[video feed]

[caroflower]

Caro sits down gingerly on a fallen log. Time for another break. Every step, no matter how carefully she walks, jars her already throbbing face. And the laceration had started to seep through her makeshift bandage, prompting her latest pause. It's taking forever to get back to the lake.

Now then, should shy try peeling this bandage off, or just put the next one on top...? Caro's fairly certain that proper first aid is to layer, but... She pokes tentatively a couple inches to the side of the jagged cut.

"Shit," she hisses quietly. And then winces, because her jaw isn't in good shape either. Fuck.

She's in the middle of wondering how the hell she's gonna eat anything with her jaw like this when she hears the telltale beeping of a parachute. It can't be...

But she looks up, and there it is, gently descending towards her. Whoever launches these, their aim was good enough that Caro doesn't even have to get up, she just waits for it to fall into her hands. It's... pretty good size, actually. She fumbles with the catch briefly before opening it to find... two canisters and a note. She reads the note first.

stay alive, sweetheart. -w

She snorts. That's always been the plan, Sullivan. She tucks the piece of paper into a pocket anyway. Now for the actual goodies. The first, larger canister contains... soup. Caro leans in close and sniffs. Pumpkin? And... apple. Fuck, it smells good. There's both a spoon and a straw. Caro pockets the spoon and sticks the straw in the thermos of soup. She takes a tentative sip... and has to stifle a groan at how good it is. Hell, any warm food would be a wonder in this cold, but this soup is amazing. She drinks a little more, and then seals the thermos back up, straw inside. Now what's in the other one?

"Holy shit." It's medicine.

She puts the lid back on, and reaches up to peel the cut up piece of blanket off her face. Fuck, it's sticking and shit shit shit that really hurts-- okay. There. She sets the bloody cloth down next to her on the log. She really wishes she was back by the lake right now, being able to see her reflection would help. She gently probes at the laceration to make sure nothing's in it, swearing under her breath the entire time.

Satisfied that her wound is as clean as she can get it for now, she reopens the tube of medicine and applies a little to her cheek. There's a medicinal sting, but not much else. Including no fresh blood. Ohhhhh thank god, it stops the bleeding. She carefully applies more to the rest of the gash in her face. She even has a good two thirds of the tube left. Excellent. She doesn't know if it'll need to be reapplied. Either way, it's good to have leftovers.

She stows both canisters very carefully in her backpack, and tucks the bloody bandage into a side pocket. She's just about to get up when she hears a noise. Shit.

Comments

[areyoukiddingme]

Basil looks up from his monitor at Sullivan's bellow. Really now. "Hell if I know, Sullivan, I mentored the even dumber one," he barks back.

Oops, that wasn't exactly a shining moment of District unity. Oh well. He's not fond of his mentor partner, to put it mildly.

[illdrinktothat]

Even if he's a tiny, tiny bit worried about Caro, Walter still cracks up for a moment at Basil's reply. He's a little preoccupied, though - between the feed and tapping out a message.

tune into the live feed right fucking now
zopf's about to get carved up like a goddamn turkey

[datasoong]

Data watches intently as Caro sweet talks Zopf. He's somewhat amazed at just how dumb the baker's son is proving to be, but he supposes he really shouldn't be. He is also very impressed by how well Caro manages to play nice with him, given how furious he knows she is. She lures him over effortlessly, getting him to sit down right next to her. She digs around in her backpack, which Data knows from hours at 12's station is very well organized, before bringing out the frying pan. Data knows where this is going.

[illdrinktothat]

Walter goes dead silent again as soon as Zopf actually falls for that lure. Stupid, stupid kid. He gives credit to Caro for the effort it must take to fake this. He knows how she hates this little bastard, and that was before everything with Murphy's tribute.

He settles back into his chair and crosses his arms, and waits. There's a marked change as soon as the first blow with the frying pan is struck. All that mirth from a moment ago is gone as quick as a switch getting flicked. That knife to the thigh is deliberate, careful; no arteries likely severed, nothing remotely fatal about that wound. Painful, yes. Incredibly. He hopes she stabbed hard enough to hit bone.

And like that, he's smiling, dead-eyed and silent but smiling softly. It's an expression that's almost tranquil in a cold, detached way.

