PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY socks
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Post by aki li on Jul 17, 2019 14:07:15 GMT
He had never been down this street before. That wasn't a significant fact in the larger scheme of Aki's life. He hadn't been down most streets before -- it was the natural consequence of having had a dedicated chauffeur to shuffle him between his home, to his supplementary lessons, to his work, so-on-and-so-forth. That evening, however, he had received a harried call from his driver, explaining that there had been an accident along the highway, traffic was backed up, and could he please stay put at the studio for forty-five minutes or so? Only, the walk from the studio back to the dorms was exactly thirty minutes -- twenty, if he briskwalked. So, he told his driver "No, thank you. Have a nice dinner!", dropped his mother a quick message to forestall any potential conniptions; started up the GPS on Google Maps, slid a face mask on, and said goodbye to the studio staff for the evening. For the most part, his stroll had been uneventful. The crowd thinned while he dawdled along, streetlights flickering on as the office workers squirreled themselves away into the scattered streetside izakaya for the night. Into the home stretch, U.A.'s buildings loomed just ahead, the dormitories coming into view. Aki kept one eye on the glowing map on his phone's display, and another on the pavement ahead of him. Distracted, he had only noticed the figure lumbering towards him when it was lit under the glare of the streetlamp a few steps ahead; a stoutly-built young man, hunched over into an oversized hoodie, swaying down the path as if drunk. It was too late to sidestep. The man lurched into him, and Aki stumbled, almost overbalancing as he caught the man's weight, propping him upright with his shoulder. The man's hands came up, drunkenly grasping for support. His fingers caught Aki's hand, and tugged. Aki felt his glove slip, just a fraction of a millimeter. His stomach clenched. Aki loosened his grip. The man peeled free from him with an elbow to Aki's sternum. Aki fell backwards, flailing, arms batting outwards in a attempt to grab at him, but his fingers closed around air. The man darted back down the path he had come from. Clutched in his hand, the chrome protective case of Aki's phone glinted under the streetlights. "Stop!" He forced the tremors out of his voice, but Aki's yell still came out thin, echoing reedy and pitiful down the street. His legs were unsteady beneath him, knees knocking together as he clambered upright, tugging his glove back into place. His feet felt heavy. Should he give chase? Could he even catch up? |
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
N/A
quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Jul 17, 2019 20:59:06 GMT
WORD COUNT
337
| Training had gone on later than Hyousuke had hoped. A few people - not quite his friends, but on good enough terms with him to speak without hesitation - had asked him for his help with their own, and without much else better to do that day, Hyousuke had obliged. Getting in people's good graces could only help, he figured, and it wasn't like spotting for them stopped him from training in between their sets as well. He was just glad that he had a Quirk that let him keep going as long as he wanted - it seemed that everyone was going hard at it that day, for whatever reason.
He wasn't paying much attention to where he walked. He knew the route home fairly well, and at that point, getting there was more muscle memory than anything else. Gym bag slung over his shoulder and his mind running through what he could have for dinner, it wasn't until he heard a cry cut through the air that he noticed what he thought to be a familiar face. He raised his hand in greeting - but it stopped halfway up when he saw someone crash into him. That wasn't just an accidental bump. It was aggressive, something designed to distract and make the victim vulnerable.
"Fucking thief..." He growled under his breath, and before the hooded figure could get too far, Hyousuke turned on his heel and bolted at them. He counted himself fortunate that he was still in shorts, trainers, and a tank top - a school uniform wasn't exactly built to help chase down thieves. He didn't care that he'd ditched his bag behind him, his focus solely on running down the thief. Hyousuke wasn't the fastest - but with how often he was on the treadmill, he was likely faster than whoever was trying to get away. And with his Quirk, he could chase them down until his legs gave out.
"Oi! Get your ass back here!" He shouted - making no attempt to hide the anger boiling inside him.
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Post by aki li on Jul 18, 2019 17:50:04 GMT
He didn't realise who it was, at first. Aki had blinked, and someone had taken off in pursuit of the thief; all Aki saw was a flash of blonde hair as whoever it was shot away. His own baby-antelope legs stayed rooted in place -- until he heard the pursuer shouting. And, Aki realised, gut lurching, that he recognised that voice. He burst into action, peeling his feet free from whatever force had glued them to ground, sprinting after Hyousuke.
