Cloudy with a Chance of Teenagers [Open]

[explodosafe]

WHO: Cutter & you!
WHERE: somewhere round town
WHEN: July
WHAT: Learning to run means learning to fall. Applied to running over rooftops this can get a little awkward. Also various bingo prompts and Cutter being a worried teenager.
WARNINGS: Some cussing, possible mention of memories that include body horror, EMOTIONAL TEENS


1. Running, Falling, Fetch the Kid!


2. Don't Judge, this is my best Skirt and Tie


3. Public Fountain Fishing (you won't believe what's all in there)


4. Youth is not Youth Without Angsting on Playground Swings


Let me know if you'd like to do something else and I'll write a starter for you!

Comments

[stopbleeding]

It's nothing.

[He catches Cutter's wrist the moment it comes towards him. Gently, he tugs the tissue out of his hands and lets go. He uses it to dab the cut clean as he turns around and sits on a nearby wall. For a few minutes he's silent, wiping small streams of blood out of instinct.]

... Those memories you're thinking about–what good does it do to think about them now? "What if it comes true", "what it were to happen again"–[He catches Cutter's gaze and holds it.]–you're focusing too much on "what ifs".

The future's too uncertain to try and predict what will happen. All you can do is become stronger today to handle what life throws at you tomorrow. Think of what you can do, not what may or may not happen. The future will just make you paralyzed.

[explodosafe]

[Cutter thinks nothing of having the tissue taken from him. Instead he's just glad that it's nothing too bad, although he still worries; accidentally harming himself is one thing, but harming others Is Not Alright.

So he is just going to trot along and ...stand in front of Zoro or something ...like a clueless lost puppy that he is when you take away the dark attitude and clothes.]

I know.

[He frowns.]

But it's becoming true more and more for others. Others, that... I remember. I want to do something about what I remember, I really do, but I don't have enough puzzle pieces to figure out what'll actually work! It's so frustrating!

[He balls his fists.]

All I know is that I need some sort of long ranged attack method if I want to have a chance at not making the same mistake again. But it's like Baren said: I'm plain, and kinda boring. It won't be me who wakes up and finds out he's able to toss fire or lightning one fine day.

[He has resigned to that, even thought he still wants to prove the world wrong on how he is not special at all.]

[stopbleeding]

Why the hell are you listening to Baren?

[There are very specific people Baren's advice is good for and Cutter is not one of them. Thanks for making his job harder, best friend. Zoro sighs and leans back.]

Listen. You ever see Die Fast? [Die Fast is the new Recolle version of Die Hard.] Back when it came out in '88 it made 140 million dollars. Nowadays that'd be worth about 300. That's a lot of people paying to watch a normal cop beat up some terrorists barefoot.

People like plain. Powers are hard to relate to. People want someone to embody the idea that a boring person can become someone great. You don't need fire or lightning.

[All of these pep talks are seriously wearing him down. When did he become a therapist and when can it stop? He rubs the back of his neck and glances around them, if only for something else to look at.]

Look, I don't really know what you're talking about with most of this stuff. You want a long range attack or whatever, learn a weapon. Learn to work your surroundings to your benefit. Watch a few Jackie Chan movies.

[explodosafe]

[He shoots him an apologetic grimace of a smile, because he knows that Baren out of all people isn't exactly the one one ought to turn to for advice or encouragement. Or whose words to take very serious at all.]

He did try to cheer me up in the end, I think.

[But like so often it's the harsh words who linger with their sting. Or maybe it's just because Cutter has less bravado than he likes to pretend.

He listens to Zoro with wide eyes and a cocked head, before he suddenly chuckles and pushes his hands into the pants of his pocket. As fast as his dark spell has come Cutter is able to push it's signs away and look amused and relaxed instead. (It's just covering the wound, but it's an old ache he has long learned to work with without letting it show. And the attempt is nice and touching by itself!)]

Hehe, see? Even you're saying I'm boring~ I never said that I was going to give up or planning to be some flashy kind of hero or something like that, tho! Though fighting off a couple of really bad guys barefoot and getting hailed for it sounds nice! I'd like to do that some day!

[Cracking a smile he laughs, flashing Zoro a cheeky grin. Just having him try to help him gives his spirits a big boost.]

Thanks, though! I get what you're trying to do and it's much appreciated! Trying to cheer me up shows that you're a good guy! I'm pretty good with knives, maybe I can try and turn that into some tossing trick.

[stopbleeding]

I'm not teaching you knifework.

[Zoro can see the facade go up. Figures he'd fail at this sort of thing. What did he expect? He had long since given up mulling over the past and thinking about anything other than moving forward. Even his relationship with his memories was a different beast entirely and certainly not one he'd ever share with this kid.]

Man... You picked a bad person to talk about this stuff with. I can't relate to much of it. Not sure how that makes me some good guy either. [It's more of an obligation, right? How else is he supposed to handle a kid breaking down in front of him. Sighing, he stands up and rubs at his neck.]

Listen. Just get some rest for now. I'll keep my promise. We'll start training when you're well enough to take the risks. [Which shouldn't be long, he figures. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he glances at the time.] I gotta get going. Try not to fall off anything for the next few days.

[A short wave and then he starts to walk away. He's nearly out of earshot when he stops and looks back.]

Hey. That boring stuff... I started off there too. [Maybe he's still there. He doesn't know. Again, it's not a major concern.] It isn't such a bad place to start building from.

[And with another short wave he turns back around and leaves.]

[explodosafe]

[It's a good thing Zoro can't see the face Cutter is making when it becomes clear that his charade has been seen through. What comes next makes a cold, disgusting sensation curl through him like writhing tentacles that thresh his sense of self-worth or like worms that gnaw through his insides and pull anything they touch painfully together.

'Shit! I messed up!'

It's less of a thought and more of a certainty, that he has been an annoyance with pushing his ideals on others and troubling Zoro with worries the man never asked to have them shared with him. It's just rational that he'd run away. After all, Cutter wouldn't want to deal with something like that from somebody who is basically a stranger either, right? God, he's such a goddamned pathetic fool! What was he even thinking being cheesy and chasing some sort of bond with a guy several years older just because they happen to like some of the same things? Zoro has surely better things to waste his time on that him! So stupid-!]

Y-yeah... Once I'm ready.

[He knows that he isn't going to call to let Zoro know he's better, even if he will recover like he always does. He doesn't want to be a bother and after this shameful display giving Zoro an easy way out of their relationship is the least thing he can do.

He takes a deep breath and forces himself not to let his emotions get the better of him. This is silly, it's probably just a small misunderstanding, why is he such a crybaby taking things that personal he doesn't even what to be that way himself? Still, it stings. His voice cracks as he way too late answers the goodbye wave and tries to keep the hot tears in his eyes from falling. Tomorrow Cutter will be fine again. Today it just aches.]

...guess even in that I'm just another one, huh.