Forget the Rainforest

[Heather Glass]

"It's six o'clock, this is WGCR, I'm VerMillion, and it's time for the news!" she announced, pausing for a moment as a brief bit of music heralded the start of her show, "Let's start with the boring stuff: if you're trying to exit the city on the Trigate Bridge, you should give up and walk. Or try the Water District Tunnel - it's not moving very well, but at least it's moving. Unlike the Novick tunnel - if you're not caught in that mess already, stay far, far away. Everything else seems to be settling out of rush hour traffic, so you don't need to worry about any snarls unless you're one of those unfortunates. The temperature has dropped into the upper 60s, it will stay in the lower 60s overnight, and there's a slight chance of rain after midnight, so any ladies staying out late tonight should be prepared to steal their boyfriend's jacket.

"Now that that's over with, on to the real story of the night: It's been a slow news day, but guess what, everyone? It turns out that I've officially 'made it'! How do I know this? Well, I got invited to a party this evening. And not just any party, but a formal gala at Wayne Manor. That's right, the CEO of Wayne Enterprises has invited me to his luxurious home, where I'm sure I could hang out with Gotham's rich and famous, eating expensive crap, and pretending I'm better than everyone who isn't there. Needless to say, I ain't interested.

"But, my dear listeners, if you think that alone is enough for me to waste airtime on it, think again. If that was all of it, I'd have just tossed it. But no, this isn't just some normal party, it's a charity event, which means it's a party where rich people pretend that they're noble and great because they're giving up their spare change. Which wouldn't bother me, because there's plenty of good causes that could use that money more than they do. But what is the great cause of this evening's event? The rainforest.

"Now, don't get me wrong - the rainforest is important. I think we all remember that a crap ton of it was on fire recently. But think about it: They're all gathering tonight to pat themselves on the back for saving the rainforest, as they relax in a giant, luxurious estate, eating overpriced food, wearing overpriced clothes, driving overpriced cars - or, actually, having someone else drive their overpriced car for them - trying to get people like myself to tell everyone just how amazing they all are, while every other day there's a new report of someone getting killed in the crossfire while some costumed vigilante and all the criminals, also wearing costumes, who weren't even a thing until He showed up duke it out in the streets. Should saving the rainforest really take precedence?

"It's yet more evidence that the rich elites of Gotham are completely out of touch. They're all citizens of the world now and fail to notice the problems happening right in front of them. They don't even know what is happening in this city - you can tell because not only are they worried about saving the rainforest tonight, but they've also - by the way - invited the cops and the people who run the asylum to their party as special guests. To celebrate their good work. Are you believing what I'm saying, here? Because it's right on this invite I have right here in front of me, and I don't believe it. Because, yes, apparently the cops and the asylum are doing a real bang-up job. Really good work, all of them.

"Am I right? Or am I wrong? If you're listening to the podcast, that's too bad because you can't tell me. But if you're listening live, give me a call and let me know what you think."

[Jonathan Crane]

The doctor jolted in his seat as the world seemed to come back to him in an instant. The automatic lights in his office had abruptly turned on once more with life soaring into the room. All that had illuminated it before was a small desk lamp that was flickering beside him. It usually took a few taps to get the light to cooperate again. The hour was late and he was exhausted.

Pages of work were still in front of him next to caseloads that he had only barely started to look into. One particular file was new today, someone that shared his first name but spelled differently. He had spent time glancing into the file earlier. A misguided man that deserved more than what these walls were going to offer him. There was potential in the file and his much more personal caseload had been much lighter of late. He didn’t know what time it was, but it was long after he should have clocked out. It wasn’t anything he couldn’t right off later. Most of the doctors here spent far more time here than they took down as hours. Not that he interacted with many of them aside from Dr. Arkham and a few others.

He poured over his notes on the rats again. The last batch worked, but the one before it hadn’t. It was far too inconsistent and he was going to need consistent results to produce to his newest….employer. If something didn’t change soon they were going to come for him. He needed an actual test. No more rats.

