[November Open] | And so the chain continues!

[theresalwaystheview]

Who Bart and the village at large!
What Settling in and learning how things work
When November, through the winter months
Where The Oak & Iron, Winterbottom Clinic, the Library etc
Warnings N/A (so far)


1. Oak & Iron
For better or worse, for now, this is home. It's busy and noisy and there always seems to be something going on even if it's just a friendly card game or a group dinner, and all the while, if Bart isn't up in his room, he's down in the main room with a cup of tea, a new joy of his now that it's not synthetic from a machine that would routinely cycle through many flavors and not get cleaned often enough. If he's occupied with the writing that he can regularly be seen doing, it may take a couple of attempts to get his attention. He's gotten very good at tuning out chatter and bickering when he has something to do, and this, writing down as much as he can remember from his life before Marrow Isle, has been what he's dedicated himself to in the time since his arrival here.

When he breaks from that, he instead writes about the things that he's encountered here. The people, the plants that he cross-references from one of a dozen books grabbed from the library, the little spectral creatures that have been following townsfolk around, everything at least gets a brief note.

Accompanying his writings, sketches and diagrams take up full adjacent pages. Portraits with names beside them and brief notes about the people in question, or small things that indicate those people to him personally. A pumpkin from outside of one of the farms. The Mipha's Grace docked near the beach. Yorick's hat. A stuffed rabbit with its ear chewed and wrinkled.

He might be spacing out in your general direction as he tries to put words to a thought. Sorry in advance if he's been staring too long.

2. Clinic
On suggestion from Doctor First Aid, Bart has started helping out at Winterbottom's clinic. He's also offered an extra hand over at Dr Pierce's in those instances when he needs it. He's pleasant and chatty and eager to get to know his patients, and has extensive knowledge at least in both human and xenobiologies. If allowed, he will tangent on whatever line of thought that comes from a conversation that might have been started up over the course of examination or treatment.

During downtimes if he's not cleaning he can be seen drawing people and diagrams to be added to his notes, or reading. He's rather enjoying being at the front desk to meet whoever might be coming in to see one of the doctors, or drop things off as kind gestures.

3. In Vivo
Bart is determined to learn as much as he can about Marrow Isle's native flora so as to learn how best to approach his future farming venture. As such he can be seen out in the woods, out at the beach, out at the farms. He generally has his notebook in hand. He's started carrying more writing utensils in a pouch slung at his waist, and every so often, he will bring out a thin folder into which he's begun pressing the occasional plant for study when he's got better facilities at his disposal.

4. The Library
When he isn't at the Oak & Iron, or getting ready to move himself into a new home, or at the Clinic, or assisting First Aid or Chris Freeman out on a house call, Bart is here. He checks out stacks of books at a time and reads them when he's got time, or else keeps them nearby him as he seemingly does homework there where it's quiet, though bustling with villagers and staff alike. He's still in simple clothes, a small act of rebellion against the clean-cut image that his father always demanded that he present, and looks quite content in his work.

Currently the books arranged in neatly sorted stacks around him are all focused on mycology and related fields of study. Again, it will take a couple of attempts to get his attention if it's needed.

5. Misc
The Wildcard Option. If you want Bart, just sent him a message, give him a call at the end, say hello to him and generally be interested in him and he'll happily follow along and help however he's needed.

Comments

1.

[graveling]

The thing about spacing out in Angel's direction is that he will make silent eye contact without any break or sense of irritation. Just kinda 'clearly you're looking at me and it's polite to look back so we're locked in a mutual stare until one of us blinks and I don't have that bodily function.' But in the least actively confrontational manner possible.

Staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare.

[theresalwaystheview]

If he didn't snap back into focus upon actually figuring out the words that he wanted to put to paper, it might have gone on like that for longer. As it is, when he blinks himself back down to the project at hand, he ends up thrown off by someone not watching what he's doing, but watching him, specifically. He can't help but fidget a little bit, but still lifts a hand in an awkward hello.

[graveling]

Angel's smile is a thing that flickers and fails. His face is heavy, smiles are hard. But he offers one now, and a hand waved in turn.

"Do you want company?"

[theresalwaystheview]

It takes him a moment to process what that face is, but he recognizes the intent. In return, a softer, warmer smile blooms on his own.

