[ 99th consult | voice ]

[dr_conscience]

There are always a few of these - curses that seem to come around with some kind of regularity, almost like traditions. I can't imagine making sense of exactly why it is some of them become annual events and others come and go, essentially forgotten. The theme of violating personal boundaries and dragging up memories for public viewing is hardly unique to this curse, but here it is again.

Of course, this one does have a potential bright side, if you're lucky enough to have the City issue something that's worth hanging onto instead of mass producing your best Risky Business reenactment. We all have moments we don't really want to share, that we don't want to be made public for scrutiny, but we also have moments we look back on and wish we had captured, people we wish we had reminders of with us here. It honestly can help to remember that it's a mixed bag out there.

[And switching it up from being too serious, he gives one tongue-in-cheek addition:]

There is also a risk of paper cuts, so you might want to take an umbrella if you go out.

Comments

[dr_conscience]

[A small, sardonic smile.]

I would hardly expect otherwise at this point.

[He shakes his head slightly at the image, looking at it yet again.]

Hardly my finest moment, is it?

[hexuality]

I wouldn't know.

[She tips her head, one arm braced around her middle and the other lifting her coffee to her lips.]

It could be you're starting a fabulous bar fight for the hell of it. You wild rebel, Dr Wilson.

[dr_conscience]

[Funny choice of words, actually. There's a slight pursing of his lips.]

Well, I didn't mean to start a bar fight.

[He just kind of... did. A small breath before he voluntarily offers the context.]

I wasn't exactly having the best weekend to begin with, and... someone decided to play the same song on the jukebox, over and over, no matter how many times or how politely he was asked to stop. It was a stupid impulsive reflex.

[hexuality]

[She can't help it. She does bite her lip around a smile.]

You're lucky I know what a jukebox is, now.

[dr_conscience]

[Okay, that he actually laughs at, then pauses to take advantage of the lessening of his own tension for a sip of coffee. He shakes his head, still smiling.]

Well. I don't necessarily mind pausing to explain any non-magical terminology as needed.

[hexuality]

I think I can pass off as entirely non-magical with the time I've had to get used to it all.

[She pauses.]

I'm not, er, distracting you from work, am I? As much as I love stories.

[dr_conscience]

Almost. I mean, now that you've got Hot Wheels down, of course.

[He feigns very serious consideration on the point of Hot Wheels, making sure to express their gravity. Of course, he shifts back towards actual seriousness as he continues. A share gets a share in turn, it's only fair.]

And no, you're not. Fortunately enough, we get pretty decent breaks. Though as far as the story goes - well, that was the short version of it. It was my first medical conference, fresh out of school, and I'd just happened to receive divorce papers from my wife at the time... just a bad concentration of circumstances that made me lose my temper.

[hexuality]

Hot Wheels are the most important part of my cover story.

[Because it's a silly little thing they bonded over and Ginny's fond of that memory. She does listen, though, of course she does. She doesn't know a lot of divorced couples back home (more widowed than anything else), except maybe Dean's parents because his father left when he was so young, but maybe it was because he couldn't admit to being a wizard to his wife.

Gently,]

I'm sorry. [Then - ] I would've started a fight, too.

[dr_conscience]

I hadn't even meant to. I didn't throw the bottle at him, for the record - but it did break a mirror and that's what inspired the fight. I even paid for it, but... I still got into a bit of trouble for it.

Certainly not my proudest moment, but... it wound up not being the worst weekend of my life.

[hexuality]

Sometimes there're just some things we need to work out

[She smiles briefly.]

Ask anyone who knows me. It was hard during the rebellion at school—they stopped sports so I couldn't fly, couldn't get the stress out. I almost picked a few fights. [She did.] We're not built to cope with everything.