Seishi - Tuesday, September 04, 2001, 6:32 PM

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Holmes’ Apartment

Holmes takes the now-empty teapot back to the kitchen and stops at the door to let Jack in. No comment. Back to his chair.

Jack enters the apartment.

Jack has arrived.

"You think I have a god complex? Well let me tell you something. I am God." Erik says, "I hated that commercial."

Kate looks over at Jack in pleased surprise, from where she sits on the floor.

Indiana sits low in his chair, removed from his brooding by a half-smiling glance at Erik. "Remind me why people watch television again?" He lattices his fingers over his chest and nods to Jack as he enters.

Jack looks rather abashed, as he enters. After all, it's hard to admit (even to himself) that he can't sleep easily unless Kate is in the room. "Evening, all," he greets, returning Holmes's nod, and waving to Indiana.

Lara enters the apartment.

Lara has arrived.

Holmes just leaves the door open after Jack comes in, apparently he knew Lara would be here too. Don't ask how.

Whisper quirks an eyebrow in Erik's direction. "Never seen it. I was going to be astounded at the heights of your self-esteem."

Seishi is by this point half sunk into the pile of cushions, and draws further inward as more people enter the apartment. All she can do at this point is try to soothe her fraying nerves with tea and hope that nobody has a crisis. They can't stay all night, surely...

Lara looks around. "Oh, my." she says. "Should I come back another time?" Seishi gets a genuine look of sympathy.

"Pfft. My self esteem takes regular beatings, thank you very much. I know Marley." Erik tells Whisper, as if this explains everything. He looks to the door at Lara's arrival, then lifts his hand to her in a friendly wave.

Holmes goes right back to reading his book and sipping the last of his tea. Dr. Watson's the best person to answer that question. (Someone remind him that Watson isn't here.)

Kate murmurs, "Perhaps we might splinter off, having given our regards to Seishi. I could have some others wander over to my apartment..." She looks at Seishi. "I actually came to ask you something someone wanted me to pass along, but I think it can probably wait."

Whisper glances from Seishi to Kate, "That might be a very good idea, come to think of it.

Whisper finishes her tea and stands up, bringing the cup into the kitchen.

Indiana coughs, glances at Lara, then back at the gathering. "Well. I was going to talk to you all about the expedition..."

Seishi says quietly, "No, it's okay. I'm okay." If she can't muster too much curiosity as to Kate's message, well, she's hurting right now.

Jack eyes Seishi, as he wanders over towards Kate. "My dear girl, what on earth happened to you?" he wonders aloud.

Jack adds, with a wry grin, "Aren't I the appointed gallantly-stupid-sponge-of-damage for this group?"

Holmes takes the cue from Seishi, although it doesn't get his nose out of the book. (Volume 9 of 'Essentials of Neuroanatomy'). "If there are matters to convey, I think we could find room for everyone." Floor, yeah. Stay away from the tables with the chemistry set. To Jack and Lara, "Seishi was injured in a fight with a mysterious female personage who was in the process of murdering eleven narcotics dealers and stealing their wares." There, that's the summary. So. Don't. Ask. Again.

Kate says "Never stupid, my darling. Although I have wondered in the past about whether there are homing beacons for dangerous accidents sewn into our clothing."

Seishi casts Holmes an inexpressibly grateful look. She can't possibly go through that recitation twice in one evening.

Jack nods, folding himself down at Kate's side.

Whisper stands up and heads over to Seishi, standing not near enough to intrude but certainly enough so to get a good view. "Have you put ice on any of it? A heating pad, maybe?"

Lara simply says, "Oh." She'll fuss over Seishi later and finds a corner of the floor to sit down on.

Kate turns a bit, reaching her hands forward to press the fingertips in against Jack's temples, massaging quietly.

"Hey, sounds like a good idea to me. Getting out of here, that is." Erik nods his head, seeming more than happy to leave Seishi to her space. Hey, crowding the beat up woman generally isn't a good idea anyways. He takes a step or two back, then rubs the back of his neck. "Should we head to Kate's place or something?"

Jack leans into Kate's touch, eyes half-closing. "If you all wish..."

Kate looks around. "Perhaps after Indy has said his piece?"

Seishi tells Whisper, "I took a hot soak this morning, but it didn't help a lot... usually I just meditate." Her troubled expression suggests that hasn't been working too well either. She bows her head briefly over her tea, then looks up again at Kate's suggestion. "Yes--if there are things to discuss about the trip, I'd like to hear it."

