[OPEN] She said my spirit doesn't move like it did before

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Who: Chris Freeman (thelatechrisfreeman) & you (or maybe you? perhaps you?)
What: the bitch is back, baby!
When: the month of July
Where: various places around the island
Warning(s): discussion of illness and death likely



I said 'I'm just tired', she said 'You're just high.' [Back to Work]
The reason that Chris hasn't been social, like... at all? For about two months now? Post-flood outbreak of pneumonia among patients of the Winterbottom Clinic. They took full responsibility, refusing much in the way of help, and thus their days have been full of treatment and sometimes palliative care for the most frail.

There were also concerns about not burning through the antibiotic supplies for this particular outbreak, which led to some difficult decisions and even more difficult days and nights...

But now, finally, things are looking up. There haven't been any re-infections for a whole week. Chris walks from their house to the clinic proper, looking forward to a shift filled with cases other than infectious disease.

Feel free to swing by the clinic to say hello, now that they've finally emerged from their self-imposed sequestration.

Oh, I make you cringe now; don't I make you cringe? [Something Life Balance]
Newer arrivals may not remember this or not have been present, but Chris was downright weird upon first coming to Marrow Isle. They've apparently reverted back to that, what with being found up a tree, or on a roof, or wandering along the surf's edge and chattering away to empty air.

Perhaps you feel like figuring out what's going on with them?

Lover come hold me, head's on the fritz [Breaking Bread]
Chris could probably cook for themself, sure. They've had enough practice with baking, and simple cooking. But sometimes meals are about more than getting fed. Sometimes meals are about community.

Perhaps you catch Chris at one of the meals after Wednesday service in the Temple of Sacred Roots. Or maybe you notice them sitting at a table at the Oak and Iron some other night. You'll be waved over to sit beside them once they notice you!

Comments

Don't I Make You Cringe? (Or *divebombs this post like a starving crazed weasel*)

[theydrewfirstblood]

The offer during another round of bar games at the Oak & Iron turns into something John's been chewing on...and, frankly, he just misses Chris. Having the boys around the ranch a little more often, spending time with a new friend with common ground in Alex--even occasionally looking in on Sam and Lou, as much as it hurts, is smoothing away a little of that loneliness enough to make him realize and yearn for what's missing.

He waits, though. Clinic's been hit by a lot of business, unfortunately, and John has just enough medical training to know to stay out of the way of people with actual schooling.

He's considering stopping by Chris's place one day as he's walking along the beach, five brass in his hand so he can cast a coin into the surf at intervals as an offering to Kora, when he spots them in the distance. They seem to just be going for a walk...and yet...

...yeah, mouth is moving. Chris is definitely chatting with thin air. Then again, John's had lunch with and been kissed by a goddess, so...

He heads in Chris's direction, waving to get their attention.

"Hey, bud! You got company I don't?" he calls out with a curious smile.

💗

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Oh yes, she's doing quite well. Aidie has nothing but nice things to say about her as a student..." Then Chris notices John waving to them. They raise a hand to wave in return.

"Oh, Alto is always here. He'd keep you company if you wanted, but I don't think you'd be able to hear him," Chris replies. "He asks me questions when I come to the beach. He can't come in any further, you see."

Re: 💗

[theydrewfirstblood]

"...like a spirit?"

John...sort of knew that about Chris. He thinks--sometimes even now, his earlier memories of Pumpkin Hollow are like looking at the world through soaped windows: he can see what's on the other side, but it's so indistinct he can't make out details.

Regardless, it's not shocking. Both in his upbringing, and his recent communion with the divine here, John is more just...trying to make out the details through the soap.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Yes, he's a spirit. He drowned in a storm years ago." Chris glances back at the seemingly empty space. "I can see the ghosts on the island, and speak to them."

[theydrewfirstblood]

...well, then.

John glances at the same empty space, back at Chris, then over at the empty space again.

"Well...I can't see you or nothin', but any friend of Chris's is a friend of mine." John assures Alto. "If you ever need anything, have 'em drop me a line, I'll help if I can. And, uh...I hope folks out on the beach or near the water line don't disturb you. I sorta...I've been out here to pray, I guess."

He focuses on Chris again with a small smile.

"The old men on the res would've said you know that good medicine." John observes--a way to explain that it's odd, but not disturbing or strange to him. "I say God don't make mistakes, so if you talk to ghosts then it's gotta be okay. So...you ever need help with the dead, gimme a call."

