snowblindrpg | Event: Consolidation Theory, Part Four and Five

[ At Rhys' familiar voice, Will turns sharply and moves towards his cell. Though Rhys is marked with red line, Will focuses on the man's face, rather than the marks and what they mean.

hands grabbing at him, red lines along the back of wrists as glass shards were driven under his nails...

Will's hand throbs in sympathy with the memory, but he ignores it as he slowly lowers himself down to his heels, to be more at Rhys' height. ]

Relatively speaking. [ He answers the question in a roughened voice that is still calm and steady. ] You look pretty rough, Rhys. How long have you been down here?

[Rhys makes a small, noncommital sound. For someone as busted up as he is, he's taking it...pretty well? He's not freaking out, at least, which is something.

He's also in mild shock, but still. Just another day on the job for him.]

Mnh. They've fed us a couple times...but we've been drugged. A lot. So. A day or two?

I think I lost some time. Wasn't hurt the first day. Then woke up all fucked up.

[He blinks at Will, trying to make sense of what he's seeing, and what he's feeling. They're all mangled, so that part is okay, right? They're all equally fucked up so they're all in this together.]

You weren't here before, were you?

[He tries to look around the cell, flinching at the pain turning his head causes. If there's milk, that would be good. He thinks he'd like some milk.]

No. I believe myself and those like me are ... new variables in whatever is going on here. [ Will moved to answer Rhys's last question first. Perhaps to reassure him that his memory of that part at least was correct. ]

Do you know if it was everybody, with the red lines, who has been down here for a couple of days now?

[ Unfortunately he had no milk to offer, in fact he didn't have any real comfort to offer outside trying to give this madness a sense of objectivity. Another experiment, ignore the emotional horror and look at the parameters.

....

It really wasn't much comfort. ]

[What counts as a meal is still in the corner of his cell, he just hasn't noticed it yet. Or gathered up the strength to get there. He'll get there eventually, though.]

I can't see everyone from here, and I don't know everyone in town.

[He gives a brutal bark of a laugh, as he reaches up to touch the gauze over his face.]

...can't see much at all right now. But I think a lot of us. We were drugged. Some of us were tripping bad. hard to know where we were, or when. They took us away, gave us shots.

[Look at it as a process. Put it all in order, one piece at a time. He's got an analytical mind, too, just not quite as orderly or refined as Will's. But he's still a smart man, good at detaching himself from horrible things.]

...think we were in a fight but I don't remember anything after...I think I broke my wrist?

[His wrist isn't broken, but some fingers are. He tries to focus on Will again, somewhat blearily.]

And there's static people. That walk through the walls.

[ Though he was capable of facing down quite a lot of horror, it was still hard to see Rhys forced to make a macabre joke about his the gauze over his eye. Will glanced down for a moment, weighing his options.

In his conversations and interactions with the man, Will had begun to piece together a psyche that was more vulnerable than it wanted the world to see. He didn't have the evidence to piece together they why exactly, but that wasn't particularly important.

What was important was that Rhys was House's friend and had always been kind to Will. Will had no desire to cause the man distress, but he also did not see any benefit in keeping things from him. Unfortunately what few details they had were likely to come sooner rather than later. ]

We were taken by these ... static figures. Brought down here and chained to the wall, then injected by the static. Then I was taken and [ he starts to say 'attacked' but stops himself as that's not the right word ] mishandled by people with the red lines, like you and the others are marked. For myself, I never saw a face or heard anyone's voice.

[Will isn't wrong about Rhys: as much time as he's spent learning to shield himself from others, and to understand what his powers tell him about others, he's actually really bad at hiding himself. The pain is there and it's not hard to see, if you know how to look for it.

Rhys has always been a touch wary of Will for reasons he can't quite pin down, but he also sees something painfully familiar when he looks at him: a man strained to extremes by life's circumstances. It's a connection, no matter how little else they might have in common.]

I don't remember. I'm sorry.

[Rhys lets out his breath, slow and focused. It's all he can say to give validation to what Will's telling him...because he does believe it. It's just that it's a big, black hole in his memories, filled with only vague impressions of struggle and blood that could mean anything or nothing.]

