tushanshu_logs | 013 ✤ closed

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013 ✤ closed

Characters: Tiny Nerd #1, Prof. Big Nose, and Burnt Cinnamon Roll
Date: March 18th
Location: Metal Sector
Situation: Tiny Nerd #1 is getting his tiny nerd lessons from Prof. Big Nose and Stuff Happens and they both run into Burnt Cinnamon Roll.
Warnings/Rating: PG-13; likely to be references of an abusive childhood

--

Akito doesn't trust Callaghan - not entirely, at least. But it's enough that he visits the man every second afternoon to be tutored in the subjects he should have learned years ago (at least in his mind). Basic mathematics and physics were both a breeze to complete, and Akito has now moved on to advanced calculus and advanced physics, though his previous knowledge of physics is making it fairly easy to learn as well.

Sometimes he wonders if it's only because Callaghan is a good teacher (something he's never had before, no offense to Miss Tomita), or if he actually is the genius everyone at home claimed he was. Compared to Tony he's nothing but a moron, Akito knows. But some days, when he looks at a question and instantly just knows the answer, he feels like he lives up to the title. His brain absorbs the information like a sponge, and it doesn't take long for him to master whatever Callaghan throws at him.

Today he has a notebook filled with what he's pretty sure are correct answers to the questions he was given the other day. They'll go through them together, making sure he was doing everything correctly (because he has to show his work, which is super annoying when your brain tells you the answer is X or Y before you can even go through the steps. but it's important for trouble-shooting and so does so without complaint), then Akito will copy down another one-hundred questions to answer for the following lesson and learn a new concept if deemed ready for it.

He thinks today will be a new concept day. At least, he hopes it will be.

Akito knocks on Callaghan's door politely, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he waits for an answer. He's bundled up more than usual; shivering despite the extra layers.

"Hey! Professor Oyaji! It's really cold today, so please answer quickly!"

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Tadashi turns briefly to watch the boy run away. In another situation he might try following after to be sure the kid found himself a safe place to be, but he hadn't exactly prepared himself for... this, and considering the look on Callaghan's face? Neither had he.

With Akito quickly moving out of sight, Tadashi lets that wary posture drop and moves forward, open relief spreading over his face.

"Professor! You're here! Are you okay? How long have you been here?"

And Robert takes a single step back.

He's not even aware of doing so, eyes still locked on Tadashi, pupils dilated from stress- and then he blinks once, twice, managing to pull himself out of his shock. It may be impossible, but-

-so are a lot of other things. He exhales shakily, reaching up to run a hand through his hair, maybe giving it a bit of a grip to make sure he's not dreaming. "A- few months. I didn't..."

What he didn't, trails off in to nothing as he briefly looks around Tadashi, pressing his lips together- no Akito. Lost him. And yet- with his attention returning to Tadashi, Akito and his panic and his words pale in comparison to this.

"I'm sorry," he manages, closing his eyes for a long blink. "I...didn't expect to see you. Again."

Ever.

That step back stops Tadashi in his tracks, relief quickly swapping back to calculated concern. Wide eyes, dilated pupils, stiff posture... Maybe it shouldn't be all that surprising if he's really been here alone for that long. Never mind how that could really work (but heck, if people could come from different worlds or different dimensions, why not different times?) when it was obviously true.

Tadashi stops a few feet away from Callaghan, not bothering to try and mask the once-over he's giving the man. Now that he's really looking, he can see the differences in the man that shouldn't be there. Not since the last time he saw him anyway, which was... what, a few minutes before he woke up in this strange city on the back of a flying turtle? Clothing is largely unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but there's something in his face that seems to bear the extra time the professor's spent here, and in more ways than just a few extra lines here and there.

"No, no, it's fine! I mean, it feels like I just saw you, but if it's been that long for you-" His hands move around uselessly in front of him as if trying to articulate the big, confusing mess that is their current situation. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting to find anyone I knew. Hoping, but-... y'know. Not expecting."

