Dr. Lance Sweets (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lifetothefullest) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
hadriel2017-06-15 03:22 pm
lifetothefullest) wrote in hadriel2017-06-15 03:22 pm
Entry tags:
003 [Video]
[For those familiar with Clinic, it can be recognized to be the backdrop for this broadcast; it's also probably easy enough to guess that Lance has just arrived there, because he's obviously drenched. It doesn't seem to bother him any, though, except for that his slightly ridiculous hair is now definitely long enough to fall into his eyes when wet, so he has to shove some of it out of the way before he can actually see the screen.
Despite being soaked he looks a little more vibrant and relaxed than usual, although in contrast his tone is quiet and sedate for the most part.]
Is the 'raining underground' thing strange even for here, or...?
[Because he hasn't been here that long and he's heard that it's snowed before, so maybe not? But the rain is totally not the point of this post, so he continues.]
But rain aside, I'd actually wanted to ask about the caves that branch off from the main cavern. I know they're supposedly difficult to navigate and filled with monsters, but have there been any coordinated efforts to explore them? And what sort of monsters exist in them?
[He does remember Maketh telling them there are paper records on some of the monsters at the Guard post, but as far as he's concerned that's really not too helpful. Besides, he'd rather hear that the general populace has to say, and talk to them individually on this.]
Despite being soaked he looks a little more vibrant and relaxed than usual, although in contrast his tone is quiet and sedate for the most part.]
Is the 'raining underground' thing strange even for here, or...?
[Because he hasn't been here that long and he's heard that it's snowed before, so maybe not? But the rain is totally not the point of this post, so he continues.]
But rain aside, I'd actually wanted to ask about the caves that branch off from the main cavern. I know they're supposedly difficult to navigate and filled with monsters, but have there been any coordinated efforts to explore them? And what sort of monsters exist in them?
[He does remember Maketh telling them there are paper records on some of the monsters at the Guard post, but as far as he's concerned that's really not too helpful. Besides, he'd rather hear that the general populace has to say, and talk to them individually on this.]
video
What sort of messages would a magical forest be trying to send?
[This is his main curiosity here, now that it seems like the hallucinations themselves aren't actually harmful.]
video
[Which sounds more exciting than what he often did: move rocks or branches to help power flow through a ley line better.]
Here, I can't really do anything for it. It just - stays in contact, I guess. It's sort of comforting.
video
[Strange, but if it's not a threat or something, then--]
That's... Pretty cool, actually. Weird, but cool.
video
[All things considered, it could be way worse.]
But I really never thought magic was real before that. Who knows what could be in your world?
video
[Just because he doesn't know of any evidence for magic existing doesn't mean it doesn't, especially if it's extremely rare and those who do know about it keep it to themselves. Who knows.]
My friend does know a psychic who has been right about things that she really shouldn't have been able to know.
[He's very on the fence about Avalon's abilities, inclined to believe she's just very observant and her sixth sense is really more just subconscious intuition, but after this place he's wondering if maybe it's not such a crazy idea that she's genuinely psychic.]
video
[Eerie, sure, but also sometimes kind of annoying? It's hard to keep your business your own when people just know stuff they shouldn't.]
What kind of things did she know? Like, did she have visions of stuff?
[Though Adam generally does not like to pry, he's admittedly very curious about the different kinds of magic that can be found in different worlds. He's got more of a scientific mind than an intuitive one - he might receive hallucinatory visions from a forest that lives half in his head, but if he could categorize it all with some kind of system, he would.]
video
I'm not entirely sure how it worked for her, but she helped us in some investigations regarding finding evidence or giving us information, and one time she actually found a mass grave.
[Which of course had immediately made her a suspect, although it eventually became clear she wasn't responsible for what happened.]
I think she said she had visions, but also used tarot cards or something.
[He hadn't paid all that much attention, considering he didn't really believe her to be legitimate, but now he's really curious.]
video
[Or at least that's how it works for him.]
A mass grave, though? That's morbid. It sounds like even if there's no magic in your world, there's still a lot of - well, weird stuff.