Both young men came into view: the thief barreling down the pavement, with Hyousuke in dogged pursuit -- and gaining on him fast. Aki could barely keep pace. Dead last in the pack, it took all he had to even keep them both in his sights. As Hyousuke rapidly closed the distance between them, the thief whipped his head back to look behind himself; his panicked eyes locked onto Hyousuke's face and something flashed in his gaze. He bared his teeth, a smear of off-white in the dark.
Something exploded. Two warning shots: a flash of fire bursting into being inches from Hyousuke's feet, and another shot going wild, flaring further down the pavement close to where Aki was. Even from an armspan away, he could feel the heat of it, singing the hem of his jeans.
Oh, heck.
It took every inch of the terrible, no-good sense Aki had for him not to flinch away, to not stop running. Distantly aware that he should have taken his shoes off before embarking on this grand chase -- leather platforms were never made for sprinting, his ankles would pay for it tomorrow -- he put on a burst of speed, and reached out, attempting to snag the back of Hyousuke's tank top, to yank him back and out of the line of literal fire.
"Don't," he said. In another situation, he may have pat himself on the back for keeping his voice measured and even. Now, he focused on making sure his outstretched fingers didn't shake. "Let him go. I'll get another phone. It's fine."
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Jul 20, 2019 18:02:49 GMT
WORD COUNT
266
| Caring little for his own safety - whether it was out of some single-minded desire to catch the thief or just a sheer lack of caring - Hyousuke didn't stop at the fire. He barely glanced at it. He only truly registered it when he felt the heat as he trod on it, and even then, he hardly thought about it. He just kept in mind that he'd have to remember to guard or dodge if something else was flung his way - he'd show that asshole that there was nothing he could do that would let him escape justice. Justice being 'pounded into the pavement and left for the hospital to deal with.'
He kept going - until something snagged his top. He spun around, fist raised and ready to beat the hell out of his supposed attacker, when he recognised just who it was that was holding onto him. Slowly, his fist lowered, and he listened intently to what his coffee buddy had to say to him, before turning abruptly back around and prying Aki's fingers from his clothing. "It's not just about your phone." He said - in a tone far rougher and far less refined than what had been present in the cafe.
"If we let him go now, he's going to keep doing this. He's going to take other people's stuff. He's going to keep being a nuisance. If I kick his ass now, I make him scared, and he stops. Just sit tight - I'll handle the rest." With that, Hyousuke didn't wait. He bolted off again, eyes once more focussed on the figure getting away.
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Post by aki li on Jul 21, 2019 18:21:43 GMT
If Aki were more altruistic, if he had any shred of heroism in him, if he were slightly less winded than he was -- if he hadn't had to steel himself against the instinctive urge to flinch, when Hyousuke whirled back, fist raised and face hard -- he would have reached out again for Hyousuke. Maybe, he would have launched into a clichéd spiel about concern for Hyousuke's wellbeing, as comic book boy-heroes wont to. He didn't. He let his hand drop back to his side as Hyousuke pulled away, and thought to himself, breathless and a little vindictive, fine, do what you want.
He didn't stop running after them on his jelly legs, though. He rationalised it as having a healthy concern for his phone.
Somewhere in the middle of Aki's shuffle-on-repeat internal refrain of oh my god my lungs and oh my god my ankles, Hyousuke caught up again. The thief turned. Even dead last in the pack, Aki could see his face, contorted with desperation, snarling.
He had expected an easy hit on an unsuspecting pedestrian, and had gotten a chase; had expected them to quail at his quirk, but Hyousuke had stuck to him like glue. He was past intimidation. His eyes, bloodshot, flashed again. Aki tensed; opened his mouth, yelled out a monosyllabic "Ah!" -- a warning, given too late. It might have been the thief's desperation, or sheer, unthinking panic that fuelled it. Whichever it was, the next explosion was bigger, almost uncontrolled in its intensity. The footsteps of space separating the thief from Hyousuke lit up like a firecracker, flaring bright-white with a deafening popping noise.
