and running

Basics.

Full Name: Philip Richard McGee

Age: 22

Zodiac: Cancer

Birthday: July 30, 1971

Birthplace: Hawkins

Hometown/Where was your muse raised?: Hawkins

Desperation showed in Priya’s eyes as she stood there in the cold, practically begging Philip to hear her out. When he finally let her in she let out a breath of relief, but the hard part was far from over. Priya didn’t know all the details about his father but from what he had told her and what she had learned through her abilities, she knew he was not a good man. She nodded once to let him know she understood and stayed quiet. Assuming he’d take her to his room she waited until they were alone. “I’m sorry to just show up here like this but… Philip I didn’t know where else to go.” She gulped and looked down. “You know how I can… do things..” She said, keeping the word powers out of it. She never liked the word powers. “I never told you the whole story because it didn’t matter but now…it matters and people are getting hurt because of me.” That wasn’t entirely true. “Because of where I came from and I’m the only person who knows anything about it.” She paused. “I’m from Hawkin’s Lab.” 

Thankfully, his father had crashed on the couch once more, and didn’t seem to show any sign of waking up soon. So much for asking him to get food. Which made the way to his room a little safer, though he did try to not make any sound. He couldn’t be certain his dad was fast asleep. Philip knew from the very start Priya was different. Well, he knew after discovering about what she could do. And although he did try to get information from her, he’d never manage to learn much. And never tried to push it either. There were things better left unsaid, and he felt this was one of those things. “Wait, wait, slow down.” He said once he was finally able to place a word. That was too much to take in at once, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. “What do you mean you’re from the lab? And no one, is getting hurt because of you, what made you think that?”

She had chosen this point to go out and do some… exploring, specifically because nobody would be out. At least, nobody in their right mind. She was bundled up, wearing about six layers on top and four on bottom, she might as well have resembled a human bean bag. Georgie was on the way to the lab, to investigate why the power was on, while everyone was in total darkness. So, when she heard her name, it was unexpected to say the least. She froze, no pun intended, and spun around to find Philip. “Nothing,” she said, quickly, though it was a blatant lie. She was caught off guard, that was all. Philip recognized her somehow under all of that, and she wasn’t prepared for the situation. “What are you still doing outside?” 

Somehow, he didn’t believe she was doing nothing. You’d have to be really crazy to go outside in this storm to do nothing, and he knew she wasn’t that crazy. “So I guess you won’t mind if I do nothing with you, then?” Philip asked, raising his eyebrows. Not only would it take more time until he’d be able to get home, but he’d actually enjoy spending some time with her. It felt like it’d been a while since he saw her, and whatever mischief she was up to, he’d follow her. “I was going home. Well... trying to find a reason not to go home, actually. And I think I might’ve just found it.” He finished once he finally made it beside her.

Priya knew she shouldn’t have gone to Philip’s house but she didn’t know where else to go. So after she knocked she took a breath and debated turning and going home. But before she could actually decide to leave Philip opened the door. Her breath caught in her throat and she honestly was at a loss for words. “I- umm..” She stuttered and swallowed. “I shouldn’t have come here-…” She shook her head and closed her eyes for a second. “I mean yeah actually I need to talk to you about something and it’s crazy and you have no reason to believe me but I didn’t know who else to talk to…” Priya took a deep breath to stop herself from rambling her hair slightly wet from how much snow melted against it. “Can we talk? In private…” 

Philip stayed silent for a moment, somehow surprised to see her place so many words after the other before he could say anything. He’d usually be the one doing all the talking, not her. Which made him realize there was definitely something wrong. “Hum, no, it’s fine just... come in.” He said, standing aside for her to walk in. Not without, of course, a glance behind, just to make sure his father hadn’t noticed. Something told him he wouldn’t be glad. “Just be quiet. My dad’s here.” He added quickly, closing the door behind her. He’d never really brought anyone home, and something made him believe it was better that way. He liked to believe his dad would behave if he did, but something told him he wouldn’t be any different.

@philipmcgee

It had come across the radio station Priya was listening to with her mother. A police officer had been found dead, an officer Priya knew was working on Matthew’s case. It was all too familiar. The killings when people got too close, how someone was covering their tracks, it was just like when she has escaped the lab. Priya could barely control her emotions as she headed for the door. Her mother was calling after her but she couldn’t stop herself. She needed to tell someone, anyone about what she knew if it meant getting closer to Matthew. But not her mother, no, someone who would believe her and listen. Philip. He was close and he already knew what she could do, but he didn’t know how or why. She grabbed her coat and ran out the door towards Philip’s house. He was right down the street so it didn’t take long. Running up his front steps, she knocked on the door. “Philip!” She called out, hoping he was home. “Philip it’s Priya…Priya Helms!” She paused. “I need to talk to you.”

