bravenewworld | Third Snapshot: Video

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Third Snapshot: Video | Action

[Hello Union! Remember that weird lost Calderan who showed up in your city a few weeks ago? Looks like he has a better idea of what he's doing now. He grins big into the camera.]

Good afternoon citizens of Union!

I'd like to thank everyone who helped me get settled here in your generous city! So, if I can borrow a moment of your time, I'd like to make you all an offer.

See, I'm a photographer and thanks to taking a few odd jobs, I've finally been able to save up for a camera to get back to work. The problem is that I don't have a single picture for a portfolio here in Union. It's hard to start a business when you've got nothing to show for your ability.

That's where all of you come in!

I'm offering anyone who contacts me in the next week a free photo of some kind. It can be of anything. You, your pokemon, your food, you name it. You'll get one copy and then I'll get the negatives to add to my personal portfolio.

Not a bad deal, right? Anywho, don't be shy and come see me. If you didn't catch my name last time, it's Hayato Ichimonji. Stay classy, Union.

[And the feed ends. He can be found all over the city. He tends to move around a lot. You might be able to find him relaxing at a cafe or something, though. Come talk to him!]

[Dwarfhaus]

[For all the smiling charisma that Hayato was on the warp band, he sure knew how to look panicked. Which he kind of was.]

[This was the third time this week he'd done this. He'd gone to open a door only to completely snap off the handle. He'd been lucky and managed to get a replacement in time before Thorin or anyone else came back and saw, but this was starting to happen too many times for his comfort.]

[Anyone visiting the Oakenshield residence would find a very harried photographer with a screw driver quickly trying to re-install a doorknob on the door of the guestroom. The broken remains of the old one laying off to the side.]

[Goro was being helpful for once and holding up tools for him to use as he tried to complete his repairs.]

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[ you take a trip into the mountains for a few days and the kids start taking apart your house. well, only one of them, by the looks of it. Kiltal the growlithe sits by Hayato and nudges him with her nose. hiding his face is no way to welcome her back at all, as far as she's concerned.

Thorin on the other hand sighs and carefully sets his backpack down before approaching the young man, looking at the pieces of metal strewn about. ]

What happened here, Hayato?

[ there's no anger in his tone. he's seen far worse messes by pokemon and humans both, but he's still worried - there's no reason for Hayato to be able to do this so easily. none he can come up with, at least. unless he's bonded with someone new, or something went down he isn't aware of. ]

[He thought about maybe blaming it on one of his pokemon, but then he also kind of felt like a huge ass for entertaining the thought.]

I- ah. Broke your door handle. I'm really sorry. I'll fix it.

[When he goes out and gets another because he broke the new one, too. He pulls his hands away from his face and tries to toss him an easy grin, but he's obviously worked up.]

I can see you've been trying.

[ not going to talk about the success rate on that one. Thorin crouches down in front of Hayato, placing a hand on his shoulder, looking at him evenly. ]

And how did that happen?

[ any earthkin would have some control of their strength by that age - and last he checked Hayato wasn't earthkin. ]

[Oh. The hand on his shoulder startles him a little. He tenses up slightly before letting out a sigh.]

... I guess escaping a prison camp is a good way to find out you're an earthkin, yeah?

[ it's plain as day on Thorin's face that he doesn't believe that's the entirety of it. ]

I imagine so. A very late revelation, at that.

Yeah. Tell me about it. Steel-bug. [Like that explains everything.]

[He can see that, but he's not about to go any further unless Thorin presses.]

I've sort of gotten a handle on it but as you can see, sometimes door handles and I just don't get along. [Or utensils, pens, or scaffolding.]

[ something about this doesn't add up. of course there are people who realize belatedly what they are, but everyone who is earthkin is born that way. Hayato has been in too many dire situations in battles alone. he's used to handling delicate equipment, and now he has problems with door handles?

... something Elly said comes back to mind. if gigas experiment on their own people, then -

his grip on the young man's shoulder tightens a little. he keeps his voice even, but his eyes are intent, not leaving Hayato's. ]

What happened to you in that camp?

[ don't try to lie to me. ]

I--

[Whatever he was expecting out of this conversation- it was not this. Maybe he should have figured Thorin to be sharper than this. It really didn't take much to put two and two together.]

[He can't help the way his heart starts to hammer in his chest. It was stupid, he shouldn't be terrified of Thorin, but the idea of anyone knowing makes him sick. How could he look at anyone he used to know from home after they found out he'd been turned into a monster.]

[Somehow, despite that, lying to Major General Oakenshield was far more terrifying.]

