savetheearth | [closed] it's all fun and games

Entry tags:

[closed] it's all fun and games

Who: Danny Fenton, Karl Aurion
When: 8/13, evening
Where: A block or two away from a Starbucks
What: Super-strength antics lead to the end of a poor, innocent lamp's life.

[Coffee: truly nature's miracle invention. Okay, maybe it was people who made it but point still stands that the stuff is fantastic. Tea might be good; coffee is better. Nothing beats that smooth liquid giving someone the rush they need to survive the day. Karl gives a satisfied sigh after taking a sip of his piping hot Americano. He walks down a street, paying some attention to his surroundings but mostly basking in the gloriousness of his drink. Overpriced coffee: well worth it.

The goodness of coffee only goes so far, however. Factor in human error and you have a recipe for disaster. The human error for today: a lid not popped on tightly enough. As soon as Karl brings the drink to his mouth POP comes off the lid. The hot coffee spills all over the top of Karl's shirt, pants, shoes and whatever else. Overpriced coffee: wasted.

Taken completely off guard, the cop stumbles forward without noticing the uneven pavement directly. What happens next would be comical on any cartoon show. The idiot main character trips. A balancing act is then attempted and fails. Finally, the character stumbles forward until something breaks their fall. In Karl's case, said object happens to be a light post. His hand slams against it! Success!! You know, if it weren't for that pesky little thing called super strength. The metal light post bends clear in half. Oh. Whoops.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Danny was just about to head home after a fairly uneventful patrol, but just as he's about to transform back to human in an alleyway, he hears some commotion. He postpones the transformation and speeds out into the street to see what's going on--just in time to watch Karl stumble, grab a light post, and snap it in half as he falls back.

He's about to fly over as fast as he can to help break the fall, but he hesitates as the familiar feeling of an echo washes over him.

Instead all he can do is stand in the street.]

Uh.

[Face planting into cement after the hot coffee everywhere is the horrible icing on this hellish cake. Rather than grumble about the cruel, cruel mistress that the universe is, the redhead instantly picks himself up to get a glance around the area. No one around. Thank god.

Any praising deities goes out the window at the sudden "uh" from behind. Oh shit. Had someone seen that? All the excuses ever rush into his head as Karl snaps around fast enough to possibly give himself whiplash (doesn't happen, luckily but not far off). Seeing the familiar kid standing there causes a wave of relief to flood over him.]

Oh, it's only you, Danny.

[For a moment Karl was worried! What if it was actually some kid who just saw a cop pull a move out of a superhero movie? A lot of explaining and hoping the kid buys rusted poles easily bend without hassle.]

Yeah, uh. Hi. Did you just...snap that light post in half?

[He already knew that Karl was stronger than the average human but that he broke it by complete accident like that is impressive and...kind of alarming.

Then he notices the poor guy's dripping coffee.]

Uh, do you need help with that? [He points to Karl's soaked clothes.]

No, I snapped it in half for fun.

[That’s sarcasm Danny, learn it aka please don’t be asking someone who just snapped metal in half dumb questions. Super strength, both a blessing and a curse. Tossing hot coffee all over yourself and ultimate butt monkey of the universe becomes your title. Sigh.]

I have some paper towels on the passenger side seat. Could you grab me some?

[PLEASE. The car sits right next to them, too. Coffee may not be sticky but being wet can’t be called fun. Maybe this is a sign regarding that coffee addiction. The universe is saying stop. Coffee only hurts. Just drink tea forever.]

[Danny raises an eyebrow.]

Why do you have--[he stops himself, shakes his head, and waves a hand. That's irrelevant.] Whatever, let me just--I'll go get them.

[He walks over to the car and, well, technically he could just phase his hand through, but his mind automatically thinks "open car door", rather than "phase hand through car door", so he grasps onto the handle of the passenger seat door and yanks.

Instead of pulling the door open gently and normally, Danny ends up ripping it right off the car. He staggers back in surprise, holding the door as though it's weightless in one hand, glancing between it and Karl.]

Um.

[Wallowing in coffee misery suddenly takes a backseat upon witnessing something that Karl's brain fails to comprehend for several solid moments. He looks up just in time to see his poor car be tragically wounded by a teenager. No, not breaking the handle or scratching the paint or whatever. Breaking the door clean off.

