Recovery is a form of being grounded, right? [Open Log]

[iamtetsuo]

WHO: Tetsuo and YOU
WHERE: Nonah 05/Nonah's Ark
WHEN: Post bike crash through october
WHAT: Karma caught up to him and he's stuck in Nonah 05 for a month. Waiting for your body to heal the rest of the way naturally SUCKS. Boredom, resentment and pain don't make a great combination, but he's down for the count.
WARNINGS: Tetsuo. Copious amounts of Tetsuo. Drugs, threats, all that fun stuff.

[Prompts available on request; for the most part:

Sept 29-Oct 18
Largely stuck on his bed being a wet cat. At some point he'll start meandering out into the living room for TV if no one's out there, but he's not really going far or doing much. Expect a lot of network or texting abuse, possible threats of violence, and probably hurting himself in the attempt to follow up on said threats.

For the curious, he's got a broken collarbone/some ribs; nothing life-threatening but definitely extremely annoying, not to mention painful. While this may take longer normally to heal, he's had some healing done, so we can just assume it'll be pretty much good to go by the end of the month. He might be getting a limiter forced on him at some point during the month.

Oct 18-on

As he starts feeling better, his goal's to be out and around Nonah as much as he can manage (not that much, but you bet he can try). He's supposed to be on bedrest for the month? Well, that's not exactly what he intends to do - just try and make him.

That said, he's not going to be up to doing anything strenuous, which is good for all of us. If you can't find him in Nonah 05, he'll be in the arcade or nearby areas. What are good judgement calls?

Action, audio, video, text, it's all good (update: oct 3 evening until oct 9 Tetsuo's comm is not working)]

Comments

[rassera]

Yeah, it is.

[Tetsuo might be tired, but Kaneda's anything but.]

We haven't done anything about it since I got him. Don't you think we're a little overdue?

[iamtetsuo]

About what, you having one?

[He lets the question hang in the air for a moment, before adding, even softer-]

One of us could do something about that...

[But not both. Not together.]

[rassera]

Goddammit, Tetsuo. That's not what I meant!

[Anger starts to rise as those eyes harden.]

I'm talking about your fuckin' attitude!

[iamtetsuo]

There's nothing to talk about!

[He matches anger for rising anger, eyes snapping open to meet Kaneda's in challenge. That calm evaporates as the storm hits. All of this was working out just fine without having to talk about it - but if Kaneda wants to fight, he'll get a fucking fight.]

[rassera]

Bullshit!

[He's not backing down from this--because it's not just affecting these two anymore. If Tetsuo posed a threat to his dog, then he was going to sort that out NOW. Not wait for an accident to happen.]

You think I don't know your problem with him? I -get- it.

[iamtetsuo]

[It wouldn't be an accident. It'd be done with extreme prejudice.]

Like hell you do!

[Nobody ever had to go back to get Kaneda over a fence in time. Kaneda's never lost a fucking shoe to police dogs before, or spent that following night staring at his foot until he fell asleep to images of what could have happened had that shoe not been there... Not all of Tetsuo's early days with the gang were fun or easy.

They'd never lost touch of what the other was doing or up to, even when their situations didn't perfectly align. Tetsuo was there for all of it; Kaneda didn't get to say what he did and didn't get. Things like that just didn't happen to Kaneda. He managed to stay above it all. Kaneda was never going to understand things like that; Tetsuo was certain of that by now.

Maybe there'd been a time when he'd been a little more willing to accept that not all dogs were like that - Koromaru was different, at least at first. He was small; he didn't trigger the same instinctive reactions larger ones might have... right up until Ken proved without any shadow of doubt that it didn't matter how big a dog was or what it looked like. All dogs can easily be a threat.

And now two of his enemies have one. That's all there is to 'get'.]

[rassera]

I went backfor you back then, you know! You think I'd have done that if I didn't get it?!

[Sure, he was always able to outrun the dogs, and maybe he didn't have the same panic that Tetsuo had, staring at his foot and wondering just what would've happened if he was one half second slower. But he wasn't oblivious, he knew damn well that a dog could make short work of you if it wanted.

But that's where his understanding stopped. Because he always WAS faster. Stronger.

And maybe he expected too much from--...]

What are you gonna do, hide from him forever?

[iamtetsuo]

[That gets a bark of laughter.]

