[log] Full House [closed]

[rubikscomplex]

Characters: Ecks, House, Tifa, Royce, Alfie, and Zach
Location T10 - 115 and Y9 - 109
Date: Day 123 - 124 and 125
Summary: Ecks rescues House from his propensity for being bad at not dying, and then they meet up with Tifa and her murder men.
Warnings: Possible violence, language, suicidal ideation, and anything else folks put in their subject lines as-needed.

Building 115 - Night 123
Only the master bedroom is intact in this house. It's mostly inoffensive even though there's only a mattress to sleep on with no bedsheets, but there's also a large full-length mirror built into the far wall. It's shatterproof and can't be moved, and any light in the room reflects off it eerily, especially at night. The mattress is leaning up against the mirror, blocking it. A Reaper and the N7 logo have been doodled in the dust on the floor. "CMDR JANE SHEPARD, DAY 56, TRAVELLING EAST" has been written on the wall. "115: ALPHONSE ELRIC, STEPHANIE BROWN, EDWARD ELRIC, GREED, DAY SIXTY-THREE, TRAVELLING NORTH-WEST" is written on the wall, and beneath it "DEAR FORMER RESIDENT, WE ARE FRIENDS, PLEASE DO NOT FEEL YOU NEED TO HIDE FROM US. CONTACT LELRIC". "Rations inside. Please only take in an emergency. Replace if you can." is written on the drawer of an endtable.

Building 109 - Night 124/Day 125
A standard single-story house with a kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom, and bedroom. The house is empty, though; it seems like no one was living here even when the town was populated. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, STEPHANIE BROWN, EDWARD ELRIC, GREED, DAY SIXTY-ONE, TRAVELLING WEST" is written on the wall, alongside "DEAR FORMER RESIDENT, WE ARE FRIENDS, PLEASE DO NOT FEEL YOU NEED TO HIDE FROM US. CONTACT LELRIC."

Comments

Day 123 - Closed to House and Ecks (cw: references to suicide/suicidal ideations)

[rubikscomplex]

[House wakes with a start inside his body bag, clawing at his throat to stop the electricity, the try to do anything to fend it off. The terrifying memory and sympathetic sensations only last a few seconds. The fact that he knows exactly what's going on at this point mitigates the duration of the panic, but it only bolsters his frustration as he claw his way out of the thing. Not blind, hearing intact, no memories missing as far as he knows at this point, no-

He tries to swing his legs around off the edge of the slab he's lying on and only one of them moves. No. No, no, no, no, no. He feels for the scar, that familiar divot in his thigh, but it's not there, only a complete lack of response. It doesn't take long for the pain to come, though, intense, stabbing, all in his mind. He knows it's in his mind, but that doesn't stop it as he pulls his leg around, steps down and tries to put some weight on it.

House collapses to the ground and just lies there for a long moment. He wants to cry. It's not so much the pain. The pain is a familiar enemy, one he's learned to tune out to an extent - real and imagined. But the frustration? To have his leg back and then have it taken away? He pushes himself up to one knee and looks up at his pack and everything attached to it. Always so polite about organizing your things, those spiders.]

You wanna play it that way? Okay, assholes.

[He drags himself all the way up.

It's some time later that he's constructed his aluminum cocoon on the ice. House's pack is sitting out a little ways away from him, his cane and mallet, the tools used to help him walk here, and his ash shovel are, perhaps, the most visible items along with the pack. When Ecks comes across him on the ice, she'll see shining gray metal, crinkled where House has pinched sheets together. The cocoon shifts just the tiniest bit every few seconds. If she listens, she'll be able to hear breathing along with the metallic crinkling of the foil.]

[ecks]

[Find the spiral, find the spiral. Her head is much clearer now, but Ecks has a nagging feeling that there must have been something, that at least one of the false connections she'd made must not have been entirely false. Her memories are unclear, though, the logic of the messages she'd sent to a few people inscrutable.

They must escape or they will die. She must find the spiral.

She just does not know where to look.

Southward seems best now that she's restocked her supplies, perhaps to turn east and keep inspecting the wall or perhaps to turn west and return to the southern portions of the town, to the parts that have not been so well explored by others. It would be wisest to make her way through the rubble, but she is tired of dodging others in the remains of the houses and the weather is clear enough that she feels certain she can afford to cut across the pond.

