we say that we won't but you know that we will

[amadaman]

WHO: the residents of Nonah 5, and anybody else who thought they could simply walk into Mordor this house.
WHERE: Nonah #5
WHEN: Throughout April!
WHAT: Catch-all for interactions at Nonah #5. Top levels for residents, as well as any open top levels, will get linked in the post as they're added! Residents and guests, all welcome :)
WARNINGS: Mark threads accordingly!

TOP LEVELS
Kaneda & Capsule • Ken & Koromaru • Tetsuo • Phoenix • Bull

Comments

[iamtetsuo]

[The warm acceptance to those words, not trying to change him somewhere along the way, twists something deep inside him back to where it feels like it should have been. There's so much there that hurts, and so many problems. But that's not shrugged aside, either.

He's still not sure what his feelings are on any of this. Or maybe he's too scared to admit them. But this isn't about that.

Tetsuo, for the first time in a very long time, did something to say who he was to where anyone could see it. It wasn't like his pinball machine that could be hidden away somewhere. A bike's meant to be ridden. And Tetsuo's meant to be what he is.

It's not often that he feels like Kaneda really understands that. Enough that he'll finally just ask it.

That eye stares unblinkingly. He looks down to it, and Kaneda's approval of it, then back directly to Kaneda.]

And you're okay with that?

[rassera]

[It's automatic, what Kaneda's next answer is going to be. There really was nothing else to say.]

I'm okay with you, if that's what you're going for.


[He rubs the back of his neck, right where the lamppost had hit him so long ago.]

I mean...some parts hurt a little more than others...but as long as you're not abusing 'em...

Yeah, I'd say I'm okay with that.

[iamtetsuo]

['As long as you're not abusing them'. He'd been expecting Kaneda to refer to his personality, but in one sentence, Kaneda wraps what he's become into who he is. Pan said that he never would. That any of them would... and Tetsuo'd believed that for so long that it was a genuine surprise to hear otherwise. He blinks, replaying it all in his mind again just to make sure he didn't mishear them.

Those words carry warmth into a colder part of his mind, soothing away more of the hurt from last year. His hand rests on the seat of his bike, soaking it all in.

They really were brothers...]

That's good...

[What to say to that? At least part of his answer's written across his face in a growing smile, even though he ultimately has to move away from the topic. Otherwise, he's dangerously close to saying things he's not sure he can.]

Hey. Speaking of... [powers. Distractions.]

What is your other power, anyway? Or do you just have two?

[He's assuming the second one is invincibility.]

[rassera]

[His brows raise at the question, more out of surprise than worry. As if this whole time, he'd forgotten that it was the one he always kept secret. His trump card, in case people like Pan could find out and abuse it. It wasn't something he could really control, after all.

With a swing of his head to the side, he hums.]

My last power? Heh, you're gonna be pretty disappointed.

[His wrist tilts up, wiggling around his glove until something falls out, landing in the palm of his left hand. And with one flick of his wrist, he tosses it to Tetsuo.

The 1 yen coin from Neo Tokyo itself--one of a kind here, and even more important still.]

My last power is luck. Good...and bad.

[iamtetsuo]

[Something small glints through the air. Tetsuo's hand reaches up for it, but it slows even before it lands gently into his palm. He stares at it for a moment.

And then a longer moment as recognition sets in on where, exactly, this coin is from.

His thumb glosses over it, feeling the ridges of it with a gentleness bordering on reverence. Tokyo exists here. Tokyo exists in Ken's world, and in Kururu's, and in so many other worlds. Relics from Neo Tokyo were nonexistent. Barring what clothing he and Kaneda came in with... and Kaneda's ability to summon his bike...

This was the only proof they had that Neo Tokyo ever existed somewhere.]

Luck??

[rassera]

[Kaneda can only nod, rocking back and forth on his heels.]

It's not something I can really control, either. So it's not like I can ever use it on purpose. It just...happens.

[iamtetsuo]

Your power is luck...

[Kaneda's said something to that effect - something like if it was any consolation, Kaneda couldn't control his powers, either. That was ages ago, before that one swear-in... but Tetsuo had held onto that little puzzle piece, trying to work it out.

He flicks the yen up with his thumb, watching it spin in the air for a moment before letting it fall back into his hand.


Wait. WAIT. THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!

The implications of this finally sink in, and he can't help it. Tetsuo bursts into incredulous laughter.]

All that time wondering why you got all the luck... I had no idea you actually did!

