[open]

[onthelii2p]

Who| Sollux and whoever!
What| Sollux is out of the arena, and though there's people he wants to find, he's kind of at a loss for what to do.
Where| All over the training center.
When| Late week 4/into week 5
Warnings/Notes| Descriptions of past death and violence (nothing bad in the starter, possibly worse elsewhere), otherwise just foulmouthed nerd. He does have a lisp, so let me know if you want me to not type it out in replies to your character!

If dying did one thing for Sollux, it was to mash in a sense of helplessness. He was weak. He hadn't even been able to shoot one person with the gun he won from the scavenger hunt. What was the point of it? Neither of the times he tried had been the calmest, but what use was it if he couldn't protect himself in a situation like that? And in the end, both had revolved around some kind of misunderstanding.

But ignore that. If you set the whole thing aside, then what? The gun didn't make him bad. He could barely do anything when Starkiller had tackled him to the ground, and soon enough he was dead. It was so easy. He might as well have not fought him at all.

But now alive and with Feferi found earlier, he at least had a better understanding of the circumstances of her death. That and other events left him wanting to find certain people: the man who killed them both, the pair she'd fought before, others he'd met or run into during the arena. Some he knew where to find, and those would be dealt with in time, but much boiled down to aimless wandering.

He didn't know if they'd even be in the tower. He didn't want to leave it, himself. Outside were only Capitolites, and he didn't want to see the reception they had to him. He didn't think he'd earned fans, but if he'd accidentally impressed a stylist into sponsoring him, he knew he could be quite wrong.

In any case, it would be hard to miss a four-horned alien with red and blue eyes, either looking about with intent, or with the apathy of someone who didn't know what better to do.

Comments

[shenunigans]

Dave really rolled into action when he got back here. Slowly. A slow roll into action. He got a hair cut, an uncomfortable date with a guy who was weirdly familiar claiming to be his escort and participated in some vandalising. He's done all of this whilst pointedly avoiding watching the games, so it's a surprise to see Sollux wandering the halls again.

"Nerd!" He calls after him, strolling along to catch up with the familiar skinny frame. Their last conversation hadn't exactly ended on the coolest of terms, but he was getting used to that with Sollux. Maybe he'll be less tetchy out of the Arena. "Sup?" He cocks his head to the side, not sure how much or little he'll be told.

[onthelii2p]

Sollux hasn't been looking for Dave. It's not out of a sense of avoidance, not really; a part of him feels like they ought to talk eventually. If he did want to track him down, he could just wait until he shows up on their floor. It would be easy. But there's been a lot on his mind, a lot of things he wants to talk about and sort out with other people, and he's not real sure how to tackle that with Dave yet.

So when quite suddenly a call of "Nerd!" hits his ears, Sollux's feet stutter to a halt. Dave... Dave has a haircut. Dave looks perfectly over what happened and not worried in the least. The only part of things being back to normal is where they both have their shades again.

What the hell is he supposed to do in this situation?

"You're looking energetic," he says after a pause, and it comes out almost like an accusation.

[shenunigans]

If Dave knew Sollux were back, he's not sure if he would have sought him out straight away. Then again, they're in the same district, it's hard to avoid each other. Better to nip these things in the bud, probably, and there's a lot to nip in the bud.

He really doesn't mean to give out such an offputtingly casual hair, but he'd prefer it to looking as whacked out and phased as he is. Shit keeps getting harder so he's been learning to roll with punches.

"Is that an ingenious way of saying I look hot?" He can't help running a hand over the shaven part of his head because he's still hyper-aware of them and it makes him less uncomfortable. "I said sup."

[onthelii2p]

Whacked out and phased is Sollux all over, written to every inch of him. He has things rolling in the back of his head, need-to-do's and should-do's and want-to-do's, but piecing them out is difficult, and has brought this aimless wandering. He feels so stricken by it, it's hard to imagine others not - or at least not acting so. Dave looks fine as anything, bright as two moons, and the tool got a goddamn haircut.

The quirk of his brows presses down to follow narrowing eyes, and his frown stretches deeper. His posture straightens, but it's stiff. "I found out you died from your blood-covered brother and tried to shoot him. I found Feferi dead and beaten, tried to kill her friend who merthy-killed her, and got thtrangled to death with a crowbar."

He says nothing else, but the tone implies a how dare you act normal.

[shenunigans]

This being the third time for Dave certainly changes the perspective, particularly since he'd had a week or so to himself to enjoy his nightmares and solitude before taking a foray into the open. The haircut had not been a choice made on his part, but Sollux would eventually figure out that sometimes you get killed and then sometimes you need to endure brow tinting. It's a rich tapestry of fucked up.

