Don't let your head hang low

[dejerate]

WHO: Yuichiro Hyakuya, OPEN
WHERE: Heropa
WHEN: June
WHAT: Yuu has a lot of adjusting to do now he's a vampire. Suffice to say it isn't necessarily all smooth sailing in adjusting to the enhanced senses, greater strength and speed.
WARNINGS: None? Beyond talk of vampires, I guess.



Let your heart run wild:

[Sure. The extra burst in speed compared to what he is used to is freeing. The same way driving is. Wind in his hair and all. Yuu loves it. Finds he enjoys testing it, how fast he can go. Now often posing a race to Mika to see who can get to somewhere faster. It's more an even level now, where Mika previously obviously had the advantage before, with Yuu's slower human restrictions.

Not anymore. And Yuu is learning the need for caution in using said speed, when he runs smack into a telephone pole, suddenly causing him to stop abruptly and promptly fall back onto his ass with a groan. Ouch. Even then, half the time, while still figuring controlling the speed, he doesn't necessarily always realize how fast he is going.]

I really need to get better at slowing down....

Like horses in the wild:

[Maybe he just idly picked up something that was on the shelf somewhere at a store he was idly browsing. But he's still adjusting to his new strength. Which means he might have just broken it? Whatever item he picked up. Hopefully it wasn't too expensive. He looks just as surprised as anyone else nearby that might have seen it. Especially kids who would likely point and cause a scene. He does intend to pay for it since he broke it. It's just a little embarrassing while he adjusts to how much pressure is safe to apply with things in dealing with his new strength.]

Um....oops?

So take my hand:

[Another problem with the speed increase is his footing. That makes is much more risky and potentially dangerous when he might misstep and trip. Particularly when running on the rooftops. When this means potentially falling from that height. Not that it would be serious, given the vampire's healing capabilities but even so, that wouldn't mean it wouldn't be painful. At least it is late at night when he does this so chances are there aren't kids around to see, or to hear his cursing as he realizes his balance is off and he's about to slide right down to the ground.]

And home we'll go:

Wildcard! Write up your own starter or hit me up for one via pm or plurk of you want to do a thing during June.

Comments

So take my hand:

[allforyuu]

[Mika worried that he'd be overly protective if he went with Yuu as he practiced. The other boy wasn't an idiot. He had had military training. Surely he knew what he was doing.]

[Not. So.]

[Tense with fear, Mika's glad he managed to grab a hold of his cloak before Yuu fell over the edge of the buidling.]

Careful!

[dejerate]

[It's a learning process. A lot to adjust to. While he does, he's going to mess up and probably hurt himself. Hopefully in a more minor injury sense than anything serious. Like this could have been, though he'd probably still have healed from it even if he had fallen. It's just a matter of control. Adjusting to the increased speed in keeping an eye on his feet and the ground or roof before him.

He gasps, hanging and looking up when he feels that hold and sudden stop once Mika grips his cloak that had been trailing behind him. He's partly sheepish and partly proud of himself, almost.]

I'm okay, Mika! Did you see that though? I was going way faster that time! I think that's my new record so far!

[Because of course that's what Yuu focuses on. Not the close call in almost falling from the roof, in regards to his safety. Mika has him, so it's fine. Not that Mika necessarily sees it that way, of course.]

[allforyuu]

[Mika's just glad he caught him in time. Yuu may feel invincible, but Mika doesn't want to see what happens to kneecaps after falling down that far. It would probably be fine. Vampires can handle a lot, but he avoids those heights usually because he still has a very human common sense.]

You were definitely going faster.

[Pulling him up, he breathes a sigh of relief. (Even if Yuu won't stay put where it's safe. He knows he won't.) It might be easier to simply join in, because at least that way he can keep up.]

Try to actually land on an actual building next time.

[dejerate]

I totally was! I wonder if I can go even faster. Probably if I keep practicing, right? Or...

