This Evil Thing

Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. When the blazing sun is gone, when the nothing shines upon then you show your little light. Twinkle, twinkle all the night. Then the traveler in the dark thanks you for your little spark. He could not see which way to go if you did not twinkle so. When the blazing sun is gone, when the nothing shines upon. Though I know not what you are, twinkle, twinkle little star ...

[judasparrish]

Doctor Doom (he doesn't think it's funny ok).

Chief of Surgery. Fancy title, but it also means there's a bigger pool for him to choose from when he's hired for his unsavory deeds. Judas is a killer, which seems to clash with his hippocratic oath, but he does a damn good job hiding it. Does your character have a contract hit out on someone? Sometimes those things don't go all too well and the bastard lives. Dr. Parrish can handle that for you at a lovely price. He's the best there is, after all. (Filled by Ash Statham)

I think we have an Emergency.

Accidents happen. Jude knows. This is why his number is on call to those who need to know about his services. He has a collection of private patients and understands when something happens. He might grumble about it but shit happens. That being said -- your character has a medical emergency and dials up the good doctor for his magic bag and expertise. He'll help. Just expect the crass bedside manner he's always had. (Filled by Emrys Doyle)

[makenna-hughs-deactivated201601]

Pulse Point || Leigh and Judas

Usually, Leigh worked in a career where she could leave her day behind her when she exited the doors of the call center. Whatever traumas and emergencies she dealt with behind those walls were left there, steps light as she meandered down the sidewalk. The girl took her time, not participating in the swift paced rush of movement so exemplified by the people around her. Of course she had a home to go to, and a someone waiting for her there, but Skyler was working today, and she wanted to make sure she’d given him all the privacy he needed. There were no secrets between them anymore, and she knew how he made a living, but the man still needed a little space now and then when doing sensitive jobs or conversing with clients.

She decided to make a pit stop at a little farmer’s market, blue eyes surveying the available choices. The green apples looked particularly delicious, and Leigh purchased a few, fully intending to make a pie on her next day off. Skyler would eat anything she put in front of him, but there was something particularly soothing about baking. The plastic bag was swung merrily by her side as she continued to move through the various stalls, the wind pulling at the hem of her blue sundress. 

Behind her there came a crash and the sound of concerned cries from onlookers. The redhead whirled around, taking swift note of the female on the ground. It appeared that she’d fallen against a stall of oranges, and taken half of them down with her when she met with the sidewalk, where she was now unconscious and terribly still. Leigh’s training kicked in, her own purchases falling from her hand as she moved swiftly over to the woman. “Back up please, you’re gawking is doing nothing for her,” she snapped at the annoyingly close onlookers. Leigh had basic first aid training, of course she would considering she was an emergency call operator, but that wasn’t the same as being a doctor. Slender fingers felt for a pulse, a head was bowed down against the victim’s mouth as she felt for signs of breath. Neither. “You could be useful with your smart phones and call for an ambulance,” she observed with irritation. “Is anyone here a doctor…or capable of doing more than just standing there? I’m not picky, I’ll take what I can get.”

[judasparrish]

The menial tasks of every day life were starting to become repetitious. Jude could only handle so much of the carousel life in one pop: with work it was one thing because he enjoyed his job thoroughly ... in the every day it was something else. Perhaps that's why he decided to get a cat. Mixing it up seemed like the most viable of options and in the long haul, though he may bitch and moan, life wasn't the same hurricane of poorly painted horses. Trips to the market became more frequent inclusive of his own needs and food for Dupek. While there was an original worry that people might catch him squinting at the various and wide selection of kitten foods and try to strike up some conversation based off of that it had yet to happen ---- so far the Doctor was safe from any more human interaction than was necessary. 

Disturbances were strange, still. They had a ripple effect, like someone tossing a small pebble into a stagnant pond where the first contact was the most coiled and it fanned outward in a synchronized and beautiful dance. The woman an aisle over dropping was the pebble and the squawks of the onlookers were the first of the ripples. It was just as Jude reached for the kitten chow and set it into his hand cart that he heard the too-calm tone of a woman asking out for a doctor, or anything. Of course it caused the roll to his eyes, his free hand reaching up to press his glasses up the bridge of his nose and immediately he turned for the end of the aisle. Too many times had he seen films or shows where this situation happened: someone falls, someone is injured, is anyone a doctor. He always hoped to avoid them. The public arena was not his well-controlled emergency operating rooms. Steady surgeon hands did not belong working in poorly sterilized laminate flooring where his nose would be accosted by the scent of too-ripe oranges.

