22ND FLIGHT ➥ VIDEO/AUDIO.

[crowing]

( THUNK THUNK THUNK. the sound echoes through the device as ikki jabs his fingernail against the screen a couple times. he looks marginally older, features a little sharper, or at least what can be seen around the huge goggles plastered over his eyes.

there's a pause as he frowns, hand lifting to scratch at his hair. )

Shit, I think it's broken. It's been making weird noises all day. Is that shit normal? You know, it's like the noise you hear from an alarm clock? It goes "eeeh! ehh! ehh!" every few minutes!

C'mon, this can't just be me, man. Someone else has gotta have this problem.

Pretty sure these things shouldn't make noise at all. Fuck! It's driving me crazy.

( he slips his goggles up to capture a good solid look at the cross-shaped pupil staining his eye as he inspects the device.

there's a brief thoughtful pause. )

. . . Maybe I'll just break it apart properly. ♥

(( ooc: years that never were curse! some replies will be coming from devastates for icons! ikki's about 19 and rather than win, he had lost to sora, damned the world, and etc. ))

Comments

[crowing]

( and he's waiting for him, if kazu's going to be cursed then he might as well take advantage of it. )

[errandry]

( no mistaking it: there's a clear giveaway in the way the air shivers moments just before, the faintest boom in the distance. he still casts sparks when he slows down, kicks off the last bit of momentum against the ledge and hits the rooftop—all the little signs of an amateur smoothing out routines. but he's there—and he's staring.

god, even the way Ikki's sitting is off. )

What kind of fucking curse is this—?

[crowing]

( he's up as soon as kazu lands, wheels touching down against the rooftop with a practised ease. the height difference is obvious as he rises from the ledge, a good couple of solid inches taller than his seventeen year old self. )

Slow.

( he remarks as he crosses the short distance of the rooftop, wheels clicking against the surface. he stops just in front of him, hand coming down to pat the top of kazu's hat gently. )

[errandry]

I'm working on it!

( a glance jerks down with Ikki's rise, because the look of those wheels isn't right, nothing about the way he moves is anything close to what it should be—but he follows the arc of his hand and past it, up to the eyes. he doesn't even bother to try to flick Ikki's hand off. his teeth click shut, jaw tightening—but that doesn't last either. he blurts the words, really. )

What happened to you...?

[crowing]

When it mattered the most—

( a pause. is it even worth saying? he's going to find out on his own later. but, whatever. it's not really going to make much of a difference either way. his hand is starting to feel like lead and he wonders if kazu can notice the change of the weight on top of his head. )

I failed.

And nobody wants to follow a guy with broken wings, so— ( he points downward at his legs. ) They're metal.

[errandry]

You—

( eyes wide and sharp and unwavering, of course he doesn't notice anything else: not the weight, not the little gestures. only Ikki's expression, as if he could maybe catch a different truth if only he stared hard enough. )

You're out of your damn mind.

[devastates]

( oops. looks like he lost control of his fist there. it comes smacking into kazu's shoulder, not nearly as hard as he could have hit but it's enough to hurt. )

Shut the fuck up! Don't talk like you know anything!

Or should I kick you with one?

[errandry]

Shit—

( he's not interested in the fight—when his hand goes out, it's to snag on Ikki's sleeve if he can. his pulse's sharp in his throat and this is a curse, this has to be a curse—

except it doesn't matter if it's true, it's here and it's wearing all the wrong scars and it sounds like someone he should know. someone he knows better than anything. )

I know we wouldn't leave you just 'cause you lost! What the hell actually happened?

[crowing]

It was more than just a loss! I couldn't ride! It was over! EVERYTHING WAS OVER!

( that's fine, that's fine. he doesn't have to hit back. in fact, it's better that way so ikki can grab onto the collar of of his hoodie and shove him back against the wall. his grip is tight, but his fingers are trembling. )

Of course you would! Anyone would!

[errandry]

( oh, this is going well. he shoves back. )

Like hell. Even if a screwed-up scenario like that happened, even if we could never follow you again—you think any of us'd just let you go that easy?

[crowing]

You didn't have a choice!

( there's a pause as he slams kazu back against wall simply on the basis of fighting back. )

And yeah, yeah I do.

[errandry]

( he flinches as his back hits—grabs at Ikki but only winds up holding onto his shirt a little stupidly, fabric in his curling fingers. his head drops just a little, not looking at him. maybe this is, after all, a curse easier processed in parts. )

... no choice—the fuck is that supposed to mean?