The shoulder stab is fatal, however. He knows instantly from the wet crackle to the boy's voice she hit lung. The twist finally seals Zopf's fate. It's a bloody death and not a quick one, either. He goes out the way Cypress probably would have: not from bleeding out, but drowning. He drowns in his own blood.

He's very proud right now.

[datasoong]

Data's attention shifts slightly to take in the way Sullivan changes. And just like that, Data's getting an up close and personal view of the Walter Sullivan that killed 21 fellow Tributes in the second quarter Quell. Despite knowing he's extremely unlikely to be in any actual danger from Walter, Data keeps one eye on him and one on the feed.

Data may be a mostly gentle soul, but he is a Victor.

His also mostly gentle soul has a surprising lack of pity for Zopf right now, even watching Caro go to work on him. He's gotten the impression, though she hasn't told him directly, that she and Zopf have something of a history. He watches with grim satisfaction as Zopf dies the way Cypress would have, had Caro not been there.

And then that little finger wave. Data has seen that, that's a very Weyoun Trinket wave. He can't help himself, he lets out a small, strangled sort of giggle.

Well, no one ever said Data Soong was a bastion of normalcy and appropriateness.

[illdrinktothat]

There's something deeply satisfying about watching that unfold. And even though Caro's most unusual in how she draws it out (at least, for her district) he's mostly assured it's free of anything the Capitol could interpret as Order-related. There's no ritual to it. Not like how he did it, with the number carving and prying hearts out of chests. It's just vengeance and spite, simple as that.

The little finger-wave is a nice touch - and it's right about then that he's snapped out of his concentration because Data just giggled creepily. He turns his gaze from the monitors finally and just looks at Data for a moment, one eyebrow raised and his temporary eerie calm replaced most with amusement. Giggling, really?

[datasoong]

Data blinks in mild surprise. Did he really just...? Out loud? Yes he did, judging by Sullivan's incredulous stare. He gives a little half shrug in response.

"W-what?"

[illdrinktothat]

Walter just shakes his head a little and laughs. "Nothing."

He'll just watch the hovercraft collect his dead tribute now, won't he?

[weyountrinket]

Weyoun's already watching the feed long before Walter sends the message, actually. He's been watching the feed since he got in. He's been absolutely glued to it, in fact.

He's perched on the edge of the couch across from Garak, staring intently at the screen and impatiently waiting for that Sponsor gift to show up. He doesn't have to wait that long, either. As soon as the camera shows the slow descent of the silver parachute he's trying to redirect Garak's attention to the television. "Garak. Garak!" He spares a brief glance at the man's apparently very interesting infopad before turning back to the television. "She's on!"

Oh, does he ever grin when she gets Mr. Largo's gifts. What Caro does with that note gets a quizzical look and - oh. Oh. Well. He'll consider that more later. For now, though, he gets to watch a rare moment this late in the Hunger Games. He's a little (a lot) distressed at the likely scar from that wound... but as long as she survives it, that's what matters.

He notices his infopad making it's characteristic 'you have a message' ding but ignores it. A moment later, when Zopf stumbles into the clearing, he figures out what that message probably was. Of course right about then there's someone knocking on the door very, very insistently, not to mention loudly.

"I'll... I'll get that." He sighs, pauses the feed and goes to deal with the interruption as quickly as possible.

[egarak]

Garak's head snaps up at Weyoun's words. Ah good, she's getting her parachute. Sullivan apparently attached a note, which Caro snorts at and puts in her pocket. Garak can't suppress a grin at that. He watches with interest as she tries her soup and applies her medication.

He too gets a message, and does look down to check it. Well, he's already watching the feed, thank you Sullivan. Garak is just opening his mouth to mention the contents to Weyoun, when Zopf stumbles on screen and there's a knock on the door.

Well. That certainly is suspicious timing.

[murphypendleton]

That persistent knocking is none other than the wee menace district 7 mentor. Murphy bellows through the shut door because why the fuck not. "HOUSEKEEPING. DO YOU NEED MORE ICE?"

And what greets him when the door swings open is a very unamused, disapproving looking Weyoun staring up at him. He just grins brightly at team 12's escort. He's one of few people Murphy can actually grin down at so he's enjoying that while it lasts. "I heard you guys got the better tv."

