maskormenacelogs | I probably still adore you with your hands around my neck

Entry tags:

I probably still adore you with your hands around my neck

WHO: John Watson, Karen Starr, Nelson Gardner (and other housemates?)
WHERE: House #005
WHEN: Thursday evening, February 13th
WHAT: Back in the City, John asked Karen out on a date. He was ported out before he could do anything and comes back with a ring on his finger. Flipping out ensues? Also, the residents of House #005 getting to know each other?
WARNINGS: Not sure yet! Will update if necessary

[ when facing a crisis, the british had a certain way of doing things. not that john considered this a crisis, but it had been a rough morning and the events from back home were still weighing him down. so, by the time evening rolled around, he was gasping for a cup of tea.

even though he was assigned to live here, rooting around in someone else's kitchen felt wrong. aside from the teenager sitting outside earlier , he hadn't seen any of his other housemates yet.

eventually, he managed to put aside his apprehension and looked around for teabags while the kettle was boiling. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He's had an orange cat to keep him company the whole time, although at first he was more suspicious and annoyed about a stranger in the home before he relaxed... in the comfort of a corner while eyeballing John.

The key slides into its keyhole and the lock clicks open, Karen pushing in the door, entering the house with a loud yawn and kicking off her shoes. She stretches her arms and back before pushing the door shut with her heel.

She overhears noise in the kitchen, but assumes it's Nelson, or Hooded Justice rummaging around. She doesn't hope for the latter, muttering under her breath: ] Better not be.

[ But as she passes by, she almost jumps out of her skin to see a face she isn't expecting at all. ]

What the hell! John?!

[ mary loved cats. unfortunately, because of a case a while back, john isn't overly fond of them. the cat's initial reaction to him in the house hadn't endeared john to them any more than this morning. while the cat accepted him, john keenly feels its eyes boring holes into him.

from the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of her blonde hair as she passes the kitchen and does a double-take when she screeches his name. ]

Karen?

John...?

[ She manages an inside voice now, but her bewilderment remains, filtering into her voice. She slowly steps into the kitchen, head tilting and eyes squinting at him. ]

What are you doing in my house? Our house? Our house.

... This house.

I'm not breaking in, if that's what you're thinking.

[ john assures her hastily. although he certainly feels like he has with the intonation in her voice. he would've broken the news of his return a bit more gently had he known she was here. who knows how long it has been since they last saw each other. ]

They erm... told me that I live here now. Assigned or whatever you want to call it. [ a beat ] I didn't realize you live here, too.

[ She doesn't think so. Not really. Nobody breaks into a house and then puts on a kettle to boil. She doubts English burglars are somehow that stereotypical.

She quirks a neatly plucked eyebrow. ]

You're the second guy in less than a week.

[ She doesn't sound angry about it, merely surprised. She begins to make her way over to his side. ]

You looking for teabags?

[ It's at that moment that the front door opens again, this time letting in Nelson, his work day over. He looks appropriately tired after a day of trying to get teenage delinquents to listen to him with varied success, expression tense and hair a little out of place, but coming inside allows him to take off his jacket and feel a little more relaxed. Not that returning to the house is much of a relief.

There are noises in the kitchen, and with a furrowed brow he walks over to investigate, curious mostly about which housemates are home.

Karen he isn't surprised to see. The other person, more so. ]

Uh, I'm not interrupting anything, am I? I was only going to-- [ Make coffee? But hot water is already boiling. ] I can leave if I am.

I'm not?

[ he lifts his eyebrows in surprise, but nelon's sudden arrival derails him from inquiring about it further. with the way his luck was going lately, john was surprised it wasn't jennifer walters who walked through the door and shook his head. ]

No, no, I'm just making tea. Karen was about to show me where you keep the teabags. [ a beat ] Hi, I'm John... your new flatmate.

Over here.

[ She gestures to one of the smaller drawers of the pantry where the bags are kept. She's more of a coffee drinker, so there's likely an abundance of tea bags. ]

It would be nice if Holiday and his fellow soldiers could tell us in advance we're expecting new roommates.

Nelson. I think we've... well, we were briefly acquainted before. Very briefly. It's good meeting you again more properly.