[Or once he has human blood. Which is more likely. But still, this is taking enough adjusting to now as it is. He should take it slow. There's plenty of time to let himself get used to it all, in controlling his new abilities. He manages to get back to his feet once he is pulled back up.]

I was landing on the building, I just slipped is all, Mika. But...thanks.

[allforyuu]

You'll learn soon enough.

[Mika hakes his head, just glad that Yuu's still in one piece.]

You nearly gave me a heart attack.

[dejerate]

I know. I just need practice. But I'm fine, Mika. Relax.

[Of course he's reassuring Mika and trying to brush this off. Because he is fine, Mika was quick enough to stop him falling. Even if he had, Yuu doubts if this height would have killed him. Hurt him, sure, but he also should probably figure the limits with his healing. More specifically, how long different severity of injury might take to heal.]

[allforyuu]

[After some practice he's sure that they'll both be able to jump from places that are even taller than this, but right now Mika is still treating Yuu as if he's human.]

I'd relax more if you didn't jump off of buildings.

[dejerate]

H-hey, I gotta practice all this somehow. May as well be with you to keep an eye on me, Mika.

[This is why Yuu is taking this so much better. Because he knows he has Mika to be there for him and help him through this. Because he had more time to adjust to the idea that he'd need to figure this out, his new limits. Unlike Mika, who he kind of surprised with it all.]

Try again?

[allforyuu]

How about we try to jump up to a building this time?

[Mika doesn't blame him for wanting to learn about his powers. He has to do it sometime. But he's also having a hard time stopping his overprotectiveness, so he's glad that Yuu allows him to tag along to make sure he doesn't hurt himself.]

[dejerate]

To see who can jump higher? You're on!

[Because it wouldn't be Yuu if he wasn't automatically taking that as a challenge. Even if Mika's at an advantage, obviously. That doesn't seem to matter to him. Just that they have a more even footing together with all this again is enough. Enough to encourage him, enough to reassure him almost, in some way. So of course he readies himself to leap.]

[allforyuu]

What do I get if I win?

[Mika can't help but tease him, knowing that Yuu wants a challenge. Still, he doesn't demand that Yuu stop or try to keep on the ground. He knows him well enough to know that his friend needs to become familiar with his new powers.]

[He readies himself alongside Yuu, preparing to jump half a second after him. Giving him a head start is the least he can do.]

[dejerate]

What would you want?

[Yuu hadn't actually thought that far ahead. He just enjoyed the extra rush and pride if he does manage to best Mika in something. Which isn't often. Mika's first meeting with him was the blond kicking his ass with the excuse of 'making friends' to the director of the orphanage, after all.]

[allforyuu]

The winner buys a drink. Or offers one.

[Mika hasn't thought much further than that, mostly asking to egg Yuu on. When there's a wager, he gets even more competitive.]

Like horses in the wild

[am_i_a_monster]

[Abigail is about to leave the art shop, having finished her shift for the day. She is almost at the door when she see the customer break one of the small sculptures. She stops and wonders if she could just leave. She works in the art print section, this isn't her department. But her boss could be watching.

She walks over to the customer.]

Are you alright? Did you cut yourself?

[dejerate]

I -- um, I'll be fine! I just...I didn't mean to! I'll pay for it.

[After all, he did break it. Even if accidentally. Yuu isn't that much of a brat to try get out and leave this mess, without paying. But it's also true that though there might be blood at his hand, the injury itself is already healing up, thanks to being a vampire and all. So he's more concerned with being in trouble for breaking the item than his hand. Even if it's obvious she and others would have the opposite priority of checking on Yuu himself first.]

[am_i_a_monster]

But you're bleeding. Let's take care of that first. Give me the pieces.

[Abigail takes the pieces and places them in a nearby bin. She then walks back and glances at the wound again without touching him. The sculpture shouldn't have broken so easily and she's almost certain if her boss is watching, he's worrying about an angry import or a lawsuit. It wasn't even marked as fragile.]

