(Network & Log) somebody to lean on - forward-dated

[thesepreciousthings]

[the video feed cuts in to show Clarice, freshly showered, wet hair pulled back, dressed in the silk pajamas she arrived in - because she needed a little comfort, a little piece of home. she's got a cup of tea cradled in her hands, and while she still looks a little tired, her eyes are clear and present]

Hey, everybody. I think I've met most of you by now, if only by seein' you at the community meeting a month or so ago, but if you don't recall, my name's Clarice Starling. I know we've all been through a lot the last few weeks, and this isn't a place to point fingers or blow off steam... I just want to let you all know that I used to work with victims of violent crime, so I now a thing or two about lending an ear after people've been through trauma. If you feel comfortable with coming to talk, my door's open. I'm two floors down from the Deep End, the one with the metal star hangin' on the door. I'll be happy to take the time.

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆

WHO: Clarice Starling & You
WHERE: Clarice's room (or anywhere else you might want to meet up)
WHAT: Talking out the aftermath of Bill-E-tropolis
WHEN: The week after they all return to Temba
WARNINGS: Discussion of trauma, flavors vary! Please label your top levels for folks.

A: Clarice's Room
The metal star on the door Clarice mentioned is a decoration she picked up on Coruscant - made of some sort of light, fine alloy that shines green like light underwater at the right angle. She hasn't done much else to make the little run-down hotel room hers yet, save for set up a bundle of blankets and pillows in one corner to sleep on, and put in hooks to hang her clothing on the wall. A few pads of paper sit next to the bundle, and there are a few extra pillows for company to sit on. She's already sketched a few things: vistas from Coruscant, a few rough portraits of familiar faces from home, before they're too lost to memory. She's no Da Vinci, but they're passable enough.

When the door opens, she's sitting on her makeshift bed, one of the pads in her lap, making herself a list of the tasks she wants to catch up on. At the sight of a familiar face, she smiles.

"Hey, come on in."

B: Dealer's Choice
(Start your own TL if you want, she's flexible.)

Comments

A: I should be fine (but I'm not)

[kyley_b]

His hair enters before the rest of him.

"Uh. Hey." Kyle shuts the door after him, looking around the room. His eyes fix on pretty much everything but Clarice, until finally he runs out of things to look at and he has no choice.

"Are you like... busy? You know, with people who have actual problems? I just kinda thought, you know, I'd swing by. See how you're doing."

[thesepreciousthings]

She can understand the reticence - not only have they all spent a while not being who they really were, but the last time they saw each other, she'd chastized him for his mouth in front of pretty much everyone. "Just me, myself, and I right now, Kyle. C'mon in."

She sets the notepad aside: both so she can give him her full attention, and to look less like a stereotypical therapist. She's made the offer as a friend to them all more than as a professional, after all. There's a subtle gesture made toward one of the cushions, inviting him to sit if he wants to.

"I'm ... adjustin'. Honestly, the last few days were the hardest. I can only imagine how hard it was for poor Cayde, and anyone else like him who could tell somethin' was wrong the whole time. ... You?"

[kyley_b]

To be happier, it wasn't the first time his mouth had gotten him into trouble, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Kyle nods as he flops gracelessly onto the cushion, sitting there holding his knees to his chest.

"Jeez, yeah. They must have felt like they were nuts at first, and then to just know you're right and everybody else is under some outside influence..." He trails off and shakes his head.

"Me? Oh. I'm fine." He delivers this lie with a nervous smile.

"What happened to you there, anyway? I don't remember seeing you, but it's already so unreal feeling, you know?"

[thesepreciousthings]

"I was the director of SHIELD: the agency that supervised a whole bunch of the heroes. Padme, Tony, and someone I'd never met named Bucky were under my command. Honestly, that was the strangest part for me, once it hit me. That I was the boss with a capital B. That's never been me. I took orders and I noticed things."

She got up and poured him a cup of tea, holding it out to him, then waited through the silence until she'd taken her seat to speak again. Her tone was one she'd honed over many years, from studying her own mentors: one that brooked no bullshit, but wasnt' accusatory, either. "Y'know, where I come from, there's an acronym for 'fine'. Wanna guess what it is?"

[kree_soldieress]

Lauri-Ell was not one of those who really needed help to process that which had happened. No, she expected it was others who did and so she had come, to speak to the one who might most need help and not seek it through others.

Who helps the helpers?

she must stoop to enter the room, but when she does she offers Clarice a nod.

"Is all well with you, my friend?"

[thesepreciousthings]

"Heeeey, Lauri-Ell." Clarice gives her a smile that's tired, but still warm and fond. "I'm not sure I'd put myself a hundred percent in the 'well' column, but I'm doin' the best I can. It's just gonna take time to process, is all. Just like anything. Thankfully I didn't do anything I regret, like a few folks might've."

