But In All Chaos, There Is Calculation [Closed]

[celebrityskinned]

WHO| Venus and Mouse, Venus and Jean and Kankri
WHERE| Anywhere in the museum
WHEN| Towards the end of week 3
WHAT| Venus tries to accelerate the end of the Arena by killing off strangers.
WARNINGS| Death, mental illness (dissociative), some description of gore

Venus doesn't have time to feel alone. Or rather, she has all the time in the world, but she's moving too slowly to hold on to the back of such a powerful emotion. Time sprawls out in languid hours tucked into the minutes before her. Everything is slow motion, especially her.

She's well-aware she looks like a monster from a horror movie now. The slash across her face is blood-crusted, purple and pink with unhealed gore. Her limp is impossible to hide, but the worst part is how disconnected she is. When she looks in the mirror, it's as if she's inside herself behind glass. There's a deadness in her eyes of someone not quite attached to the mortal plane at the moment.

The waterways of her mind whip and twist through rapids and eddies, pool in swamps and mires, plunges over waterfalls she never reaches the bottoms of. Knowing she isn't okay isn't enough to pull her back to the surface.

But she's aware that the only way to get her medicine is to kill for it, and she knows the only way to keep Kankri safe is to guide him. It's with the twin aims of murder and rescue that she ventures deep into the organs of the museum, dressed in hot pink sweatpants from the giftshop and a sweater with the her own name emblazoned over the front. She'd have to be dead to forget how to brand herself.

She thinks she agonizes more over the act of killing now that she's sick than she ever did while stable. The knife is heavy in her hand. Kankri's absence is a void at her side. She only wants to push past her bodily constraints long enough to ensure a victory for someone worthwhile, and then she can figure it out from there.

Comments

KEVIN AND KANKRI

[celebrityskinned]

[privilegecheck]

With his established hiding spot gone, Kankri's been trying to keep on the move ever since. Carrying all his possessions for survival with him is heavier, even splitting the load with Signless, and they usually split up until evening anyway so they have a better chance of finding enough to sustain both of them. He feels entirely alone and vulnerable and he's just so tired.

With a sigh, he tucks himself into a stairwell out of sight so he can rest a few minutes. He fumbles out a water bottle and sips from it sparingly.

[asmilinggod]

On the whole, Kevin is feeling pretty okay.

Sure, he's got a few lumps and bumps, but that's life, isn't it? He's cheerful as can be as he rounds the corner into the stairwell, humming a chipper little tune to himself and swinging his katar merrily back and forth -

And then he stops, spotting someone crouched nearby.

He blinks, familiarity registering at the sight of the horns, the gray skin.

Honey and butterflies lilt on his tone when he calls out. "Hello! I think I've seen you, right? I didn't get to say hello last time!"

Without hesitation, he's approaching, ambling at a slow, easy pace.

[privilegecheck]

That voice is familiar and sickening. It makes Kankri startle, slopping a little bit of water onto his sweater. Frantically he caps the bottle, shoving it back into his bag before he stumbles up and back, regarding Kevin with wide eyes. He clutches his crowbar in front of him as if it can ward off the human.

"S-stay away," he says frantically. He has to make it to the door. If he can just make it out onto the floor he can escape. "Don't come any clos-ah!"

He trips on a step and falls back across the stairs.

[asmilinggod]

On the whole, Kevin is pretty oblivious to people's discomfort or fright...but when he's told, ORDERED in the negative, it gives him pause. He does actually stop for a second - until Kankri falls, and then he's advancing again, still grinning but brows knitted together a little in an incongruous expression.

"Are you okay?"

He's padding up the stairs, leaning forward a little, oh so concerned....

[privilegecheck]

His expression looks wrong. Everything about him is wrong. Kankri tries to get back up while still facing him and trips again.

"Please," he says, "just leave me alone. I don't want to hurt anyone, or be hurt, or any of that."

Kankri knows it's unlikely that Kevin will listen, of course. He knows it's unlikely anyone would. But it's still the first thing he can think of to do in this moment, is try to talk it out. He swings out the crowbar a couple times in a warding-off gesture, but the movement is weak and clumsy, and he's obviously not used to it.

[asmilinggod]

"Hurt?"

Kevin just keeps coming closer, completely ignoring the crowbar initially but stopping just beyond hitting distance. "Gosh, why do you think I'm going to hurt you? And you definitely don't have to hurt me!"

Does he really not understand the point of all this?

Or is it a ploy?

His eyes are impossible to read.

[privilegecheck]

"Because I saw what you did to Venus," he hisses, his eyes narrowing in anger. Does this man think he's completely oblivious? "And I don't want you anywhere near me."

He tries again to get up, this time glancing down to be more sure of his footing.

[asmilinggod]

"Oh, Venus? But she was so much fun!"

It's steadily becoming clear that this guy isn't much for being friendly right now - and if he isn't going to be friendly, NOR does he want to play, then that's counterproductive to the task they have all been given.

