Remember When the World Was Alive [Open/casual]

[chase]

Being that the holidays were not fully over, the NYU campus was fairly quiet. Next week, Chase would be right back to work as a teacher's assistant, and he was not looking forward to it. He had thought for a moment that he should take the semester off, but for what? He wasn't supposed to still be grieving. He wasn't sick, and there hadn't been any major emergencies in his family. No, he was stuck working, since the only reason he had not to was that he "didn't feel like it."

The campus was nice when it was this quiet, though. The cold, the dusting of snow, the solitude, all made it bearable. Maybe he would come to work early in the morning, stay in his "office" all day, and leave only when the students had all gone wherever for the night. Then he wouldn't have to deal with people.

Halfway down the steps of the classics building, Chase realized he didn't want to go home. That was hilarious. He didn't want to work, and he didn't want to be home. Where was he supposed to go then? "You're being ridiculous, Chase," he told himself, sitting down on the cold steps.

"Maybe I'll get some coffee, or some dinner. It is dinner time, isn't - " He realized he was talking out loud, to himself, and that was bad. People would think he was crazy. No, people would know he was crazy. "Sorry," he called to someone who was passing by. "I don't usually talk to myself. That's bad. I mean - just ignore me. I mean, don't ignore, but - don't mind me. Um…."

[GREGORY LESTRADE]

Lestrade had gotten a call that evening, something about vandalism or drugs, he didn’t really care what, but whatever it was, it was some dull, petty crime he had to go take care of. Making his way to NYU, he flashed the lights because, well, he needed to do something to make this more interesting. His mind was stagnant, it needed stimulation, and few of the cases recently had been able to fulfill that. Which is why he found it amusing as he rushed down the streets 80 mph and watched the cars part for no real reason at all.

It wasn’t hard to find what was wrong on campus, because due to the holiday break, there weren’t entirely that many people there. Case of vandalism and theft. Someone had spray painted a smiley face with exes for eyes and broken into the library, steeling the bell at the front desk, a pile of brouchures, and a few of the take-home-for-free books. Jesus Christ, if you’re going to steal something, at least steal things of value, Lestrade internally groans, annoyed. The only thing that was actually worth anything that had been stolen was the bell, which they had gotten at Wal-Mart for 7 dollars. The case was more tedious than anything. Lestrade was given stills from the security camera, which were quite clear, and then handed them to his associate.

“Find him, bring the idiot kid in for questioning, fine him, and then bring him home,” Lestrade said. The boy stood there at him, staring, no doubt a little confused. Lestrade sighed. “Just follow protocol.”

“Sir, aren’t you going to do it?”

“No.” And with that he was off. He didn’t take the police car, because he wanted to take a walk on campus. Perhaps that hadn’t been the most professional thing to do, but New York was Just. So. Boring. Oh sure, there were crimes all the time, every day, but they were so stupid, obvious, and not even worth his attention. He should be on real cases, not silly little ones like theft-of-a-7-dollar-object.

He strolled along the campus, muttering to himself a bit about stupid kids and incompetent officers, probably sounding a bit mad, or at least frazzled, but he didn’t really care. Lestrade had nearly cooled off from his why-doesn’t-anything-happen-anymore rage when he saw a man, sitting on a flight of steps. Talking to himself. Not like he had, but quite loudly, and clearly, and for all the world to hear.

“You’re being ridiculous, Chase,” the man said. Chase. “Maybe I’ll get some coffee, or some dinner. It is dinner time, isn’t - “ The man abruptly stopped talking, as if realizing what he was doing. He noticed Lestrade looking at him, and called down to him, “Sorry. I don’t usually talk to myself. That’s bad. I mean – just ignore me. I mean, don’t ignore, but – don’t mind me. Um…” Lestrade nearly laughed. Looking over the man, he saw he was mid-twenties, messy dark brown hair. Thin, tall. His accent said raised in New York, probably Brooklyn or Queens. He looked young enough to be a student, and yet most of the students here now were students from oversees, the local ones had not yet returned. If the man still lived in New York, than he probably wasn’t a student. So, teacher’s hand or over-ambitious kid. Perhaps a bit confused, as far as mind goes, but he realized he was talking to himself, not actually a person, and so unlikely schizophrenic.

“Hello,” Lestrade said. “It’s quite all right.” He smiled, a smile that didn’t exactly cause him to open his mouth, but for his eyes to wrinkle.

Sorry that’s kind of bad, I have no idea what to say, really XD[/b]

[chase]

Chase tried but utterly failed at trying to explain himself. The man who had passed him and stopped to kind of state, or more accurately, study him looked amused, which made Chase feel a little worse. Chase smiled, but faltered again, then gave up and dropped his face into his hands. Was he really so far gone that he was making a fool of himself in front of a stranger? Then again, this would not be the first time such a thing had happened. Ever since Lenore…

He turned his mind away from the subject and distracted himself by stumbling to his feet. "S-Sorry to have bothered you, sir," he said, stammering faintly. Oh God, was he some sort of authority figure? His manner of dress and his stance suggested it. "I'm just gonna go home. I'm just walking, not driving. I mean, I'm not drunk. I could totally drive if I needed to. But I didn't bring my car. That's all. I'm okay, really."