Half-blinded by the flash of his own explosion, the sleeves of his own hoodie charred, the thief stumbled.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Jul 22, 2019 12:09:17 GMT
WORD COUNT
266
| Hyousuke only had a split second to react. He knew those eyes, the look that he bore, the shape of his face... It'd been a while since they'd spoken properly, but there was no mistaking it. He knew that person. And he knew their Quirk. The moment Hyousuke saw him twitch, he had to make a split-second decision on what to do. Aki was behind him - he could tell that much from the sudden shout. That meant he was in danger. Sure, Hyousuke could probably find cover by diving off to the side, but where would that leave Aki? What the hell kind of hero would he be if he didn't even try to save someone he was supposed to be friends with?
"DUCK!" He shouted, darting to the side to shield Aki as much as he could. He grit his teeth, stood his ground, and threw his arms up in front of him to try and take the brunt of the explosion there - to protect his face, and Aki's entire being. He couldn't tell if he was successful or not, though. A dull pain resided in his arms - burns, no less, likely suppressed from the adrenaline rush - but he ignored them. He wasn't important. His charge was. And if he wanted Aki to stay safe, he'd have to deal with the threat at hand. Besides, he wanted to have a word with that supposedly familiar face.
"Stay back, Battery Boy!" The thief shouted, holding out his hand at the blond. "I know you can't block this! Get out of my way, or I'll burn you to a goddamn crisp!" Despite his skin being singed and his clothes burning, Hyousuke didn't stop. In fact, with that arm raised and the threat of another attack looking, Hyousuke darted forward, his guard up and his stance low to keep him a more difficult target to hit. The hooded thief tried to fire off another flare, but only seared Hyousuke's cheek in the attempt.
Slamming his fist against the other's throat hurt - more than the rush of adrenaline could handle. Hyousuke winced, gritting his teeth and grunting from the pain, but he didn't stop. His right hand grabbed for the thief's neck, while his left cracked across his jaw. The sound rang out into the air - the sharp, but muted, cry of discomfort from Hyousuke, the crash of a bare fist meeting an exposed chin, and the unrestrained shout of surprise from the thief.
"Get off me! I'm-"
"Shut up." Gone was Hyousuke's facade of calm. He didn't raise his voice much - only enough to be heard - but his tone was cold. Ruthless. Unerringly confident, yes, but perhaps masking anger that lurked beneath. "Now, you're going to drop the phone, or I'll turn this theft into a murder."
"Screw you! You don't scare me, you ain't strong enough to do a damn thing!"
"Oh? That right?" The sheer malice that oozed from Hyousuke's words was almost palpable. His face bore a stony expression, but his eyes... they were alive with something sadistic. Some primal. Something savage. His old 'friend' tried to raise his hand again - but it was met with Hyousuke driving his left against his sternum. Hard. "Guess I'll have to prove you wrong. Can't have you running off thinking I'm still weak, can I?"
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Post by aki li on Jul 23, 2019 17:42:29 GMT
Aki braced himself for a faceful of pain -- and nearly ended up with a faceful of Hyousuke's back. He hadn't expected Hyousuke to step in front him, to throw himself bodily into his path like some kind of over-eager meatshield. Was self-sacrifice a Hero course student thing? Digging his heels into the ground, Aki skidded to halt, hunching over just inches behind Hyousuke. It was enough. Small enough that he was tucked almost entirely behind Hyousuke, all he felt was a burst of warmth at ankles as the thief's quirk went off.
He blinked the glare out his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the smell -- the acrid stench of something burning. Something burnt. He could barely keep up with what was happening in front of him. He'd never seen a fight in real life. Nothing that wasn't pre-choreographed, the elegant wuxia sequences of his father's filmography. This wasn't any of that. This was brutal. Even as Hyousuke moved, darting in towards the thief, Aki could see the scarlet burns over Hyousuke's skin, the embers dimmng over his clothes.
He wanted to take a step back. It seemed like the smart thing to do. But then, he heard it: strains of the argument between Hyousuke and the thief filtering through the panic-fog of his brain. Something about what they were saying -- the way the thief talked about Hyousuke felt odd. Battery Boy?
