citylogs | [ open ] kaveh's permanent catch-all

[Would he know? But, wasn't Elise affectionate sometimes? Wrote him letters while he was away to war, and her picture brought him comfort. Perhaps, in her way, it was affection, but ... perhaps that also wasn't necessary love, the way Daan loved her anyway.

Because he does feel starkly different with Vergilius, who despite his own horrific life, is able to express it. And there's never any confusion, even in their own brand of a love language. Be it taking verbal shots at each other, or poetry.

Daan blinks a few times in secession; one day, he wants to bury Elise figuratively. Is it through condemning everything, or is it simply letting go?]

...Remarkable, huh.

[Funny. He doesn't feel very remarkable. Or right about anything. But if he was a complete lost cause, nobody would bother with him. Certainly not people from that dreaded City.]

These almost sounds like compliments. Are you feeling all right?

[quickly, he has to be flippant and cover everything by being a smartass]

[ the look kaveh gives daan over his red-rimmed eyes is terribly wry. ]

Of course I'm not alright. [ says kaveh, who can still feel it - the sorrow and the fury both. ] I am furious.

[ because in no world should anyone have to endure the abandonment and the loneliness and the terror and the self-loathing. and in no world should daan have come from that experience choosing kindness above all else. it's not merely remarkable, kaveh thinks - it is, in fact, a miracle.

this, kaveh doesn't say. instead: ]

Furious, and glad at all once, for your past circumstances, and for what you've been able to let yourself love despite it. You've given me emotional whiplash in the worst possible way. Accept the compliments, or I will say them again.

Emotional whiplash, huh. That sounds like something I'd do to someone all right.

[The doctor's voice is wry, but soft enough that he doesn't aim to tease any further. For all that Kaveh gives him hell, he does respect that the other man speaks his mind. Not enough people do, Daan thinks.

A person who chronically cannot stop caring or fussing, either. Daan is probably not different, he just has a different method to it. Funny, that.]

Well, I suppose I've no choice but to take them, then. Fine.

Good.

[ says kaveh, who means it. ] That does remind me - when are you planning on changing your display name? It's a bit inaccurate now, isn't it?

...I thought about that, but honestly, I'm not even sure how to change it. Or... what to change it to.

Not that I'm taking any ideas from you.

Oh, you didn't want to flip it around, and call yourself 'Beloved'?

Absolutely not.

What a shame. It would've been something like a renaissance. [ a glint of a grin. still, kaveh sobers. ] Still, I'd recommend thinking of it sooner than later. I can only imagine what someone who loves you would feel observing you calling yourself that, and on a regular basis.

...I know.

[Daan gives kind of a helpless shrug.] I have no idea how to change it. Phones like these don't exist where I'm from, but I suppose Tsuruno probably knows.

[ daan mentions tsuruno. kaveh brightens. ]

If anyone would know, it would be her. You'll be in good hands. Ah, and you'll have her to look out for you as well. Suddenly, I'm a little less worried than before.

[ the path wends. kaveh takes them down a side-alley. the bank looms, sunlight glancing off of low, rectangular windows, faux-marble displays and the sheen of something with a plastic shell. at the intersection, kaveh stops. he gestures to the right. ]

Here we are. There are few apartment buildings, but everything in between are just retail stores that can be emptied out and renovated. How many rooms do you think your clinic will need?

She and I are pretty close. Trust me, she does everything she can, even for me.

[There is a distinct fondness in Daan's voice. She is the closest thing he's ever had to family, and he couldn't be gladder for it.

The bank earns a side-eyed glance, but little else. Instead, he remains at Kaveh's side, considering his question.]

Maybe two or three examination rooms, office, waiting room -- ideally there'd be storage for equipment in the future, too. Five or six rooms? That's about the size of the clinic I used to work at.

She seems to be incapable of leaving hopeless cases alone, yes. [ wry, ] But she needs to be careful as well. She does more than she ought to, at times.

[ but, kaveh thinks, this is good to know. tsuruno is reliable and unlikely to endorse daan's more self-destructive tendencies. but there's also the other way around. tsuruno needs eyes on her as well. kaveh worries.

still, the task at hand has him considering a few of the storefronts nearby. ]

Are there any water, plumbing or electrical requirements? The rooms I can easily partition out of the existing storefronts - it's just the time it will take the source lumber and nails, and to wait until enough plaster reappears in the stores. Rewiring the space isn't an issue, either. But I don't know much about the running of a clinic - is there a need for higher water pressure than usual, or any particular lighting arrangement?

Oh, I'm aware. I know how it sounds from me, but she certainly pushes herself harder than necessary, but... I guess she and I are learning to not test those limits so much. Hopefully she's adhering to my advice for her ribs.

[But yes: the clinic. Daan considers, then closes his eye.]

No more water pressure than a hose, I imagine. I'm hoping I won't have to wash away blood often, but you never know in this damned place. Lighting doesn't have to be anything special because if I'm doing surgery I'm going to get a lamp anyway to make sure I have as much lighting as possible.

I don't expect a lot of equipment right now. Not unless a hospital opens up in our range anytime soon. ...Which I know I'm gonna have no choice but to get into, even if it means a world of trouble for me.

