video via numbers scratched into the asphalt of an alley; backdated to jan 8th

[earnedmystripes]

[So Kotetsu's never actually attempted physically talking into something that lacks a microphone as a possible network usage, but he's presently lacking in better options. He's not sure he can actually touch anything without breaking it right now, and would really like to avoid needing a new phone when it likely won't be possible to go out and get one for awhile. So at the risk of looking like a complete lunatic if this doesn't work, he...tries to talk at the ground where he's managed to scratch in the numbers with a piece of broken metal that was lying around the nearby dumpster. Aside from a few minor scratches and bruises, he's more or less alright, so the most notable feature of the video is perhaps that he is glowing bright blue. It's a bit sporadic, flickering on and off at unpredictable intervals, in one of which the metal makes an odd sort of crunch before falling out of his hand, bent in half.]

...So, uh.

I kinda ran into a couple Keys earlier. I'm alright, but now I need someone to come pick me up, because I can't really be seen like this. Lyall, you--had that werewolf-proof room thing in your house, right? I hate to ask, but...could I borrow it? I don't remember feeling a pulse, but all of a sudden I'm freakishly strong. [Because his echo from the farmhouse just kicked in, whoops. `_`a]

Karl, could you--cover for me? Say, I dunno, that I got sick and can't finish off my shift, or something. You ordered me to go home, maybe.

[A pause. He glances over to the two unconscious people in the alley with him.]

If--a medical or healery person could come down here too, that'd be great. This one guy was getting mugged when I showed up, he's hurt.

[A slight beat of hesitation. This next point is something he knows people might have an objection to.]

And um, I kinda. I think I broke a couple of this one Key's ribs by accident, so.

[....]

I know they're thugs and with ThunderCorp and all, but I can't just--leave him here to suffer. They're still people.

[private to Skyler, later on; text via backyard dirt]

can we talk

Comments

[VIDEO iphone or something]

[loveyoubaby]

[Oh hey this dude's seen you at work what's up bub]

I'm on patrol right now, I could always swing by. Just got a motorcycle though, not much I can do for moving more than one person.

video!

[earnedmystripes]

[Huhhhh, a new network cop, he must have missed this one's entrance. :o]

Thanks...but I really wanna make sure someone comes to take care of these guys before I leave, y'know?

[Voice]

[whiterabbit_dot_obj]

[Holy shit. Shit, he knows that glowing. He does that glowing.]

...you're a NEXT too?

[Voice]

[earnedmystripes]

[SUCH A LONG PAUSE.]

...You know what a NEXT is?

[He'd gotten the term in a pulse, and didn't understand it at the time. But the man in his memory had glowed blue, and so was he...]

[ text; dated to like the 15th HAHAHA. ha. ]

[strikeraid]

[ Skyler sees the text on the network, immediately tries not to throw up, then proceeds to ignore the hell out of it for the next week solid. Nope. Nope. This isn't happening. This isn't happening, and every single time he logs into the network afterward and sees that message hanging around, everything goes cold and he goes right back into denial, so really, it's like the message and the entire thing didn't even happen.

Except he needs the network so he has regular updates about the bad shit that could be going down, and having that one alert telling him to check his messages for the text that he doesn't want to see, ever, and knowing that it'll just stay there if he doesn't man up and try and get rid of it and its sender once and for all, it's going to haunt him forever. It's not gonna just fix itself.

So he sucks it up long enough to text back a short message. ]

don't talk to me

i think you mean MWAHAHAHA

[earnedmystripes]

[He looks at the message sent to Skyler more than a few times over the course of that week, wondering if he should send another one, if he should try a more direct channel of communication (or maybe go though Karl? the kid has to go to school...), if Skyler is even okay.

By the time the reply finally gets to him, Kotetsu's been getting a bit better at controlling his powers. It's still going to be a few days until he feels comfortable going out in public, but at least he's not constantly breaking everything he touches.