Still he rounded the aisle and pushed passed a few of the rubber-neckers, grunting when they did for being shoved in the manner he had pushed through. "Move. Move. I'm a surgeon, get out of the way." His work tone was stern, commanding ---- it needed to be. When he reached the downed woman he pushed one more person away and crouched beside the redhead, setting his handcart down somewhere behind them. Calm in chaotic situations was his specialty. The immediate was to do as she had done: check for a pulse, lower his ear to the nose for breathing. As it had been with the redhead there was none and with another push to his glasses up his nose, a roll of his sleeves, he spoke. "Is someone calling emergency services?" He directed the calm question to the redhead as she seemed to be more in control than any of the useless onlookers, "I'm going to attempt CPR. If you wouldn't mind getting our lovely audience to fuck off."

[judasparrish]

This silence, a silence I can't bear.

[averydavenport]

You have really shit taste by the way.

We can agree to disagree then. Isn’t it better to let people underestimate me so I can give them a surprise later? It’s okay if you think I’m stupid, though. It’s your opinion.

[judasparrish]

No, I'm very particular. A thousand apologies for not being charmed by your low-witted humor.

You can agree to disagree. I'm going to continue thinking the way that I do regardless of your opinion on the matter. No, I don't think you're stupid for traditional reasons. I think you're stupid for delving into your act of stupidity so convincingly.

[adelekwong-blog-deactivated2022]

Pets are expensive. If you want a cheap pet that won’t bother you, buy a fish. Not exactly useless since they do train them to help the blind and the like, but yes, I agree with the smelly part. That is why cats are better. They are independent enough to not need someone to give them constant baths and attention. Not many people have the time and patience for that. I don’t understand it either. My theory is that people that felt bitterness towards their parents and decided to be the complete opposite changed how parenting works, and everyone followed suit. 

That we do, and sadly, there isn’t a manual that helps us deal with it once the time comes. All I can do is prepare myself and wait. That must have been rough, I’m sorry to hear that. In a way, you are right. Being left alone at an age we are self-sufficient enough to live without our parents can be beneficial for some. I share that sentiment, and don’t worry, I won’t be wrapping my hands around your neck anytime soon.

[judasparrish]

I'm slowly regretting this decision the more it's spoken about. Maybe we should stop talking about the bloody cat. That way I won't look at it with contempt when I go home. Fish are for food, not pets. They're boring. It's all good and well, but if I had a child who threatened to call some form of service on me for my parenting skills I would welcome the challenge. I would also welcome the parenting service to find the remains of the child, which would surely be destroyed by the time they arrived. I severely disdain people dictating my actions to me. I couldn't handle a snot-nosed brat doing the same.

Human emotions are such pitiable qualities, aren't they? More often than not they reveal us to be weak and worrisome individuals. It was another bump in the road. I dealt with it and carried on, and obviously did well for myself in spite of it. Perhaps it's because I was raised with the knowledge that things aren't eternal. I didn't expect to have my parents around forever. I didn't quite expect them to die so soon but you go with the flow. Oh, lovely. I don't want red marks around my neck for silly reasons.

[averydavenport]

Well, first that is not my fault. Although it might change in a few years if I keep smoking. Hmm. Will you tell me I’m adorable if I dress up as a kitten?

Some people know how to hide it well, though. Plus, just like there are different kinds of smart, there are different kinds of stupid. A skill you say? Hmm. Do you think I’m stupid?

[judasparrish]

No. You, as a human, are not appealing to me. And thus you could dress in any fashion you'd like and I still wouldn't find you adorable. Or any semblance of attractive.

Yes, there are different levels of intelligence. One's way of dress is generally not an indicator thereof. I think you pretend you're less intelligent than you actually are. Which makes you stupid. 

[makimakima]

”A simple reminder. A handle to reality for you to hold on to, and know you’re alive.”

[averydavenport]

What? Oh… Why do you think I’m irritating? It’s the painkillers fault. Tell me I’m adorable.

Hmm, I guess that makes sense. But now, how can you tell someone is stupid just by looking at them? If you were to ask me, I’d tell you that stupid people dress horribly, but I bet your opinion differs from mine.

[judasparrish]

Because your voice is too high-pitched and you ooze ridiculous candor. No. I'm not going to tell you you're adorable. My cat is adorable. You're grating.

Stupid people ooze stupidity. It's not hard to see or sense. People dressing terribly isn't an inclination of poor intelligence, it's just a lack of taste. Perhaps it's a special skill of mine. I've never been wrong.

[david-aslanov]

Congratulations. It is always nice to see people who achieve their goals. Especially when they appreciate it so much, they but themselves presents.

Dupek sound familiar… I think it is one of those words our neighbors use quite often. Russia’s neighbors I mean. If this is the case, I really like the name. It suits all cats, a shot in the dark.

[judasparrish]

I never get to buy myself presents. I've made a grave mistake in selection. I need a bell to go off when I have bad ideas, I think. That might save me a lifetime of future bad mistakes.