It was time to go. After he gathered his things and locked his office he headed to his car to go home. It only took a few exhausted nods of his head to turn on the radio. He needed something to keep him awake on the road. A heavy sigh left the doctor as the commercials died down on the radio and opened into some kind of talk show. A young woman’s voice had caught his attention. She had gone on about the city's problems and it’s current corruption. The party was mentioned, another insufferable event that he had to attend, but it might not be a night completely in waste. He had been listening a long time, far more than she knew.

After coming to a stoplight he pulled out his phone and began to move through his apps. Change of plans. The doctor took a right at the road despite his home being in the opposite direction. Carefully, he dialed the number to the show when prompted and put the phone to his ear, waiting for it to be his turn.

Her voice had come over and echoed through the radio. Not wanting any overlap he turned the radio off and paused for a long moment after she invited him to speak. Too long a moment. Just as she probably thought she might have lost him he finally spoke.

“You have a lot to say about those in power, holding positions higher than yours. You’ve been invited to an event to be among them, but you don’t cast yourself as one of them. Disconnected as apart from you. The police. The Asylum….All responsible for the lives that this decaying city has bred. Lives like yours. Holding and protecting all your dreams and fears. Even if they have to use meaningless gatherings like that one you’ve been so eloquently talking about.” He paused for a moment, using the opportunity to collect his thoughts and buy him time for where he needed to be. “It makes me wonder why they invited you. As if they see you as being akin to one of them. As if you would bleed the same. Fear the same dark things that lurk in the shadows at night. Invited you to the occasion like they know you. See you working at your desk protected by your sound proof walls. As if they watch and can see who you really are.”

“Tell me, Miss Glass. Am I seeing you?”

Click.

[Heather Glass]

She greeted the first caller with her standard, "Hi, you've reached VerMillion - talk to me!" There was a brief pause, long enough for her to give a curious "Hello?". She glanced at her producer, visible just on the other side of the glass from her booth, but he simply looked confused about the silence. Still, the number of people who call in and aren't completely unawkward on the radio is quite high so it doesn't phase her. Though what the caller said afterward wasn't especially standard. Oh, it seemed to start off normal enough, as if reiterating what she'd been saying, but about halfway through the caller's first statement her producer looked at her with slight concern. Which he shouldn't have, really, because this wasn't the first caller she'd had that got a bit creepy and it hadn't bothered her before.

And it wasn't bothering her now - she listened patiently, as if not noticing at all that there was anything different about this caller than any other. "Actually, I'm from Kansas, but that's neither here nor there," she commented, her voice light, but went quiet again when he continued. Though the call continued to concern her producer, her expression remained unchanged.

At least until he called her 'Miss Glass'. This is a weird name to call her because on this show she's VerMillion, but her real name is Nicole Dean - as everyone at the radio station well knows. That's the name everyone calls her, that's the name on the 'About Me' page on the station's website, and the only name anyone has ever heard for her. Everyone except for the guy who handles payroll, who knows that he's really paying Heather Glass - which he had some questions about, though she didn't answer them so he assumed that she was trying to avoid some stalker or something and decided it was none of his business, really. Given just how deeply a caller must have dug to come up with that name, any normal young woman would have a great cause for concern.

But not this one. There was no long pause to indicate that she'd needed to curb her emotions and decide how to react, only a short one to indicate genuine surprise. And then she laughed - not the strained, nervous laugh of someone disturbed but the light, genuine laugh of someone who has simply heard something funny. "What, is this some kind of a prank call?" she asked, giving an extra giggle before adding, "But no. Like I said, I'm guessing that they were simply hoping for more positive media coverage of their ridiculous event. And they were barking up the wrong tree, because I'm nothing like any of them."

She still hadn't noticed the frown on her producer's face, as she was so unmoved by the words of the caller that she didn't notice anything weird about it. Instead she simply brushed it off and moved on to the next caller.

[Jonathan Crane]

The doctor lingered in the car shortly after he had hung up with Miss Glass, or Naomi as she had been calling herself, or would it be VerMillion? The pathology occurring had intrigued him for more than a short while now. It had all begun by chance when he first heard her voice over the radio. Thoughts turned into searches and searches turned into diving into depths he normally wouldn’t have touched. Obsession was too strong of a word. This was purely research based.