[ He smiles faintly, offering his hand as he walks further into the kitchen. It was only the one time he remembers, at Bradbury's party ages and ages back (so it seems), but John strikes Nelson as a respectable, inoffensive kind of fellow.

Turning his head, he adds: ]

Now Karen, there's no need to be inhospitable. Obviously getting a roof over a person's head is most important, and I don't see why we can't all get along.

[ it takes john a moment to recall where he has seen nelson before. when he does finally remember, he takes his hand in greeting and smiles. ]

... Yes! I remember now.. we had a few drinks with Rick that one time. [ ending the handshake, he looks over at karen as the kettle finishes boiling ] If this is going to be a problem, I can go and talk to someone tomorrow morning. Ask to get assigned somewhere else.

I wasn't trying to be.

[ She squints at Nelson before looking back over at John. It's nice to see him, even if it's unfair that a nice guy like him who escaped all the earlier drama may be in for something far worse. Who can tell in a brand new world they've yet to discern patterns? ]

Besides, John and I are alright. [ Jokingly: ] You owe me pizza now.

Right! It's quite good seeing you again, even given the circumstances.

[ Nelson smiles at John and looks curiously at Karen, moving to sit at the table. He shakes his head. ]

I think that's unnecessary, there's plenty of room. And if there's no trouble between you two that's an awful lot of bother where there isn't a problem. Wouldn't you say? Uh-- at least, if I may say so.

[ But then, he has no idea what's between these two. ]

Yeah, same to you. Who would've thought all this would happen somewhere else? Talk about bad luck.

[ it's a light joke although john doesn't envy the people who witnessed the end of the city and its universe. he has seen a lot of terrible things during his lifetime but that takes the biscuit. ]

Nooooo, there's no trouble between us at all. Karen owed me a pizza for uhhmm... something? I can remember a little, but the details? [ he waves his hand vaguely with a sniff. ] It's all a little hazy.

But pizza is doable! I can do that.

Asthenoa.

[ She manages with a slightly exasperated look. That world had been one annoying experience. Thankfully, most of her encounters with other imPorts were helpful ones. ]

No pressure. It's not the first time I've been stood --

[ As her eyes fall back on John, she catches a glimpse of the ring. Almost instantly, she's scowling hard at him. ]

-- up by some two-timing, little pervert.

You could call it bad luck. In a way, yes, but-- well, without that we wouldn't be seeing--

[ ... Oh my. This just got interesting, didn't it. Nelson should leave, but what he does instead is stay sitting, looking from one of them to the other. ]

What? [ Did he miss something?? ] Did-- what? Karen, is something wrong?

[ john is as bewildered as nelson when her mood turns from pleasant to angry in the blink of an eye. he doesn't even realize that he is the target of her ire until he catches karen's expression and gapes at her dumbly. ]

What? [ belatedly, it dawns on him: he was single the last time they spoke. wetting his lips, he scrambles to explain himself. ] No, Karen – it's not what you think.

[ She's swiftly closing the distance between them, pointing accusingly at him. ]

Really? Because I don't believe there's any other way to misinterpret a wedding ring.

[ Uh oh. Nelson almost ducks, thinking things might get thrown shortly. But he's afraid of moving either now that's he trapped there, not caring to draw more attention to himself while Karen's in such a mood.

Not that he isn't also curious, himself, about what the real situation here is. Quickly, he tries to interject: ]

At least hear the man out, Karen.

No, you're right, it is a wedding ring. I admit, it looks bad...

[ john bravely stands his ground as karen descends upon him and braces himself for what her fury will unleash. it's a procedure that, sadly, he became familiar with during university. ]

But when I asked you out back then, I wasn't actually married – I hadn't even met my wife at that point. I'm sorry you had to find out like this... I was going to tell you.

[ Her eyes are narrowed up until he explains and bit by bit, she eases up, her anger giving away to complete and utter confusion. Her eyes trails to the ring once again before she meets John's gaze. ]

... No kidding?

Is is the truth?

[ Nelson shouldn't get involved. But he still feels strange being there in the middle if only by proximity during what's essentially a private (and sensitive) issue. ]

If it had been there you'd have noticed the ring before, wouldn't you have?

