for something you can’t help. I am really not to best to give advice on this kind of thing and hopefully your mom is more forgiving then mine is- just- I dunno. I really have no clue.

*She feels so bad for being at a loss- she wants to help him but her only experience with this situation is negative.*

*her face darkens*  That fucking bitch.  I guess our contract says somewhere that she’s allowed into our…family life.  *”familial affairs” would be a better way to put it, but English be hard*  I’m sure she’s written to my family about me having “relations”.

*Well, Liam looks positively sick, if not really drained and sad.  And Des isn’t the best person to go to for advice, but she still cares.*  I’m not sure.  I just walk out of arguments at home.  

I would tell her that she was hurtful.  And about how Pepe isn’t some “coworker”.  He’s smart, cute as hell.  And that he’s your best friend.  Lighten what Bathory said.  Because we’re just animals to her.  She doesn’t know us. 

But you are not sick, Liam.  Maybe people…think who we love is wrong, but it feels right to us?  And that matters.  Not what anyone else thinks.  I don’t know….  *Rubs her face*  I really like Julien but she never lets me kiss her in public.  It…fucking sucks.

Taylor says I should maybe write a lettah to Ma sayin’ all those things. I’m too scared to talk to her right now, I know that sounds really lame but it’s true. I’m scared as hell. 

No he’s not!  I’ll put him away.  *Des scuttles off briefly to stick him back in his toasty home and bounds back to hug Liam tightly.  God he’s so little.*  

I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do about your mom.  But if you’re scared it might be better to write to her.  

He doesn't quite get it, but the important thing is that it leaves him an excuse to not have to get up and change the channel.  "Whatevah. Guess if you're into this kinda stuff, I don't care. Not like there's prolly much else on anyways."