Digits reached to the cold knob of the radio to turn it back on, listening to her response. Lingering on the phone too long with her would have been a mistake. He made it a point to never call her on a phone that would be traceable. His gaze turned up to the building that he knew she was in and wondered how he was going to approach this. Until this moment he hadn’t had much of a plan, just an idea in mind. He wanted to see her much closer, but he could be patient. It was important not to rush this if it was going to be done right.

Her answer perplexed him. No hesitation whatsoever. Not even the slightest indication of anxiety. Of course he wasn’t there to see it, but the influx in her voice seemed as if she took it more humorous than anything. Humor was a defense for anxiety, but more observation was needed before he could confirm. More testing was needed in general and he was at heart a scientist. He did agree with her, however. She was nothing like them...

His phone buzzed in his hand, tearing his gaze away from the upper windows to see who it was. The last name Gordon flashed in his notifications. It would have to wait, just like the first, second and third notification from him this week. His thumb swiped over the screen. With a heavy sigh he tried to pull his thoughts from his research for a moment. Continuing to avoid Gordon was just going to make him more likely to pry into places he didn’t belong….But there would be time for that later.

Right now he had something to do. His thumb wiped over his phone again and sent a quick message to Gordon that he was busy and he would call later. That would hold him for the moment. The doctor exited his car and approached the building on the opposite side of the street. His eyes scanned the cars parked against the curb near his own, wondering which she’d come in. He needed to take this slow. The temptation to enter the building was strong, but it should have probably been done from above and he didn’t come prepared for that tonight.

After a long look he returned to his vehicle and settled in to wait.

Work would end eventually.

[Heather Glass]

Her time on-air ended about two hours after it started. This would make it seem like a cushy job to some, and it kind of is, but she also had to spend quite a bit of time with prep work and it was a fairly high-pressure job in a lot of ways. She would certainly say that she earned her paycheck, even though she wouldn't do the job if she didn't find it to be a lot of fun. By the time she'd handed off to the guys who handled the late evening shift, she'd completely forgotten about the first caller. Lots of people who call in say weird things as far as she's concerned, so why would her mind linger on one in particular?

Once she was off the air, she still needed to take care of some prep work so that things would be ready when she came in the next day, but she always rushed through that. Because tonight, like most nights, she shot off a text to one of her friends asking where she was - the prelude to either joining her friend at whatever fun thing was going on or attempting to convince her friend that they should do something fun. The night was still young, after all.

All told, it was about half an hour after her voice left the airwaves that she walked out of the station and headed for her car. A lot of weird people sometimes try to break into the radio station, so in addition to the locking system on the door there was also some security for the parking lot, but only a simple chainlink fence and an automated gate. Just enough to make it not incredibly easy to vandalize the cars without getting caught or something. As she left the building, her eyes were on her phone because she was still mid-negotiation about what exactly the plan was for the evening. Some women would take a wary look around when leaving a building alone after nightfall, but not this one. Instead her eyes remained glued to her phone except for the minimum necessary to navigate her way to her car.

That was a very unimpressive and cheap coupe, gray in color. Just something she was able to get for cheap when she'd first arrived in Gotham, and it still runs so why replace it? Especially since it's just a convenience for certain trips - getting to and from work is easier with a car, and so is a grocery run, but the subway is good for most everything else. In fact, she'll probably ditch her car at home before she goes out - that way she won't forget where she's left her car again or get into any arguments about whether or not she's too drunk to drive. And while it's probably possible to be too drunk to ride the subway, that's not a problem that has come up yet.

[Jonathan Crane]

The street was dark and quiet for being in the city. It was unusual to be without sound and sirens chasing into the night like most of the city droned on. He was left in silence, watching the door and waiting for her. Several people had come and went from the door, but he knew they weren’t her. He knew exactly what she looked like. A person of study for a good long while since he’d first heard her voice. But was she a person of study or persons of study? Her several personas were a fascination, but much more than that. It was becoming something that was critical to his research.

