013} the cheapest stuff is all i need / to get me back on my feet again

[theresalwayshope]

[Duke has...a lot of interesting stuff in his cabin.

Allison found this out when she was trying to straighten up to distract herself. The place is already fairly neat, so it's a useless distraction from Lydia's snub, from her own impotent fury and the bitter sting of not being trusted by her own best friend. Her heart's not in it...but it wasn't hard to find Duke's liquor.

Or his pot...but she quickly put the joints back where she found them.

She didn't consider the bottle of vodka in his cupboard for long, however, before she got herself a glass of ice and poured herself some. She's never had anything stronger than beer, she doesn't really know what she's doing...but it burns going down, and she feels better in the aftermath of her first sip, loose and warm and good.

After two half glasses, she hurts less. After four, she's well past tipsy. On her fifth, she's well aware she's dangerously close to drunk...so she sips carefully at her next, though she's no longer sure what number drink it is.

When her comm flickers on some time later, the video shows her slouched bonelessly over the kitchen counter in Duke's cabin, her head in her hand. The bottle is visible in the frame, and Allison is visibly fascinated by her drink as she swirls the clear liquid in her glass, ice chinking pleasantly against the equally clear surface. She likes the noise, it's soothing...cheerful.

She's no longer staring at the camera. She seems to have forgotten she flipped her comm on as she mutters to herself, apparently having an internal conversation out loud.]

Stupid boys. Stupid Lydia...Jackson Whittemore is not the biggest douche bag I've ever met, y'know? If you'd...just...had some hot chocolate you'd know that. Jerk...jerkette. [She pauses, smiling a little, amused with her jibe. Her features, however, immediately crumble as she sets her glass down and lets her head thunk against the counter. When she speaks again, she's nearly shouting.]

DUUUUUUUUUKE! Why are you comafied?! I DON'T KNOW IF THIS VODKA IS BAD!

[She pauses, then reaches for her glass as she lifts her head just enough to take a sip, talking around the glass in a very small voice.]

It tastes awful.

[She takes a tiny sip, then smacks her mouth and licks her lips.]

It tasted awful.

[She has another sip, then seems to realize her comm is on and blanches, setting her glass down and reaching for the bottle nearby.]

Hey, guys? Guys! I need to know, 'cause...'cause Duke's comafied. Does...

[She trails off, midway through uncapping the bottle. Torn between remembering what she's drinking and pouring more, she makes an intense and carefully executed operation of pouring more into her glass while nearly pressing her nose against the label of the bottle.]

...vodka give you hangovers? 'Cause I don't want a hangover. I just don't want to be sad anymore about...

[She trails off, and she remembers. Lydia turning her away, Lydia pushing her away. Because that was inevitable, wasn't it? First her best friend, then her best friend's boyfriend...then her werewolf, then Scott, then Kira and Isaac and then she'll be an omega with nowhere to go...

Setting the bottle down, Allison picked up her glass and took a long, healthy swallow...then set her glass down and made a face of pure disgust, complete with her tongue sticking out as she shuddered theatrically.]

Ilch.

Comments

[video]

[walkingmeltdown]

[Oh good lord no. No wonder she hasn't yet replied to his other message.]

This is the first time you've ever gotten drunk before. Isn't it?

[video]

[theresalwayshope]

Fffffffffffft. No.

[A long beat..shifty eyes...]

...ish. I've never had...this before.

[She gestures with her glass, then tilts her head and melts into a smile, shutting one eye and peering at him through her glass full of ice and vodka.]

You know you sparkle when I look at you through ice? It's really pretty!

[She lowers her glass, suddenly very earnest as she regards Derek through the feed.]

Derek? You and your glowy parts are so pretty.

Video [Private]

[whatthefoxsay]

Allison? Are you okay?

[She doesn't know Duke. Doesn't know what connection Allison has to Duke.]

Um. Vodka will give you a massive hangover from dehydration if you don't drink a lot of water. It's almost as bad as tequila.

Where are you? I can bring you water.

Video [Private]

[theresalwayshope]

[Allison makes a face at that, suddenly wishing Duke didn't have vodka in his cabin.]

I'm not okay, I'm sad. And now I'm sad and drunk. But I will un-drunk with water. And I'm okay, I'm in my--

[She blinks, then looks around.]

--my Duke's cabin. [She pauses, pouting.] I miss my Duke.

Audio

[walkthedarkpath]

Oh sweet merciful death, Allison. Vodka is the absolute worst.

[ Vergil looks so put off by the mere idea of it. Him and Vodka have a bad history.]

Audio

[theresalwayshope]

I hope not! I had lots. Now it's water time.

[She's moving over to the sink to get herself a glass of water (very carefully 'cause she's kinda wobbly) when she suddenly gasps.]

VERGIL! I MET YOUR BROTHER! HE'S REALLY NICE!

spam

[freezerburns]

[Oh god.

Isaac's coming out of the CES when he checks his comm and sees her post. He was planning on going down to Duke's cabin anyway to check up on her but this? Yeah, he's definitely heading down there quickly. It's only a few minutes later that he's knocking loudly on the door, still dressed in kinda sweaty workout clothes.]

Allison?

spam

[theresalwayshope]

[Allison's sipping her first glass of water when the knock and the voice comes. Delighted, Allison sets her water down and navigates to the door (carefully) and up the ladder (very carefully) to open it with a smile.]

