I think you ought to walk with me and be safe [November Open]

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Who: Chris Freeman & ... First Aid (lovinglefthand) / Erik Osborne (lordoftheozarks) / River la Croix (somebodychildofanyone) / The Shade (deaths_head) ... & YOU!
What: catch-all, wildcard, and promised threads
When: in-game November, post-Pumpkinfest
Where: All around town
Warning(s): discussions of trauma, past deaths (in-game and backstory) are likely; probably NSFW in the Erik thread, lbr... mind the comment headers if anything else comes up.

OPEN - Hey there Little Red Riding Hood, you sure are lookin' good...
Chris happens to find the idea of seniority based on who's been on Marrow Isle the longest to be an absurd way to organize things. Dr. Winterbottom, despite her retirement, is the final authority for medical matters because she's a local and has the most experience out of all of them. Chris isn't sure exactly how to organize everyone else, but they consider themself at the bottom of the rankings, having only book learning, some experience as a medical assistant, and employment history as a coroner.

So it's not unusual to see Chris taking on the 'drudge work' -- arranging appointments for people, making home visits for follow up purposes, arranging supply contacts for 'the real doctors' to get the things their clinics need. This frees up people like Sally Boyle, First Aid, Dr. Pierce, and Dr. Watson to do the things that only they -- trained and experienced pharmacologists, doctors, and surgeons -- can do.

It's very likely to see Chris somewhere around town on an errand of some sort, or even visiting the outskirts to keep tabs on people who live away from the town center.


CLOSED to First Aid - You spent your stipend on THAT?
"You got the general store to tell you what grocery package I bought for next month?" Chris asks. They fold their arms over their chest defensively. "I'm an adult, you know. I can spend my money as I please."

The confrontation with First Aid is most likely taking place at the Winterbottom Clinic after hours. Seems that First Aid is very serious about making sure that everyone is as healthy as possible. Including their co-worker Chris.


CLOSED to Lord Erik Osborne - I promised you a fashion show...
Chris finally accepted their fate as one of Dr. Agnes Winterbottom's sucessors, and took over running her clinic at the end of October. As of November first, they've been given a small house within walking distance of said clinic, and moved their few material possessions from a room at the Oak and Iron into the house.

Chris asked Sam to deliver a letter to Erik -- and the vampire lord will find that it's an invitation to visit Chris's new home.

Part of it reads: 'Any evening that you're free, just give me a day's notice so I won't be on call that night. I promised you a little fashion show, remember?'

(Which may be enticing on its own, but this also gives Erik a chance to satisfy his curiosity about Chris's powers. Answering questions in private is usually more comfortable.)


CLOSED to River - A miracle of food engineering... (and maybe other engineering too)
Despite slightly rocky interactions -- Chris cried during their first conversation, and River accidentally sliced her fingers during their second -- Chris is actually feeling pretty good about a friendship with the head blacksmith of Infernal Arms and Armor.

And because it worked so well last time (with Sam), Chris trades in one of their last food vouchers for some savory hand pies from the Oak and Iron's kitchens. Come lunch time, they are at River's forge with a basket of food to share.

Has River been introduced to the idea of hand pies yet?

Chris also has some ideas for a bed -- an old design in their own world, not available on Marrow Isle -- that could help with post-surgical recovery. Zie wants to talk about the idea with River, and see if fabricating the parts is doable... either with her team, or from John who does less weapon-related forging.


CLOSED to The Shade - Death dad and death son go a-hunting
Both Chris and the Shade have a connection to death, something that the Shade could easily see when they met at a shooting game during Pumpkinfest. That hadn't been the right venue to get more information on using that connection to death with a weapon, as the Shade offered to teach them about... but some time in November?

Chris heads over to the Shade's place one morning, at his invitation. They've got their most sturdy shoes and sensible clothes on (no skirts or slippers today), and just their first aid kit in their ever-present bag. Chris isn't quite sure what these lessons will entail, but they are determined to be a good student.


OPEN - Wildcard
Did I promise something with Chris and forget it? It happens, my brain is a garbage fire. Feel free to toss anything at us here.

Comments

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Could you get the top box? It's unbalanced!" Chris replies. It was stupid of them to try to make a records run to Town Hall all in one go, but here we are.

[graveling]

“Yeah, I got it.” Angel actually claims the top two boxes, because he can. “Where are we taking them?”

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Dr. Winterbottom's Clinic," Chris replies. They still call it that, since most of the locals know it by that name, even if First Aid and Chris have taken over the day-to-day business of running the place.

Chris tilts the remaining box closer to zir body and then zie leads the way to the clinic.

"I wanted to check the records, get an idea of what to expect in the way of possible illnesses for the winter. Then I'm going to check with Sally on what remedies we can prepare ahead of time."

[graveling]

“Oh. That’s right. Humans get sick in the cold. I forgot about that.” Angel..doesn’t even really feel the cold. Another way he’s just not normal. “If there’s anything I can do to help?”

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"It's a combination of factors, but yes. Humans can get sick much easier in the cold-weather months."

Chris balances the box on one arm and opens the door to the clinic, ushering Angel inside. She gives a nod of acknowledgement to First Aid, who's leading a patient to an exam room, then directs Angel toward the desk they have set up in the main area.