Finally, she stepped out of the building. He was still in the darkness of the car just a few back from where she looked like she was headed, not that she was looking at all. Miss Glass seemed fixated on the illumination of her screen in the dark. A mistake that had caught his attention more than once in the past week. These screens, he wasn’t sure whether he was ready for them as useful as they were. Something about being connected to everyone with a touch was just as troubling as it was useful. He had far deeper ways of connecting. The use of the screen was just a facade in the end, a way to hide the truth. Filters and false lives were all that he saw through it. He wondered what false like she was looking at while she stepped into the dark, unaware of what was around her and what was watching her. Unaware and uncaring.

There were several ways he’d thought about approaching this already. He could have introduced himself tonight, gotten out of the car and talked to her, but that would have been a mistake. It would have been too easy to make the connection to the prior caller. It wasn’t the right time. The right time would come to him and he would know when to approach her. He didn’t even have the materials he needed to do a proper test and that time was quickly running out. The doctor waited until she got to her car, studying the make and shape of it. His eyes scanned over the plate and punched the numbers into his phone. Information that he could use later.

He would wait until she got into the car, however distracted she might have been. He would wait and then wait for her to drive off. Now was not the time to approach. If she was going to drive off then he would follow her home. From there much more could be done, but for now it was just too early to tell. Another bing from his phone illuminated the car. He slid his hand over it quickly so that it wouldn’t draw attention to the space. The tint of his car windows probably would have been enough to side it but it may have cast a reflection, not that her eyes were anywhere but down. It was a risk he didn’t want.

With a glance he looked over the notification. Speaking of connection. A new message from Barbra reaching out to him. Without fully reading the message his finger and thumb clicked the sides to close it out and make the phone go dark. That could wait. Wait until he was ready.

[Heather Glass]

She paused for a moment at the door of her car, finishing up a message before fishing her keys out of her purse. She got in, tossed her purse into the passenger seat, and started the car. She paused only long enough to set up her phone so that it was blasting music out of the car's speakers before she pulled out, paused to wait for the automatic gate to let her out, and then headed off. She couldn't have been more clueless about the fact that she was being watched. In fact, even if she'd noticed the flicker of light in the car parked across the street she wouldn't have thought anything about it.

No, she had too many other things on her mind - mostly possible plans for the evening. Her friends were being slow to respond, so she didn't have a solid lead yet on whether or not something was happening that she could join in on, so she was mulling over the possibilities of what she might be able to start if there wasn't anything. Chris should be off of work tonight... Mattie talked about wanting to do something... Though as she continued to drive those thoughts were slowly edged out by the music that was playing - she really did love this playlist! Before she knew it she was singing along and bobbing her head to the beat as she made her way home.

Someone who knew everything about her might be surprised that she wasn't a worse driver. Which wasn't to say that she was a careful driver - no, not at all. But just like she didn't clumsily bump into things while she was walking around, she didn't carelessly veer across the road while she was driving either. And she was also not overly concerned about how fast she was getting to her destination or whether or not the other drivers were disrespecting her with their maneuvers, so she was not very inclined to do a long list of common bad driving behaviors like cutting people off, tailgating on purpose, weaving through traffic, and other such things. She did speed if there was clear road ahead, tailgated on accident, failed to come to a full and complete stop, and did pretty much any other more normal and minor driving error that everyone does because they're not being careful. The only difference for her was her consistency, especially given the number of tickets she's had and her failure to learn from the experience.

She remained absorbed in the land of music until she pulled into the parking garage near her apartment, continuing to sing the song that had been playing even when the sound cut out - a catchy dance/pop song that put her into the correct mood for what she hoped she would be doing within the hour. She grabbed her purse and phone, throwing the latter over her shoulder as she started perusing the responses that had accumulated during her drive. Regardless of what they said she knew that she would probably need to quickly trade around some of the contents of her purse and possibly her outfit, so she started walking to the entrance of her apartment building with her eyes glued to her phone again.

[Jonathan Crane]

When her car had actually started the doctor could have rolled his eyes. She wasn’t that much younger than him, but they were clearly very different. He would have expected as much bearing music out of her windows, considering the position that she held. It didn’t matter, he had more important things to focus on. There had been too many times of late he’d found himself focusing on the little details with her. Each moment felt like something he would store to keep somewhere until he needed it. Her favorite stores, restaurants, hobbies and friends. Her friend circle was another matter entirely, but he felt that if he did this right he wouldn’t have to deal with it.

