[OPEN] i feel guilty

[stopbleeding]

WHO: zoro and YOU!!!
WHERE: beach, some abandoned warehouse dump whatever, possibly other places
WHEN: 9/17 - On
WHAT: zoro is like the only person who actually wants more memories back and will do pretty much anything for them + catchall
WARNINGS: i mean it's zoro so he'll probably get injured at some point



I. OCEAN MAN, TAKE ME BY THE HAND, OR MAYBE NOT SINCE YOU'RE BEACHED ON LAND

[It's late. Dark enough that the ocean becomes a menace, swallowing all light that peeks towards it. The beach is quiet, dark, the streetlights providing only droplets of light over a broad stretch of sand. Still, it's enough to line the edges of the waves and countour the silhouette of–a monster? No.

Zoro. Coughing, spluttering, choking as he pushes his way out of the waves. His movement is slow and the further he moves from the water, the reason for that becomes clear. There's not one, not two, but eight cinderblocks tied around either ankle. They leave tracks in the sand as he escapes the tide. He lies there on his side, body lurches as he continues to choke on the water that just won't come out of his lungs. Closer inspection reveals that his hands are tied behind his back.

Maybe he needs some help.]

II-A. I CAN'T THINK OF A CLEVER TITLE ABOUT WAREHOUSES

[Maybe you're just on a stroll, cruising that sidewalk like a motherfucker, dancing under spotlights like a modern day Fred Astaire. Doesn't really matter so long as you're close to a very specific abandoned warehouse in whatever city district that'd be in. Soon, that peaceful stroll is disturbed by a noise so immense, it sends a slight shockwave through the street.

There's movement from inside the warehouse. Glimpses can be caught between the pane-less windows. A junked car or two goes flying. Some collapsed debris from a nearby demolition rising and falling into and out of view. Closer inspection will reveal a short crawl hole cut into the fence next to a bright "NO TRESPASSING" sign. A well-trodden path winds up to a collapsed wall, providing just enough of a window to see just what the hell is going on.

It's Zoro, probably shirtless and working out. With... cars. And huge chunks of rubble. Hell, it looks like he's clearing half the place out himself and from how soaked in sweat he is, it looks like he's been doing this all night. He looks over his shoulder after a few minutes.]

Didn't you see the "No Trespassing" sign?

II-B. SAME AS ABOVE X2

[Same bat-place but different bat-time. While equally late at night, there's no sweaty, half-naked brutal workouts. Just Zoro, a can of spray paint, and a large metal partition of sorts. There's graffiti already on it–lazy taggers scrawling their self-important aliases. Zoro does something different.

The teenager tagger's names have been covered in words, phrases. From the simple:
"Crazy dreamer"
"Useless"
"Prideless"
"Idiot"

To the more complex:
"No matter how hard you try, you can't win."
"Losing all hope and dying are two strangely similar things."
"Humans are fragile beings."

All from disparate contexts with a single thing in common. They're discouragment. Relentless discouragement scrawled over each over in multicolored, chaotic layers. And he's still adding to it, a black bandana pulled up over his face as he writes another disheartening phrase in red paint.

The can runs out halfway through the sentence. He reaches for another.]

Comments

II-A

[imaginex]

[911 Sakura would like to report a monster on the premises

Okay but. Yikes.

She.

Um.

What is there to say really? As the seconds tick by and she doesn't find her voice, the girl's staring through the window becomes less that of an awkward teenager who's been caught redhanded, and more like a fundamental truth has been shattered underneath her feet. She honestly doesn't know what she's looking at here.

... But it's rude to stare and not say anything, which means all at once the girl straightens, shoulders locked by her neck, and she blurts out the first thing that comes to mind:]

-- I'm lost.

[Nailed it.]

[stopbleeding]

[Well.

Yeah.

Not the type of person he was expecting to see there.

Gently, he sets down the two cars he was bench-pressing, wipes the sweat off his forehead and walks over to the window.

Honestly, yeah. Getting lost seems legit.]

This late? [Isn't that dangerous?] You remember the way you got here?

[imaginex]

[She shakes her head, smile reflexive and automatic. While she could point behind her and that'd be true, the devil is in the details and that's exactly what she lost track of.]

