☤ ninety-four

[as_damaged]

I expect we're meant to see this as progress. All that promised work on the City's barriers paying off.

For those of you visiting, I can only hope the usual pattern will hold and you'll get to head home in a couple of days.

For the rest of us-- well, there's no reason to make plans until we have a reason.



[ooc: please no duplicates of existing House cast without that player's permission; face-doubles / confusion / other hijinks always welcome. Please be gentle about spoilers, Cameron is s3 forever. Backdating encouraged! <3]

Comments

[actsharpbesharp]

Out of one nuthouse and into another.

[as_damaged]

Well, I suppose that depends where you're from, but it's not inaccurate.

[actsharpbesharp]

Los Angeles.

[as_damaged]

Not quite my part of the world. Or even my world, necessarily.

If no one's said it yet, welcome to the City.

[actsharpbesharp]

It's always going to be its own little messed up world, no matter where or when.

Thanks. That's my first.

[as_damaged]

They say there's no place like home.

It probably won't be the last-- all of us tend to come out of the woodwork for visitors' days, especially those of us who've been here a while.

[actsharpbesharp]

Normally this is not the kind of invite I take. I'm a cop. This is sort of a false alarm. May as well enjoy the ride.

[as_damaged]

You're right, you might as well. There aren't many other options.

My name is Allison.

[actsharpbesharp]

Stay on duty.

[Which is sort of an option anyway.]

Hi, Allison. I'm John. Your neighborhood is always like this?

[as_damaged]

There is a police force here, they're perpetually overworked and under appreciated.

[Which might not be encouraging for either the "stay on duty" or the "enjoy yourself" option, really.]

It's always chaotic. Does that answer your question?

[actsharpbesharp]

That doesn't sound different form any department I know about.

[Just being real. If duty calls, he won't put it on hold.]

Sure does. What do you do to keep an even keel? You don't seem worked up.

[as_damaged]

Normal in my line of work too, honestly.

I've been here too long to be easily surprised, I think. And-- maybe more importantly, we're all a little exhausted, I think.

[actsharpbesharp]

What do you do for a living?

[He's trying to guess.]

You handle tired pretty good.

[Cooper wouldn't think to even start humoring people if he didn't have to. He's that sort of a person.]

[as_damaged]

I'm a doctor. Tired's kind of a way of life.

[actsharpbesharp]

[Clean and sober, unlike some people, Cooper takes the news in stride. In another time this would have been a time to make a vital connection.]

No rest ever? That's a hard time.

[as_damaged]

Around here, this is a day of rest.

[hulkbusted]

You'd think, but sometimes things get even weirder.

Hello, Allison.

[as_damaged]

The unfortunate downside of the psychological tendency to acclimate to stimuli. Weirder is always inevitable around here.

Hello, Bruce. It's been a while.

[hulkbusted]

I can't decide if it seems like just yesterday or if it's been months. It seems like a mix of both.

What's new around here?

[as_damaged]

I'm told that's normal. I've never left, though once or twice I've imagined I did. I hope you've been well?

Oh, everything, depending on who you ask. The Deities have been deposed, a semi-anonymous rebel faction has promised the end of curses, it's been a party all week. That's only the aftermath, of course. Before... well, it might be better not to dwell.

[hulkbusted]

Overthrowing entities with godlike power can't be pretty. Did you come through it okay?

[as_damaged]

Not so much as a broken window, thankfully. Gray was furious-- I asked a friend to take her in-- but I can handle that.

[hulkbusted]

You sent your guard cat to live with someone else? Why?

[as_damaged]

He was running a refugee camp, I was making a pillow fort in the on-call room. It made sense at the time.

[hulkbusted]

A pillow fort? Were you a child again?

[as_damaged]

No such luck. I just camped out in the hospital... it seemed safer than coming and going in the chaos. And with fighting in the streets-- well. I wanted to be available.

[hulkbusted]

That doesn't surprise me at all.

It seems like a weird time to open the City to bringing in all these people who will come and - hopefully - go.

[as_damaged]

They've said they're working to bring down the barriers around the City-- to make it possible for people to leave.

[Someone grab a towel, her sarcasm is dripping everywhere.]

[hulkbusted]

You sound like the party line isn't sitting so well with you. This would be a good start if they really are trying, though.

[as_damaged]

I think it's a nice idea, but I'm reserving judgment until I see real changes.