"Well I would have left a note, but.." He holds his hands up in a shrug. He feels like Sollux is getting accusatory, but he zeroes in on one particular part of that story. "Bro told you- You tried to shoot Bro?" His brows furrow for a moment before they simply raise in surprise. "You have balls, bro. Who did it?" He doesn't expect Sollux to answer, because he probably wouldn't, but maybe he wants to talk about it.

[onthelii2p]

He is accusatory, but with the questions he's given the irritation dials back just a notch.

"He came up to FF and me covered in blood, and he had a thword, and demanded my time," he says. "He didn't thay why at firtht tho it freaked uth both out. I pointed it at him, Feferi thaid to shoot..." His gaze slips aside. "I mithhed, and he thaid you were dead, and it wath a cluthterfuck of thtupid dethisionth."

He doesn't have balls. He has a jumpy trigger finger and weird, mixed guilt over the whole thing. How can he be such a terrible shot? How can he have reacted that badly to someone who just wanted to inform them? How was he supposed to tell, either way? Things with Starkiller are no better: again he failed completely on the combat front, and misunderstandings filled the whole encounter.

"I don't know. It would thound generic and dumb if I tried to dethcribe him and I don't know hith name. Feferi didn't either becauthe he couldn't talk."

[shenunigans]

Dave can't help the way his face falls into an unimpressed look when Sollux describes how Bro approached him, even if he isn't surprised. "Yeah, look. He might be a stone-cold badass but- wait, blood? And a sword? Bitch stole my sword! And my blood. Damn." He plays off the fact that he feels wildly uncomfortable by.. Well. Being wildly uncomfortable in his humor, as he's prone to doing.

"You're making me regret the fact that I didn't bother watching any of it. Guess I just didn't need to be exposed to all the tears you probably shed for me." He lets his head roll to the side as he sighs tiredly, but he'll cling to that nugget of information. "If he couldn't talk he was probably an Avox. So if he wasn't blond with glasses or a troll that kind of narrows your numbers down some."

[onthelii2p]

It is uncomfortable. Sollux is uncomfortable. He's starting to wonder if he remembers comfortable in the first place. "Could you thtop joking about thith?"

It's difficult enough on its own to figure out how to deal with it without Dave playing it off so easily. He may not have cried about it, but the whole experience still shook him. He's not really sure what he should be feeling about it all. His look isn't quite a glare, but it's unquestionably unhappy.

"He wath a human adult male with short, dark hair who wath taller than me. I'd recognithe him if I thaw him but you can't tell me that'th a thpethific dethcription to tell other people."

[shenunigans]

"Sounds exhausting." Which is honest, actually. It's incredibly damn hard to speak seriously and honestly about all of this crap. It doesn't really speak volumes about how easily he's handling everything, at least to him, but he's started to get used to people being assholes and seeing through this shit.

"There aren't many Avox tributes, so it narrows it down like hell. I don't know who the hell it is, but I'm pretty sure it'll be obvious when you see him." Dave points out, thinking he'll be the one washing dishes comes to mind, but he tries his best not to vocalise that.

"Anyway. Wanna talk about something not shit?"

[69problems]

The Signless actually didn't immediately notice Sollux wandering around the training center. He was caught up in his own thoughts practicing some of the defensive strategies Hubert had shown him before. It was so frustrating to find all of his work and muscle memory gone every time he came out of an arena, but the only real fix was to just start back in on practicing as soon as possible.

With that in mind he'd selected a sturdy staff, more his speed of weapon and one that would be extremely easy to improvise in an arena, and was running through motions. It wasn't exactly something he was used to and that was probably obvious.

[onthelii2p]

The training floor itself is one Sollux has visited now and then in his search. He's not sure what to do about it himself at this juncture. He needs to get better, he knows he does, but how long are they even going to have before the next arena? How much can he learn? He had no idea what to expect for the last one before he went in, and he has no more clue what the next will be. Besides, he couldn't even hit someone with his gun. (He was nervous, he was taught secondhand by someone new to it, but it's a gun. How hard can it be?) It all presses in a feeling of futility.

Suffice it to say that when he visits now, it's not for the sake of learning.

He scans the room, looking for familiar faces or those who match descriptions he's been given. What he doesn't expect is grey skin, messy hair, and two nubby horns. He doesn't see him from straight on, but why should he need to? He--he forgot, almost, in the chaos of everything else, but now the memory surges back up like a nauseous wave. He saw it right when it happened: Karkat exploding together with his podium. He still doesn't know if any of the blood Kurloz (accidentally) dragged him through belonged to him; he couldn't bear to keep his eyes open for any sign.

