017 ✤ audio

[akito]

[ this is what he gets for using up all of his allotted Waterbending time for the day earlier. but it was too tempting to just play for a bit, and then little kedan children joined in, and... anyway, it's really, really hard to regret it. but he does. just a little bit.

mostly because his Bending is the way he avoids violent confrontation 99% of the time - just freeze a mugger's shoes to the ground and stay out of range and voila! easy avoidance. today, however, that was not an option, and he wasn't about to use a Fang on a couple of older kedan who didn't even look like they wanted to be mugging him. they seemed so reluctant that had Akito any juulan on him to spare he would have given it to them, but they wanted his gem. the one that - according to what he's been told - houses his soul. and no. he wasn't about to give that up.

the thing about Waterbending that Akito misses the most when he doesn't have it is that it gives him a nice, pain-free, long-range method of self-defense. especially when his would-be muggers are carrying some sort of bowie knives and seem to actually know how to use them. which makes his close-combat training a bit disadvantageous, even if he shifts himself some claws.

a roundhouse kick to the scarred one's side earns him a very nice, deep slice to his calf. which is super lame. and kind of hurts. but whatever. what hurts a bit worse is the kedan's partner getting scared and lashing out unpredictably with his own blade and getting him just under the clavicle.

but hey! the violence scared the kedan off. meaning Akito gets to keep all of his stuff without injuring anyone! all for the low low price of a little pain, and ... well, okay. not a little bit of blood.

the Midnight Hotel is the closest place to go to get some help, so he heads in that direction and arrives within a few minutes. because leg pain be damned, he's going to use his A-Ts anyway.

first thing's first though - giving people the head's up on the consoles. while simultaneously asking for some help. ha ha ... ha... ]

...I think someone might have blackmailed some kedan to steal my soul gem from me. I scared them off so they didn't actually take it, but... Be careful when you go out, and try not to travel alone.

[ he sounds more confused than bothered by this. but with that aside- ]

Um, if there are any people competent in first aid in the Midnight Hotel... Ah... If they could please come to the lobby it would be appreciated!

[ he'll clean up all the blood afterwards, Anton! he promises! ): ]

Comments

[akito]

[ he takes the kit with a mumbled thanks and gets to work cutting lengths of thread with his teeth and readying the needle. he decides not to mention that he was hoping a healer would have come by now, because he knows there are competent people in the hotel. ]

Twelve hours and my healing skills come back, so I just need the bleeding to stop for now.

[ he stitches his leg up first, quickly and efficiently with minimal fuss. he can disinfect it when he gets back home (though the blood has likely managed to flush anything nasty out by now); right now the priority is closing the wound. it doesn't take him long - maybe three minutes, tops. then he moves onto his shoulder, tearing the gap in his jacket and shirt wider so he can reach through and stitch it up without taking everything off. ]

[wrathfulkhan]

Twelve hours? [Gene frowns.] I think we should get you seen to before that.

[He has to say, he's impressed with Akito's field medicine skills.]

Did you get a good look at who did this?

[akito]

I just need to disinfect everything once I get home, and drink water to help offset the blood loss. Then once my Bending is back I can heal everything good as new!

[ you learn a lot as a SWAT field weapon. First aid is first line of defense against death! ]

I did. They were shifting their faces too much for me to pin down what they would normally look like. I noticed one identifying mark on one of them, so I'm going to Meisheng tomorrow to fill her in. She promised the assistance of the Snakes if I was attacked again.

[wrathfulkhan]

[Gene knows all about that, Akito. He just wishes you didn't.]

An identifying mark? [You can't just dangle that in front of him and expect him not to bite.] What was it? [Then, darkly:] Are you sure it wasn't on Yunxu's orders?

[akito]

[ wow, gene. Akito rolls his eye at you. ]

I'm positive it wasn't Yunxu. Meisheng would have flipped out at him if he had.

[wrathfulkhan]

[Can you blame the dude for being suspicious? Yunxu's a bastard.]

I'll look into it, [he promises.] What was the identifying mark?

[akito]

Facial scar. Cross on the cheek.

Keep an eye out but don't engage. [ making final touches on his stitches. ] I have a plan to find him that should work.

[wrathfulkhan]

[Normally, Gene would press the issue, but he also knows how intractably stubborn Akito can get about stuff like this. And on top of that, he knows Akito can handle himself in a fight, if it comes down to brass tacks.]

