Just a bit of Southern Comfort

[helena]

I know a place that we can go to
A place where no one knows you
They won't know who we are
I know a place that we can run to
And do those things we want to
They won't know who we are

Let me take you there
I wanna take you there

[/color][/i]





“DAMAGED, I thought I should let you know…that my heart is damaged, so damaged…” A voice crooned along with the tune flowing in from twin ear buds stuck into diamond studded ears.

…Well, given those fish eyed stares she was getting from her fellow pedestrians, maybe ‘croon’ wasn’t exactly the right word to use.

Stopping at the corner of the street when the stoplight blinked an impromptu ‘don’t walk’, she couldn’t help but dance a little jig. Danity Kane wasn’t exactly her favorite band- most of their stuff was just too slow and/or too rap-ish for her taste- but dance music first thing in the morning? Definitely something to get her ready to face the day.

Checking to make sure that there weren’t any traffic cops who would mistake her for an early drinker, she held onto the lamp post and kicked one leg out, doing her own little ‘I’m a rock star’ impression. The iPod went over her head as she raised her arms, moving her hips in tune with the music, lips mouthing the words…

If only that creepy man across the street didn’t immediately latch those freaky eyes onto her face, or she would have actually enjoyed her little morning of freedom. Even at 5am, society just called for the calm and controlled. Ew, please say that the front of his pants were NOT tented…

Cringing, she ducked her head and hurried across the street as a taxi passed, practically running when the man lifted a hand to catch her attention. This would be the last time that she allowed herself to wake up happy. Maybe she should just take that paycheck she’d received from the hospital and spend it all, to get her back into her normally serious mindset.

…Then again, with the rent she had to pay on her apartment? It wouldn’t last very long anyway.

Moving her purse up to one sweat jacket covered shoulder, Helena couldn’t help but breath in a deep breath of the crisp morning air. Even if it was earlier than it should be and she had only managed to grab an hour’s worth of sleep, she just couldn’t help but stop in the park and appreciate the atmosphere.

After living in Chicago for the past ten years, a woman just tended to forget how nice it was to finally be back at home. Settling down onto a park bench, she stretched out her aching feet and adjusted the hem of her dress, letting her head tilt back to watch the sun as it rose in the sky above. Glancing down at her ipod, she switched songs and fell into the melody.

Ah, Josh Groban. Talk about a voice to fit such a relaxing morning.


[/center]

[russ]

[hope you don't mind me joining. and I hope I got the location right... i had to refer to your profile to hazard a guess]

One might wonder how a fellow from Nova Scotia, who moved to Washington D.C., come to be in Louisiana without any personal ties or vested interest to bring him there. It could be presumed, as he adjusted the iris of his Nikon into the filtering light through the overhanging branches, for overexposure, that it was because of the scenery. It was the draw to the park this morning, that was true, but not the state.

Traveling for the better part of the year, with no predetermined destination, Russ had chosen this spot on a whim. Less than that even. Having spent the last three days in Fort Worth, Texas, Russell was literally standing in the airport choosing the cheapest flight leaving the soonest not six hours ago. It had become an interesting and preferable way of travel, especially considering what an indecisive guy he could be. It would probably be the means of his departure as well.

Adjusting to snap a picture of the three-tiered fountain, trickling water into the pool below, Russell pulled the camera away from his eye to quickly survey the picture. It was the nice thing about a digital camera. His pack was filled with new and filled SD cards, ready for printing whenever he decided it was time to settle down again. Deciding that it was a snapshot worth saving, Russell sat on the nearest bench to pull out his journal and jot down a note so he wouldn’t forget where the picture was taken.

As his left hand glided over the page with a cheap ballpoint, Russell’s peripheral vision settled on a pair of athletic legs, indicating that he was not the only one occupying this bench. Looking up mildly, he noticed that she was taken with something above. Turning his face up curiously, he could find nothing so distracting. Maybe she was asleep? He doubted he was the only one who had to resort to such dismal arrangements (the major drawback of not knowing where you might end up when the day was out), but from the looks of her he sort of doubted it.

