Game 7 [Jared]

[Jessica Pruitte]

It was five minutes to 8.
June 15th.
Game 7 of the Stanley Cup, a game forced on by the Boston Bruins. But that was okay, the Canucks were back on home ice so everything was going to be perfect. Jessica knew this as she vaulted over the back of the couch in the Student Lounge and liberated the tv remote from the table where her feet replaced it. Where, however, was Jared? Her hockey buddy was late... LATE.

Okay, so he wasn’t late yet, but he was going to be late if he didn’t hurry up and get there. How was she supposed to watch the game without him? “Get your butt in here,” she growled at the air, causing a few of the other milling students to look at her askance. It didn’t matter, he’d be there, and Jess didn’t care anyway, they’d get over it, or move on back to their dorms when the game did start.

Thumbing up the volume, Jess leaned forward as the aerial shot of the arena panned into view. This was it! Chills rolled down her spine and across her arms, leaving goose bumps in their wake. It was starting. History. The Vancouver Canucks had to win. They were on home ice. They had Luongo, an Olympic Gold Medalist. They had the twins, Henrik and Daniel Sedin. A well known Gestalt pair. The Canucks would win, and for the first time since they became the Vancouver Canucks, they would have a Stanley Cup.

The first Stanley Cup awarded to the Vancouver Millionaires didn’t count, it was essentially a different team all together. Different name. Different management. Same city. That was all.

“Oh god!” Adrenaline was already pumping through Jess, amping her up. Twitter and Facebook feeds kept slipping through her mind. Texts. Video feeds, all of it the usual background noise, but such was her focus on the game, that all of it had to deal with the Canucks in some form or other.

“This is so ours. So completely ours.”

[Jared Park]

“WHEEERE IS THAT DAMN TOWEL?!”

The boy shouted in frustration, clawing his head as he searched for that novel towel he got his sister to mail him just a few weeks back. Not really an athletic kid (or into sports in general), Jared was initially apathetic to hockey despite growing up in such a crazed city. But with Vancouver being the city that it is, the teen found it really hard to simply shrug the whole thing off, and was transformed from an indifferent bystander to a full-pledged fan by the time he finished Grade6. (He claims that his sister being part of her school’s hockey team, and her subsequent adoration for the said hockey players, has been the greatest factor of them all).

He actually felt sad that he wasn’t in Vancouver to celebrate this year, especially since the team has been in its greatest in years. Thank goodness he found a fellow fan in Jessica though, else he’d have no one to watch, rant and celebrate with. (Robbie wasn’t really into things like these, he saw, and Eric transferred to Kocher just a month ago. Tsk tsk).

Frustrated beyond compare, the boy sat down on his bed, shoulders slump and face defeated, while his eyes scanned the mess that was once his room. No matter how many drawers and cabinets he’s upturned, nothing. Not even a glimpse or a clue. “Rawr.”

He was just about to give up entirely when from out of the corner of his eye, he saw the accursed towel, just behind his dirty laundry hamper. “YES!” exclaimed the boy, stuffing the towel in his bag (which contains numerous popcorn bags and chips) and ran off to the student lounge in full Canuck-fan garb (Ryan Kesler jersey and orca headdress).

His steps got faster as he heard the familiar pre-game rituals, jumping over the couch as the American anthem ended and the Canadian one started. “Whew,” he said in relief, wiping his forehead, “Thought I missed anything. God I envy my sister. She just told me that she’s in downtown right now, ready to party like crazy once the game ends. Chips?”

Because everyone knows that the Canucks will win this no matter what, right?

ooc:
Your KinkHighness! Sorry it took sooo long. -bows-. And for the crappy-ness factor it has.

[Jessica Pruitte]

The couch shifted as Jared vaulted over the back in much the same way she had a few moments previous. Jessica spared barely a glance at her hockey-freaked fan. There was a whale on his head. A bonefied whale.

She wanted one. Hard.

“Dude, where’d you get that?” Jabbing her finger at the head-whale, Jess shifted her eyes back to the screen before he could answer, but her fingers moved blindly for a chip bag. So nice of him to bring the snacks. She hadn’t even thought about it, in all honesty, so focused was she on the game itself, and all the amazing plays that were bound to happen. The Canucks wouldn’t let her down.

