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[Hubris. A long tradition of pride... before a very literal fall. Too occupied with poking at his phone, he does not see the ball until it smacks him.]

Itai!

[In one single well-aimed ball, Tetsuo trades emulating a bird for a rock. He just barely catches himself before he hits the ground, slowing down to a graceful halt in the last two feet. Aaagh!

No text followup?]

👆 👆 👆 👆 👆 👆 👆

💩💀 ❗️

[There it is.]

[Tetsuo, just because you're psychic and can leap off the balcony to safety doesn't mean your brother can't follow. He's the world's biggest adrenaline junkie, and it shows in the way he gets a running start and vaults over that balcony top, hand swinging from the railing and dropping him down with as little shock as possible.

He rolls, getting to his feet almost seamlessly and breaks into a run, hand and comm out as he texts with one hand.]

keep running [You're dead. You're so dead.]

[Logically, Tetsuo knows there's no way in hell he can outrun Kaneda. It's not his strength, and never was; Kaneda was the one who could clear half of a chain link fence in one jump, or kick a Clown off his bike, or run fast enough to make it hard for Tetsuo to lock onto him the first time they truly fought.

Sometimes, instinct overrides every ounce of common sense and intelligence. This isn't a fight, there's no stand to take... so he runs. There's no time to get his bike out. No time to do anything but try to book it and trust he can jump farther than Kaneda can now.

... but he can't resist continuing to escalate this for no reason.]

😛

[Tetsuo was right to accept his inevitable fate, and Kaneda couldn't blame him for at least trying to run anyway. Kaneda was fast, but he'd get a little distance before he caught up with him. And with the texting feud going on between them, it might even take a little longer. Hell, Tetsuo might even get around the block before he's overtaken by his more-athletic older brother.

His vigor escalates with the situation, and his brain focuses more on his feet carrying him than what his hand is doing.

So the next text might not come out as--]

adfddddddddddddddddddddffffffffkjjjjj

[Trust him. He's angry.]

[Tetsuo's job, now that he has learned the secret of emoji, is far easier than Kaneda's. He needs all that concentration to shoot out one foot, hitting the ground at an angle to sharply pivot to the side as he races out of the yard and into the street. He's not crossing, keeping to the sidewalk. Kaneda's text reply barely gets a glance before he's laughing wildly with the rush of fear and adrenaline, enjoying this mad rush as long as it lasts.

Texting is hard. But he instantly knows what to do, and this is easy. There is one other trick in his arsenal, one he only really grasped when figuring out base coding on that stupid pinball machine. Or, rather... ]

did your comm get its language changed to stupid

[The fine art of copy and paste.]

[That text comes through, and Kaneda's eyes harden not in sheer anger, but competition. Tetsuo was going to get it--there was no doubt about it. And sometimes, actions speak louder than words.

Much, much louder. With a megaphone.

His glove tips back other hand held out to catch that coin that often housed itself in his middle finger. Out it comes, and with a quick little flip in mid-run, he lets it fall into his palm.

Heads. Heads.

Kaneda couldn't have smiled more if Maya had just fuckin straight up kissed him. Because not long after he gets that verdict...he literally tosses that comm like a skipped rock right at Tetsuo

The joys of good luck? Your aim's always spot on.]

[It's been a while since Tetsuo had to run, really run, and he's out of practice. He can tell already, in the strain in his legs and chest completely different to when he's letting his power do the heavy lifting. But there's a newfound thrill to the sensation. He can keep going. He doesn't even hear Kaneda behind him beyond footsteps somewhere behind him. No angry yelling, no threats-

Maybe he'll get out of this scott free! Hah! Take that, Kane-

That illusion is shattered when something hard slams into his leg at just the right spot to alter his balance at just the right second. One foot gets knocked out a little too far at the impact, the other catching on his leg long enough to send him straight down to the pavement. He's lucky he's got no exposed skin; the worst he gets is a few bruises.

...

Not wasting time with looking behind him, he scrambles desperately to try to get back to his feet before karma catches up with him, his own comm clattering to the ground in his haste.]

