[CLOSED]

[69problems]

Who: The Signless and Parker.

What: Signless meets his first hostile tribute and gets stabbed for his trouble.

When: Early week six; after Signless meets up with Psiioniic, prior to him meeting Karkat, before Parker dies.

Where: Somewhere not too far from the Cornucopia, outside of Fantasyland.

Warnings: Definitely blood/injury/physical violence.

The Psiioniic had told him he wanted to be left alone for a while. The Signless couldn't quite understand all he'd been through, but he understood when it was maybe better to leave his friend alone with his thoughts. There was certainly a lot to think about, here.

He wandered, makeshift cloak 'bag' with water and oranges over his shoulder, but he wasn't being perhaps as alert for other tributes as he should have been. At 5'4'' and obviously distracted he probably made an inviting target.

Comments

[whosalicewhite]

After the fireworks, and the banquet, Parker's become far more restless. She's particularly bitter that she had to give up her nice little hideaway in the Haunted Mansion, and has now been awake for the better part of two days.

She's done this before, but it makes her more tetchy than usual. She's also hungry. Hungry and tired makes for a much more confrontational Parker.

She first thing she tries is to run by, trying to slice open the "bag."

[69problems]

The Signless lets out a shout of surprise as her knife cuts through the fabric near where he holds it, prompting him to drop it and jerk away. He hadn't even heard her coming! Clearly this strange place is getting to him.

The water bottle hit the ground with a thunk and the oranges roll. His first instinct is to flatten himself down and try to collect them again, to re-assemble his bag because the damage is minimal, to escape with supplies and no more passes of that blade. His assailant might not aim for fabric next time.

[whosalicewhite]

She doesn't want him, but she wants one of those oranges.

"Don't. Just want the oranges."

For the first time since this game started, Parker sounds like she could be a threat. This is what happens when she's hungry.

[69problems]

He looks at her, at her weapon. It's a perfectly fine request, really, and he could always go back and get more even if the trees were looking sort of picked-over already. But...

"Put that down, first."

[whosalicewhite]

"No." She doesn't know this person.

Parker doesn't know if he's dangerous.

"Back away from them. I'll leave the bag." And thus, the water bottle.

[69problems]

He frowns. All of them? Though keeping his cloak and water probably is more important, all-told. Maybe if he was smart he could catch a piranha (no, he knows he couldn't, the Disciple always did the hunting).

"I will if you put it down." He doesn't know if she's dangerous, or at least, if she's more dangerous than she's acting. What if she takes them and then stabs him anyway while he's off-guard?

The truly awful thing is that if she'd just asked, he would have given them over happily.

[whosalicewhite]

Parker doesn't need a knife to be dangerous. For a skinny thing, she packs one hell of a punch, or kick, or knee to sensitive parts, whatever she needs.

As for asking, Parker doesn't. She takes. People don't give things without expecting something in return.

"No. Could just stab you and take everything."

[69problems]

"You could. You don't have to. No one has to."

He pauses. Now may not be the best time for moral arguments, but the 'I could do it, so you should submit' line of thought is one of his least favorites.

[whosalicewhite]

"People have to eat."

Parker is a survivor. The end. The hunger part of the games has finally gotten to her.

In her mind, she's perfectly logical, just not to anyone else.

"I said back away."

[69problems]

"No. Trolls need to eat too. I'll roll half of them toward you, if you won't put the knife down, and that's it."

Really, she's not the first person who's threatened to kill him over food (that's sad, he thinks, that trolls on Alternia were also this desperate).

[whosalicewhite]

Parker will do as he asks, though it's not exactly what he wants. She's going to let go of the knife, but more by throwing it at his shoulder. She may be tired, but it's likely she's got decent aim. At least she's not aiming for anything major.

Parker doesn't care he's a troll. Sometimes, people look different to her (and sometimes she hears music that isn't there). No, all she sees is that he's trying to take the oranges she's all but rightfully stolen.

[69problems]

The knife hits home, and he lets out a shout. An immediate spring of bright red blood starts to stain his black outfit, and then one of his hands when he reaches up to pull the knife out.

Now he's angry, honestly furious. He always forgets how truly awful it's possible for someone to be until they go and remind him that believing that, deep down, everyone is a good person doesn't make it so.

"You know what, fine! You can have the oranges! I would have given them to you if you'd just asked, I would have even shown you where to get more of all kinds of fruit, but people like you can never get it through their miniscule rotted-out barbaric thinkpans that maybe you don't have to rely on brute force and fear to get everything you want!"

He advances on her, holding the bloodied knife.

"You've just stabbed someone who's done nothing to you, who never threatened you, whose only crime is trying to survive, just like you. Congratulations, you have officially crossed the line into being a petty awful person, all because of some fruit. I hope you're proud, you cowardly piece of hoofbeast excrement, and I hope every single one of those oranges turns out to be sour and full of worms."

He tosses the knife at her feet, then stalks away, pausing only to pick up his cloak and water bottle. He'll go back to Tomorrowland and get more.

[whosalicewhite]

Parker listens to it all, blinking her eyes twice, confused. She's used to being considered an awful person, and over the last few years she's changed. She's wanted to do the right thing.

This time, she forgot it.

She doesn't move until the stranger's walked away. For all the wanting to do the right thing, she's doing a terrible job.

Taking the fruit anyway (she cannot see the purpose in letting it rot), she runs off, in the direction of where she believes Eliot last was.