There's time discrepancies, so he doesn't worry that Karkat looks taller than he remembers. It's his friend standing there, who never talked to him when he showed up, and didn't get the chance in the arena. He has to... talk to him, catch up, something. He has to confirm in a way that it's real.

"KK!" He breaks into a jog, trotting over with hand held aloft to wave in case he looks.

[69problems]

The nubby troll turns, staff lowered. Suddenly it's apparent that his hair is a little too long, his jaw is a little too scruffy, his eyes are a little too filled in with their bright red pigment. This is a Vantas but it isn't Karkat.

He's a little surprised that Sollux is approaching him at all given that they didn't part on terribly good terms the last time. His expression hovers somewhere between confusion and cautious optimism. Part of it is that he has no idea what 'KK' is supposed to mean; Karkat told him a good deal of things about Sollux but not about Sollux's particular way of nicknaming his friends.

"I -- I'm sorry?"

[onthelii2p]

Just like that he stumbles to a stop. That's not Karkat. He's seen this guy before, back on the network, and though only once and briefly it was enough to give an impression. You don't just forget the guy who looks like an older, scruffier edition of your best friend.

Sollux's lips press tight as they can with the obstacle of his fangs. The look in his eyes is almost one of offense that the Signless had the audacity to be the wrong guy. His tone is flat as he says, "I thought you were Karkat. Do you know where he ith?"

[69problems]

Oh, no. Ohhhh no. Sollux doesn't know. He hasn't seen on the reruns or possibly no one's told him. The Signless is still for a few moments, stuck between answering truthfully and not wanting to be the one to tell someone that their close friend is permanently deceased. Still... it's probably better Sollux find out this way than through some upbeat Capitol bullshit.

"He..." Fuck, how do you deliver this news to someone you're on shaky ground with and still be gentle and respectful about it?

"He didn't come back from the arena. It's been long enough that I don't think he will."

[onthelii2p]

He's been trying not to watch the games. He checks lists to see who's still in the arena, but that's the end of it. Troll or not he can't get behind the idea of making it into entertainment. It's sick.

The Signless's hesitation doesn't bode well. Sollux's jaw is tight for the silence, tighter still for that trailing start, but it means a bad answer is just what he expected. It's too bad that doesn't stop the hurt of the answer itself.

"No." His eyes scan back and forth over his face, looking for a sign of joke or insincerity. "You're lying to me. He hath to be around here thomewhere. They can't jutht... They can't have jutht ekthploded him and have that be it, they can't have."

But it's not the first he's heard of this kind of thing. Someone warned him before that they don't always bring people back when they die in the arena. But how is it fair? They put Terezi back in after they arrested her, but why does Karkat have to die that way and have that be the end?

[69problems]

He shakes his head, his mouth very dry. This was exactly his reaction, he knows what Sollux is going through. It's especially painful because he didn't expect it. Karkat was fairly popular, he fought in the arenas, he was entertaining. Why wouldn't they bring him back? It was all so senseless, everything in this place, and he hated it.

"I wouldn't lie about something like this, that would be cruel. I've looked. Believe me, I have, everywhere he might possibly be."

[onthelii2p]

Sollux doesn't even know the context. He didn't know Karkat was here at all until he saw him at the beginning of the arena, and now he'll never have the chance to talk at all. He's gone, just gone and that's it. He can feel a prickle at the corner of his eyes, and he blinks fiercely to keep it back. He wants very badly to sit down, but he can't do that here. He doesn't even know this guy in any meaningful way.

"Thith whole thtupid plathe ith cruel," he says, and his arms cross tight. "Thith ithn't fair."

[reallynow]

Sollux hasn't been at the forefront of Jolie's mind, all things considered, but their conversation had pinged some interest in him and she'd certainly heeded his girlfriend's advice and managed to watch some of what they got up to. Admittedly, Feferi was right, they were both pretty damn adorable and weirdly endearing. Their bickering hadn't been pleasant, so she had hoped to at least convey that getting people's attention gets you presents and shit.

His presence around District Eight doesn't go unnoticed, primarily because he sticks out like a grey thumb. Jolie is just stepping out of her workroom when she catches sight of him poking around. She raises a brow, but she can't help smiling. What a weird kid. "You lost there, honey?"

[onthelii2p]

District 8, he remembered that, and that's what's brought him to this floor (aside from other searching). He probably does look lost, though, the way he looks around with a searching expression. It went better than expected. He was about to start asking if that clown woman was around when she pops up and addresses him.

"There you are," he says, straightening. He doesn't smile, but he does head over her way from where he stood. "I wanted to athk, what wath that bottle of crap you thent me in the arena? It tathted awful. And why did you thend it, anyway?"