“This is gonna be so epic, So friggin’ epic!” Eyes glued to the screen, Jess leaned forward and munched on a chip. The first period was well under way. Five minutes, thirty seconds left, and then…

“WHAT?! WHAT WAS THAT?!” Jessica exploded, hands flying upward as she lept off the couch. A goal had been scored but it wasn’t for the Canucks. The Bruins… the Bostonites had gotten the first goal in? How was that… how had that…

“It’s okay,” she muttered, slowly sitting down, “It’s just the first period, right? We’re on home ice. We’re good. We had to let them get at least one.” It was a rational explanation, Luongo wasn’t choking. He was home. He was gold. He HAD gold, for that matter. It was something she kept reminding herself. Their boy in blue in front of the goal was going to be just fine.

“J-man,” Jess twisted on the couch so one foot was tucked under another leg. “We’re gonna be fine.” Who exactly was she trying to convince there? Him, or her? Or was she looking for reassurance.

Answer D. All of the above.

The buzzer would go off in a few moments, blared through the arena and across the tv speakers. Unless their beloved boys from Vancity scored, it would be a Bruins lead 1-0 into the second period. That wouldn't be acceptable.

[Jared Park]

Jared could never watch anything without chips. Or at least watch anything as intense as the game was when it started without anything he could much on. He needs something to keep his mouth/teeth busy, else they chomp down on his tongue due to his jitters. Boy that would be painful.

“This?” he asked, eyes still glued to the screen, knowing what she was referring to only because he felt the finger near his forehead. He didn’t bother looking at her when he spoke; he knew Jessica wouldn’t mind him not facing her to speak at the moment anyway. “Got this two years ago back home. Some costume shop, I think. I could ask my sister to send me one if you like.” He would’ve gone in full orca regalia really, had it not been a hassle to wear and he only had less than three minutes to bolt down from his room down to the lounge. So he had to settle for the orca hat instead. “I have flippers in the dorm, but if I wore them, I won’t be able to eat.” That too.

Jared was somehow resigned to the fact that no one would be able to score in the first period. Thomas has always been a tank and Luongo had strength in home ice. Besides, if he could remember all the past games right, the crucial first goal had almost always been made during the second period (Game1 and Game5 being exceptions, at least). That little comfort made the pounding of his heart slow down a bit. He was just about to take a sip from his drink when suddenly the buzzer rang.

Say what?!

Unlike Jessica, it took longer for the goal to sink into Jared’s mind. He just sat there, wide-eyed as he tried to process that unfortunate surprising development. “No. No. No. No. No!” shouted the boy when it finally came through, bouncing wildly in his seat. Never mind that there were people other than him and Jessica around; they could leave the lounge if they’re bothered.

“They’ve got this. Home ice, home ice,” he nodded, keeping the faith. It’s only 1-0 after all, not 5-0 or something like those disastrous Games3, 4 and 6. And besides, with such strong passing-faking-almost-scoring plays the Sedins and Burrows have been doing, they’re bound to score. The Sedins are widely known to be Getalts after all (to the meta community at least; Jared didn’t discover that until he entered Hammel). Gestalts are unstoppable, synchronized or not. (He has a handful of gestalt classmates after all). Unless of course…

“…Is Tim Thomas a Hammel alum?” And a power suppressor at that?

Damn.

[/blockquote]

[Jessica Pruitte]

Was he?

Jessica didn't know, didn't care. He was stopping pucks he shouldn't be able to stop. "Maybe. It's not like we have yearbooks to look through. Do we?" Her thoughts were wandering as commercials took over the screen and undoubtedly the zamboni's were out on the ice smoothing things out again for the second period.

"IF they aren't it's not..." not what, fair? The Canucks had the Sedin twins from Kocher, so it wasn't like it was unbalanced. How many other Metas were on the Bruins team? On the Canucks? The twins were the most well known pair within the community that Jess knew about, but then she only really cared about them.

Some people were 'Team Luongo.' She was "Team Twins". It helped, of course, that they were gorgeous to look at. Talented. Graceful as all hell on the ice. Yup, those were her boys.

"What if he is? Or what if they have a possibilities manipulator for a coach? I mean, c'mon. How ELSE cold they have gotten to the play offs?" They were the Bruins after all, a crap team from a crap city.

"Jareeeeed," Jess turned and with both hands on his shoulders shook him, "We can't lose this! It's been years, YEARS since we made it to the Cup playoffs. This is OUR time! POSITIVE THOUGHTS!" She shook him harder. A few of the other kids in the lounge looked at her as though she'd lost her fool mind. They were, perhaps, closer to the truth than they knew. "Fix it!" As if he had that kind of power. As if any of them did.

If only.

