The Sound That's Counted So Many Days [Open]

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

WHO| Howard and OPEN
WHAT| Boobytraps all up in here.
WHERE| Thunder Mountain (Frontierland)
WHEN| Week 4
WARNINGS/NOTES| None yet.

Thunder Mountain is a death trap. Howard's made it that way. A few people, like Wyatt, know how to get past the precautions Howard's set up, but otherwise it's a rather ingenious array of rigged boobytraps. In a way, Howard's actually enjoyed working on his 'security system' to the little tunnel he and Wyatt and R have occupied. It's taken time to think up, time that he could spend thinking of Eponine or thinking of dying or just thinking about the excruciating pain of having his body heal up. And then it's taken time to implement.

The bridge to the tunnel on each side has had most of the railing stripped out, and the boards on the track have been replaced by rotten ones from near the water. Pieces will fall out if stepped on. A few snares lie in wait in the darker parts of the coaster, ready to catch an unsuspecting foot. There are trip-wires, as well, some of which lead to bells or collapses of piles of stuff as alarms, and some of which tug at precariously-set coaster cars. It's not perfect, and many of the traps can be easily identified or won't work properly when tripped, but it's somewhat impressive nonetheless.

The tunnel itself has been made almost into a nest. Howard's been bringing back things from the gift shops, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and Tomorrowland pretty much every day. There are two makeshift beds for him and Wyatt made of ratty, moldy old towels and moth-eaten stuffed animals. A pile of netting sits off to the side, for catching fish. There's a firepit dug up, with spits made of sticks, and several thermoses full of water from the river.

Right now, while Wyatt's out checking some of the animal snares, Howard sleeps. It's a light sleep, one interrupted by wakefulness whenever there's a sharp noise, but it's rest enough. His hood is pulled up over his head, hiding his mangled face. The stolen souvenir clothing is so oversized it makes him look like a little grey and blue lump.

His hands clench around a stuffed Bagheera's leg in one fist and a knife in the other.

Comments

[hi_there_aliens]

He had to wonder at the state of the education system when people thought Indiana Jones was actually anything close to archaeology. It really was a sign that weeks in the Arena had gotten to him. Daniel was too tired to make a good argument. If he'd been in better shape, he'd be all for counting all the ways Jones was a terrible archaeologist, leaving a trail of broken history and artifacts behind him; Daniel worked himself up into a full scale lecture on it once to the rest of SG-1 during one of the off nights.

"Um, not usually." Daniel admittedly had been to more Egyptian sites than Mayan, but he was pretty sure traps like those weren't exactly common. "And if you're thinking of Indiana Jones, I'm pretty sure the temple wasn't Mayan. It was based in Peru."

Talk about a small world. Somehow it didn't surprise him that much to find out Howard knew Wyatt, just as it didn't surprise him too much that Wyatt had helped him. "You're lucky there's some good that the Capitol hasn't stamped out. That's very kind of him," Daniel leaned carefully against one of the walls. "No offense, but you don't look very good right now. Keep the medicine."

Howard looked like he was in no position to hand out what he had found, and Daniel would make do without it. At least there was that much to be thankful for; Howard hadn't run into her yet. He hoped he never did.

"The Games bring out some of the worst in people, or give them an excuse," Daniel said after a moment. Not everyone; in some, it seemed to bring out the best.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard shrugs. He figured the Mayans came from Peru.

"He's good people," Howard says, in a strangely possessive tone, as if Wyatt is his 'good people' and that he isn't inclined to share that alliance with some archaeologist he just met. It's a strange way to talk about another person, but Howard doesn't seem to notice he's being weird.

He seems, instead, a bit miffed that Daniel's turned down his offer (even if it was a tentative offer where the bestowment would have been entirely dependent on whether or not Daniel was sufficiently grateful). His nose wrinkles a bit. "Guess you're right. I haven't got a look at myself in any mirrors since it happened, but I'm guessing I can scratch 'male modeling' off my future careers list."

Right. Like they get future careers in this place.

"You look out for, um..." Howard gestures with the good hand as if he's counting on his fingers, but one-handed it just looks as if he's miming a magic wand. "Guy with brown hair and a white streak, but I think he's dead. Guy with reddish hair who says he 'helps people', you run like hell to get away from him. Blonde British stuck-up kid, like I said. And if you meet a blonde guy in maybe his thirties with a really square jaw...I mean, he's not someone to take off from immediately, but don't turn your back on him either."

[hi_there_aliens]

Daniel looked at him, questioningly at that tone, over the rims of his glasses. Now what was that about? It was almost jealous or something, that Wyatt was his. The archaeologist's exposure to Wyatt had been brief, but given that he hadn't tried to kill him and he was opposed to the Games, and now this, taking care of another Tribute, he seemed like a good person.

"He seems like a decent man," Daniel agreed. Howard probably didn't want to look at a mirror. While his face wasn't caved in like that zombie Tribute, it still wasn't pretty. Daniel went on, tentatively, before Howard could think too seriously on what he must look like, or how much pain he might be in. "It looks like it's healing though."

