What's the difference between self discovery and self destruction

[iamtetsuo]

WHO: Tetsuo Shima and YOU
WHERE: Any city; just place it in the subject line or mention it in a thread. He'll be doing a lot of roaming around.
WHEN: Month of September
WHAT: Catchall open log for chaos or general activities - Tetsuo's been unleashed on America and intends to play garrys mod with it. If you wanted an excuse to fight an out of control psychokinetic, here it is
WARNINGS: General villainy (property damage, violence, possible drug use mentions, theft...) and potentially interrupting Kanedas at the end of threads

[It's a brand new month, and a brand new start; and with it comes so many brand new ways to find trouble.

You can expect to find Tetsuo engaged in normal shenanigans, like any ordinary sixteen year old. Things like threatening natives! Causing accidents or generally ignoring all traffic laws! Raiding drug stores! Hanging around on park benches or generally wandering aimlessly! Suffering from extreme migraines! All this and more in your hometown!

He's taken his motorcycle and psychic powers and hit the streets of America on a quest for ... you know what, we just don't know. The good news is, beyond checking churches for Crane, and making sure that his (glove-covered) wrist could say CRIMINAL from here until forever, he doesn't seem to have any set goals in mind on what to do. All that's clear is he can do what he wants, and he's not taking no for an answer to anything.

Feel free to fight him, talk to him, join in, what have you -- you're free to stop him but he's going to either run at the end if it's clear he can't win, or get you out of the way somehow. If you'd like to change this, talk with me and we can work something out.

I'll throw starters out on request, but please feel free to make your own. If you'd like to fight, check out his permissions first, but this is a general invitation to fight without any preamble or excuses.]

Comments

[deadtective]

I don't do regrets. Full steam ahead, sort out the fuckups later.

[of which this is most certainly not one, but you know. general principle.]

[iamtetsuo]

[walks closer. He's ... Nah, apparently there is no thinking ahead on future misery here, because he's moving a bit into the surf.]

You don't, huh?

[deadtective]

Nope. It's going to be all wrong most of the time anyway, so why bother thinking about it?

[her very existence was a fuckup, and Hazel felt that she was followed by pretty abysmal luck. what was the point in dwelling on all the mistakes that she'd made, or would make in the future? they were hers here and no one else's, and that was really all that mattered. she was making her own choices, no matter how bad.

in the sand firefight she'd lost her grip on the last few stones in her hand. she crouches to retrieve them, intending to hurl them all into the water at once for one last big splash.]

[iamtetsuo]

[A sentiment that, if voiced, Tetsuo could understand. Agree with.

But it's not. And Tetsuo is too busy seeking vengeance to pay that much attention to what she's saying. Even though, this time, he probably should be. All he's noticing is his chance comes as she bends back over again, and he seizes it instantly, kicking wet sand and possibly seawater right into her face.]

[deadtective]

[yeeep, that's definitely seawater mixed in there as it splashes all over her face just as she looks up again. it streaks down her cheeks, leaving ugly trails of sand and salt as she levels possibly the flattest look known to man at Tetsuo. if anything, she sounds mildly unimpressed.]

Really?

[that's all you've got, dude? look how little it bothers her, she's even standing up and throwing those rocks to make a big splash before even making a motion to wipe that shit off her face.

(even if it doesn't physically bother her, this is another tick in the vengeance escalation list. she's not forgetting.)]

[iamtetsuo]

[What does he have to do to get a normal person reaction??]

That's it?? What do you mean, really?!

[deadtective]

I hope this isn't you bringing your A game to this, that's all.

[it's really not fair for Hazel to be abusing her physical insensitivity like this...or at least laughing about it the way she does. too bad, because it's pretty damn funny.]

[iamtetsuo]

[This face. This face forever.]

[deadtective]

[she claps him on the back as she wades out into the shallows herself.]

Don't worry, man. I'm sure you'll get me one day.

[iamtetsuo]

[That's it. She's getting tripped into the water.]