[Or at least it means Lance lives an extraordinary life. Realistically, there's probably mass graves in most worlds somewhere - that's just how people are. But most would live their lives without ever getting anywhere near one.]
video
[He never thought he'd be saying anything about psychics and tarot cards make sense, but hey.
And oh, right, that probably sounded kind of terrible out of context. Not that it was totally great in context or anything but at least it's more so.]
There's some weird stuff, yeah. Mostly though I just see more of it than a lot of people; I work with the major crimes division of the FBI.
[He's not totally sure if the FBI is even a thing where Adam is from, but if not he'll explain that too.]
video
[Look, he's heard so many weird organization names from so many different people in this place, it's kind of a relief to hear one he actually recognizes. Sure, it could be some different kind of FBI, maybe they use laser guns or something, but still. It sounds familiar. Like something from his world - though not something he has any experience with.]
We have that where I'm from, too, but I've never met anyone who works for them. What do you do?
video
I have a few jobs; I do psychological counseling for agents and pairs of agents, I work as a criminal profiler, and I'm a special agent.
[Although they're listed in descending order of how long he's had each position, at this point all three roles are pretty balanced.]
video
[And pretty impressive to someone who's essentially just a student, and one who spent most of his life in a trailer park. The magic and everything that came with it makes Adam a little more exceptional, but it can't change his roots, much as he might wish otherwise.]
You must deal with a lot of strange things, then. Did you have to do a ton of training?
[Maybe a weird question, but Adam's always curious about these things - building blocks, how things are made. Or people.]
video
[It's just one of those things about how life goes that he'd ended up doing the other two as well, especially becoming an agent himself.
He doesn't mind the question, and it isn't all that weird. He's just glad not to be asked how he can have even one job, being twelve and all.]
I did a lot of training for my psychology degrees; it took about eight years of college. One of those degrees qualified me to do profiling, so that just sort of ended up happening as a favor for one of my coworkers and then it spiraled from there.
[Lance and Booth had made a deal about it, and then Lance had just kept getting more and more involved in cases.]
For being an agent, I probably should've done a lot more training than I did. I had to pass the gun qualification and get some other basics, but not much else.
[He probably could've used some more focus on the self-defense portion.
And since Adam had asked, Lance thinks it's probably okay to ask in return--]
Are you in school, or...?
[He's not sure exactly how old Adam is, so he could be in school or college or working or none of those, who knows.]
video
[Sorry, man. If it helps, that was meant as something of a compliment. But also, you look about fifteen years old - or at least not that much older than Adam.]
I was in school at home. I'd just started my senior year. But I've been here... I guess almost two years now.
[That's a little alarming to think about.]
I was going to go to college. Instead I ended up in a weird alien cave city.
[Adam is actually quite put out that his college plans have been derailed. He'd been working toward that for years, with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears included - all three of those very literal, at times. His only real comfort is that as far as people who have left and returned know, when he goes back he'll still have time. He'll be able to put in his college applications and finish his senior year and it'll be fine. He has to hope that's true.]
video
I did; I started my first degree just after I turned fourteen.
[And it's... Not necessarily a course of action he'd recommend, for various reasons, even if it worked out for him. As Adam explains he nods, taking note of that; so Adam was probably seventeen or eighteen, he's guessing, plus almost two years. Wow, that's... A long time to be here.
Lance offers a small smile at the last comment, and a dry joke--]
Pretty much the same thing, honestly.
[College was slightly less underground and had a fewer murderers, but still.]
Had you decided what you wanted to study?
video
[He says it without any kind of flattering inflection - simply a statement of what seems like fact. Fourteen is young for college, very young, and Adam can't imagine any way he'd have managed something like that. Lance must be very smart.]
For a long time I was just focused on something that would get me success - prestige, you know? Law or business. But actually I think I'd be better at something like engineering. Or medicine, now that I've spent so much time around doctors here.
[Adam smiles a little. He knows that's a lot of stuff - and a lot of different things. The truth is, he likes learning, and even before he came here his life had been in upheaval. He'd changed so many things about it, changed his ideas of what he wanted from the future. It's only gotten worse here.]