And that won't do.

"Well, I am sorry about that," Kevin chuckles, tone suddenly businesslike. His grip on the katar shifts and so does his footing. Offense.

"But I've got a job to do here, just like you do. And if you won't do it...I guess it's up to me."

[privilegecheck]

Kankri sees how his posture shifts, how he's getting ready to spring, like a predatory cat about to pounce. Instinct, honed through a sweep and a half of running to hide behind Porrim if nothing else, drives him to turn and sprint for the door. His hands fumble desperately at the knob, just for a moment but long enough to delay him enough for Kevin to catch up just as he opens the door.

[asmilinggod]

Sure enough, that pause is enough time for Kevin - swift-footed as he is - to close the gap, reaching out with his free hand to nab a fistful of Kankri's hair.

"Ah ah ah! No quitting early!" His voice was a bright chirp as he yanked on the hair, pulling back, down the stairs, away from the door....

[privilegecheck]

The crowbar clatters to the floor, just outside the stairwell, out of his reach. Kankri lets out a shriek of pain as he's pulled back, away from the door swinging open. Desperately he drives an elbow back, trying to dislodge his attacker with a jab against his torso.

"Get- off of me!" he yells, his voice cracking from his utter terror.

[asmilinggod]

Kevin had largely forgotten that he had broken ribs - until, of course, they were jabbed at. He let out a sound halfway between giggle and yelp, releasing his grip on Kankri's hair and shoving him back.

Unfortunately for the troll, he was also now blocking the door, regaining his bearings and broadening his grin.

"Isn't this fun?"

[privilegecheck]

"No!" Kankri hisses in reply. "It's not."

He crouches much like a cornered animal, watching Kevin closely, hoping beyond hope that he'll leave some kind of opening for Kankri to escape.

[asmilinggod]

"Such a kidder!"

With only a moment to gather himself, Kevin actually jumps up into the air, coming down in a wild, animal pounce with his katar aimed downward to stab -

Reckless. Easily sidestepped, but...not a lot of concern for his own well-being, either.

[privilegecheck]

Kankri throws himself to the side just a little too late. The blade misses anything vital, but it bites hard into his side. The tough scars from his grub legs keep it from going in too far and make it stick where it is, but the clusters of nerves under the scarring mean it still hurts like hell.

Kankri cries out in pain again, slashing at Kevin's hand with his claws - normally he keeps them filed down, but he hasn't had a chance to in weeks - and trying to get him to let go of the dagger lodged firmly in his side.

[celebrityskinned]

She arrives a second too late to spare Kankri from bloodshed. Her footsteps make crashing noises on the stairs as she sprints down to him. The dark of the stairwell makes her seem like a masked vigilante swooping in from on high, the bottom of her face wound looking like it's outlining the mask of Zorro.

She slams into Kevin with force she can only muster because she isn't worried about her own footing. There's a slapping thump noise as their bodies collide, and then grunts and thuds as they both tumble down the stairs to the next landing, where Venus, at least, lies on her side trying to pull air into her caved-in chest.

[asmilinggod]

Kevin giggles as Kankri swipes at his hand - it's partially guarded by the hilt of his katar, and what gets through mostly just...tickles, really. Still, he hardly has the time to think about how much fun all of this is when he's suddenly bowled over, tumbling with Venus down the stairs, katar still clutched in his hand. His wrist is sprained, his ribs are aggravated...and for once, he is unable to speak for a moment, gasping for breath. He doesn't get up.

And then those gasps turn short.

And then they turn into laughter. Short, frantic giggles.

His voice comes out in a high croak.

"Oh...! H...i, Venus...! Gee, that was...nngh...fun...."

[privilegecheck]

Kankri lets out another little shriek as the blade is ripped from his side. It doesn't bleed much, at least, but it still hurts like anything.

Still, with both of them tumbling down the stairs, that gives him time to scramble back and up the stairs again, pressing a hand to his wound and gasping for breath.

[celebrityskinned]

"Playdate's over, asshole!" Venus thrusts the words from her throat rather than her chest, and it sounds somewhat less impressive than she hoped. She throws another punch at Kevin's chest, and though it's weak she hopes it's enough to slow him down. The she rolls onto her side and scrambles on all fours for the door.

She sees a spray of red blood on the stairs and prays it's hers.

"Kankri-" she manages, although she doesn't want to tell him to meet her somewhere in case Kevin follows them. Then the effort of talking and moving at the same time is too much, and she makes it out the stairwell door, slamming it behind her.

[asmilinggod]

The force of the punch makes something in his chest crack. a weird gasp breaking from his throat and echoing through the stairwell. Perhaps surprisingly, he doesn't get up - he remains there on the ground, grinning up at his retreating "friends." They're fun to watch from this angle, he thinks to himself, dark eyes wide and almost...mad?

Well, would madness be surprising? Such a fine line between madness and happiness, really.

Venus is gone in a flash, and now he's just staring up at Kankri...grinning, grinning, grinning.