Just because she's out in the open doesn't mean she's without caution, however. When Ecks spots a shape out on the ice she slows to a stop, scanning the horizon for movement before making the decision to creep closer. Up close the object -- creature? -- only becomes more confusing, but now there is an additional clue in the form of a survivor's equipment set nearby. If this thing is an anomaly that just ate someone she should be feeling sick already, which leaves the more likely possibility that, somehow, it is a survivor.

She will be bold. She will investigate this thing and get to the bottom of it. Ecks prowls closer, slow and steady and nearly silent despite the snow and ice, and stoops to pick up the heavy little metal shovel by the pack. Cautiously, cautiously, she edges closer -- and then, at last, gives the mysterious Thing a nudge with the shovel, ready to dodge back.]

[rubikscomplex]

[House gets jabbed in the shoulder by something and reflex kicks in as he rips through the aluminum to knock whatever it is away. He realizes what he's done a moment too late.]

God damn it. What the hell did you do that for, you idiot?

[You idiot appears to be... he has no idea who or what that is except maybe the bride of Franken Stein. It clicks a second later. Golem. Flesh. Ecks.

Wonderful.]

I was working.

[ecks]

[She does dodge back, taking several quick steps that take her neatly out of reach as she watches the person -- perfectly clear now -- tear his way out of what is now revealed to be only a thin metal shell. For all her speed and skittishness, her face remains blank and her voice is a monotone when she replies.]

I was not sure what you were.

[Questions get answers. More importantly, the voice is familiar, and it only takes a moment of tilting her head at him and thinking before she recalls it.]

Doctor Hotstud?

Day 124 (OTA)

[rubikscomplex]

[House and Ecks arrive first to the building, setting up their own space. They'll be joined by Alfie, Tifa, and Royce when it gets too close to lockdown to find a different shelter.]

[rubikscomplex]

[House had had Ecks help him into a corner of the living room when they'd gotten into the building. It's near a closet for her, and he doesn't see much point in going deeper into the place when it's all empty anyway. He's regretting that now to an extent as he watches the others mill about.

He's been silent since they entered, just pretending to look over his tablet while he watches them. He's using his pack to prop himself in the corner and has his blue gingham blanket draped over him. A pair of reading glasses are perched on his nose, and he's probably looking fresher than any of them thanks to the morgue's dry cleaning service for bodies and clothes. Though, to the highly observant, they might be able to see some bloodstains on his blue jacket beneath the open peacoat. There's an accompanying tear there where Joker had stabbed a knife into his heart. To anyone watching he'll likely look engrossed in his reading. His ears are perked, though, and he glances up occasionally, casually. If any of them are going to recognize him, it will probably be Tifa. He recognizes her and Alfie. Not so much the other guy. In any case, if they can get through this with him just grunting a noncommittal greeting and no one taking note of the fact that he's completely lame in one leg, that would be great.

He'd already instructed Ecks not to tell people who he is if they run into anyone. At least House knows she'll listen to him.]

[devoutish]

[Great. Another person. A group of four is when Alfie starts to get a little nervous - he hasn't experienced one of the monster attacks that large groups attract, and he isn't in any hurry to. He gives House a long, penetrating look... and then walks right past him, out of the room and off to explore the rest of the house.

But he comes back, after he's said his evening prayers. He stands over House, looking down at him expectantly.]

Right; who're you, then?

[rubikscomplex]

[Of course Mr. Show Me Video has to come back. House leaves him standing there in silence for several seconds before looking up and replying in perfectly fluent Russian.]

This is going to be a long, long night, asshole.

Day 124 (OTA)

[ecks]

[Ecks had been busily nesting in the closet when she heard the others come in and hurriedly reached up and pulled the closet door most of the way shut. The flaw in this plan quickly became apparent when she recalled that she had left Doctor House unattended out in the main room, though he is close enough that she can hear each little movement he makes. She sits there in the darkness, listening on edge to all of them moving around outside.

She'll wait for a good while, but eventually not being able to see what's happening will be a little worse than being able to be seen herself, and the closet door will creak open a little wider so she can peek out.]

[devoutish]

[During his search through the house, Alfie will eventually come to the closet. He expects it to be empty - the rest of the house is, after all - but he doesn't want to miss anything, so he's being thorough. He pulls open the door, and... woah. That sure is unexpected. He actually takes a step back, out of surprise and confusion.]

