restingstitchface: Handmade - DNT (Erudite)
Jonathan Crane ([personal profile] restingstitchface) wrote in [community profile] abraxaslogs2023-04-10 08:32 pm

[Open] All the world seems in tune on a spring afternoon

Who: Jonathan Crane
When: Month of April
Where: Cadens + Horizon
What: Cadens (Cadfael) + Horizon (Open) + Sarstina (Norman)
Warnings: Possible discussions of trauma and PTSD







Hello! If you want a prompt message me on [plurk.com profile] safekeeping or Discord.



vecna: (pic#15832290)

[personal profile] vecna 2023-04-10 11:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[A meeting, promised. And now planned and arranged. Henry is punctual, always pristinely presentable when he arrives, his footsteps which softly sound down the hall the only real herald of his arrival. The sunlight dapples across the ground, across his own form, and the sound of birds twittering carries here and there.

A peaceful, novel sort of place, he thinks. Doctors of his ilk are always trying to make their patients feel so comfortable, so comforted, in the spaces they craft for themselves. For their work. Admittedly, some do better than most; his time spent in HNL was only half as aesthetically pleasing, pops of color among the sterility reserved for the children, and certainly not the "employees".

But Henry will set his biases aside (no he won't, not really) for the sake of meeting another Summoned who might claim to heal the mind, dredging up trauma just to file down its harsher edges. No such thing to (sincerely) apply to himself, of course. But he is curious.]


Dr. Crane.

[-he announces as he nears the man, who's apparently busied himself reading beneath the swaying shade of a tree. Henry strands, straight-backed and made up of nothing but polite edges, and clasps his hands behind him, as he often does. The default Friendly Orderly stance.

He smiles, amicable as anything.]


What a nice place you've already crafted for yourself. I'm impressed.

[hello sir, meet the emoji bastard]
oversight: ([±] casual as fuck)

[personal profile] oversight 2023-04-11 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
[ Blake isn't quite ready to accept the Horizon. His comfort level here isn't great — the idea that it's all part of the mind bothers him — but the allure of those darkened streets and familiar smells coupled with a modern attire more like what he's used to, and some days here feel easier to go to his block-or-so of Gotham to hide.

With his own Horizon space nestled close to Crane's it's only a matter of time before Blake finds his way there, leaving his skyscrapers, but bringing the rain. He recognizes how out-of-place this feels, all artifice and some conception of classical, but the more he wanders those halls, the more eerie and liminal everything feels.

How could anyone work here? How could someone be treated here? Suffocating. Blake supposes he knows why it suits Crane with its winding architectural elements and dense hardwoods. At any moment he expects to open a door and find the build of cobwebs leading to some treacherous dungeon full of howling victims.

(He only wanders this labyrinth of insanity because he knows eventually he'll wake up.)

So, dare to trespass, he does. He's inside Crane's study, fingers drawing over the spines of those imagined books, mind racing to put pieces together as quickly as possible. The evidence for all he needs to know is here — that much he's certain about — although he makes no effort to hide his intrusion or the fact that he's snooping.

Near the fireplace, he pulls a book from the shelf and flips the pages, toasted by the flames and illuminated by the firelight. Outside the rain patters against the half dozen windows and Blake can sense the way the dampness cling to his shoulders and hair. It wouldn't be surprising if he'd left a trail of wet footprints all the way here.
]
Edited (continuity?? clarity?? forgetfulness, probably 👀) 2023-04-11 00:46 (UTC)
vecna: (pic#15871569)

heh HEH

[personal profile] vecna 2023-04-11 01:06 am (UTC)(link)
[It's the smile he wears for nearly everyone, nearly all of the time. When the mask slips, the circumstances are so very rarely... ideal. Such as the time he's spent kidnapped, trapped, experimented upon. (Well, the most recent example of that, anyway.)

But this? This is little more than a friendly visit bolstered by passing, quietly derisive intrigue. There's no reason not to smile -- though perhaps a pale brow arches up at how quickly Crane makes his deduction. And a correct one, at that.]


I hate to keep others waiting. [Clock's always ticking.] Though it looks like you don't have trouble keeping yourself entertained. What are you reading?
Edited 2023-04-11 01:09 (UTC)
vecna: (pic#15832384)

[personal profile] vecna 2023-04-11 01:40 am (UTC)(link)
I've never read it.

[When he was a child, he read plenty. When he was in the lab, that predilection was stifled or at least redirected to a select few volumes of reading material. Ulysses was never part of that. But, perhaps nestled within secondhand knowledge that exists somewhere in his mind, tangled up with the rest, he knows the broad strokes of the tale. The elevator pitch, so to speak. Maybe Papa mentioned it once, ages ago.

He watches as Crane rises to his feet like a man with too-long limbs. It's a bit what Henry looks like when he's going from crouch-to-stand, too.]


But I'd think that a tale about a journey homebound would only make you more... homesick, being stuck as we are.
oversight: by: heretics (dw) ([±] expect me to believe that?)

[personal profile] oversight 2023-04-11 01:44 am (UTC)(link)
[ Perhaps if this was Blake's domain instead, or he hadn't brought the rain, Crane's approach might have been more obvious. Of course, that's assuming that Blake cares about being caught (he doesn't) or that he believes anything here to be real (he doesn't). Still, he's surprised, not startled, and as he turns to look it doesn't escape his notice that the "good" doctor is barring the exit. Purposefully? Time will tell.