It seems like it responds to his emotions, though, and the sharp flare of relief and disappointment both makes his power spurt up and the pencil snaps in half. He takes a deep breath, waits for the blue to subside, then picks up the pointed end and writes back.]

don't do this, Skyler
please

[text]

[swissarmyjesus]

[oh my god, oh my god what the hell, it's a cop right there on the network with Keys that he's done god knows what to.]

What did you do to them? You broke his ribs?!

...video, derp, not text

[earnedmystripes]

[Okay wow, of all the things he was expecting, someone getting upset about a Key getting hurt is not at all one of them. Honestly, he'd thought he'd be hearing more along the lines of people getting upset he wanted to help the one he injured.]

First off, it was an accident, and second, he'd just finished beating the shit out of that guy [points to the much more injured guy nearby] so you'll have to excuse me for trying to protect the actual innocent here.

[ursoreckless]

I can pick you up. Just give me a location.

[earnedmystripes]

Dead District. I'm...not sure where, exactly. Somewhere around the edges, on the south side?

[A beat]

Could you take R--Surya with you?

[goldenclothes]

You've run into them as well.

Did you notice anything [ a pause as she writes ] different about them? Different from what you'd expect.

[ maybe it's only noticeable if you take a bite out of them, who knows. with all this talk of people being augmented, even beyond the echoes, anything is possible, she supposes. ]

[earnedmystripes]

Different how? You mean the cyborg thing, or...?

[text]

[healspec]

[kotetsu why are you blue. why are you glowing. did you really just CRUSH A PIECE OF STEEL IN YOUR HAND]

[okay you know what ravi is just going to ignore all that and focus on the part he can actually handle]

Where are you? I can come.

[text]

[earnedmystripes]

[all very excellent questions Kotetsu would also like the answers to...]

Dead District, south side around the fringes. Shou offered to pick me up, maybe you could go with him? Could save some time.

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

No idea how to turn the glowy shit off?

You okay? You look kinda shaken.

permavid

[earnedmystripes]

Nope...seems like the strength's a package deal with it, too, which is a pain in the ass.

M'fine, though. Just kinda wigged about this happening without a pulse.

[And kind of even more wigged out that he got a pulse after the fact of a small child that looked rather distinctly like himself as a small child saying that no one should touch him because they'll get hurt. But that's something he just needs to deal with on his own. There's no point burdening the network with it.]

video; sometime in the evening probably

[theboywiththebook]

[So, normally Henry would not respond to this. If only because he was in a similar situation today and did not want to alert the adults to it. Because wow, they did not need to know how horrible an experience that was for him and the bitties.

But one thing catches his attention.

The most important detail ever.

One that would shake the very boundaries of all of Locke city.

One that would change everything forever.]

We've got a WEREWOLF in the city?

[Nevermind your dumb old injuries, Kotetsu, this is really important stuff!

Buuut maybe he does seem a bit concerned about that. He won't ask....


okay no he has to ask.]

But, you're going to be okay, right?

video; sheet of paper probably

[earnedmystripes]

[He's still kind of jarred and unused to his powers, so Henry's comment goes unanswered for a couple hours before Kotetsu feels confident enough in his ability to hold a pencil long enough to write out his number. And then he goes straight for talking at the paper, because he definitely doesn't feel confident in being able to hold a conversation handwritten. First tho, smile for the cute child!! :'D He's not glowing anymore right now, either.]

We've got a couple by now, I think! And a couple vampires, too, as well as a zombie and some talking animals.

Iiiii'm pretty sure our horse turned into a unicorn recently, too.

[A beat.]

And yeah, m'fine.

text;

[stopinthenameofawe]

[....holy shit.]

What the hell happened? Are you ok?

permavideo;

[earnedmystripes]

Yeah, I'm fine.

[Y'know, except for the freaky blue glowing.]

And uhhh, basically a guy was getting mugged, I tried to stop it, and I kind of suddenly had superstrength. Plus the freaky blue glowing.

[Not to mention the somewhat unsettling memory that had come with accidentally injuring the Key.]

[gunhearted]

[You know he is totally useless for p much everything involved here but he does have one curiosity.

Really he should be focusing on the bigger problems, but the first thing out of his mouth is:]

You're glowing!

