Shima Tetsuo [ 島 鉄雄 ] (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
iamtetsuo) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
maskormenacelogs2016-10-01 04:11 pm
iamtetsuo) wrote in maskormenacelogs2016-10-01 04:11 pm
Entry tags:
You Can't Avoid Life Forever
WHO: Kaneda, Tetsuo
WHERE: Nonah 05
WHEN: Today
WHAT: Kaneda's helping Tetsuo adjust to life again
WARNINGS: artificial limb stuff, nothing else
[It wasn't that he hadn't built his new arm correctly. All the information he'd gotten, coupled with the firsthand experience of Ken's mind and Hazel's graciously donated visuals, had been sufficient for him to get a picture in his head. It all worked. But it still wasn't the same as having a real arm. He hadn't figured out how to duplicate sensation. Being metal, the arm had a stronger grip than he was used to having.
And he hadn't really figured out what 'muscle memory' really meant until he wasn't working with his muscles at all anymore.
Earlier that day, he'd been finally trying something that should have been easy. No one was around. It was safe to experiment.
He'd been using largely just his powers or, worse, a fork to inelegantly eat earlier. Generally, he refused to eat with anyone else around anymore, stalking back to his room or the roof with a plate and figuring it out where there was no one to judge him.
This time, he'd gone a little too far. Tetsuo had tried to figure out how to use chopsticks using his fake arm.
Two minutes of complete frustration later, he presses too hard on them. With a resounding snap, the wood breaks, leaving Tetsuo staring at the pieces of wood in his hand in shock. He hurled them at a wall and stormed to his room, leaving everything - the plate, the remnants of the chopsticks - out in the kitchen for someone else to deal with.
That was a few days ago. Since then, he's gone back to refusing to eat around anyone, refusing anything he can't eat by hand half the time, and hasn't really left his room.
Right now, he's still lying on his bed being a mope. He'd pulled Grim onto his chest half an hour ago, or maybe it was ten minutes? He's hungry, but like hell is he going to deal with that right now. The cat's drifted halfway off into sleep by now, as far as Tetsuo can tell.
He doesn't even bother lifting a hand to pet him.]
WHERE: Nonah 05
WHEN: Today
WHAT: Kaneda's helping Tetsuo adjust to life again
WARNINGS: artificial limb stuff, nothing else
[It wasn't that he hadn't built his new arm correctly. All the information he'd gotten, coupled with the firsthand experience of Ken's mind and Hazel's graciously donated visuals, had been sufficient for him to get a picture in his head. It all worked. But it still wasn't the same as having a real arm. He hadn't figured out how to duplicate sensation. Being metal, the arm had a stronger grip than he was used to having.
And he hadn't really figured out what 'muscle memory' really meant until he wasn't working with his muscles at all anymore.
Earlier that day, he'd been finally trying something that should have been easy. No one was around. It was safe to experiment.
He'd been using largely just his powers or, worse, a fork to inelegantly eat earlier. Generally, he refused to eat with anyone else around anymore, stalking back to his room or the roof with a plate and figuring it out where there was no one to judge him.
This time, he'd gone a little too far. Tetsuo had tried to figure out how to use chopsticks using his fake arm.
Two minutes of complete frustration later, he presses too hard on them. With a resounding snap, the wood breaks, leaving Tetsuo staring at the pieces of wood in his hand in shock. He hurled them at a wall and stormed to his room, leaving everything - the plate, the remnants of the chopsticks - out in the kitchen for someone else to deal with.
That was a few days ago. Since then, he's gone back to refusing to eat around anyone, refusing anything he can't eat by hand half the time, and hasn't really left his room.
Right now, he's still lying on his bed being a mope. He'd pulled Grim onto his chest half an hour ago, or maybe it was ten minutes? He's hungry, but like hell is he going to deal with that right now. The cat's drifted halfway off into sleep by now, as far as Tetsuo can tell.
He doesn't even bother lifting a hand to pet him.]
no subject
Except it wasn't all. It's just one more thing to tack on to Kaneda's internal list of coincidences in this world.
It was even the same arm...
Tetsuo's frustrations over his newfound strength in his limb went unnoticed for a bit--Kaneda couldn't really tell when the boy was keeping more to himself the past few weeks. He couldn't blame him, really. Sometimes you just need to collect yourself after a traumatic event. You know, the things Kaneda never really got to do.
But when he came home one night from fight club and saw food on the table, broken chopsticks laid across the table like someone had literally done everything in their power to splinter them...
Suddenly it all made sense.
That was a few days ago.
Right now, he's making his way up the stairs with a two bowls of rice, speckled with furikake (something new Ken had told him while buying stuff online. He figured he'd try it) and some egg. With Dalish at his heels, he opens the door to his room, the squeaky floorboard sounding his arrival.]
Oi.
Got food. Look alive.
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[It was frustrations over everything, really. The event, his uselessness in knowing even what happened, and every next failure layered stacked over the previous ones. He looks away when Kaneda comes in, not bothering to move.
He's not even curious what it is anymore.]
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You need the social interaction.
[As he just...plops himself down on the bed across from him, holding out the bowl.]
Got something special this time.
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But he can't dare act interested. Kaneda might know something's up otherwise.]
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He knows this boy eats his food.]
Oh--almost forgot. You're gonna need something to eat with.
[He pats his shirt a moment, feigning to look for them for one quick moment before remembering that they were underneath the bowl in his other hand, sliding out a pair of nice, metal chopsticks.
They weren't anything fancy, they got the job done with a little swirly design burnt into the outer tips of them that signified which was the 'end' side. They sort of looked like clouds, if you squinted a bit. But other than that, silver and incredibly plain, but Kaneda wasn't really going for style over function with these.]