He set that thought aside, to stew over later. What was more pressing was Hyousuke's threat; as much as he liked his phone, he'd rather not have anyone's blood on his hands over it. (Discounting the fact, a voice in his head quipped, that he already did.) Aki didn't want to think that Hyousuke would act on his threat -- but this Hyousuke was different. They'd only had tea together once, so Aki couldn't claim at all to be expert in Hyousuke's psyche. But, he hadn't reckoned him -- the person who went rambled about the virtues of sponge cakes -- capable of this. This malice; this violence. Anxiety coiled deep and cold in his stomach.
"Hyousuke-kun." He took a step forward -- not stupid close, he wasn't that much of daredevil. Just an inch, just so that the heel of his platform shoes clicked against the pavement, more resolute than he felt. He steeled himself to that sound, squaring his shoulders. "Don't."
"I think he's learnt his lesson," Aki said. He kept his voice measured. Clear and clinical. Tipping his head, he slid his gaze to the thief, and continued: "You have, I hope? He caught up. He kicked your ass. If you keep pushing, I can't stop him if he pummels you."
Please, please say yes. Please don't pummel him, he didn't say.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Jul 23, 2019 21:38:29 GMT
WORD COUNT
385
| A sharp click. Something that rang out into the air, itself tainted by the lingering smell of freshly-seared skin and fabric. It gave the two pause, and they looked towards Aki - the thief with an expression in his eyes that stood somewhere between indignant and confused, while Hyousuke seemed to have been snapped out of some kind of trance. That word - that one word, telling him not to - had his hand shake and his mind hesitate. His gaze returned to the person he was holding. He certainly could, and he had no doubt that it would be satisfying to beat him to a bloody pulp.
He could've justified it too. He knew the person, after all. He knew what they were like, and from what he'd seen, he wasn't confident they'd changed much, if at all. A thorough beating - and from someone they'd thought to be a weakling, no less - could be passed off as something to keep them in line. They'd recover, but they'd remain fearful. As it stood, while the thief was desperate, he wasn't afraid. Just angry that, of all the people he could've been beaten by, it was someone that shouldn't have even been able to get close, let alone within striking distance.
But could he go through with it? His acquaintance's words weren't the only ones ringing in his head. His old mentor's teachings, drilled into him until he could speak about them for hours on end, echoed in his mind. How he was supposed to restrain himself, rein in his anger. The vice principal's lecture was still fresh in his mind too - the threat of expulsion if he kept getting into fights, and how it was his temperament that was holding him back. Frustrated, his grip grew tighter, and his fist clenched harder. The look that he gave the thief... it seemed like it could pierce through to one's very soul.
Before an answer could be given - beyond choked stuttering - Hyousuke raised his foot, and shunted the other back with enough force to leave him stumbling and falling flat onto his back. "You have. And that means you're going to leave. NOW." Shaking - whether from fear or anger - the hooded figure hesitated, but ultimately relented. Scrambling to his feet, he ran off, calling the two crazy before he left.
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Post by aki li on Jul 24, 2019 17:15:47 GMT
"No, you," Aki mumbled under his breath, as the thief fled.
Aki's eyes trailed his retreat, until he turned the corner, and vanished out of sight. And, then, like a switch flipped, the adrenaline seeped out of Aki's system, leaving ankles numb and his fingertips cold. He slid one hand into his pocket to hide his shaking fingers. Stooping over, he fished his phone off the pavement from where it had been hastily discarded by the thief. The protective case was scuffed up from the rough handling, a hairline crack spidering out from the corner. Under the light, he could make out a greasy handprint over the screen. (Eugh.) He pressed the home button, keyed in his password. It worked. It wasn't the pristine condition he took pains to keep it in, but it was fine.
The same couldn't be said for Hyousuke. Aki looked up -- made himself look at Hyousuke, despite his urge to wince and look away. Aki knew what a mild burn looked like, had clipped his fingers with an iron the first time he tried using one. The burns over Hyousuke's arms looked almost like prosthetics, the kind special-effects makeup artists would slather over the Victim of the Day in medical dramas. Hyousuke looked horrific.
Aki's expression clouded, lips pursing into a line. It's your fault. The thought settled in his head, intrusive and unbidden; he had no arguments against it. None of this would have happened if he hadn't gotten his phone nicked. Hyousuke may not even have been hurt if Aki hadn't tried to stop Hyousuke, that first time.