Okay, [he says.] If you're sure. I'll leave the wetwork to you.

[Nasty word, 'wetwork', but he thinks it's what Akito is referring to.]

[akito]

[ jesus christ gene who the fuck do you think you're talking to. this is the kid who purposefully let himself be stabbed rather than hurt the ones attacking him. ]

Wetwork? What kind of person do you think I am? That's disgusting.

[ good job, gene. so far you are the only one who has managed to piss akito off so effectively more than once.

you can have your sewing kit back now. ]

Thanks for the needle and thread. I'm done with it now, so you can go back to whatever you were doing.

[wrathfulkhan]

[The kind of person who rips out throats with teeth, Gene doesn't say.

Call it a talent.]

I know if I was hurt like that, I'd want to pay the offender back, [Gene says, and then smiles sardonically.] You must be a better person than I am, Akito. What must you think of me?

[akito]

[ good job keeping something to yourself for once! x((((( especially because akito has zero idea and is probably much happier that way. ]

I already said they didn't seem to want to be attacking me. I want to find them to know if they're okay, since if they were blackmailed into it they might have gotten hurt for failing.

[ so yeah he definitely must be a better person than you gene. x(((((((( ]

Right now I think you're an asshole who is quick to judge everyone.

[wrathfulkhan]

[That? That just makes Gene laugh a little.]

And who's rushing to judgment? [he says, still laughing, because this is literally the stupidest thing.] The way I was raised...forget it. Forget it! [But he doesn't sound angry.] Forgive me for thinking you might want to take care of your problems the way I learned to deal with people who disrespect me. Do blame me for that, do blame me for what an awful person that environment made of me. Please. Please do. I love hearing about what a piece of trash I am.

[He's trying to play it off like a joke, but a little bitterness and pain comes out at the end.]

[akito]

I dunno, but it's sure not me. Every time you do something that makes me mad it's because you just make assumptions and it's-

[ he cuts himself off with a brusque sound of irritation. ]

Who gives a crap how you were raised? I was raised in a cage and forced to maim people for most of my life! That was 'normal' for me but I knew enough to know it was wrong - so I'm not about to do it to anyone else! Yeah, it messed me up, but I don't let it define my entire life! If you let your environment dictate who you are then that's your fault. Especially when you aren't there anymore.

So don't go around implying other people okay with murder just because you think 'wetwork' is the right answer to some scared kedan hurting you. I would rather slit my own damn throat than kill someone for something so stupid!

[ and since you aren't getting the picture and leaving him alone, and akito seems to be the only one who understands that he is not in the best frame of mind for this shit right now - what with the blood loss and overall discomfort. if gene wants to go all emo because akito is pissed gene'd assume he was down with murder, then that's his own problem.

so he gets up with the intention of leaving this stupid hotel and all the stupid jerks in it before he can say anything else he'll regret after he's had a good sleep. he can't help but hiss out one last comment before leaving, however: ]

You of all people in this place should remember that I'm that last person who would ever call someone a piece of trash.

[wrathfulkhan]

[Well, some people don't come with the shonen-protagonist morality chip pre-installed, Akito! Some people are taught that it's their birthright to have the world and everything in it, and to torture and kill to get their way because the world sure as hell ain't gonna give it to you willingly. Some people are taught that the only way to get ahead in the world is to fight and scrap and do whatever you have to do, whatever, to make sure you can live and survive long enough to thrive another day.

Akito may have been raised in a physical cage, but at least he's free of that now and can live his life with relatively few enough mental scars that he can forgive his abuser. Gene's cage had been and still is mental, and it's been broken open, but he's still cutting himself on the iron bars. Even when he tries to do good, like helping his friend when he's been injured, he only does more harm.

All I do is cause harm.]

You're not using those exact words - but that's what you're saying, clear enough, [he says, staring levelly at Akito before the other boy leaves.

It takes until Akito is gone for him to realize he might have used a word he hadn't quite meant. He'd only meant to imply torture, not murder, and he'd come downstairs trying to help, not...get into whatever the fuck that was. Clearly Akito had some shit going on under the hood, but Gene is actually genuinely upset that he'd been the unwitting target for it.]

And you're welcome for the thread, [he mutters to himself, gathering up his sewing kit. See if he ever tries to do you a favor again, Akito.]