It's certainly a different set of clothing- the materials are different, if nothing else, though he's tried to stick to as similar as styles as he can without sticking out like a sore thumb. It's more well-worn, if nothing else, a few patches and repairs here and there, and his hair is perhaps a bit longer and cut less evenly...

He lets that hair go, lowering his hand to rub at his face almost sheepishly. What does he even say, though? I'm glad you're not dead?

"No, I...understand. I was confused when I got here, too, and literally asking for everything at once didn't help-" A laugh, of all things, bubbles out of him, perhaps bordering on hysterical.

You're dead.

It's short-lived, though. And he elaborates- "It's been a long few months."

And more still, before he got here.

Tadashi, on the other hand, is looking exactly as he did the last time the professor saw him. In fact, depending on how good Callaghan's memory is, he might recognize that particular cardigan and blazer as the very ones Tadashi wore the night of the student showcase. Granted, Tadashi's wardrobe isn't exactly all that varied and that old green blazer has always been his default when a situation called for more than a t-shirt and sweater, so who knows.

He laughs along with Callaghan, more awkward than anything else as he tries to work through just where to go next with all of this, and in the end he settles for a vague, but necessary confirmation.

"So all of this... this is all for real? Because they told me about a giant turtle and a war and different worlds- I just." He shrugs a little helplessly. "I mean, I guess it probably sounds really awful to say this, but I'm just really glad you're here."

Edited 2015-03-19 02:39 (UTC)

If the coincidence has hit him, he doesn't show any sign. Then again, he's already so off-balance - would it matter? Tadashi laughing with him, again, just like old times...

Robert takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Right. Focus.

"Giant turtle, a war- magic and 'Bending'. Things are...very different here, from San Fransokyo. There is some mention about this being 'dreaming', but I still have a few when I sleep, so..."

He feels like he's rambling. Life, death, and dreaming he remembers. So maybe that explains Tadashi, maybe.

"I...we need to catch up, but there was a boy, he's not well, I spooked him- did you see him run by?"

Edited 2015-03-19 03:39 (UTC)

"It sure isn't like any dreaming I've ever done before..."

Definitely not, and while they're in a city, it feels about as far from San Fransokyo as they can get at the moment. He's probably wrong about that, but the rest of this can be dealt with in time. For now there's something a little more immediate to focus on.

"Ah, yeah! He crashed right into me, but he ran off when you showed up." He frowns a bit and looks around for a moment before nodding to himself and pointing down the street.

"He went down that way. I can help you look."

Because if Callaghan was the one to spook him, he might not be the best person to try and calm him down.

Edited 2015-03-19 04:13 (UTC)

Akito doesn't know how long it's been since he curled up against the alley wall. It felt like an eternity before he could even just breathe again, and for his heart to stop thrumming painfully in his chest. There's still a lingering heaviness in his ribcage that forces him to concentrate on breathing in, out, in, out. In for six, out for eleven. His whole body hurts; joints aching in a way worse than he's used to, skin tight and hypersensitive over strained muscles.

And he still feels scared. Even though he knows there's no reason for it. His body is convinced he's in danger, but at least now his mind knows otherwise at the moment. It's not a new sensation to lose control of his own body, yet it's never happened to him in this way before. He hates it. It's embarrassing and he just wants to curl up in on himself and disappear.

But he can't. And he's still shaking from fear and exhaustion, limbs twitching with the desire to move again.

Akito is safe. He keeps telling himself this. Safe safe safe. Being sick caught him off guard. Being sick is the only reason he panicked - it makes sense that if he has a fever he'd be stupid, right? Because what Kaito did to him growing up... It never really bothered him before. Sure, loud noises make him flinch, as does anything that sounds like gunfire or the cracking of a whip.

This has never happened to him before, which is what scares him the most.

He'd go more in to it, but as he'd said, there's something else on his mind. Robert nods as Tadashi confirms it, and then again at the offer; of all people he knows, if anyone could help, it would be Tadashi.