Weyoun just frowns at that.

[hellocomputer]

Don't look now, but here comes Scotty with a giant bowl of popcorn. He appears right behind Murphy and grins. "Well now, I see we had the same idea! Hullo there," he adds, turning to address Weyoun properly. "May we come in? I brought popcorn."

Mustn't forget our manners now.

[weyountrinket]

Weyoun merely squints at Murphy and frowns for a moment. "Yes, very funny, Mr. Pendleton. Would you like me to kick you out again?"

Then Scotty just... appears, food in hand and considerably more polite than his compatriot, so Weyon acquiesces. He steps back from the door and gestures, though he sounds considerably less than enthused about the whole matter. "Make yourselves comfortable."

From there all he wants to do is go back to the couch and turn the now-delayed live feed back on. And that's just what he does.

[hellocomputer]

Scotty seats himself next to a politely incredulous Garak and offers him the popcorn bowl. "Thought I'd come watch the show in style," he says by way of explanation.

Garak raises an eyebrow at him but takes a handful of popcorn anyway.

Scotty himself grins around a mouthful of popcorn as Caro lures Zopf over to the log. That boy really is daft. And tactless. "Your face" indeed. He is glad to note that she's gotten and applied her medication. He'll catch a repeat of that later.

Oh, and there goes the frying pan. Right in the face. He hears Garak chuckling next to him. Rather bloodthirsty for a Stylist.

[murphypendleton]

Pendleton finds himself a seat between Scotty and Weyoun, of course. Though honestly he's far more interested in the Games than he is in making a pest of himself, so Weyoun escapes his humor this time.

He's a little disappointed he missed the sponsor gift, but seeing her get Zopf in the face with a goddamn frying pan is more than worth it. Somehow, that kid is even dumber than Walter let on.

He lets out a brief approving whistle at the way she just goes and stabs the kid in the leg. That's cold. ... And so is Weyoun, apparently, given how e laughed at it. The escort clears his throat and composes himself immediately after but Murphy still looks at him from the corner of his eye like I saw that.

He leans over and grabs some popcorn right about when Caro rips the weapon out of Zopf's leg. Oh, that had to hurt.

...Aaaand there the knife goes in his shoulder. That really had to hurt.

[egarak]

Garak reaches for more popcorn as Caro twists the knife in Zopf's shoulder. Oh, she really is a delightful girl. He grins at her calling him "bread boy." That really does sound like something Sullivan would say. Oh, these two.

Zopf takes his time dying, which is exactly what Caro had in mind. Garak approves. The boy drowns in his own blood, just like the little one from 7 would have. Appropriate. Garak is also quite fond of how Caro's been picking off members of the Career pack with their own weapons.

Caro's last remark towards the boy's body gets an indulgent smile out of Garak. The finger wave she learned from Weyoun gets a chuckle.

[weyountrinket]

As soon as the actual violence starts Weyoun stops caring that Murphy is around and potentially going to be a pain in the ass, yet again. There's more important things happening. Namely, the end of Zopf's idiocy.

Weyoun feels very little by way of sympathy for the boy, and perhaps he should feel bad about that but he finds himself quite incapable of caring about the matter, to be honest. He doubts he's the only one that feels that way. Zopf is... Zopf. He is the pure embodiment of underwhelming. Caro, on the other hand, exceeds all expectations. Kill after kill. Careers. Oh, hoe lucky he was to get 12 this year. What a pity it would have been to miss experiencing this first hand.

Caro's final quips would have been amusing on their own, but... the little wave she does with her fingers. Oh dear, that's familiar, isn't it?

Weyoun finds himself grinning like the goddamn Cheshire cat.

[hellocomputer]

Scotty's impressed at how well Caro keeps the boy alive to make him suffer. That miss of the femoral artery looks deliberate. He'd like to know what else Zopf's done to make her hate him so much, frankly.

Oh, there, she's stabbed him in the shoulder as well. Even so, Zopf takes his time dying. And then Caro waltzes away, cool as a cucumber. Well, first she has to stop and make a comment and wave. Scotty shakes his head, smirking. He hopes Walter's looking forward to having a neighbor.