"I wouldn't turn it down," he replies easily, and gestures to the seat opposite him at the table. He shuffles his papers in a little more neatly, to put them away under the bulking cover of the notebook that's doubling as a folder for the moment.

[graveling]

Angel nods and quietly moves to that seat, though there's a glance at those papers for a moment.

"You draw well."

[theresalwaystheview]

He can't help the pleased flush at the compliment. It's not something he hears...ever, really.

"Thank you. It's mainly for diagrams and visual references, so accuracy is important."

[graveling]

"Visual reference..." Angel is almost visibly chewing on a thought, hearing that, but he isn't sure he's ready to commit. Instead, he sips at his beer. It doesn't affect him like most people, and he isn't sure he likes the taste, but it's what people here tend to drink.

[theresalwaystheview]

Bart returns to his notes, finally putting an end on the thought he was chasing down. He takes a moment to organize the notes he was taking, shuffling the last sketch back in with its respective writing. He's content with his tea, long-fingered, red-knuckled hands curling around the warm cup that had long since stopped steaming.

"If there's something that I can do for you, please... I'm still learning my way around this place, and people have been extremely kind to me so far. I would like to be able to help however I can."

[graveling]

“It is a strange request.” Angel can’t blush, another thing he’s just not capable of, but he manages to convey through body language the same sort of shyness. “There’s a tattoo on my back. It is hard for me to see. I…would like a couple sketches of it.”

As if he doesn’t know what it looks like for himself, not in its entirety.

2. Clinic

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris was on call this morning, so they weren't present for the clinic's opening as they usually are. And this morning included a mishap with a trolley driver getting hurt, so... it's been a busy start to the day.

They trudge into Winterbottom Clinic and make a beeline directly for the supply room (need to replenish the supplies in their medkit), but then... stop.

Chris turns slowly toward the intake desk, give the person sitting there a long, assessing look. They raise an eyebrow and say to Bart in a flat deadpan, "That's my seat."

[theresalwaystheview]

When Bart settled in, he'd been informed that Dr Freeman would be out for some time, and that he would best serve doing the sort of intake that Chris might normally have been in charge of unless an emergency happened. And now, he looks up to see Chris themself walking in, double-taking, then deadpanning at him.

The bright smile on his face fades, and he has the grace to look sheepish.

"You were otherwise occupied and I wanted to help," he replies quietly, keeping eye contact though clearly wanting to shrink down and disappear under the desk.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Mm." Chris comes a little closer to the desk, murmuring, "Note to self: be more obvious..." and then leans their elbow on the desk right across from where Bart is sitting. They prop their chin on their hand.

"Sorry, maybe I'm a little too used to Dr. Pierce." Chris gives Bart a bright smile. "I was just kidding. How'd the morning go? Pearline come by about her gout again?"

[theresalwaystheview]

Bart's eyes widen, and he straightens back up again. A joke! They were making a joke, not chastising him for taking their usual seat. Of course.

"I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Dr Pierce yet, but he does seem popular." He hasn't been exposed to the rivalry between Hawkeye and First Aid yet. That will be interesting when he gets to witness it firsthand...

"Oh, yes! She seemed...disinclined to take my advice to take the time to rest and let the inflammation go down. The prevailing opinion was that because was new here, that my recommendations held less weight. Or maybe it was because of my age." A shrug. Such is the way of dealing with the elders of any population.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"I always try to counsel more water and less beer, and more oranges than the anti-scurvy allotment. We're never going to get her to give up eating shellfish and shrimp. As she says..." Chris gives a little cough, then continues in a creaky old-lady-type voice, "Listen here, young'un, I've been eatin' the ocean's bounty for fifty-seven years before you showed up, and I won't stop til Kora Herself comes down to say so!"

This may be a declaration that Bart is newly familiar with. Pearline likes her dramatics.

[theresalwaystheview]

He can't help but laugh at the impression. Chris is good at that.

"Not even the suggestion of roughage will dissuade her it seems," he huffs a soft chuckle, shaking his head as he reaches for her file still there on his desk. "I daresay even the opinions of the goddesses wouldn't sway her. But, how did it go with the trolley accident? Nothing worse than a sprain, I hope?"