"Please." He moves forwards, half-raising a hand as though to touch Tadashi's shoulder- and then pulling it back, moving it in to his pockets with a sigh.

He can't let himself dwell on this right now. His blood pressure must be through the roof...

"I've been giving him some lessons," the professor explains as they begin to search. "He's a brilliant young man, with a bit of a troubled past, but I think there's some things I've missed or didn't put together until now."

If Tadashi can draw the implications from his voice and face, so be it, but considering Robert still isn't sure of it...he's not sure about voicing his theory. And while Akito didn't seem hesitant to share certain details of his upbringing, they still seem a bit private to him.

Tadashi just nods again. He doesn't need the gritty details just now. Sharing that will be Akito's decision, and Tadashi will gladly listen should the boy choose to share, but making sure he's alright takes precedence.

He leads them down the street quickly. Never mind that Callaghan's been around much longer and likely knows the area very well. Tadashi has a certain amount of experience in finding runaway kids. There's no GPS to help him this time, but he's been at this long enough to have a feel for things. It helps that Akito didn't actually go all that far.

After quick searches down a few alleys and offshoots, he spots a huddled lump a ways down one and stops, lingering at the mouth of the alley and waving Callaghan over before calling out gently.

"... Hey, there. It's Akito, isn't it?"

He can hear the young man approach before he speaks, even through the near-deafening pounding of his heartbeat. Akito doesn't flinch - a fact that he's minutely proud of himself for - but he does bury himself even further into his jacket. Make himself smaller; less noticeable. An unconscious habit he picked up over the years. People don't notice you if you're small and unobtrusive.

...But Akito is calm enough now to realize he could use some help, even if he wishes he didn't, and so he peeks out over his knees and nods. With a shaky wave of a hand he clears the path between them of the slick ice he left there as a defense, moving it to freeze in haphazard fractals up the wall beside him instead.

"I... I dunno why I'm scared," he admits, voice soft and tired, but the alleyway's acoustics are enough that he can be heard. "It's not like... 'yaji wouldn't lock me up, even if he had a cage. And he doesn't have a gun or a whip or anything."

It's clear enough by the way he stumbles over his words that he's exhausted and sick. Normally he would keep any hints of what happened to him as a child to himself after what happened with Gene, but the fever's loosened his tongue and he either doesn't notice or doesn't care. Maybe a mix of both.

When waved over, Callaghan is quick to follow, though he does linger behind. Rather, just to the side- Akito curled up in himself surrounded by ice tugs at something within, but he reminds himself that he had not helped things by chasing him.

He'd scared him.

Akito's scared him, in return, with his reactions, but Callaghan can't help but think, now that he's calmer, that he should have known better. But when Akito's voice echoes to him, mentioning things like cages and whips-

His fists tighten and he turns away from Tadashi. With his jaw clenching and the entirety of his body language suggesting anger, it's not hard to tell he's upset by this additional, confirming information.

God help the people responsible for this. He hates to rely on Tadashi for help, here, especially with him so disorientated by arrival, but Robert's going to need a moment or two to calm himself before daring to try again.

So the ice thing is... interesting. Definitely unexpected. Some of the magic that Callaghan mentioned? Maybe, but even the (frankly) incredible idea of elemental manipulation is quickly wiped from his mind at those mumbled mentions of cages, whips, and guns-?!

While Callaghan turns to point his anger elsewhere, and it takes a large part of Tadashi's considerable amount of self control to keep his own anger from showing on his face or in his posture. He doesn't know this boy or the basics of his situation wherever it is he comes from, but that doesn't matter. Akito is a child. No child should ever have to be afraid like this. Afraid of cages and guns and cripes, just what sort of world did this kid come from?

Tadashi allows himself a slow, steadying breath before that honest, concerned smile returns. With the ice off the ground, Tadashi chances a few steps into the alley and crouches down to get on Akito's level, trying to meet the boy's gaze with his own.

