Cyberpunk AU start: Max

[drfeelbad]

House didn't visit Input on a regular basis exactly, but often enough that his face was known there. The men and women he'd spent time with he'd seen more than once, and when he arrived tonight and sat down at the bar, the bartender pushed him a Jack Daniels without him having to ask, and mentioned that they were quite busy tonight but he'd seen Isaac recently if he'd like to have a drink with him. "Yes, please tell him I'm here," House had said before taking a sip.

Though before he'd even managed to take a second drink, he heard someone shouting for a doctor.

He almost ignored it. Almost. But instead, he said to the bartender, "I'll be right back," and then slid off the stool, grabbed his cane, and headed in the direction of the shouts.

Comments

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

"I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a thief," Max assured him. "If I was I wouldn't be homeless right now."

[drfeelbad]

"Most of what's here you'd have trouble unloading," House said. "Unlike the idiot doctors who can't diagnose shit without millions of pounds of high tech off the shelf gadgets,, I can actually use my brain."

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

"Does the how really matter? Saving a life is saving a life," Max replied, shrugging one shoulder. "I mean, it's a cool party trick, doing it without bots and stuff, but I dunno if I'd care how smart you were if you were digging a bullet out my skull. Would just wanna know you had steady hands."

[drfeelbad]

"Yeah but I save so much money," House said with a smirk. "And also I can do shit when the power goes out."

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max nodded a bit, shrugging again.

"I'm an idiot, you really don't need to impress me. Fact that you have a place to work is impressive enough. I once had a guy stitch me back up behind a taco place."

[drfeelbad]

"I don't think you're an idiot," said House. He had a good nose for idiots. What he actually thought was that there was much more to Max than there seemed.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max shrugged again. He'd spent most his life being told he was stupid, it didn't bother him anymore.

"You mind if I smoke?" he asked, pulling out a metal cigarette case that was badly dented and looked too old to have been Max's originally.

[drfeelbad]

"Nope," said House. "The air filtration in here is the shit."

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max pulled out a cigarette lighter it with an old, blue plastic lighter. It was clear, and inside you could see the fluid swishing around. There were electric lighters, even implants, but Max liked the older ones, the sizzle and spark of it.

"Want one?" He asked, offering the case.

[drfeelbad]

"I don't suppose you've got any pot?" House asked hopefully.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

"Not at the moment, sorry," Max said. "I know someone though, if you want some in the future."

[drfeelbad]

"Oh I've got my own supplier," House said. "I'm just out."

He bent over to set down his empty glass, and then when straightening up, winced and rubbed his thigh. He started rooting around in his pocket for something.

"So why are you a ghost?" he asked.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

"If it's serious enough for me to erase my whole life, you really think it's something I share with people I just met?" Max asked, taking a drag off his cigarette.

[drfeelbad]

House shrugged. "Who knows, you're the one who said you're an idiot."

He pulled a flat case out of his pocket, and pulled a thin strip out of it, and place it on his tongue. A very concentrated, already calibrated dose of 4U. The only thing that made his leg stop hurting.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max frowned at the words, falling silent and ashing his cigarette into a portable ashtray he kept in his pocket.

[drfeelbad]

"I didn't think so," said House, and slipped the case back into his pocket.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max gave him a look, still frowning to himself as he finished his cigarette.

"Do you live here?" he asked finally.

[drfeelbad]

"I live upstairs," House said. "Rent is a steal as a two-for-one deal."

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

"Short commute at least," Max noted. "Plenty of nightlife."

[drfeelbad]

"Yeah I've got a disco ball up there," House snorted.

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max rolled his eyes a little, but almost looked amused.

[drfeelbad]

"Where the magic happens," House assured him.

He wasn't really sure what to do now. He minded the company less than he might have thought, but it was getting late. "Well uh. You're probably tired. Having almost died and everything."

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

"Don't suppose you have a blanket I could borrow for the night?" Max asked. "...Won't steal it," he added after a beat.

[drfeelbad]

"If you needed a blanket that bad you could have had it," House said. He got to his feet. "Upstairs. I'll be right back."

[511v3r_h4mm3r]

Max nodded, looking around in House's absence. Hospitals, clinics, medical suites... He didn't like them, but they were the nearest thing to a home he felt he had.