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[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.]

[A past Kaneda might've. A past Kaneda might not have seen the signs of what felt like a power struggle. Or maybe he needed that power at the time to keep things in line--to keep people alive.

But Kaneda had learned a lot this year. Many things. One of them--the most important one--was that Tetsuo was never and COULD never be angry at him for what he'd done. He'd done alright. And that...a familial love blossomed from that seed like no other. And a certain gentleness escaped along with it.

There's a few grabs of his wrists, but nothing overly forceful as he takes the verbal beating and feeling the weight of Tetsuo on his chest. He coughs, but only from laughing too hard.]

THE WORST!!

You're the worst!!

You wanna see the worst?!

[Tetsuo's grin threatens further into full visibility, spreading across his face as Kaneda's hands grab at his wrists. He only makes sure he's leaning as hard as he can on those (too broad, dammit!) shoulders, making a point of being difficult to remove. Yeah, that's right, Kaneda. Just try to get up. Go on, amuse him.

Or admit you can't do it.]

Mirror's back that way!

[If Kaneda really wanted to, he could sit up and prove Tetsuo wrong right this second. He was second to none in who had the most muscle between them, and it would be easy to just flip the power struggle right now.

Of course, that would ruin the fun that Kaneda's having just watching his brother literally figure out what to do with this laughing mess he's become.]

Why do I need a mirror? You're right here!

Not me, idiot!!

[Kaneda's right. He had absolutely no followup or endgame planned to this. He hadn't thought he'd get this far, and it shows down to the lack of any good banter. Only one idea surfaces, and he risks looking to the side, calling his comm from the pavement to hang in the air in front of him.

He has to lift one hand off Kaneda to unlock it, thumping his hysterical brother's shoulder for emphasis first before risking this. FINE... he'll show him...]

[Kaneda doesn't exert his force--Tetsuo's not actively harming him, and he's too busy finding this rather amusing to even try. His hands grip at Tetsuo's wrist as he calls that comm to his hand, eyes trained on it before returning to Tetsuo.]

Definitely...you.

[He can't help but laugh each time Tetsuo's fist pounds into his shoulder.]

Who are you calling? Tell em I said hi! And that [Loudly.] TETSUO IS THE BIGGEST SHIT!

I'm not calling anyone!!

[Instead he's unlocking it and heading over to the camera, aiming to get as unflattering a photo of his laughing brother as possible. It takes a few tries, lending some weight to the phone theory.

Until Tetsuo spins the comm around with the tap of a finger, revealing Kaneda complete with weird expression in between fits of laughter.]

I'm showing you! This is what a big shit looks like!

[And NOW he grins fully, satisfied with himself.]

[Kaneda takes this moment to stop laughing, eyes wide and staring at his unflattering photograph like a deer in the headlights. That certainly was him, caught between laughs and presumably taking a breath (which is why his mouth's open in such a funny way, he guesses.)

...

Sure would be a shame if--

Yes, that is his hand reaching up to press the trashcan button, deleting that picture.]

Whoops!

HEY! You think I can't get that again?!

{He goes to the camera again, not bothering to spin it around in his haste to capture another "perfect" moment. THAT'S IT THIS IS A PHOTO WAR NOW]

[Oh, but Kaneda's ready for you this time, putting a hand through his hair seductively and 'posing'.]

You know, they're gonna see the position YOU'RE in too.

Wha-

[Through some minor miracle, he doesn't drop the comm in his haste to jump off of his brother.]

Idiot! What the hell?!?

[The speed that Tetsuo scrambles off him is enough to send him into another fit of laughter, turning to lay on his side to cough.]

Hahaha!!!

What, you don't want s-...sexy selfies?

[Abandoning his quest to stand up in favor of giving Kaneda a good kick to the back sounded like such a good idea... until Tetsuo actually does it. He regrets it instantly, cursing and shaking his foot a few times. Focus completely lost, his comm drops onto Kaneda, clattering down by the other boy's hand.

Probably none of this is going to have the desired effect of making Kaneda laugh any less.]

What's wrong with you?!

[The kick still hurt, definitly, but it does nothing to stop his laughter as he clutches his stomach to try and keep it all in. Tetsuo's failed attempt at hurting him only resulted in his own pain, and Kaneda isn't sure where the laughter from his reaction from the position stopped and the laughter from the kick started.

It was all just too funny.]

I'm---I'm FINE!!

[With one feeble hand, he's reaching for that comm.]

I'm FFFFFFFFFF--

[His lips sputter, tossing the comm back up to Tetsuo.]

[Tetsuo reaches up to catch it, but it's slowed in midair before his hands grab hold of it, stashing it safely in his pocket while it's still untainted by 'sexy selfies'. Shudder.]

You're not even getting words out! Stop laughing, dammit!

[Give him a minute, he's got to catch his breath. Hell, he's even pounding his fist on the pavement to try and at least call for a time out.]

I'm...I'm good.

Okay! Okay. I'm good. Your FACE though!

You - you dumbass!! You should have had the same expression!

[He has no idea how he looked, but that doesn't matter. What matters is KANEDA WHYYYY.]

I'm the one who SAID it!!

[Tetsuo, you're gonna make him burst into laughter again, and he's already trying to get back up on his knees.]

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