[Methos] Out and about

[sophiedb.livejournal.com]

Who: Methos
Where: between the Staff & Camp Crash
Invited: anyone (Alia, even?)
When: Day 25
Status: Incomplete


He wasn't sure what he hoped to achieve with this wonder into the semi-known, but it was certainly better than being cooped in that bunker with the least natural child he'd ever clapped eyes on. A fair few memories had rushed back on seeing Claire's baby, pre-Immortal buzz and all, though the holes were far from plugged. Chances were that he'd taken off into the jungle because of Aaron, and look where that had got him.. but Methos planned to be far more aware of chasms and snarling rat-creatures this time. Besides, a trip to the seaside should do him the world of good. Doctors had been rattling that line for centuries, second only to the benefits of mountain air and/or leeches. Yes, well.

Sword strapped to his back, Methos was more than happy to use the excuse that both doctors had spent far too long away from the other survivors (how he'd managed to forget House was a mystery he might never solve - along with Ash), but he did hope that seeing the plane wreckage would jolt his brain cells a little better. He'd pumped Ripley for names and descriptions, given that he was bound to meet others who knew him, however a day or so dodging awkward questions at the Staff had him well practised at hiding in a goldfish bowl. Disappearing into the masses simply wasn't an option here, something which grated constantly.

Comments

[Alia]

[nohatmatt.livejournal.com]

It had been an entirely fruitless day, and Zoey was taking the opportunity again to berate Alia for what she saw as a failure with Sawyer soon after Leaping in. Alia would have thought that her Observer might be keener on berating her for not making any progress at all with finding Daniel Jackson, but the beach camp was mostly deserted, and those people Alia had met appeared quite dull and uninteresting for the most part. Daniel Jackson, they said, was at the medical facility, but none of them seemed to know where it was or think it a particularly good idea that Alia go there. They were clearly happier living on the beach.

"Really Alia, I don't know that you handled him very well," Zoey said, still going on about Sawyer. Her ease of walking on dry sand in stillettos only emphasised her non-presence in this time. Where she was, of course, the floor was perfectly flat and solid. "A little more and you could've had him wrapped around your little finger."

"He'll come back for more," Alia assured her. "I'd bet anything he has the hots for Kate. If I give him too much at once he might find she doesn't live up to his imagination and then I've lost any hold I might have had."

"Thames, she's being cunning again," Zoey said in the general direction of the Imaging Chamber's ceiling. She turned her attention back to Alia. "You know what happens when you get too cunning."

Alia shuddered. She did know, and she never wanted a repeat of that particular lesson. Zoey smiled a thin, disturbing smile as a movement in the trees caught Alia's attention.

"Someone else come to play?" Zoey asked, tapping away at her handlink. A man appeared - a very good-looking man, although rather battered and shabby around the edges - with a sword strapped to his back. "This is interesting," Zoey said. "Lothos has several matches for this man's appearance, but the closest in terms of time is a Dr. Adam Pierson. He was on the plane with your hostess."

"Dr. Pierson!" Alia called. She waved when he looked in her direction. "Good morning!"

[Methos]

[sophiedb.livejournal.com]

He paused on the edge of the treeline, watching those within view of the path, trying to match faces to Ripley's descriptions before anyone noticed him. One woman was standing relatively close by, her body language anxious, but who here wasn't? Everyone else seemed relatively busy: some repairing huts or nets, others preparing food.. About the only interesting sight was the Asian man (Jin?) teaching the curly-haired beachball (Hurley?) to spear-fish - oh, and the plane's burnt carcass. Judging by its size and the few survivors, it was little wonder that he'd tried to make himself useful as a doctor.

"Dr. Pierson!" The anxious woman was waving cheerfully. "Good morning!"

Name. I need a name. A fuzzy memory nudged his awareness: something about escaped convicts. Katie? Kate. What do I know about Kate? If I'm not muddling her with someone else.

"Kate?" The smiled response made him more confident. "It's been a while. How are things here?"

She shrugged. "Same as always. And the medical facility?"

"Far less colourful than the great outdoors." Should he tell people about the crazy rescue attempt? Maybe later. "I thought I'd get some fresh air, see the sights, make sure that Charlie hasn't damaged anyone's ear drums.. yet."

An Immortal buzz made him hesitate and cast his eye about the sand. Who was that? The buzz grew as two children ran past, the boy yelling out to the dog they chased. The girl looked in his direction, waved briefly, then ran on. The impression she gave was one of mutual truce, which was fine by him. Sue, he recalled. And Walt. It was hard to mistake the only two children of whom Ripley had spoken.

"Doctor?"

Kate's voice interrupted his thoughts, although he got the strange feeling that she was interrupting someone else - who, he had no idea.

