13 • Pao-Lin • [Voice/Action]

[wildkotetsu]

[To be completely honest... Kotetsu was miserable. When something hits him, it hits him hard, carries over like a cloud above him. After becoming a monster, possibly hurting people he was supposed to protect... after failing Nami and an innocent little girl, failing to help Sanji when he needed someone—they'd lost so many people, and he knew that it... it was really hurting not just him, but everyone else. And there was nothing about it he could do. There was no rescuing to be done. No buildings to smash through, people to grab in the nick of time.

He was too busy being in need of rescue himself, anyway. The routine was the same: smile where he could, be content to appease the audience of Luceti. Go to the Seventh Heaven and work, work, work where he was needed. And then... sign up for missions. Keep on doing that. He's already planning to go on another one when he comes across a painful discovery.]

[Voice]

... I, uh. Dunno if anyone knew—

[A pause.]

Pao-Lin's gone home. But.... But it's good that she did. I know it sucks to lose people here, even if you know it's a good thing... but I just wanted to say that she has a future to look forward to. She's—she's a great hero back home. She protects people. I'll bet she'll be at the top of the charts in no time; heck, she already outdoes oldtimers like me, she's such a natural...

[He stops himself as he trails off, realizing he probably won't stop talking if he keeps it up for too long.]

... I just wanted to let anyone know who doesn't.

And sorry if I worried any of you, back there. I've been resting and I'm feeling a lot better now, so I'm okay.

[Private // Tony Stark]

Oi, I just wanted you to know I'm still working on it. I'll be goin' on another mission, but I, uh. Wanted to talk to you before then.

[And with that, he goes back to the Seventh Heaven to help out. When he's in the kitchen... he really likes that he can be distant and quiet. And, even if it seems funny to imagine for someone like him, solemn and thoughtful. Of course, going back outside will illicit a happy little smile that says otherwise. Everything's fiiiine. Don't worry so much. It'll be okay.



Except he's starting to visit the bar more—once a night is okay. One drink is okay. He sits at the bar, observing the ugly scar lingering on his forearm, on his wrist, where the infection—and a gunshot—had marred his flesh good and well. Under his collar is the scar from another biter. A reminder of the moment he's lost faith in himself.

... Okay. For tonight? He'll go ahead and drink a little more than he should.

Just tonight.]

Comments

Front of the Seventh Heaven (?) let me know if this is good

[hero_of_smiles]

[Cross had an interesting week. With scavenging and what not he had to say it was pretty fun. Probably the first shift he went through that didn't seem as bad as they were being let up to be.

But, today everything's back to normal more than likely, so it was time for a training day.

After, said training, he's come to Seventh Heaven peeking inside. When he see's someone coming out of the back the teen approaches the cat beard man.]

Umm...excise me, do you guys serve food here or something?

[wildkotetsu]

['Scuse you, that's Mr. Cat Beard Man. He perks a little at the voice thrown his direction, caught in the middle of some pretty solemn-faced thoughts that are quickly smashed down like a foot to a dirt mound.]

Aa, we do! This is the restaurant around here—Seventh Heaven.

A New Feather, right?

[hero_of_smiles]

[Still got cat beard's, man. It's only very brief when Cross catches the guy's look before the man looks his way and answers him.]

Oh, really? I got lucky.

[He nods a little however.]

Yeah, I've been here for a month now.

[wildkotetsu]

Ah, then--I guess 'welcome' would be kinda' stupid...

Come on in, I'll get you whatever y'need.

[hero_of_smiles]

Not really, I didn't get a very big welcome to begin with. So I don't think it's stupid.

[Have a smile there!

He curiously looks at the man. Is something up?]

All right, thanks. By the way, my name's Cross.

[wildkotetsu]

Cross, I'm Kotetsu. Kotetsu Kaburagi. It's good t'meet ya'.

[He nods his head in the direction of the front door, beckoning the other to join.]

Pick anywhere you wanna sit.

Have you met anyone from your world here? Seems to happen a lot.

[hero_of_smiles]

Same to you.