Closing his brown leather journal, which had certainly seen better days, Russell unabashedly reached up and tugged at the white cord to pull the ear bud free. Appropriately expecting such an action to summon a surprised, and perhaps offended reaction, Russell tried to look as unthreatening as possible. Not that he was particularly intimidating to begin with.

With a quirky smile, Russell nodded in the general direction of the park surrounding them. “Don’t get the full park experience with those in your ears.” On cue, a bird twittered overhead. “I think the only thing missing this morning is screaming children, eh?” He asked in a tone one sometimes encounters from a stranger that makes you nod with uneasy friendliness. The one positive difference with him was that he was groomed and lacking a plastic bag full of cans.

[helena]

((Of course it's okay if you join! Sorry this' coming to you a bit late; I've been super busy for the past few days. And duh, putting down the state would've been smart, huh? XD I just thought that the boards that aren't tagged 'Southern States,' and etc were set in Texas. But NO works for meee. ^_^ ))



Ah, now this was exactly what she needed; rest, relaxation, a chance to clear her mind. After so many sleepless nights running around in a hospital, having to face grieving families and dying patients, and then, on top of that, having to deal with her own family woes, the chance to sit and let herself forget was heaven.

Slowly, as Josh Groban started crooning about flowers and moonlight, she felt her muscles loosen. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes and let herself drift off. The air was actually cool this morning, sending delightful shivers running up her arms, and the swell of the music in her ears let her mind drift away.

Thank God she’d reached around and grabbed a mint, thus noticing the man sitting next to her, or she would have screeched like a rampant banshee when he reached for her earphone. A started when the little bud left her ear and fumbled for it instinctively, her brain a bit slow to catch up.

Oh darn, had she sat on his things, or something? She had been sure that the bench was empty when she’d sat down, but she’d been volunteering at the hospital for a while, and along with running a clinic, tracking down beloved patients- they would heed her advice or get smacked upside the head, darnnit!- and keeping her own life in order… Well, it was safe to say that she was a bit on the absent-minded side.

At least he wasn’t yelling or glaring. That was always a plus, right? Right.

With a friendly grin, Helena pulled out her remaining earbud and shut down her ipod. Oh wow, he actually wanted to talk to her! That didn’t happen; not in this ‘keep your head down and WORK’ society of theirs. She just had to get used to these Southern states and their hospitality!

”Screaming children, homeless people begging for money, and pedestrians yowling into their cell phones,” She agreed with a laugh, straightening on the seat. ”It’s why the morning is the best time to come around here; it’s so quiet and peaceful.”

With another smile, the doctor stuck her hand out for the stranger to shake. ”I’m Helena. Are you from around here?”

[/blockquote]

[russ]

[ha, is that what you consider late? I wasn’t even beginning to sweat it. And is Texas where everything is? I couldn’t figure it out for the life of me. I take it that’s where the show is set?]

Southern hospitality, indeed. Russell had been outright shoved in the chest once for his forward friendliness and had been a little hesitant since then when coming to a new state. He knew his affability was a little unusual in any given place, but some areas were certainly more accepting than others. But his innate personality was impossible to break, and he ran the risk of being screamed at on a daily basis. Fortunately for him, he seemed to have found someone as cordial as he. Her smile evoked a great wave of relief, as Russ settled from his extremely docile performance.

When she mentioned homeless people, Russ was earnestly glad that this was one of those days that he was freshly shaven and his hair wasn’t a train wreck. He wasn’t a beggar, but he had been regarded as a vagabond as his traveling progressed. This was primarily because he often had to settle temporarily and find some means of short-term work for the funds to keep moving. While his parents would never let him go homeless, his father made it quiet clear that he was not going to support Russell’s ‘playing’. So far this suited him just fine. He did have an ounce of pride, after all.

Laughing heartily, Russell agreed about cell phones, “Oh they’re the worst.” It wasn’t that he was opposed to them. Had one himself. But he always hated the moments people decided to subject others to their problems. The one thing worse than disrupting the serenity of nature was probably being stuck in the elevator with one of those types. He believed in the ‘step away’ phone calls, and not just for the sake of privacy.