"Sorry, it's just good to be away from the bunker, although either House or myself should have returned sooner." He indicated his small bag. "I brought some snacks to share, as well as a few medical supplies, but I'm out of water. Could you point me in the right direction?"

"I'll take you there myself."

They set off in silence. Methos couldn't shake the impression that Kate wanted something, but he wasn't about to ask. She also seemed distracted, which he was quite happy to accept so long as he got a drink sometime soon. Apparently he'd built a still around here, however he wasn't holding out much hope that it hadn't exploded by now.

[Alia]

[nohatmatt.livejournal.com]

Alia counted herself fortunate that she hadn't met this man yesterday - it had taken her quite a while to find out where to get drinking water from without anybody realising that she didn't actually know. Sometimes a few useful memories crossed over from the host during the Leap - this looked like one of those irritating times when her host's mind would be completely closed. Briefly, Alia hoped that when she Leaped out the usual transfer would take place to allow Kate to function without really know what had happened, but when it came right down to it she didn't really care.

Especially this time. If she killed Daniel Jackson, she doubted Kate would last very long afterwards. She might even stand a better chance of survival if she could claim not to remember anything and get away with it.

There was a sheltered storage place under some of the plane's fuselage where a selection of containers held clear water retrieved from a spring about ten minutes' walk into the forest. Alia had found that the beach campers took turns making sure the water was kept suitably supplied, and had made a couple of runs herself to ensure she knew where to find it. Somewhere like this she couldn't take the chance that she'd run out of something as simple as drinking water.

"Here," Alia said. "Have what you need. Looks like someone's off getting more. We take it in turns to make sure there's always a supply on the beach."

Pierson drank deeply, then hefted a bottle in his hand.

"I could do with a bottle in my bag," he said. "For the medicines."

"I'm sure we can spare one for a doctor," Alia assured him. Zoey had been poking at her handlink, which had squawked at her a great deal, something Alia had a great deal of practice in ignoring.

"Interesting, interesting," Zoey said. "Did you know this man has no medical qualifications at all?"

Alia wished Zoey wouldn't ask her questions while she was utterly unable to answer. The hologram bent over and theatrically stuck her head inside Pierson's as if examining his brain.

"I wonder who he really is?"

"I've not seen the bunker," Alia said, cutting Zoey off in mid-flow. "Perhaps when you've got some sea air you could show me it?"

It wasn't very subtle, but it was a start.

[Methos]

[sophiedb.livejournal.com]

Methos hummed and hahed appropriately.

"I was thinking of staying at least one night here, given how long it's been." That and I'm not a great fan of sleeping on sand when there's a bed available. "The endless grey paint is as welcome as the claustrophobia, and the cameras are rather off-putting even when they've been turned off.

"You're welcome to return with me if you like though. There's bound to be a bed spare: several of the bunker population are out searching for our tormentors. Did any of our visitors mention DHARMA to you all?" Someone had mentioned visits by Charlie (Mancunian "rockstar"), Hurley (beachball) and Sawyer (floppy-haired con man) at the very least. Another thought hit him - Ripley had mentioned attack by aliens and feral humans, something he was glad to have missed. "You haven't had any more attacks here at all?"

If Kate's answer was positive, he might consider staying a little longer despite the sand. There weren't any rat-things near the beach, nor was it a captured DHARMA outpost. Nor were there any pre-Immortal babies, mirrors to remind him of how he suddenly looked ten years older.. Perhaps this place was the lesser of two evils.

"Speaking of sleeping arrangements, I don't suppose the old infirmary tent is still standing? I can't even remember where we put it."

[Alia]

[nohatmatt.livejournal.com]

"It's been quiet," Alia said.

Attacks? she wondered. Zoey was prodding furiously at her handlink but judging by the tone of the noises it was making, Lothos wasn't coming up with anything useful. Fortunately the infirmary tent she'd found, deducing its function from its emptiness and the items left inside it.

"The infirmary tent's still up. Never know when we might need it again." She shrugged. "But we're just living, you know?"

[Methos]

[sophiedb.livejournal.com]

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Methos muttered, sipping from his new water bottle - then coughing a little as it hit his tongue. "Oh dear, I think I've been drinking too much of that over-filtered tap water at the bunker. This has far more, uh, flavour."

He leaned against a tree and rummaged in his pack for some food. "Peanuts, crackers, ah - apple. I suppose I should trade these mass-produced snacks for dinner or blankets."

Someone waved, then changed direction and ran off when he returned the gesture. I foresee minor injury treatment in my future.. The young man's movement did draw his gaze down the beach though, all the way to the burnt carcass of their plane. No wonder so few survived. He wasn't sure whether the silent yells and images of bouncing bodies that sight invoked were true memory or his imagination. Chilling, regardless.

"I see that Sayid has abandoned his precious signal fire," Methos observed, glad to have a specific memory, however insignificant. It was a good sign. "And Sawyer's tent is no doubt the magpie's nest it always was." More than one person had commented that his visit to the bunker was followed by the itemising of various goods.

