[Introduction] I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell...

[rubberbaby_bump]

Comments

[sandman_slim]

Stark isn't the friendliest looking man around, nor does he look much like a doctor or orderly. He might be taken for a mental patient, except he's dressed in jeans and a long sleeved shirt and eating a sandwich.

Swallow. Thoughtful frown that does funny things to his facial scars. "Hi there. Uh, don't think you'll have to worry about intake miss."

Something is off with her...

[rubberbaby_bump]

Spotting Stark, she likely takes a step back. "Oh... Are you a patient here?" she says, the words slipping out from sheer nerves. He looks like he could be patient, and not a particularly pleasant one. The thought crosses her mind that this might be one of the more progressive establishments, where the more stable patients are given more ability to come and go.

[sandman_slim]

A few blinks, then Stark shakes his head.

"No miss. I'm not a patient. I live here but ... this isn't a hospital."

This was going to be tough. "Welcome to the Mansion."

[rubberbaby_bump]

She blinks, her blue eyes incredulous. "This isn't... Is it not a hospital, or are they calling it that because it's supposed to feel less institutional? I was supposed to be brought to a hospital: my husband had made the arrangements..."

Either this is a dream, or her mind is playing tricks, making the place seem less threatening.

[sandman_slim]

"It's not a hospital. What's your name miss?" He's trying to look less scary than he naturally does. Skittish women are not really his strong suit.

[rubberbaby_bump]

Blink-blink again and she scrambles a bit mentally to pull her wits together. "I'm Vivien Harmon," she says. "But...okay, if this isn't a hospital, what is it and how did I get here?"

[sandman_slim]

"It's ... well, it's a bit more like a boarding house. No doctors, no pills, nothing of the sort. My name's Stark."

[rubberbaby_bump]

"A boarding house?" she asks, completely lost. "So how did I get here? Has there been some mistake?" She's not sure what's more cause for concern, the fact that she's here all of a sudden, or the fact that this might be her imagination creating a comfortable fantasy.

[sandman_slim]

"No, I don't think there's been a mistake." A moment of thoughtful hesitation.

"Let's have a seat. I'll do my best to explain and then you can decide to believe me or not and we can get you settled in your own room."

[rubberbaby_bump]

"I... yes, I think I need that," she says, seeking an armchair and sinking onto it. "I fell asleep on my way to the hospital, and then when I woke up, I was here."

[sandman_slim]

"That happens to some of us here. I woke up here too without any knowledge of how the hell I got here too.

"This place... a lot of people seem to wind up here. There's nobody in charge, and ... there's no way out."

[rubberbaby_bump]

She blinks, a worried look crossing her face. "Are you serious...? How does that even happen? How is it possible?" But then again... after meeting the shade of the original owner of the house, she's starting to take a broader view of things.

[sandman_slim]

"I don't usually joke about these kinds of things. You're pretty safe here though," Stark points out. "I don't know how it works and I don't know how to leave."

[rubberbaby_bump]

"You don't know how to leave..." she repeats, worried, alarm bells going off. Maybe this is something like the Murder House, which wouldn't let her leave without her getting horribly sick, and which seems to be less than willing to let some of its previous owners go so easily. "How can it be safe if you're not sure how you get here or how to leave?" she blurts out.

[sandman_slim]

"Because so far nothing's tried to kill me, nobody's attacked me without reason, and there's always room and food enough for everyone here."

[rubberbaby_bump]

Something in Stark's reply helps her to pull back together, and she draws in a breath to clear her head. "Okay... You've been here longer, so you know more about it," she says, thinking out loud a bit. "So, it really is like a boarding house?" she asks.