The warnings weren't exactly helpful, considering how vague they were, but he'd take anything at the moment. And Howard didn't have to do this. If he wanted to be the Winner, it didn't make sense to warn a stranger of the dangerous Tributes. Daniel gave a slow nod, filing those descriptions away. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind, thank you. Keep an eye out for the Tribute with the glowing eyes, and this one that might try to eat you. He looks..." Daniel struggled for a moment for a word that didn't make him seem like he'd watched one too many horror films. "...the worse for wear. Almost rotted."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard raises his eyebrows. "Dark hair, tall guy?"

If he were considering offering to let Daniel stay here - and he really, really wasn't, because the only vote of confidence he has in Daniel's direction so far is that Daniel hasn't attacked him and doesn't seem pro-Games or pro-taking a sick kid's things - that would all be shot down now. His opinion of Daniel shifts quickly into thinking of the guy as someone close-minded or impatient or misguided. He decides, right then, that he doesn't like Daniel. Granted, he doesn't know if R tried to eat Daniel or not (and admittedly his own opinion of R might be a little different if they'd met in the Games rather than in a diner), but really, once you get to know the guy he's really quite pleasant for a reanimated corpse.

Howard's fairly defensive of R.

"I'll keep my eye out for him," he says steadily.

[hi_there_aliens]

That could mean any number of Tributes if you just went with that; normally 'dark hair' and 'tall' wasn't very helpful. Then again, this was his first and only zombie. Even if Daniel hadn't been able to get a good glimpse of all the Tributes at the countdown, really, who was "normal" but rotted looking? It looked like Howard had seen him around too.

"I woke up to him trying to-" Daniel hesitated, just for the slightest second. It sounded crazy, and he'd been there for it! "- trying to eat me."

That should be enough of a warning, but Daniel continued on, unable to leave it. "I know this place might seem safer than most, but I'd be careful all the same."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Oh." Yeah, he does that, Howard could say. "Where were you sleeping?"

Because if R can get somewhere, odds are anyone else could just stumble on it. R isn't exactly the most coordinated of people. Somehow, Howard manages to say that as if it's somehow Daniel's fault for looking delicious while he slept, or something.

"Well, you managed to get in here, which means the resident ninjas and whatever will get in here no problem. So much for my beauty sleep," Howard says, with a gesture at his messed-up face and a wry smirk that just makes his mutilated mouth look monstrous.

[hi_there_aliens]

Maybe he didn't believe him, or maybe he'd run into the Tribute before, from a distance, because Howard didn't sound all that surprised or startled to hear of a Tribute trying to eat someone. And not only that, but alive.

"Deep inside the pyramid in Adventureland," Daniel replied. It wasn't like he'd left any sign that anyone had come by, and he hadn't slept right at the opening. Maybe it had been dumb luck that the zombie had stumbled inside in the first place.

It was probably better for all if Howard kept smiling to a minimum now. What he tried for looked ghastly. Daniel looked sheepish. "Sorry. Granted. I've seen a thing or two in my work. But the traps you have at the entrance are a little more obvious than that one with the mine cart. You pretty much alerted someone that there might be more inside."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Point." Howard tips his chin at the mouth of the tunnel down at the bottom of the slope, considering what he should do about all that. "I'm just surprised you didn't step on the bridge trap. Usually that's what catches people."

But Howard hasn't really fixed it up lately. His neck jerks again, this time moving his whole shoulder, and he tries to pass it off by gesturing his dead hand at the tunnel. "You should get going before my other allies come back."

Not just Wyatt, he's implying.

[hi_there_aliens]

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask him how many people he'd caught with the traps, just as much as the part where Daniel had to wonder why Howard didn't move around more if he had t hat many guests. But looking around at the den he'd practically buult around himself, nesting with whatever nicknacks and tools, mixed with trash and junk he could find, maybe Howard had grown too attached to general safety.

Or maybe he was too tired to keep on the move.

"It was a close on that one," And if he'd been a few hours later, when he find himself more tired and hungry, to the point it would cost him his concentration, it would have. Daniel considered him for a long moment, eyes drifting to that strange jerk in his neck. The message was pretty loud and clear: one, that he had more than one ally, so watch out (or he was bluffing), and two, you might want to get going.

Did he have other allies or was Wyatt it? If it was just Wyatt, Daniel would have been fine waiting along with Howard to make sure he'd be fine until then. "Alright. Will you be okay though?"

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Been okay without your help so far," Howard says. He's trying not to sound insulted, but Daniel's been calling a lot of attention to how injured Howard is, and that just makes him feel vulnerable. It conflicts with that sense of independence Howard's been cultivating for two years. It's one thing to be taken care of - it's another to clearly need it.

"Careful on the bridge on the way out. Wouldn't want the pet zombie to get you."