It's okay. I'm used to it. [New city and all. They say you truly don't know a place until you get lost in its alleyways]

I, um... didn't mean to interrupt your workout.

[Is that what he's doing???]

[stopbleeding]

Was about to take a break.

[no he wasn't. she don't need to know.]

What do you mean "you're used to it"?

[imaginex]

I'm new here.

... Well, not new new, it's already been a month and a half, but this city is much bigger than where I used to live.

So sometimes I just, um... lose track of which direction I'm going?

[She is aware that's a piss poor excuse for trespassing, but it's the best she's got under pressure.]

I

[glaciers]

[Shouto's been having a hard time sleeping recently- or rather, since the beginning of this week. What's real and what isn't... is a pain. And it's really only getting worse.

But he's taking a stroll on the beach when he sees Zoro coughing out of the water--

And he's running before he can think.]

What are you doing?

[stopbleeding]

[He's choking. What does it look like?

Zoro's seriously too busy puking up water to respond.]

[glaciers]

[JFC, what did he do? How did this happen?

... Wasn't he trying not to die? Or get injured?

He kneels down and starts untying Zoro's hands.]

[stopbleeding]

[The moment Shouto gets his bonds loose enough Zoro simply rips them apart and rolls over to properly clear his lungs of fluid.

It mostly works. At least his body stop lurching so much.]

[glaciers]

[He starts with the cement blocks around Zoro's legs now. Did he just do this to himself?

... That seems impossible.]

Should you go to the hospital?

I

[blondferret]

[Derek is taking an evening walk on the beach when he sees a body washed up on shore. Derek stops and his hand naturally goes to his gun at his waist. He slowly starts to inch forward to get a better look. It is then that he realizes that to body is moving and sputtering!]

My god he's alive.

[Derek rushes over to the man and to his horror realizes that his hands are tied behind his waist and a huge amount of cinder blocks tied around his ankles. How the hell is this guy alive? When he reaches the man he takes out his pocket knife and starts cutting away at the ropes on his hands.]

Are you alright? Who did this to you?

[stopbleeding]

[once the ropes are thin enough, zoro breaks through the rest on his own. then he's batting his savior away–mostly so his clothes remain clean. he sure is puking up the rest of that water.

when his body is done lurching and his throat is clear he takes a few deep breaths and smooths back his hair.]

I did. [as if it's perfectly normal. as if anyone would. though, to be fair, he's moving his feet like there's not 8 cinder blocks attached to them too. super-strength, yo.] Thanks for the knife. Don't know why I thought that was a good idea.

[blondferret]

[Derek is wide eyed when this green haired man tells him that he did this to himself. What is this guy on?]

You...you did this to yourself? Are you insane? Has the green dye in your hair turned your brain to mush or were you always this reckless?

Geeze, stand still so I can cut the rest of these blocks off.

[Derek moves over to the mans feet and starts cutting at the ropes.]

So, idiot of the year, what's your name?

[stopbleeding]

Zoro. [And–oh. There he is at his feet. Zoro watches, kind of awkwardly.]

I can just untie them...

[Or tear them apart. But. Whatever. He'll let this guy get some satisfaction of helping him. He scratches his neck.]

And yeah. Reckless is kind of my thing.

[blondferret]

[Derek finishes cutting through the ropes and throws them to the side. He stands up from his crouching position and gives Zoro and incredulous look.]

Tying over 400 lbs to yourself and taking a swim in the ocean at night is past reckless, it's suicidal! What made you think this was a good idea? Maybe you should get your brain checked. [Derek pauses for a second be fore adding his next thought.] Maybe I should take you to the hospital.

I DO WHAT I WANT, THIS IS A WILDCARD TAG. JUST FOR YOU. 9/20

[browbeater]

[Look, honestly, Mako was always awkward. But he's never looked downright uncomfortable in crowds of people? But he definitely looks uncomfortable, and like he's having trouble focusing. Even off too the side, he looks like he might just break if someone approaches him. His hands grip the railing he's resting against, his knuckles white.

Hopefully, no one needs a cop today.