[deadtective]

[well, shit. some part of her should probably have seen that coming, all things considered. hello water, it's been quite some time since she's seen you like this.

normally she'd get up and immediately start getting pissy because fucking wow, she is dressed the opposite of ready for a swim at the beach. but since the name of the game has been infuriating nonreactions with Tetsuo, she decides to be a petty little shit about it. Hazel remains floating facedown in the water, completely limp, allowing the rock of the waves to slowly carry her out further into deeper water.

how long can she keep this up before he investigates? he's going to have to look eventually, if only because she knows there's no satisfaction in nailing her like this without being able to gloat about it.]

[iamtetsuo]

[Fuming, Tetsuo watches her for a second, expecting retribution. Any second now she'll lash out at him, dragging him down with her the second he moves in to investigate. Any... second...

Seconds pass and there's no reaction.

Slowly, the scowl starts shading to worry - something's off. Something is deeply off. And while by now, Tetsuo has killed before and will again if it comes up... Hazel isn't someone he wants anything to happen to.]

...Hazel?

[deadtective]

[still no reaction, just more floating. Hazel can only dimly hear anything he says from this angle, although what she can parse sounds a lot more concerned than she was expecting. it's a note of surprise in between the peaceful bobbing of the water - maybe she should change what she intends to do when he finally comes to check...]

[iamtetsuo]

Hey. Quit messing around!

[There it is, the anger's back. He KNOWS she's messing with him. She's gotta be. She always is. It's all she ever does.

But if she's not... shit, fine, wading in deeper, boots and all. If this is a damn act he's going to - to do something.]

[deadtective]

[the original plan had been to pull him down with her when he finally came to investigate and then laugh her ass off while he sputtered and probably tried to break her nose. but Hazel can't quite bring herself to do that now for whatever reason (it's called friendship, dipshit) and so when he's in position she simply jerks up all of a sudden, rising from the metaphorical depths like some kind of sea monster. there's even some seawater spilling from her mouth as she speaks for effect.]

You sound really upset.

[she can't help it - she ruins what's left of the joke by letting the surprised statement jump out immediately anyway. god dammit she was supposed to laugh at him first.]

[iamtetsuo]

Wh-

[Tetsuo jerks backwards, almost losing his balance entirely.

She WAS messing with him. God dammit. There's a pause before Tetsuo's guard slams back down, thick and resentful. Because, for a bit, he had genuinely dropped it. He doesn't appreciate being made a fool of, especially when it means showing weakness (it's called caring about the well being of another person). Especially around someone like that.]

Shut up!

[deadtective]

I'm just saying!

[she splashes at the water for emphasis before standing upright completely. even after all this time, Hazel still found herself thrown off whenever someone was genuinely concerned for her - especially someone like Tetsuo. it's the kind of thing that makes her feel a twinge of guilt for jerking him around like that, although she does her best to bury it for the time being.]

I had a fucking fistfight with the last person I pulled this joke on, it's a big difference.

[iamtetsuo]

You're about to have another one!

[If she doesn't stop him he's going right back to bad ideas land here]

[deadtective]

That hasn't exactly worked out for you so far, has it?

[this counts as trying to stop him right]

[iamtetsuo]

...it only has to work once, right?!

[He managed to not say shut up again. Progress? Also he's still arguing, meaning he hasn't made good on that threat...

He could say it. Take the null off, go on - see what happens. See how well she fares. But he doesn't.]

[deadtective]

On a regular person, maybe.

[which she is clearly not, even while under the lie umbrella of 'it's superpowers shut up'. it'd have to work a hell of a lot more than once.]

[iamtetsuo]

So? What's that make you?

[deadtective]

Incredibly unfortunate.

[iamtetsuo]

...

[well, now he's just confused.]

Unfortunate?! Nothing fucking bothers you!

[deadtective]

Nothing except assholes like you who keep trying to figure out what does.

[which is absolutely not the real answer, but whoops too bad! Hazel refuses to spit out the zombie secret unless she absolutely has to.]