It's Polish for asshole. Befitting, I think. One of my former patients taught me when she was in recovery from one of her surgeries. Nicest lady I ever met. She brought me some golumpkis as a thank you after all was said and done. I think you're right. I might have given the little shite a generalized name.

[halric-kingston]

Oh, look at you! Congratulations on that post, mate! We should go celebrating some time. It’s been a while since I saw you around though. I am guessing you buried yourself with work and forgot to get out of your cave?

Why do I get this vibe from you…. Like… ‘What have I done to myself? Look at my life choices.’ It’s almost as if I don’t even know you. I didn’t even know you’re a cat person. You’d probably get along with my girlfriend. I’ve never had faith in the weather — there were rumours saying that the Earth is changing its poles… I don’t know even how that works.

[judasparrish]

You're the only person in the world that I know that can take a congratulatory affair and make it seem condescending. I don't live in a cave. I live in my lovely home and the hospital and there's not much time for anything in between.

Oh, fuck off, Kingston. I know the mistake I made, you don't need to rub it in. The little prick is so needy and it makes a lot of noise. I don't know why I even bothered. You have a girlfriend? How many? How long has it lasted? How many times have you fucked around on her? Christ, I work for a few months and you go and change your entire MO. It's almost like our friendship in and of itself is a lie. The weather is as constant as the pain in my back. I know better what it's going to do than the weather station. Always have.

[averydavenport]

You told me that the last time we talked, I think. See! That concussion did not affect my memory. Well, I’m not asking you if you find a guy appealing, all I want is for you to maybe admit that you can think a man is attractive and not want to sleep with him. Well, aren’t most plastic surgeons insipid, anyways?

[judasparrish]

You might be considered something near adorable if you weren't so irritating, you know. If I found a man attractive, and the question were presented, yes I would admit it. As if it, I haven't found an attractive man yet and nobody's asked me the question. I don't look at people and think damn, they're very appealing. I look at people and say damn, they're really fucking stupid. Yes, most plastic surgeons are something near insipid.

[adelekwong-blog-deactivated2022]

The cat won’t do that. Cats are generally more reserved. Instead of humping everything in sight, they scratch the first thing that land their claws on. I know I learned that the hard way when Dolce destroyed a coat I was working on. Dogs are for blind people. I don’t need a stinky dog telling me where to walk, so Dolce is everything I need. Don’t worry, cats are smart. Yours will learn to behave once it’s older. Apparently, that difference disappeared years ago. Now, you have to give the kid everything they want unless you want social services to come knock on your door. It’s completely idiotic. Sure, using a kid as a punching bag isn’t correct, but neither is treating them as kings and queens. That only makes them worthless, lazy, and rude in the long run.

In a way, it’s understandable. I know I will suffer a great deal once I lose my mother, but I know that trying to keep her alive just for my sake is an incredibly selfish thing to do. I wish more people could understand that, since keeping someone you love alive does nothing but waste resources that could be used somewhere else. Plus, all that time spent on making sure you don’t have to cut off someone’s leg would be better spent in something actually useful, like research.

[judasparrish]

All of this is turning out to be so bloody expensive. I'll get the bloody thing neutered when it's time to. Dogs are smelly and useless. They're too loyal instantaneously. I don't trust anything that you can win the affection off so immediately. I'd prefer to have something whose loyalty and trust are earned over a period of time. It ensures that they will be less likely to betray you in the long run. Perhaps it's or the better that Dupek will never know what his name means, then. I will never understand the shift in disciplining children. Treating them as if they do no wrong is entirely inane. How are they going to learn? Perhaps that's why I'm never going to be a parent. I don't need other people telling me what I'm doing is wrong or right. I just want to do it.

We all suffer when we lose our parents. People forget that nothing on this planet is consistent. Everything ends, and the sooner one wraps their mind around that the better. I lost both of my parents before I was twenty-one. I think I'm the better for it, in the long run. I don't have to be wasting valuable resources that could be spent on someone else. I won't have to go through the emotional turmoil that some go through when their parents are going through some long, tawdry affair that is handled poorly over all. It's refreshing to see someone who agrees with me on such things. Usually my conversational partners are halfway down my throat by now. And I so dislike choking on people.

[averydavenport]

Fine! I am not that stoned, I know you are being sarcastic. I’m sorry. See? I can be nice. I’m not asking you if you’d fuck them in the ass! What’s with straight guys not wanting to say that another guy could be handsome. All you have to do is look at the guy’s face and say yes or no! It can’t be that hard. 

[judasparrish]

Congratulations, you've made a proper discovery.

I have impossible standards for women to meet. Not only do they have to be intelligent enough for me to find attraction to them but they also have to be appealing. What makes you think I'm going to invest enough time to admit a man is intelligent enough for me to find them appealing, and then find them actually attractive? I don't care enough to. If they're good-looking then fine. They're also likely insipid.

