[log] Strange Things Are Happening to Me [closed]

[rubikscomplex]

Characters: House, Haurchefant, Dorian, and Emmanellain
Location Building 19
Date: Days 68 - 70
Summary: The event happens and at least three of these people are hallucinating. This will get interesting.
Warnings: House is his own warning, but general spoilers for Dragon Age and Final Fantasy online are likely.

[On day 68, they make it to the building, coming in pairs to escape the lizards. Its where House had been heading, and he'd been forced to take Haurchefant along... and Haurchefant had told Emmanellain who had taken Dorian along. At the moment, House doesn't want to be around anyone. He's feeling nauseous and dizzy from the lizards, the initial symptoms not dissipating, even after more than an hour. He's also suspicious, paranoid. He's been traveling with these two, but someone had stolen one of his bottles of Vicodin. House is pretty sure it was Angel for Rhys and Clayton. There's nothing that he can actually do about that right now, though. Which just frustrates him more. Hiro turning up in the obits is the icing on the cake.

Sparrow Langley's house is where they are, though, a standard single-story house with a kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom, and bedroom. There's a hanging bird cage in the living room, but the door has been left open and there's no sign of bird remains inside. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, STEPHANIE BROWN, GREED, EDWARD ELRIC, DAY FORTY FOUR, TRAVELLING EAST." has been carved into one of the walls. A cardboard sign on the dining room table reads "DAY 61, REACHABLE SHELTER TO EAST, RESUPPLY POINT TWO DAYS EAST."

No one's symptoms are letting up. In fact, they seem to be getting worse.]

Comments

[rubikscomplex]

Day 68
[House doesn't even bother to check Sparrow Langley's house when they get there. He drops to the ground and starts going through everything in his pack in meticulous detail. In spite of what people may assume about him, everything is well-organized and neat. That gets destroyed as he simply empties everything out and goes through a mental checklist of his things before repacking them, seeing if anything else has been stolen from him. He's not terribly engaging during this, but it probably looks strange and just a little manic. If anyone happens to approach him, they'll get snapped at.]

Stay the hell away unless you want a wrench thrown at your head.


Day 69
[House has been yo-yoing back and forth in time ever since yesterday. He's quiet for a great many of these hallucinations, but there's one that has him tensing up, staring ahead at someone who clearly isn't there. The person he's seeing happens to be his father when House had been eleven and tried to run away from the base back to America. He's standing about as straight as it's possible for him to, an angry look of defiance spread tight across his face.]

No, sir. From your wallet, sir. In your pack, sir. Yes, sir. In your room, sir.

[There are pauses in between his own responses as he listens to the voice of his father demanding to know how he'd managed to buy a ticket, then snarling at him for stealing his credit card.]


Day 70
[Some moments are lucid. You might catch him in one of these. Or you might catch him in a much less lucid moment.]

Foreman is gonna die because you won't let me take a goddamn biopsy from that idiot's corpse... Great. You can keep your job. Maybe put out a new listing for a diagnostics fellow while you're at it. I hear we'll be having an opening real soon.

[Whoever is closest will get the brunt of this snarl before House turns and limps away, muttering to himself.]

Trespasser Spoilers

[whiteknightnecromancer]

[Dorian fell in and out of hallucinations of the future, mistaking the people he traveled with for various Magisters he was trying to recruit to the Lucerni.]

I know your family has voted with the Bantii for the last three hundred years but you have to see things have changed. We can't let this business with the Qunari distract from cleaning our own house. We don't need maleficarum to fight the Qun. They will just turn this whole affair into a war on two fronts when the southern nations decide to allow the Qun to get rid of the evil mages. We know what the Qun can do but they don't.

Too many of their leaders will hope the Qunari will be contented with subduing Tevinter and that it will be another three hundred years before they move again. We need to show the south we can take care of our own housekeeping so Nevarra doesn't start chipping away at us when our backs are turned. This legislation is a small step but it's a step in the right direction.

Dorian couldn't quite pull off earnest but it would be difficult to miss how genuine his passion for the subject was.]

[rubikscomplex]

[House is lucid for the moment, but that doesn't make what Dorian's saying any more sensible. He's heard a little about the other man's world and politics, but not nearly enough to know what the hell is going on. He's also still feeling sick and ill-used, being jerked around from hallucination to delusion, back and forth.]

This isn't wherever the hell you're from, Pavus.

[At least he can try to break through the hallucination. House has no real idea what to do about these symptoms. Contacting the Admin is, once more, on the table with how some of them are being affected, though.]

