Untitled

[maddeninghatter]

Who: Xerxes Break and Gilbert Nightray. And, dear lord, Dr. Franken Stein
When: Tuesday, July 24
Where: Siren's Port
Summary: An introduction to modern life, complete with grievances.
Warnings: Minor surgery and traffic. Also, Dr. Stein himself constitutes a warning...

[ There is, to Xerxes Break's way of thinking, but one downside to keeping his outpatient appointment: that scary lady doctor! He'd been shocked, and then amused by the staples (modern medicine, indeed!); but they'd started to pull and itch in this warm weather, the more he moved about. And though he doesn't know the city, that is just one more reason to go out and explore.

Besides, he is slowly going mad, despite his seemingly ideal circumstances. Here, in this vast estate, with Alice, Oz, and Gilbert, he is safe for the moment. The gardens are fragrant; and the selection of sweets is as abundant as it is outstanding. The other occupants of the household - Ciel Phantomhive, his aunt, and their shadowy servants - are intriguing in their own right, and also because of their associations.

And then there's his NV, with which he's had hours of amusement, variously chatting with strangers or eavesdropping on their conversations.

But without any sort of occupation, without a reason for being here, Break feels useless. Guilt and despair - the old weaknesses of his youth - are creeping up on him again, as his mind constantly cycles between the "should haves" and "what ifs."

Thus he is silently slipping out a side entrance, without a word to anyone. His purpose is less to explore than it is to escape. ]

Comments

[circumsutus]

[Stein has claimed a rolling chair. He clatters down the hallway of the clinic, forcing people out of the way, and rushes through the slightly open door of the exam room. There's nothing on the floor for the wheels to catch on, so he doesn't fall over sideways.

He does slam straight into the side of the cabinet, coming to a dramatic, noisy stop.]

Hello~

[He flips through the folder, checking name and reason for being here.]

Ready to get your staples out?

[maddeninghatter]

[ A walk through the city, with its blaring bus horns and car alarms has somewhat habituated Break to loud, unexpected noises, so he doesn't startle quite as much as he would have, otherwise. Even so-- ]

Ah!

Er...

[ He plucks at his shirttails, undoing the bottom buttons. ]

Haha~!

I was hoping for more, actually. There's nothing quite like the feel of cold steel biting into one's skin!

[circumsutus]

I'm going to assume sarcasm rather than masochism.

[But you never know.

Stein pulls out disinfectant, tweezers, and wirecutters, and snaps on a pair of sterile gloves.]

Shirt off.

[But first, Stein's going to look at Break's soul. Break is probably going to feel Stein's soul perception focus on both Break and the Mad Hatter, prying and creepy and invasive.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Ignoring Stein's command, Break simply pulls the bottom of his shirt up and lies back on the table. He knows, intellectually, that the mark on his chest probably has no meaning in this world; but it's something he continues to hide, through force of habit - and relentless shame. ]

Oho, sadism actually. These things are completely fantastic for scaring ladies and small chil--

[ Break had been poked and prodded and scanned and examined extensively when he was in the hospital. But this is unlike anything else. He can feel the Mad Hatter beginning to stir within him, its enormous red eye fluttering awake. It will come out, in a minute, if this doesn't-- ]

Stop that, whatever you're doing.

[ In the blink of an eye, Break has rolled off the table, seized his walking stick, and now has it pointed at Stein's head. ]

[circumsutus]

[Stein brings a hand up to move the cane away, completely unruffled.]

Do you normally show your stomach to ladies and small children?

[But he does turn his soul perception off, and the oppressive stare fades.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Yeeeeeeah, Break's having second thoughts about the whole staples thing. He'd had the idea of getting them out by himself, with pliers, and this looks to have been the right instinct. Break twirls his stick between his fingers and sets it down on the floor with a satisfying thunk. He considers actually attacking this time, but - it's gone. It has faded away, that penetrating something, that seemed to pierce Break to the core, layer by deliberately-constructed layer.

Mad Hatter is still active, awakened by this prodding. It wants out. Break is tired; the walk to the clinic winded him. Still, with effort, he can just keep his chain in... ]

Do you normally--COUGH!

[ Crap, not again! ]

[circumsutus]

[Oh, that doesn't sound good at all. Stein grabs a handful of paper towels, offering them to his patient.]

Sit.

What else did you do to yourself?

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

Every time...

[ He hadn't even used his chain, and yet - he can feel the familiar, coppery tang on his tongue. He takes the towels, wiping off his hands and his chin.

He sits as commanded; he doesn't have a choice about it, anyway. He feels ready to collapse. ]

What did I... do to myself?

2/2

[maddeninghatter]

Ha! Ahaha! Hah! Hah! Hah!