[Jared Park]

The commercials were a welcome break for Jared. Normally he’d opt not to have them, as they somehow ruin the game’s momentum for him; he’d rather they just get it on and be done with it (not really realizing the monetary importance of the adverts or the fact that such intermissions allow his favorite players to relax and get their groove back).

This time however, he wished the period was longer. Maybe ten more minutes? Twenty? A whole hour? Darn it. He knows once the second period starts, it’ll be a flash. He doesn’t know what gives, but it’s just that whenever he starts watching the second period, there’s something about time being warped short and he’s just surprised that it’s already a mere two minutes before the end of the game.

“It’s that water Horton spilled on Vancouver ice. IT’S CONTAMINATED LUONGO’S ICE WITH THAT ACCURSED BOSTON CRAP!” Nope. He didn’t care if he was shouting obscenities in such a public place right now (His brother would argue that ‘crap’ is a curse; ‘turd’ on the other hand, wasn’t). He couldn’t believe he was shaking so hard really. The Canucks had a good year – a really good year. They were the crowd favorites right now. They’re on home ice. They can’t lose. They simply can’t.

He furiously dug into the bag of chips he’s brought with him and munched on them before turning back to his also raging companion. “I think they have some in the library. Darn it. I knew I should’ve paid more attention when I was looking through them the other day.” He’s already seen a couple of yearbooks and was surprised to see quite a number of prominent names in there. A singer, two actors and a couple of politicians, to name a few. But Thomas? N’aww. It’s either he wasn’t really there, or Jared didn’t care enough (back then) to notice him. (Probably the latter).

The boy was still shaking when the second period started but suddenly found himself smiling when it was already 10 minutes past and the Bruins have yet to score. It’s usually in the second period when they begin to pick their pace up, so this was really good thing, he thinks.

But then that wrap around goal by Marchand happened and Jared’s world crashed.

“Fuck” was all he could say.

[Jessica Pruitte]

Why did the game feel more and more like a tragedy. As much as Jessica wanted to say the Canucks would pull back from this--it was only a few goals, not like eight or more, she couldn't. The images that kept flashing through her mind, Luongo on the ice, spotlight on him, defeated. Which game was that? Not this one, but one of them.

It wasn't going well. Not at all according to plan or expectation. The Canucks were supposed to be wiping the floor with the Bruins. They were on HOME ICE.

"Horton," the name came out as an angry hiss. "Aren't you supposed to be incapacitated," she snapped. Not like he could hear her. But Jess could pretend. She could glare, and snap, and snark, and be a general hot mess because her team, HER team was on home ice, and losing ground. "There have to be rules against that! HAVE to be."

The long break between the second and third period felt like it was dragging. Prolonging the doom. But there was still hope. Minimal as it was, she had her towel. Jared had his. They were together on this, and the Canucks could.not.lose.

She wouldn't let them.

Except...

"WHY IS HE LEAVING THE GOAL OPEN!?" There were four minutes left in the game, and Luongo had left the goal open... allowing the Bruins to get a fourth score. Sealing their fate at the cup. Sealing Jessica's mood.

"Noooooo," she wined, "nonononononono... this was OURS. It had to be OURS. It was supposed to be OURS!" She would blame Horton. She would blame the water. She would blame Thomas whom she was now convinced was a power suppressor. The twins had still performed beautifully, but there had clearly been something wrong.

"God I could just... I could flip a damn car."

[Jared Park]

As Period 2 progressed, Jared found himself becoming more and more conflicted. He was angry, he was sad. He felt hopeless, yet he kept the faith. He was just being pulled into all these different directions that he found himself speechless. Yes, it’s rather dramatic that he feel all these from a game, but this wasn’t just a game. This was history. Forty-years in the making. This simply couldn’t end like this. (Good thing neither he nor Jessica was an empathy – and to an extent maybe, a telepath – really. He has this strange feeling that with the chaos that’s happening inside him now, if he’s caught within their range, he’ll make them short circuit and explode. Not good.)

The teen could honestly say that the goal made by the Bruins in Vancouver’s power play ruined his day. A LOT. Damn that was harsh. It was the first power play of the game and yet the Canucks couldn’t take advantage of it. He would’ve been fine with it, but then Bergeron had to go rushing towards Luongo and make the score. 3-0. “I hate this.”

He spent the intermission in silence. No need to ask Jessica if she’s ok. So much for the hype. Grumbling he took his orca hat off and munched on the chips he brought. His sister already texted him that they’ve already left Granville street; Thomas is a tank and 3 goals in one period (despite the Canucks doing it in this series) is rather impossible already. That, and they don’t want to be caught in the riot, just in case that one breaks out again. (Fingers crossed it won’t happen).

