Open, Death

[alldeduction]

Who| Sherlock Open, and Sherlock/Karkat/Cuthbert
What| A chance to chat with Sherlock before he gets himself horribly murdered. Threads already planned will get small set ups below.
Where| candy arena
When| week one
Warnings/Notes| horrible grisly murder and death. sherlock being a prat. the usual.


For Howard and Open:

John's package never came.

Sherlock's mood worsened. He didn't sleep, though he pretended to, and he didn't eat, even after he received food and water from Timaeus. He and Howard set up camp in the mountains and both of them acted like cats - sometimes there, sometimes not, though they checked every so often.

Sherlock had to admit to himself that John was probably dead. If he had made it back to the capitol, there was no way that he wouldn't have sent a package - and the Capitol definitely wasn't holding back packages, or he would never have received one from Timaeus. He was completely furious, though he kept his rage bottled up and blazing behind his eyes. But he'd promised John he'd win. So he would.


For Stephanie:

Night finally fell. Finally. Sherlock had lost track of approximating the time, even knowing that if he had, it would have been impossible. The mind was want to play tricks as it was. By the time night fell, however, he was too restless to sleep, even though the bags were starting to appear under his eyes.

So once he was sure Howard was asleep, he slipped out into the night, to scout.


MURDER: For Karkat and Cuthbert

John was alive. John was alive. The capitol had tried to fool him, tried to break him, but it backfired. Seeing John in the arena relieved him completely, despite how bad the situation was there. It gave Sherlock options.

There was no reason to stay in this hellhole anymore.

Sherlock wanted to laugh, but held it in. There were a few options. One, he could die and end up in the desert. Unfortunate, but at least there he'd be able to make sure John was set up properly, before dying again and getting back to the Capitol. Two, he could die and skip the desert completely, and end up in the Capitol. Then he could immediately start funneling sponsor gifts to John. Three, and the most unfortunate, was that he died and didn't come back. Always a possibility.

So the best way to ensure that was to go out with a bang.

Sherlock made a small package of what remained of his water, food, and fire starting kit, and left it next to Howard. He wasn't too concerned about the boy's welfare - his head wound doing much better - but he made a mental note to ensure him as sponsor gift as well, when he got back to the Capitol. If he got back to the Capitol.

He slipped out again before Howard could wake, and went out searching for his death.

Comments

OPEN

[alldeduction]

HOWARD ( and Eva's Gift)

[alldeduction]

STEPHANIE

[alldeduction]

MURDER (KARKAT/CUTHBERT)

[alldeduction]

[blondevigilante]

Stephanie wasn't sure if she should be relieved or more anxious when night fell. Surprises in the Arena were far from welcome, but at the same time she was tired of looking at the explosion of color.

Well stocked with supplies she found it easy to avoid Tributes as she explored the landscape. She missed Tim. Both of them. She hoped they hadn't been alone when the poison hit, because that's what it had to be as she couldn't imagine either being taken out so soon. When the small silver package had floated down to her she thought it may have been a sign from Tim saying he was okay. It still might be but it was unsigned and while the items were useful they didn't exactly say anything. She walked on thinking of Tim and wondering if it would just be better to do some suicide attack against another Tribute.

A faint glow in the distance drew her attention and she slowly started to make her way over to it. Perhaps her own curiosity would get her killed before she had to take drastic measures.

Re: MURDER (KARKAT/CUTHBERT)

[sleeplessinalternia]

So here's the thing about trolls. Trolls are a nocturnal species. They see about as well in the dark as humans see in full sunlight. So it's really not a surprise that Karkat sees Sherlock walking alone long before Sherlock can even catch a glimpse of him.

"Hey," he whispers to Cuthbert. "I can see him. That shitbaron who got you last time is on a walk by himself. How do you want to take him down?"

Finally, finally, they could begin their hunt for real.

[tis_allgood]

Bert's nightvision isn't nearly so good, but he trusts what Karkat sees and that Karkat can also see the smile that he gets when he hears who they're heading toward.

"This gift is too good to pass up. And the least we can do is make it a good show for the people back home. I say we jump him and slit his throat."

After what happened last time Cuthbert wasn't in the mood for tricks or traps or anything fancy. Just a humiliating death for the man he had dreamed of getting a second chance at.

[sleeplessinalternia]

Karkat nods, although Cuthbert can't really see it. "You'll want to do the slitting," he says. It's not really a question. Sherlock-the-tribute made Cuthbert look like a fucking dumbass, after all. He hesitates and then says, "Should we play with him first? Just to make it more humiliating." Tease him, taunt him, he means. Not torture him.

[tis_allgood]

He wants to, he really does. But he also doesn't want either of them to get hurt doing this. Not only would it take away from the humiliation he wants to give Sherlock, but it would potentially draw more of those singing abominations.

"Think you could get his pants off? He does not need a dignified death."

[sleeplessinalternia]

Karkat snickers. "Yeah. I totally could. So, pantsing and then culling. Sounds good."

(He was curious what human bulges looked like anyway. How the hell did they even work without a nook?)

[tis_allgood]

That is a terrible way to find out, but Bert hasn't exactly been smart about learning these sorts of things. Still, he's glad Karkat shares his sense of humor, they would be in worse shape if Karkat's idea of humiliating Sherlock would be to torture him.

"You are too good to me, this is more than I could have asked for."

[sleeplessinalternia]

Yeah, no. Honestly, the thought of torturing someone makes Karkat feel kind of gross. It's why he had to turn away from watching Ariadne's execution, after all.

"Just as long as we get to pants that psycho from my district too when it's his turn to go," Karkat answers, taking Cuthbert's hand to tug him in the direction they need to go.

