strange behaviour

[bitofafiction]

Characters: Sherlock Holmes and YOU
Format: prose preferred, please ♥
This log is: open!
Location: Out and about on the grounds
Summary: Sherry Holmes counts trees.
Warnings: none at the time of posting

He starts by the main entrance, at the southernmost point of the elongated hexagon that makes up the grounds, and moves clockwise. Every time he sees a tree, he not only notes it down in his pocket notebook but walks up to it and puts his hand against the trunk, as though to confirm it is real.

Last night he slept reasonably well on the roof of White dorm. He knows he can't count on that, but for now he is grateful not to have started back down the inevitable spiral of sleep deprivation and paranoia just yet. He looks serene and well-rested, which only invites the question of what the hell he is doing to all those trees.

Comments

[formerly_known_as_prince]

The. Forest.

The forest is a secret. It rises suddenly from the hidden parts of the academy. The forest is where princes ride on white horses. The forest is where the elevator is. The arena. The forest is a drop of cold water on my right index finger and huge gates sliding open, clacking, driven by some invisible mechanism.

Utena's momentarily gotten a far away look, the kind you see in returning soldiers. It only lasts a second though.

"Oh? Are you a landscaper? Or an architect?"

Not too insightful of a questionner, she is.

[bitofafiction]

"No."

He lets that stand for about half a second, then adds, "I am trying to determine if this place obeys the laws of reality as I understand them."

[formerly_known_as_prince]

"Oh." She thinks about the elevator and the arena and especially that magical hanging castle. She doesn't know anything about architecture but has a feeling things like that aren't usually done.

"I have a feeling it doesn't."

[bitofafiction]

"I have a similar feeling," Sherlock admits. "You're new here, are you not? Be glad of it. Everyone I have spoken to who was already here had a vivid nightmare the morning of your arrival concerning the lot of us slaughtering one another."

[formerly_known_as_prince]

"Yeah, the last place I was at was like this too. Oh." She puts a hand to her mouth. "That's awful. It sounds like someone did that on purpose." The Fallen Prince had never done such a thing, save for what he'd done to the Computerlike Man. But she was very sure such a thing was in the power of such a being.

[bitofafiction]

"It does. The questions of why and how are not presently answerable, but I believe the administration of this place was the cause. One way or another."

[formerly_known_as_prince]

"So are you after the truth?" A leading question. If Sherlock were more of a manipulative person, it'd have been easy to lead her around with an enthusiastic, and completely bullshitted affirmative.

[bitofafiction]

"Always," he says, with perfect sincerity.

[formerly_known_as_prince]

He seems genuine! Let's trust him!

"I'm Utena." She says, holding out her hand. "If it helps, the last academy I went to was very similar. Maybe that can give you clues?"

[bitofafiction]

"I am Sherlock, and we'll have to forgo the handshake, because you are a Player and I am someone else's Weapon." He inclines his head. "A pleasure to meet you, nonetheless."