The expression on Karl's face is priceless, if indescribable. Best way to describe it would be a cross between a goat attempting to chew a really hard can and preteen walking in on their parents doing it Kama Sutra style. His mouth TRIES to form words but all that comes out a continuous mumble of 'uhh'. Quite a dilemma comes at this moment: focus on the fact Danny got super strength powerful enough to rip off a car door or focus on the fact that Danny ripped off HIS car door.]

Edited 2014-09-15 05:51 (UTC)

[His brain kickstarts again after a few moments. Sure, he just ripped a car door clean off, but more importantly, he ripped KARL'S car door clean off.]

H-hang on, I can fix this--

[Danny tries to replace the car door in its original position, but ends up denting half the car body instead when he can't get it to fit.]

Oooh my god, okay, okay, the windshield's cracked, but I bet I can--

[Danny tries to somehow smooth out the crack, like waving his hand over it will fix it. Unfortunately, in his case, he has the exact opposite effect, the windshield shattering into thousands of tiny, almost dust-like pieces that shower the front seats of the car.]

N-no, hang on, I swear I got this--

[He smashes the car door into place, and this time it holds (even if it is lopsided and half the car seems scrunched now), but in the process, the hood pops up. Danny runs around to the front of the car and grabs the hood and tries to bring it down as gently as he can...

...and the force of it causes the front of the car to compress into wrinkled, smoking wreckage. The car tips forward, the front bumper hitting the asphalt and the back tires coming up before settling back down on the ground with a mighty thud.]

I-I don't--I'm just--oh god...

[With every damage, Karl dies a little inside. His face goes through all the stages of grief in around 30 seconds. Denial that the door broke off, anger at how Danny dented the car, bargaining that he stops with the windshield, depression at the likely irreparable damage and acceptance that he'll have to buy a new car: all caused by one small request. Moral of story: don't ask people for help when they have superpowers. Sigh. That poor car did not deserve this fate.

It's only when the car hits the ground that Karl speaks up. His once stern, harsh voice has become only a mere shell of its former glorious self. It's weak, shaky and as almost pained. Hey, on the brightside, he doesn't sound mad??]

Danny. Stop. Please.

[PLEASE. LET THE CAR DIE IN PEACE AND NOT PIECES.]

[The request spurs Danny out of his destructive panic. He immediately steps back and stands up perfectly straight, arms held up in surrender as he surveys his damage.

A moment later, the car makes a horrific rumbling noise and begins spewing smoke from under the hood.]

[The poor car has driven its last mile. RIP Karl's car. Okay, breathe. Danny is more freaked than you. It was an accident. Don't yell. Don't be mad. ...By really, why him? Whhhyyy? Karl sighs and runs a hand through his hair.]

I take it you hadn't realized you were capable of that?

[That being the evil act of violence carried out against a poor helpless vehicle and an innocent back account. One day, somehow, Danny will pay in a painless way. ...Maybe sharing the idea with Jack of a bring your parent to school day couldn't hurt.]

[Danny shakes his head silently. Finally, his words catch up to him.]

I am so sorry.

[He wants to say something else but he can't think of anything to add on to that. Apparently, his words didn't catch up to him that much.]

[Karl gives another sigh while shaking his head. The apology is a kind gesture, but it doesn't bring back the poor car to life. Still nice to hear, though.]

No. It...It's fine, Danny. I don't blame you for this.

[Super strength and its hindrances are something Karl is more than well acquainted with. Much as he'd like to pin the blame on someone, blaming Danny would be uncalled for. ...You know what, teenagers. Some teenagers did this. How? Who knows, it's teenagers. That's the story he's giving the towing guy and the insurance company. If all else fails, blame teenagers. It isn't entirely a lie, either.]

[He's so glad that Karl isn't angry. Not that it does much to alleviate how terrible he feels for totalling the guy's car without breaking even a slight sweat.

Oh god. Just thinking of how he managed that glues him to the floor even more--a truly impressive feat when he can float into the sky whenever he wants.]

...I'm. I.

I don't know what to do. I'm scared to touch anything now, or else I might break it too.

[Now this is an issue Karl knows much about. See: broken light post a foot away. From the looks of it, this is Danny's first day with it. Oh the poor pens and pencils that will not live to adulthood.]

Focus intensely when you touch something. Doing so and testing out what level of strength leads to destruction and what doesn't will ensure you gain control of it more quickly. [a beat] Pencils make for a good practice tool.

[And for the love of god don't try pens. They are the devil. An evil, ink-filled devil.]

I--I want to--I don't want to be like this any more.

