[ after opening them up christmas morning, he'll be either turning to kanaya in the living room, or heading to her sewing room to peek in ]
I'm not sure how I feel about crushing these. [ he says with a mild smile, squeezing one of the weird stress balls in his hand. and then he holds up the vest. ] Not that I'm not grateful, but, uh... what's this for?
[ on the other side of the room, she eyes the blade of her new scissors, still not sure if they're designed more for cutting cloth or flesh. she glances up at thomas' question, resting them back in her hand as her thumb runs along the blade. ]
Well, if you're having trouble, just visualize it as whoever you're angriest with at the moment. I'm sure that won't be difficult. Though you might say their both designed for stress relief, though the vest is for a bit more of a specialized circumstance.
[ he's chuckling a bit at the stress balls, squishing their weird little faces in his hand for a second while she talks. at least, until the storms part.
the glee from his expression fades rapidly, like someone had punched him in the gut, and he goes from light laughter to a hollow, distant look. the storm, seeing jeff in the pit of the lightning, and the halved group of them left. the storms they've had here and there in heropa hadn't been... too terrible. nothing near the ones in the scorch. but there was lightning, and thunder, and wind. every time a boom echoed in the sky, or the light outside the window binds flashed for an instant, thomas found himself near jumping out of his skin, hair on his arms and the back of his neck all feeling like it's standing on end. during the time the heart of the storms would pass directly over their house, thomas had sometimes ended up closed into a room, all the curtains pulled, blanket over his head and headphones loud in his ears, eyes closed, trying to just block it out.
he'd hoped no one outside of the gladers really noticed, but now that he thinks of it, with how freaking weird it must have look, that sentiment is pretty much just wishful thinking. ]
I, um... [ he's not sure how to really respond to that. wants to apologize, maybe. make excuses. maybe even be irritated that it be brought up at all. instead, he only swallows, side leaning heavier against the doorframe, like he wants to sink into it. ] Yeah, I... just don't like them much.
[ not everyone is as meticulously practiced at how they present themselves to the outside world as she is. that takes time, and a lot of effort. he hasn't had as much opportunity as she has yet, and it's always been a high priority for her. ]
It's a compression vest. The pressure is meant to relieve anxiety.
[ it works for dogs, why not thomas? ]
Edited 2014-12-31 23:44 (UTC)
BTW THESE THINGS ACTUALLY EXIST: http://images.gizmag.com/hero/squease-vest.jpg
[ it's... a little surprising, that she'd taken note and went out to get him something so specifically helpful. he's not terribly used to having close friends, or people that know him much (hell, he hardly knows himself), so it's a bit endearing. well, he's feeling plenty of anxiety at the moment, to he turns it over in his hands, trying to find how it works. ]
How does it... go on?
[ there's velcro bits all over, but he seems to find armholes and slips his arms into it. it feels a little ridiculous, and he's a good bit embarrassed for being called out on his... issues... but he's grateful. wants to show that he is. ]
it's actually more like this! http://www.especialneeds.com/deep-pressure-vests.html
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I'm not sure how I feel about crushing these. [ he says with a mild smile, squeezing one of the weird stress balls in his hand. and then he holds up the vest. ] Not that I'm not grateful, but, uh... what's this for?
no subject
Well, if you're having trouble, just visualize it as whoever you're angriest with at the moment. I'm sure that won't be difficult. Though you might say their both designed for stress relief, though the vest is for a bit more of a specialized circumstance.
I've, uh. Noticed how you take to storms.
no subject
the glee from his expression fades rapidly, like someone had punched him in the gut, and he goes from light laughter to a hollow, distant look. the storm, seeing jeff in the pit of the lightning, and the halved group of them left. the storms they've had here and there in heropa hadn't been... too terrible. nothing near the ones in the scorch. but there was lightning, and thunder, and wind. every time a boom echoed in the sky, or the light outside the window binds flashed for an instant, thomas found himself near jumping out of his skin, hair on his arms and the back of his neck all feeling like it's standing on end. during the time the heart of the storms would pass directly over their house, thomas had sometimes ended up closed into a room, all the curtains pulled, blanket over his head and headphones loud in his ears, eyes closed, trying to just block it out.
he'd hoped no one outside of the gladers really noticed, but now that he thinks of it, with how freaking weird it must have look, that sentiment is pretty much just wishful thinking. ]
I, um... [ he's not sure how to really respond to that. wants to apologize, maybe. make excuses. maybe even be irritated that it be brought up at all. instead, he only swallows, side leaning heavier against the doorframe, like he wants to sink into it. ] Yeah, I... just don't like them much.
So... what's it do? With the storms.
no subject
It's a compression vest. The pressure is meant to relieve anxiety.
[ it works for dogs, why not thomas? ]
BTW THESE THINGS ACTUALLY EXIST: http://images.gizmag.com/hero/squease-vest.jpg
How does it... go on?
[ there's velcro bits all over, but he seems to find armholes and slips his arms into it. it feels a little ridiculous, and he's a good bit embarrassed for being called out on his... issues... but he's grateful. wants to show that he is. ]
it's actually more like this! http://www.especialneeds.com/deep-pressure-vests.html
You can adjust the tension with the velcro, it just has to be pulled tightly. But, um. You can wear it under your shirt...if you want to wear it out.
[ it's not really meant to be worn out, though. but he could sleep in it, sure. ]