IC inbox for Snowblind

[thewarningafter]

@beyonce

You've reached Dr. Stephen Strange. Leave a message and my secretary will get back to you.

Comments

[bywolves]

[ He calls back. ]

It's a big deal because I don't want it spread across the network like something to needle me with. Just like you don't appreciate House making fun of your spelling mistakes.

[ That's snapped. A beat. ] I know about Karkat's blood. You're going to want to be careful with that one too, Strange.

[thewarningafter]

They're not mistakes. I know how to spell, Royce; I'm probably the single most educated person in this town right now. I just don't need Doctor Asshole acting like I somehow need a reminder that I'm going to live the rest of my life with hands that shake. And what do you think I'm doing? I've had my finger on the button to hang up ever since he reminded me that I've got secrets to spill. I can't un-think this stuff.

[bywolves]

And I don't need Doctor Asshole making light of the fact that half elves are considered less than rats in my world.

[ Proving his point, Stephen! ] Doesn't need a reason behind it, anyway. You don't want your secrets advertised, I don't want mine. Should be more than enough of a reason for it to be a big deal.

I'm aware you're keeping it to yourself. Might want to keep that ego to yourself as well.

[thewarningafter]

Oh, screw you. I've been keeping your secret since House told me about it, no questions asked. I literally refused to ask questions, and do you know how hard that is for me? I'm not going to pretend that I'm anything less than I know I am, not when I already have no idea what the hell I'm doing here, not when Billy's over there acting like I should have all the answers because his Stephen Strange would be better at this.

[Daaaamn iiit.]

Stop making me think about things.

[bywolves]

Nobody knows what they're doing here. [ Royce says after a moment. He has to digest all that. ] What a struggle, not asking questions about things that aren't anybody's business. You're so brave, Strange.

[ Picking at Stephen makes him feel a little better. Sorry, buddy. ]

[thewarningafter]

But we should, shouldn't we? Because we're all exceptional. Just a bunch of special little snowflakes handpicked for problem solving. Gabriel had to point that out to me, maybe because some people are such secretive bastards.

[bywolves]

Some people don't like having their personal business spread all over just because a nosy doctor wants information and whines about it when he can't get it.

[ He's trying to be sympathetic but it's really, really hard. ] Why does it matter? We'll either get out or we won't. Knowing someone's history doesn't change that.

[thewarningafter]

Which is why I didn't ask. There are a lot of things that came up when I started keeping the census that I don't ask about. I'm not doing this to satisfy my -- alright, I'm partly doing this to satisfy my own curiosity, but I'm getting a little tired of people telling me not to do things I'm already not doing.

[bywolves]

Didn't need to start keeping a census, either. You brought this on yourself. [ He mostly just sounds annoyed, not angry. ]

[thewarningafter]

So sue me for wanting something I could control. You don't ever try to do anything useful with your downtime?

[bywolves]

Surprise, not everybody enjoys the fact that you have that control.

And yes. I do. Which is why you might have to come collect your cloak by itself.

[thewarningafter]

Surprise, I'm going to keep doing it anyway. What kind of experiment are you doing that's going to get you to the museum? Or are we talking about a maybe that'll keep you from getting there?

[bywolves]

And you wonder why people get angry. [ Anyway. ] It might prevent me from getting there.

[thewarningafter]

Did I say I wondered? I know why people are angry, I juts care less about that than about the benefits of it. Am I going to be adding a fourth obituary date for you?

[bywolves]

I don't know. Maybe. Probably.

[ He doesn't much care. ] I don't know what your cloak is going to do. It doesn't listen to directions I give it.

[thewarningafter]

Of course it doesn't, it's not yours. And how about we don't go out and get ourselves killed in the name of pseudoscience? Have you considered that option?

[bywolves]

Since when do you care?

[ YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF HIM STEPHEN ]

[thewarningafter]

I care about everyone. I mean, I don't care about everyone, but I care about people killing themselves.

[bywolves]

I'm not going to kill myself. [ Technically. ]

[thewarningafter]

You're just going to do something likely to get you killed. What is it? Smashing your tablet? Pissing off one of the ghosts? Spending a night in the morgue?

[bywolves]

It's none of your business.

[thewarningafter]

It's my business because you told me about it and I want to know what you're doing so I can tell you exactly how stupid you're being.

[bywolves]

You can find your cloak in this building. [ He sends Stephen a picture of House's map, with building 97 on the OOC map circled in red. And then he hangs up. ]

[thewarningafter]

[Too bad Stephen's still on the line.]

Royce -- Royce! Pick up your tablet, I didn't mean i -- alright, I meant it in a good way. Don't kill yourself.

Please?

[bywolves]

[ He doesn't answer, for right now. Davesprite gets ahold of him, and Royce thinks about calling back, but - he's still not incredibly sold on ditching the experiment. He figures the place he told Stephen works for now. ]