Jared was barely alive when Period 3 started. But he felt himself die soon after that open goal score was made.

“I can’t watch this,” said Jared, almost to the verge of tears. He just stood up and walked to the nearby arcades to play, hoping they’d prove to be a good distraction for his distraught mind. This is why he didn’t want a Game7. He’d rather they win in foreign ice, than lose in home ice.

“Are we still going to party in my room then Jessica?” Well, it’s going to be like a funeral party now instead of a celebratory one, but it’s still a party right?

[/blockquote]
ooc:
No apologies, right? XD[/font]

[Jessica Pruitte]

That had been more than a little depressing and Jessica suspected Jared was absolutely right on two counts. That Thomas was also Meta and that the "Boston Water" Horton had been pouring on Vancouver ice had sabotaged the game. She was upset. More than upset. But even in that upset, they'd had a plan. A party. And if nothing else, she needed the companionship.

Misery and company and all that.

"We had a plan. Just because our boys in blue were ROBBED," she screamed the last word at the television, "doesn't mean we abandon it. Besides. I don't wanna be alone right now. And my dorm mates aren't... they don't get it, Jaer. They just don't."

It was pitiful, how her voice quavered. Poor little rich girl. If hockey was the only thing she was worried about her dorm mates not getting then her life was charmed. There were other problems, of course, but at the moment the Canuck's loss was far more overpowering than anything else. It was also the most immediate.

"God, Jaer," Jess wanted to cry, and it certainly didn't help that physical images kept rolling through her head. She would HAVE to get with Chase about that soon. She needed to block things. Be able to control the flow of information. Because it was torture, pure and simple, that she kept reliving the loss. Again. And again. And again. "Distract me! Do something! Help?"

Goofiness. She needed goofiness and joy and something. ANYTHING other than that final buzzer. The Bruins wild cheer.

Those bastards.

((no, no apologies. ))

[Jared Park]

Jared simply nodded through all of what Jessica said. About the whole plan and roommates not getting it thing (or was that supposed to be ‘things’?). He loved Robbie and all, but he just wouldn’t how feverish the whole thing for him really is. (As for Danicca, well, Jared thinks it’s a good thing she knows nothing about his obsession, much less the whole fact that the Canucks lost. He doesn’t need more ammo to be used against him anyway). “We could add a new event to our party though. Burn all Bears and all that,” grinned the boy, trying to bring the mood up, “I have a jar of Gummy Bears I’ve been waiting to get rid of since March.” He was never a fan of those things, and with all that’s happened, he never will be. CareBears will follow suit soon enough.

The boy would cry, but he’s been drained enough already that even breathing seems hard. Yes, it was a bit over the top, but they’ve been wishing for such an opportunity to happen for seventeen years already. And if it wasn’t for that damn power suppressor and weird water, they would’ve had that. “I still can’t believe it,” mused the boy as the commercials stopped and the third period was poised to begin, “These Bruins broke the whole tradition thing. That after a city hosts the Olympic games, they’re bound to win. That’s what happened to Montreal, Toronto and Calgary. They must’ve a probability manipulator in their midst.”

Unfortunately for Jessica, Jared was oblivious to her ordeal. He thought she was just trying to vent out her depression like him. (He never really got his head around her power anyway). “Do you still want to stay and watch?” It’s not like it’ll make much of a difference anyway.

ooc:
No apologies. XD. -sprinkles glitter all over-
ILU Urchie. <3. :3.
- Jam

[Jessica Pruitte]

A part of her wanted to watch the rest of the game. A part of her wanted to stay and support the Canucks to the bitter end. There was still hope...

No. There wasn't. And there was no point in watching the rest. Having the knife that had been plunged into her heart twisted, painfully scraping her ribs and soul with each flash of the Bruins on the screen. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

Giving her head a shake, Jess reached out with the remote in hand, and thumbed the power button.

No more.

If only it were that easy. The game was being streamed live on computers around the country and it was stuck in her head. The back of her eyes burned with the images and a lump formed in her throat. It was supposed to have been their game.

"God how emo am I?" she laughed bitterly, pushing herself off the couch. "Get me out of here, Jaer. Distract me!" And himself. They both would need it. They both suffered. It was humiliating to lose on home ice, especially after the home seasons the Canucks had played. Brilliance. Every stroke of blade on ice. Every slap of the stick against the puck. It had been beautiful.

And it was being taken away by a power supressor.

"I really hate some meta's, ya know?" Reaching a hand out she tugged Jared up and into a standing position. "Let's get outta here."