Walking forward, he tried to act confident and normal, except he realized he didn't remember what "normal" was. So he wound up looking quite awkward, and as he got closer to the man, his bloodshot eyes would be obvious. "Um, how are you this evening?"



[Sorry it's late and short. And bah, your post was wonderful!]

[GREGORY LESTRADE]

It occurred to Lestrade that perhaps he was offending the man by laughing, as he watched Chase’s face go from a forced smile to a look of defeat. He buried his head in his hands, and Lestrade felt bad; he didn’t like that fact that perhaps, he’d caused that? But no, Lestrade was simply a passerby – a nosey one at that – and so his opinion probably didn’t matter that much (stop putting yourself on a pedestal). And besides, the look that Chase had made before he’d hid his face… It couldn’t have been completely because of him… Could it? God. “I – I’m sorry,” Lestrade started, but stopped as Chase stumbled to his feet.

“S-Sorry to have bothered you, sir,” he said. Oh god, now he’s appoligizing? Maybe I should just leave that poor sod alone. “I’m just gonna go home. I’m just walking, no driving. I mean, I’m not drunk. I could totally drive if I needed to. But I didn’t bring my car. That’s all. I’m okay, really.” Also…bring my car? Interesting way to put it.

Anyone who felt the need to stress “I’m fine,” in so many different ways to a stranger was probably not fine. Perhaps not drunk and able to drive, but not so fine. Chase walked closer to Lestrade, his stance awkward and clumsier than a grown man would usually have. Lestrade didn’t see any traces of alcohol or drugs in his system, but one never knows. God knows people have their ways.

“Um, how are you this evening?” Chases asked. Lestrade looked at him closer, now that he was within arm-length distance. He looked… Well, the picture of a man who is abjectly tired. Not just in one way either.

“I’m rather well, thanks,” Lestrade answered carefully. Lestrade didn’t suspect this man was completely crazy (though the thought had passed his mind, but no, if he was he wouldn’t be teaching) but he was at least mildly unstable, and so he spoke cautiously, thinking through his words. There was a long pause – a short stretch of silence – before Lestrade continued, “Want to get a bite to eat, then?” Lestrade cringed internally; he’d been asking practically everyone he met to eat lately. If they all got together and brought him up for some reason, they’d probably all think he was either a man-whore or incredibly gluttonous.



_{Not at all; I'm sorry I took so long^^'.}

[chase]

Maybe there was some hope for him after all. Chase had not scared away the stranger, which may have been either good or bad. Good, in that he must not look as horrible as he felt; bad, in that he really was not sure he could keep up a conversation. It wasn't that he wanted to be left alone, he just felt he needed to be, before he did something stupid and regretted it.

He knew better than that, though. If he was around people, he could concentrate on things other than his confusion and pain. He tried to walk casually, but could tell he was utterly failing at that. Oh, well. It wasn't hard to tell he was losing it. Maybe he'd just get used to it.

“Want to get a bite to eat, then?”

Chase paused for a second, thinking about the offer. That was awfully kind? of this gentleman. Should Chase be looking for some ulterior motive here? Or was this just one of those few nice people left? If Chase assumed the latter, it meant he still had some hope in the world. And he did, so perhaps that was the way to go.

"Sure, what do you like to eat? There's a nice diner not far from here, on the corner of, uh, I forget what the street is, but it's a nice place. Unless you were already planning to go somewhere, I mean. I'd hate to intrude." Finally, Chase shut his mouth, determined to stop talking. God, when had he become such an imbecile?

[GREGORY LESTRADE]

Lestrade watched as Chase stopped to think about the offered trip to go somewhere to eat. “Sure,” he said finally,” What do you like to eat? There’s a nice diner not far from here, on the corner oh, uh, I forget what the street is, but it’s a nice place. Unless you were already planning to go somewhere, I mean. I’d hate to intrude.”

Lestrade studied Chase’s face; the younger man looked indecisive, nervous even, as if Lestrade might snap at him at any moment. Oh, he couldn’t have that, for he disliked having apprehension being given in his direction.

“No, I’ve haven’t any plans, we can just go where you mentioned,” Lestrade said, giving Chase what he hoped was a reassuring smile that said something along that lines of ‘Yes, it really is okay, I promise.’ “I don’t really know the college very well, so I don’t have any idea where to get good tasting food here anyway,” Lestrade shrugged. It was true, he rarely came on to campus, because when the younger officers weren’t being lazy asses and actually showed up, they were the ones who were given the stupid cases which usually took place at the university.