[log] Two Doctors and an Abomination Walk into a Shed [closed]

[ecks]

Characters: Ecks, House, and Wilson
Location: building 29
Date: evening 365
Summary: Three people sit in a small, dark room.
Warnings: Coughing up blood; existential dread

[Building 29: A small shed outside the school, going inside reveals sports equipment is being stored in here. There are hurdles, various sports balls, giant mats, and the like. There's nothing that could be used as a weapon, though, unless you're going to try to hurl a basketball at someone's head. This is the only place on the campus it's possible to stay in overnight--if you try to stay anywhere else, you'll be made to leave at 7PM.

The following is written on the wall in blue ink: "This is Building 46 on the composite map. Contact @CaptSteveRogers for details." Underneath is a fairly accurate map showing the shed in relation to the school. The school is labeled "School. Food available in cafeteria; DO NOT STAY HERE OVERNIGHT." The shed is labeled "Shed". Behind the shed is a small army of snowmen armed with sports equipment. There's a drawing spraypainted on the inside of the shed. It has been labeled "GEROMY". The skin color has been left blank. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIX, FOR ANY ASSISTANCE PLEASE CONTACT @LELRIC." is written on the wall.]

Comments

when the power goes out

[ecks]

[As far as things that have befallen her in Norfinbury go, this has not been very bad so far. It has certainly been lonely (a little less lonely since Ecks discovered that she still almost shares a language with Royce), but no one has been injured or taken away and tortured and on the whole that would be a good sign if she weren't constantly going back to the thought that critically low resources sounds like the town is going to die and them with it. Even if she could share that thought with the others, she suspects that Doctor House has already thought of the same thing. She is never as sure of Doctor Wilson.

The shed is a familiar enough place, and it didn't take Ecks long to pick a corner and settle into it once they'd arrived. She's been playing around with her tablet despite its recent limitations, eking what entertainment she can out of it. When its screen goes dark she tries tapping at it at first, harder when it doesn't respond. Ecks lets out a frustrated sound as she looks up and tries to catch the eye of one of the men in the room before turning the tablet around to show him.]

It is broken.

[The language in which she speaks is guttural and half spoken through her teeth, as though it was intended to be spoken by someone with tusks.]

[rubikscomplex]

[House has chosen bouncing a ball for his mindless entertainment before bed. He'd been using his tablet light as a guide when things go pitch. At first he just thinks the screen's turned off on its own for lack of being touched, but then he hears Ecks say... something and he makes note of the fact that there's only the faintest glow at all coming from anyone's tablet. House tries turning his on.]

Oh, come on. Eve, turn the goddamn tablets back on.

[He chucks his ball in the general direction of the vents, and it ricochets with a loud bang. Unfortunately for Ecks, it heads off in her general direction.]

[ecks]

[It's dark and Doctor House sounds angry and now there's a loud banging sound. Ecks starts scrambling to her feet just in time to get nailed with the ball. There's a pained grunt from her corner, along with the sound of the ball hitting the floor a few times and rolling away.

The language Ecks speaks sounds inherently angry, but maybe there's some deliberate inflection there, too.]

Who has attacked me?

[rubikscomplex]

[He sighs as what seems to be Ecks snarling. He can guess she's upset after it sounds like she got nailed with the ball. House rubs a hand across his face. If they could see to mime to each other, that would be one thing, but they can't even play pictionary or charades like this.

After a moment considering whether to let an enraged, violence-prone golem thrash around in the dark, he sounds and shuffles in the direction of her voice.]

Calm down.

[ecks]

Doctor House?

[Ecks goes still in the dark, listening for further motion. She is certain that only Doctor House and Doctor Wilson were in this shed with her before the lights went out...at least, she's mostly certain. She slowly shifts her foot, trying to find her pack in the dark without making too much noise so she will know where her shovel is.]

[rubikscomplex]

[He can at least recognize his own name.]

Ecks.

[Maybe she'll recognize her name.]

[ecks]

[She does! Ecks halts again, listening closely.]

...Doctor House.

[rubikscomplex]

... This is stupid. I'm not gonna keep repeating your name. This isn't Marco Polo.

[He holds up one of his hands, reaching out for her.]

[ecks]

[Those are a lot of words she didn't understand. Rather than point it out, she does that thing she knows annoys people: she imitates him, inflections and all. Certain consonants are slightly off, like she isn't used to pronouncing them anymore.]

This isn't Marco Polo.

[She isn't expecting his touch, and she stiffens and draws sharply away.]

Doctor House?

[Logically, it must have been him. Cautiously, she reaches in the direction from which she's been hearing him.]

[rubikscomplex]

Ecks. [There's more annoyance in his tone than anything else as he puts a hand on what he hopes is her shoulder and then puts pressure on it.] Sit.

[ecks]

[She resists a moment, but then lets her knees fold, reaching up to grab his arm and tug him down with her.]

Sit.

[rubikscomplex]

[UGH! He does go down with her, though. And after a moment, he presses his tablet into her arm and waits for her to take it. He taps the screen.]

Broken.

[ecks]

[She isn't sure what he wants from her, but being poked with the tablet is annoying enough that she reaches up to take it.]

Broken.

[Is that what he wants? The word? She holds onto the tablet; her next reply is in her own language.]

I do not have a word for this object.

think we can ftb unless you've got somewhere more definite to take this!

[rubikscomplex]

I can't actually understand you.

[Which she won't understand. Ugh! House blows out an irritated sigh before coughing, the taste of the blood has gotten stronger.]

Sit.

[He repeats that and just tries to relax. It's going to be a long night.]

She's going to start learning words and phrases but tbh we should handwave

[ecks]

I can't actually understand you. Sit.

[Hopefully he enjoys being mimicked, and Ecks pestering him for words. Sooner or later she'll start putting actual sentences together, if only simple ones.]

[onlytwothings]

[ Wilson's scanning his own tablet, or what little of it actually functions when the power goes out and the device stops working entirely.

He's not too far off from where Ecks is, and he overhears her say something unrecognizable. Looking over at her, he tries to engage: ]

What did you say?

[ecks]

[She gets that it's a question, but doesn't get anything beyond that. Ecks holds up her tablet and repeats herself anyway.]

It is broken. My intelligent stone is broken.

[onlytwothings]

[ Unfortunately, Wilson gets nothing from what Ecks has just said. Whatever language she's speaking, he can't recognize it. ]

I'm sorry, I can't understand you. I don't know what's happening.

[ And apparently she can't understand him. This hasn't ever happened before that he knows of. ]

[ecks]

You should speak English.

[Even 'English' doesn't come through, mangled by her native language's word formation for foreign language names. She hasn't quite figured out that she's no longer speaking the language that had been imposed on her by the nanomachines.]

[onlytwothings]

I am speaking English. I can't even begin to recognize what you're speaking.

[ Which probably means something is going wrong, because he's never had issues understanding Ecks before. ]

[ecks]

[And still she can't understand him! Ecks tries speaking more loudly and slowly. Maybe that will help.]

You - are - speaking - in - a - strange - tongue.

[onlytwothings]

So are you.

[ He imitates her tone, hoping that somehow, if he speaks slowly and clearly, she'll grasp something from his words. ]

I don't know what's going on here. Ecks.

[ It's stupid, and a long shot, but names are easily understood, aren't they? It's not going to really help them communicate, though. He doesn't have a workaround for that, unfortunately. ]

[ecks]

[She recognizes her name, at least.]

Doctor Wilson.