[Thorin can see the way he looks at him in complete terror before he stammers.]

They. They didn't keep me in the camp for very long. I was moved to a facility. Guess they thought I was too much of a pest to just kill outright.

[ that instant of terror stings him. never once has Thorin wanted to scare the people he cares about. Hayato has never been afraid of him either, in fact, Thorin struggles to think of anything that had ever truly scared him. ... but whatever had been done to him clearly managed.

the former soldier takes care to keep the beginnings of anger out of his tone. voice level, gaze steady. ]

So instead they did something else.

[It wasn't Thorin so much as it was the subject, though he will admit there's something inherently intimidating about telling your worst secret to someone that used to be that high up in the Calderan military.]

[And then it shows. Red lines sear their way down his face and across his cheeks. Left over scars from his incomplete procedure. He reaches up to touch them for a moment. He tries to force a smile.]

I'm sure you've heard about the Enhanced project by now.

[ ... well he can thank his training for helping him stay composed. it's one thing for an earthkin to change with their evolution, or to even be able to change in form to a degree. this is... this is something else entirely. ]

More than heard.

[ and he recalls the destruction they wrought, but he, at least, isn't nearly as unstable as the first ones were. as good as that is, it also means that they're getting better at the procedure. that they've been practicing on enough people to improve.

matters at hand, though. he nods at Hayato, the look in his eyes softening and his grip losening again. he won't ask the details of the procedure. ]

So you have trouble controlling your strength. What else?

[The scars will fade, they always did. Usually after he calmed down. It never failed that anger and fear would bring out the worst of him.]

I escaped the facility with the help of another Enhanced. We went separate ways- that's where I've been all this time.

[He takes another deep breath and tries to will his nerves to settle.]

That's the worst of it, really. Sometimes I break things without meaning to. Sometimes I just go completely numb and I can't- I can't interact with anything without destroying it.

[He gives him a short grin.]

This is the third door handle this week, actually.

[ in the meantime the growlithe has settled against Hayato's side. she isn't sure what's wrong, but something must be, so she's trying to comfort him in any way she can think of.

Thorin lets go of his shoulder and settles down on the floor. ]

If you want a chance of learning to control this, you will need training.

[He sees you there. You're a good puppy. He would pet you, but right now he's not about to risk it. His hand hovers over her for a moment before he folds his hands into his lap instead.]

[He looks over at Thorin when he sits down.]

...Yeah. I- there's probably no getting around that.

[ at an actual look, Thorin looks a little travel-stained, as one might have expected. he's only just returned from a three day trip, after all. not that that slows him down any. ]

We'll start when you're ready.

[ yes, that means he's helping. he offers a smile. ]

And don't worry too much about doorknobs in the meantime.

[Yeah, there's no way he's asking for training right off the bat. He's still kind of frazzled over the door handles.]

Thanks. I-

[He looks around himself at all the broken bits of metal and such and sighs, ruffling his hair.]

What a mess.

Edited 2015-03-12 23:38 (UTC)

It is. But my nephews have done far worse than this.

[ he says it in good humour, getting to his feet. thinks about offering Hayato a hand to help him up, then promptly thinks better of it. ]

Come on. I'll get the door handle. Do you have anything else you need to be doing right now?

[Knowing Kili, he can kind of believe it. He chuckles a little while getting to his feet.]

Mm. [He was going to see about taking some pictures but ...that honestly might be a bad idea until he's in a better state of mind.]

Not really.

Can I trust you with cooking utensils?

[ not too fragile, those, especially the castiron pan, but it's still a question - hayato knows what he's broken recently. ]

[He hesitates for a moment before nodding with a grin.]

I think I can handle that.

Good.

[ he smiles. ]

Then I will fix this and leave dinner to you.

[Dinner, huh? Yeah, he thinks he can probably manage. It probably won't taste as good as anything the others make, but he's passable! He will make something simple! His smile becomes grateful. He still feels kind of bad that Thorin is having to clean his mess for him, but really he's just glad that having to tell him the truth wasn't as hard as it actually was.]

All right. I-

[Suddenly awkward.]

Thank you.

[ despite the young man's gratitude, Thorin can't deny the knot of anger where his insides ought to be. there is so little he can do. any hollow promise of revenge would make no matter because what is done is impossible to undo.

so he smiles and inclines his head, but then he turns to go. the words won't come, not even as simple a thing as a you're welcome. instead he just leaves his backpack where it is, leaves Kiltal to follow Hayato around as much as she likes. moving and fixing something should help him keep a hold on his temper while he tries to think of something he can do. ]

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Third Snapshot: Video | Action

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