Prescribed Recreation part 3: Chillax'n with a Vengeance

[fleurdesel]

Who: House 44, House 46, House 3, Saori, Steve Rogers, and whoever wanders in
What: Movie night on the beach
When: September 9th, in the evening
Where: The Beach
Summary: After an unfortunate tussle with a Chaos God, work on a farm, a swarm of refugees and stress piled upon stress, sometimes all anyone wants is to sit back and watch classic movies.
Rating: PG for possible adult language
Something that everyone could agree on was this: the past three weeks had been several shades of stressful. What they needed, what they all needed was something mindless and relaxing shared in the company of those they care for in a neutral environment. The beach works well enough, and it's not that far a trip for anyone involved.

Comments

[deathsdoctor]

Hey there. [He waves back from the railing he's leaning against.] I didn't realize that there was such a crowd coming down here tonight.

[fleurdesel]

I did not think we would be disturbing anyone. My apologies, Law.

[deathsdoctor]

No, no, you misunderstand. You're not disturbing me. It's just that it's unusual for me to see many other people other than the sailors down here.

[fleurdesel]

Ah, well. Luke thought this would be a more interesting environment for our movie night, though how Superman and the beach coincide I'm not quite certain. And I will, as ever, accept any excuse to spend more time on the shore.

[deathsdoctor]

[Smiling as he leans a bit more on the railing.]

As would I. This is the only place in the enclosure that reminds me of home.

[fleurdesel]

The village is pastoral and pleasant but...there is nothing like the crash of waves along the shore. Were I not so occupied in the village I would attempt to build a home for myself out here.

[deathsdoctor]

I'm the same way. Or... I'd just live on my boat. Which is what I do back home. And what, oh, a lot of people back home do.

[Has he mentioned that his world is pretty much all ocean yet?]

[fleurdesel]

Those from your world, or at least those I have met and heard of, seem to have a penchant for living on the ocean. I cannot help to be curious as to why.

[deathsdoctor]

Well, you'd have to know a little bit about our world first. Where I come from, the planet is all ocean. It's known as the Blue. It's divided [And here he sketches in the air a vertical circle.] longitudinally by a mountainous strip of rock that encircles the globe called the Red Line, and the Grand Line, [Horizontal circle] which runs along the equator. So the Blue is broken into quadrants - East, West, South, and North Blue. I'm from North.

The Grand Line is considered a sea of its own, due to the Calm Belts that lie on either side of it at the tropics; stretches of becalmed water with no wind or surface currents - they're sea monster nesting places. It's difficult to get into the Grand Line. There's only a few access points.

There's very little land. Most of the islands in the Grand Line? Are the size of small Caribbean islands. You're lucky if you get an island the size of that big one in Hawaii. [Yes. Someone has FINALLY looked at an atlas. He was getting tired of scratching his head every time someone brought up an Earth nation.] Outside the Line, you're better off, but there are scant few islands that are bigger than Japan or the British Isles.

So a lot of people end up on the oceans... For many different reasons it can be the only place they have left to go.

[fleurdesel]

...an entire world that is all but covered by water?

[That does explain all of those from a similar world that she knows of in regards to sailing but...it seems too neat to be natural.

Then again who was she to say what was natural and what wasn't? Smoker was made of smoke, she'd lived with a wizard and lives with Jedi. Here there be dragons and mermaids and pirates and vampires. Not every world had to make sense.]

I take it most spend their time sailing the blue rather than on the islands, yes?

[deathsdoctor]

Yes. [To both things.] Most of us are roamers. Settling in one place feels unnatural.

[fleurdesel]

How have you been able to stand this place?

[deathsdoctor]

You know, that's what Mister Lupin asked me in our first conversation together. [A nod to where he was. A worn, weary chuckle.] How I haven't gone insane by now.

You know how busy I keep. It helps. A bit. It keeps my mind off things. It's no cure, it's just coping, and sometimes it's not the best thing. [He knows he has been a hypocrite in the note he wrote to Lupin for his 'intervention'.] Sometimes it wears me down terribly and I have to step back for a while.

I'm glad for Itachi. He usually kicks me in the ass before it gets too bad.

[fleurdesel]

Lupin is more stir crazy than the average man. By tenfold. It will get him killed one day-

[She snorts.]

Oh. Wait. It already has. And it's changed nothing in his demeanor. I understand railing against stagnation, truly, I do. But at the expense of one's health?

[A moment then she shakes her head, more at herself than anyone else.]

Ignore me. He's been chomping at the bit, as of late. He has no one to keep him calm, no matter what he might call me or Luke.

[deathsdoctor]

He's like one of mine. Hoo... health. It's why I wrote that note. It had gone too far. He still needs to be very careful. But at this point? He needs something to burn off that restless edge as well. I know he's stir crazy. I would be too by now. Perhaps you and I can concoct something that would be well supervised, but spontaneous and a break in the routine. I think he needs it. Before he acts out.

[Part of being a doctor was attending to psychological needs without putting the physical in determent.]

He calls you nakama?

[fleurdesel]

...I could modify the simulation I made for Gambit's birthday, but that may be too structured for him. [She sighs and scrubs her face with a hand.] He is going to do something foolish, break out in some way and I don't know if I'll have the patience to manage him. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

[There's only so much of this she can stand, and Lupin's low boredom and ire is starting to build up. She can almost feel it.]

...Nakama? What does Nakama mean?

[deathsdoctor]

I'll see what I can do.

... it's a difficult concept to describe, and I likely won't do it justice. It's something in my world that's just known. [Not a lot of people get it here.] It refers to the relationship a group of people have when it goes beyond friendship and family. Bonds forged so strong that they can survive betrayal and heartbreak and everything else that would normally tear people apart because despite it all, you still love and accept the other person. With nakama, you are theirs and they are yours, and there's nothing you won't do for each other.

[fleurdesel]

Partners.

[The closest term Lupin might have for it. It's a romantic notion, having that sort of bond with someone.

It's also a destructive bond. Dangerous. Well worthwhile for some but...betrayal. It's not something she can easily forgive. Not after Robert. Not after Irving. Not after what led her to Unger.]


It might be what he thinks of us. It might not. I cannot say.

[deathsdoctor]

Partners.

[The word works.]

It's not for everyone.

[It doesn't occur as much as it should on the Line. The Marines don't have it. And there are many pirate crews that aren't nakama.

He knows. He didn't find nakama till he broke free.]

... that is something, then... you should one day ask him.

[fleurdesel]

We shook on it. Sealed with a glass of brandy- my father's tradition. It may mean more to me than it does him. And you know just...asking isn't something one does with Lupin. He rarely gives a straight answer, especially since he's bored.

[But it'd be something to ask...maybe in a few days. He's too tense right now, it'd only bother him.]

[deathsdoctor]

Mm. Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it's the reverse. It's a big mess of maybes. Though not asking will get no answer at all.

... if it's important enough, he will. All you need to do is make sure he knows just how important it is to you.

[fleurdesel]

I will at that.

[She's told him enough of herself that it should be apparent. He's not an idiot- just. Flighty.


Better to be direct with this.]


Thank you, Law.

[deathsdoctor]

No problem.

[fleurdesel]

[A beat, then...]

Would you care to join us? For the film.

[deathsdoctor]

I would. I hear it's going to be about Superman. We had him in the enclosure once upon a time.