[network] @hotstud_xxx, Late Night 190, audio [open]

[rubikscomplex]

[It's almost midnight when House's message goes out. He sounds honestly terrified. His hands are shaking too much to type, and he's too frantic to think of voice-to-text. There's also the music. He can hear it. He can't tell where it's coming from, but it's there and it's fading in and out with the static and a whisper that he can just make out.

It would probably be better to see to his wounds first, but that's secondary at the moment.]

The music. Who's hearing the music and the static? Have anyone's eyes changed? Who can hear it?

[He sings the first few lines.]

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green...

It's Andromeda's song for Winter. It's the song in the apartment with the knives. The Jedi heard it, too. His eyes or his hand set it off.

Who can hear it?

Comments

[rubikscomplex]

I can't tell if I'm feeling anything. I just got roughed up. What are YOU feeling.

[redrooms]

Scared, sad, like something terrible has happened but I can't pinpoint the source.

Who roughed you up?

[rubikscomplex]

Irrelevant. It happened. I'm bleeding and having a panic attack.

[This is House having a panic attack, Nat. You're welcome.]

private

[redrooms]

[This seems like a good time to make this private, just in case.]

How badly are you injured? Will you be safe for the night?

private

[rubikscomplex]

It's superficial. Head wounds bleed too much. I've blockaded the door. Told you I'm not leaving until they're gone.

private

[redrooms]

Do you need me to walk you through calming down?

private

[rubikscomplex]

No.

[Maybe.]

Give me a puzzle. A riddle. Anything.

[Give him something he can actually solve.]

private

[redrooms]

[Hope you like old Russian riddles, House.]

A peasant bought four scythes for a sovereign. What will each come to?

private

[rubikscomplex]

[He quickly discards 'sovereign' in the currency sense. She's Russian, not British. If it had been four peasants, he might have a morbid 'a swift end' for an answer as to the fate of the peasants. But this is talking about the fate of the scythes. What is the purpose of a scythe beyond death imagery? Field work. Clearing.

All of that reasoning takes about five seconds.]

The ground. Give me something more complex.

private

[redrooms]

[She's not going to be able to remember anything horrifically complex off the top of her head, but she'll try.]

Prove that seven is half of twelve.

private

[rubikscomplex]

[Math isn't a great direction to go to challenge him on riddles.]

Base 12. 12 equals 14. Half of 14 is 7. I said complex.

[At least he's getting some of his snark back, so that's something.]

private

[redrooms]

Good, but not the answer I was looking for. Try again.

private

[rubikscomplex]

[House's eyes narrow. Multiple answers, okay. He runs through a few different base systems in his head, then does a little more mental math before settling on another answer after about half a minute of silence.]

Roman numerals. X is ten, V is five, I is one. Twelve is X-I-I, seven is V-I-I, half of twelve.

private

[redrooms]

Correct.

[She's silent for a moment as she remembers another and then tries to decide how to translate it.]

You want to show someone something that neither of you have seen before and, after you see it, no one else will ever see again. What is it and how do you do it?

@makeme; text; private

[coyoteking]

did they try to kill you
was it because of the eyes
or the song

is this happening again?

[Hi House guess who can somewhat understand Japanese.]

private

[rubikscomplex]

[Well, screw you and the bilingual bonus horse you rode in on, Charles. House's paranoia ramps up. How many other people speak Japanese?]

Jesus Christ, don't tell me you're a polyglot, too. It was nothing to do with the eyes. This is happening again, but that was unrelated.

also private

[coyoteking]

well sorry god
didn't know it was a fuckin crime
what did it have to do with, then?

private

[rubikscomplex]

None of your goddamn business.

private

[coyoteking]

fucking

im just trying to figure out if the murder shits back
or if theres some lone errant serial killer again
do i gotta fear for my life or did you just piss someone off

private

[rubikscomplex]

I piss everyone off. And no. It's not back. I just said it doesn't have anything to do with the eyes.

private FOREVER

[coyoteking]

ok but you didnt answer the lone errant serial killer thing
i dont need to know the beef but is the beef with you only or no

[rubikscomplex]

[House finally flips to text.]

jesus christ
well it was just me
but you're being annoying so i'll tell them to go stab you, too

[coyoteking]

so it's a him
and you got stabbed

[There's probably a short list of people that could be.]

[rubikscomplex]

it's a her
she broke my heart

[coyoteking]

[That's an even sorter list. As in, 0.]

yeah not buying that
like first of all who would be dating you