[log] Sweet Music Man [closed]

[rubikscomplex]

Characters: House, Wilson, Ecks, Harley, and Squalo (potentially)
Location: Building 30
Date: Day 368
Summary: Meeting up with Harley for a drug exchange, copying programs, and playing musical tunes
Warnings: Drugs/addiction

[ A school that has begun to fall apart, bisecting the building. The only way to enter it is through the center, making it a bit difficult to properly search. There's a snowman outside with a sign in its hand reading "Z.D. <3 J.H". The school consists of two floors, both of which have scattered Ⓧs drawn on the boards in the classrooms:

FIRST FLOOR
Central Wing
The center of the school seems to have crumbled down the middle at some point, leaving much of it open to the elements. The office and what remains of the auditorium are muddy, wet, molding messes. The cafeteria just to the north of the divide has survived quite well, however. It receives power and has many tables with attached benches. More importantly, the cafeteria receives food regularly. Admittedly it's what you would expect from a school cafeteria: a lot of frozen meals with some fruit, vegetables, and other things mixed in, and there aren't any ovens in the cafeteria's kitchen to heat anything up with, but this is a good place to check for food if you need it. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, MAMI TOMOE, FREYA CRESCENT, GREED, EDWARD ELRIC, STEPHANIE BROWN, DAY FORTY THREE, TRAVELLING NORTH-EAST." has been carved into one of the walls. A hot rod has been drawn on the wall with the initials JW. There's also a motorcycle and a few penises. A mark has been stained into the wall above the doorway.

Northeast Wing
There are six classrooms here, neatly arranged three on each side of the hall. These are kindergarten classrooms, judging by how all of them have small tables and chairs to go with them in place of desks, with blocky, colorful text on the walls and large alphabet or number or animal carpets on the ground. A few picture books can be found on the classroom, at about the level you would expect for a kindergarten class. The northeasternmost classroom has a large old wooden piano, but the strings have all been removed from the inside. At the end of the hallway is a staircase leading up. "I found a severed arm here, but it vanished. Restless spirit? - Enoch" has been written on the wall in one of the hallways. In the first classroom one comes across on this side, all the desks have collapsed in a pile, as if they were stacked up but then fell over. "JIM HAWKINS WAS HERE", "NORFINBURY SUCKS", "JH ZD ZF", and "JH <3 ZD" have been written in sharpie in the hallways.

Northwest Wing
There are six classrooms here, neatly arranged three on each side of the hall. These are the first grade classrooms, and they have small desks with ample storage space in them for children to place their schoolbooks. The desks are arranged neatly with one chair per desk and desks formed into small groups of four each, for a total of five groups in each classroom. There's a large, blank plastic board on the wall in the front of the classroom. There are a few books to be found here, though they are suited for first grade. At the end of the hallway is a staircase leading up.

Southeast Wing
There are six classrooms here, neatly arranged three on each side of the hall. These are the second grade classrooms, and they have small desks with ample storage space in them for children to place their schoolbooks. The desks are arranged in four rows of five desks each, with each desk touching the desk on either side of it, in front of a blank plastic board. At the end of the hallway is a staircase leading up.

Southwest Wing
There are six classrooms here, neatly arranged three on each side of the hall. These are the third grade classrooms, and they have small desks with ample storage space in them for children to place their schoolbooks. The desks are arranged in four columns of five desks, with no desks touching any other desks, in front of a blank plastic board on the wall. Every room has a simple multiplication table on the wall. At the end of the hallway is a staircase leading up.

SECOND FLOOR
Central Wing
The second floor of the central wing is essentially in ruins. There were probably rooms here at once point, but they've all crashed to the ground below.

Northeast Wing
There are six classrooms here, neatly arranged three on each side of the hall. These are the fourth grade classrooms, and they have small desks with ample storage space in them for children to place their schoolbooks. The desks are arranged in four columns of five desks, with no desks touching any other desks, in front of a blank plastic board on the wall. Every room has a multiplication table on the wall--it covers from the twelves tables to the twenties tables. There is a similar poster for division. At the end of the hallway is a staircase leading down.

Northwest Wing
There is a small teacher's lounge on the northern wall of this hallway which contains a table, a few chairs, and a counter in the corner of the room that may have once held coffee machines, although no longer. There's also a large room that only contains multiple rows of tables and computer chairs, though there aren't any computers to be found.

The south wall holds the library. There are books to be found here, but it's all fiction suited for an elementary school. The reference section is entirely empty. There's a large machine that looks a bit like a modern day movie rental machine--notable for that alone, but it's also receiving power. However, if you try to use it, you will be asked for ID, and will be denied if unable to provide it. If you have ID, it will give out a blank blue SD card. This card can be written on only once before becoming read-only. You can also insert a blue, written-on SD card you already own to make copies of it, but only twenty per day.