[Wait. Shit. Inappropriate timing.]

I-I mean! You're okay right? You're not going to end up in trouble because of this? I can't help or anything, but m-maybe I could help somebody help... maybe... I don't know...

I mean--I mean if I can help just ask! [Dear god, child, calm down.]

[earnedmystripes]

[Normally Kotetsu would be very good reassuring the kid that everything was okay, but he's already a bit unnerved and Jacuzzi's panic unsettles his calmness just enough that his power rapidly flickers on and off several times, a couple tiny cracks appearing in the ground under him, and he has to take a moment to breathe and relax before he can respond.]

I'm okay. Someone's coming to get me, it'll be fine.

[A beat. No, no, think of a way to help the kid feel useful.]

Aa, would you keep talking to me till they get here? It'll make for a good distraction from the glowing.

audio

[dragon_blossom]

You go old man. Sure broken ribs might be a little harsh but he kinda earned it, right?

[ She holds a grudge. ]

audio

[earnedmystripes]

[Welp.]

I'd, ah, rather not've hurt him that bad, but I am glad I was able to stop the whole situation from getting any worse.

voice;

[schild]

You... I mean, wow, have you gotten help yet?

[ Ryan's firefighting heart is proud of you for worrying about Blood Keys, Kotetsu.... ]

Make sure the guy's laying on whatever side isn't broken. Is the other guy gonna be okay?

permavideo;

[earnedmystripes]

[A beat. He looks guiltily at his hands for a moment, eyes off to the side as he thinks of that snippet of memory. Don't. I'm not supposed to touch anyone when I'm shining like this. I'll hurt people.]

I--...um. I don't think I should touch him, right now.

[Pause.]

But, yeah, a guy's coming to pick me up, and a friend that can heal's coming with him, so...I'm hoping they'll both be okay.

Voice. Cellphone.

[flamberge]

[There's a good bit of concern rising up after seeing this, but it dies down after seeing some 'help is on the way' replies. Guess that leaves only one thing to reply to.]

I had intended to send you on some errands, but found you pale and hunched over the bathroom trashcan. I gave permission for you to take the remainder of the day off.

[How's this for a cover story?]

vidya

[earnedmystripes]

--Yeah. Yeah, that works, thanks.

[There's a pause, before he groans.]

I don't think I can get this under control overnight. My supervisor's gonna have my ass for calling in after that whole business being gone three weeks in December...

[Audio]

[professorwolf]

Oh dear. Yes, of course you can borrow it, though I'm not sure how much good it will do you. I'm just a very angry wolf, when I change, I don't have any phenomenal strength.

[Yet.]

[Audio]

[earnedmystripes]

--Ahh, crap. Well, uh, I'll try not to touch anything, just in case? And I'll pay you back if I do break anything.

[video, iphone]

[hawaiianheir]

...Woah... shit.

Are you... are you gonna be alright, Ko'?


[He's. KIND OF WORRIED ABOUT YOU. Tell him you didn't pick a fight.]

Re: [video, iphone]

[earnedmystripes]

[Does it count as picking a fight if he had to go through the Dead District anyway due to car failure and happened to run across a mugging 8|;;;]

Yeah, I’m fine. Just a couple scratches here and there.

[AS FOR THE BLUE GLOWING... he’s got nothin’]

voice;

[metalbent]

Freakishly strong...? Uh, I don't have medical or healing stuff, but...take care, yeah?

[ She's not upset about the whole defending-himself-and-someone-else thing, since he clearly isn't going to leave random people to suffer. So. ]

voice;

[earnedmystripes]

Yeah...it comes with the freaky blue glowing, looks like. [A beat, because he just remembered you’re blind oops.]

I just crushed like an inch-thick piece of metal in my hand by accident when it spurted up just now…

[Video]

[dododo]

Is anyone coming?

[ Or he'll return the favour. ]

[Video]

[earnedmystripes]

A couple people, yeah.

[nnnnoooo you should take it easy with your brand-new heart u_u two hearts is twice as much to take care of.