Fourth Snapshot | Video

[expertonshutters]

[The smiling, cheery photographer does not appear to be in right now. What the feed gets is someone who is tired, frazzled, and angry.]

I'm glad to see that it looks like everyone made it out of that mess alive. I don't- I don't really know what to make of what we saw down there, but I can say this: I'm not really fond of a bunch of Gods that would put kids through something like that. That was bullshit.

[There's a pause while he tries to get himself under control.]

I need a drink. I need ten drinks. I'm going to go get ten drinks. Someone tell me if there's a place in town that has good drinks.

Comments

[expertonshutters]

[He shakes his head with a laugh.]

You're built like an Usaring. That doesn't surprise me.

[leadingspirit]

[He frowns, trying to think of what an Usaring looks like.]

[He turns and raises his arms like a bear.]

Roar.

[expertonshutters]

[He snickers at him.]

Very threatening.

[leadingspirit]

I've got way more leg than an Usaring, though.

[He leans back on his stool and kicks a leg out for a minute. It's after his fourth beer that he finally turns to Hayato with his jaw set.]

Hayato.

[expertonshutters]

Eh, I won't argue with you there.

[He sips his water with a smile on his face until Taki says his name.]

Hm?

[leadingspirit]

[He's had just enough to drink to ignore the voice in the back of his head telling him it's none of his business, and frowns with a sigh, leaning back with his arms clasped behind his head to look at him. It's a casual enough stance, which he hopes will off-set the question.]

What is it you're not telling me?

[expertonshutters]

Hm? What do you mean?

[Which is a stupid thing to ask. He knows exactly what Taki means. Taki was a perceptive asshole and he knew that his friend had been watching and guaging literally everything he's done and said since he came to Union.]

[It was nerve wracking and frustrating how little he could keep from the guy.]

[leadingspirit]

[He gestures to the collection of empty bottles between them.]

There is absolutely no feasible way that after that much alcohol you don't feel it even a little. I feel it. The alcohol isn't weak, and your tolerance isn't that good.

[He sits forward again.]

So what's the deal?

[expertonshutters]

[He frowns, drinking some water.]

How should I know? Maybe It got better since the last time we snuck in underage at some seedy Calderan bar.

[Taki isn't going to put up with his dodging much longer, but he could still try.]

[leadingspirit]

[He isn't surprised by that answer, even knowing it's a lie. Quirking his mouth, he calls for a water and the bill, not responding to or looking at Hayato for a minute.]

[When he does, it's after he's paid for their beer, and his tone is quiet.]

Well, I hope that maybe with us being in the same city again you'll get to a point that you can trust me enough with the real reason.

[He smiles a little at him, and then slides off of his stool.]

I'm headed back.

[expertonshutters]

[The way he tenses up at that is like a coiled arbok, ready to strike. He knew that Taki knew he was lying, but having it spelled out so bluntly maybe him caught between panic and guilt.]

[He ends up crushing his glass- which startles the hell out of him.]

[Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.]

[leadingspirit]

[The sound startles Taki, and the bartender, and a number of other people, and Taki frowns, spinning back on his heel and aiming to drape an arm over his shoulders again.]

Chill out, Hayato.

[expertonshutters]

Shit. I'm sorry, I'll pay for it. I didn't-

[The contact startles him even more, as evident by the sound he makes and how quickly he ducks away from him, dragging the stool with him. His wild but vaguely apologetic look at Taki is brief, before he feels his face give way to those telltale scars.]

[He turns in panic, throwing down a handful of money on the bar for the glass before he's bolting right out of the bar, one of his hands going to his face to cover it. Taki would have neen able to make out something red during all this.]

[leadingspirit]

[He recoils immediately, hands in the air to show Hayato he wasn't gonna touch him again, and then everything happened too fast for him to quite know what to do with it. Something red flashed across Hayato's face, and then he was running out of the bar and--]

Hayato!

[Sorry bro, but Taki's running after you.]

[expertonshutters]

[This is the opposite of what he wanted out of tonight. Go figure. He's running as fast as he can, panic being the wings under his feet. It's not long before he just flat out gets lost and finds himself hitting a dead end.]

[It's that point he just stops, trying to catch his breath. He could probably jump up to one of the lower ledges of the tower he's near, but then. What good would running really do him?]

[He stays there, hands still over his face, almost like he's waiting for Taki to catch up.]

[leadingspirit]

[Hot damn this guy was fast. Taki's legs were longer, sure, but Hayato was a good bit quicker than he was. Unfortunately for Hayato, he was pretty used to giving chase, and was at the mouth of the dead end within a minute.]

[He stayed there, though, not wanting to corner him entirely.]

Jeez, what's up with you? One broken glass at a bar isn't gonna go on your record, I promise. They'll probably just call you butterfingers.

[expertonshutters]

[Hayato stands there with his back to him. There's a weak laugh.]

...I don't like it when I break stuff like that, but it happens a lot.

[leadingspirit]

[He chances a few steps toward him.]

I figure probably mostly when people overstep, which I'm pretty sure I did. It's not like it's my business what you can and cannot do.

[expertonshutters]

No. It ...just kind of happens. I've broken three door handles at home. I've broken at least twelve sets of chopsticks. I've broken a few glasses- I can't help it.

[ He still won't turn to look at him, but his hands slowly drop to his sides.]

I've been training with Thorin, but I'm still really awful at controlling my strength when I'm not actively paying attention.

[leadingspirit]

...is that what the special chopsticks were for.

[He stops a respectable distance behind him, but is standing to the side so he's visible within Hayato's peripherals.]

[expertonshutters]

Yeah.

[He takes a deep breath.]

That and a poison immunity kind of goes along with being part Steel.

[leadingspirit]

[The admission is nice. He wasn't sure of specific typing, but that's enough of a statement for Taki to get it. He sighs, reaching out and pausing before setting a hand on his shoulder.]

...don't freak out, but I sort of figured that's what was going on. I research them.

[expertonshutters]

[Of course he did. Why is he surprised? What else could his top secret shit be about? He lets out a ragged breath. To his benefit, he doesn't go nearly as tense as usual to Taki putting a hand on his shoulder.]

Of course. I don't know why that surprises me. I mean- I guess it doesn't really. That's half of why I didn't want to tell you. The other half is just because I hate people knowing what I am.]

[A moment passes, and he slowly turns his head to look at him from over his shoulder. There are red lines etched harshly into his face. They give off a faint glow in the dark alley they're in.]

[leadingspirit]

[Taki waits for him to turn to look at him, and smiles in a crooked, apologetic sort of way.]

...then I should probably apologize for figuring it out before you could tell me.

[expertonshutters]

[He can't help the huff of a laugh he gives him for that. He turns shaking his head.]

What are you going to do now? What's your job say about finding Enhanced? Are you going to take me back to Caldera?