Back to Work

[lordoftheozarks]

Their work is important to them, and to the village, so who was he to stand in the way? He did his best to keep his worry and fussing to a minimum, but he was a frequent face poking into the clinic just to make sure his lover was taking enough time to eat and rest. Not being able to catch any illnesses himself as a vampire does have some advantages. He didn't have to worry about transmitting anything.

It's a relief, however, to have the worst of the crisis over. Now he can feel less guilty about wanting to monopolize more of Chris's time. He arrives shortly after the clinic opens, checks around to make sure they aren't with a patient at that moment, before greeting them affectionately.

"How are things looking today, My Light?"

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris smiles upon seeing Erik, happy just to see him, but even happier that they have time to talk. "Much better. Closer to normal now."

They check the stack of patient files laid out by one of the assistant receptionists against the appointment list. No correction to make. That's good.

"How have you been? I've been so absorbed in my own crisis that I haven't spared much of a thought for anything else. I'm sorry."

[lordoftheozarks]

"I am so glad to hear that."

He crosses the room and pulls them into a quick hug. Yes, they're at work, but he has missed this for so long.

"Don't apologize, Chris, you had important work to do and I don't begrudge that. I've been mostly well," aside from getting murdered, but shh. "In fact, my business has been so profitable that I've managed to make some extensive upgrades to my home and office. I have a few new things I think you'd appreciate, too."

[thelatechrisfreeman]

For a moment, Chris presses their face against Erik's hair and inhales his scent. They've missed him -- holding and being held -- just as much.

"Oh, really? I'm glad you've been so successful. Maybe I should keep not distracting you from your business..." Chris is clearly teasing with that last bit, unable to hide their playful smirk. "What kind of new things? Or do I have to come to your house to alleviate the suspense and find out?"

Chris can think of a few other things aside from 'suspense' that a visit to Erik would alleviate, but they're at work. Not professional to say!

[lordoftheozarks]

"What is success if I deny myself the best pleasures if life?" The best pleasures being his time spent with them. He would weep if he never got to see that playful smirk on their lips ever again.

"I'll give you a teaser, but you really will have to come see it all for yourself." No one can stop him from having dirty thoughts at work, but they will have to behave themselves until later and, oh, what sweet agony it is.

"I think you might be most excited to hear that I've obtained a fresh wardrobe. Heavy on robes. My favorite might be the pink chiffon with the feathered sleeves."

don't I make you cringe?

[ss_buttcrack]

Crichton is new in town. He showed up here while the cucumber festival was in full swing. (Actually, he won his old leather-on-leather clothing ensemble in that House of Cards shack while he was there, so it's harder to spot that he's new.) With the distraction of pickles and game prizes gone, he figures it's time to explore and get the lay of the land.

That brings him down to the beach. What a sight for sore eyes that is. It's not a sunny Florida beach, but it's close enough. Turns out he isn't the only one wandering the surf today.

"Hey there," he calls, raising a hand to wave. "You like to do your thinking down by the water, too?"

Crichton assumes that's what the talking to themself thing is about. He can't judge, he's done that enough times. (Even if, in his case, he sometimes was talking to the other guy in his head. Thankfully, Harvey has left the building permanently now.)

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"No, no, I think everywhere. An idle mind is mischief's plaything," Chris replies. They turn back around and say to what seems to be empty air,

"Well, never mind that for now. First we'd have to catch her. And before that, we'd have to figure out who wouldn't frighten the poor soul. You're right out of the running, no offense."

[ss_buttcrack]

"Okay. You got me there..."

Crichton has a feeling he's talking to someone who isn't playing with a full deck at the moment, which, he can relate to so he's trying not to judge. But it is concerning. He tries a more direct approach.

"My name is Commander John Crichton. Can you introduce me to yourself and your friend here?"

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Hello, John Crichton." Chris bows, with a little flourish. "My name is Chris Freeman, medical assistant. My friend is Heckie Markas, former boatswain. He's dead, so he doesn't hold down a job now."

This is all said quite cheerfully, as if it were not strange at all.

[ss_buttcrack]

This could go either way. Crichton has known people who can and do genuinely see and talk to ghosts. He's also met and been a guy who was talking to something that's only in his own head. Personally? He's rooting for there being an actual ghost here. It's a haunted island after all, not like the odds are low.

"Nice to meet you, Chris Freeman. Is Mr. Markas asking about some unfinished business? That's typical of ghosts, right?"

don't I make you cringe? [tree-climbing]

[graphomaniac]

Lev/Lyubov is on hir way home from a morning shift at the library when sie comes across Chris sitting up in a tree, but it's not the oddness of the situation that makes hir come over to see what's up — the fact it might be odd doesn't even occur to hir. It's far more that sie's missed Chris.