It fits with this place, though. They pit us against each other before. Last time, it was surgery.

[He slowly starts to push himself up. His shoulder protests, and brings with it a vague association of his arm being bent back in a way arms aren't meant to go. He winces, and settles for just rolling over.]

Think I'm safe now, if you want to wash up in the sink and have a little water. I'll try to warn you if it starts to change.

It may not have been you. Or perhaps not you as you know yourself. [ Will offered, which probably sounded confusing but he hoped Rhys could parse together some understanding.

At least, this was why Will wasn't running up and down the cellblock yelling at anyone with red marks. Even if it had been them, every instinct he owned told him they were as much (if not more so) victims of the situation as those who were unmarked. ]

I heard about that; the "sinners" and the "converts". [ He confirmed softly. At the offer of water and a chance to clean up, Will raised his hands, thoroughly bandaged so that it looked as if he were wearing blood stained mittens. ]

Thank you for the offer, but I don't think I should get these wet. And before you ask, I'm not sure I want to see what's under the bandages either.

Possession is actually pretty common in my world. Mind control. That sort of thing. Only difference is this time they did it with...fuck, I don't know. Drugs, tiny machines, whatever.

[He gets exactly what you're saying, Will, and is comforted by it.

He looks over at the other man, and winces at his misstep.]

Sorry. I don't blame you. [He holds up his own bandaged hand with a wry smile of understanding, before lowering it again and slowly, carefully levering himself up to sit. Even that hurts, but he needs the air, and to reassure himself he can sit up.]

Sorry you get a story of your own. S'how I got the tail, though, if you ever wanted the whole story. [It thumps sadly against the floor. The dysphoria has passed for now, replaced by solidarity in misery and quiet resentment that someone would...bite? Step on? Try to pull off? Something as harmless as a tail.]

Seen anyone else we missed before?

[ Will glanced towards the sad looking tail and then back to Rhys with sympathy. He might still be trying to wrap his brain around the idea of a tail but he'd talked with Rhys, face to face, often enough to have an understand how important it was to the man. ]

Define anyone we missed? [ He asked, deciding to keep them both focused on the here and now. From other conversations he's had, particularly those with the red lines, he had noticed how close to the edge they were to breaking.

Some day he'd like the story of the tail, but not when it offered a risk that Rhys might disappear into his own history and refuse to come back. Ignoring the irony (or perhaps it was hypocrisy) of Will Graham trying to assist anyone in maintaining mental stability. ]

Do you mean from the unmarked?

Mnh. Yeah. It's hard to tell in here.

Lots of voices. [Screams and crying, mostly.]

We can't move through the cells. Hard to get a real head count.

[It's funny how the tail has done from an alien horror to a part of him. But it shows his feelings, it's already there with him, and is just different enough from the rest of him to be almost like a weird little pet.

And now that Will had been through a slice of hell with him, knows what kind of things were involved, he'll tell the story sometime. Not so the horrific details, but enough to give him the gist, now that he's payed that grim little rite of passage.]

There's some kind of pattern, but betting at least some of us are still outside.

Wonder if maybe those in here were trying to get the pieces we lost back and don't remember.

Not sure I'm the best judge. [ Will offered in a soft tone. ] I'm not the most sociable.

[ Or in other words he didn't know everybody on sight. Still he took a moment to think about it, looking up and down the cell block. ]

Alright, assuming you already know who is here with red lines, I'll stick to the unmarked. So far I've seen Ginger, House, Mycroft Holmes and Hannibal.

I think there are others, but I don't believe it's all of us down here.

Some people weren't in the pit. So yeah. Probably a few at least, still out and trying to figure out what happened. S'what happened last time, anyway.

[Without much else to compare it to, he can only go on guesses. And the little info in front of them.]

You'd think they'd at least give us some cards or something to pass the time. No matter how bad we'd be at them.

[He sighs, holding up his damaged hand in solidarity with Will. It's a thin attempt at humor. But it's what he's got.]