[Too little, too late. Kaneda was faster than most military recruits, a skill that had come quite in handy when it came to getting away from the cops. And when he really put his mind to it, he could keep up with even running vehicles. So when luck rings true, and the comm hits his brother in the back of his leg, he wastes no time in keeping the pace and covering ground, using the awkward scramble of Tetsuo's feet as his last window of opportunity to take him down.

With a half dive, half scoop, he rolls onto the ground with him, shielding most of the blow with his own back before upright again with Tetsuo in a headlock, elbow right around that neck while the other ruffles those white locks.

And...that's as far as it goes. No physical harm comes, no punches thrown or smacks upside the head. Just the equivalent of roughhousing, those fingers purposely mussing up that already-hopelessly styled hair.]

WHAT'D YOU CALL ME?

C'MON! SAY IT! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

[Footsteps approach far too quickly, and the next thing he knows, Kaneda's hand roughly shoots under him, pulling him up off the pavement and halfway onto him, death grip firm enough that no amount of frantic squirming can hope to free him. On the ground like that, he can't even try to kick, doing little more than yelping in surprise as he's pulled up again.

God damn,Kaneda's gotten strong.

This reminder comes with a flash of panic that he's entirely at the mercy of his older brother. His hands scrabble desperately for ground as it sweeps away from him, angling one elbow back to try to shove into Kaneda's side, but the angle is off and he can't get any power to the blow.

The absolute worst thing in the world comes to pass. Kaneda's elbow hooks harmlessly around his neck, locking him firmly in place while not constricting anything. His other hand roughly digs into Tetsuo's head, making his unbrushed white bird's nest even worse. And everyone on the street could see this happen.

NOOOOOO!]

Rrg- LET GO!

[Hands immediately go to Kaneda's arm, trying to pry it away. He arches his back to draw his shoulders further down, trying to slide underneath that elbow and struggle his way to freedom. He can win this! He can still fight!]

Edited 2016-04-24 19:52 (UTC)

[All the while, Kaneda's laughing. The public could see this, maybe, but it was such a better alternative to the way they'd been only months ago. When a streetlamp would be the endgame, and Kaneda's head sporting a nice bruise at best and a concussion at worst.

His hand doesn't yield from that hair, ruffling until it resembles a stray tumbleweed and pulling him closer.]

C'mon, Tetsuo! I mean...I'm only shit, right? This is what you expect of me!!!

[It's choked out between laughter, his grip harder to maintain the harder he tries to keep it under control.]

[Failing getting under Kaneda's elbow, he tries to slide a hand between his head and Kaneda's hand. Kaneda's arm, solid from months of exercise, prevents him even ducking his head defensively. There's no direction to move.

Before he found his powers, he'd have been a lot angrier over this than he is now. There's few things worse than being powerless against everything in the world, without agency or the ability to stop what happens. Until he found his powers, that was his life; things like this could damage what little image he'd built up, reminding him that there was no one he was ever going to be equal to. The rage built and built, without even his outlet standing as a reminder of somehow being less.

But now? If he needed to, he could turn this on its head. He COULD do something, if he could focus enough, and twist that power dynamic to the extreme opposite. The streetlight just down the road stands testament that in this world, right now, he's not helpless. Maybe it's because there's a choice that he's not exercising it that it's not infuriating and deeply humiliating. Just a little humiliating, more irritating than anything.

There's no psychic retribution. The worst Tetsuo does is jam an elbow hopefully into his side again to distract him.]

You're worse than shit! Get off me!

[Kaneda takes the blow, and it might hurt that elbow a little more than it normally would--like Tetsuo had just slammed it right into a metal door or wall. It doesn't go without recoil though, as Kaneda's hand goes to cover the area where the damage was dealt, laughing and falling over onto the sidewalk.]

Yeah? Well, what does that make you then?

[It's hard to form coherent sentences when you're laughing, but he does feebly grab his comm again and flick it at him again, with 1/20th the power he originally did.]

A little shit!!