Making a mental note to jot down the best time to visit a park he may very well never come to again, Russell grasped the outstretched hand and gave it a firm, but far from professional shake. “Hi Helena, I’m Russ. And no, I’m not even from near around here. Doesn’t seem like a terrible place to grow up though. How about you?” He sort of assumed that she was. It didn’t seem to have a hell of a lot to offer in terms of tourism, and he figured it was one of those places that you either lived in, or came to visit family.

[helena]

((Haha, I think I love you. -clings- LOL But nah, the show's set all over the place, really. I thought things were set in Texas, buuuut...to tell you the truth, I can never remember. XD ))


Well, wasn’t this just nice? After living in a big city for the past few years, she’d grown used to the cold, almost uncaring way that people treated one another. From her experience in the ER and outside of it, it seemed that society only cared about its fellow man, when they could do something useful for them. But this, a perfect stranger trying to be nice and have a polite conversation with her? Gah, what a change! She almost had to remind herself how to small talk without trying to sound like she had somewhere to be.

Inside, Helena rolled her eyes at that. Ah, memories of her time spent in Chicago General; Land of the Perverted Geezers. She’d grown quite apt at lying to men in order to get away from eyeballs stuck to her cleavage. And, given that her white coat didn’t give much to play off of…

But yes, this was very nice! With a happy smile- she was really doing that a lot lately…hopefully this poor guy wasn’t about to start comparing her to The Joker- she shook his hand.

”It is very nice to meet you, Russ.” When he said that he wasn’t from around those parts, her grin widened ever so slightly. Yep, hopefully not going Joker, but she’d blame it all on lack of sleep. ”Well, I’m glad that our parks catch your eye! I’m actually not from New Orleans specifically, but a small town a few miles over. You’ve probably never heard of it, it’s that small, but yes, Louisiana a nice place to grow up. Most of us never leave.” An amused snort escaped her as she thought of her time in Gator Head. ”And God help you if you’re an outsider. You should stick to the cities, or you’re likely to get run out of town.”

With a laugh, she shook her head. One had to love the tight knit communities that the southern states had. Leaning back on the bench, she hooked an elbow over the backrest and rested her head on her hand.

”So, what brings you to this colorful state, Russ? Are you a student, or just doing the tourist thing?”

[/blockquote]

[russ]

[. Well, I guess I’ll just do my best then. I think I might have seen a part of the very first show… so, yeah, obviously that’s not why I’m here. XP]

One of the beauties of not being tied to anything permanent was a freedom known by few to do what you pleased, when you pleased. There were more restrictions placed on a person than those enforced by law; ‘security’ came with a great deal of boundaries, and Russell knew very few others who could move or stay as they wished without any thought of remorse. Sure, he met some great individuals who hooked him almost instantly, making him long for settlement, but he would remind himself in those moments that his intention was to see and experience as much as possible until he could finally make that most important decision of choosing his perfect future. His sister would say he was just running away from making any choice at all.

That wasn’t to say he could not appreciate the sense of community that came with a tight-knit society. He had come from such a town himself. But they did not work for everyone, and Russ was the type who got very restless with an unvarying life. He did miss the close relationships, and knowing everyone no matter where you went, but he was searching desperately for more meaning. How easy would it be to just fade from existence, never known outside of your own hometown? Instead, he had chosen to drift in and out of people’s lives like a figment, never truly knowing if he left a lasting impression. It was sadly ironic that his pursuit made him even more inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

Listening intently with a cordial grin, Russell could not help fixating on Helena’s eyes and noting how intensely her dark brows rivaled his own. He’d seen his fair share of parks, it was the one thing about most towns that managed to subdue any homesickness, but not many had as much to offer as this one apparently did. Laughing at the idea of literally being booted out of city limits by pitchfork toting villagers, the corners of Russ’s eyes crinkled and expelled the innate earnest usually found in them. [white] “I’ll be sure to.” [/white] He heeded; it was usually a good idea to trust a native’s take on outsiders.