The guilt was uncomfortable. He shoved it away. Filed it away behind Battery Boy, with a note that said scrutinise later, maybe never.
"Are you -- " he started, then stopped, eyes skittering away from Hyousuke's wounds to look somewhere near Hyousuke's feet instead. Then, with a sharp inhale, he rallied, dragged his gaze back up to make eye contact with Hyousuke, smile at the ready and hovering just out of range of his typical lazy smirk. "Let's never do that again, how about that?"
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Jul 25, 2019 20:14:13 GMT
WORD COUNT
263
| Hyousuke stood there, panting. Physically, he had plenty of energy to spare. He was in great pain from the burns - his adrenaline rush having started to subside - but he shouldn't have looked as exhausted as he was. Fists clenched, body shaking, and his eyes unfocussed, he was far from the smart-talking cake connoisseur that Aki had known in the cafe. Still, he stood as tall as he could, glaring as best he could at the fleeing thief until he was certain that they were gone for good. Even though they were gone, however, Hyousuke refused to turn, still facing away to hide the pain on his face.
He was tough. he'd taken beatings before, and he'd been hit with Quirks far stronger than his would ever be, even years before. But even so, there was nothing that quite matched the agony that such a burn left him dealing with. It was all he could do to keep from staggering. Suppressing the pain that ravaged his arms as he tried to keep his tone steady? Outright impossible for him. It was only through sheer luck or divine intervention that he managed to bite his tongue - literally bite it - to keep from snapping back at Aki with a sharp "I'm fine."
Instead, he paused a moment, and nodded at his proposal. "Agreed. And, if you could do me a favour as well... Forget I was here." He still refused to turn, though the quivering of his body and the struggling, wavering tone of his voice were telltale. "This isn't something I need people talking about."
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Post by aki li on Jul 26, 2019 17:40:52 GMT
"It'll be our secret," Aki said.
He had meant for it to sound like a joke, something to lighten the atmosphere, that had fallen thick and heavy between them. It rang hollow, even to him. He fidgeted. Fiddled with the phone again, locking and unlocking it, watching from the corner his eyes as the screen flickered and then dimmed. He heard the strained quality to Hyousuke's voice; could see Hyousuke shaking, even under the sparse lighting of the street. It didn't take an empath to put it together: a burn like that had to hurt.
The inside of his right wrist itched; a phantom pain. It's your fault.
He took one step towards Hyousuke, and stopped, the click of his footfall quieter, more uncertain than the false bravado of the one before. Hyousuke hadn't turned back to face him yet, even with Aki staring a hole into his back. There had to be a reason why he hadn't, and, it was one that Aki felt he could guess at -- and relate to. In the unlikely event that he ended up in the same situation, he'd have probably done the same.
It didn't feel right, though, just walking away and forgetting it all happened. The guilt niggling at the back of his mind kept his feet locked in place.
"Our secret, and maybe a doctor." He thumbed at the lock button, scratching at it absently through his glove. "If you'll let me take you to one. She'll be discreet. She's paid to not ask any inconvenient questions."
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Jul 26, 2019 22:11:02 GMT
WORD COUNT
263
| The talk of a doctor that wouldn't ask questions - it only raised further questions, but Hyousuke supposed it wouldn't do to start throwing them out. Not when he was in desperate need of someone that would see to his wounds without pressing him about where they came from. Not to mention the risk of the information getting to someone that he'd rather didn't know he'd gotten into yet another fight. It wasn't that he trusted Aki or the doctor in question - not completely, anyway - but he hadn't any other options. It was either them, or letting the damage fester.
"Let's hurry up then." He said gruffly, still trying to suppress the pain and keep it from being displayed in his tone (and failing miserably at it). "These aren't gonna heal by themselves." He just wondered what kind of excuse he was going to give to the school when they asked how he'd managed to get so injured. If he was lucky, they wouldn't press the matter, but he'd still have to come up with something to tell them when he presented himself to the classroom with both arms wrapped in bandages, and a few burns marking his torso.
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Post by aki li on Jul 27, 2019 17:38:47 GMT
“Right. I'll just make a quick call."