"Sometimes our bodies make decisions for us to try and keep us safe, even when our brains know it doesn't make sense." He glances back over his shoulder for a moment before focusing back on Akito again. "It's okay to be scared sometimes. Just try to remember that Professor Callaghan would never hurt you. I know because he's my teacher too."

Akito falls silent, listening to what the professor's other student has to say. He knows it's true - he's had years of experience to prove it to him, but that doesn't mean that this new... New, irrational fear doesn't frustrate him. It's embarrassing and so stupid and he can't help but press his face back into his knees to cry just a little bit, lifting a hand to the man to signal 'one minute, please' as he tries to regain his mental footing.

It takes him longer than a minute, but when he peeks out from over his legs again it's with eyes no longer dilated with fear. Just glossy with fever, and framed by flushed cheeks on pallid skin. Logically Akito knows he should be feeling cold, yet he's sweating and uncomfortably warm.

"...I don't like it," he offers up after a moment of staring at Tadashi. The fact that he's crouching to be closer to eye-level to him is both noticed and appreciated as he calms down even more, fear draining away to shame instead. "Like... Um, my body doing stuff I don't tell it to. I shouldn't..." Akito frowns, frustrated. "I can't have PTSD. It's... Stuff happened to me but... I dunno, it never bothered me before. Never bothered anyone before. Maybe they'd think it was bad at first but then they thought it was okay, like 'oh it's just how his 'niichan shows affection it's really sweet see?' and then I made friends and they..."

He rubs at his face. "They thought it was super gross too, and helped me run away, but then they all forgot about it - like it never happened? Keep moving forward and don't look back mentality or... Something. Except Papa still scared me when I saw him for a long long time but then he got kinder even though he hurt us sometimes still! And Gene got mad 'cause I still love and understand 'niipapa even if I think it was all messed up, but you can still love family if they're messed up."

A deep, strained exhalation. The fever keeps his tongue loose, and the relief he feels from just talking helps with any lingering panic. "But I haven't had a panic attack since I was like... eight, and you can't have panic attacks over stuff if you deserved it, right? Or... Or you shouldn't..."

Callaghan is fine over here. Don't mind him gripping his fists and forcing himself to count to ten...and then letting out a heavy, if shuddering, breath. Fine. Whoever's at fault here- isn't here. There's nothing to be done, except cleaning up their mess.

"You don't deserve to be sick, Akito. And you didn't deserve me getting frustrated with you, back there, if you didn't know any better than to push yourself."

Another breath.

"I'm sorry."

He remains at the mouth of the alley, not stepping in, but watching the two closely nonetheless.

Tadashi waits on Akito patiently, listening to the boy speak with an expression that grows increasingly distressed with every little revelation. Abuse, obviously. Physical and verbal, and from a brother if he's hearing right. It takes some effort to force back the genuine nausea that rises at the very thought. He looks back at Callaghan again when the professor speaks, real anger only slipping into his expression when his face is turned away from Akito.

This is not okay... but it's also not something they can fix right here and now. Not in some cold, dirty alley with a kid who's obviously burning up and exhausted. All anger is gone when he turns back to the boy, leaving only that gentle, serious concern behind.

"Families aren't always perfect. People aren't perfect, and you can still love them, but no one ever deserves to be hurt. Ever." He ducks his head a little, shrinking his much larger frame as much as he can without settling into the fetal position.

"Panic attacks don't have an age limit. Even the strongest people in the world get worried or scared or bothered by things. And that's okay."

It's a mixture of hearing Callaghan apologize, and seeing Tadashi - this person who doesn't even know him - putting himself into an obviously uncomfortable position just to try and comfort him that snaps Akito into action. He's being absolutely stupid right now. Yes, he's sick and feverish and exhausted, but Callaghan has done nothing but be kind to him even when he didn't have to be. And it's not fair. It's not fair to Callaghan. It's not fair to Tadashi, who is so clearly brand new to Keeliai. It's also not fair to himself, but that isn't something Akito even considers when making his decision.

