(Untitled)

[iliketodruitt]

John wasn't sure what the island normally looked like, having arrived after it changed, but he was conflicted about its current appearance. The Victorian period held one of the happier times of his life, but also one of the darkest. He was thankful that there was no Whitechapel here, already it was hard enough to be here. It seemed as if half

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[misanthrope_md]

As far as the annual winter changes to the island went, this wasn't so bad as most. Though House didn't care what his clothes turned into, he sure as fuck wasn't wearing a cravat. The fact that it was cold outside was the only thing that had gotten him into a long, nicely cut coat and a hat.

Okay, fine. He kind of thought the deerstalker was cool.

He was crunching by on the snow as well (carefully, on his cane, which was now wood and bone instead of metal, and stereoscopic for some reason) when he heard the man talking to himself, and he couldn't resist a sarcastic, "Yeah, he shows up every year and widdles a bunch of toys out of wood. Even Santa Claus is pretty useless here."

[iliketodruitt]

The man's sarcasm wasn't lost in John, but he cared very little for the opinions of other people and what they may or may not think of him. He turned to the voice and smiled politely at the rather unhappy man standing there.

"Well, perhaps he'll be able to do a bit more this year given the various technology this particular incarnation of London seems to hold," he said. Even for someone like John who had been on the cutting edge of technology back in Victorian England, some of the things he had seen were rather extraordinary for the time.

[misanthrope_md]

Which was actually why House was out exploring. Who knew what he might stumble across that would be interesting or useful - even if it wasn't pain relief. He'd even been considering risking bursting into flames by walking into a church and seeing if there was a pipe organ.

"Yeah, I would imagine there are some people here who are right at home," House said, thinking of Helen in particular. "Me, I'd prefer London with big screen TVs and maybe a football stadium."

He held up his cane, snapping it so that it telescoped impressively in, leaving mostly the bone-carved snake on the handle. "I mean, what use is that?"

[iliketodruitt]

"Yes, though even this is a somewhat romanticized version of it all," John said, glancing around at everything. The people who were merely shades tended to take away from some of the overwhelming press of humanity that true Victorian London had. As well as some of the stench.

"And I imagine that it's primary use tends to be to make it easier to misplace, or fail to completely extend or retract so that before long, you merely have half a cane."

[misanthrope_md]

House snorted. "Probably. Though from what I've seen of shitty period BBC dramas, canes were more fashion accessory than functional. I don't need to put it in my pocket if I have to use it to walk."

[iliketodruitt]

"The curve handled walking cane is a more modern, North American invention," John said with a nod. One benefit of being so old was having a vast knowledge of what seemed like trivial knowledge from first hand experience.

"Though they were more of a status symbol around this time as a display of wealth. Personally, I always favored the kind with a hollow handle one could use to conceal alcohol."

[misanthrope_md]

"This one used to have a wand in it," said House. "This moron wizard thought he traded it to me in exchange for a French prostitute."

[iliketodruitt]

"And what did he really exchange it for?" John asked. He would have thought that a wizard would be more attached to something like that.

[misanthrope_md]

"Nothing," said House. "It wasn't a very good deal. And if I remember correctly I think his tryst with the prostitute got him punched in the face."

Even if he'd been reading it just to be a dick, Alcuin's diary had had some interesting tidbits in it.

[iliketodruitt]

"It certainly seems as if you got the better end of the deal," John mused. Perhaps not necessarily the most kind way to conduct business, but there was something to be said for a tax on the ignorance of others.

"Though I'm afraid Victorian London during the winter was not kind to those who required the use of a cane."