Shifting uncomfortably, Russ’s half-hearted laugh did little to conceal the sensitivity of his situation. It was not that he was ashamed of what he was doing, but most people gave him queer looks when he revealed the nature of his traveling. [white] “A bit of both, I guess you would say. Sometimes you just got to find yourself, eh?”[/white] Gesturing in her general direction,[white] “Then, not all of us are so fortunate to come from a city with so much character.”[/white]

[helena]

While Helena waited for an answer, she took a moment to give the young man a cover little once over. His clothes looked a bit worse for wear, and there were lines around his eyes that clearly spelt some kind of weight on his shoulders, but he seemed nice enough. Her friends were always telling her that she was too trusting; too willing to see the good in people, and for a moment, she couldn’t help but wonder if she should leave. ‘Russ’ didn’t look like he could harm a fly, but she’d been wrong before.

And that was a direction that her mind was NOT going to take. She would just focus on him, on the fact that he seemed like such a nice guy, while wondering if he were old enough to be considered kind of nice looking—

Oh, look at that; another thought that she wouldn’t pursue. Joy!

Forcing her brain back to what he was saying, she noticed the slight unease to his posture when she asked about who he was. Definitely a sore spot there, so note to self; do not ask about it again. She could manage that! Thank goodness he’d started to smile, or she’d probably have started apologizing like a fiend.

It was never a pretty sight when she babbled, or so she was told. Nah well; it wasn’t like she was going to marry the guy! Why not be herself?

”Ah yes, I definitely understand that,” She replied, idly thinking back to her younger years. Past Helena was much different than Present Helena, that was for sure. She did remember a time when she thought life started and ended at the bottom of a whiskey bottle…or the rumpled bed of a handsome boy. Ah, childhood.

If only she could figure out how to wipe her darn memory. ”So you’ve come here to figure out what you’re doing with your life, huh? Well, New Orleans offers a lot of different experiences that may help.” With a conspirital grin, she leaned forward a bit, her voice becoming a dramatic whisper. ”What you’ve got to do, is try the haunted cemetery tours. Then, when you’ve gotten the crud scared out of you, you should hit the local nightlife. Meet the natives, go off the tourist-beaten path. I guarantee that this city is unlike any other that you’ve been to so far.”

With a wide grin, she sat back on the bench and crossed her arms over her chest. ”Who knows? You just might get as addicted to the place as those of us who were born here.”

[/blockquote]

[russ]

Helena made several correct assumptions about Russell, and save for running his clothes into his ground this year for the sake of light travel (his sisters would win a gold in synchronized heart attacks when they saw the pictures and evidence of the lack of variety in his wardrobe while prancing across the United States), he really was one of those few who you could safely trust your gut instinct about. He would never intentionally hurt anyone and was even less intimidating than he looked.

The only thing remotely serious about him were his eyes, which really betrayed his true self, but his faint grinned countered their earnest as he peered slightly at her. He wondered gently what wild oats this woman could have possibly sown. Maybe her hometown a few miles off did not have as much going on as New Orleans… he had heard of the trouble folks got into when they didn’t have activities to occupy their time. The idea of her cow tipping, or something equally ridiculous, almost made him laugh. His quiet little grin stretched wider as his relaxed eyes followed her leaning towards him.

Her pearls of wisdom sounded right up his alley, but they surprised him coming from her. Without having cultivated a specific idea about her, he had subconsciously labeled her as a low-key individual, someone who might prefer a night at home with a good book. Of course, he was not privy to the display from earlier in her morning, and he only had the circumstance with which he met her to go on. Slightly withdrawn into her own little world. Her advice was far more engaging than he imagined her preferences to be. Perhaps the music was to emphasize the world around her, instead of escaping from it.