You think I'm hiding?! I don't need to do that anymore!

[He can rip him to pieces with a thought, what the hell does he need to hide from a dog for now?]

Go on... bring it in here. I'll show you who oughta be hiding!

[rassera]

[And that is precisely why he isn't bringing his dog in this room, Tetsuo. The hairs on the back of his head stand up rigid at that, that glare turning dark.]

You, if you touch a hair on my dog's head.

[A pause.]

Then again, I shouldn't be surprised, right? It's how you've always been.

[iamtetsuo]

[It's Tetsuo's turn to go rigid, black eyes glittering with unrestrained fury. He can't come up with a comeback for that. There's an uncomfortable level of truth to it that cuts through his facade and straight into him.

That's not right anymore. He's not ... he's not! Tetsuo's getting fully up now, onto his feet, fists balled and teeth bared. He doesn't have to take this shit. He doesn't have to listen to this!]

SHUT UP! You think you're the only one who's different now?!

[rassera]

[Kaneda doesn't move as Tetsuo stands, hands shoved in his pockets now. He knows he cut deep with that, and sometimes you need to let the bad blood flow if you're going to get anywhere.

Capsule deserves it.

His eyes harden at that threat, knowing full well Tetsuo's trying to cut just as deep. But he stands his ground.]

Trying to change the topic? Did I hit too close to home with that?

[iamtetsuo]

[He takes a step forward, all but outright daring Kaneda to try to act. All his attention locks onto the other boy, power rippling through the air in waves of potential. One push, that's all they need; one push and they're at this war all over again.

Who the hell cares anymore where they are. He'll take him on!]

Kaneda!

[rassera]

What are you gonna do, Tetsuo? Attack me?

[There's no fear anymore. Whether or not it's because he shoved it out of the way or that it just never existed, not even he knows at this point.

He's handling this situation now.]

Then what? Run away again?

That's how this is going to go down, isn't it? Running from dogs, running from the house, how much longer are you going to run?!

[iamtetsuo]

[Tetsuo's mouth works once before he shuts it again. Kaneda's got him backed into a corner with nothing more than the vicious truth, and for all his wild-eyed posturing, all he can do is deny it. Or step up to the challenge and match it.

If he was thinking, he'd realize what he was about to say. Kaneda's goading him to do what he wants and on some level, Tetsuo may even know it. Energy burns in his veins, fraying the last of his nerves, practically begging him to unleash it on something until he can barely hear anything else above the siren call of untapped power. There's no room for critical thought anymore.

He can't back down. Whatever Kaneda wants to define him as, he can't be. He's not the cowardly shadow behind Kaneda anymore - what the hell does he have to do to prove that?! He's something else, something far beyond what Kaneda could ever be. He has to be... there's no other option open to him.]

I'm not running from ANYTHING!!

[rassera]

[And it's here he realizes that he's got Tetsuo. The way he doesn't answer right way. The way those dark eyes search for any kind of reason to prove him wrong. He knows that it just takes one simple thought for him to be thrown against a wall. But if that's the level Tetsuo has to stoop to, then they both know who won.

Maybe that's why he wasn't backing down now. Aside from the stubbornness that was his natural personality.]

Yeah?

Prove it.

Don't run away this time.

[iamtetsuo]

[Tetsuo's face twitches, rage and power distorting it until veins become all but visible on his face. 'This time'. The feeling of something very bad around him intensifies, gravity shifting slightly. Above, the lightbulbs shatter.

Tetsuo doesn't even seem to notice. He doesn't care. He's done waiting, he's been doing nothing but wait for a month...]

You want me to prove it? There's a difference between running and doing what I want - how about I show you what that is?!

[rassera]

[Kaneda only flinches when the light breaks, arms reaching up to shield himself from the falling glass that bounces off him, scattering on the ground like rain. If the glass cuts him, he takes no notice, sidestepping the area and brushing it off.

Dammit.]

You're gonna throw me again? Because if you do, that means I'm right.
You want that, too?

[iamtetsuo]

[Dammit. DAMMIT. D A M M I T.

...

The chair throws itself at him instead.]

[rassera]

[Kaneda wasn't expecting that, honestly, so the chair hits him dead on, knocking him to the ground and on his back. The momentum causes his legs to go up, to which he somersaults to get back into a crouched position, shaking the impact off like a dog.]

I think we're done here.