Hey--

[ecks]

[She doesn't like this. She doesn't like this at all, being in this small house with too many people. Remembers telling another traveling companion on another night that there were too many people in another house. Remembers what happened the day after, when one of their number proved her right to want to stay alone.

She reaches for the little shovel she never gave back to House when the door swings open. She's sat in a sort of nest made out of her pack and its contents, leather armor shucked off beside her to air dry, a red, plush toy cat perched on her lap. She stares back up at him, not moving to come out, but not putting the shovel down, either. When she speaks, it is in a clear but expressionless monotone.]

This is my closet. Do not enter my closet.

[bywolves]

[ Ohh, Royce is not happy.

This is the third night in a row that Royce has been in a house with strangers, and it's starting to drive him nuts. He didn't sleep well the night before, with Bucky putting him on edge, and the night before that, Rhys kept them all up by waking up screaming. Understandably, Royce is sleep deprived, hungry and cold, and by the time they get to this building, he's at maximum salt levels. He's also not speaking to Alfie, for whatever reason, pointedly ignoring him for most of the night. Royce doesn't expect Alfie to care, but it's the principle of the matter.

Royce has found that people here don't usually go to the kitchen. That's where he can be found for most of the night, jammed up in the corner of the room. He's shoved his bag and things in the cabinet behind him and is leaning against the door, so that when he sleeps, nobody can go through it. Tonight, he's antisocial and pissy, which will be... amazingly fun to be in the same house as. He practically is surrounded by his own personal thunderstorm.

The other portion of the night, he'll be in the dining room. He sits cross-legged on the floor in the middle of the room facing the door, tablet in his lap. He has a marker, and he's very slowly and deliberately making a series of dots and lines across the floor. ]

[rubikscomplex]

[ It just has to be the guy he doesn't know who piques his interest enough to actually engage. He can see into the dining room from his own vantage point - the house is small and the two rooms are connected - but the angle is useless for actually seeing what the man is doing. The motions are repetitive enough that he has a notion the guy isn't just sketching. House doesn't get up for now, but finally raises his voice. ]

Are you writing Morse Code messages on the floor, or what, Aragorn?

[bywolves]

[ Royce pauses what he's doing to slowly look up at House. He's got his hood up, as usual, with his blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Probably looks ridiculous, and Royce knows the damp isn't good for him, but he doesn't like being exposed. ]

If that's a reference to something it's lost on me. [ Royce says, irritation creeping into his tone. He also doesn't answer the question! ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie is of the very firm opinion that Royce needs to get over this. They'd done a deal and it had been settled, even if the outcome hadn't favored Royce. Nobody had been hurt, nobody had even been threatened, and the situation had nicely mirrored the scene with the letter opener a few days ago. Now each of them had a nice, sharp weapon to supplement whatever other things they had gathered, and it had all ended up far more fair and equal than things often did in Alfie's world.

After his search of the place, he finds Royce, coming to stand by him and look down at him with an unimpressed look on his face.]

If you are unhappy with me, fucking talk, all right.

[bywolves]

[ Excuse you, Alfie. Royce is trying to sleep.

Which means Alfie gets Royce slowly looking up from where he's huddled down, hood slipping back just the slightest bit as he glares up at Alfie. This wouldn't be such a huge deal if he was more well-rested, but. Royce doesn't like giving up supplies, and he also doesn't like the fact that he feels compelled to be fair when it comes to sharing things with Alfie in particular. ]

I don't know what you're talking about. [ Ah yes, he's going to be a brat about it. ]

[powersouls]

[Unfortunately, antisocial and pissy means Tifa worries, because of course she does. It isn't hard to notice that Royce is upset with Alfie, because he's not exactly subtle about it, and she's not really interested in getting in the middle of that, but... Well. She wants to make sure Royce is okay, too, so after a bit she follows him into the kitchen, hovering just inside the doorway.]

Duster? Is everything okay?

casually uses this log for more threads

[bywolves]

[ And then, there are monsters.

Or just the one. The one monster comes through and tears Alfie out of the room, and Royce is left just staring out the door. He stands there for a good couple of minutes, thoroughly shaken by the fact that the anomalies are not a joke. Not even close to a joke. Alfie is gone and Royce has had such a night that he just has to take a minute to let his brain short out.

Tifa pulls at him, eventually. Royce just barely stops himself from jumping six feet in the air and trying to hurt her. He's so far out of his element that it makes him twitchy, jittery. The look he gives House as he stalks back into the house is venomous. Ecks better stay close.

