[ it is easy, to throw himself into administering the vaccines and cures, spending the nights compiling notes about Zymandis, about the timelines, everything he knows, everything he suspects. it is easy to keep busy — easy when it's what he needs to do. but he doesn't let the busy keep him from checking in on friends; when he pauses to think, he isn't sure he ever... told Maya about checking himself to quarantine. never gave her reason to worry for him, too, that's what it was, but maybe — maybe she should still know he's fine.
and he wants to know she's fine, too. ]
Hey, Maya? How's my favorite Ace Investigator doing?
[ the message comes in the middle of the day; joking, light, because she's worried enough... and anyway, he's fine. ]
[He hasn't. But she's had a lot to do (and popped by the quarantine himself, so she's vaguely aware of where he's been) so she hasn't had much time to think about what Stiles has been up to or what he's been up to. Sooner or later she would have checked on him (stuff got pretty intense when Peter was infected, after all...) but looks like he beat her to it.]
[She's pretty happy to hear his voice]
Stiles! It's about time, how the heck am I supposed to investigate without my assistant?!
[A huff... but she's not really mad] --- Just kidding! I'm fine, just busy with curing people and some dorks. How about you?
( it took a little investigating of his own to find out who he needed to get in touch with, but as things slow down in Woodhurst, or get as close to slow as they're going to get... Graham finds he has an apology of sorts he'd like to make, and he'll do it with more than just words. )
Maya, isn't it? I'm not sure if you remember me, but we met at laser tag, and again at the mall.
I'm glad you remember. I don't remember introducing myself, you can call me Graham.
not quite, but I have something for you. I figured you might have lost your rollerskates after the trouble in the mall, and since I made you leave them I owed you a spare pair. where would be a good place to send them?
[ thanks Maya............ he could say the same, but at least someone here has some tact!! ]
I got the cure already, you know. I don't need it twice.
[ these side-effects are already enough, he doesn't need those twice, too... ] Sounds like a good plan. Man, I hope we get, like, at least two months when we get back, I don't want to see another planet for a while.
[ One day while they're chilling in Terra Felis, Maya gets a small box filled with six packs of these. They're sealed so Maya can eat them as a snack when she's outside. ]
I found these in the markets, I hope you like them!
( the curse gave him one but he doesn't seem inclined to share it.
whether she was being silly or not, he shouldn't have made her choices for her. he's pretty much impossible to convince of the contrary on that particular subject. as to her question... )
I can sleep when I'm dead, [ said in the most deadpan voice he can muster, just so she won't mistake it into anything but a joke... which it may or may not be but let's not get into that. ]
Sort of. Sometimes you get a less intense mission. The squidges were nice.
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