Southeast Wing
There are six classrooms here, neatly arranged three on each side of the hall. These are the fifth grade classrooms, and they have small desks with ample storage space in them for children to place their schoolbooks. The desks are arranged in four columns of five desks, with no desks touching any other desks, in front of a blank plastic board on the wall. Every room has a multiplication and division table on the wall--it covers up through 100, and also includes rules about fractions and decimals. The beginnings of algebra seem to be being taught as well. At the end of the hallway is a staircase leading down.

Southwest Wing
On the north wall is an art room. It's large and there are various art pieces in various stages of completion. That they're made by children is obvious, but not all of them are really that bad. Some of the kids really show talent! Arranged by date, it seems like while the art starts out fairly standard in topic the newer pieces are darker, muddier, and more distorted, to the point with some of the pieces it's impossible to tell what was even being painted. On the south wall is a music room. There's an area similar to a classroom with desks, but in the back are many various instruments. Most of them would be pretty cumbersome to carry around, except maybe some of the smaller woodwinds, but they are in working order.]

Comments

[rubikscomplex]

A - Music Man
[House is playing a few different songs given that he has access to a piano and music is one of the few pleasant things he has here. His eyes are half-closed and he's swaying to the music, fully immersing himself in it. He's not paying much attention to those who might wander by.]

B - Around the School
[Graffiti is just kind of one of those things you do when you're here in the school. House has found the hot rod he'd drawn almost 10 months ago here, Wilson's initials in it. He settles in to doodle a trail of fire and a motorcycle beside the hot rod with GH written on the seat of it.

If someone stops and seems to be paying attention to what he's doing, House will speak without looking around at them.]

Take a picture. It'll last longer.

A

[clowngirl]

[Harley's approach is easy enough to hear and distinguish with only the slightest bit of attention; she's skipped her way to the music room, humming a tune that abruptly shifts to the one House is playing as she enters.

She approaches him jovially, with only the weakest of mock surprise playing on her face.]

You look scruffier in person. I feel absolutely Catfished.

[She had figured the picture he had sent of Will wasn't him, after all. But it was nice to finally put a face to Dr. Hot Stud without having to scroll back through the network, which she had remained too lazy to do.]

[rubikscomplex]

You look less white and checkered in-person. False advertising with the clownette thing. [The retort is shot back easily. He glances over at her, but doesn't get up.] At least you know I got talented fingers, babe. Those you won't be disappointed by. Money back guaranteed.

[clowngirl]

At least you get to see me naked. [What else is she, without her trademark costume?]

Play me somethin'? You know "Smile"? I was thinkin' Nat King Cole over Michael Jackson, but you do you...

[rubikscomplex]

Only if you sing, doll.

[House closes his eyes, lets his fingers find the keys for the first notes and starts to play. He plays the intro and opens his eyes, looking expectantly over at Harley. This is now a group exercise. No free-riders, thank you.]

B

[ecks]

[Ecks stares at him in silence for a long, long moment. Then she shuffles out of her backpack, stoops to open it, digs out her tablet, and aims the camera at him to take a picture.]

[rubikscomplex]

[At that silence and shuffling, House can't help looking around and-]

Dude. Seriously?

[Enjoy that incredulous expression you'll be capturing for your digital scrapbook, Ecks.]

[ecks]

It'll last longer.

[She does enjoy it, and she smiles at him, all broad and toothy.]

[rubikscomplex]

[House gives her a hard look before flipping her the bird.]

Anybody teach you what this means, yet?

B

[onlytwothings]

[ Wilson's just going to stand there taking in the graffiti artwork and drawing what appreciation he can from it. It's actually good work, considering. He might even tell House that. ]

Sorry, forgot my camera.

[ A pause. ]

Oh, wait, it's right here. But a camera wouldn't do that justice.

[rubikscomplex]

[Of the people House is mildly concerned about seeing what he's drawing and has drawn, Wilson is one of the few. It's not often that he feels embarrassment, but his hand surreptitiously moves to cover over the hot rod on the pretense of leaning into the wall a little more. His tone of voice remains perfectly nonchalant.]

So, memorialize it on the wall, then. I've got more pens if you want in. Find a piece of wall, vandalize the hell outta it. Gotta set a bad example for the elementary school data ghosts. Stay in data ghost school or you'll wind up frozen, possibly dead, and drawing graffiti on pulverized buildings when you're 47."

[onlytwothings]

[ Smooth cover, House. And really, Wilson is the last person who would knock House for drawing, of all things. House might be a pain in the ass, but there's more to him than being hooked on vicodin and being colossally obnoxious. His musical talent and apparent artistic skill prove that. ]

Yeah, all right. I'm in.

[ His own drawing skills probably pale in comparison, but who cares? ]

[rubikscomplex]

[House's brows rise, but he probably should have expected this. When Wilson comes over to start drawing with him, he casts a sideways glance at his friend before offering him the fountain pen that House has been drawing with. Once Wilson takes that, he'll reach into his pack for a ballpoint and continue on with that.]