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"I just hope we can get her to change her ways before she gets kidney stones..." Chris murmurs.

At the change of topic, Chris straightens up and goes over to the patient files. "The replacement driver came with me, so there wasn't much delay for the trolley itself. The driver's hands and wrists are showing signs of nerve compression -- repetitive strain, I'm thinking. I told him one full day of rest, and then he's going to switch to a non-driver position for a while. At least nobody else was hurt."

[theresalwaystheview]

Bart grimaces. "I'm going to take it on faith that you warned her that she would get them and that it would hurt very much..."

A frown in reply to that assessment. "If it's a repetitive motion injury, perhaps I can make up a guide for stretches that will help alleviate the problem. I know that working in front of computers and being at a desk for as long as I was all through academy, it really benefited me to keep those things in mind. As long as he's friendlier about it than miss Pearline I'm sure it will be fine." He might be thinking on the benefits of pamphlets now.

In Vivo

[wolfborn_were]

It is on one of Bart's forays into the forest that Emery pads up to him in wolf form with a sword-shaped ghost creature tagging at the wolf's heels. Emery sits politely by while Bart finishes writing or sketching the lates thing to catch his interest.

"Boof!" Em barks after pencil has left paper.

[theresalwaystheview]

Bart hadn't seen Emery since the dream encounter, the end of it so blurry in his mind thanks to the nature of the space and their mutual suffering within it. Being able to get back to his bed at the inn and sleep it off had been a boon and now, he was right back to it with a day off from the clinic.

He pauses in the act of creating a proper rubbing of one of the leaves, expression lighting up at the sight of the familiar wolf shape.

"Hello again! It looks like you've found a friend," he notes with a small laugh, leaning to observe the spirit that immediately seems to be watching him back. Over his shoulder, a little round head encased in a drop shape peeps up with an inquisitive sound.

[wolfborn_were]

Emery shifts, to his human-like form, just because it's easier to talk in that shape.

"Don't try to touch Mournblade's hilt. He's sensitive about it, I guess, and if he hits you with that blue sash he can drain your energy. He's still on my shit list for trying to hurt another one of the humans, but we have an understanding." He gives a little upward nod, indicating the creature on Bart's shoulder by pointing with his chin, "You gonna introduce me to yours?"

{OOC: Would Emery be enough of a nerd to name a Pokémon after the twin sword of Stormbringer, from Michael Moorcock's books? Unclear. But am I? Very much yes.}

[theresalwaystheview]

Bart's hands fold atop his paper to keep it from shifting as he watches the shift happen, clearly fascinated but sitting on his questions. Instead he looks back at the little wet weather Castform currently perching itself there on his shoulder to watch them.

"I haven't given it a name. Unless something is truly domesticated I try not to assign a proper name to it."

Privately he's been calling it Penny.

"What are you up to out here? It's very quiet today, now that everything is bedding down out of the cold."

[Bless. What is rp if not an outlet for all your nerdness?]

[wolfborn_were]

Emery looks amused by Bart's answer about names. "That's the opposite of what I do. I was calling you Little Shadow to myself before I knew your name."

The question draws a confused look from Emery. "I live out here, Bart."

[theresalwaystheview]

"Little Shadow?" Because he'd been tucked in at the gravesides in the dark no doubt. He smiles at the thought despite himself.

The confusion is mirrored on his own face. "While it was meant to be smalltalk, does that mean you don't have a place to stay? Somewhere to be out of the weather at least. I know that the rooms at the inn are gratis, but I've never seen you there when I've been. Unless there are places to tuck in out here that I haven't found yet."

[wolfborn_were]

"I'm not human. I don't need it," Emery insists. "I dug myself a den out here, and sleep in wolf shape. It's fine."

And yes, that means he hasn't collected his money or eaten any food aside from what he can hunt.

[theresalwaystheview]

"Not being human doesn't mean you don't deserve somewhere warm and safe," he argues gently, but he realizes that he's imposing his own values here where he really shouldn't. "You get enough to eat out here, at least? If you ever need anything supplementary, I'm working on eventually having a place where I can have access to a proper kitchen. I don't know if you're a true obligate carnivore, but even they can use a bit more every now and then."