Theeeere ya go.
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He remembers just how frustrating it was to try to get his fingers to do what used to come second nature to him. He made his fingers dextrous, he was sure; they could bend just the way his other hand did. But somehow when he needed to do anything specific with them, it was so hard.
And he can't let Kaneda see how bad he is.
Even if those are badass chopsticks.
He can't hide. His eyes widen on seeing both things, face brightening for a second. But he looks away afterwards with a scowl. Stop taunting him, Kaneda, stop it.]
'mnot hungry.
no subject
[He adjusts his own sitting position, pulling out wooden chopsticks for himself to pull apart--ones he nabbed from the local chinese place. Nothing permanent or fancy.]
You know you can't lie to me.
C'mon, I put furikake in it. You've got to try this stuff.
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[Shit. Not good. That was a question. Questions indicate interest.]
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[Seasoning. That's the word he's looking for.
And not one to miss a beat, he continues on, hoping to reel Tetsuo in with his mistake of showing interest.]
It's my first time trying it too. C'mon.
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[But then Kaneda's not going to go away, and he'll see him fail.]
But I'm not eating it right now.
no subject
You're supposed to eat it hot.
[As he takes another matter-of-factly bite.]
Or did you forget?
no subject
[He says, still not eating.]
no subject
C'mon, I can hear your stomach growling from over here!
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[Kaneda can, though. That's not much exaggeration.]
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[He flicks the chopsticks up, turning them around so he's holding the tips of them towards himself, the thicker ends pointed in Tetsuo's direction.]
Trust me. It'll work.
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Yeah, sure.
[He should have maintained his 'I'm not hungry' line.]
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[Kaneda watches Tetsuo's eyes move around, giving his thoughts away more than his words ever could. It boils down to just what about this situation is bothering Tetsuo...and it's not his food. It's not him being here.
It's the two pieces of metal in his hands. Just as he thought it was.
But thankfully, Kaneda's words are his own arsenal. And while he doesn't make a habit to trick Tetsuo often, he does know how to word things to get cooperation. Call it...persuasive.]
Prove I'm wrong.
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[Tetsuo heard him just fine. His eyes snap back to the chopsticks Kaneda's holding, making it all too clear that he's following along faster than his words would hint. But he's hoping he heard the challenge wrong. He doesn't want to have to show Kaneda just how bad he is now, but the challenge is almost impossible for him to ignore or deny. He can feel it tugging at him.
And to punctuate everything, his stomach growls louder than before.
Scowling, his hand reaches out, metal clicking against metal as he awkwardly closes his hand around the utensils. He can't feel how tight his grip is. He doesn't know. And that's what usually breaks these to begin with.]
I don't have to prove it. You're just wrong.
[He says, already working on proving it.]
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[It didn't matter if Tetsuo thought he was wrong, the whole point of proving it to someone meant seeing it for themselves. And that's just the kind of ant-lion trap Kaneda wanted to put Tetsuo in.
It was for his own good, after all.]
If I'm wrong, I'll take back everything I said. And I'll tell everyone you were right.
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[And with that, he takes the bowl in his other hand, sitting up to look at it. ...and hesitates.]
I mean it, though. You're just wasting your time.
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[Kaneda waits patiently, putting his own chopsticks across his bowl while he waits.]
If it doesn't work, we'll think of something else.
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His hand assembles itself in the right configuration, but he doesn't really feel the sticks there. He brings his hand down to the bowl, trying to delicately grasp some rice. Instead, he flicks some rice onto the bed and clicks the sticks together, hard. But they don't snap.
...he turns to face away from Kaneda, hunching protectively over his bowl to make a few more attempts.]
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No bragging. No 'told you so's. Just waiting
..
Almost.]
Shit. This stuff's amazing!
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And even worse, it's with an audience.
It's really only a few attempts in when Kaneda speaks up. But that's enough to make him slam his hand down hard. Of course Kaneda can taste it already..]
Shut up!
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Hey, you know it, alright? It's up here.
[A finger taps gently at Tetsuo's brain, a warm smile spreading through his face.]
It's just like getting used to a new bike.
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[Tetsuo grumbles to both of them, glaring at his food as if it's personally taken to mocking him.
This shouldn't be difficult.]
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Just pretend, alright? It's a new bike. You've gotta feel it out. Slow...like you're driving around a parking lot.
You remember that, right? Try with that clump and take it slow.
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Then he looks back at Kaneda suspiciously.]
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[His voice loses that edge, taking up a more familiar one that is reminiscent of a time long gone, giving one more pat to the boy's shoulder before moving to play with his own chopsticks.
Turning his back slightly to Tetsuo to give him some privacy.]
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Part of him wants that to be wrong just so he can fly it in Kaneda's face. See? Told you so!
But he's not so determined to prove Kaneda wrong to engage in willing self-sabotage. More than anything, Tetsuo just wants to be able to eat this normally. They have goals that align.
Watching his grip carefully, he slowly closes his chopsticks around the biggest easily grasped clump of rice... and can stop gripping harder as he sees the clump start to bulge around the edges, instead of breaking it apart. With one quick glance back to make sure Kaneda's not overseeing him closely, he lifts his rice up, intently watching it for any signs of disobedience.
...
He doesn't leave this to chance once he's sure it's stable, leaning forward to meet his prize halfway, eyes widening as he finally gets to taste victory. Kaneda was right. That stuff is incredible!]
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His own chopsticks rest across his bowl, making sure to wait a little longer before he picks them up again.
Then...
Out of the corner of his eye, he catches it. Tetsuo managing to get a bite of rice into his mouth, and a smile forms on his own lips.]
Well?
Whatcha think? Pretty good?