[He has to resist the urge to rub at his elbow. He always forgets that this stuff hurts more than he's ever expecting it will. Kaneda Shotaro, made of stone. Hell, his head was always full of rocks, at least the rest of him matches....

Stupid Kaneda.

All of that is broken the second Kaneda opens his mouth, still laughing.]

Oh yeah??

[He whirls back around to tackle his brother, either completely forgetting his earlier revelation that this would do absolutely nothing, or counting on it. Once there, all he's going to try to do is pin him. Emphasis, probably, on try - Kaneda can probably lift him up without too much trouble.]

You wanna say that again?!

[If Tetsuo was going to try and be a threat, it does the complete opposite, Kaneda laughing like a playful puppy as he bats at Tetsuo's fierce pinning. It's weird, seeing him this carefree as Tetsuo tries to yell at him. He could flip Tetsuo over right now if he wanted to get the upper hand physically, but he doesn't see the need to. It's not a show of dominance or strength.

He's literally just being a shit to his brother.]

LITTLE. SHIT!

[Takes one to know one, after all.]

[Tetsuo wasn't sure what he was expecting. Probably for Kaneda to twist and pin him down again instead, turning Tetsuo's attempt at twisting Kaneda's words around into an even more ridiculous mockery. But instead, he just swats at him ineffectively, laughing all the while. It's a miracle he gets out any words at all.

It's really hard to be angry at him like that, and it shows. His volume doesn't build, his tone doesn't grow more antagonistic, and there's a threatening twitch at the corner of his mouth before he gets hold of himself.

Nope, he's not supposed to be amused. Nope. Instead he hangs onto Kaneda, moving to sit on his chest and shifting his weight to press his hands down onto Kaneda's shoulders. This isn't a show of anything other than being mutually annoying at this point.]

That makes you the worse shit!

[That's supposed to make sense.]

[It was cloudy, almost about to rain, when Ken looked out the window this morning while waiting for Dipper. They were going to be indoors and out of the state, though, so he wasn't so worried. Now, as Ken comes back in the afternoon -- alone -- it's pouring buckets and thundering, and Ken is soaked.

Dipper never came to pick him up. His communicator was disconnected.

Ken's different from Minato. Minato shuts off completely from his emotions when he's about to get upset, but Ken feels his strongly. Right now, he's gone slightly numb from all the feelings he's experiencing right now, so he finds himself oddly clear-headed once he arrives at the house. Water drips from his bangs, trickles down his face, weighs down his clothes, puddling on the concrete below him as he stands there with the door open.

It's funny how mundane thoughts hit in moments like this. Like how he shouldn't get the floor wet; it'll damage it.]

... Kaneda-san, [he starts. He's home, right?]

Kaneda-san, can you get me a towel?

[Kaneda is home, cooking in the kitchen and attempting to read a recipe in English to to it. You'd think pancakes would be easy enough on their own--and hell, America was the land of convenience and made it come in a nice shakeable bottle, but Maya insisted he learn the hard way. He'd just been learning what to do after mixing it all up, piecing each sentence together by hunting and pecking and writing onto a notebook when he hears the door open.

Capsule's ears perk up, having been lying by his feet the entire time (storms frighten him). It isn't until Ken speaks that Capsule gets to his feet, and Kaneda's own ears metaphorically perk as well.]

I told you to wear the one with the sleeves, you know!

[But nevertheless, as if it wasn't even a question, he moves himself towards the hallway where Bull and Nick's room sat opening the closet to pull out a towel. With so many dogs, and mud now in the backyard instead of snow, it was no surprise they'd have a nice stockpile.

Unfolding it, he saunters into the living room, shaking his head and putting on that smirk he always had. The kind that knows when he's right. The one that's going to immediately let Ken know--

...

He stops when eyes cast up, catching Ken in the doorway and looking at his face. It was mostly Ken's eyes, which showed his emotions way more than he spoke them, brown hair plastered to his face and yet making no motion to move it out of the way.

Kaneda walks over, confusion dripping down his own expression more heavily than the water on Ken's face.]

Told you to take my hoodie. [He'll keep that smile though, although it's desperately trying it's hardest to stay there.]