Not that there had been much of a plan. He just knew what he wanted to come out of the goal. Dr. Crane waited until she’d gotten far enough down the road that him pulling out from his spot wouldn’t have caused alarm. He followed her through the drive it took to get to her home, noting the turns she took and assuming this was her normal route. Gotham traffic was always going to be a problem, but it made it easy enough to follow her without bringing any attention to himself. Eventually he was going to press for her attention, but it had to be at the right time.

There were many things that he found that he wanted her to see. She was going to be the beginning of his work. The catalyst that would bring everything together would start right here with her. Of course, many studies and a lot of work needed to be done before then. Right now he just needed to observe and keep his distance, but the temptation was there. The temptation grew even stronger after he had settled himself outside of the parking garage. On the street was best for now to not raise any alarms.

Knowing that she eventually had to come back out of the parking garage, he got out and moved quickly toward it. The doctor settled himself just outside of the car entrance, leaning against the wall on the sidewalk. Nothing suspicious about a bystander leaning against a wall in Gotham. This was actually the point where he could blend in, as if there was ever a time he actually did feel like he blended in, but people were easy to fool. Not that she was needing to be fooled. As she walked past him toward her apartment it became abundantly clear that she wasn’t interested in watching her surroundings.

It made it easy to follow her from behind. He kept his distance but made sure to keep her in sight. There wasn’t going to be any major movements tonight. Not without a finished product. She was going to be a test subject without a doubt, but he had better plans for her than just being a rat in a cage. She didn’t deserve that. - She deserved so much more.

[Heather Glass]

Between her profession and her hobbies, it was almost impossible for her to not be a fan of music. Her own particular job may not have much to do with music, but because of her career path she was friends with more than one person who was a music DJ and, of course, they liked to make sure she was current on the best stuff out there. And when she wasn't at work she was a bit of a party animal, which oftentimes involved dancing, which usually involved music. So she'd ended up with a long list of songs and artists that she liked, including those that she thought were best enjoyed blasting loudly in her car. Or sung to even when it was no longer playing, as was the case now.

And she was almost completely oblivious about the man leaning against the wall near the entrance of parking garage. It wasn't merely that he didn't seem out of place, even though she didn't recognize him, it was that if she'd been asked immediately after passing him whether or not there'd been someone standing where he'd been standing she wouldn't have been sure.

Partly because she was just reading a text message with good news: some of her friends were already out at a nightclub, so she could simply go join them. Well, now she had her plans for the evening figured out! Pleased by that, she headed into her apartment building and then went to her apartment. It took her less than ten minutes to decide that what she'd worn to work was adequate for a night out, touch up her makeup, and make sure that her purse had everything she might want at the club instead of everything she might want at work.

Once she decided that she was ready, she headed back out. This time, however, she left her car where it was and started the walk to the nearest subway station. It wasn't immediately nearby, but it only took about five minutes to traverse the distance. As she walked she traveled along sidewalks that had far fewer people on them than would be seen earlier in the day - there are parts of Gotham that never fully settle down at night, but the area around her Midtown apartment was largely residential and didn't have much of a late-night scene. That was fine with her, though, because late-night scenes weren't that far away. It would already be considered to be late to be heading out for some - in fact, those who considered themselves to be early birds were probably currently in the process of explaining to their friends that they had work in the morning. She, however, was a night owl and the night was still young in her eyes.

[Jonathan Crane]

Following her from just behind was the first time he’d had reservations about the whole thing. Exactly what his goal was began to slip from his fingers. When he had come, there must have been something in his mind that made him compelled to follow her. This was just research. He was an observer in the field and she was just a participant in an experiment she wouldn’t know anything about. Not yet. There was the chance that she would notice and turn around. He’d be confronted with a situation he would have to explain. Not that an explanation was owed. He had committed no crime - That she knew about.

