Gregory House, MD (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rubikscomplex) wrote2018-04-29 09:06 pm
rubikscomplex) wrote2018-04-29 09:06 pm
Fasti Mailbox
Go-us away-icus
Go-us away-icus
To the freaking janitor of Jersey,
In answer to your posed questions: there are no limits to how oft or much it can be used, save for its wielder yielding to strain; it cannot act upon the same target as another instance in any way. The attempt feels fruitless opposed to merely ineffectual. As such, I judge it impossible to combine or enhance with its own like.
May knowing serve our greater purpose,
Sir Galahad
In answer to your posed questions: there are no limits to how oft or much it can be used, save for its wielder yielding to strain; it cannot act upon the same target as another instance in any way. The attempt feels fruitless opposed to merely ineffectual. As such, I judge it impossible to combine or enhance with its own like.
May knowing serve our greater purpose,
Sir Galahad
[Well. Color House amused. Also pleased. He'll be using you again, Sir Galahad.]
[ A sheet of papyrus is shoved under the door of House's room. Will has already tapped Mary to help spread some ideas, so House gets the call up for information spreading.
Avoid being sociable for the win. ]
Notes from the street.
Can confirm that the natives have no knowledge or experience of the deadly bird attack our Complex suffered. When I inquired if they had seen or heard anything they looked at me as if I'd fallen and hit my head.
Additionally, when I described the creatures, the natives appeared to be ignorant of any knowledge of them. Again, I got more than a few looks that suggested my sanity was in question.
This was something localized to us.
W.Graham.
PS: This papyrus is expensive. Use it for any return messages.
Avoid being sociable for the win. ]
Notes from the street.
Can confirm that the natives have no knowledge or experience of the deadly bird attack our Complex suffered. When I inquired if they had seen or heard anything they looked at me as if I'd fallen and hit my head.
Additionally, when I described the creatures, the natives appeared to be ignorant of any knowledge of them. Again, I got more than a few looks that suggested my sanity was in question.
This was something localized to us.
W.Graham.
PS: This papyrus is expensive. Use it for any return messages.
Edited 2018-06-28 01:56 (UTC)
[A day later--he's not going down to Will's room and back up unless he has to, and it's easier just to do it in the morning when he's heading out, anyway--the papyrus is returned with House's large, messy writing scratched on it. There's also a little drawing of an owl on a motor cycle. ]
Library says they're Strix (Boeus, Origins of Birds). Depending on the story, they're descended from a chick who pissed off Aphrodite and Artemis (Boeus) or they're descended from harpies (Ovid, Fasti). Known for screaming like banshees and sucking babies blood in the cradle.
-GH
Library says they're Strix (Boeus, Origins of Birds). Depending on the story, they're descended from a chick who pissed off Aphrodite and Artemis (Boeus) or they're descended from harpies (Ovid, Fasti). Known for screaming like banshees and sucking babies blood in the cradle.
-GH
[ When the paper is returned, there is no message on it. Will had gotten House's message and hiked himself down to the library to do some reading, but didn't feel a need to write about it.
House was a smart man, he'd figure out.
Especially since the owl was now sporting a pair of reading glasses and had a book set out across the handlebars in front of him. ]
House was a smart man, he'd figure out.
Especially since the owl was now sporting a pair of reading glasses and had a book set out across the handlebars in front of him. ]
[Thanks for the paper, Will. And the additions to his owl. He'll be keeping all this.]
[Delivered to the clinic, with no name for the recipient or the sender, will be two sheets of parchment.
On the first is a drawing of the compound with the notes they'd discussed plus several other suggestions.
The second one has a drawing of a covered pully design.
Both of them have a scale measurement on them considering they're drawn large enough that even someone without his reading glasses can make them out.]
On the first is a drawing of the compound with the notes they'd discussed plus several other suggestions.
The second one has a drawing of a covered pully design.
Both of them have a scale measurement on them considering they're drawn large enough that even someone without his reading glasses can make them out.]
[The most irritating thing about this is that she remembered he needs reading glasses, and he's mildly charmed by that.
...
Maybe he'll take her up on that offer of training. Just so he can get more of a read on her. For his schemes. His nefarious schemes.]
...
Maybe he'll take her up on that offer of training. Just so he can get more of a read on her. For his schemes. His nefarious schemes.]
Will had booze and a guilty conscience. The former was carried along in an attempt to address the latter.
He had been saving up his small share of the clear brandy being made by the distillery for awhile now. It was a stash he used at night to help him get to sleep, but after wrestling with his conscience, he picked up the container, along with a couple of clean mugs and headed down the hallway.