He’d managed to get home a few hours earlier, taking a lot more time than he usually would have. But between the storm and actually taking his time to get home, it took a lot more time than usual. Still, when Philip got home, his father had already passed out on the couch, which meant he could easily make his way to his room. And with the power out, there wasn’t much he could do but lay on his bed with his old Discman - unsurprisingly, he’d never been allowed to get a new one. He was almost asleep when his father woke up, barging in his room. It wasn’t long until the headphones went flying to the ground, forcing Philip to straighten up. And in his crude tone, his father asking - ordering - him to go fetch him something to eat. Not wanting to see just how far his father would go if he refused, all he could do was to head for the kitchens as his father found his way back to the couch. He’d barely started looking through the shelves that some knocking on the door covered the faint sound of the radio - the only sound in the house. Not wanting his father to react to that as well, Philip just went to the door, surprise on his face when he saw Priya. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

    the hesitancy with which Philip spoke about Matthew was almost palpable. while she knew it was always in his best interests to be kind and avoid conversation that not only put a dampener on the mood but RUINED it, the boy’s disappearance barely reached her. as they walked she didn’t turn to look at him often, even as they spoke. “ yeah. It’s a lot to take in. ” for those involved, of course. for her. it hardly took a moment out of her day. “ nothin’ much we can do except wait. how they managed to keep the fair going this year is beyond me. ”

    once Casey did finally look over at him, somewhat slyly, a small tug of satisfaction was felt as she caught his smile. “ perfect. ” or maybe she just got lucky. as self-doubt reared its ugly head, she couldn’t help but think he’d claimed to make time for her. she shook the thought away. “ you’re strangely optimistic about it. come on, let’s go look. ”

Philip wasn’t concerned with Matthew as much as she was about Val and Priya. It was certainly hard for them, considering he was even affected despite not actually being close to Matthew. He could only imagine how hard it must be for them. “Yeah, I wonder.” He simply commented, but decided to let the subject go. He’d rather talk about anything else than that.

Which meant discussing about that movie was a great distraction. “Well, one of us has to be optimistic about it.” He teased, a light grin on his lips. He considered softly bumping his shoulder against hers, but refrained to. It didn’t feel like the appropriate time to do so. “And when am I not optimistic, honestly?”

Turning to look around the restaurant once she had grabbed her food, Este was surprised to see Philip still here. He still looked irritated but hey, he had stuck around which said a lot. Obviously traveling was important to him if he was willing to put up with Estrella’s annoying tendencies to learn more about it. She headed over and sat across the table from him quietly. Taking two satchels of sugar and tearing them open, Este looked at Philip and inquired gently, “So… you’ve really never left Hawkins?” Of course, she had to be a little annoying and continue. “Ever? Not even for a day trip?”

As soon as she reached the table, he stopped his fingers from tapping on the table. Instead letting both of his hands fall onto his laps as he leaned back. He did remain silent for a moment, even after her initial question. Something making him unsure about whether he could trust she wouldn’t go back to the irritating person he knew. “I don’t even know what a highway looks like.” Not that he expected them to be any different than regular roads, but he’d still never seen one. “I’ve been stuck at home on every single school trip.” Which wasn’t a lie. Something always scared his father when it came to leaving town, even for a small trip. Perhaps he was legitimately scared so see Philip leave town for good, although he’d have it coming soon enough.

    cheeks red and half-lidded eyes, she soon realised that passing the storm off as nothing was the worst decision she could’ve made that evening. despite wearing gloves and stuffing her hands as deep as they could into her pockets, she still felt cold. walking home from a brief gathering and one too many beers, she couldn’t help but let thoughtless emotion cloud her head. all she could think of was Philip – and the guilt that tightened in her chest. the feeling worsened as she came across him on the empty street. in thoughtlessness she stepped closer to him, almost on tiptoe to gently press kiss against his cheek. Casey wasn’t thinking right ; she shouldn’t have done it, and yet, it was the only plausible thing to do.

    stunned herself, an answer didn’t come until seconds later. “ well, ” she started, a slight slur to the words. “ i s’pose i have to say sorry somehow. ” she willed herself to shut up. it wasn’t about to happen. “ after everything. ”

After the initial surprise left, Philip tried to push the incident aside. He’d been trying to forget and get over it, and that was certainly not a way to do it. Still, he wouldn’t get mad at it, or even mention any of it. “You don’t have to apologize for anything.” He replied, giving a small shake of his head. She did nothing wrong, just what was best for her, nothing to be sorry about.