He stalled just before the entrance to her apartment. It would have been easy enough to figure out who she was texting but he didn’t want to draw any attention to himself. For right now, observing her was fine. It was too early to make any sudden moves, despite the temptation being there. This impulse was meaningful. She was important to the completion of his work, but the timing needed to be perfect.

Before the door came back he stopped it with his hand and watched her walk down the hall. He gave her plenty of distance, just a shadow standing at the end of the corridor. Where she lived wasn’t a mystery to him, and hadn’t been for some time now. He followed her to the turn of the corner and watched her sink into her apartment. The doctor made the few and careful steps to her door, resting just in front of it. For a long moment he studied the numbers and the small peephole that would have revealed him if she were looking on the other end, but he had just been a shadow to her. She had yet to really see or hear him, no matter how many times she thought she had.

All in time, and he was patient.

By the time she had come out next the doctor was at the back end of the hall, waiting. He trailed her footsteps once more, keeping his distance as she went. There was no need to rush it. There was no plan in his head. This was a natural environment. If an opportunity presented itself, he would consider his options then. For now she was simply there in his sight. It was much easier to follow her down the main streets. He could only assume she was headed to the subway. Lucky that she had someone watching her alone, walking so late at night. He’d known her to not be so fragile as to think about such things. Her anxieties were not going to come from what criminal might be waiting for an opportunity to leap at her.

No, she was so much more than that. Her fears were watching her move, waiting for her to see. The doctor went down the steps with her into the subway. Distance was not much of a factor any more. This was a place for people to be close, even if they didn’t want to be.

[Heather Glass]

The truth was that the man following her probably assumed that she had seen or heard hints of him far more often than she actually had - one false step where she'd looked up at the wrong moment or a floor had squeaked. But even if a sight had reached her eyes or a sound had reached her ears, that didn't mean that she'd actually seen or heard it. To actually see and hear one must not only be able to sense it, but they also must notice it consciously.

And she, at least at this moment, was deeply uncurious about glimpses of things darting around corners and noises with no known origin. Those that even reached her conscious mind were immediately dismissed as unimportant - it was fear for one's safety that made someone feel the need to investigate such things or at the very least count them to be sure that the number did not get suspiciously high. She, on the other hand, never felt unsafe, so why concern herself? There were, unknown to her, other sides to herself that were deeply concerned with such things, but she herself was more concerned about getting to the nightclub so that she could meet up with her friends.

The walk to the subway was completely without incident unless the number of times she almost bumped into something while she was texting counted as an incident. But she didn't, so she saw no reason to stop. Not until she arrived at the station and positioned herself among the group of people waiting for the next one to arrive. Just like the number of people on the sidewalk, the number of people on at the station was much smaller than it would be at an earlier part of the day, but that still meant a good number of people - especially since they were congregated near where they would be entering the subway instead of spread out more evenly.

She'd finally put her phone away when she'd gone down the staircase and made her way to that group, but as soon as she joined them it came back out again. What she read there made her smile as well as scoff, and she shook her head to herself. And at that moment it would be extremely easy for just anyone to slip in behind her and see what she was looking at without attracting any notice - especially if that person was on the taller side because she was on the shorter side herself.

That only happened once! she texted back, sending it off just as the sound of the subway beginning to arrive reached her ears. She slipped her phone back into her purse as the screeching breaks brought it to a standstill. When the doors opened, she wasn't the type to barge in first, and that meant that the seats vacated by those who left were quickly claimed - not very many people were standing, but the seats were all taken.

All except for one, but when she took a step toward it she spotted an older Hispanic gentleman also heading for it. There was an awkward pause between them as they seemed to try to evaluate which of them had precedence - he was closer, older, larger, male, and a minority while she was further, younger, smaller, female, and white. A hundred years ago the question of who should get the seat would have been easy, but these were modern times and the old system had been thrown out and the new system was still being fleshed out. The man was quicker on the uptake to smile and gesture that she should take the seat, but she shook her head and said, "Nah, I've been... um... sitting all day..." He gave her a grateful wave and sat down.