He owed House an apology.
Perhaps not for having yelled at him after the fact, but for dragging the man across rough ground in the first place. It had been done without thought, and Will recognized that it had been a bad decision.
Stopping just outside the door, he took a couple of breaths and tried to sort his words, before eventually reaching up and knocking awkwardly on the door frame.
"House?"
He had been saving up his small share of the clear brandy being made by the distillery for awhile now. It was a stash he used at night to help him get to sleep, but after wrestling with his conscience, he picked up the container, along with a couple of clean mugs and headed down the hallway.
He owed House an apology.
Perhaps not for having yelled at him after the fact, but for dragging the man across rough ground in the first place. It had been done without thought, and Will recognized that it had been a bad decision.
Stopping just outside the door, he took a couple of breaths and tried to sort his words, before eventually reaching up and knocking awkwardly on the door frame.
"House?"
The tentative knock and call of his name is interesting, particularly as House recognizes the voice. He's sitting in his parlor, charcoal in hand as he works on sketching out a Rube Goldberg-style contraption to light a candle on a thin piece of wood.
"It's open," the doctor calls loudly. "I'm not getting up."
"It's open," the doctor calls loudly. "I'm not getting up."
Standing by the door, Will considered turning right around and heading back to his room. House could be a miserable ass, Will could be a rude jerk, everybody was happy.
The thought actually made the ex-profiler chuff in wry amusement. Because really, why should everybody be happy?
Pushing open the door, he stepped in as if he belonged, closing the door behind him and then holding up the bottle and glasses.
"If you think I'm any good at apologies, you are an idiot," he said, referencing a conversation from a few days ago. "But I regret and apologize." House knew what for. "And I bring apology alcohol, that you can drink most of and make me suffer until next month's ration."
He knows enough about House to understand that while the man did pull some very ugly pranks, he tended to stick towards minor inconveniences and frustrations to get his point across.
The thought actually made the ex-profiler chuff in wry amusement. Because really, why should everybody be happy?
Pushing open the door, he stepped in as if he belonged, closing the door behind him and then holding up the bottle and glasses.
"If you think I'm any good at apologies, you are an idiot," he said, referencing a conversation from a few days ago. "But I regret and apologize." House knew what for. "And I bring apology alcohol, that you can drink most of and make me suffer until next month's ration."
He knows enough about House to understand that while the man did pull some very ugly pranks, he tended to stick towards minor inconveniences and frustrations to get his point across.
House just stares at Will for a moment, calculating whether it's a good idea to get drunk with this man. But screw it. Good liquor is good liquor. And if Will wants to hand over his portion of the goods, House isn't going to complain. He lifts his good leg and uses his foot push out the one other little wooden chair he has at the table.
"I assume this means I get to make you watch me drink your apology alcohol." He sets aside his charcoal and drawing and uses a nearby cloth to wipe off his hands.
"So, why exactly are you apologizing?" He knows what for. Why is a more interesting question.
"I assume this means I get to make you watch me drink your apology alcohol." He sets aside his charcoal and drawing and uses a nearby cloth to wipe off his hands.
"So, why exactly are you apologizing?" He knows what for. Why is a more interesting question.
Taking the seat, Will set the container and the cups down on the table, pushing all of it towards House. He could decide whether or not he would share, or genuinely make Will watch him drink his alcohol.
"I shouldn't have dragged you down that ... literal goat path. I'd like to say it was just an oversight, but there was part of me that wanted to make you see."
A part of him that was just frustrated enough to want House to do some of his own damn legwork ... pun regretfully intended.
"I set up an impossible set of circumstances, then got angry with you when you reacted to those circumstances."
"I shouldn't have dragged you down that ... literal goat path. I'd like to say it was just an oversight, but there was part of me that wanted to make you see."
A part of him that was just frustrated enough to want House to do some of his own damn legwork ... pun regretfully intended.
"I set up an impossible set of circumstances, then got angry with you when you reacted to those circumstances."
Edited 2018-09-02 03:54 (UTC)
House huffs and pours out two glasses because it's tedious to drink alone. One cup gets scooted back to Will. He doesn't say anything for a long moment, just swirls the alcohol before taking a sip. When he responds, House's body language is screaming forced nonchalance as he flicks a hand dismissively and looks away.
"That guy was an idiot. But I bribed the wife with some coin on the way back. You're free to go back and chat with Phil the goat-screwer whenever you want." Is his name Phil? It's something like that.
