snowblindrpg | [log] Event: Howl [open]

[log] Event: Howl [open]

Characters: everyone
Location: The sort of location M.C. Escher wishes he'd thought up.
Date: nights 211 & 212
Summary: I hunt for you with bloody feet across the hallow'd ground
Warnings: potential for violence, death, and psychological horror; please note in subject lines if any specific warnings come up!

like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
I want to find you tear out all your tenderness

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[Pierce was looking worse for wear, injuries still yellowing and the laceration on his cheek thick with scabbing. He hadn't dropped much for weight and appeared healthy otherwise, like he had taken very special care to upkeep his appearance where he could. He still raised an eyebrow when he ran - almost literally - into House and glanced around. He too was looking for someone in particular, and the longer it took, the increase the risk.]

Not as of yet, but I don't believe it would hurt to travel together for a bit in search. Unless you disagree?

If we run into one of the eyeball-hand monsters, I'm shoving you at it.

[It won't hurt him, just Pierce. House is, in spite of himself, curious about the other man to an extent. He hadn't taken advantage of his forced submission and need for orders, which runs somewhat counter to expectations. There's a part of the doctor that knows it was a tactic designed to pique his interest... and Pierce has proved that he likes manipulating people over to him, rather than using more brute force methods first.

It is interesting.]

You really should try dying. It'll clear up the whole face thing.

[House points to Pierce's abused appearance, and motions for the other man to turn around and head off. They're going to play the 'I don't trust you at my back' game again. House isn't quite as tense this time, though, more wary curiosity.]

I wonder if blinding its hands would halt its progress.

[The only good aspect of this scenario was the same as the bad because he couldn't actually see the monsters, not their location, not their appearance. So, the horror was the build up of the unknown, but he suspected once he was in the situation of facing down his death, it would simply be instinctual fear and instinct. He could not actually know what it was that attacked him.

And House... well, there was no actual honour among thieves. They could travel together, but aside from conversation and a body shield, they were of no help to one another. It didn't mean he wasn't willing to have the company.]

Why would I want that? I instead can use it to see which doctors will refuse treatment and be able to make a case against them later.

[He smirked and then took the lead, this time not bothering to play games with House about it. He could care less that House was at his back, hadn't much the last time, but he liked to feed into that paranoia. This time, he wanted to be in the lead because he suspected that running into any prophets on their journey would benefit the one in the lead first. Who was he to deny that opportunity?]

You look far more healthy than usual. Did dying again do that for you?

[In any other context, that would be a nonsensical suggestion.]

Probably. At least we can kick these ones without going unconscious.

[A discovery House had made with his first Prophet.]

Are you building a case against a lot of the doctors here?

[The question is asked casually as the move into a room that has staircases leading up the moss-covered walls.]

People already know I'm a dick who doesn't do clinic.

[He doesn't address the last question. Yes, dying, showering, taking his meds, and some additional meds, have pulled him back from falling back into a death spiral. At least for the moment. House isn't keen to share with the class, though.]

[That was a good point of fact to note, and he filed it away for when an opportunity might arise where he actually had to enter combat. It had been a long time, and his hands were still healing from where they had been pierced with glass shards. However, he was no slouch when survival was on the line.]

Your reputation and mannerism already has deconstructed any reputation that you might have garnered, though I know you to be a good doctor. [And as for the others, well, there was one in particular that he was concerned about the reputation of. The man had proven it was necessary.

And he noted the lack of answer, but that was answer enough by his measure. Something had happened and as long as House wasn't boring or a detriment to him, he could care less what the man was up to otherwise.]

Have we ascertained the object of this new exercise?

I like to set the bar low. Makes it easier to impress.

[Always being on your best behavior means people expect it. Being an ass and then being nice tends to throw them. It's by far the more entertaining way to live your life in House's estimation.]

Find one of the Prophets, get them to tell you where the creatures are, take the lights. Didn't you read the quick start guide? You men! Never wanting to read the instruction manual.

[Mostly, House had worked that out with his first Prophet.]

It also makes it harder for people to like you. Such a risk that must be.

[Alexander preferred to be on his best behaviour; it meant that he could get away with far more when he needed to set the screws to someone. They were usually so surprised with their defenses low that he could barter to have more than what anyone wanted to give up on the first go around. Never trust the nice or the quiet ones.

As for instruction manual, if he had been given one, he certainly would have memorized it.]

So we fight, and the prophets direct us, is it? An interesting buddy system.

I don't need to be liked to work.

[And that's about the size of it. He just has to be good enough that people will grit their teeth and deal with him to help get a job done. That's how he works with a majority of the other department heads at the hospital. And there's the option to send in Wilson or whine at Cuddy if he can't quite get his way.]

And you say interesting, I say suspicious. First they pit all the Prophet eyes against the people who marked out eyes, now they're forcing use to play nice. [He puts on a mocking, high-pitched voice.] Tra la la! Poor Prophet! If only she'd had Andromeda to help her. We could fix it all! Woe is us!

[And back to his regular voice.]

They're feeding us this goddamn story piecemeal. It really does feel like a freaking horror video game.

It helps to get patients to be honest I imagine.

[Of course, there were many factors that caused people to lie, some of which were pointless and only hindered a diagnosis. Or so he assumed. It wasn't as if he found it reasonable to lie where his health was concerned, but he knew that so many did.

Of course, House's manner was so inviting. Then there was the fact that apparently the man didn't bother to interact with patients unless necessary. That probably saved the need to lie? Too bad it wasn't helpful here where mental and physical illness was rampant while supplies were grossly limited.]

It's a shame that they don't just get on with it, given that both of the elements are dead in this little tale. That they affect all of us is hardly worth the time and effort on many fronts. Maybe it's meant to distract us from the fact that we are all basically freezing to death slowly.

I find pissing them off makes them more honest, too. [Most of the time. And if it doesn't, he can send in one of the fellows or Wilson to play 'good cop.']

And if they wanna distract from the freezing thing, they can put a space heater in every house. I would find that very distracting.

Edited 2017-03-10 03:34 (UTC)

I would think it might cause more of them to clam up. Some people don't deal well with such insulting wit. [Though who actually expected that in a doctor of all people? It sounded like the people who went to House were at the end of the road to a degree.]

True but we aren't allowed to remain in a single house for long. I know I would defend my space heater if I had one, and this so far isn't a gladiator pit.

[House shrugs. It works for him, and he's not going to debate his personal strategy with the guy who likes to pet and manipulate nicely to get what he wants.]

A space heater for every home, I say! Elect me Admin of Snowhell and I'll make it happen in the first hundred days of my term.

[As they've been walking, House has grown comfortable enough to place himself even with Pierce, instead of pacing behind him. He still keeps a wary eye on the other man, though.]

[Oh were they going to campaign? He hadn't had to do that in quite some time, but he knew the strategies oh so well.]

Together, you and I could see that happen. Imagine you in a position of power here? Outrageous.

[House had the intelligence but not the temperament for it. No one wanted a man-child in power after all. It would be highly entertaining all the same and that's what this was about, wasn't it? Being entertained while he continued to build his strategy.

He noted the change of pacing but didn't comment on it. He was busy looking around to care that he was being given the hairy eyeball all the time.]

You wanna be my Vice Admin? I dunno, couple of old white guys. Not exactly breaking the mold here, are we. What votes can you bring to the table that a token minority or Rust Belt swing state-er can't?

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[log] Event: Howl [open]

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