Yeah.

[Ken's answers are automated and dull while his mind spins, trying to process what happened today. Dipper's communicator is disconnected. So is Mabel's. Their house had been empty. This happened once before the same time that Ken disappeared in October, but could they come back again like they did then?

"You have to have hope," Jaime once said, but Ken can only think about what Dipper said about Bill.

He shakes his head, and when he looks up at Kaneda, he forces a smile too.]

I forgot.

[Kaneda's hands fan out that towel, instinctively wrapping it around Ken's shoulders and ruffling it a bit to collect the water dripping off his clothes. It's silent, as he's still trying to figure out exactly what to say. He's not stupid...he knows something is wrong.

It's obvious in the hollow responses Ken's giving.]

C'mon.

[A knuckle brushes against Ken's cheek as he gives that towel one last ruffle.]

You can dry off in the kitchen. Can't have Maya throwing a fit that you trekked water in, right?

[And I can figure out what's wrong.]

[Ken's cheek is cold to the touch, telling of just how long he spent out in the rain. He's still standing but he's almost limp under Kaneda's hands as he's toweled off, and he doesn't move yet. There have been hundreds of jokes that Ken's like an old man, but right now he's like an old, overloaded machine, taking seconds to process every simple input.

Function. He has to function. Dipper wouldn't want him sad over this. He might come back.]

Mm.

[He mechanically takes off his shoes and squishes past Kaneda toward the kitchen. Koromaru was with him the entire time, too; he whines softly as he walks into the house after shaking off most of the water on him on the porch, smelling like rain and wet dog as he paws at Kaneda's leg.]

[Kaneda watches Ken go, staying behind to shut the door after Koromaru makes his way in. There's something about the way Ken's moving, the robotic way he's walking that makes it seem like he's doing it more out of muscle memory than actually paying attention. In fact, everything about Ken seems so stilted.

Something's definitely wrong.

Koromaru paws at his pant leg, and he crouches without taking his eyes off the boy, hand reaching out to pat just between the dog's ears.]

...

How long were you guys out there, huh?

[Koromaru's fur is damp and cold. They'd been out for hours -- it was still morning when Ken ran out of the house, and if the clouds weren't in the way, the sun would be low above the city right about now. It's only better than the time Ken ran around looking for a kidnapped Minato for two days straight. The dog sighs, ears folded against his head, then he nudges against Kaneda so they could follow Ken to the kitchen.

The kitchen, where Ken's toweling off his own hair after having taken off his socks and vest. They're deposited in a corner out of everyone's way, kept from puddling on the floor by being tossed into a shopping bag they kept for just in case. He's being methodical. Thorough.

His voice is calm as he says,] Dipper is gone. Mabel and their uncles, Pacifica too.

[Kaneda's quick to follow into the kitchen, observing Ken more than anything as he shrugs off the vest and takes off his socks. If Koromaru weren't setting the bar, Ken would look like a drenched dog right about not.

Kaneda doesn't move towards him, more making his way to the counter where the bowl of pancake batter is, setting it gently to the side. Those could be for Tetsuo...he had something else planned for ken, and its a good thing the frying pan was out and ready. Methodically, he gets the rice cooker out, some broth and chicken from earlier in the week, green onion, and egg.

Slowly getting it ready before Ken drops that bomb.

His hand lowers, about to crack that egg into a bowl...only just stopping a hair before the rim. His eyes aren't focused on it at all, either, staring up and out at the lamppost in the distant window, pupils contracted and his teeth grit.

Oh no.]

They've gone back before. [There's a small uneasiness in his voice, but he's masking it with as much confidence as he can.] They'll be back by tomorrow, alright? Don't worry so much.

Edited 2016-05-02 23:06 (UTC)

Mm.

[Again with the hollow answer, immediately after opening up. Ken stares down at his bare feet, watching the water continue to drip from his hair despite his (half-hearted) attempts to dry it. As he responds to Kaneda, he's trying to drill the words into his own mind, to not think any other way.]

They'll come back. I know... and he wouldn't want me sad, either.

I'll be okay.

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