Isaac! Hi!

[She beams, then suddenly her eyes go wide and she covers her mouth, speaking from behind her hands.]

OhmigodIsaacnogoawayI'mdrunkandsmelly.

[semifreakingnormal]

Um...I'm pretty sure all alcohol gives you a hangover.

Maybe you should....put the vodka back?

[theresalwayshope]

I did. I'm un-drunk-ing with water.

[She pouts at him, complete with lower lip pooching out.]

No more vodka. Ever. Kira said it gives super hangovers.

[americasdirtiest]

Hoooly shit. How fucking old are you?

[theresalwayshope]

I'm seventeen. I'm a lightweight, not a...kid?

[She blinks fuzzily, having lost her train of thought, pausing for a sip of her drink...no longer the rocks glass of vodka, but a much larger glass of water.]

Yeah, a lightweight. Vodka is...not good.

[dinosize]

She's seventeen. And some people don't start drinking when they're still in diapers.

[dinosize]

I'm impressed you haven't puked.

[theresalwayshope]

Just 'cause I'm a lightweight doesn't mean I'm not tough, y'know.

[She nods emphatically...then her eyes go wide when it registers just who she's talking to.]

...Stephen?

[Stephen is an inmate now. Just like Jackson is an inmate.

Just like Allison is going to end up as an inmate eventually.

And just like that, Allison sort of wishes she hadn't traded the vodka for water.]

[punched_hitler]

I don't know if vodka can go bad, but it'll definitely give you hangovers.

Uh. Have you had any water to go with that?

[theresalwayshope]

[Allison is drinking greedily again when Steve's message comes through...but when she stops, it's a fresh tumbler that's been half drained. She brandishes it at the feed, making a face.]

I switched. This is water. [She pauses, giggling.] But it looks like vodka, huh? [She peers into her glass, then takes a sip.] I could put ice in here and fool people...if people drink things. 'Cause vodka sucks, I decided.

[Private]

[termofendearment]

....shit, sweetheart. Where are you.

[He supposes it's only payback really, right?

Nah, he wasn't that bad before. Pretty sure.]

[Private]

[theresalwayshope]

...I'm in Duke's cabin.

[And now she's staring at the feed with wide eyes, not unlike the kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar...a thought that reminds her of the last time Tig got blind drunk. Immediately, she sets down the glass of water she's now nursing and proudly shows her hands.]

I didn't punch anything. See?

Video

[changeitroundsome]

[When he speaks, it's as if he's actually speaking to himself, rather than seeing how well she'll respond to a little bait.]

Hmmm, that reminds me to get workin' on that hangover cure...

Video

[theresalwayshope]

[...she may be drunk, and afraid of a hangover, but she's still a hunter. Have a look rife with suspicion, moreso than usual because...well...she's drunk.]

What kind of a hangover cure?

[spam]

[lydiascreams]

[Lydia doesn't see any of this until the next morning, she reads her best friends conversations as much as she can, her stomach turning because she had no idea she had hurt her so much by turning her down.

Of course, as she established to herself over and over again the previous night, Lydia knows she's still just as selfish as she used to be when they first met.

But she's trying. She needs to be more of the person she wants to be, the person the pack can be proud of, the person Stiles deserves and Allison needs. The person who can actually make a difference for Jackson, for Andrew, for Stephen.

That's why she makes her way over to Duke's cabin as soon as she's read through everything, knocking on the door and hoping Allison is there.]

[spam]

[theresalwayshope]

[True to everyone's word, Allison is sufficiently hung over, and regretting every decision she's ever made. As a result, she's given up on the day, and is huddled in her bed with both dog and bunny, the entire cabin as dark as she can manage to keep it. She rises only when she needs more water or something for her head...

But then there's a knock, and even from her room, it sounds like someone's beating the door down.

It takes a couple minutes, but eventually Allison answers the door.

Still in her pajamas. Eyes shut tight against the light...but she's trained just enough in hand to hand combat with a blindfold that she can smell Lydia's perfume.

With a small, pathetic sound she immediately regrets, Allison fumbles to grab Lydia's wrist and tug her into the cabin. She shuts the door as carefully as she can...

...and because her head hurts too much to talk, she just wraps Lydia in a sloppy, miserable hug, resting her head on her best friend's shoulder.]

[voice]

[400yearsofsurvival]

Enjoying yourself?

[voice]

[theresalwayshope]

Bite me, asshole.

...oh wait, you're too big a chicken.

[She's drunk, she's miserable...her inner filter is gone.]

Private

[voluntaryapnea]

[Apparently roughly half of the crew from Beacon Hills had the same general idea about getting drunk. Because it's now the next day and...well. Stiles looks and feels like hell. He's not even attempting to hide it.]

I'm...assuming by now that you've realized that...yes, vodka gives hangovers. You know what else gives hangovers? [He grimaces, rubs a hand over his face.]

Mixing vodka, rum, and whiskey. Not like, all together at once, but all separately within a short time frame. I do not recommend it. At all. Ever.

Private

[theresalwayshope]

[Allison is securely ensconced in bed with Duchess cuddled under her chin as she answers Stiles' message with a wrinkle of her nose.]

I'm starting to wish I'd stolen Duke's pot instead of his booze...wait, why did you drink all that?