[Text/Action]

[belphe]

[Had it not been for the public text post on the network that morning announcing the affair in the park today, it might have gone unnoticed entirely.]

My place of employment will be holding a Memorial Day picnic in the park today, open to the public. People are welcome to come by for a free meal. If anyone feels they are in need of counseling due to recent events, please come and find me. I would be glad to arrange it off-the-clock for numbered individuals. I will be at the table with the lemonade cooler.


[She had nearly gotten out of it...it had been debated among the mental health wing whether Belle counted as proper staff or not when the event was still a few weeks away. As of two nights ago, however, a phone call from Dr. Korai informed her she would, most certainly, be welcome to attend the yearly Memorial Day outreach. In other words, she was expected to be there.

To her left, the cardiology staff was hosting a walk-a-thon around the perimeter of the park, and to her right, the OB-GYN staff handed out pamphlets and small pink and blue teddy bears to those who were interested.

As for her department...so far Belle had sat in the sun for two hours at a table that offered a cooler of lemonade and a bucket of free pens to fill out an anxiety/depression questionnaire with...something that, if anyone had been interested in taking, she was meant to evaluate for them. So far, the only questionnaires that had been used had been by a group of kids that had promptly folded them into fans and continued on their way.

At least the lemonade had been popular so far...]

Comments

[Action]

[dominateartimus]

[Xander had read Belle's post on the network and debated for quite a while if he should inquire for some counselling. Instead of leaving a comment, he decided to show up in person. There wasn't much harm in knowing who he might be possibly talking to in the future, right?

He made his way through the park, stepping out of the way of other civilians and children while keeping an eye out for Belle's table with the cooler. When he finally located what he was looking for, he was uncertain on how to approach the subject that he was one of the network without blowing his cover. Sure, he could show the post on his phone, claim it being a text or e-mail about the event. But what if she wasn't the person who made the post in the first place? It would make things a lot more awkward and complicated.

Except, he had already stepped up to the table before he even considered those thoughts. He clears his throat, hoping to get her attention before giving a small smile.]

...Hi.

[Action]

[belphe]

[She had seen him when he'd begun to draw near the table, but had not looked up to make eye contact until he'd been close enough that his intentions to approach were apparent.]

Hello. How are you today?

[The question is polite, and carried on a gentle tone of voice. Until she knows for sure whether he is someone from the network or simply a curious passerby, she deigns to keep the conversation neutral.]

[dominateartimus]

I'm fine. Yourself?

[His tone is rather neutral as he maintains eye contact for a few moments before turning his attention down to the papers on the table, causing the chain and identification tags to move slightly. The questions on the questionnaire didn't really surprise him, but he wasn't sure if he should go through with filling it out.]

[belphe]

I'm well, thank you.

[she observes as he eyes the questionnaires, giving him a moment to consider taking one before she speaks again]

I think you're the first person not to immediately ask about the lemonade today. If you like, I could tell you a bit about our counseling programs.

[A general offer of information to the average person, but a veiled reference to her earlier text post to someone with a number. She waits to see if it fetches a reaction from him.]

[dominateartimus]

[He nods to her comment about being well, but pauses at the statement of being the first to not go for the lemonade. That wasn't too unusual, right? Sure, he was a little thirsty from his walk here, but he could do without it for the time being. So, he raises his gaze and an eyebrow as he speaks.]

Is that so? [Then he briefly pauses, considering the offer of information.] ...I'd like to hear about that, please.

[His previous smile had turned in to a slightly strained one.]

[belphe]

[the strained edge his smile has taken on is not lost on her as she gives a single nod and reaches for Dr. Korai's vacated chair to drag it over to his side of the table, if he'd care for it.]

Well, to begin, my name is Belle Goldman, and I'm one of Oakwood's twelve on-site counselors.

[Oh god, she's not good at this. Nonetheless, she tries to keep things rolling with minimal pauses or hemming.]

The mental health wing offers pediatric counseling, grief counseling, addiction medicine specialty, along with family and couples programs. I specialize in one-on-one community counseling and would like to make myself available to those who have been effected by the strange happenings in the city.

[dominateartimus]

[He moves slightly out of the way when Belle brings over a chair, even though it was offered to him, he was used to standing.]

It's nice to meet you, Ms. Goldman. [His tone was polite again and he offered a hand, hoping he didn't accidentally address her wrong.] I take it that Oakwood isn't too far from here?

[Although he doesn't interrupt her as she lists off what she deals with. Grief counseling was something he could do, dealing with a foreign memory of someone who sounds exactly like his twin brother. The same could be said about the family program, tension caused by more foreign memories involving a look-a-like of his father and a fear of that he might do something he may regret due to his echoes, but his parents live in Minneapolis now. So, it would be impossible to have them come down to Locke constantly. A bit of a chuckle escapes him when she mentions 'strange happenings in the city'.]

Like the destruction in the business district?

[belphe]

[She accepts his hand, offering a cordial smile in return] Not far at all. It's about a three minute drive from here.

[Saying so, she moves aside some questionnaires to fish out one of the general information pamphlets about Oakwood Medical Plaza that were haunting every table at this get-together, which she sets before him.]

There are some suggested driving routes in here, and some general information about the rest of the facility. ...though to get back to your earlier question, yes, exactly like the business district.

[The smile slips into a furrowed look of faint concern.]

The strangeness on an individual level, too, is something that worries me. The world seems to be wondering what "Locke City's Heroes" can do for them, and not nearly enough seem to be considering the strain they may be under.