...Okay, maybe standing up was a bad idea, because as soon as he's upright his legs decide to give him a big old fuck you and right back down on his butt he goes. Frustrated for so many reasons, Akito points at Callaghan and says as firmly as he can:

"You don't get to be sorry, because there's nothing to be sorry for! You've been like..." At a loss for words, he just uses his hands and gestures in Callaghan's direction emphatically. "If I had a real papa growing up, I would've wanted one like you."

And now it's Tadashi's turn - "And you! You're like... If Professor Oyaji didn't interact with you I'd totally say you weren't real. You don't even know me and you're helping me and you're definitely new here 'cause I would have remembered someone like you, since you're actually kinda cute and... You shouldn't be helping me! It should be the other way around!"

Akito can feel himself starting to get worked up again. Thinking about people caring about him, and him being such a mess and therefore, obviously, an inconvenience. He pauses; takes a breath. Repeats. "So, um... All I need is some help back to my apartment, and then I'll be okay. If... That's okay? Getting some help back home, I mean..."

Callaghan instinctively takes a step forwards as Akito struggles- and reflexively pulls himself back, still concerned with spooking the boy. His words do absolutely nothing to help - if anything, they make his gut twist, because he's no doubt of his ability of a parent and yet

and yet

it's a very good thing that Akito's attention moves down to Tadashi and that Tadashi can't see his face, because for a moment, it is pained. That moment passes, and Robert takes a breath of his own before taking another step forwards - slowly. At least...Akito is clearly feeling a bit better, if he's able to pull out 'Oyaji' and- cute?

Priorities. His lips tug upwards in a faint smile as he comes to a stop a few feet away. "If you want, I can carry you like before. But- Akito, this is Tadashi Hamada, one of my old students from the Institute." He makes a gesture between the two of them. "Tadashi...this is Akito. A...newer student, I suppose."

Tadashi blinks owlishly through Akito's outbursts. That 'Oyaji' definitely catches his attention, but he only has about three seconds of smile-suppressing to worry about before 'cute' becomes a thing. Not exactly what he expects to hear from sick teenagers in random alleys, but he takes it with good grace, posture loosening now that Akito is obviously in a better state of mind.

"Of course it's okay. Nice to meet you, Akito." He sticks out a hand in the boy's direction, offering to shake. "But now you've got a choice to make. You've got two piggy-back-capable guys here." He grins and laughs a little, as if he's made some kind of clever joke (spoiler: he hasn't, he's just a huge dork). "The power is yours."

... Alright, he might've been thinking about that old Captain Planet reboot he used to watch as a kid. Still a dork, though.

Akito stares at Tadashi's hand in confusion for a moment before he remembers what he's supposed to do and reaches out for it to give a tentative shake. He's quick to pull his hand back and tuck it back between his thighs to keep them warm, but he doesn't seem nervous with Tadashi's presence.

"Un. It's good to meet Hamada-san, too."

There's something about what Tadashi says that rings familiar to Akito, but he can't think of what it is. He also doesn't know what's so funny, but the grin is welcome and Akito gives a small, reflexive smile in return before looking back to Callaghan.

"Your blood pressure is too high..." Not that he can tell from so far away, but he knows the professor has a ticking time bomb in his chest and if Akito has been this stressed out by what's happened, he can't imagine what Callaghan's blood pressure must be right now. He frowns.

"If it's okay I think Hamada-san would be better since he's not so old."

Definitely feeling better, if he can not only call him 'Oyaji', but bring up his blood pressure (and how would he know?) and emphasize his age. "I can see when I'm outmatched," he drawls, half-turning away.

"You'd better take him, anyway, Tadashi, he'd probably just say something about me breaking my back if I insisted on doing it myself."

Last checkup, though, they said he was doing fine on calcium levels, but who knows. For now, he's willing to lead the way out, though no doubt Akito can guide them home as well.