And quite abruptly, during that exchange, the young woman's demeanor had suddenly shifted. Her confidence was replaced by darting looks around herself, and she appeared to be disoriented. Though as the subway started moving she was quick to pull out her phone and look at the exchange of messages still open, they caused her to frown but her she didn't look as disoriented after looking through them. Okay, yeah, she was going to meet up with Chris at a nightclub - that's what she was doing...

[Jonathan Crane]

The doctor moved through the crowd of people with ease. Now there was no reason to keep much distance from her. Even if she did catch a glimpse of him or notice that he was there it wouldn’t have meant anything. It would only mean something if she had seen him prior but considering that her pace had never missed a beat, he doubted that was the case. His sight remained on her. Fear was an intimate thing, something that he knew incredibly well. Fear stalked behind her and searched through her phone. It knew her contacts, taking over the anxiety for her. Where fear didn’t sit in her, it moved around her. Perhaps that’s why he was so drawn to her. How it shifted in her like a dance he was captivated to follow.

He went down the steps into the subway with her, standing just a lane over while they waited for it to arrive. It didn’t take very long. Carefully, he moved in with others and settled in a space just a few feet away from her. Unlike her, he had managed to claim a seat. Other’s sat around him, but it didn’t look cramped. He didn’t take up much space in the seat, but the others seemed to shift and pull away from his presence. They didn’t want to be close to him. It was the turning that everyone did when anxiety choked them.

It took a few moments for everyone to settle. He observed her silent interaction with the man that had the seat near her. Her mind was always so focused on something else. So oblivious to the world around her. Even at the cost of it coming for her.

But then she changed.

It was like listening to a symphony as it returned to her. The confusion of her surrounding in the soft pull of her brow. It returned to her in the curl of her features and the shrinking of herself. Just like that, there she was, reinventing herself as if she could change reality with a thought. It seemed as if she might have not agreed with where her previous thought oriented her. Of course, he was just guessing. If the right opportunity offered itself perhaps there was something he could do tonight. The temptation was ever looming, but it was far too soon to approach. For now he could watch and listen.

Where she was going wasn’t the type of crowd he would stay with, but a sacrifice could be made in the name of observance and science. This was just a medical endeavor.

And he was always a scientist first.

[Heather Glass]

As the subway started off, she positioned herself by a pole in the middle of the subway car so that she could hang onto that and not be anyone else's space. But though she had oriented herself again, she was unsettled. Once she remembered where she was going, she put her phone away. Only to pull it out again - where was the nightclub again? Right, 17th Street... She put her phone away again. ...Only to pull it out again - so which stop was she getting off at? Right, 16th Street... And where was she now? After reassuring herself that she knew where she was in time and space, and also where she was going, she managed to actually put her phone back in her purse.

Though she wasn't aware of it, she began to shift in place in sync with uncomfortable thoughts. Why did she want to go to the nightclub in the first place? She didn't like the nightclub! It was loud and chaotic and Chris was one of the group that would call her Nikki for some reason and constantly asked her if she was okay. She pulled out her cellphone again to text back that she'd changed her mind and wasn't going. ...Only to put it back again without doing so - what if they were mad at her for backing out? What if she was wimping out? What if she'd miss out on a good time?

Why did she feel like she was being watched? She glanced around the subway car, but though a couple of eyes met hers when she did so, they were bored eyes who probably only glanced in her direction because she'd moved. She took a breath and tried to calm herself, telling herself that it was her imagination playing tricks on her. 16th Street wasn't very far in any case, so she'd be relieved of the thought that she was in a confined space with strangers soon.

Though when the stop came, she hesitated for a moment when the doors opened. Was she really going or wasn't she? The people exiting left and the people entering had started before she made up her mind - she was going - though this caused her to have to go against traffic at that point. She made it though, feeling flustered once again. Stairs, where were the stairs? Over there! She walked quickly over to them, hoping that the night air would cleanse the unpleasant awkward feeling hanging over her.

It helped? Maybe? She wasn't sure. When she reached street level, the staircase spit her out into a busy sidewalk. Not as busy as it would be earlier in the day, but this part of the city was a hub of some of Gotham's nightlife, so there were still people travelling to and fro. Out came her phone again. Which way was it to the nightclub again? A block north... right... She tucked her phone away again, shouldered her purse, and held the strap of it tightly as she started to head north, walking quickly.

