[log] Event: Metamorphosis, Part Three

[snowblindmods]

Characters: everyone
Location: all around town; note location in subject line
Date: Night 415 onward; note time in subject line
Summary: They break out and they wake up.
Warnings: extreme body horror, unreality, eldritch horror, absolutely definitely 100% include warnings in subject lines/before your comment if the subject line isn't long enough

Comments

B (cw: body horror, broken bones, bones protruding from skin, sympathetic pain, cannibalism)

[rubikscomplex]

((OOC: Ice sculptures where hands should be that don't look like hands at all. Breath that sucks the heat out of anything it touches. A half-shattered body, ice and flesh intermingled.))

[It had taken far too long to get out of the maintenance tunnels. With hands that are icy, grotesque sculptures and frozen bones and flesh that had kept cracking, it had been more than a bit of a challenge. But he's out! Out and off to do... something. Check doors. That was is.

But for once, for once, of course, he's hungry. And maybe if he eats, it will take away some of the agonizing pain he's in. As it is, the doctor stumbles forward through the snow, sometimes using his ice sculpture hands to stay up when his distorted body cracks too much. He can see someone ahead. Someone familiar. Royce. Which means Solomons. Ecks, too. Or the maybe-fake versions of all those three. Maybe copies, really. Copies can't change, but he's changed.

House licks his lips and wonders what it would be like to eat them. He's an anomaly now. The swallowing whole thing is kind of part of the shtick. They're copies, so it probably doesn't even really count. Maybe. He's a lot less conflicted about it than he probably should be.]

Hey, Ecks!

[She's the one who will come to him and get the others to come, too. House's legs are barely recognizable as such. They've broken so many times. There are icy sharks sticking through his skin. The same for his arms, particularly around the elbows.]

[ecks]

[Ecks is shivering as they walk, but maybe not from the cold. It's that creature that might have been herself that she expects to see again at any moment, escaped from where they trapped her. She hopes fervently that the other Ecks does not escape...but can't help but feel very sorry at the thought that she might not.

The bloodied hatchet is still in her hand, as comforting as any stuffed animal on a day like today, her duffel slung over the opposite shoulder and clamped under the arm that ends in a stub. She turns at the sound of a familiar voice, confused -- he was not near this place --]

Doctor House?

[devoutish]

It's not him.

[Alfie says immediately. He's already holding onto Royce's arm, and he tightens his grip now, pulling him in closer. He reaches out to Ecks too, putting an unsteady hand on her elbow.]

No, look at him, Ecks; it's a fucking anomaly.

[rubikscomplex]

And you're a freaking bastard, but you don't hear me throwing out labels after you just say 'hi.'

[His progress toward the group is slow as House drags his body along.]

Also, newsflash, it is me. At least... some strong AI version of me. Which is pretty much what all of us are.

[bywolves]

[ Royce reaches for Ecks as well. If she lets him, he takes her wrist and tugs her close, putting both him and Alfie in front of her if they'll allow it. ]

Was you. [ Royce says, voice still raw. ] You were House, but you aren't now. It's not him, and it's not going to do anything that benefits us - we need to go, now. Come on, Ecks.

[ecks]

It --

[She shudders; she doesn't fight Royce's efforts to reposition her but she peers over him at the anomaly.]

It sounds like Doctor House. What happened? Why are you? Why are you and the one that thought she was me?

[devoutish]

I suggest that we don't talk to him.

[Says Alfie, without even looking at House - his eyes are on Royce instead, pressing close as they stand shoulder to shoulder in front of Ecks, doing his best to hide her from view completely.]

[rubikscomplex]

Because Miller decided we needed a fabulous new look. Especially after spending three days trapped in that hellhole of his. Also, again, I am me. I've got memories from out here and in there. Didn't Miller say something about copies not being able to change? Pretty sure me having double memories wins out on that.

[bywolves]

[ Royce doesn't even want to begin to think about that. ]

Whatever he was, he's not House anymore, not like that. [ Royce says stubbornly, holding onto Ecks a little more tightly than he means to. ] He's going to lose it like the one that thought it was you. Be prepared to run.

[ecks]

They cannot be us. They cannot be us because we have souls! You have to have a soul to be a person, you cannot be more than one person!

[Sorry, gangsterdads and anomasciencedad. She's just having a bit of a meltdown back here.]

[devoutish]

[Oh fuck, she sure is.]

Royce--

[He jerks his head towards Ecks, arching his eyebrows significantly. Maybe he can get her out of here, and Alfie can try to hold off the House anomaly?

... There's no chance Royce is going to go for that, is there.]

[rubikscomplex]

Ah, c'mon, Ecks, you're better than that. [He's moving slowly closer, never speeding up, but not slowing down, either. Cold pours off of him in waves.] Define a soul. If it's something physical, then it can be split. Come on over and we can talk about it. Leave these schmucks to run off together.

[bywolves]

[ Yeah, he hears it, but he's not going to just let Alfie try and distract House. ]

Keep moving. I've got her. [ Royce says firmly to Alfie, and he slides closer, wrapping an arm around Ecks if she'll allow it. His voice is low, but loud enough to drown House out. He can feel the cold and if he wasn't shivering before, he definitely is now. ]

Don't listen to him. Whatever that is, it's just something that looks like House, Ecks. His soul didn't go with him in that form, that's why it looks like that. Remember? That's how the anomalies work. They lost their light. It wants to take yours, or mine, or Alfie's.

Keep going. We need to get away from it. We can call the real House when we're safe.

[ecks]

I showed you my -- I showed him my book.

[She starts yelling it at the not-House, but ends by whispering it furiously at Royce. She doesn't stop moving, at least, even if she keeps wanting to turn and look at him -- at it.]

He knows what a soul is. He should know what a soul is.

[devoutish]

He doesn't know what a soul is. "If it something physical".

[Alfie snorts derisively, and moves to the other side of Ecks, bookending her - he's a little worried she'll stop short or bolt.]

Fucking ridiculous.

[rubikscomplex]

I'll show you mine, too. Only fair. Just stay right there.

[ecks]

Show me what? Show me your what?

[Yeah, she's trying to actually talk to it, turning to look, slowing them down.]