I like figuring out how things work, and I like solving problems. How did you decide what you wanted to do?
video
I'm just a fast learner in some subjects, and had a lot of motivation.
[And the motivation had honestly been a huge part of it. He smiles a little as Adam talks, listening to the different answers and how he feels about each option, and nods in understanding.]
Once you have a chance to start trying out classes you'll probably get a better idea of what you enjoy most. It's definitely worth finding something you're actually really interested in, so if you're undecided give everything a try.
[By the time Lance started school he knew exactly what he wanted to do, but he'd had friends and roommates who had interests in several fields and only found their perfect fit by trial and error. Adam seems bright and has already figured out his underlying motivation of liking to solve problems, so he'll surely find something that works for him.
At the question he glances off to the side briefly, deciding how detailed he wants to be in his answer before looking back at the screen once more.]
I wanted to do something that would help people, so I considered a few different fields but ultimately decided on psychology. I wanted to work with people on a more personal level than a medical doctor normally would.
I didn't plan to end up in the FBI, let alone becoming an agent, but it just worked out that way.
[And it's another way to help people.]
video
[That, at least, Adam understands perfectly. At home, his friends used to tease him about being a genius - the top of nearly every class he took, loaded up with extracurriculars and spending most of his free time studying. But Adam never saw it as natural intelligence, but rather the result of hard work and nothing more. He felt like a fraud for it most of the time, as if he didn't come by his grades fairly, but even he knows that's irrational.
It does make him curious, but he doesn't pry. They've really only just met.]
Helping people is a pretty noble desire. It seems like you've managed to, anyway - I don't know what would do that more than being a psychologist and being in the FBI.
[The idea is appealing, though Adam is pretty sure any field meant to help with mental health would not be a great choice for him. A little too personal, maybe. But it's something to think about. He'd like to help people - kids like he once was - but he's not sure he'd be able to handle it.]
I'm sorry you're stuck here, but I have to admit most of us can use all the help we can get.
video
He'd understand Adam's concerns if he knew them; Lance had considered working with children as well, but he knows his own limitations and had eventually decided against it. He wouldn't have been able to deal with it if he'd made a mistake, or missed something, or knew something was wrong but couldn't prove and therefore legally do anything about it.
But working with adults--and, rarely, older teenagers--has suited him well, and in a turn he never could've predicted it's very useful experience to have here.]
Thank you.
[It's quiet, but very much meant.]
I just realized I never asked your name.
video
[He's really let his manners slip here - Adam was raised to be polite to his elders. Lance may not look that much older, but even so.]
My name is Adam Parrish. It's nice to meet you.
[He smiles a little, rueful.]
I didn't ask yours, either.
[It's just too easy to jump straight into conversation with people here, especially over the network. Sometimes easier than talking face to face - Adam doesn't know why that is, but maybe it's something about the distance, the informality of it.]
video
[It's clearly a joke; Lance isn't bothered in the slightest by the lapse in manners, especially since he's just as guilty in that regard.]
It's nice to meet you too, Adam. My name is Lance Sweets.
[No need to add the fancy Doctor title, considering they'd just gone over the whole thing about his jobs anyway.]
video
[He recognizes the room behind Lance, at least. Of course, plenty of people stop by the clinic, but considering that Lance is a doctor, it's a easy mental leap to make.]
Unless you change your mind and decide to go into the caves. Then maybe not.
[He grins - it's a bit of a morbid joke, though.]
I should let you get back to work.
video
[He grins back; Lance doesn't mind morbid jokes at all, as long as they aren't at a wildly inappropriate time.
And oh, right, he'd come to the Clinic for a reason; he does have things to get done. So he nods, grin shifting to a more genuine smile.]
I probably should actually do some work, yes, but it was nice talking to you.
[And that's something he can't say much lately; 'interesting' is often fair, but not usually 'nice' and he's certainly not complaining about being distracted for a bit. He offers a wave farewell, and disconnects.]