[dominateartimus]

Good to know. [It would probably take double the amount of time to get there by foot instead of taking a vehicle. He releases her hand and let's her pull out a pamphlet.]

Does that include suggested bus routes as well?

[Whoops. He didn't mean to interrupt, so he utters a small apology before falling silent as Belle continues. Once she was done, he gives a nod while folding his arms across his chest, but a finger starts to tap out a song on his sleeve.]

I agree. With everything that has happened and what they've seen... You'd think they want some help, but some of them are stubborn and believe that they can tough it out.

[Like he was one to talk. He falls right under the same category he just mentioned.]

[dead_black_eyes]

[Of everyone present, L looks the most explicitly like he belongs there... even if he knows that he's technically not really welcome around the plaza, since he's not supposed to be seeing Belle in a counselor's capacity anymore.

Alas, there's something he really must ask her, and it absolutely cannot wait, even if one of her superiors might see them talking and subsequently grow suspicious.]

Belle?

[A two-fingered tug on her sleeve. When she turns toward him, she'll see a blue and pink teddy bear under each arm.]

The automatic soap dispenser is out of soap. I can't replace the batteries. You need to help me.

[belphe]

[She almost wonders if Lazarus standing before her with small stuffed toys tucked into either armpit complaining about batteries is a trick of her brain after sitting in the sun for the last couple of hours.]

...what soap dispenser? [she asks, at length]

[dead_black_eyes]

[And, in answer, he's unslinging his blue canvas backpack from his shoulders and plopping it onto the table in front of them, unzipping it and withdrawing an electric antibacterial soap dispenser. The one from their bathroom.

He's also very helpfully brought batteries and a screwdriver.]

[belphe]

I see. And when did we get a battery-powered soap dispenser in the bathroom?

[Because, as of this morning, it hadn't been there.

Nonetheless, she's picking up the screwdriver and turning the contraption over in her hands until she finds the hatch and begins to work at opening it.]

[dead_black_eyes]

The other one was out of soap and I dropped it, and it broke. So this one's new, and better. I don't have to twist my hand around to pump it; it's ultimately less work and far more convenient.

[Even if this rather implies that L broke the other one on purpose, he's pretty sure he has a good point there.]

[belphe]

[The soap dispenser surgery is well-underway as the battery hatch comes off and she uses the edge of one nail to free the batteries from inside and pop in the new ones]

Though, I suppose it still needs to be mounted on the wall?

[dead_black_eyes]

Mounted? No, I don't think that's necessary.... you could if you wanted to, I guess, but it's meant to sit on the counter like the old one. It's just electric.

[And, therefore, better.]

Don't you like it? In addition to being less effort, it's cleaner, since you don't have to touch the top to pump it.

[belphe]

[She isn't sure if she likes it or not, honestly. Being a creature of habit when it comes to her own home, sudden changes without her getting a say in them tend to bother her a bit.

Though at least this one won't be as big of an upheaval as acquiring a sudden roommate and all the eccentricities that came with him.

Experimentally, she places her fingers beneath the spout, listening to the dispenser make a small whine as it deposits a dollop of foam soap on them.]

It should be fine. [she says, at length, replacing the battery hatch and screwing it back into place before handing it back to him] Was that all you needed, L?

[somesayinfire]

[when it came to hospitals, Brooke tended to spend her time taking care of their mistakes. but, well, she also needed some help, and she knew it. the therapist Ravi had recommended to her was good and all, but it was difficult to talk to her about things that were explicitly numbered in nature, and lately that seemed to be all that was bothering Brooke. so what the hell. she sauntered up to the lemonade table like the text post indicated, wearing a long-sleeved white button-down despite the weather.]

You're the one who made the post? About the numbers?

[belphe]

[Ordinarily she would check to make sure there was enough distance between them and the rest of the crowd to talk safely, but there had not been anyone near her table ever since the sun had gone behind some clouds and the need for lemonade was not quite so dire.]

I am. [she offers Brooke a smile.] Thank you for coming.

[somesayinfire]

[Brooke returns it warmly.]

Thanks for making the offer in the first place. We have a lot of people, but never really the ones we need the most. My name's Brooke. I'm a mortician for the city. [she offers her right hand—which has been painted to look like flesh, even though it and the rest of her arm is made of stone.]

[belphe]

[She accepts the hand, brows raising a bit as her palm does not meet warm flesh in return, though that's the only outward reaction she gives to it.]

It's good to meet you, Brooke. My name is Belle. Is yours an interesting line of work? I've always wondered.

[somesayinfire]

[okay, good. not the usual reaction, but the preferred one.]

It's not bad, most of the time. The snake attack kind of... shook things up. [wow, brain, nice choice of words.] That's part of the reason I'm here today, actually. But you probably could've guessed that.

[belphe]

[She gives a nod of understanding]

Ever since that attack, it's worrying the lack of safe options people on the network feel that they have for things most people take for granted. If I can help, I'd be glad to.

[somesayinfire]

[if it's possible for an emotional burden disappearing to have an actual physical effect, it sure just happened for Brooke. she seems a lot more relaxed, suddenly.]

I have a therapist already, but it's basically impossible to talk to her about things like this. [she reaches for one of the forms and a pen.] You're okay with this, Belle? I... kind of have a lot on my mind lately.

[belphe]

Then I'm glad you came by, Brooke. [She seems completely unfazed by the promise of a lot on someone's mind. The more someone wants to talk, after all, the more likely it is that the problems can come to light and be sorted through.]

I don't mind at all. No one should feel like they have no one they can talk to. After the snake attacked, several of my patients moved from the city, so I've got more than enough time.