[adelekwong-blog-deactivated2022]

Don’t forget you also have to take him to the vet and get him neutered. Taking care of a pet, especially if it’s young, is quite feat. At least you didn’t get a yapping dog that would require your absolute attention. Don’t underestimate the cat. Felines are sneaky, and if he wants to find something to destroy, he will find a way to make it happen. Many things are considered improper nowadays. Now, if you even dare to slap the back of your kid’s hand, the rugrat can call the police. That explains why kids are so rude. My mother is a stern woman and she didn’t traumatize me when she disciplined me. I turned out all right because she knew how to get me to behave.

You took the words right out of my mouth. That is something I have always wondered. There is so much money that goes to waste trying to keep old diabetics and alcoholics alive; money that would be better if it could be spent somewhere else. It’s a double moral, indeed. True, they have to stay under supervision, but depending on what they took there is a chance they could develop long-lasting organ damage, no?

[judasparrish]

Yes, I remember. I don't want the little thing to go insane and attempt to fuck my shoes when he comes of the proper age. That would be disgusting. I couldn't handle a dog. I can't really stand them. They desire too much attention, they're far too simple-minded. At the very least the cat will leave me alone on occasion. Though I will admit it's amusing when he chases the nothings on the floor. He's quite simple right now as well. We'll see how intelligent he becomes. I was punished appropriately when I was a boy as well. There's a difference between punishing children and beating them. Apparently that line was long and now they run rampant. It lends to my ever-persistent theory of disdaining them. Always.

I wish I could tell you why. People seem to cling to their elderly family members more than the young ones. So terrible when a child dies, apparently more-so when their archaic grandmother who had a history of breaking something dies. So surprising. Most of what people try to do to kill themselves develops some kind of long-lasting damage. They don't realize it, or don't care. It's all about the now.

[averydavenport]

What? No! I am fine. There is nothing wrong with how much drugs they are giving me. I need them so my body doesn’t ache that bad. You try living without painkillers after having two Shrek-sized assholes going after you! But… If a man is like, truly attractive, he won’t need to spend hours in front of the mirror so you’d have no reason to chastise him!

[judasparrish]

Precisely. I've no idea what it feels like to have my entire body in pain. How could I ever possibly conceive such things? I live in chronic pain. I don't take any form of medication for it. I don't empathize with that. And considering I don't find men to be appealing, I won't be judging based off of their natural beauty. If they look like they put a ton of product on their hair or face, they're being mocked.

[adelekwong-blog-deactivated2022]

The cat is one month old. What re you giving him, then? He needs milk unless you wan’t him to grow up weak and sickly. Owning a pet isn’t as easy as it looks. In some instances, taking care of an animal is harder than taking care of a kid. If you don’t want to stop by the store, you should consider ordering it online. Amazon is a lifesaver. In the mean time, make sure he stays far away of your closet.

Old people love a lot of things. They love dying, getting sick, and complaining. I dread the day I join their club. People are stupid and careless in general, and winter makes it all worse. Trying to kill oneself by taking pills is so stupid. That rarely works. At least once they are out of the hospital, they’ll be leaving with liver and kidney problems that can remind them to never try that again.

[judasparrish]

Kitten food, daily vitamins for said kittens and water. Which is more than the little rat deserves, if you ask me. I suppose I could order it offline. I just don't give an honest shite about it. My closet, and room, are a floor down from where the cat is presently allowed. I'd much rather the furry alternative to the actual idea of child. Most of the punishments I deem entirely valid are apparently illegal or frowned upon. Did you know it's not proper to lock a child in the closet? How horrid.

I couldn't particularly give a rat's arse about the elderly. They spend far too much time in the hospital absorbing valuable resources in attempts to keep them alive while the youthful are suffering and often desist in existing. Only in this day and age do we put forth so much effort in ensuring a diabetic seventy-year old is healthy while we frown upon the incidents of those many years their junior. It's quite backward. Suicide patients are quite amusing like that. They have to stay on watch in the hospital for a bit, deal with psych eval before they are released.

[averydavenport]

I know, right? I’m super bored, it isn’t fair. I’d sleep, but  my pillow cover makes my face itch, especially my nose, and it hurts when I scratch it. Yes, good! That is the attitude! Make sure you hire lots of great plastic surgeons so they can take care of my stitches themselves. Will you really give them hell if they show up looking good. That’s not very nice.

[judasparrish]

I think we need to dial back the amount of drugs you're being administered. Yes, I will really give them hell if they appear at work looking like they spent the better part of their morning discovering which angle they seem to be most appealing. This is a hospital. We pull shifts that last over many days and sleep in the on-call room when we can. There's no reason someone should come in looking like a supermodel. It's ridiculous.