Snapping the book closed with one hand, he moves to sit on the arm of one of those finely crafted chairs. He experiments with the weight of the book and looks around rather purposefully for Crane's observation. Ostentatious comes to mind, but he doesn't bother sharing because he knows its little more than ammo for the man hoping to intimidate him. Still, he wants Crane to understand that he's watching.
]

Opening a practice?

[ He knows you are, Crane. He saw the announcement like everyone else, reading it over and over on his periphery while every part of him thrummed with a racing heartbeat. When he'd dismissed the notification he had considered messaging back, but as with all things, Blake needs to do things the hard way.

It helps that it's just them; no one else is around to hear what's bound to be said.
]
takeatrip: (43)

[personal profile] takeatrip 2023-04-11 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
[Between the strange schedule he's been keeping and the difficulty of tracking time in the Horizon, it's a wonder even to Jayden himself that he manages to arrive on time to the meeting. But he does, leaving his room with a few minutes to spare, but thankfully all he has to do is go down into the main part of the Inn and look for the new arrival.

The bruising on his face has mostly faded in the time since being rescued, just hints of shadows here and there, and he looks pale and tired. But other than that, and his left hand and arm still being wrapped in bandages, there isn't much evidence of the month he spent trapped in that cave. Physically, anyway.

He slides into the seat opposite Crane, nodding in his own polite greeting, though he's already a little mentally distracted and has to force himself to refocus.]


Yeah, of course. Glad you found the place okay; how're you doing with getting used to... All of this?

[You know, the whole lack of technology and presence of magic and all the other weirdness.]
vecna: (pic#15832379)

[personal profile] vecna 2023-04-11 02:08 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh, that brow of his remains arched.]

Of course. Don't get me wrong; my "creature comforts" were always so disappointing back home. Abraxas presents a nice opportunity to get away from all of that, to explore things I couldn't hope to imagine even existed.

[And that's certainly not a lie. No, Henry far, far from misses his own home. But the idea of being brought to this one without his consent still settles unwell in him, like bramble in his chest.]

And to explore others' idea of "home". Usually that's what a domain is fashioned after. Is yours the same, Doctor?
vecna: (pic#15832373)

[personal profile] vecna 2023-04-11 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Yikes, buddy.]

Then you’ll make this place your home soon enough. Surely, with all these new faces that hope to take advantage of your generosity.

[He tilts his head, ever so slightly.]

If not new patients, then new friends. Ones that get the grand tour of the place, at the very least…?
takeatrip: (17)

[personal profile] takeatrip 2023-04-11 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
[Jayden's gaze follows Crane's just briefly, only enough to figure out what he's looking at, and he wonders for a moment if Crane's considering drinking at this time in the morning. Maybe that's just because Jayden had himself, for just a moment before coming downstairs, contemplated the possibility of getting a drink at this time of the morning before deciding that no, that was probably pushing it.

He draws his own thoughts back to the present again, and gives a small shrug, though he then mirrors Crane in pulling both his hands under the table as well.]


You said you'd heard somethin' about what happened recently? How much were you filled in on?

[Jayden's allowing the diversion in topic for now, but he'll circle back to his original question later.]
oversight: ([±] take it from the top)

[personal profile] oversight 2023-04-11 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ Shifting back to stand, Blake returns the book to the shelf, pressing it carefully until all the spines perfectly align once more. He's not concerned about being overwhelmed physically, and hubris says that he's got the upper hand otherwise, because what can really be learned from these little exchanges that he's not getting equal amounts in return?

He walks the perimeter of the room, drifting towards the line of windows and away from the fireplace. Outside the winds shift and pelt the glass with more insistent and staccato taps. The comfortable light level of the room argues its shadows with those of the fireplace, creating long, jittering shadows from the flickering of the flames dancing with shorter shadows from the mood lighting. If he lets his eyes glaze over a bit, it's almost cacophonous in its presentation.
]

Were you not offerin' your services to the public then?

[ He stops at what he assumes is Crane's chair, hand atop the backrest. It's not hard to imagine someone Blake cares about finding their way into this man's little slice of the Horizon and becoming some experiment. Staring across as if he were Crane, he eyes the chairs placed in careful opposition. Is there anything here not perfectly formed for the other man's intentions? He doubts it.

Blake's fingers tap in rolling succession, gaze returning to his opposition. Can Crane resist the urge? He doubts that, too.
]
vecna: (pic#15832397)

[personal profile] vecna 2023-04-11 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
[And Henry passes through. What an ornate place. Again, so very, very different than what he’s used to.

He unclasps his hands as he walks, taking in the sight.]


All this must be based on someplace from your world, though?
takeatrip: (24)

[personal profile] takeatrip 2023-04-11 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah. Getting an idea of what this place is about was difficult enough when I got here, and everything was pretty calm at the time.

[So he can empathize, and that's the only reason he decides to give an explanation.]

So, what happened. Basically people started disappearin' from all the factions, over a span of a few days. A cult was abducting them for some sort of weird, convoluted plan about communicating with their gods or something.

[He knows it's probably obvious by the casual and detached way he's explaining this that he's purposefully distancing himself from the story, but decides to let himself believe it sounds more natural than it does.]

Part of the group escaped after awhile, and the rest were rescued, and everyone who lived is back in their factions now.

[And, you know, totally fine and all that.]
Edited 2023-04-11 03:16 (UTC)

Page 1 of 9