Going Swimmingly

[palmerthing]

 *Palmer has found a lake today and is giving it an uncertain kind of look. Not only is such a large outdoor feature a bit unexpected when there appears to be nothing in particular dividing it from the couches and chairs in the main area of the nexus, not only would he probably start turning into something aquatic on automatic as soon as he tried swimming, but he's fairly sure that he saw Gollum from The Lord of the Rings swimming in there and that's just too much weirdness for him. Not that he has any room to talk, but he's not up for that meeting yet. So he sits on the beach and watches the waves. Hopefully there won't be any merfolk or cartoon fish, one fantasy character at a time is bad enough.*

Comments

[save_us_alice]

I can bet! I assume that's a major part of the reason why you're like the way you are now.

[palmerthing]

Yeah. *A wry smile, followed by a sigh.* Sometimes I still get an itch to start taking over, which is very annoying. Especially since I have people here I like, such as you for example. There are enough universes that connect to this place that I see the occasional new species, I mean.

[save_us_alice]

And it just triggers the old -- "fight or flight" doesn't seem quite right with you. "Eat or hide" response, perhaps? I'm glad so far you've been able to tamp it down.

[palmerthing]

Yeah. Kinda makes me hate seeing new things, if only a bit. Keeping it quiet is stressful.

[save_us_alice]

A shame. Though I think this is a pretty stable and quiet part of the Nexus overall, so -- hopefully it's not too much of a worry.

[palmerthing]

Yeah, it's been pretty nice so far. Nothing too eye-catching, but I'm not bored either.

[save_us_alice]

Well that's good to hear. A happy medium is really about the best anyone can hope for in life.

[palmerthing]

As opposed to an unhappy medium?

[save_us_alice]

Hah -- though, thinking about it, that's probably what I had while in Rutledge. Trapped inside my head to fight for my life and sanity; trapped outside it with whatever passed for medicine those days.

[palmerthing]

Sounds awful. *He sighs.* If I'd been there . . .

[save_us_alice]

If you had, they probably would have tried to stick you in a cell for being "unusual." Which involved quite a lot of manhandling and whatnot, so I imagine in a very short time another "you" would probably be running the place. [thoughtful] I'm not sure a Thing would have been much worse than the original Superintendent Munroe.

[palmerthing]

Could have been an improvement, who knows.

[save_us_alice]

Given what Superintendent Munroe was like, that wouldn't be hard. And if you'd taken over his nephews into the bargain. . .would have taken an alien intelligence hijacking their forms to make them better people. [shudders]

[palmerthing]

In the very unlikely event that I ever meet the man I'll be sure to test it.

[save_us_alice]

I doubt Superintendent Monroe's going to find his way in here. . . [though she glances around suspiciously, like she's just tempted fate]

[palmerthing]

He'd better not. *Although he seems creepily hopeful for a moment before he remembers himself.*

[save_us_alice]

[Alice wags a finger at him, Chester copying the motion] We don't want you tempted to take people over.

[palmerthing]

*Palmer laughs when Chester mimics her.* You don't approve either, huh? Well I suppose I don't either, really, so that's probably for the best then.

[save_us_alice]

[Chester, very serious] Na.

[Alice chuckles] "Na" indeed. And I'm glad to hear that -- I may hate the staff at Rutledge, but I'd rather you not have the temptation.

[palmerthing]

It's nice that you're worried for me more than them. Kind of funny, but nice.

[save_us_alice]

Yes, well, see the part where I hate them. You've been much more pleasant company, which probably says a lot about them, honestly.

[palmerthing]

Yeah, I imagine it does.Although I'd like to think I'm not all bad.

[save_us_alice]

You're not. Most people aren't, when you come down to it. [pause] Maybe the Monroe twins or Witless, but they're exceptions.

[palmerthing]

I appreciate it. *An eyebrow raise.* 'Witless'?

[save_us_alice]

Yes, apparently her real name -- Nurse Priscilla "Pris" Witless. She was a night nurse on my ward for a while who liked to torment me on occasion. She got fired before I left Rutledge, though -- got caught drinking on the job one too many times.