As Sharp as Knives

[rubikscomplex]

Characters: Gregory House, Ecks, Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham, Jared Rhys, James Wilson
Location: Building 327 and Building 326/Maintenance Tunnels/Building 316
Date: Day 311
Summary: House, Hannibal, Will, and Ecks meet up with Wilson and Rhys while conducting a few specialized searches.
Warnings: Typical House and Hannibal-related warnings, otherwise will add as they come up

Comments

[sleight_of_fate]

[That gets a rueful smile. Par for the course.

And okay, he kind of asked for that, even though it was just a saying. They really don't see much blue sky here, though.]

He's been...busy lately, yeah. I'm almost afraid to ask what he did this time, though.

I'm better. Still sore, but I'm out and moving around, and that helps. And I found someone to travel with. That makes things better, too.

[ecks]

It is nothing new or different. I understand now that when he does these things it is all the same things he has always done and it is mostly not my fault if he dies. I would like him to not die but he said that he values my opinion but he is going to ignore it.

It is better not to travel alone.

[sleight_of_fate]

At least he was honest. That's...progress. and sometimes, it's the best you can hope for.

And I definitely agree. I was traveling alone for a long time and it was faster, but it was a lot harder mentally. I'm glad to be with people now, I don't feel as crazy.

We'll see if I can keep it up.

[ecks]

I traveled more slowly when I was first alone because I was always trying to hide from everyone. It did not work very well.

[A smile here. That's supposed to be funny.]

Was Doctor House very bad to you when he grew up again?

[sleight_of_fate]

[It gets a small chuckle of agreement from Rhys. He can definitely see how that was a plan, but not one that worked out so well.

He'd had the same thought, at first.]

There's still some people here I sorta wish I'd been able to hide from, but for better or worse, it's what we get.

And yeah, he wasn't happy when he grew up again, but mostly, he just didn't want to talk about it. As long as everything went back to normal, he was okay. I can understand that.

If he wants to talk about it, that's got to be his decision.

[ecks]

I think he will not talk about it.

[Perceptive!!]

Did you want to hide from people like the Joker? It is important to hide from him. He murdered me. I am good at fighting, but he still murdered me.

[sleight_of_fate]

[Rhys nods quietly.]

Yeah. I think you're right. He's going to try and pretend it didn't happen. It's easier for him.

[And that's all there is to say on that subject.

Not that the next is any better.]

He's one of the people I'm making it a point to avoid, yeah. Far as I know, he doesn't have any reason to come after me, but he doesn't have any reason not to, either. Better to avoid.

I've been around people like that before. It's not worth the stress.

[Rhys's tone changes, something flat and detached in his voice when he says that.]

[ecks]

The Joker did not have a reason to come after me. Doctor House spoke to him and he became angry. I was not able to murder him before he murdered both of us.

[She misses the significance of the change in his tone. Usually she has to be paying closer attention for things like that to register.]

I think it was not like when Doctor House said things he shouldn't have about someone else who then murdered him. I think that the Joker would murder anyone. I hate him.

[sleight_of_fate]

[That sounds like the other warnings he's gotten, yeah. His face stays pinched with sour disapproval.]

Some people are like that and they're dangerous. They don't need a real reason, it's just a...tantrum. They have an entire different world in their head, with rules that no one else can figure out.

Thanks for the advice. I'll be even more careful of him now...I won't let him get the jump on me.

[ecks]

If he has rules, they are bad rules. They are the worst rules. You should avoid ever being in the same building with him at all.

[sleight_of_fate]

They are. Very bad rules, about him and what he wants. No matter how much it hurts other people.

That's a good idea. I'm going to do the same thing, just stay away from him.

[And if that happens to be the reason why he's got a fireplace poker with him at all times, well, it's a good reason. Reach and strength are good advantages to have.

But he smiles faintly.]

Good to have someone you trust with you, too. To watch your back. Not that it always works, but it's still a good rule to have.

[ecks]

Usually. Usually that is good, but it is better if there are two people who trust each other and both of them know how to fight than if two people trust each other and only one of them can fight.

[sleight_of_fate]

Definitely. That's why I like everyone around me armed.

Even if you don't think you can fight, it's amazing what you can do when your life is suddenly in danger.

[ecks]

It was not amazing what Doctor House could do when his life was suddenly in danger. But also he was badly injured before then.

[sleight_of_fate]

Yeah. That never helps.

[He sighs.]

But I appreciate the warning. Hopefully we can prevent it from happening again. I definitely don't plan to ever turn my back on the guy.

I think now that everyone knows he's Bad News, it will be harder for him to surprise someone and kill them. Hopefully that will be enough.

[ecks]

Yes. I do not think he has killed many people since then. I think maybe he has not killed any other people since then?

[She's really not sure. She doesn't keep very good track of who's killed whom.]

[sleight_of_fate]

The more people know about it, the harder it will be for him to catch them off guard.

[They have the nicest conversations, don't they?]

Have you been doing alright other than that? Sorry. I know it sounds stupid. But it's hard to am what people need without sounding a little dumb here.

[ecks]

I have been mostly doing alright. I have not died even though I only have one hand and Doctor Watson had to cut off my other hand and throw it into a rubble pit. I did some things that were bad but I do not intend to do bad things again.

[sleight_of_fate]

I don't think we ever really intend to, but good that you don't have more planned.

Also, you are damn tough. I'm glad you're healing well.

[He gives a tiny grin.]

Do you have enough food for now? We brought a little extra from the store before we came here.

[ecks]

I was sick for a while and then I was sick again when I did not have morphine anymore, but the gangrene is gone and my body is not going to die. Doctor Watson is a good surgeon. Do you have ice cream?

[sleight_of_fate]

He is. He's a good guy all around. And it's probably better you don't have morphine, a little bit is useful but it's not good to be on it for too long.

[Rhys likes Watson. More importantly, he trusts him...the two don't always go together.]

No ice cream, sorry, but I have cakes, and chocolate, and some soup and jerky.

cw reference to character death/murder

[ecks]

I did not like it when I did not have morphine anymore, but I did not want to ask Doctor Watson for more because I stole it from his pocket after I had to murder him. What kind of cakes do you have? I want the chocolate.

cw reference to character death/murder

[sleight_of_fate]

Well, once someone is dead, there's no sense in letting what they have on them go to waste. As bad as it is.

[He's still going to wince, though. Looting the dead is never a fun exercise, just cold necessity.]

Morphine is bad like that. It's good that you don't need it anymore. The more you take it, the more you want it, even when you don't need it.

[New topic. And it's never going to stop being bizarre how quickly she goes from harmless topics to horrible ones and back again. He's seen others do it, but usually those were...strange individuals as well.]

Sure, you can have some of the chocolate. I like the raspberry ones. They're a little squashed, but still good.

cw reference to character death/murder

[ecks]

[And she's perfectly happy to stay on the newer, nicer topic...just as she would have been perfectly fine reciting the details of a murder.]

We did not have chocolate where I am from and I like it.

[sleight_of_fate]

I think this place would be even worse without chocolate.

[He's been living on pure sugar, to the point where even he's getting a little sick of it, but only a little. And chocolate will always wait for you to come back to it. So much better than relationships in that regard.

Rhys rummages, and comes up with a few cakes, a couple of the squishy type and some more sturdy chocolate candy bars.]

Just don't eat 'em all at once and get sick, okay?

[He's smiling a little, though. If she wants to eat them all, he won't tell.]