"That guy was an idiot. But I bribed the wife with some coin on the way back. You're free to go back and chat with Phil the goat-screwer whenever you want." Is his name Phil? It's something like that.
For a brief moment, Will considered calling House out on the unflattering statements about Philo and his wife. But this was supposed to be an apology, and House would just dig in deeper on the subject. At least to Will's face.
He decided to take the fact that House had tried to make amends through actions and leave it at that.
"I'll give it some time," he said quietly, reaching to take the cup. "Go back when they're missing the coin I brought with me. He's only one contact among the herdsmen I've cultivated."
Will sounds about as thrilled as one would expect with the idea of 'cultivating' relationships. It really was not his thing, but he was trained for it and had been employing that training since he arrived.
He decided to take the fact that House had tried to make amends through actions and leave it at that.
"I'll give it some time," he said quietly, reaching to take the cup. "Go back when they're missing the coin I brought with me. He's only one contact among the herdsmen I've cultivated."
Will sounds about as thrilled as one would expect with the idea of 'cultivating' relationships. It really was not his thing, but he was trained for it and had been employing that training since he arrived.
"How's being sociable working out for you?" House asks, looking back toward Will now that the awkward apology phase of this encounter seems to be over. "Feeling all warm and fuzzy now that you're getting out more amongst the people?"
Cuddy and Wilson had been convinced House's rough edges would smooth if he had to deal with people regularly in the clinic. Maybe they were right to an extent, but House knows his own edges. They might have been dulled a little, but he's still sharp, abrasive, and far more likely to rip someone open than anything else.
Cuddy and Wilson had been convinced House's rough edges would smooth if he had to deal with people regularly in the clinic. Maybe they were right to an extent, but House knows his own edges. They might have been dulled a little, but he's still sharp, abrasive, and far more likely to rip someone open than anything else.
At the question, the ex-profiler just looked tired.
Eventually he lifted the cup to his lips, paused with it resting against his lower lip and his eyes focused on the contents within.
"I do what it takes to get the job done," was his short answer before he tossed back the entire contents of the cup.
Eventually he lifted the cup to his lips, paused with it resting against his lower lip and his eyes focused on the contents within.
"I do what it takes to get the job done," was his short answer before he tossed back the entire contents of the cup.
"Sounds like torture." So better Will than House. He has that whole experience with torture thing going for him. But their brief encounter with Philo probably makes it abundantly clear why the ex-profiler is far more suited to that work on a number of levels.
"Antidote I've been working on isn't working, by the way. Tested it on one of the horses Crawley's looking after a few days ago. Didn't calm her down, didn't seem to do much of anything. She's got a bite on her back leg, too. It's healing a lot slower than it should be." He says this all casually, but the undercurrent of frustration is there to be seen. "We don't know how they're getting infected, either. I'm all ears if you've got any ideas. Some of the animals don't have apparent injuries. Nothing really telling on the bodies we've pulled in as far as parasites. I was thinking something carried by mosquitoes, but that's almost impossible to test for with the equipment we have available."
"Antidote I've been working on isn't working, by the way. Tested it on one of the horses Crawley's looking after a few days ago. Didn't calm her down, didn't seem to do much of anything. She's got a bite on her back leg, too. It's healing a lot slower than it should be." He says this all casually, but the undercurrent of frustration is there to be seen. "We don't know how they're getting infected, either. I'm all ears if you've got any ideas. Some of the animals don't have apparent injuries. Nothing really telling on the bodies we've pulled in as far as parasites. I was thinking something carried by mosquitoes, but that's almost impossible to test for with the equipment we have available."
cw: mention of torture/mental and physical abuse
ex_this_ismydesign36
2018-09-05 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
Sitting back in the chair, Will sprawled with a distinct lack of grace. However, his expression was intense, eyes dancing as he scanned through the information they had, somewhere in his mind's eye.
"Your antidote is made of 'mortal' ingredients?" It's a question, and not a question at the same time. "Strong evidence points to this having some sort of ..." Will's fingers danced as he struggled with a good word, finally settling on, "supernatural element."
He looked as disquieted to be saying such a thing as perhaps House was to hear it.
"If that is the case, then I don't know that we'll get much value out of considering the usual suspects," such as mosquitos and parasites. "Not to say we shouldn't rule those out, if we can but we might get more value out of hitting up some of the doom criers. See what stories they tell?"
"Your antidote is made of 'mortal' ingredients?" It's a question, and not a question at the same time. "Strong evidence points to this having some sort of ..." Will's fingers danced as he struggled with a good word, finally settling on, "supernatural element."