[ Will's lips gave a weak twitch, and though the natural thing would have been to look down at his bandaged, destroyed hands he very purposefully kept his eyes on Rhys instead. ]

We could always play charades? [ He suggested with a thoughtful purse of his lips. ] Or some generic magazines, like what they stock at doctors' offices.

[ It was flat humor, but an attempt in return. Will sobers then and asks. ]

Is there anything I can get you Rhys? Anyone you want to talk too?

[that actually gets a pained gigglesnort out of Rhys.

Ow. Thanks, Will.]

With everyone's luck, they'd be in Russian. Communism Monthly or something horrible like that.

[Which Rhys can read, but not everyone else can. He's considerate that way.]

I think I'm okay. Anything I really want, no one's getting right now, so just being able to rest a while, I think that's enough for now.

Talking a little, that's good, too. It's being alone down here that fucks with me, not being able to...you know, when people are so fucked up you can't get through, and it's just hell? That's what messes with me.

[When he can't get through to them. When he can't help. A lucid conversation, where he can even laugh a little, has been good for him.]

[ He's here to help!

Rhys' comment about Communism Monthly gets a quick grin out of Will and a nod. He agreed with the assessment; given their luck that would be exactly what they found. Will fell quiet then, listening as the other man talked and when Rhys' words tapered off he had an understanding expression in his eyes. ]

I'm not the people person you seem to be, Rhys. [ Will admitted, first and foremost. ] And right now, I can only imagine the difficulties you're struggling with in these circumstances.

[ He's seen shades of the same frustrated need to help in Watson. ]

I know it doesn't help now, with everyone just barely hanging on to survive. But when we're out of this [ when not if ] that's when we're going to need each other and need to talk.

[People person? He's not always sure at times, but he appreciates the sentiment.]

It was kind of my superpower back home, I guess. Here, I'm not always so sure. But I kind of guess I have an honorary degree, just from living through pretty much every fucked up thing you can imagine. You go through that kind of shit, you don't want to see anyone else have to.

[And that sums up the core of Rhys's character as neatly as anyone ever will.

Him and Watson definitely have that Savior complex in common, which might be why their interactions are so awkward.]

If it's like last time? Yeah. We'll be out. We'll go back to where we were, and it'll be...I don't know. But at least we have the chance to work it out.

[ Compared to Will, rocks were people persons.

Will considered saying that he was capable of imaging some fairly fucked up things, but he decided against the remark. This was about Rhys, not him.

At the end, he gave a small nod in agreement. ]

We hang on, until that point and then the real healing will need to begin. That's when you may find yourself busier than you expect, Rhys.

[There is that. Some people just don't do people, and Rhys totally understands that.

He lays his head down, processing that and trying not to think about last time, coming to after the Cells confused, completely healed, and alone, unsure that any of it had even happened except for the new tail stitched to his back as a surreal reminder that he'd lived through...something he hadn't really realized that he could live through.

At least this time, he knows the script. He knows how it's supposed to play out, and he'll be ready to deal with it. He'd been alone near the convenience store when he was taken, and that's where he'll return.]

Yeah. Probably. Lots to...try and put back together, at least.

[He gives the other man a thin, pained smile. Was Hannibal a comfort to him, as odd as the other man was?]

Be glad you're not alone. I think that's the hardest part in all this. If you've got any comfort at all in what you've got? Hold onto it. Because there's not a lot of it here.

[ Rhys' words struck home, as Will recognized that for the first time he did have both Hannibal AND House at his back through this. Perhaps that's what made it possible for him to function in the current circumstances.

It was only recently that he and Hannibal had begun to pull in the same direction, rather than locking horns in a zero sum game. And despite House's difficult personality, the other doctor was capable of seeing him as a person and that was also something for which to be glad.

So he gave a small nod of his head. ]

You're right and I am. Though I do wish ... well actually I wish none of us were down here. But an event like this, the perceptions go both ways; we can learn something about Miller.

[ Maybe. The truth was, they might know nothing in the end, but Will was stubborn in his belief on this fact. He had to be to keep going.

Just like when he was in the BSHCI.]