[Jonathan Crane]

The doctor kept a casual gaze on her, no longer being mindful of what she could be thinking. Any anxiety that would come would be as normal as anyone else staring at her on the subway. Staring at her on a train that she didn't mean to get on, going to a place that she clearly didn't want to go. From the way that she kept looking at her phone, also with people she didn't want to be with. All of it building to an unsettling feeling that she was not herself, or perhaps feeling herself for the first time. All speculation, but he could only wonder what was going on inside her mind. Her fear was evident in every move and fear is contagious. It spreads and it coils to others around it. People near her could and most likely would pick up on her nerves.

The train came to its halt and the doors opened. He remained focused on her when she got up and exited with the crowd. He too, found his way in and within them. He stayed a good distance behind, it wasn't as if she was difficult to spot. On top of what she wore and the bright color of her firey hair, she had the air of anxiety about her. It was dangerous, not to remain confident on the streets of Gotham. Too long with a posture like that and it was going to attract the attention of anyone that meant her ill will.

Luckily, he was there. The doctor continued to follow her, even out and down the street as she turned. Out here was a much better place to study, away from such close eyes. Now bystanders would be all anyone had to deal with, and the problem always solved itself. People were often so deep in the denial of their own anxieties, they pretend that things don't happen in the world. But thing were going to happen, specifically to Miss Glass, or whoever she thought she was at the moment. The doctors pace picked up behind her down the next street.

This time he stayed in pace with her, from just behind. His footfalls matched her pace but made sure to loom just far enough back that he wasn't stepping on her. It was an encroach upon space, but not enough that he could touch her, just enough to make any normal person nervous. He had never had a plan to begin with when he started. Truth be told he shouldn't have been anywhere near her, but this opportunity was far too much to give up.

[Heather Glass]

Fortunately, though the streets of Gotham could be dangerous, especially at night, those who lurked in the darkness generally lurked where there weren't so many potential witnesses. That didn't stop everyone - some were quick and subtle enough to remain unnoticed even by a crowd and others simply didn't care if there were witnesses, but there were fewer of those. Knowing this and escaping the confines of the subway car meant that she felt some of her anxiety begin to ease.

But not all the way, partly because she knew that at the end of this relatively pleasant walk was a loud and chaotic nightclub and partly because that feeling of being watched hadn't left. In fact, that feeling only seemed to grow. Still, that was not an unfamiliar feeling at all, and in her vast experience as an anxious person she knew that she was just imagining it. There was no reason for anyone to give her more than a glance. She'd already looked around when she'd been on the subway and there wasn't anyone, and there'd been nothing then too. Looking again would just make her feel foolish.

Distraction was a good way to ignore such troubled thoughts, so she focused her attention elsewhere. Not to something more calming because her anxious thoughts would not permit it at the moment, but instead she thought about the nightclub. She'd told Chris that she wouldn't have any trouble getting in, but was that really the case? She couldn't remember off the top of her head which people knew her there and how much of an ability they actually had to get her in, so that quickly became the forefront of her worries. What if she actually couldn't get in and they turned her away and she had to tell Chris... it would be so embarrassing! She really should have changed her mind before she got off the subway - now she was halfway through the walk to the nightclub and she would feel dumb if she turned back now.

But though she was mostly distracted by those worries, it still wasn't enough to banish that feeling of being watched, which only continued to get stronger. She knew it was her imagination, but her imagination seemed to be extremely strong this night. In fact, she swore that above the din of other people watching around, their chatter, the cars, and everything else that made up the soundscape of the city, she could hear heavy footfalls following closely behind her.

But though tempted to look, she resisted the temptation - either it was completely her imagination or it was someone who had just so happened to fall in behind her on what was, after all, a public sidewalk. And if that was the case then the footfalls weren't nearly as close behind her as they sounded. And it would be embarrassing for her to turn around and see that it was just another Gothamite going about their day just like her. But she was only able to resist for so long before her nerves got the better of her and she suddenly whipped around, fully expecting to see nobody there.