[tis_allgood]

Bert wants to ask which psycho he means, he's met several people who might qualify. But as they get closer to Sherlock he doesn't want to give them away by talking so he nods, even if Karkat is turned away. They can discuss potential other ways to humiliate their targets when they're done with this one.

Bert turns the knife over a few times in his hands, getting used to the weight again. It counts now, this is the time when they can't afford mistakes.

Re: HOWARD ( and Eva's Gift)

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

At Holiday's advice, Howard waits a full day before sleeping. It isn't easy; the head wound makes him tired, and he hadn't properly slept even before the Arena. When he finally does get some rest, it's such bliss that he stays so still for seven hours that he might as well be dead.

The dizziness fades, and eventually he stops vomiting every few hours, but the vision doesn't come back to his right eye and the headache only moves to the front of his skull instead of the side, and blood still sporadically drips from his ear canal and nose. Words and speech still remain difficult.

But he's fit enough to go out and forage, and he returns with six of the small doki-dokis, all dead and dragged on a line. Others tried to swarm his meat, but he's been making a habit of the singing. He hopes the Gamemakers are paying royalties out the ass for "American Idiot" right about now.

"Dinner, Sherlock." He dumps the dead animals near their little firepit.

[sleeplessinalternia]

"Fuck," Karkat swears under his breath once they're closer. Sherlock is wearing really, really tight pants--like something out of Troll Jane Austen. They aren't going to be able to pants him. "New plan," he says, falling back to whisper in Cuthbert's ear. "We tie him up and shave his head."

[tis_allgood]

"I pity the way you think." Because pity must mean love, what with the way Karkat talked about it. His expression should give away how he really feels about the idea.

It takes him only a second to locate the remains of the rope they'd been sent leftover from setting a few traps for the little singing monsters. There should be enough left over to tie his hands and feet, he hands one long piece to Karkat and says softly. "Get his hands, I'll take his feet."

[alldeduction]

The darkness was more absolute than he expected, the wavering moon shedding just enough light to give sharp angles to the candy-studded landscape, and little else. Sherlock prided himself on his eyesight and his hearing but both were failing him deeply. His eyes required light (since he was not a troll nor any other nocturnal creature) and his ears required a level of quiet that made it easy to discern sound - but the night had not brought silence with it.

How was he supposed to find a good death with this constant buzzing in his ears.

He hissed under his breath and kept walking.

[sleeplessinalternia]

Karkat is fairly fast. He needs to be, because fighting people based on pure strength is not the kind of tactic that works for trolls his size. And when he truly needs to, he's capable of working silently. The night and the droning of the dokibeasts only help him in this.

So when a five-foot-tall blur slams into Sherlock, knocking him to the ground, there is absolutely no warning beforehand. The attack itself is barely warning for Karkat yanking Sherlock's arms behind his back, tying the rope around them quickly.

[tis_allgood]

Cuthbert is not long behind him, running swift and low in the candy grass. He ties Sherlock's legs as quickly as he can and then sits back to examine their work.

"No bad, trussed up like the quackbeast he made himself wandering alone at night." And then to Karkat, "Shall I do the honors?"

[alldeduction]

It happened in a second. Less than. He saw the troll only before it was nearly on him, and by then it was too late - he hit the ground with a hard smack and his breath rushed right out of him. Coughing, he scrambled, and tried to get back to his feet, but his arms were already behind him.

He tried to make a show, at least, of resisting.

It wasn't until Cuthbert spoke and he realised who the second attacker was that he twitched - a smile that was as sharp as a razor's blade coming to his lips.

"Well at least someone seemed to learn something," He said, trying to do so smoothly but his voice was still hoarse from being winded. "Though it seems it required a second brain."

[sleeplessinalternia]

"That's if Cuthbert ever had a brain to begin with," Karkat answers, "which is something I'm still not too fucking sure of." He finishes securing his knot, as tight as he can make it.

"If you're worried we're going to torture you," he says, "don't. We're not into that shit. But you made Cuthbert look like an even bigger fool than he already is last arena, which means you don't get to die a pretty death." He pauses for a second, just long enough to hopefully spook Sherlock, before adding, "That's why we're going to shave every hair off your puffy head first."

[tis_allgood]

"I may not be able to see as well in the dark, but my ears still work." Bert tries not to pout too hard in Karkat's direction but really, this is taking away from his revenge.

"And as for you... mayhap I'll leave you a bit of hair, just around the sides."

He pulls out his unicorn knife and makes sure to move it enough that Sherlock can catch what little light there is to be had reflecting off the blade. Then he leans in and carefully runs it over his scalp, close but not shave close since he can't really see what he's doing in this light.

[alldeduction]

Sherlock scowls, and he doesn't have to fake it. Of all the deaths he could have found in the arena, this ridiculousness had do be it?

"Oh no. My hair. Whatever will I do." Sherlock said, flatly, even as a vein in his forehead twitched, watching a curl fall down to to land in front of him.

With a sudden movement he slammed his body in Cuthbert's direction, all of his weight, even bound head to toe as he was.

Even if all it did was make him fall over.

[sleeplessinalternia]

"Maybe you should sit on him instead, 'Bert," Karkat suggests, kneeling down beside the now prone Sherlock. "You're heavier and it looks like he's going to be a whiny little babygrubshit about things." He grabs a hank of hair and runs his own folding knife in, a lot closer than Cuthbert had it since he doesn't have to worry about not seeing what he's doing. "I can give him a closer shave than you and you can still slit his throat when it's time."

[tis_allgood]

"Fine." Bert says, sitting himself on Sherlock so he can't fidget so much. "Give him a hairstyle that the Capitol will be proud of."

He winks and grins at Karkat, even if he isn't looking. The important part is that the audience sees it, since this is all fun and games right now.