IC-Ep 2-Shelter from the Storm(Phyllis/Tinker/Anna)

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, dear," said Maggie. "You seem quite together yourself. If you're looking for someone who could use your help, Laura over there might qualify." She motioned toward the young blonde asleep on another pew. "The poor lass is terrified out of her mind. She's asleep now, so it's probably best not to disturb her, but when she wakes up, you might want to talk to her."

[HelplessBystander]

"I'll make anote of that. Don't worry, missus. It's the least I can do after you offered me so much hospitality." Anna whispered quietly, as if afraid that she might accidentally wake up Laura. "A stranger is just a friend that I haven't met yet! I'm sure we'll have a great time talking together." She said with hushed optimism, wearing the starry-eyed expression of someone who's passionate about their career.

[aine]

All this time, the other old lady had been rummaging in her vast handbag. "Well, unless I turn the whole bag inside out I can't find it. I'm sure it was in here though; very puzzling." She closes the bag securely and looks up. "Sorry Dears. I have been listening though. You seem to be a very industrious young lady." She says to Anna, casting a glance at Tinker. "I am Mrs Cruckshank. Mrs Duncan and I do Good Deeds; charity work, help towards the War Effort, the WI and such. What does an 'Alienist' do exactly?"

[HelplessBystander]

Anna turned towards Mrs. Cruckshank with good cheer and a tiny wave, even though they were in the same room "I'm glad you asked, Mrs. Cruckshank! Despite the booming growth in the industry, very few people have the common sense of stopping for introspection of the craft they undertook! Truly a curious thing, isn't it? Well, an alienist is a researcher of the human psyche, I practise the art of alleviating all the ills of the mind from those afflicted. Oft times, I find myself question the validity of the field and wonder, can we ever truly grasp the inner workings of the mind?" Anna said passionately, explaining the basic concept of study of alienism to Mrs. Cruckshank patiently whilst refilling for a second cup of tea. Her brows furrowed slightly in concentration as she held a flask of tea in her arms while simultaneously going over the notes she had taken over the last thirty or so minutes. She wasn't quite sure of how much time had passed, exactly, but she forgot to bring her pocket-watch in all the pandemonium of an impending air raid.

[aine]

"Oh I see, Dear." Mrs Cruckshank clearly didn't, nor was she much taken by the phrase "Practise the art" it did all sound slightly rather occult. She sniffed. "Each to their own I suppose. Are you in a similar line of work?" She asked Tinker, thinking it quite likely from the look of her.

[CrackheadC.]

"The workings of the mind are a difficult thing to understand; helping a broken mind even more so" Tinker says, nodding at Anna.

She turns to Mrs. Cruckshank, "Me? No, while I have dabbled in some sciences, I much prefer to work with my hands and fix the physical." Tinker looks down at her traditional dress and gives a small laugh, "Though with how I am dressed, you wouldn't think I do anything of the sort. I suppose if I had an occupation it would be something like a traveling handyman - thus the name Tinker."

"What did you do before the war, grandm--- err Mrs. Cruckshank?"

[HelplessBystander]

Anna laughed happily at Tinker, "Thanks for showing understanding for my profession of choice, miss! I must say most people don't have a very well-established understanding of the field at all. It's not the craft of witch-doctors nor is it some esoteric art of magically grants you enlightenment. No, no, that's for the monks of the east to do; not us." She babbled a bit excitedly, "However, I personally disagree slightly with your view of the handicapped. To call them broken implies that they can be 'fixed'...most couldn't. Furthermore, what if the ones born with such ailments of the brain? Can it truly be argued that they're broken as well."

Anna timidly glanced at Tincker, "I appreciate your kindness, I really do. But, unlike some of my colleagues, I believes that my patients are, at their core, human. Regardless of what impaired them and we must understand them as such. Oh a lighter note, I love your dress, miss Tincker! It's beautiful," Anna said the last part with a slightly wistful voice, "I wish I could buy dresses and clothing as pretty as this from the nearby women's clothing, but apparently their idea of fashion disagree mine. Heh."

[aine]

"It is beautiful fabric." Mrs Cruckshank conseded, "If a little outlandish. My Cecil was good with his hands; he was an engineer; a good one. I reckon he'd have had one of the first automolbiles but he died in the Boer War so they say; he never came home at any rate." Mrs Cruckshank sighed sadly. "Anyway, I've been doing My Bit since then; always busy."

[CrackheadC.]

"It is Korean traditional wear - so yes a bit outlandish, as you say, especially for these parts" She blushes at the compliments to her clothing.

Tinker nods sympathetically to the old woman, "I am sorry for your loss. In my experience, keeping busy is about all you can do to numb that pain..."

[HelplessBystander]

"I have never actually seen many people from the orient before. To be honest, the dress was a bit...surprising, but it looks very nice. Sorry, I must sound like a broken record." Anna said sheepishly.

[CrackheadC.]

Don't be sorry. To be honest I have only spent a few years in the East myself. I have lived in the UK and the States for much longer than I was ever out there. Tinker says.

[HelplessBystander]

"I see. That came as a bit of a surprise." Anna said with a slightly surprised expression. She had been reading some of her old notes in her notebook.

[Mr. Handy]

Spoiler:

Everyone is moving to the thread linked below:

The Long Night