My family votes Republican, not Bantii. And god knows I'm not voting with them.

[whiteknightnecromancer]

[A little of that got through. Probably not the parts House was hoping.]

Good, good. I know things are different near the Nevarran border. Does that mean I can count on your support when the vote comes?

[He stumbled a little and smiled, eyes still hard.]

Rumor has it they killed your uncle the same way they killed my father. We can have payback as well as do the right thing.

Day 69

[whiteknightnecromancer]

[Dorian looked where House was looking for a few minutes and waited until House had been quiet for a few minutes before clearing his throat.]

That did not look like a good trip. Do you want to perhaps sit down for a moment?

[Standing that way on that leg didn't sound like a good idea.]

[rubikscomplex]

[He resists the urge to run a hand down his face. They'd sitting in Sparrow Langley's living room at the moment. Or House is sitting there, anyway, just looking up at Dorian from the sofa. Fine? You know what? Let's see where this takes us. It's better than being trapped in his own memories or... flash forwards or whatever's going on there.]

Well, I always hated my uncle, but vengeance is cool. Very Game of Thrones. But sure, I'll vote for you. Am I getting something out of this besides vengeance?

[rubikscomplex]

[It isn't a good idea. It's agonizing, but in his memory-hallucination, House is an angry 13-year-old who tripped while being dragged back to the base, explaining the pain. It shouldn't be this bad, but like hell he's telling his dad he needs a doctor. He'd tell him to suck it up, anyway.

House's attention snaps over to Dorian, but it's still his father he's seeing. He bristles, uncertain what this new tactic is.]

I don't need to sit down, sir. [He resists the temptation to snipe about it being a great trip if he'd been able to get on the plane. It may be very obvious on his face that he's holding back a sneer, though.] Are we done here, yet?

[whiteknightnecromancer]

Of course. When the legislation comes through, you can try for Ulpius's seat as Chair of the Committee discussing overseeing the refortification of the coast. They won't be checking the books very closely for months.

[Vengeance, threats, and bribery are pretty much the cornerstones of Dorian's political system.]

[whiteknightnecromancer]

I certainly wish we were. Dorian mutters very quietly.]

Yes. We're done.

[Dorian recognizes that face. He remembers making that face. Now to try reverse psychology.]

On second thought, I do not give you permission to sit.

[rubikscomplex]

[Yeah, House is beginning to get that.]

Refortification, huh? Sounds good. And what'll you be doing?

[rubikscomplex]

[House bristles and pointedly leans against the wall. At least it takes some of the strain off his leg.]

Fine. [The unspoken 'asshole' hangs in the air. He's silent a moment, weighing the risks of back-talking. But he's already in deep enough that another foot or two probably won't matter.] You know, I'd stop trying to run away if you'd just let me go home. Why do you even want me here? I'm an embarrassment. Is this supposed to be character-building, sir?

[whiteknightnecromancer]

Yes, very much so. I'm sure it will give you far more character than is good for anyone.

[Dorian sighs.]

Home isn't there anymore.

[whiteknightnecromancer]

Drinking! And keeping my eyes and ears open. Don't worry. Magister Tilani has a plan.

[His tone suggested that meant mayhem.]

Then perhaps some shopping. It is so good to be back where it's warm.

[rubikscomplex]

[What the actual hell? His dad's sense of humor is demeaning... belittling, not frustrated sarcasm. What's going on? He crosses his arms, expression shifting to mild suspicion.]

What do you mean 'home isn't there?' Where's Mom?

[Is this a trick? No. Dad doesn't do tricks. They would be 'beneath' him.]

[whiteknightnecromancer]

[Dorian feels vastly underqualified for this conversation.]

I wouldn't know. Probably not where you think. And I think if you ask me more questions you'll regret it in a few minutes and then you'll make me regret it. More than I already regret getting involved.

For the record that was a completely selfish decision on my part to avoid hearing you groan about your leg later.

[rubikscomplex]

[Okay. Yep. There's zero chance that person there is his dad. Invasion of the pod people? Evil twin? ...Good twin? Some sort of costume? But they're on-base. He can see the walls of their living room, sparse, neat, everything an officer's quarters should be.]

Who are you?

[Because there's no way he's going to stop asking questions.]

What'd you do with my dad?

[Even if he hates the man, there's still a stranger who looks exactly like him there, and that's mildly terrifying. And unknown threat rather than a known one.]