"I'm not sure yet, since there's no real plan at the moment..." Chris puts the box on the floor beside the desk. "Once I get a list of plants and things from Sally, I could give you a copy? Sally might want to harvest them herself, but if you find them in the forest you can point us in that direction."

[graveling]

“Sure. I can ask Elsie, too. She knows the woods well. And Gerry has spent some time out there, too. He found the elderberries.” Which do have medicinal uses in their own right.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris is arranging the boxes by date, starting with the oldest one. They look up.

"Elsie... is that the young lady who can hear the trees talking?"

[graveling]

“Yes. The big tree that has all the danglies, her special tree, do you know it?” Angel perks up, because this is important.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"One of the local ghosts described it, wanted to take me out there, but I've been very busy with getting all the doctors wrangled. So I haven't had a chance to visit." Chris snorts, "Funny to think that just a week ago I was worried about having to do all the doctoring myself."

[graveling]

“The tree is sacred ground, too. If the doctors can’t get me to the temple, I heal out there just as fine. I have no preference between them, I just told them all about the temple because it’s the convenient place.”

And he does mean all.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris lays a finger next to their nose -- I've sniffed out what you're saying -- and says, "Understood. I'll keep it in mind if it's ever the closer place when you're hurt. Do you want me to make another note in your patient file?"

(No idea if Angel would know what the gesture means, though...)

[graveling]

“…I have a patient file?”

He is genuinely surprised to hear this.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Everyone does. Science and medicine thrive on writing everything down." Chris is paging through the records while speaking with Angel, but every time he speak, they look up and give him their full attention. "I listed Eddie as the one to contact if you get hurt, and vice versa. If that's all right?"

[graveling]

“I figured you all would write me off. ‘Dump at temple, too dead to doctor at.” It’s only halfway a joke. He’s touched that they still care to keep real notes on him.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris giggles. "Angelcakes, I'm a coroner first and foremost. No one is ever too dead for me to doctor at."

A note gets scribbled down and clipped to a particular folder from the boxes.

"But, to be serious -- you're part of our community. If we include you when you can do good for us, like on the fire brigade, then it's only right that we continue to include you when you need help, too. So we treat you the same as any other patient, just with certain rules for treatment."

[graveling]

“…Angelcakes?…”

Look, all of that is shocking and almost hurts in some chamber of his unbeating heart, but that’s the bit that he reacts to first. Not with dismay, just. Confusion.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris blinks, looks up at Angel, and asks, "Sorry, was that too familiar? I toss nicknames around when I get comfortable with people. I can stick to just your name."

[graveling]

“No, it’s not bad. It’s just. New. It’s all new to me, you know? I’ve never had nicknames. Or doctors who cared about me. Or a community. Or…or any of this. Someone to call when I’m hurt. A place to call home. Anyone who would ask if something was too much. I’m sad, for the years I lived without knowing having any of this at all was possible. Angry, almost. Like…people get this. They get all of this and I always figured I wasn’t quite people so I shouldn’t try.”

And his face makes no expression as these words rumble out haltingly, because he does not know what expression to make.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris sets aside the files, comes around to the other side of the desk, and touches Angel's arm lightly. "It's okay to be sad and angry for the years you missed out on. But you can have all of that now. You can be yourself, and a person, and treated just the same as everyone else here.

"No matter what makes you different, you're still one of us." Chris gives Angel's arm a pat. "Everyone here has been really nice about the things that make me different, after all. Of course you should get the same kindness."

[graveling]

He leans into that gentle touch almost hungrily. Touch-starved clearly. Years to make up for.

“I mean, what makes you different? You seem pretty much like you fit in.”

[thelatechrisfreeman]

When Angel leans into the touch, Chris shifts to put an arm around his shoulders. (Chris and Angel are about the same height, although Chris has a much slighter build.)

"Have you ever heard of the term intersex?" Chris asks, rhetorically. "It basically means that the doctors couldn't determine whether I was a boy or a girl, just by looking at my genitals at birth. Gender isn't a binary, and sex isn't either. But my parents decided that I had to fit in, so they basically picked a sex and gender for me, and raised me as a male. 'Male' has never really fit me, though."

[graveling]

There is a long thoughtful silence.

“Okay, but what does it feel like for a gender to fit? Is…that actually something people experience?”

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Yes, people do experience that. I've heard it called 'gender euphoria'... it can be when you do something for yourself, like dressing in clothing that makes you look good and feel good about yourself. It can be people acknowledging the gender that feels right for you, using the correct pronouns."

Chris frowns thoughtfully, "And on the other side of that is 'gender dysphoria'. I feel that sometimes, especially when people try to use titles like 'Mister' or 'Miss', or when they call me 'dude' or 'man'." Sideways glance toward Angel. "Do you ever feel that way?"

[graveling]

“I…no? None of it. Honestly, I feel like I’m dressing and puppeting a sack of meat more often than anything. Like. I have a dick and a beard and so the body is male and I don’t want to change it. But that’s…” he shakes his head slightly, biting off the back end of that sentence. That is an inside thought, one of the things we don’t voice fully.

(And when he does, he hides it in other comments that are shinier. That people pay more attention to.)

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Maybe you don't have a gender," Chris suggests. "Not everyone does."