[ tsuruno's ribs.

kaveh closes his eyes. he opens them. ] You, and a select rest of us. [ kaveh says, firmly. ] How much equipment or medical supplies could you salvage out on your own? Many hands make light work, and if the city turns several individuals in the group violent, the others in the group can subdue them.

If nothing else, I doubt Vergilius will let you go in alone, will he.

...Right.

[Daan has to remember. He doesn't have to do it alone. Even people he doesn't know would be content to help him, probably.]

Yeah, no. He wouldn't, I'm sure. [He clears his throat and admits:] The man was patrolling the apartments I was staying at, because he was worried about me. I'd be surprised if I could do grocery shopping without him.

[But for all Daan says that, he doesn't mind. Not really.]

Ah, so that's why he's at your apartment today. Could you blame the man? He had to see your arm the way it was. If I were him, I'd contrive all kinds of ways to sit on you until I was sure this wasn't going to happen again.

[ kaveh considers this, ] About that - do you want me to knock down a wall in your apartment and expand the size of your room? It seems as if it's a bit cramped for two men to share.

He might as well. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame him. ...But I'm not sorry, either.

[Ugh. Daan rubs the bridge of his nose, but it doesn't exactly stop part of a blush growing on his pale face. While he bears no guilt for attempting to revive Vergilius, Daan isn't certain if he's ready to share that technically the Fixer has moved in with him.

So he doesn't!]

Mm, maybe. Let me keep it in mind, but if I feel like we need to expand I'll let you know.

[ kaveh, who considers the question answered with the agreed potential for an expansion, merely marks down in his mindmap of another potential project in that regard. he does have to figure out if anyone lives next door. perhaps that's something to do later. ]

Fair enough. Then, shall we do a walk-through? If you're thinking about a location around these parts, I'd recommend starting with that building over there. [ kaveh points. a small clothing boutique is nestled in the same block as a convenience store. ] Clothing stores are plentiful around these parts, so it wouldn't be a loss if we converted it into a clinic and got rid of all the stock. There are also little dressing rooms that can serve as changing rooms for your patients.

Hm. [Daan glances at the clothing boutique, then has something of an amused look on his face.] Honestly, that's not a bad call.

[plus like, what if there's nice clothing in there. that is important to daan]

Fine. Let's go have a look, shall we?

[ because i'm assuming we're not here to rp an entire episode of house hunters (tm), kaveh does so: he takes daan through two walkthroughs of two different commercial buildings. he points out electrical fixtures and non-negotiable load-bearing walls. he makes an educated guess on the plumbing and the HVAC, and marks down any additional needs based on daan's questions. he flays apart an entire line of suit jackets in one of the men's boutiques because the line of the suits are stitched in such a way that they're terrible unintuitive to tailor, and the actual design of the line seems to be made in such a way to emphasise the square of a male body, which, in kaveh's mind, is sacrilegious to the art of tailoring itself. for what purpose do you design clothing if not for it to fit? did the human body ever seem like a square?

two hours and an entire dossier of questions later, kaveh emerges with two potential floorplans roughly sketched out in his heavy-duty drafting pad. he stretches as he emerges back out into the afternoon light. potential designs and room layouts swim in the back of his mind. he flips to another page to add in another consideration: a hose, and drainage for the floors. kaveh had promised himself he would never mess with the plumbing of this godforsaken land, but there is always a first time for anything, and it hadn't been much of a promise anyway. just an assertion of despair. ]

Well? There's no need to decide right away, of course, but I'd be pleased to hear any initial thoughts you had. Would any of these locations serve?

[ok but please note that also daan is a multitasker who is snatching up some nice clothes cuz that's how he works. where did all of his aesthetic go? clothing, apparently, which he has draped over an arm. Priorities.

anyway]

I'm admitted a bit partial to the clothing boutique. Bias aside, I think the changing rooms could be quite beneficial with some minor adjustments. Spacious as well.

Of course, I can only improve my current office.

[ at least, kaveh thinks, daan doesn't dress himself terrible. the number of terrible bachelors that kaveh has had to intervene on in the city is a number higher than he would have liked to report. the pieces daan's picked out are congruent, they fit the line of his body, and most importantly, they have style.

kaveh, considers this. he nods. ]

Then, for now, let's use that as the baseline. Think on it, though. I'll send you a few draft designs and you can review them. If there are adjustments you'd like me to make, or if you'd like to view a few other blocks, we can arrange that as well. The important thing is to find a space that works for the vision and the practical realities of your clinic.

Do you also want to try the mobile option as well?

Bit of a workaholic, aren't you, Kaveh. [It's not even a question; Kaveh is a busybody, the sky is blue.] Doing all of this on top of every other project, giving me food -- who else do you give food to?

But we're out here. We might as well.

Says who? You?

[ pot, kettle etc. ]

And didn't I say I made too much? I made too much again this morning; [ kaveh wrinkles his nose, here, ] but I'm not sure if Ghost will be glad if I dropped another container at her door, or if she'll throw a book at me.

[Daan waves his free hand dismissively.] Hey, I hate working. I just happen to do it anyway, because people won't stop getting hurt.

You said I drove you to make whatever-that-was. C'mon, Kaveh.

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