Royce is quiet, jammed up in the corner of the bedroom. He has his blanket curled around him and his cloak out to dry. Has Alfie's stuff leaning against the wall next to him so nobody steals from it. Can't sleep. Royce knows he has to, but he's wired awake, body on full alert.

There's too much to try and work through, here. His brain won't shut up. ]

[devoutish]

[Tiny house or not, way too many people or not, Alfie is stubbornly determined to keep to his own routine. He takes off his coat and trash bag poncho soon after arrival, stashing them in the bedroom along with his boots and socks (which are traded for his new bath slippers). Even indoors, his hat usually stays on.

There isn't really anything to take photographs of, but he dutifully reads the wall-writing out loud into his tablet, letting the little machine convert it into text and save it to his notes. In the late evening, he goes into the dining room to pray, and then he sets out to claim one of the empty rooms - even without a bed, he likes being able to close a door behind him and get a little privacy, when he can. He stretches out on the floor, using his messenger bag as a back pillow, and idly scrolls through the network and public files for want of anything better to do. When he's ready to sleep, he changes into his bathrobe and drapes his still-drying overcoat over himself, careful to keep the damp side facing out away from his skin and clothes. He holds onto both his bags protectively all night. Thieves, beware.]

[bywolves]

[ Alfie gets a text a while later, maybe an hour or so after House, carefully and slowly written up. ]

you didn't have to

[powersouls]

[After everything finally settles, and once she's done talking to Royce, Tifa looks for Alfie and finds him in one of those empty rooms. She's checking up on both of them, because of course she is.]

Hey, Alfie? Can I talk to you?

Day 125

[rubikscomplex]

[rubikscomplex]

A - Ecks
[House checks on Ecks' wound periodically throughout the day, changing her dressings in the morning and again toward the evening. He doesn't have a lot of supplies, but it's not like he's used any of this, and she's got enough scars on her that she doesn't need another one. He's silent when he's working apart from the odd demand for random facts just to check her concussion isn't getting worse. He goes through the same motions of the night before with the concussion, wondering if just once he should give her a tiny sliver of his Vicodin.

She really needs Tylenol, is what she needs. He's got a lot in his first aid kit, but not that. But the day drags on, House looking over his tablet, not moving much, not eating anything but a bite or two of his own rations. His mind is on that monster, how they'd dragged each other into the closet, and when they'd come out... Solomons was gone. Just like that.]


B - Open
[There's another person in the house, one that he recognizes as Zach. One of the few people isn't tripping over himself to cozy up to Winter and the Admin as far as he's seen. House glances over at him once it pushes toward lockdown.]

Better keep an eye out, kid. Last night around this time we got the resident running of the anomaly bulls in the house.

[ecks]

[Ecks had more or less held out overnight, staying awake through sheer force of will. The loss of the man who'd threatened to mutilate Doctor House did not indicate the absence of danger, not with the half-elf in the house. Ecks understands that Alfie is dead and she understands that it was a frightening and unpleasant death she and House narrowly escaped themselves, but she does not dwell on it the way House does beyond a few scattered thoughts about how she might react more strategically should it happen again. It is sad that Alfie died, but it is not as sad as other things.

The sleepless night leaves her a wreck in the morning, and once Royce and Tifa depart she spends a good deal of the day drifting in and out of restless sleep, tolerating House's checkups when they happen. There's something she's forgetting, she realizes as she finds herself awake again, something she read on a bottle she took from one of the houses. She's been silent, first sleeping and then like as not appearing to sleep before she suddenly speaks.]

Aspirin. Aspirin is for pain. I have aspirin.

B

[majorlazer]

[Yet another night where he's not alone, because of course. Everyone seems to be converging towards Kes' little tunnel, which is not surprising. It's weird; he's talked to House before, a couple of times, and he's heard of Ecks, but it's different, being in the same place. House looks...well. Old. Tired.

Zach wonders if he looks half as bad.]

Think it'd attack two days in a row?

[Zach doesn't have that much experience with anomalies, monsters, whatever they're supposed to call them. He's had one chase him once, what feels like years ago at this point.

With his chin, he motions towards Ecks - man, does she look strange, a bit Frankenstein-y. Zach's been trying super hard not to stare at her too hard. He doesn't want to get stabbed. Again.]

Is she gonna be okay?