[What he means to say is "I want to transform back," but he isn't comfortable saying that aloud in public. Some people have theorized that Cure Phantom transforms into someone a lot more normal-looking when he's not heroing, but he certainly doesn't want to confirm what is right now just a kooky theory. Still, he tries dropping hints in his voice that that's what he means.]

Is there--where can I--?

[Danny'll have to deal with it one day, but even Karl has to admit the kid deserves a break after today. A look around still reveals that the vicinity is free of watchful eyes. A closer listen confirms that. Okay, now question of where Danny can do what he needs to. ...Well, only the front of his car is destroyed. Back remains in tact. Mostly.]

Backseat of my car. No one's nearby.

[Not to mention, it is pretty dark already. Even if someone were to walk by at this hour, their visibility would be obscured.]

[Danny looks over at the poor car hesitantly. He's afraid of wrecking it further, but then he realizes there's no damage he could possibly do to it now that he hasn't already done. The thing's already doomed. So he nods and gingerly walks over to the car. With two fingers, he gingerly grasps the handle of the backseat of the car and tries to pull it with as little force as possible.

Nope. The whole door gets ripped off. Danny yelps, but then holds onto it as he crawls into the backseat, trying to gently put it back into place for some more privacy. And then, as he shifts his position in the backseat, he dents the roof of the car and accidentally shoves an elbow through the back windshield.]

S-sorry!

[After the apology, Danny curls up into a ball--partially to avoid causing more damage, and partially to keep out of sight.

One brief flash of light later, Danny Fenton comes tumbling out of the backseat through the broken back door. He has nothing to say, just let out a huge breath of air he didn't realize he was holding.]

[There's a visible cringe at the further abuse to the car. Just let it rest in peace. Please. After the flash, Karl pulls out his phone and starts looking for a towing service. He glances up once Danny is out of the scrap metal formerly called a car.]

Are you all right?

[Meant to be more regarding his mental status rather than physical. It's clear the kid is fine physically. Too fine when compared to the car. Okay, yeah, Karl is happy Danny's not bleeding or anything, but why couldn't he have left some of the physical health with the car?? ]

[Danny pulls himself up to his feet from the dented wreckage of the car door and dusts himself off. Then he looks over to the car and winces.]

Yeah, I'm okay.

...Sorry about your car, though.

So am I.

[Just letting out another sigh before going back to the towing search. Acceptance of the car's death has come. It's all good. Expensive, but good.]

But buying a new car is easy enough and I have the funds for it.

[It's lucky he had nothing to really waste money on for 14 years. Being alone leads to big savings. ...A good portion of which have vanished in less than half a year due to kids, his own of otherwise. Kids: make money go down the drain at the speed of light.]

...Right.

[It feels weird not to offer anything to make up for it, but what could he possibly offer? He only has enough to buy that new video game coming out next week, and even that's only because he's been saving up for a while. He doesn't have anything to offer.

Suddenly, he glances over at the half-snapped light post again.]

So you've...done this kind of thing before?

[His eyes follow Danny's toward the lamp post. Car ran into it? Car ran into it.Karl can't keep some weariness from coming through in voice at the question.]

More than I care to admit.

[So much broken furniture. And utensils. And dear god the pens. Holding a pen again while using the Cruxis Crystal took a solid month.]

Fortunately, I can choose whether or not to have the capabilities to do that.

You can--choose?

[what does THAT mean?]

[Why explain something when showing works so much better? Karl reaches down his shirt and makes a beeline toward his shoulder. After a second, that hand comes back out now holding something. He holds the hand out so Danny can see the small gem now within it. It's a lovely shade of put and is surrounded by some sort of metallic charm.]

This is a Cruxis Crystal. Wearing it gives the user a variety of abilities, super strength being among them. All I need to do to rid myself of it is to take this off.

Wait--it's just a-a crystal? You can just stop having super strength whenever you want just by not having it, and you carry it around everywhere?

Why?

It's an invaluable tool, but if something were to happen and I tried using this without being used its effects, it'd be useless.

[He plops it back into its proper place. Maybe a small flinch follows that. Sudden super hearing and eyesight always sucks the first few seconds.]

Irksome as the abilities can be, better to have them at my disposal and know how to use them than not.

Oh. Yeah, I guess so.

[He looks down at his own hand. There's nothing like a crystal in it, but, well. He did just use it to reduce a car to scrap metal in a few seconds flat.]

Maybe I should practice with the super strength too. So that I actually know what to do with it when I really need it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[closed] it's all fun and games

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject