strike_you_out | eighteen | trip like I do

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[On a fine Friday morning, Slugger stands at the top of his driveway overlooking the perfect yard and perfect street in this perfect 1950s "utopia", and knows that this reality was born of someone else's delusional madness. He yawns. Well, better find some way to kill the time. Not looking back at the house on Anderson Lane, he rolls down the driveway on golden rollerblades and into the street, carrying his warped baseball bat at his side. Some of the drones, recognizing him as their paperboy, smile and wave at him as he passes. He either ignores them or waves back in a ridiculous parody of cheer. He's pretty sure he's killed a few of them at least a dozen times.

Today, Slugger decides he may as well try and find a place in Mayfield he's never been to before and grace it with his deplorable presence. One may spot him skating aimlessly around downtown Mayfield for a short time until he seems to hit on a more specific destination...]

Jacques' Roller Rink
[The worn, wooden floors make for a relatively smooth skating surface. Slugger can be seen skating forwards, backwards, and sideways on the rink with surprising dexterity. He can also be seen swerving in front of drones and causing "accidents" in the rink. For his amusement, he's made a game of seeing how many people he can trip and knock over at a time. Clearly, he's a menace to society.]

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[The second kick nearly rolls him over again but instead Slugger manages to push himself up onto two feet. As soon as his skates make contact with the ground, he glides backward out of reach.

Once again, that grin. It's beginning to seem like nothing short of busting his face has any chance of getting rid of it. Surely, by now he must have at least one fractured rib and possibly a fractured scapula. Something is definitely going on with his shoulder---it, along with the upper quadrant of his back associated with it, appear to be swelling up massively. The flesh roils grotesquely, threatening to split apart his shirt, before it returns to its normal proportions, all in a matter of seconds. Slugger then rolls the shoulder, testing it, without a flinch of pain.

He says nothing, nor does he attempt to counterattack. Just grins.]

[ that grin. that stupid smug grin. it just pisses him off so bad.

limbs tensing at the sight of slugger's shoulder boiling up and receding, seki takes in a sharp breath. he really wishes he had some sort of blunt weapon now, but there's nothing at hand. still, he's not one to back down without a proper fight. ]

Guess you're not human, then. [ a quiet mutter as he takes a step forward. pauses. then he lunges forward as fast as he can, aiming to catch slugger's neck in the crook of his elbow and throw him down to the ground. ]

[Slugger takes a well-timed sidestep out of the way and circles around Seki to the farthest point, then stops. Either he's not interested in a fight or he's discovered that he can piss Seki off more by using minimal effort and is making a game of it. Possibly both. But he hasn't forgotten what this is about.]

What. Thought the voice was coming from inside?

[ shit. this kid's fast. though seki pivots on his heel the moment slugger dodges, it's not quick enough to grab him and yank him close. breathing harshly past gritted teeth, he takes a slow step closer to the other before flinching at the words that ring in his head. ]

What are you trying to do. [ for a moment, he jerks forward as if intending to attack slugger again, but he's getting the vibe that it might not be enough. fists clenched at his side, he hisses, ] -- the hell do you want from me?

[Knees bent, it looks as if he's ready to bolt out of reach again, like a fox toying with a dog. Slugger seems to have acknowledged that his opponent is fast, at least, and is watching him keenly. What does he want, he asks?

What does he want?]

Your name.

Bullshit. [ it's a prompt response and seki lowers his stance as he growls, ] You're trying to screw with me. My name doesn't matter.

[ he's staring warily at that bat now. if only he could wrestle it away, he could probably use it against slugger. ] What're you trying to get out of me.

Remember that phonecall?

[Turning slightly away, he subtly shifts his weight onto one foot.]

You told me there's no one here you hate enough to kill. Still true?

S'that what you want? For me to want to kill you?

[ there's a hint of disgust in his words. he braces his weight on one foot, eyes fixed on slugger's bat. ] What does it matter to you? [ he lunges forward the moment he finishes speaking, aiming to snatch at that baseball bat while slugger might be distracted. ]

[Driving his shoulder against Seki, Slugger skids a short distance in the opposite direction until his foot hits the curb of the street and skids no further. Seki will get a hold of the bat but Slugger's grip on it is powerful and no amount of effort will free it from his hands or raise it above waist-level.

He replies, seemingly in response to the first questions.]

Maybe. Maybe I want to see how far you'll go.

[Grinning obscenely, he then tilts his head on its axis to give Seki a probing stare and whispers]

Maybe I want to see what's in your mind.

[ fingers gripping against the bat's surface tight enough for his knuckles to pale, seki attempts to wrench it out of slugger's grasp. can't. this kid -- is unnaturally strong. can't possibly be human. ]

There's nothing special in there. In my head -- mind, whatever.

[ there's frustration and defeat in his words, and seki grits his teeth before letting go of the bat. letting his hands drop to his side as he glowers at slugger. ]

Just like every other person out there. I'm just an idiot.

S'that what you wanna hear?

[Once Seki releases his hold on the bat, Slugger straightens up but otherwise doesn't move. Something about his grin has changed. The deranged viciousness seems to have lifted and in its place is a curious amusement, perhaps a bit of confusion, as he regards the boy thoughtfully.]

Not convinced.

...

Still mad?

Yeah, 'course I am. Like anyone would be in this sorta situation.

[ though seki's voice is flat and cold, it's obvious that it's taking him tremendous effort to keep his anger at bay. he stares hard at slugger for a moment before muttering under his breath, ]

... if it were you, I might've pushed.

[ 'pushed you off the train platform, right onto the tracks.' unlike that man who he refused to kill -- this one, he might be able to. ]

eighteen | trip like I do

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