But all of this became rather futile as she spoke. He thought the red on her cheeks came from the cold of the storm, but there was something else. It didn’t take long for a frown to form on his face. “Casey, did you drink?” Perhaps a little hypocrite coming from him. Particularly when he himself drank, just a little while ago. But that was probably something she wouldn’t be able to notice, the effects having already wore off at this point. So really, hypocrisy wasn’t what he’d been hinting, only genuinely concerned about her state.

He’d been taking his time to get home, dreading the moment he’d be stuck with his father, wandering the streets a lot more than one should in such weather. It was during one of his aimless wanders, turning in a street, that Philip stumbled into Casey. Anything being a good reason to waste time until making his way home, he decided that spending some time with her would not hurt. Everything seemed just normal, like they’d been the last few times they met. But surprise didn’t take long until finding its way on his face when he felt her lips on his cheek. He hadn’t expected anything like that, and stayed shocked for a moment. “Why did you do that? I’m not complaining, but, why?” Philip finally asked, eyebrow raised although a slight smile lingered on his face.

He’d been away when the storm started, although when it did, Philip knew he had to come home. Or at least get back to town, where it’d be easier to get help if anything were to happen. As much as staying in that cabin with Troy was tempting, he’d feel a lot safer not being stranded in the woods - not to mention, he could always go back to the cabin some other time. He did, however, take his time to get home, stopping at a few places. He almost dreaded the moment he’d be stuck inside with his dad. Surely the storm would not help his temper. But after a while, a long while, he finally reached his house. And as expected, his father was not in the best of moods. Unsurprisingly, he’d already downed a few bottle of beers, and it made him only want to stay locked in his room. Which he did, after grabbing some snacks. Philip stayed locked there for a long time - he’d lost track of time quite fast. But a knocking on the entrance door caught his attention. Realizing his father was not moving to get it - probably passed out on the couch - he got up from his bed. As expected, his father was asleep on the couch, a half-empty bottle loosely hanging from his hand. The surprise came when he opened the door, eyebrows quickly raising up at her sight. “What are you doing here?” As far as he knew, he’d never told her where he lived, exactly, so it was either luck she got the right door, or a complete coincidence.

    a sneaker shuffled awkwardly on the concrete, already dusted in a fine layer of snow that had fallen earlier in the day. “ since when has it ever been scary, Phil? can’t remember the last time it was. ” to her tongue the name felt ODD ; she really hadn’t expected him to be so friendly after everything else. “ okay. ” her answer was cryptic, laced with uncertainty. in hindsight it was by sheer luck he’d remained amicable. she certainly didn’t deserve it. anxious to escape the cold, Casey started forwards and with a slight motion of her hand, encouraged him to walk with her. 

    “ best not to stay here, ” muffled by the thick fabric she’d tucked her chin into, her voice was barely heard above the wind. one hand searched her coat pocket for car keys. “ i’ve got a little time to kill. you busy right now? ”

A small laugh escaped his lips as she commented about the fair never being scary. Which certainly wasn’t a lie, unless you were a child. “Guess we just grew up too much for the scary. Although with what happened... nothing seems scary anymore.” He commented, always avoiding to say Matthew. Not because it was taboo, but perhaps a verbal reminder would be upsetting to some people, which he didn’t want to be. But what looked like a smile faltered at her reply. Perhaps he’d been too forward, although he didn’t really mean anything behind it. He did enjoy his time with her, and them breaking up shouldn’t mean they couldn’t be friends anymore.

His lips did curl again at the sign of her hand, and soon was following behind her. “Nothing planned until tomorrow, let’s kill some time.” Philip affirmed, eyes drawn to the movement of her hand in her pocket. “Maybe the movie’s back at Blockbuster.”

1. Your boy side

[x] You love hoodies.  [x] You love jeans.  [x] Dogs are better than cats.  [] It’s hilarious when people get hurt. (well, sometimes)  [] Shopping is torture [] Sad movies suck [] You own a car racing game.  [x] You played with hot wheels cars as a kid. [] At some point in time you wanted to be a firefighter. [x] You owned a ds, ps2, n64, or sega.  [x] You used to be obsessed with power rangers.  [x] You have watched sports on tv. [x] Gory movies are cool.  [] You go to your dad for advice.  [x] You own like a trillion baseball caps.  [x] You used to collect hockey cards.  [] Baggy sweats are cool to wear. [] It’s kinda weird to have sleepovers with a bunch of people.  [x] Green, black, red, blue, or silver are one of your favorite colors.  [] You love to go crazy and not care what people think.  [x] Sports are fun. [x] You talk with food in your mouth.  [] You sleep with your socks on at night.  [x] You have fished at least once.