It doesn't look as bad as I thought. That's good.

[She gives him a smile, hoping it'll calm him to know that no one's upset with him.]

[dejerate]

I'm -- it's fine. I'll heal up, this is nothing.

[But he does as she asks, passing her the pieces obediently enough, in not wanting someone to come in and get hurt from them or something. Yuu can't help but to blink when she comments that it doesn't look as bad -- because of course this has already been giving his healing ability time to do the thing.]

Told you. Um, you work here?

[am_i_a_monster]

Is that an import thing?

[She means the wound. It's almost enough to make her jealous, wishing she could stop the bleeding on her own if she were to be hurt again.]

Yeah, I work here. Not in this section. I work with the art prints. It's the job they gave me when I got here.

[She figures it's only fair to admit to being an import since she asked him about it.]

I'm sorry about this. The fragile pieces are usually marked or kept in a case. We do care about customer safety.

[dejerate]

It's uh....a vampire thing, yeah.

[Previously, it would have been explained as a 'demon' thing, but not as of last month. Anyway, he's just relieved if it helps her not freak out so much about the injury, minor as it is, especially for him after having been in the military back home and all.]

And they let me drive an ice cream truck. But I've never complained. Still, this...it wasn't marked or anything, no. It's just me adjusting, since I'm stronger now. But -- like I said, I'll pay for it or whatever.

[am_i_a_monster]

Oh.

[Luckily, he's not the first vampire she's met and she's able to control herself better now. Vampires would always be too close to cannibals for her comfort. She manages to stay polite.]

Driving an ice cream truck doesn't sound so bad, especially if they let you have samples.

[She shakes her head.]

No, don't worry about it. The store has insurance. That should cover it.

[She chuckles.]

With everything that happens here, I wouldn't be surprised if they have a special clause for import related damage.

[dejerate]

Well, I can't have samples anymore myself. But yeah. I used to be able to have some with lunch on break or something if I wanted.

[He kind of physically can't anymore. But even so. He enjoys it regardless of the taste testing. It's the kids and the driving that make it for him. He's just unsure if he might quite manage something more customer oriented now, since being turned.]

I hadn't thought of that, but I guess it would make sense.

[am_i_a_monster]

Oh, that's too bad.

[Working around ice cream all day and not being able to have any. That would suck. Abigail might even be feeling a touch of sympathy for the vampire. She knows what it's like to watch life go by and miss out on it.]

Yeah, it wouldn't really be fair to expect imports to follow a you break it, you buy it policy.

[Not that life was ever fair, but people did like to do things for imports.]

Was there anything else in the store you wanted to look at? I could hold something up for you.

[dejerate]

I guess. I never had to really think about that, the break it you buy it thing, with the ice cream job.

[He's sort of used to extra speed and strength, when Ashuramaru, his demon, takes control, but not quite on this level, and not outside using that during a fight. So it's taking some adjusting to say the least.]

Something else? Ah...what about this one?

[Pointing the next shelf over, just behind her.]

[am_i_a_monster]

[Abigail glances at the shelf and runs her hand delicately over a few of the figurines, trying to guess at which one he likes. Not the busts of imports; he's like her, doesn't seem to like the attention. The bat? That might be offensive a vampire. Her hand settles on a crystal fish and she picks it up. The crystal is heavy in her hands; hopefully, it'll be less fragile.]

"This one? Fish are incredible creatures, always making adjustments to keep up with the current. It might fit with you with the adjustments you're making."

[dejerate]

We couldn't fish back home. The oceans were poisonous, so. No fishing or swimming. I think some boats could still make it, but. It's why I like the beaches here.

[And liked being able to eat fish, here. Before he was turned, obviously. Still, Yuu isn't one to let that deter him, enjoying the sand and shallower waves closer to the shore at least. It's the simpler things that he appreciates the most. Being outside in general, after years of living underground.]

So. I guess that's why I noticed the fish there.