[rassera]

[Kaneda smiles at Tetsuo's revelation, back slumping against the side of the shed as he watches Tetsuo play with the coin. He has no worries about it--Tetsuo knows just how important that coin is, and probably even more respect for it than he does.

But he checks his 'fingernails' (as they're gloved), unable to hide his own little chuckle.]

Told you, it's not exactly anything you brag about when you're fighting!


And I've had some really bad days, too. No idea what decides it or how often it changes...usually it sticks to the day.

[iamtetsuo]

It would take luck to get something like this here. I didn't come with anything...

[He flicks the yen again, this time catching it without letting it hang in the air, and returns to studying it for a bit. There it is, right along the top on the reverse side - ネオ東京. The lighting in here isn't what he'd like to properly study it, but it's not like he really needs to, is it?

Sorry, Kaneda, you'll get this back when he's done with it.]

Anyway, go on. Worst bad luck you've had.

[He's willing to bet it's not as bad as his.]

[rassera]

The worst luck I've had?

[He'll just let Tetsuo play with it for now. It's not like he's too worried.]



Well...I sprained my ankle when you threw me off that overpass. That was a little unlucky.

[iamtetsuo]

C'mon, I didn't even see you!

[That gets another, smaller laugh.]

Getting hit, getting knocked off the overpass... that was all you! You're right, that had to be that luck of yours at work! If I'd thrown you, you wouldn't have had time to complain to the network about it...

[Is he ever going to let that go? Signs point to no. His grin fades out.]

But... you really did sprain your ankle on that stunt? I know you said, but... I'd started to think you couldn't get hurt.

[rassera]

Mmmm...

[It's thoughtful, how he tries to phrase it. In fact, he takes a moment to think it over as a hand rubs the back of his neck, where the lamppost had snapped in half. He can still feel that searing pain.]


A sprained ankle is different, you know? You can twist something without braking it.



I'm solid--[He knocks a hand on his chest for clarification.] Not rubber.

[iamtetsuo]

Huh.

[That's not remotely all there is to this, but it's all he's got to say to it. What happened, happened; neither of them can change any of that. It does make him wonder, especially as Kaneda's hand had wandered to his neck. He couldn't really remember how bad Kaneda was in a lot of the engagements they had. It wasn't that he hadn't seen unfamiliar scars on Kaneda, either, but Kaneda came from not far enough away in the future. It's not that he didn't know things happened to him, but ... well, who knew?


He hadn't been paying attention that closely.


Huh is right. If he'd known that back then... He could turn a screw, or a doorknob; a neck wouldn't be too hard. Wouldn't have to break it.]

Another weak point in that armor... lucky I didn't work that one out.

[He flips the coin back.]

[rassera]

[He catches it without much trouble, returning it to the safe place in his glove almost immediately. He liked to keep it close on more often than not. Tetsuo's words should worry him--after all, it's not really good reminiscing on the days when Tetsuo tried nothing but think of ways that he could kill him.

There's some weird form of nostalgia with it, though. Maybe he just appreciated how much Tetsuo had changed his view of him since then.


Maybe he knew his brother was better than that.]



So I'm only 99% perfect.


[He smirks, hand reaching up to run through his hair.]


99% and a lot of luck.

[iamtetsuo]

[If he was really thinking about acting on that, he'd never have let go of that coin. To Tetsuo, it also comes with the expectation that Kaneda's not going to lose the damn thing.]

70%. At most.

[rassera]

70%, huh.


[His head canters to the side, leaning on the shed doorframe.]


I can live with that.

[iamtetsuo]

You're gonna have to. You're never getting any higher than that.

[He reluctantly moves away from the bike, snagging Kaneda's stuff on his way to hand back to him. There's nothing more he can do while he's waiting for it to dry, anyway.

Stop paying attention to the fact that Tetsuo's willing to admit you're partly perfect, Kaneda. Shhh. That's not what you were supposed to focus on.]

[rassera]

...


Listen.


[His voice goes serious for a second, a hand running along the woodwork of the doorframe.]


Don't tell anyone, alright? My last power--it's my trump card.

[iamtetsuo]

[Tetsuo freezes mid-step. Kaneda had his whole attention at the tone shift alone. But the rest... sure, they shared a room, sure they'd shared some things, but they didn't often share secrets. Not until recently... or maybe it was just Tetsuo who didn't now.

His own voice takes on the same serious tone, a lot quieter than Kaneda's.]


I won't. That's a promise.