Edited 2018-05-06 17:11 (UTC)

[From someone on the outside looking in, it's more precious than gold. Rhys tries very hard to be the better man and not begrudge Will what he has, but sometimes, it's a fine line.

He rubs at his bandages wearily, curling back up on the bed to try and rest his aching head and face. Ironically, he'd kill for an icepack right now.]

Mm. Maybe. Think it was already on record that he was insane. Least this seals it.

Not that it makes it easy, just simple.

[There's a difference. It's simple to push someone in front of a bus or shoot them in the head because they're a murdering bastard. It's not easy however, because it takes at least a certain amount of balls and it's a felony with no statute of limitations that may or may not get you the gas chamber.]

If there's a way out, though, this is the way we're gonna find it. So...it's worth that much, at least.

If he were insane, this would be a lot easier. [ Will said in a pensive voice. ] He's something a lot worse.

[ Which made him a hell of a lot more dangerous as well. But for the moment, they had to focus on surviving and hopefully Miller could be next on the agenda. In that regard, Rhys was absolutely right. They had to work the maze like good little rats, but no one said they had to just chow down on the scrap of cheese at the end.

They could make their own block of cheddar. ]

Are you going to be okay? [ Inwardly Will winced even as they question left his mouth. As an unspoken apology, he gave a small duck of his head and amended. ] In so much as any of us are alright in here?

[Rhys gives a small snort, remembering who he's talking to. Right. The whole clinical thing.]

I'm not used to labeling it. Normally, I feel it from the inside.

You're right though. Whatever it is, it's sick.

[He'll definitely defer to the expert, and continue to be slightly annoyed but also partly relieved that his empathic senses don't work here. His demon might not like it, but Rhys is perfectly happy to spare himself the trauma.

At Will's latter question, he shifts, but gives the other man a small nod.]

I'm okay for a while. Just want to rest for a bit, I think. 'Till...whatever's next. Go look in on other people, see if anyone else needs help.

[He takes a slow breath, lets it out, as he debates whether to say anything.]

And if House is here somewhere, check on him, too? Just...don't let him know I asked.

[There's a sad, crooked smile that goes with that.]

[ Will's entire job had been to apply labels to the various psychopaths he hunted, but he didn't feel the need to say such a thing. Rhys probably had the healthier approach.

He was starting to withdraw then the other man made his request. It caused Will to pause, not because he was surprised at the request, but more at the fact that Rhys was speaking to something personal. He studied the man's body language and the expression on his face, taking it all in and processing what it suggested.

Interesting.

But for now, he simply nodded. ]

He is down here. [ Will confirmed the unasked question. ] Probably making the rounds and you'll see him soon.

[ It was a careful non-answer because Will wasn't immediately sure how he was going to approach that curious request. He'd have to think on that. But hopefully it provided Rhys something to hang on to in the meanwhile.

He gave another small nod and then, unable to think of anything else he could offer, he retreated from the cell. ]

[Maybe Rhys's approach wasn't healthier, but it was more practical. There wasn't much in the way of law in the world of magic, just a lot of subjugation and death. Rhys wound up killing a lot of the monsters that threatened him, because they were simply too dangerous for any human law system. If humans even acknowledged to existence of the unnatural.]

I'll keep an eye out for him. Thanks.

[He knows that Will is closer to the older man, though, that he can do more for him. Knowing that he's there and willing, that helps a little.

It also hurts a little, but...it's what they've got.]

Appreciate it. Watch yourself.

[Rhys lays back down and curls up carefully, cradling his injured arm and closing his good eye for the moment. Shutting everything out in favor of what's in his own head, if just for a little while.]

Event: Consolidation Theory, Part Four and Five

cw: fingernail torture, asphyxiation, hair tearing, addiction, implied eye loss

cw: fingernail torture, asphyxiation, hair tearing, addiction, implied eye loss

cw: fingernail torture, asphyxiation, hair tearing, addiction, implied eye loss

cw: fingernail torture, asphyxiation, hair tearing, addiction, implied eye loss

cw: fingernail torture, asphyxiation, hair tearing, addiction, implied eye loss

Injury CWs ongoing, references to Noisy Black

Injury CWs ongoing, references to Noisy Black

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