2. Your girl side

[] You love to shop.  [] You wear eyeliner. [] You wear the color pink. [x(he used to)] You go to your mom to talk. [x] You consider cheerleading a sport.  [] You hate wearing the color black.  [] You like going to the mall. [] You like getting manicures and/or pedicures. [] You like wearing jewelry.  [] You cried watching the notebook [] Dresses are a big part of your wardrobe.  [] Shopping is one of your favorite hobbies.  [] You don’t like the movie star wars.  [] You are/were in gymnastics.  [] It takes you around one hour to shower, get dressed, and make-up. [x] You smile a lot more than you should.  [] You have more than 10 pairs of shoes. [] You care about what you look like.  [] You like wearing dresses when you can.  [] You like wearing high heel shoes.  [] You used to play with dolls as little kid.  [] You like putting make-up on others.  [] You like being the star of everything.

3. Appearance 

[] I am shorter than 5′5″. [] I have many scars.  [] I tan easily.  [] I wish my hair was a different color. [] I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color.  [] I have a tattoo.  [] I am self-conscious about my appearance.  [] I’ve had/have braces.  [] I’ve been told i’m attractive by a complete stranger.  [] I have more than two piercings.  [] I have/had piercings in places besides my ears.

4. Experiences

[] I’ve gotten lost in my city. [x] I’ve seen a shooting star. [x] I’ve wished on a shooting star. [] I’ve seen a meteor shower. [x] I’ve gone out in public in my pajamas. [] I’ve pushed all the buttons on an elevator. [] I’ve kicked a guy where it hurts. [] I’ve been to a casino. [] I’ve been skydiving. [x] I’ve gone skinny-dipping. [] I’ve drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour. [] I’ve crashed a car. [] I’ve been skiing. [] I’ve been in a musical. [x] I’ve caught a snowflake or snow on my tongue. [] I’ve seen the northern lights. [x] I’ve sat on a rooftop at night. [] I’ve played a prank on someone. [] I’ve ridden in a taxi. [] I’ve seen the rocky horror picture show. [] I’ve eaten sushi. [] I’ve been snowboarding.

5. Relationships

[x] I’m single. [] I’m in a relationship. [] I’m engaged. [] I’m married. [] I miss someone right now. [] I’ve gotten divorced. [] I’ve told someone I loved them when I didn’t. [] I’ve told someone I didn’t love them when I did.

6. Honesty/Crime

[] I’ve done something I promised someone else I wouldn’t. [] I’ve done something I promised myself I wouldn’t. [x] I’ve snuck out [x] I’ve lied to my parents about where I am. [] I’ve cheated while playing a game. [] I’ve ran a red light. [x] I’ve witnessed a crime. [x] I’ve been in a fist fight. [] I’ve been arrested.

7. Death and suicide

[x] I’m afraid of dying. [x] I hate funerals. [] I’ve seen someone/something dying. [] Someone close to me has attempted/committed suicide. [] I’ve planned my own suicide before. [] I’ve written a eulogy for myself.

8. Random

[] I can sing well [x] Stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant. [x] I open up to others easily. [] I watch the news. [] I don’t kill bugs. [x] I sing in the shower. [] I am a morning person. [] I paid for a cell phone ring tone. [x] I am a sports fanatic. [] I twirl my hair. [] I care about grammar. [] I have “?”’s in my screen name. [] I’ve copied more than 30 cd’s in a day. [] I bake well. [x] My favorite color is either white, yellow, pink, red, blue, black, purple, or orange. [x] I would wear pajamas to school. [] I like martha stewart. [] I know how to shoot a gun. [] I laugh at my own jokes. cause they’re funny [] I eat fast food weekly. [] I’ve not turned anything in and still got an a in a certain class. [] I can’t sleep if there is a spider/cockroach in the room. [x] I am ticklish. [] I love white chocolate. [x] I bite my nails. [x] I’m good at remembering faces. [x] I’m good at remembering names. [x] I’m good at remembering dates. [x] I honestly have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.

    a rare luxury of Hawkins was the often empty sidewalks. it let her think – about money, work, whatever thoughts she found herself grappling with. today, unfortunately, she couldn’t savour the quiet streets. eyes trained on the hairline cracks of the concrete, her focus was brought back by sudden impact. “ SORRY, ” stunned for a moment, she didn’t quite force the smile in time. “ hey, yeah. it was. ” a half-truth ; things felt disconnected now. except, she couldn’t help the new grin that cracked at his question. “ i haven’t, actually. it’s a little disappointing. ”

Philip shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He’d forgotten gloves that morning, and although it wasn’t cold, it was chilly enough for bare fingers. But that didn’t stop his smile from growing a little. “Not exactly scary, but that was entertaining, considering...” Matthew. It was still rather hard to take, and he tried to avoid mentioning it in case it’d upset someone. “Ah, what a shame. Well, if I find it, I’ll give you a call. We could watch it.”