She's thinking mostly of those who fought on the Shadow's side in that final push to break the illusion, but she also realizes she doesn't have any way of knowing what sort of things they all went through.

"What about you? I hope you're not beating yourself up over Billy being at the heart of all this." She still needed to talk to the poor teen, but her focus was on Lauri-Ell. She knew how much anyone in a protective position could fall victim to guilt: she'd been there, herself.

[kree_soldieress]

Ah, what a question to pose to Lauri-Ell. She had struggled, so hard, to get Billy to understand. To save him. But he had refused.

"It was not his fault," she says with absolute certainty. "We had come to an understanding. I failed to protect my Prince, and that was despite my best efforts. I am displeased."

[thesepreciousthings]

"I'm glad you understand that it wasn't his fault," she said gently, "but it wasn't yours, either. I've heard about what the storms here can do to people ... and we know so little about how they work that there's not any logical way you could have protected him from this."

She paused for a moment, thinking of the story Lauri-Ell had told her at the meeting: the history of the Kree, her own role in it, her aspirations, her desire to be so much better than her cultural inheritance. "I understand why you'd be hard on yourself about this, after everything you've already told me ... but you need to be gentle with yourself right now."

A: Clarice's Room

[itsamysterio]

Beck raps his knuckles on the door before peering inside, offering a small smile as he's welcomed in.

They haven't really spoken before, only really seen each other in passing, and he does a good job of putting on an uncertain sort look as he half waves.

"Is that uh...that offer to talk still good?"

o ho hoooo, I approve XD

[thesepreciousthings]

"Absolutely, come on in. Don't think we've met yet, other than seein' you at that meeting, right? Maybe around the library once or twice?" She gets up to greet him and offer a handshake. "Help yourself to a cushion."

^_^

[itsamysterio]

He nods, taking that hand with a flustered sort of laugh. "Mm, that's right. Hell of a proper introduction, right?" he apologizes, "Beck," he offers finally, settling down on a cushion, "You uh...do this sort of thing?" he broaches, a calculated wariness on his features, like this is difficult for him.

[thesepreciousthings]

"Not much here's proper, as far as I can tell, so you're totally fine." She sits back down on the makeshift cot and settles in, leaving her paper and pencil where she'd set them.

"Yes and no," she said earnestly. "I have a degree in psychology, but I used it to go into Behavioral Studies, not private therapy practice. The principles are very much the same, though. And I'm not really here to advise or diagnose anything so much as just listen. Most of the time that's all a lot of people need, anyway."

B: Dealer's Choice

[heypartner]

Cobb grabbed two beers from the bar on his way over and sauntered up to Starling's room. Since it was an open invitation and all he just knocked on the door then let himself in.

"Hey stranger," he said as he leaned a shoulder against the doorway. "You busy?"

He held up the two beers. "Figured you might need a break from tending to everyone's problems."

Except her own. Cobb was clearly here to check on her. Someone had to look out for the people that looked after others. Never mind that applying to himself. Cobb didn't think like that.

omg why is everyone checking on HER, hehehe

[thesepreciousthings]

"Hey, Cobb." She beamed at him, an indulgent and appreciative sigh rolling off the roof of her mouth at the sight of those cold ones. "I gotta tell ya, you know how to treat a friend."

She got up off her makeshift cot, glad for the chance to stretch her legs. "So far it hasn't been too bad. Can you believe, Kyle figured he'd get away with playing like we'd only talk about how I was? Hell of a kid. Well. Young man, I should say. I need to give him credit."

Because they like her

[heypartner]

"I bring what I can afford." He let her take the beer then offered her a knife to get the cap off. Cobb didn't understand why someone would make a bottle so hard to open when the whole purpose was to drink what was inside.

He nodded as he took the knife back and opened his beer. "Kid tends to care a lot about people. Just wanted to make sure you were okay as well."

Which was Cobb's mission. Might not be necessary given her attitude. "Since you're offerin' to look after everyone."

she has the best friends

[thesepreciousthings]

"Much obliged," she said to the offer of the knife, using it to crack the top off like an old pro. She'd done it with her share of Coke bottles as a kid, after all, her father teaching her how to do it with a butter knife on the front step of the porch as they watched the fireflies gather in the brush across the thin dirt road they'd lived on.

"That's good've you," she said, and meant it. He was making such a good, genuine effort, and his manner had put her at ease from Day One, so after a long, thoughtful pull at that beer, she decided to hand the mantle to him for a moment.