The mention of high blood pressure earns Akito a raised eyebrow, but he doesn't comment on it. How Akito could even know something like that... Well, he couldn't, but it's not really Tadashi's business anyway unless the professor wants to make it so. Callaghan has always seemed to have a good handle on himself. Heck, he's usually the ones telling his students when it's time to go home and get some rest (including Tadashi on a few occasions).

"Professor Callaghan's not that old, y'know."

He stands briefly, just long enough move next to Akito and crouch down again, back to the kid and in optimal piggy-back launching position.

"All aboard, the Tadashi Train's leaving."

Akito doesn't notice either man's disregard for his comment. He's much too focused on getting back up on his feet without vertigo knocking him back on his ass, which he does manage to accomplish after a good few moments of careful movement.

"He's almost twice as old as my Papa," he huffs, though it's mostly playful. "Kaito-nii just turned thirty before I... Woke up here..." And now he frowns, because it's been so, so long since he last saw anyone from home. "So he would be thirty-two now, if time kept moving forward."

Oh no, now he's going to make himself cry if he isn't careful because he's homesick in addition to sick-sick and misses his Papa, because for all that he was abusive and horrible, there were times when he wasn't. Akito rubs at his eyes to try and make the tears go away before holding back a sniffle and carefully making his way to Tadashi's back, climbing on with practiced ease.

Piggy-backs are something he's used to. Back home in dangerous situations Buccha would scoop him up and sit him on his shoulder to keep him safe. Ikki carried him bridal-style more than a couple of times in emergencies as well. So being carried around is familiar, and comfortable, because all the memories it brings are happy.

He wraps his arms around Tadashi's neck very carefully. His build reminds him somewhat of Ikki's, if his friend had been taller and a little bit older. It's... nice. He presses his cheek against a sturdy back, able to hear a steady heartbeat thrumming in his ear. It makes him drowsy in a more pleasant way than the exhaustion from being sick, but he doesn't dare fall asleep - can't yet, because for all that he's calm and comfortable there is still a whisper of fear lingering in his bones.

"Thank you for helping me."

It's... not spoken as loudly or confidently as Akito would have hoped. Instead it sounds scratchy and weak. Exhausted. Sick. It frustrates him enough that his eyes start tearing up again and he can't help but sniff a few times.

"....Tadashi can use the spare room in my apartment if he wants to." There's no way he's not going to try and do something to help the young man in return. Since he's new here, he likely doesn't have a place to stay apart from the hotel, so maybe he would like a room at least for the night. "Since Oyaji's space is small and I threw up all over it anyway. And Professor 'yaji can stay explain everything to you while I go to sleep."

He's about a decade younger than that, thank you, Akito. But Callaghan isn't making the correction, short of a little 'hmh' of what could be amusement. If Akito wants to continue thinking of him as an old man...

...well, he's just a kid. And, at the moment, a bit of a sick one.

Tadashi staying with him...isn't a bad idea, but Callaghan demurs it with a simple, "We'll decide when we get there." He does have some explaining to do, and, if nothing else, some questions of his own. Staying while Akito gets rest isn't a bad thought, either, because they can make sure it's not something more serious. "There's also heading for the hotel."

"Thank you for letting me help you."

Tadashi hooks his arms beneath Akito's knees, only standing when he's sure the boy is securely in place. Callaghan's right, decisions on accommodations can be made later. As the newcomer, Tadashi's content to follow whatever directions he's given. He offers up little bits of conversation here and there as they travel, asking quiet questions about their surroundings or remarking on some unusual sight or another, but nothing really substantial. Callaghan did promise to catch him up, but until he's up to speed on the basics it feels like a waste to ask too many questions.

Akito's light enough and Tadashi's young enough that he's still going strong when they finally reach their destination, adjusting his grip on the younger boy a little.

"Do you live here all by yourself, Akito?"

i make no promises

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AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.. except not really

BABY

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BH6 universe Captain Planet reboot is now canon. fight me.

can't fight you over that one, nope.

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