[And Cross will follow the beckoning. At Kotetsu's behest he'll take a seat om a booth.

But, the people from his world thing? Yeah, he's definitely going to try and hide the fact he's feeling pretty alone here.]

Ah, no not yet. But, I'm sure they're around here somewhere. But for now, I'm flying solo.

[wildkotetsu]

I gotcha. [He waits for the other to take a seat, itching his hairline thoughtfully.] I'm all alone from my world, too, so don't feel too alone. There's plenty of us around.

[hero_of_smiles]

[Cross just frowns only ever so slightly upon hearing that. Obviously he needs to set his priorities straight if he's thinking about himself when others are alone here too.]

No, it's okay. I'll be all right. But, I'm just sorry to hear that you're alone here too as well as other people.

[wildkotetsu]

Nah... It's a good thing that I don't have anyone here. I want them all home safe and sound, y'know?

This place can be pretty dangerous.

[hero_of_smiles]

Safe at home?

[Uh oh, someone didn't tell Cross this could be hell.]

How is this place dangerous? I mean, I that scavenger hunt did seem a bit risky but it didn't seem threatening.

[wildkotetsu]

... Nobody ever told you what this place can do?

[Boy, this is gonna be a wake-up call for you, then.]

[hero_of_smiles]

Not...really? But it can't be that bad...right?

[Because from how this man is acting, he's getting the distinct feeling it might be.]

[wildkotetsu]

[... Wow. Alright. Someone who's more in the dark and oblivious than he is. Go figure.]

... Come sit down, I'll help you out with the details.

[hero_of_smiles]

[Kotetsu must be feeling great about that. But how the man looks is enough to make Cross worry a bit. He will however do as the man tells him and just go sit down where he's being directed.]

A-all right, thanks. Sorry about this.

[Man does he feel useless]

[wildkotetsu]

No problem—it's good t'help people out around here, huh?

[He plops down at the nearest empty table, lanky leg crossing over knee, draped with a green waiter apron. And the frowning commences, thoughtful and worried that this kid is about to get the crappiest wake-up call.]

So what do you know?

[hero_of_smiles]

Yeah, it is.

[He just wishes he was the one helping and not the one being helped. He just needed a moment to think about what he did know.]

Well, I know those Molasses guys are the ones that kidnapped us. There's a barrier around this place, and they put shifts or events or something for us to do. Also we've got wings for some reason, it's our lifeforce here or something.

So that's pretty much it.

[wildkotetsu]

So... no one told you about the kidnappings... or the drafts?

[hero_of_smiles]

Um...this would be the first I'm hearing of it.

[wildkotetsu]

Well, there's a group in the malnosso that like taking us whenever they want and experimenting on us--any way they need us for. Labs and cells and everything.

[hero_of_smiles]

Experiments? W-what kind of experiments?

[wildkotetsu]

Any kind you can think of--making people into kids, making him different people altogether, causing magic stuff to happen to 'em... or sometimes they just use 'em as guinea pigs in their labs.

[It's the most awful thing to wake up knowing, trust him.]

[hero_of_smiles]

[And there's just one giant silence. Anything he could imagine? Oh boy, he's not liking that. He'll just stay in shocked silence for a few more minutes before he says something.]

But...but people have stopped them before, right? I mean you've got a bunch of heroes and stuff here don't you?

[wildkotetsu]

[He looks down at his hands, fingers threaded thoughtfully together; couldn't help but let his gaze drift to his scarred hand. Just a reminder of some of the unfair things about this place.]

We still haven't figured out a way to stop it completely... I think a few times, yeah. But it's still tough.

We'll... figure out how to deal with 'em, though. Sooner or later.

[hero_of_smiles]

[And Cross just keeps looking hoping to hear what he wants...that however does not happen. He looks down for a moment upon hearing what Kotetsu says and frowns. But, gotta stay positive right? So putting on a smile he nods a bit to Kotetsu.]

I'm sure we will. The bad guys can't keep winning forever. Soon enough they'll slip up and we can beat them.