Briefly trying to remember not to project his own faults onto someone else, Russ nodded with his grin still firmly planted on his lips. [white]“Sounds like I’ll have a productive day. Have a bit of head start on meeting the natives, and all. Now here’s a question you might be able to help me with…”[/white] His torso twisted as he entwined his fingers and rested an arm on the back of the bench. [white]“what’s a native’s take on making sure a guy safely navigates off the Rue Bourbon?”[/white] While seeming entirely forward, Russell had never shied away from new people. Making new and fast acquaintances was the only thing that made his solitary journey bearable. She did look a little older and more experienced than him, but perhaps just young enough to fall into the typical group he could rely on making her city unforgettable. A place was just a place, after all, and he had seen a number of beautiful cities. True addiction was determined by the people within.

[helena]

If anything, Helena’s grin widened when she caught sight of that amused glint to her new friend’s eyes. Well, talk about a nice day this was turning out to be! She’d started it all off with having to talk to a patient’s family about hospice options, which wasn’t exactly the highlight, then had to deal with a group of hunters who looked like they’d gotten chewed up by a very large animal. She’d did her best to let Josh Groban take away her pain, but in all seriousness?

There just wasn’t any kind of balm for the soul better than some good company. She was definitely coming back to this park more often, if it meant this level of comfort.

…Which was strange, she mentally mused, tucking her ankle under the opposite leg as she turned a bit more on the bench to face him. She normally wasn’t so chatty with people she didn’t know, preferring to get the skinny on them before making the friendlies. Sure, she loved people and she had never been a fan of paranoia…but a girl had to be cautious, especially given the world she half lived in.

Yet, there she was, chatting it up with a handsome younger man. Ha, take that, jaded-ness! She could still manage polite conversation without channeling some of the angry hunters she treated. BOO YAW.

When he mentioned a question, the doctor leaned forward, obviously intrigued. Did he need directions? Advice on what to see first? On what to eat?
Pretty much anything but what he’d just asked. It took her a moment to figure out what he was actually asking her; a confused expression crossed onto her face for a moment, while her brain processed what he’d said. Rue Bourbon? Did he not know how to get to Bourbon Street? Or was she missing the point entirely?

Darn, she was so behind on the current slang that it was just sad.

”Well, it depends on where you’d want your navigations to take you,” She replied happily. ”There’s a really nice bar right on the edge of Bourbon that I’d suggest; it’s called ‘Lucy’s’ and it’s a really nice place. Then, there’s some late night dancing all over the place, both on Bourbon and off…” Pausing, she couldn’t help a sheepish grin from sliding onto her lips. ”I hope I’m answering your question correctly. It’s been a long, long morning.”

[/blockquote]

[russ]

A woman really did need to be careful in this world, and Russell could only fractionally conceive how much. Helena would have a great deal more insight to that than him, but he understood well enough to appreciate the friendly conveyance of her physicality. He liked to think he came off as approachable, but even he had his fair share of encounters with women who went rigid at his forwardness. She did not display any of the typical signs. Adjusting for comfort and fairly steady eye contact were the fundamentals to giving a guy confidence, and Russ was not the type who needed too much encouragement.

But then, no man in his right mind would run away from a receptive woman with such unassuming striking features. It could just be how the filtering sun basked her in a healthy glow, but she hardly looked like she’d had a trying day so far. He would just have to take her word for it. Considering the opportunity it would offer, he was not about to deny it.

Laughing, Russell’s eyes crinkled and did not suggest that she misunderstood in the least. It was hard to be explicative in this nature, and Russell picked absentmindedly at the back of the wooden bench. He was sociable, but not particularly suave. His break in eye contact was sure to be a give. After all, what guy would rather look at a spot of permanent ink graffiti than her?

Clearing his throat, he looked back to her with nerve-fueled smile. [white]“Well, you certainly sound like you could use drinks and dancing more than me...”[/white] He did, in fact, know how to get to Bourbon Street, and he was a little disappointed that his ‘cleverness’ did not aid a suggestion that was always awkward to make. His lips pursed as his chewed the inside of cheek momentarily. [white]“If I’ve got to find these places on my own,”[/white] He went on, [white]“what are the chances of running into you again?”[/white]

From first impressions? Slim to none. But that did not undo the hope that he just might. What were the chances of meeting another pleasantly engaging woman who appreciated the moments alone as much as she did with company? From his experience, the promise of depth was one to value.