Besides that, though... it's obvious that he isn't sleeping. But by now, he's reached that paranoid stage, where he can't quite focus on anything, and this is all... way too much. He really, really should not be at work.

But he needs the money.]

I'M HONORED

[stopbleeding]

[zoro throws a crumpled burger king bag at his forehead. it hits, provided mako doesn't bat it away. if he does, zoro just picks it up again. can't litter.

he whistles because apparently throwing trash at someone isn't enough to get their attention.]

Pretty sure I just assaulted a cop. You gonna bring me in for it?

[aka hey man, what's up?]

[browbeater]

[normally, he would have just dodged it. Instead, he bats it away indeed, practically jumping, and a little delayed at that. It takes him a minute, but when he sees Zoro, he forces himself to try and relax. He can't even muster up a grin at the joke.]

Nah... Not even worth calling in backup.

[a small exhale. he... probably took that a lot more literally than he should.]

[stopbleeding]

That's just negligence. Figures you can't trust the cops in this city.

[Wherever Mako's standing is probably slightly elevated above Zoro–a walkway or something. Enjoy him craning his neck, hands on his hips.]

You busy?

ii-a

[twostringsonebow]

[oh god in heaven are you hot.

Goro had been going to investigate the racket -- he can't help himaelf, danger is a calling and... this is nice. When Zoro turns with his question, the teen can feel his face on fire and George Michael's "Careless Whisper" playing in his mind.

He has a boyfriend now?? He can't be ogling other guys?? Ah... but he'd be forgiven for this God-sent blessing, wouldn't he? Akira would understand. Look, don't touch. Look at the menu, don't order off it. Um. Oh. He needs to speak.]

I have a habit of looking for trouble. That is, I was wondering what was going on and decided to investigate.

[stopbleeding]

[akechi's real lucky zoro hasn't recognized him as that one punk that tried to steal his house yet. he just pointedly glances around at his surroundings.]

Sorry to ruin your fun, then. No trouble here.

[and that should be that but–wow.]

... You okay? [is it normal for people to get that red? a zoro approaches. and doesn't even hesitate to lay the back of his hand on akechi's forehead. it's ok, he pulls it away a minute later.] Not hot... [hm.] Get in. Got some extra water I can give you.

[which he'll just walk off to get. make yourself at home, bud. there are so many giant pieces of junk.]

[twostringsonebow]

[Well. He is kind of thirsty, and not just in the thirst way. With the grace of a very stiff gazelle, Goro goes in to make himself at home on one of the pieces of junk.

... in fairness he doesn't actually recognize zoro off the top of his head either, he wasn't the one who looked through the photo album. this is an adventure.

At least he can cool his head down while Zoro's away. Whoo. He'll be okay when the other returns, though his eyes are skirting somewhere between the ground and the rest of the warehouse.]

So, um. What are you doing in here anyway?

[stopbleeding]

[he tosses him a water bottle and re-opens his own. there's a little towel around his neck now.]

Training. Body's going through some changes.

[he's still not sure if this kid is on the app so it's not like he'll open a conversation with "I have superstrength and don't know how to control it yet".]

ii-b

[esperimental]

[ There's no plausible reason for good little boys to be out at this hour. It's fairly simple an explanation though: Ritsu wasn't being a good boy this month. Things got complicated. So did emotions, and memories. He figures the same is true for this person in the darkness, who he doesn't yet recognize as the man he'd argued with online not all that long ago.

(If you could call it that. They were both just being stubborn.)

Ritsu lowers the flu mask to take a breath from the corner he's hiding by, realizing he should really just be smart and you know, stranger danger. He may have wrecked some objects just earlier, but he wasn't eager to turn it to anything shaped like a person. But he's curious what the rest of the writing is going to be.

And if curiosity kills the cat, satisfaction will bring it back. ]

[stopbleeding]

[the spraypaint can lasts for a few more discouragements before it starts spitting and spluttering. zoro flinches back when one of the sprays threatens to backfire and promptly tosses the can back down. he reaches for a new one and–finds he's run out.

at least from the stash he kept at hand. there's a larger pile closer to ritsu that he heads towards, seemingly unknowing that the Fake Kid creeps.]