Sie peers up into the canopy, shielding hir eyes against the summer sun.

"Gitn tog!" sie calls up to Chris, smiling. "Art thou like, occupied up there, or hast thou the time to chat?"

There are a lot of good reasons to be climbing a tree in the middle of the day, even if Lev/Lyubov can't think of any offhand right now.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Talking to a ghost!" Chris calls down to Lev. They can be heard saying, "Let me know if you see her around, all right? And ask around if anyone thinks they'd be able to get through to her."

After that, Chris descends from branch to branch until they are sitting upon a low one where neither they nor Lev will need to shout to be heard. There is a twig and a bit of lichen stuck in Chris's hair, which they don't seem to notice as they smile at Lev.

"Hello! How have you been, dear?"

[graphomaniac]

"Ohhh," says Lev/Lyubov, as Chris climbs down to the lower branch, "nu, right, of course." Sie doesn't sound at all sarcastic, actually — more chagrined that sie didn't think of something so obvious.

Sie suppresses the urge to fish the lichen and twigs out of Chris's hair, at least for the moment.

"Feh like, I've been terrible?" sie says, easily. Sie certainly looks at peace with the situation, as sie leans one shoulder against the trunk of the tree, so sie and Chris can face each other but sie can also take some weight off hir feet. "Except the last while. Since the ship. Nu, mostly. There was some unpleasantness one Shabbos, but nothing like, out of the ordinary for here? Nyura's here now, so things cannot be bad now. But like, never mind me. What hast thou been like? I've ..." Lev/Lyubov pauses, not wanting to push Chris into talking about things they might want to let fade into dim work memory. "Nu. I know why thou wert so busy. Art thou ... like, getting decent rest now?"

Sie starts to say something else, and then cuts hirself off, not wanting to accidentally make hir concern seem perfunctory. Questions about the ghost thing can wait a minute or two.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"I'm not exerting myself as much physically, which balances out with the amount of rest I'm able to get," Chris answers. This is not a 'yes I'm getting decent rest' and Lev/Lyubov should be able to pick up on that. "It's more a change in what's taking up my attention, rather than the demand easing up, but I'll manage."

They reach out, and pat hir on the shoulder. "I'm glad that you're not lonely now. That you've got your people."

[graphomaniac]

Lev/Lyubov does absolutely pick up that Chris is avoiding hir question, and for the moment chooses to say nothing direct regarding that. Instead, sie decides to try a more subtle tack — sie can't force Chris to rest, but sie can at least invite them to dinner sometime; socialisation is no replacement for sleep, but it's a kind of rest just as necessary.

And this way sie can be sure Chris is skipping one less meal that week.

"It's been wonderful having him here, yes," sie says. "... thou ought to meet him. I'd like to like, nu. Introduce him to my friends here?"

Back to Work

[lovinglefthand]

Monday, July 1st: First Aid is tidying up the reception area when Chris walks in. He turns toward them immediately, visor brightening, and comes in for a hug.

"Hi," he says warmly -- but his voice is ever so slightly hesitant, as if he's waiting for the right moment to reveal some big piece of news. "Did you have a good weekend?"

He knows Chris has been working very hard; they deserved some time to rest.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris returns the hug happily. "Yes, I did. And I'm so glad things are getting under control again."

They pull back enough to look up into First Aid's face. "How have you been, Aidie?"

[lovinglefthand]

"I've been good! You know, busy, but..." First Aid laughs quietly. "Ferrick browbeat me into taking a few days off. Something unexpected happened at the festival actually -- in a good way!"

Before Chris can get too worried about his phrasing, a click sounds from somewhere inside First Aid's helm and the blank metal mask beneath his visor slides open, revealing a perfectly sculpted set of lips, which part in a shy but warm metal smile. "What do you think?"

[ooc: not making this up: he won it in a carnival game! XD]

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"Oh!" Chris beams back at First Aid's smile. "Just like you wanted, Aidie! I'm so happy for you!"

And that'll be Chris pulling you back into an excited hug.

[lovinglefthand]

Aw yis, sibling hug. Bring it in, bring it in!

"It feels so right, too!" he enthuses. "Here, touch it!" He gently captures Chris's hand and holds it up to his face, so they can feel how the metal bends and flexes as he speaks, without any visible external joints.

"It's just like the face I'd have given myself, if I'd thought to try it back home," First Aid sighs happily. "I really didn't think this would be possible here. Even with you and Bart helping me, just trying to make the tools we'd need..." He laughs quietly. "I never even thought of trying -- I guess this counts as magic, right?"