008 [Video]

[lifetothefullest]

[So the fighting may be over, but that doesn't mean everything is going to be immediately fine. Finally having the time to really think about everything that's happened, and for everything to sink in, is going to make the next few days and weeks just as much of a challenge for some here as the last have been, if not more so.

But that is, hopefully, something he can help with, if at least a little. And there are new arrivals as well, who not only had to deal with the end of the invasion but also everything that goes along with suddenly finding themselves in an entirely new world, not to mention the sudden setting change too.

So he's trying to look as composed and calm as possible, which is a bit of a struggle since--like pretty much everyone else--he's exhausted and didn't get out of the whole ordeal with the Null entirely unscathed. Compared to some people he definitely fared better, but there's still a pretty obvious bruise across his cheekbone and around his eye; it's not too serious, but the main problem is that it's also not very helpful in looking as professional and put together as he's trying to appear.

Still, he's doing his best, and he lifts his chin a little and takes a deep breath before speaking.]

If anyone is injured, or just in need of somewhere safe to rest, the hot springs and the fire station are both serving as temporary locations for the clinic. Additionally, considering the seriousness and extent of everything that's happened in the last few weeks as well as the arrival of new people, it's worth reiterating that I'm a psychologist and so if anyone wants to talk, whether about recent events or otherwise, I'm available to meet.

[A short pause.]

I'm... Not exactly sure where, since my office doesn't exist anymore, and I probably should've thought about this before making this announcement...

[That would've been good planning, if he weren't so tired and scattered, but okay, refocus--]

But that can be decided on an individual basis. Additionally, if you'd like to respond privately, you can do so.

[And he includes a brief explanation of how to make a conversation private. With all of that out of the way, he'll put a filter on the post himself and add another message.]

[Private to friends and coworkers]

I hope you're all okay, and... If anyone who wants to let me know for sure that they are, that would be great.

[He's worried about everyone. :c]


[[ooc: Anyone on the Clinic staff list or who has positive CR will be included in this filter; feel free to assume your character's included if they and Lance know each other and are on good terms!]]

Comments

[notimpervious]

It isn't supposed to be. [She takes a slow breath, her mouth a straight line, and shrugs.] It's one of the most likely scenarios we face. I believe we'll be able to hunt and gather enough to eat adequately most of the time, but there may be days where that isn't possible. To think we'll be as comfortable as before would be to entertain a delusion that will not help us.

[Which is to say, she isn't trying to be cold. It's simply the truth, and the truth must be faced in order to plan appropriately and stand the best chance at surviving.]

[lifetothefullest]

I know you're being realistic.

[And Lance is normally all for that, but right now everyone is so tired and emotionally and mentally drained that it would be nice to just have a day of thinking that things might improve. And he supposes they technically will, because it's an improvement to not be actively at risk of being murdered by alien robots, but lack of basic necessities is very stressful in its own way.

But, like Brennan said, this is the challenge they're facing, and wishing otherwise isn't going to help.]

People are adaptable, and we'll figure things out, but...

[People who need special accommodations, those in poor health or with serious injuries, and individuals who are already mentally or emotionally fragile will take the hardship worse than others might. He's very concerned about the potential issues--some of which might be more immediate than others--and so this whole prospect just feels kind of overwhelming at the moment.]

[notimpervious]

[She may be terrible at reading people, but even she can tell that he is upset. She can't blame him for that. While she spent the majority of the attack in one of the apartments, Sweets was out there actively helping people and fighting the Null. She does not know what he saw during that time, but she knows from having seen the aftermath of war that it was probably nothing he is glad he remembers.]

Not "but" -- and. We are adaptable, we'll figure things out, and-- we will survive. It will not always be easy, but we will manage it.

[Even if there are people here who hate each other, there are others who do not, so there will always be someone looking out for any given individual member of their community.]

That is also realistic. We've proven that we are able to unify our efforts when necessary. Therefore, despite the hardships we face, we will survive.

[lifetothefullest]

[Okay, now she's being more encouraging, and it's well-timed. It means more coming from her, as well; she doesn't lie to make people feel better, and she doesn't patronize, so he knows she genuinely believes what she's saying even though he's too tired to use his normal ability to read others.

He nods carefully in agreement, staring down at the fabric of his jeans, and giving a quiet exhale to try to calm his nerves. She's right. They'll manage--all of them--and make it through, and really, dealing with a food shortage can't be worse than fighting off an army, can it?

Another few seconds and he even manages a small smile, looking up at her again.]

You've really come a long way, you know.

[And he already knows for a fact that she's not done improving and growing yet, but it's still something that amazes him when he really thinks about how different she was--how different they both were, honestly--when they first met.]

[notimpervious]

[The silence, and his nod, reaffirm that she is right. Of course she is, she knows she is -- but it is good to know that others agree with her.

That makes the shift in topic all the more unexpected, though in fact, she would not know what to say even if she had expected it. Rather than ask him to clarify what he means in a bid to buy herself time and perhaps get him to say something she can use to respond with, she makes the effort to understand without asking for an explanation.

He could mean that she's come a long way since arriving in the colosseum, or since losing Zack to the whims of the door. The latter in particular had been very painful emotionally, since she had still been hurting over the sudden separation from her family. But that does not seem like much of an accomplishment. It's a fairly normal part of adapting to a new situation.

It must be something psychological, which means she will have to be gentle when she lets him down, because clearly he means it as a compliment--

Oh. She gets it now. Back when they had first met, she would not have bothered sparing his feelings when criticizing his field, but now she has respect for him, if not for psychology. And she can see how, before, she would have been much more curt and dismissive about his reaction to her opinion on their situation in this aboveground location. She'd said to Booth once that she used to be impervious. She'd forced herself to build that kind of shell in order to survive in a world where the people she loved most could disappear with no warning, long before she'd learned the reasons why they'd left. But now, she had said, she is strong. She can be hurt, by others and by what she feels, but she is able to endure.

It is that same shift that Sweets must be referring to, in his own way, because it is the same shift that allowed her to admit she had fallen in love, and that had led to Christine's very existence.

Knowing what he means does not give her the words to say -- this is not her forte in the least -- but it makes it easier to try and find them.]

Yes. I have. [She glances down at her hands, clearly out of her element, but not uncomfortable. Being vulnerable, even the slightest bit, even with people she trusts, is still difficult.] You have been... a large part of the how and why.

[And Angela, and Booth, and Max. Everyone. All her friends, her family.]

I-- recognize that it may have been difficult. That I may have been difficult. But you have been patient, and for that, I am very grateful.

[lifetothefullest]

[He's quiet while she processes everything and tries to find the right words to respond with; he isn't expecting anything from her, knowing this is not her element, but he just wanted to be sure she knew how apparent the changes she's made really are, and for the better.

What she does say in response is not exactly what he expected, but her words prompt another small smile and, despite everything, a sense of calm and security that comes from talking to someone he knows truly cares about him.

He almost tells her there's no need to be grateful, and that they're all difficult at times--some of them more than others, himself included--but instead something else feels more important.]

I'm really glad I met you.

[And Booth, and Daisy, and all the others; he couldn't have imagined being any more fortunate than he was, after losing his parents, to find a second family that he belonged with. Sure, it took awhile, and it hadn't always been easy for everyone, but that's life. He wouldn't trade any of it, difficult or not.

This time he hugs her first, finding words to be--as they are only rarely, for him--not really enough, and distinctly aware once again how important it is to appreciate the time they have.]

[notimpervious]

[There's just enough time after he speaks for her to smile back and think about how glad she is that she met him, and then he's hugging her. She never expects hugs from someone else, with Booth being the only exception. No matter what, she is still caught a little off guard, but not so much that it becomes awkward before she hugs back.

There is almost no delay in this instance. She holds him tight, as if this were the first time she has seen him in too long, acutely aware of the fact that he is the only person from home who is here with her, that this place took Zack from her on a whim and could do the same with Sweets. She misses everyone so much that this embrace is for them all, for the people she has let in and let herself love.

There are no words for this, so she rests her chin on his shoulder and shuts her eyes tight, hoping beyond logic that the others know she loves them.]

[lifetothefullest]

[The hug is more comforting and grounding than he really expected, but he's pretty sure they can both use that reassurance this point. He knows he can.

But he pulls back after another few seconds, letting out a long breath and beginning to truly feel just how exhausted he is; he thought he realized it before, but now that he's finally coming down from the nonstop tension mentally it's suddenly so much heavier.

So he's quiet a moment, before deciding to just ask--]

Do you mind if I stay here tonight?

[He doesn't want to go all the way back home, both because he simply doesn't want to expend the energy and because he doesn't want to give up the sense of calm and belonging just yet.]

[notimpervious]

Of course you can.

[She is tired too, and in fact, she wants him to stay the night. After all they've been through recently, she wants to be be with the only person here she knows she can really trust.]

You can stay whenever you want.

[And she means that.]