Last time I was here with the 1.0 version of you, we were being kidnapped by the Joker and had to throw him in a classroom and book it to escape.

[Just in case Wilson was wondering.]

[sharktrash]

--1.

[ Squalo will probably show up later, just in time to not get locked out in the frozen tundra. He's not apologizing, though, because he really didn't want to come. It's probably obvious from the way he seems to hesitate for a moment before stepping into the building, and then his frown just seems to be gradually growing darker with each passing moment. ]

[ He's also grumbling, of course. ]

I can't fucking believe she made me come here again.


--2.

[ Once the initial bitchfit has been completed, he'll be looking for a spot to settle down for some peace and quiet (hopefully). Of course, he's also going to stare suspiciously at anyone who dares come close. ]

[ He wonders if any of them know. House probably does. It doesn't seam to be a big deal around here, though. So it's just as well. ]

[ He may be visibly grumpy but he's not going to act outright hostile, not first. ]

2

[ecks]

[Ecks doesn't know anything more about this man than what she knew when she met him in the Pit...but she has not forgotten the things he said to her. She has not forgotten that he talked about torture. She has not forgotten that he told her he hoped someone would take her apart.

When she sees him she stops where she is, unhooking her shovel from her pack and holding it ready at her side.]

[sharktrash]

[ In the meantime, Squalo would have forgotten her apparently - can't keep track of all the people you threaten and all - if it weren't for her rather... unique looks. He's used enough to assassins that that little gesture doesn't slip past him, but he doesn't move, instead just smiling slightly in Ecks' general direction, part amused and part daring. ]

[ A murder attempt would certainly make the night more entertaining. ]

[ecks]

What are you going to do?

[A general question in the hope of a general answer. She does not want to attack first, because it is wrong to murder someone who was not going to murder you or someone you care about...but Doctor House is here and Doctor House is utterly useless at fighting, so precaution is the order of the day.]

[sharktrash]

[ Well. That's fairly straightforward. How refreshing. ]

I was going to sleep, but that's not an option now.

[ he'd rather not wake up with a shovel stuck in his skull, thanks. or, you know. not not wake up. ]

[clowngirl]

1.

[Lockers clank as she passes through the halls, Harley idly rapping a baseball bat against them as she slowly goes from classroom to classroom. She's searching for new items but doesn't really expect to find anything since her last visit to the school. Peering in door after door, she thinks that maybe a few more gold star stickers will catch her eye. Or perhaps one of the robo-spiders left an apple out for the admin. Who knows?]

2.

[Harley has made camp for the night in the art room, and as she's still something of a manic night owl, can be found there doodling in her own notepad late into the night. Her "art" is not much more sophisticated than the children's work that is on display, but it keeps her happy to draw Joker faces and stick figures kissing in an igloo and a multitude of hearts and diamonds. She whistles loudly in order to drown out the silence as she whiles away her time. A mish-mash of old show-tunes can be heard from the hall.]

1

[ecks]

[Looking for gold stars, Harley? Because this child has several of them scattered over the worn-looking leather armor she still wears though it's dried and cracking from months in the cold without proper oiling. Of course, Harley will have to spot her; as soon as she hears the sound of the bat on the lockers she goes deadly quiet as she creeps up to try to see who's making the noise without being seen herself.]

[clowngirl]

[Harley swears she just saw a flash of gold foil out of the corner of her eye, and stops in her tracks. It had been moving, right? Why was it moving? Well, whatever it was, it was bigger than a spider. She knows that.]

Uh, Ninja Stars? You can come out! [She lowers her bat and peers around.] I'm only gonna hurt you if you're a shiny-decorated anomaly! And even then, welll... [A shiny-decorated anomaly might be worth trying to make friends with. Even if it did ultimately kill her.]

[ecks]

[Perhaps the stars were not her best choice for stealth, but they were her best choice for fabulousness. Ecks considers the implicit threat, decides she's clearly not an anomaly, and speaks up as she peers from around a doorway some little way down the hall.]

You cannot hurt an anomaly.

[onlytwothings]

[ Wilson's gotten saddled with a bout of gloominess, but rather than it putting him to sleep, it's keeping him awake. He doesn't have much to distract him other than the tablet, but there's only so much browsing of the network that he can do.

He hears some whistling coming from down the hall, so he decides to follow it. It leads him straight to Harley, who's very much awake. Deciding he's not wholly against company, he figures he can at least see if she doesn't mind him stopping by. ]

Hey. A little late, isn't it? Not that I have any room to talk.

[clowngirl]

[Harley welcomes the sudden company with a smile. She momentarily stops her doodles and brings her pen up to her mouth.]

Ain't no rest for the wicked. What's up, Doc?

[onlytwothings]

[ Wilson just shrugs in response. ]

I couldn't sleep, which seems to be a common theme around here.