[ ... But he can still input his two cents, although it's offered quietly, non-confrontationally. ]

[ john appreciates nelson's input and conveys it with a brief look. anyone else might have stirred things further. he looks karen straight in the eye. ]

Yes. I promise you, Karen, that I'm telling the truth.

[ Well, that almost got ugly. It's also a tad embarrassing for Karen, but she relaxes, tension visibly lifting from her shoulders and expression. She eyes the ring once more and then waves a hand as if to dismiss the subject.

Besides, it's not as if she hasn't caught married men trying to do things they shouldn't be doing. ]

Can't blame a woman for being suspicious.

Anyway! Congratulations, then.

[ He offers a nod in response to John's look, however short it lasted for. Nelson's got your back, man. Maybe more out of military solidarity than any true goodness of his spirit, but whatever works.

Anyway, the tension's lifted (sort of) and Nelson, for one, feels less awkward. Which is saying something. ]

Let's not linger on missed opportunities-- [ He stands, clearing his throat and going to the fridge. ] And focus on getting along. Would you like a beer after your tea, John? In, uh... recognition.

[ ... Almost as an afterthought: ]

Uh, and Karen. If you wanted one.

Yeah, it's fine. I would've been suspicious too.

[ he jokes, but that was a tense minute. He’s visibly relieved as the situation defuses itself and he clears his throat. it would've stunned him if karen took a swing at him with her powers. he's already learned about his wife's secret identity – finding out about a not quite ex-girlfriend's would wind him up. ]

Thanks. [ he looks over at nelson again and nods. ] Yeah, that sounds good actually.

[ Nelson. ]

I'll pass.

[ Although alcohol has no effect on her, the taste of beer has never quite appealed to her. Fancier drinks do, but she prefers to stick with coffee based drinks. ]

What's her name, John?

[ He grabs the beers out of the fridge, one for himself and one for John, and passes one over before he sits down again.

He doesn't have much to add, but he opens his drink and takes a sip, looking at John curiously and nodding in agreement -- well, agreement of interest -- to Karen's question. ]

A lot must have gone on then, between the last time and now.

Yeah. It's been a few years.

[ armed with his drink, john slides in the seat opposite nelson. ]

Her name's Mary. We met at work and... well, I was having a rough time back then and she helped me through it.

[ the less he says about the bereavement period, the better. no one wants to hear about the moustache. ]

She's great. I think you'd all get along well.

[ That feels like a cliched saying, she thinks. She doesn't bear any ill feelings toward John anyway; people move on with their lives, after all, and he wasn't a young man anymore. Maybe he felt it was time to settle down back home.

She leans against the counter, hands sliding behind her to rest atop the surface. ]

An office romance, huh?

[ Nelson lets himself drink more deeply of his beer, uncertain what to contribute to the conversation. He's very aware of feeling like a third wheel, but they are all housemates; he wanted to be on good terms with both of them.

He adds: ]

Doesn't have to be an office. [ Arguably, "met at work" could apply to his own relationship as well. ] Although I don't really know what John here does. But it's a great way to get things started, if you ask me -- that way you know the two of you will have something in common.

[ poor nelson. at this point, john is just nursing his beer, rather than drinking it. ]

Well, you both know that I used to be an army doctor. These days, I work as a general practitioner. Nothing really exciting but we met at the surgery. She was already working there as a nurse and... yeah.

[ He totally set her up for some kind of nurse joke, but she refrains because she's nice.

Totally nice. ]

I'm glad she's been there for you.

[ John's sweet and crazy enough to go at a troll to rescue her, so Mary's likely in good hands, too. ]

I'm sorry you're here while she's back home, though, John.

She'll be there waiting when he goes back. It's something to look forward to.

[ Not that it isn't of comfort also to have people here for you, too. Nelson was starting to wonder if lovers were included in that, though, or if "this" time should be considered separated from "real" time, somehow. It's so complicated. ]

Unless they're dead where you come from I wouldn't particularly wish this life on someone recklessly.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I probably still adore you with your hands around my neck

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject