010 [Text]

[lifetothefullest]

[Lance doesn't typically post to the network within a few weeks of a previous post, partially because talking to so many people is exhausting and partially because he usually doesn't have anything to say so soon after. But this time he has two brief announcements that happen to be time-sensitive, so here goes.]

Hello everyone. The list of who is available and willing to teach particular skills is now available, and I'll continue to make changes to it as requested; it isn't too late to volunteer, if you'd like to. Where possible I've provided references to the initial responses, so be sure to look at the details of what someone is offering.

[And that's the main announcement. The second one he's still nervous about, even though he's been set on doing it for awhile, and it's part of the reason this is text; it's easier both to choose his words and not back out if it's through text.]

I'm also going to be taking a brief break from non-emergency counseling. This will only be for a few weeks, and if a situation is very pressing or serious I'm still available to meet; please don't hesitate to contact me, and don't second-guess yourself about whether it's serious enough to warrant doing so. The last thing I want is for someone who really needs help not to get it because I decided to take a vacation.

[And he really, really means this; the entire idea is making him nervous all over again about the decision to take a break, because if something happened to someone because he wasn't available to meet with them he's not sure he would forgive himself. But people here survived a long time without a psychologist around, right? Surely everything will be okay.]

Comments

[lifetothefullest]

At the FBI, besides me it's Booth and Aubrey, the prosecutor Ms. Julian, and occasionally some other agents such as Agent Sparling; she's the one who shot me on accident.

[But he says it with fondness instead of annoyance, despite the topic; he likes Olivia a lot, and they even briefly dated.]

At Dr. Brennan's lab, it's her, Dr. Saroyan, Dr. Hodgins, Angela, and a bunch of interns including Daisy and Fisher. I've known most of them for about seven years.

[evocation]

God. Why do you sound happy that she shot you?

[lifetothefullest]

Well, it's pretty funny in hindsight.

[The whole situation was really dumb. But... Okay, that's not the whole answer, and he admits quietly--]

We also um, tried dating. It didn't really go anywhere, but we get along really well, shooting aside.

[evocation]

Did you start dating before or after she shot you?

[lifetothefullest]

After; that was our first case, and I was still with Daisy at the time. While Daisy and I were broken up, Olivia and I tried dating.

[evocation]

Oh.

[She squints at him.]

You know that probably, like... says something about you, right, Mr. Psychologist?

[lifetothefullest]

I'm sure it does.

[He's actually pretty sure he knows exactly what it says about him, but he's so not having that conversation right now; he knows just how terrible he is at relationships. But although he doesn't care to go seriously into the subject, he will joke about it a little to deflect.]

One of my previous girlfriends talked to fish, though, so I think Olivia was a step up.

[evocation]

Wait, what? Like, she talked to them seriously?

[lifetothefullest]

Yeah, she said they had feelings and understood her or something. And then she dumped me for being too young and childish.

[The offense!!!]

[evocation]

[Kyna bursts out laughing.]

She caught you eating uncooked ramen, didn't she?

[lifetothefullest]

[Okay, that response even earns a laugh from him, despite how exhausted and nauseous he feels.]

Uncooked ramen is a perfectly valid food source. But no, I think she was mad I didn't take pottery class seriously enough or something.

[He's... Still not totally sure, honestly. But it was probably the 'throwing clay at her' thing; it was cute when Booth and Brennan were doing it, so why didn't it work for him?]

[evocation]

Uh... What did you do?

[This sounds kind of like a story.]

[lifetothefullest]

You ask that like you assume it was my fault.

[He tries to affect a tone of mock indignation, but can't quite manage it.]

[evocation]

[She grins.]

Whatever, it totally was with that answer.

[lifetothefullest]

[He offers a half-hearted glare for that.]

I just made the mistake of thinking she had a sense of humor. Turns out not so much.

[But he can't keep up even the barely-glare for long.]

But it's fine; I met Daisy a few months later.

[And that was way more important. But okay, enough about his dating history--]

You totally owe me some stories about your own previous significant others now.

[evocation]

Ugh, God.

[She's making a terrible face.]

Like one? Stupid ones?

[lifetothefullest]

Preferably, yeah, but whatever you want to say about them is fine.

[But fair's fair, okay. Surely she has some ridiculous or at least interesting stories to share, right?]

[evocation]

Um...

[She frowns, considering that.]

I dunno. Wash is the first person I've dated in a while. Uh... There was a guy hitting on me in a bar once who said I reminded him of his sister?

[lifetothefullest]

Wow.

[That's definitely a ridiculous story.]

I could go into a whole psychological rant about that, but instead I'm just going to say that I hope that line didn't get him anywhere.

[evocation]

[She bursts out laughing.]

Duh. Give me the rant.

[lifetothefullest]

[He can't help but smile a little when she starts laughing, but--]

Ugh, I don't have the energy right now to talk about sibling complexes. But did you know there's a thing called genetic sexual attraction that actually causes individuals who are related but didn't grow up together to sometimes experience intense attraction? It's believed to be related to other studies that indicate features--physical or mental--that are similar to one's own are considered more appealing.

[evocation]

Bullshit. You're lying.

[But her immediate thought is that she desperately hopes Tucker never accidentally runs into his secret brother.]

[lifetothefullest]

Why would I make that up?

[evocation]

Because that's gross.

[lifetothefullest]

It's... Yeah, pretty weird, at least. I think it's supposed to have to do with promoting attraction to compatible partners and reinforcing certain genetics, but family that grows up together usually experiences something called the Westermarck effect which inhibits that sort of attraction between very close relatives.

[He sighs, arm still over his face.]

What really sucks is knowing all of this and being adopted, so you're just super paranoid about dating until you're sure you're not long lost siblings or something.

[His life is a struggle.]