Having something to do stilled the last of the shaking in Aki's fingers. Making calls. He could make calls; he couldn't un-steal his phone or catch a thief or heal a burn, but talking? Talking was his forte. He pulled up his recent calls, swiped over "Black Car Gorou ☆". It took only two rings before the man picked up, a babble of panicked noise bursting from the speakers, loud enough that probably even Hyousuke could hear it from where he was standing.
"Da ge, hi!" Aki cut in, with enough plastered-on joviality to dam the tide of panic. "Are you still in the area?"
"I'm at Takaya's. What's -- "
"Ah, that ramen place you love near the studio?" That wasn't too far; a ten-minute drive, or less if he floored it. "Could you swing by with the car for a bit? You have my coordinates, don't you?"
Silence, then a murmur of assent. Aki technically wasn't supposed to know that his parents kept track of his location, but it was practically an open secret by this point.
"Ah, and could you call Dr. Tanaka on your way over? Let her know we'll be dropping by."
"... What happ-- "
"A schoolmate's coming along. I'll explain later. Don't tell mother, please?" he asked, plaintive -- and ended the call before Gorou could get a word in edgewise.
"My driver will pick us up in about five minutes," he said to Hyousuke's back. He slipped his phone into his pocket, fingers still curled tight around it. "Would you like something to drink while we wait? There's a vending machine down there. Oh, and also over there."
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Jul 28, 2019 0:56:22 GMT
WORD COUNT
273
| Hyousuke about jumped out of his skin at the sounds blaring out of Aki's phone, and on instinct, turned his head to look quizzically at him - before turning back to hide his expression as the pain in his arms flared up once more. It started to mix with a slight degree of confusion, however, as Aki's cheerful tone rang out into the air. He'd just had his phone stolen, un-stolen, watched someone get burnt, then stopped something that could have been quite bloody. Was Aki really that unshakable, unable to be moved by anything? Was he made of sterner stuff than Hyousuke? Or did he just wear the mask well?
Hyousuke supposed it was not his place to question it. Curious as he was, he didn't care to ask prying questions, especially when the person concerned was doing him a favour. As much as the wondering would plague him, not asking personal questions was the least he could do for someone that was not only getting his injuries treated, but keeping them a secret as well. He pondered the proposal of getting a drink for a moment, before nodding, but pulling out some change from his pocket. Just something he kept on hand to get something out of a vending machine on the way home, usually. He turned, facing Aki side-on, trying to hide as much of his face as he could, and letting darkness do the rest. "Something sweet, if it's alright."
He wouldn't let Aki pay for both their drinks, if that was what was being implied. Enough had been done for him already. He didn't want to owe anything else.
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Post by aki li on Jul 29, 2019 17:24:13 GMT
He was more than capable of paying for both their drinks. It wouldn't even dent his daily allowance. He wanted to, even, grasping at anything that would soothe the itch of guilt nagging at him. But, Aki fished the handful of coins out of Hyousuke's hand anyway, keeping his eyes on his own fingers as he picked the change up. Money in hand, he made his way to the vending machine nearest to them, casting a backwards glance at Hyousuke as he did so. His face was overcast by shadow; Aki couldn't make out his expression. He didn't try, turning attention back to the machine hurriedly, eyes flicking over their choices.
Something sweet. He passed his fingers over the button for milk coffee, recalling, vaguely, Hyousuke being a stickler for his coffee in their conversation at the café. Tea? It looked like the vending machine only stocked non-sweetened options. Aki dropped the coins into the slot, and jabbing at the buttons twice when they lit up. They fell into the bin with a whir and two loud clunks: Two bottles of strawberry milk. He picked them up, and walked the few steps back to Hyousuke, eyes turned pointedly away from Hyousuke's face as he reached one bottle of milk out towards him.
"I come bearing gifts. Hope you like strawberry." The pastel-bright fruit embossed into the packaging felt somehow incongruous to the subdued scene they set now, to the violence he witnessed prior. Somehow surreal. The disconnect fell over him like a blanket, let him speak with a lightness he didn't feel. "You don't have to finish it. Gorou-san's fine with people drinking in his car, as long as you don't spill."
He'd reach soon; he was almost definitely pushing the speed limit on his way over. They'd drink their strawberry milk in the car, get Hyousuke to the doctor, get them both home, and this night would end, and things would be okay.
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