"Oh, right. Right." Erik looks towards Indy, bobbing his head. He moves closer to Lara, then leans down to tell her something in a quiet and amused tone. "This sounds like another thing I can't go on. I'm a challenge sponge." His tone is all mock-sad.

Jack slants an amused glance sidelong at Erik. "You're too powerful for the rest of us to have any fun, if you went along, lad. It'd not be at all cricket. We'd just have to stand around gaping as you solved all the problems."

Lara smiles to Erik. "Sorry, dear. But we'll see."

Indiana looks faintly guilty now for having mentioned the trip, given the circumstances. "Well. Here's the situation; Lara and I talked about it, and we agreed on a few points. We're going to approach this from two angles. One group goes with Simon to London to see if they can track the thing down on the black market. The other goes with me to Bucharest to go try and track down some Romani who may have snatched the thing."

Whisper shrugs at Erik, "Well, you never know. Maybe there'll be some huge thing with tentacles that only you can defeat, and then we'll all be sorry. Mmm." A quick glance back to Seishi. "I've a few old acquaintances who could help, but there's that whole alternate-universe thing."

Holmes seems interested. "Simon was interested in my accompanying him to London, but if my rudimentary knowledge of Romany would assist the Bucharest group more..." he says, clearly leaving it in Indiana's hands.

Jack offers, gently, "I'll happily go where-ever you think I should be most useful, Jones,"

Erik gives Lara an amused look. "Don't sweat it. It's not a big deal." He shakes his head, then settles down next to her. Not too close, mind you. It's more that he just happened to be standing there and decided to take a seat, finally, while listening. He looks towards Whisper, "Please. You're reminding me of Urotsukidoji. I don't want to puke all over here."

Seishi says, in nearly the same space as Jack, "I'll go wherever I'll be of more use." She very determinedly does not speak of, or think about, what state her healing will be in by that point. She even more determinedly does not think about Urotsukidoji, thank you /ever/ so much for bringing /that/ to mind, Erik.

Kate says "And since Simon and I are the pilots, we each go to a different location with a different group."

Lara nods. "The rest leaves determining who's best to go where."

Indiana scratches the back of his head, feeling like a kid on a playground picking teammates. "Right. Yeah. I'm figuring Simon'll need some muscle backup more than us, knowing the sort of company he mixes in. Seishi, you think you'll be up for it in two weeks or so?"

Seishi replies promptly, "I will." Or if she isn't, by God, nobody else has to know about it.

Whisper turns toward Erik and blinks. "Uro--what now? And how do my references to chemicals reminding you of her?" There's a moment of thought about the missions, "I think I'd be better off in England, really."

Holmes nods. "Seishi and I can accompany Simon, then." he says. Apparently he doesn't have any trouble believing Seishi, or he doesn't much care whether she'll be ready or not.

Indiana nods. "Good." He then looks to Holmes. "Yeah, I figure you'll get a good handle on the London crime scene faster than any of the rest of us. And it sounds like Whisper goes with you three, too." He then looks to Lara. "Which leaves Her Ladyship, Kate, me, and Jack for Romania."

Jack nods eagerly to this. "I've a bit of Romany. but I'll work on it, in the meanwhile. Really, it's similar to Hindi, in some ways,"

Kate smiles. "I've always been curious to see Eastern Europe, too."

Indiana is about to launch into a unasked for mini-lecture on the roots of the Romany language, but seems to think better of it. "Sounds like that's settled then. You can reach me at my number or at the University if you have any more questions." He palms the fedora from the bust of Socrates.

Lara grins. "Do I really need an evening gown if we're going to Hungary?"

Holmes nods. "Quite so, thank you for calling, Dr. Jones."

Seishi smiles crookedly at Indiana. "I guess I'd better revise my packing list. Thanks, Indy."

Indiana lilts his head to one side at Lara. "Couldn't hurt." He then nods in general to the assemblage, planting the hat on his brow and tugging at the brim.

Indiana says "...and, hey, Seishi; take it easy, kid."

Jack offers a ripple of fingers as a wave. "Evening, Jones,"

Seishi lowers her head, murmuring, "I'll try."

Indiana wanders out, adding "You guys keep an eye on her..."