snowblindrpg | [network] @beyonce | day 430 | Don't Hurt Yourself

[There's the sound of breathing and boots crunching through snow -- this is one of those feeds created on the move, it would seem. When Stephen speaks, his voice is lighter, easier than it had sounded for a long while before his death. It's like a burden has been lifted from him, but there's something wry in his tone, too.]

You can count me back among the living. Or I can, when I sit down and catch up.

[Haha census humor. The lightness drains from his voice as he turns to more painful and worrying matters.]

I've been catching up on some of what I missed...it looks as though I'm not the only one who's learned first hand how dangerous our counterparts can be. The one that killed me was able to access the bunker; I don't know if someone let him in or if he'd stolen a tablet. I'd found a key card and a microchip I believe might grant access to the remaining locked room there, but they're not among my supplies now. If anyone found them...please. Please let me know. If that thing has them....

Gabriel, Vanitas. I'm sorry I left you, and I hope the fact that your names haven't been posted since mine was means you didn't follow in my footsteps. And Peter? You're an idiot. That goes for both of you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The game. He's knowingly playing a game. Why? House is aware he and Stephen can work together, but they're not friendly, not even close to it. Not after what happened with the pills. And yet, here Stephen is, entertaining him, actually trying to draw out the conversation by not being direct. It could just be the other man is attempting to wring out some measure of control in their interactions. House wouldn't put that past Stephen, but he would have expected the guy to be more bitter about it.

About everything.

He feels good. Some sort of emotional loss? Or maybe he's lost touch with reality? With his ability to care? No. Not that last one. He'd be numb, not happy.]

Describe to me what you think is happening here. What you see.

[It's a little annoying that this is legitimately interesting for him. House can rarely resist a puzzle.]

Which part?

[He'll crash later. He knows he'll crash later when it all comes back and he knows how hard it will be. If he lets himself think about that he feels a deep well of dread, so he doesn't think about it. Without pain, the world and everything he's been through here, or before, doesn't feel real.]

I see...houses. Rubble. Static in the sky. The houses are getting closer. You're talking to me, being less of an asshole than usual.

I'm not being any less of an asshole than I usually am. [Mostly. He's more subdued, admittedly. Not that he's admitting.] Did you lose your ability to distinguish when someone's willfully antagonizing you? 'Cause I could see that making you happy.

I know what willful antagonism from you sounds like. You're downright mild today.

Which is not a challenge to prove me wrong. Just an observation.

What can I say? I feel like I'm missing something today.

[His hand. He's missing his hand.]

Fine. How did you figure out what your price was?

Are you?

[He hasn't heard a thing about this, House, but you're making him wonder....]

I knew it as soon as I woke up. It was...very obvious.

My patience.

[But he's quiet for a long moment as he considers. Something he recognized as soon as he woke up. So it's not memories. Sight would be obvious, so it's not that. Smell or taste wouldn't be obvious and would that even be a real loss? Hearing? Possible, but they're talking now, so unlikely. Touch? Maybe? If he couldn't feel the bag around him or the table, that would be obvious.]

What's it like not being able to feel things?

[It's a broad guess, hoping that Stephen's reply will hone things down or at least dismiss the idea. Beyond the five basics, proprioception comes to mind, but that's not one that he can see being immediately obvious. And Stephen should have more problems multitasking while walking if it's that.

Maybe he's only blind in one eye?]

Uh huh.

[He's pretty sure they've already covered the fact that that isn't the case. He'll find out what's up some other way eventually; gossip always gets around.

He lets out a little huff somewhere between amusement and disappointment. There goes the game.]

More specific--and it's -- [he laughs, bitter and giddy all at once] -- great. It's great.

[Something it's specifically not good to feel. Numb would be top of House's list. Or emotions. If he could somehow feel neither completely numb, nor emotional, he'd somehow transcend this mortal realm, probably. Stephen's displaying too much emotion for having lost his emotions, anyway. House has seen people with that one before.

So, what would he want to-]

Cold. Or pain. And the cold is a pain. So, is it the windchill or are your hands feeling like new?

What did it feel like when you woke up with your leg whole again, Doctor House?

[That. That's what he's feeling, but with the knowledge that it isn't real. The scars are still there and so are the tremors. It's only the pain that's gone.]

[House recalls the sense of utter euphoria. It had been momentary, but there. He'd run blind around the morgue until he'd run into the table he'd woken up on and just... cried for a little bit, too overcome to hold back. He'd thanked the Admin, as well. Shouted his thanks, really. Of course, none of that is being shared with the public. Ever.]

Like I was blind. Good for you. Make sure you don't step on a rusty nail, doc.

Hey, why do you think I wear boots in the first place?

[Because they look cool, but shut up.]

Aren't fancy shoes and a cape standard issue for every wizard?

...The cape is a special case.

I'm sure it's the prettiest cape in all the land.

Well, obviously. But you know there's more to it than that.

It's the prettiest little nanomachine filled-iest in all the land. Better?

Sure, let's go with that.

[Because explaining that it's a powerful relic and that it chose him when it's refused to cooperate with other sorcerers will just get him made fun of more than House already is.]

Cool. Welp. Welcome back, Stranger Danger. See you around.

[Stephen takes in too sharp and deep a breath, instinctively wanting to say something to keep House on the line--to keep anyone on the line. That's more than a little pathetic, though, isn't it?

He, too, feels like he's blind. Just...less literally so.]

Yeah. Uh.

[The cadence of his voice is wrong, awkward.]

Stay warm.

[network] @beyonce | day 430 | Don't Hurt Yourself | audio [open]

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