Application for Blythe House from House, M.D.

[hidden_house]

Blythe House remembered ushering John onto his train, tuning out his usual complaints about how trains were too slow and how some idiot was going to do some such thing that would surely make him late.  She remembered turning away from the distinctly normal-looking Amtrak train and having the idea to go to the market to buy herself some vegetables

Comments

[semper_fi_house]

John was on his way to to the Owlery when he passed the entrance to the Sorting Room. His time happened to put him there just in time to hear the tail-end of the questions being answered by a very familiar voice. He slowed to a stop, listening intently. It couldn't be. He turned his head and peered into the room, and then took a few steps into it. And there she was: his wife.

He smiled widely and strode across the room briskly.

"Blythe," he called as he neared her. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[semper_fi_house]

John grunted at her request that he give Greg a break. Just what did that mean? A break from what?

Then she handed him her application, asking him to put more thought into it and he raised his eyebrows.

"Uh. Well, I suppose not," he conceded, taking the sheet and holding it up, squinting at it. "Greg's in a place called Slytherin," he mumbled, looking over her answers. He put it down again.

"I don't know much about these places, but what some other folks told me is that Gryffindor is for people of courage and honor, Ravenclaw is for bookish types..." His lips quirked into a half-amused and half-disaproving smile. "And the drunks," he added. "Huffelpuff is for... people of loyalty, supposedly, but in practice, more like just plain old odd folks. And then there's Slytherin, Greg's house as I said." He sighed and handed the paper back to her. "For the, uh..." He paused, frowning, unsure what to call them. "Trouble-makers."

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[hidden_house]

At this response, Blythe raised an eyebrow at John, wondering just what he was getting at. "Oh, I'm sure there have been shifty people in Gryffindor and some of the best writers in literature were hard drinkers. And what, pray tell, is wrong with being odd? And what makes you think Slytherin automatically means troublemaker? Is Gryffindor just the best House because you're in it? Honestly, I'm curious."

He could be frustratingly black and white sometimes, she knew, and one of the things she had in common with Greg was trying to get him out of that rutted thinking he tended to do. It was one of the things that seemed to annoy him most, having his beliefs challenged in any way. Of course, Greg did it a lot more often, but she certainly enjoyed watching the fray.

((And with that, I bid you good night. LJ has gone mad; we must take cover from all the anvils!))

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[semper_fi_house]

John bristled. What had gotten into her? "Blythe, I don't know why you're determined to pick a fight, when it's the first time we've seen each other in a week. I realize I worried you, and I'm sorry, but." He shook his head, cutting himself off abruptly. "Look. I'm just repeating what others have told me about these places. Frankly, I don't give a damn about what house is the 'best' and whatnot. All I know is I'm in the house I'm in, and I want you to be there with me."

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[hidden_house]

Blythe frowned then, "Why do you think I'm trying to pick a fight? John, just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't mean they're trying to subvert you. Your penchant for dogmatism just makes trying to change your mind all the more interesting. The best part is where you still haven't read my application. Skimming is not reading. You wouldn't skim over a briefing."

She held up a finger, "You make claims but don't bother to back them up with proof. It's not difficult. And who says that just because you and I are married, we belong in the same place? I can't remember any time before you retired that we spent more than a few months--if that--in each other's company. It certainly didn't bother you, then. Not talking to either myself or Gregory didn't, either."

And here, she folded her arms and leveled her gaze at him. "Don't be shallow, dear."

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[semper_fi_house]

John narrowed his eyes at her, staring in silence for a moment. Then he threw up his hands and shook his head. "Fine, then. I hope you're happy with wherever you get sorted," he muttered, turning and walking away from her and out of the Sorting Room.

She was being unreasonable, he thought angrily. All he'd said was that he was passing on what others had told him about the Hogwarts Houses, not passing judgments himself. And if he had passed his own judgments, then so what? What did it matter? These absurd "applications" were not briefings, so the comparison was ridiculous. And then mentioning how often he'd been away for most of their marriage, as if it'd been his choice... First Greg and that friend of his, now Blythe -- criticizing him -- accusing him.

He shook his head angrily. He'd had enough.

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[hidden_house]

((Is he whining *giggles* Wow. How old is he again?))

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[semper_fi_house]

((Heh. Well, he's feeling a bit sorry for himself, yes. Then again, Blythe was being a wee bit condescending, no? XD

Also, not entirely related but in regards to some other RP stuff here, I feel I should mention that thoughts and narrations from other characters aren't really knowable to your own characters. I mean, Blythe can be fairly good at reading people in general, but she's not telepathic.))

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[hidden_house]

((I hadn't intended her to be, really. Just...extremely intuitive. The mind-reading thing didn't even occur to me until damien_thorn mentioned it. Then there was what House said back during 'Daddy's Boy'. It wasn't anything intentional, though. Sometimes I've found myself thinking the same things as other people and having no idea until we've spoken aloud. It's always been an interesting experience.))

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[hidden_house]

((Not to mention, she's feeling rather irritated because her wanting him to read her application had more to do with him finding it important enough to actually see her thoughts rather than simply assuming they're in agreement. He seems to do that a lot and I can't imagine it makes her very happy to have his opinions imposed on her all the time. I think she's feeling disrespected at the moment.))

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[semper_fi_house]

((Right, I didn't mean that the mind-reading had to do with that. And to the application, John just thinks they're stupid questions, and thinks it doesn't make a difference which house anyone is in. He wants her to be in his house not because he thinks it's the best house or because he hopes she agrees with him, but because he thinks they should share a dorm. He's just trying to be practical.))

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[hidden_house]

((I think it would have helped his cause if he'd actually said that. But then when has John ever bothered to explain himself? *not trying to be snarky, just stating a fact*))

[semper_fi_house]

He's a closed-minded asshole, no doubt about it. However, he did kind of explain himself on this one thing.

"At any rate, I got put into Gryffindor. I want us to stay together, of course, so I'll vote for you to join that one as well."

"Frankly, I don't give a damn about what house is the 'best' and whatnot. All I know is I'm in the house I'm in, and I want you to be there with me."

Shrug.

[hidden_house]

((Ah, yes. I missed it in all the rhetoric. Question. What does John think of what Blythe just asked him? About the running away from her and Gregory?))

[semper_fi_house]

Well, I'd say he'd feel some guilt about it, but not want to think about it that way, and that he'd rationalize that it was his duty and he'd done what he'd had to do, that he did the right thing.

Re: Vote: GRYFFINDOR

[hidden_house]

Blythe slammed the hand holding her application down on the wooden desk next to her. She'd had enough.

"John House, don't you dare walk away from me and go sulk like a child because I didn't give you the answer you wanted to hear! Stop running away from us!"

She watched, her eyes beginning to sting as he froze again. "Stop trying to leave us behind."