He looked as disquieted to be saying such a thing as perhaps House was to hear it.
"If that is the case, then I don't know that we'll get much value out of considering the usual suspects," such as mosquitos and parasites. "Not to say we shouldn't rule those out, if we can but we might get more value out of hitting up some of the doom criers. See what stories they tell?"
"I think we both know how it's gonna go if I hit up the doom-criers." He raises his brows and smirks. Even knowing what he does about the gods, even having 'magical' powers, himself, House would feel compelled to argue with them, point out the logical flaws. Play devil's--or Titan's--advocate. It probably would end in him getting slugged, or the doom-criers just stalking away. But it would be incredibly entertaining for House for a short while, admittedly.
He takes another sip of the alcohol. "I've been looking at the 'magical' properties of plants and talking to one of the new girls who knows about 'em. Circe. Like, the witch in The Odyssey Circe. This place is seriously screwed up."
He takes another sip of the alcohol. "I've been looking at the 'magical' properties of plants and talking to one of the new girls who knows about 'em. Circe. Like, the witch in The Odyssey Circe. This place is seriously screwed up."
"Of course this place is screwed up," Will said, chuckling softly. "Look at us."
Talk about fish out of water.
"This Circe was probably a god send," wait for it. "Pun unintended."
Talk about fish out of water.
"This Circe was probably a god send," wait for it. "Pun unintended."
"Did you bring the drinks for me to throw at you?" Honestly. House does his best not to smile. Will isn't a friend, but he's reminded a little bit of that excursion months ago now, and the stop at the baths when they'd finished. That had been... fun isn't quite the word for it. Interesting, certainly. Enjoyable? Well. As enjoyable as that sort of thing ever is for him. This conversation hasn't devolved into sniping, yet, either, which is impressive for them.
"If you wanna get technical, she's a Titan-send. Big, burning guy in the sky's her daddy. I'm just wondering what that's supposed to mean. And if we can use that to our advantage. Pretty sure she's technically a Titan. Wonder if that makes her immune to them somehow, or if they'll go easier on her."
"If you wanna get technical, she's a Titan-send. Big, burning guy in the sky's her daddy. I'm just wondering what that's supposed to mean. And if we can use that to our advantage. Pretty sure she's technically a Titan. Wonder if that makes her immune to them somehow, or if they'll go easier on her."
"That would be a tragic waste of hard earned alcohol," Will pointed out, the corners of his lips twitching upwards in a small grin that briefly reached his eyes.
The lack of sniping is something of a rarity between them. Perhaps the crisis with Philo and his family, combined with an olive branch now, may have settled some of the initial tensions.
"Does she have any of her powers here?" He hadn't met the woman in question, hence the question. "I mean, aside from whatever she was given by the patron of her House."
The lack of sniping is something of a rarity between them. Perhaps the crisis with Philo and his family, combined with an olive branch now, may have settled some of the initial tensions.
"Does she have any of her powers here?" He hadn't met the woman in question, hence the question. "I mean, aside from whatever she was given by the patron of her House."
"I've got addiction on my resume. Why not alcohol abuse?"
He does have to think for a moment, pondering whether Circe mentioned her abilities being lost. "She didn't say anything about her powers, but I'm assuming they're gone like everyone else's. I can double-check with her, but it'd be witchcraft-potions type stuff if she does have 'em. I invited her to work in the apothecary. Figure we could use the expertise... and the eye-candy. She's a smokin' red-head."
He does have to think for a moment, pondering whether Circe mentioned her abilities being lost. "She didn't say anything about her powers, but I'm assuming they're gone like everyone else's. I can double-check with her, but it'd be witchcraft-potions type stuff if she does have 'em. I invited her to work in the apothecary. Figure we could use the expertise... and the eye-candy. She's a smokin' red-head."
Will arched an eyebrow, his expression wry.
"Do me a favor," he asked in a conversational tone. "Let me be present when you use the term 'eye-candy' in front of her. I'm curious to see if she goes for breaking your nose or a more personal shot."
Because House ... House.
"Holistic knowledge, especially of what's available here and now, is almost as vital as our god gifted powers. Between you, her, Adam and Snape we might be able to cobble together a decent stockpile of medicines."
"Do me a favor," he asked in a conversational tone. "Let me be present when you use the term 'eye-candy' in front of her. I'm curious to see if she goes for breaking your nose or a more personal shot."
Because House ... House.
"Holistic knowledge, especially of what's available here and now, is almost as vital as our god gifted powers. Between you, her, Adam and Snape we might be able to cobble together a decent stockpile of medicines."
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