[rubikscomplex]

Sounds like the good life. No plans for yourself, though?

[Because there's no way this guy isn't plotting something for himself if this is supposed to be Dorian in his native habitat. House hadn't really taken him for this kind of sleazy politician, but he hasn't seen him in action, either.]

[whiteknightnecromancer]

[Dorian gives House a long look, judging the sincerity of that question.]

I know we here in the north don't tend to think about the Dalish very often. We have the artifacts of Elvhenan, what do we really need from the remnants of the elves squabbling over scraps, we ask. The trouble is, we have their ruins and their artifacts but not their culture.

Corypheus found or was led to a single object of power. I have reason to believe more will be appearing along with their users. You see, their gods are as real as the Old Gods. Only they weren't gods. They were mage-generals who declared themselves gods and enjoyed centuries of worship until a rebellion broke their empire. They're still out there. The one who cast them out is still out there and he has control of the eluvians. They may not all be functioning but all it takes is one in a strategic location and he can come and go between cities in hours.

He has followers across nations and they can also come and go at will so long as he is out there. He can do what the Qunari were attempting, behead all of our governments in a day. And I know him. I fought at his side. I am going to try to talk to him. Inquisitor Rutherford has a plan. Even with one arm, people underestimate Ellana at their own peril. Maybe she can talk some sense into Solas this time.

[Or maybe he'd end up killing Solas. That was an option Dorian was prepared for as much as it would hurt.]

But if the Inquisition and I fail, we will need to be done with this war with the Qunari and it would be best if Val Royeaux didn't declare an Exalted March on us in the meantime. So if we want our country to survive this, we need to prove we can do our own housekeeping or one of our enemies will do it for us.

[whiteknightnecromancer]

I've never met the man.

[And he'd never been more glad not to know an asshole. Telling House to calm down seemed like a counterproductive idea.]

I don't know what happened. Do you feel nauseous, dizzy, disoriented? There's an illness going around. Maybe he went to see a healer.

Can you describe what you see?

[rubikscomplex]

[House makes note of the fact that this man hasn't answer the first question. He's young, but he's not stupid.]

You're saying I'm hallucinating.

[He looks around the living room, eyes falling on familiar spaces. The pack he'd put together for his escape is lying against the sofa. The symptoms are there, though.]

I'm in the house. Our house on-base in Okinawa. [His gaze is intensely distrusting, but at least there's less outright hostility.] You look like my dad. You were my dad. Who are you?

[Don't think he's forgotten that question, Dorian.]

Is my leg supposed to hurt?

[whiteknightnecromancer]

Yes, very good. What you're seeing does not match where you are. I've been told we are in America in a place called Alaska.

My name is Dorian and it's a pleasure to meet you again. Your leg does hurt normally and you should get off it.

[Dorian was not going to recommend adding drugs to a hallucination.]

[rubikscomplex]

[Again, this is all political nonsense that goes well over House's head. He doesn't have the context necessary to fully understand everything. But what he can get is this:]

What about the Rift? Aren't you supposed to be studying that? And working with Ellana already?

[Or is this Dorian's past that's coming to bear? He'd said he'd met Ellana at some sort of party. No, that can't be right. Unless 'one arm' is a metaphor. He's pretty sure no one had said anything about the elves in Dorian's world being lizards who could regrow limbs.]

[whiteknightnecromancer]

[Dorian frowns, looking surprised.]

The Breach was sealed years ago. Are they still trying to say I'm some sort of traitor for not wanting darkspawn to rule the world? Yes, I helped Ellana locate and kill Venatori but they had already betrayed Tevinter by being Venatori. Anyone who looked at an ancient darkspawn and said, "Ah yes, that's the vision for the future I want," is no great loss to us or the world.

[rubikscomplex]

Alaska? [House isn't really as good about hiding his emotions at this age as he'll become. He stares at Dorian, fear beginning to take over. His flight had been for New Jersey. The guy's already said he doesn't know what's going on. And House has no recollection of how he got here. Not to mention no recollection of getting sick or any idea why this should be so real.]

I'm Greg. Where are you from? Is there a way to stop you looking like my dad? It's really creepy.

[He doesn't move from where he is, but House does put more of his weight on his good leg.]

[whiteknightnecromancer]

If there were I would in an instant. To me you look close to my parents' age. You looking at me like I'm a responsible adult is making me feel old. It's not an enjoyable feeling, Greg.

[Dorian steps back as far from House as he can. He doesn't want to crowd the... child. Or make him panic.]