[ The unintended irony of Stein's question is so great, so mind-bogglingly enormous, that Break erupts into a paroxysm of mad laughter! ]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!

[circumsutus]

[Stein's no psychiatrist, but Break's reaction has obvious roots. He's coughing up blood, and the damage is (on at some level), not his fault.

The laugh is also a possible concern, but from what Stein saw in his patient's soul, it's not a surprise. So he waits, lets Break calm himself down.]

[maddeninghatter]

Ha... ha...

[ Another pass at his mouth with the paper towel. It has taken a few minutes, but Break has finally regained some semblance of control. ]

A few youthful indiscretions, that's all.

[ One hundred sixteen, to be exact. One hundred seventeen, if you include little Miss Emily Sinclair, and he always does. ]

[circumsutus]

The kind that leave you coughing up blood. [Those have got to be some interesting youthful indiscretions.

Stein holds out the hazardous waste container for the paper towels.]

This was happening before the stomach wound?

[maddeninghatter]

[ Break doesn't see Stein holding up the container, so he hangs absently onto his towels. ]

Well before. Been a few years actually, haha~! Used to just happen when I overdid things, but lately...

[ He smiles, vaguely. ]

These staples aren't going to take themselves out, hmm?

[circumsutus]

[Blind, or just unobservant? Stein taps the wastebasket against Break's hand.]

Trash in here.

[He has more questions, of course, but taking care of the staples does have first priority.]

Lay down, and don't hop up again.

[The most obvious possibility for the blood is tuberculosis, though cancer is also a possibility. Some kind of black lung might also fit.

Goodpasture's syndrome, if kidneys are involved. Mitral stenosis, possible, if there are obvious heart problems. Kartagener syndrome, probably not, since there's no obvious hearing loss.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Thus prodded, Break surrenders his towels to the bin. He lies down on the exam table, readily. Usually he collapses after using Hatter's power; since he hadn't actually used it this time, he just feels - tired. ]

Perhaps we can come to an agreement. I'll lie still; and you can tell me allllll about that interesting little power you've got.

[circumsutus]

I have a better idea.

You lay down, I take your staples out, and you tell me what's wrong with your lungs before I assume it's tuberculosis and throw you in solitary confinement in the closest hospital.

[maddeninghatter]

Ha! Ha! Ha! Your bedside manner needs work, Doctor. From the moment you walked in, you've given me no reason to trust you. And now you're threatening me. Tut, tut, my good sir. That won't do at all~! ♥

[ Break's manner is easy; relaxed. ]

But trust doesn't matter, you know, if there's a mutually beneficial arrangement. So if you want to know something about me, that's fine. But you'd better tell me something about you, as well.

[circumsutus]

Normal procedure isn't a threat. Suspected active TB requires immediate isolation and treatment, before we even get test results back. You're a hazard to public health.

[Stein sounds too chipper about this.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Break is talented at remaining jovial and light despite serious circumstances-- ]

You...

[ --but only when he has the upper hand! Right now, Mister Double Standard is just getting angry. ]

Idiot! I don't have anything contagious, if that's what you're getting at!

[circumsutus]

You need to prove that, or else you're not going home for a few months.

[And Stein knows he has the upper hand here.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ He's in no shape to fight, he knows that much. But he'll be damned if he tells his secrets so easily! And, now that he thinks about it... ]

Fine. Go ahead.

[ ...as threats go, "I'm going to admit you to the hospital" doesn't exactly rate! ]

[circumsutus]

Do you have any friends or contacts here in the port?

[He'll have to tell them what's going on, and contact the hospital and get the room set up, and then get started on the treatment plan and run the tests.

This is going to be a pain.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Several, in fact, one of whom is outside sitting in the waiting room. But Break is in a massive snit at the moment, and unwilling to divulge any information at all, hence: ]

No.

No one.

I'm entirely at your mercy.

[ However, if Stein has the hospital discharge summary on his patient, he'll know otherwise, as the signature on the discharge papers is one "Gilbert Nightray." ]

[circumsutus]

My mercy.

[Mercy is one thing that Stein doesn't have.


He's not going to bother with the paperwork, not when soul perception works so much better sometimes. A quick look through the rest of the clinic, and he spots Gilbert and Raven.]

Wait here.

[And he'll walk out into the waiting area and walk straight over to one Gilbert Nightray.

And stand there.]

[retraced]

[Amidst the gossip magazines and world news that he doesn't understand and doesn't much care for, Gilbert has found a magazine on gardening in the pile put out for public reading. He's currently studying an article on pruning tomatoes with EXTREME FASCINATION, so he doesn't catch the sight of Stein at first.

But when that stubborn shadow out of the corner of his vision doesn't move right away, he finally tears himself away from it and turns to investigate.

And immediately drops the thing to the ground with a startled yelp.]

W-where did you come from?!