"Dr Pierson!" The man he'd seen earlier was back with a young woman, who didn't look very happy about her friend's insistence. "Marie hurt her hand, can you take a look?"

"It's nothing." 'Marie' glared at her unwanted keeper. "Just a few scratches, washed them out and haven't climbed any trees since. It itches, but I don't think there's an infection."

Methos nodded, not bothering to acknowledge the young man's interjections. "I have some cream if you'd like, otherwise I can't see any problem. I'll be here until tomorrow at least, if you change your mind."

He sagged back against the tree when they left, then shot Kate a wry smile. "Now I remember why I stayed away so long."

[Alia]

[nohatmatt.livejournal.com]

Alia was grateful for the arrival of Marie and her companion and the necessity of Pierson's skills. She didn't want to have to answer questions about things which Pierson obviously knew about, but which had just as obviously happened before Alia had Leaped in. She'd met Sawyer - a deeply unsatisfying meeting all round, she thought - but had no idea who Sayid was. There was a man around the camp with the appearance to match the name, but it was the early twenty-first century and such things weren't anywhere near as indicative as they might be if she'd Leaped back to the 1970s again.

"We appreciate your skills though," Alia said in a reassuring sort of tone. "In a place like this having a doctor around is a godsend."

Zoey was standing behind Pierson so that Alia could see her over his shoulder, miming sticking a finger down her throat. Alia managed to stop herself rolling her eyes. Sometimes Zoey could be incredibly unhelpful, particularly during the more delicate moments of a Leap. Still, Alia was glad to have an Observer.

Most of the time.

She studied this man more closely. Lothos had multiple identities for him, did he? Interesting. He was definitely handsome. She let herself move a little closer to him, wondering if seducing him would be worth the effort. He could show her how to get to the bunker, but he was probably going to do that anyway.

Wouldn't hurt to be friendly, though.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go find you some nice fresh food like they don't have at the bunker."

Re: [Methos]

[sinanju.livejournal.com]

Who's Marie?

Um...I was wondering 'bout that ....

[fikgirl.livejournal.com]

Who's Marie?

Seconded.

Re: Um...I was wondering 'bout that ....

[sophiedb.livejournal.com]

A random name plucked from the air because I couldn't remember who's dead and who's alive :)

Re: Um...I was wondering 'bout that ....

[sinanju.livejournal.com]

This is a job for The Crossing_Lost Wiki (http://www.alt-realities.net/crossinglostwiki/index.php?title=Main_Page)! All your "Who's Who" needs fulfilled on the very front page!

[Methos]

[sophiedb.livejournal.com]

OOC: what is it about imminent thread closure that suddenly makes my brain wake up?! Anyway.. here's a possible scenario for getting Methos (and Alia) back to the bunker by late Day 25.

"That does it, I've had enough."

"Already?"

Methos didn't think he'd muttered that loudly, but then this was a tent. He straightened - as much as he could without batting his head against the canvas - and gestured for Kate to enter if she wanted.

"Let's put it this way," he smiled tightly. "Some of these people make dealing with McKay seem easy. I had one man here who wanted me to give his son - actually I have no idea what he wanted, just that he doesn't seem to understand that kids do stub their toes now and then."

That and Walt himself had been disturbingly perceptive, telling him to "look under the bed". Maybe Sue, the Immortal girl, had told him what to say. When Methos did take a good look, scooping away a good few inches of sand, he'd found something that brought the remainder of his memories rushing back: the gourd he'd pulled from that bloody box that had gotten so many people upset a couple of weeks ago, the one that looked so much like something out of that period of the Bronze Age he'd rather forget (and if someone or something wanted to steal his memories, why couldn't they pick that era?).

Finally his being on the island made as much sense as it ever would, he supposed, but the backwash had caught him unawares. The elderly woman named Rose had been rather sweet about it, offering the remainder of her water in case he had sunstroke. She was lucky he hadn't drawn a sword on her, in that state. Either way Rose was a wonderful choice when it came to leaving the odds and sods he'd brought for the beach camp behind, as he now realised: Sawyer might have hidden away most of the plane's pharmaceuticals, but Rose had common sense and scruples on her side.

"These people don't need a doctor, but they may need a psychiatrist and heaven knows that isn't my field," he continued. "So I am heading back to my comfortable bed -" he kicked what passed for one here, and what it hid (again) by proxy "- and regular morning coffee.

"You're welcome to join me if you wish."


OOC: somehow I do like the idea of giving the poor sod his memory back, only to lose it again :)

OOC

[starborn-scribe.livejournal.com]

OOC: somehow I do like the idea of giving the poor sod his memory back, only to lose it again :)

Yep. Poetic (in)justice. :)