Straight to the point. He doesn't see any sense screwing around about it. And sure, he saw the note she sent with it, but that led nowhere more than him coughing and spluttering at that godawful liquid.

[reallynow]

"Surprise, surprise." She shrugs, a little confused as to why he would go out of his way to look for her. She'd thought it would be her seeking him out to continue the similar line of badgering she had on the network. Maybe he's got more surprises up his sleeve than she realised.

Then he asks his question and she can't help laughing, though it's partly at the lisp and she won't say that. Mostly the fact that he doesn't know what booze is and can't handle the taste is what makes it endearing. "It was booze? Liquor? Y'know, you drink it and you feel good? I figured it might help you lighten up a bit." She gives her shoulders a slight shrug. "It's a disinfectant as well, so it ain't like it was all useless."

[onthelii2p]

Oh, he does. Such are the mysteries of a bipolar weirdo who doesn't know what alcohol is.

"Do I look like I know your human thubthtantheth?" he asks with a frown. His arms fold across his chest. "It didn't help me do anything but lug a big bottle around for a while, and it theemth counterintuitive for a drink to altho be a dithinfectant. You never thaid thethe thingth, you jutht thaid 'drink up' and then it wath awful. Give me thome ekthplanation nektht time, if I do get one."

He pauses, but only briefly before his expression sets into something more serious. "I want to athk, how do I get a 'nektht time'? Not nethethharily for... boothe? But for thponthorth. Becauthe I'm shit at arenath and ath much ath I hate it, I realithe I'm going to have to go a different route with thith crap."

[reallynow]

"How am I supposed to know how much you do and don't know about basic food groups? I don't know your story, I just thought that you looked like you needed a drink." Her tone might be a little defensive, but it tends to come along like that naturally.

"I never said you had to carry it around either, bitch, if you complain like this I won't give you anything you little shit." She reaches out to give his chest a few pokes, but her hand falls back to her when he asks a serious question. "Well I mean, there's no guarantee no matter what you do, but you're gonna have to start laying it on a little. That thing you got with your girl is cute, people like to encourage a good romance." She is immediately slipping into advice mode, like someone flicked a switch. "Some people find your sass fun, like me, but you've gotta find a way to make it charming."

[onthelii2p]

"It wath a glathh bottle. It could have been utheful," he insists with a frown, stepping back to try to evade the pokes. "Thtop that, would you?"

He's not sure he wants to ask what she means by 'needed a drink'. Or 'basic food groups' - that seems skeptical at best. As she goes on to answer the real question, though, he does listen. She's the stylist, the one who's been here longer, the one actually from this place and part of that whole job. It's... weird, really, to think she wants to help when she's still part of the machine that sends people to die. What's the point? It doesn't parse.

He digs at his lip with a fang before answering, "Charm'th not my thtrong point. Thomething with FF would be eathier - we thtuck together a lot, obviouthly - though I'm not going to pretend I'm happy about having to uthe it. Thome athhole tried to take pictureth of uth right when I got back and found her, before we could even talk or, I don't know, get over the fact we both died."

The memory of it tugs his mouth into a sharp frown. He managed not to snap about it, but it still pissed him off.

He quiets a little, thinking. "Apart from that... I've got punth? Do people like punth?"

[reallynow]

"So I gave you a weapon and you're still bitching? You want advice? Act grateful, you little brat. Even if you aren't." She folds her arms over her chest defiantly. He's listening, that's important, but his attitude is simultaneously endearing and liable to make her smack him.

"The real hardhitters of the Capitol, the ones with all the money? They want the appreciation for dropping dollars on you. They don't want some half-assed thank you and a smart-ass comment, that's for sure."

Her face strains just a little when he talks about the relentless media attention because even she is aware of how exhausting it is, but there's not much more she can express beyond a twitch of her lips.

"I dunno about puns, but that thing you've got going with your girl is cute. If you start coining puns and corny nicknames you'd be darlings in no time, they eat that shit up." She shrugs. "Some people don't like the media attention on their relationships, though."

[onthelii2p]

"You didn't get why I hauled it around when I didn't know what it wath for, tho I ekthplained," he snaps. "Am I not allowed to do that now?"

That attitude: not going anywhere.

He does listen to her explanation, though. This is important and he knows it, and what feedback she can offer may well help him in the future. "It'th kind of hard to feel grateful when I'm thtuck in a death game, but I'll try." He means that, at least. There's nothing but trying in this. "And I don't like the idea of the media attention either, but I'll do what I have to if it keepth her alive. She'th important."

He hmms, thinking. "I've already got nicknameth, though. Two-letter oneth. FF, AA, KK, TZ, thtuff like that. I called Dave IP before but that hath backthtory that won't tranthfer."