"I think a part of me knew it was wrong, all along. Something deep inside that I was choosing to ignore. I was never in charge of anything before, let alone something that big and important. It would have been like waking up one morning and being Director of the whole-ass F.B.I. back home. I never wanted to be in charge, I just always wanted to help, is all. Sure, sometimes I'd think 'wouldn't it be nice if I had the power to fix this problem or that one' ... but bein' in charge? Didn't seem like I did much fixin' then, either. Mostly I just gave a bunch of orders and ran around puttin' out other people's fires."

A

[deal_me_in]

"Heya neighbor!"

Two quick raps on the doorframe heralds his entrance before the bright greeting as he steps inside. Cayde looks around, pausing to admire the star up on the door with approval. "I really need to get my signs up."

For as sparsely furnished as the room is, it looks cozy. "Nice place you got here. If you need any help with furniture you might fancy, just let me know. That store's practically a second bedroom anyway," the Exo grins.

[thesepreciousthings]

To say Clarice is startled by Cayde's demeanor is an outright understatement. He's his usual self, as though nothing had ever happened. Part of her wants desperately to run with it, to join him in the illusion and just carry on.

But she also knows the cost of burying trauma down deep, and how long and far it can spread its roots unchecked. She decides to settle for a middle ground and ease her way, see how far he'll let her in. She smiles.

"Thanks, Cayde, I 'ppreciate that. Maybe some real chairs if we can find such an animal, but for right now, it does what I need it to in between shifts at the diner and supply runs for folks. How's the Deep End looking, did you lose any fish while we were away?"

[deal_me_in]

"Pff, chairs're easy. They got all kinds. The trick is making them more suited for human-height than awkward Agrii-height. Those guys are a little on the tall side. They make excellent barstools however, if you're into that."

There's a lot he's still processing in regards to the past month. It had been a special kind of nightmare, even though on the surface it looked anything but. The novelty had worn off quickly enough, and Cayde's more than happy to just focus on the now. His metal brows lift at the question, like as though it's something he hadn't thought to consider.

"Uh-oh, was I supposed to keep track? Oh wait, you mean like, in the tank, probably. Hard to tell- I think they were all there but then the kid's been by recently so, you know," he shrugs.

A!

[beholding_archivist]

Two quick and precise knocks announce Jon's arrival later that day before he pushes the door open to let himself in. The invitation on the network has been clear enough. What hasn't been entirely clear has been Jon's decision on whether or not to take her up on her offer to talk. But he has made the way now.

Spotting Clarice isn't difficult and the Archivist greets her with a nod. "Hello, Clarice." So far so mundane. And as long as one can look past that lingering faint glow of his eyes, very little about Jon appears out of the ordinary. Those eyes do fall on the drawing in her lap and he raises a single brow in response. "You're keeping yourself busy."

[thesepreciousthings]

"We lost some stock at the diner, just due to overripening and natural decay," she explains, holding the list up so he can get a look. "I have to figure out some meal plans with what didn't spoil, and make a strategy for replacements. Building projects and such are fine after a few weeks on hold, but food ... totally different story."

She shifts a little and gestures for him to have a seat. "How're you? Writing anything down for the Archives? Come to get my side of it on record, maybe?"

[beholding_archivist]

The loss of valuable resources like food is naturally a troublesome issue and Jon scans the list quickly before he nods. Actual food may not be a requirement for him anymore, but he is well aware that most everyone else in the city relies on it.

"Oh." Is all he finds himself saying, even as he follows her motion to seat himself. After a moment of silence, Jon admits: "I'm sorry, I... Won't be much help with this issue." Then he shakes his head. "It's also been a while since I recorded anything. Haven't had to in quite some time..."

A.

[ezra_of_lothal]

One thing Ezra is going to miss is all the different kinds of clothing he'd had as a high school student. Also some of the food. But partly the clothing.

He shows up at Clarice's door in his bright, study work clothing and his cloak, and a tentative smile.

"So, how'd that compare to what you're used to, back home?" he opens with.

[thesepreciousthings]

"Ezra," she says happily, getting up from her cot and abandoning her pad and pencil to come and greet him with a hug. "It was ... some of it was very much the same, and some of it was completely different. The architecture, the politics, the cars... that was all familiar. Adding the superpowers into the mix was most of what made it weird in retrospect. What'd you think of ... well, one version of Earth?"

[ezra_of_lothal]

Hey, he's not turning down a hug. He hugs back just as warmly before he pulls away to talk.

"I really liked some of the food, and clothing. And buildings! You saw Coruscant; buildings that are designed to look nice exist in my galaxy but particularly on the Outer Rim where there aren't always a lot of spare resources, uh, form follows function a lot?" he muses.

"I wasn't really paying attention to the politics, but I guess you would have been, being in law enforcement."