Description: So after Jiro was crucified by El Gado, Karin got Jiro sent to the hospital with the promise that they'll go after Rolento and the Shank Squad. Jiro, needlessly to say, has had an interesting day at the hospital. From visitors like Gabriel, to reenacting the Fight Club scene with Brad Pitt!
It has been some time since Jiro was taken to the hospital. He honestly spent the entire night inside the hospital after dealing with the fight against an assassin.
Within Metro City, there was talk about a kid who was brutally crucified as a message to those that would stand up against Rolento. The resistance leader who faced such a feat was referred to as Jiro Kasagi.
The young man is currently within room 201, in a white bed wrapped in white sheets. An IV is attached to the youth's arms, as they are working on replenishing his blood.
Kai was sure that it served him right, but she wasn't about to say that. Not to Mimiru's brother. Having watched Mimiru play her basket ball games, she was just reading news elsewhere, missing more classes and by chance finding out that Jiro got hurt. He was a lot of trouble, but still she hopped a flight and went to the hospital. Unlike the rest of the people, Kai has no apparent problem moving in and out of the city, almost as though the Shank squad likes her or has some degree of agreement with her. So to the hospital she goes, comes into Jiro's room quietly, takes one look, decides he'll live and starts to edge away.
Silence fills the air, as the young Stray Dog is busy struggling to live. He can't help but wonder if Kyle will make it, but he won't. But then again, he knows that he needs to live long enough to brutally crush Rolento where he stands.
When Gabriel checks in and prepares to leave, the Stray Dog murmurs.
"...Leaving so soon, Gabriel...? Heh... you finally given up on trying to be friends with me... Rather sad... considering the progress..."
He slowly opens his eyes, gritting his teeth. He grumbles about El Gado and Rolento.
She stops and turns, regarding Jiro with the even expression she might usually give anyone. Half considering half judgmental. Really snobbish if you are of the right frame of mind to take it that way.
She gives a mild shrug in reply before saying,
"I thought you were sleeping and you seem to need your rest." She settles down on one of the nearby chairs and arranges herself carefully there.
"So.. this is what you missed your sister's games for.."
"...Heh." Jiro looks at the ceiling. "Yeah... I came to visit a friend who I thought died." He frowns softly, "...I didn't come to get involved with Rolento or any of the shit going on here..." His eyes narrow and he grits his teeth.
His eyes harden. "...But then I found out that Kyle was in with Rolento... So I stayed to try to get him out."
"But then how did you end up here, if you didn't do anything silly or foolish?" Kai Gabriel asks and leans back against a wall.
It was true Jiro looked bad off, but Kai didn't seem terribly inclined to let that change her mind from anything.
The Stray Dog continues staring at the ceiling, then he grumbles. "Given that Rolento and I have no love for each other, I decided to punk the son of a bitch by making his control hell." He looks up. "Like I said, it was not my initial plan to get involved."
"...But... then I noticed that Sakura and the others were around, the people needed help bad..." He growls, "And I ****ing hate Rolento's bitch ass..." He lowers his head, "...And during the attack, Kyle was put in a tight spot where he couldn't fail or he'd die, so he tried to blow himself up by throwing the grenade at me up close."
"...He's in a coma." He turns his head towards the other side of the hospital, gesturing towards the white sheets. "...He's in there, I requested to be near him to hear if he wakes up." He looks up, "...And well... since I decided to get involve, I spent my time punking the hell out of the Shank Squad. And seeing another friend who ended up affiliated because of the same reasons as Kyle..." He growls, "I want the ****ers out of here."
Kai listens with the care and attention span of a an old and patient grand parent. She remains impassive while hearing the explanation.
"So what will you do now..? And what do you want me to tell your sister, have you spoken to her yet, at least called?" Kai looks like she doesn't think so, more likely she thinks he would try not to not let her worry.
"Nope." Jiro's eyes lift up to gaze at the ceiling some more. "I figured that she is still in Tokyo. No point in trying, especially since I've been living in the subway until recently." He shakes his head, "Most likely, she'll catch my crucifixiton on the news." He shrugs, "Just tell her that I'm still alive."
He growls under his breath, "As for what I'm going to do? Punk the **** out of Rolento and his bitch ass affiliates, starting with El Gado." His eyes narrow while observing the ground. "...He stabbed me good. I'll crush him harder." He shrugs. "...And if there are signs of Kyle waking up afterwards, I'll probably head back to Southtown."
"Right. She will be worried and angry, but I will do my best to keep her worries at ease, but I expect she'll be rather angry at you." Kai Gabriel replies quietly. A moment is considered where Kai remains in silence and stares at Jiro.
"Well I won't help you, that much is certain, this particular situation..." She frowns. There are reasons of course.
"Hrm." The Stray Dog lifts his head, then he observes the form of Gabriel with a frown. Then he snorts afterwards, "Tch, Gabriel doesn't need to worry about her bastard brother." His eyes look up at the sky, shaking his head, "She's growing up now... Besides, we'll have to look out for ourselves one day." His eye focuses straight at Gabriel, "I'm not asking you to help. Frankly, you're better off not getting involved with the shit here. Too out of your league."
He grumbles, his eyes shutting softly. "...Besides, I don't want you to end up like me." "I wouldn't want any of my friends to end up like that, but they're prepared for the risk like I am." He looks at the side where Kyle is at, "There are consequences for what I do. I'm prepared for it." He pauses, "Besides, you're an heir of rich folks, you'll need to make use of that."
Pause.
"...And stop being Kurow's little bitch if you haven't ditched him already."
"I never said I wasn't involved, I just said I wouldn't help." Kai Gabriel replies before giving a bit of a nod, "Yes, heir to my family fortune, but I have friends here too. Though I don't think they're in the same kind of danger that you seem to get yourself into." Kai comments, considering Jiro's situation.
"Your sister isn't a stray and she never will be. She won't view life in the same negative way that you do." She frowns a little to Jiro in an attempt to impart on him the same thing his sister would of done.
"She'll care. She might even come."
A snort is given by the Stray Dog, then he peers at the young girl about her denying about her not being involved. The Stray Dog folds his arms while he looks at Gabriel, "...Meh. I'll just get Alma to stop her..." He growls, "I'm -not- leaving until I personally punk Rolento and his little bitch, El Gado." He growls, "Nassir's on that list too."
Pause, "...What do you mean about that you never said that you wasn't involved...?" He peers straight towards the girl's direction.
"I already told you, I am here to protect one of my friends, that is all. Do what you want to Rolento and Nassir, I can not say that I personally have any care for them." Kai pauses a momen then smirks,
"Alma-san will never be able to stop Mimiru-san," continues, "You of all people should know that."
Jiro finally remains facing Gabriel, "...Heh. Right. Just be careful out in the streets, Mad Gear has been getting rowdy since they're losing their power." He snorts, "They're good for training dummies." He grumbles, then he lifts an eye to keep a good look at Gabriel, "I suppose not."
"Eh... I'll tell her that I'm okay later..." He gives off a sigh, rubbing his forehead. "I'll likely be out in a few days." He peers, "How long are you planning to be here anyway?"
Oh look. They're bonding. Jiro's even concerned for Gabriel's welfare. How cute.
Peaceful, and all. It's always nice when hero-types settle their differences.
Pity the moment isn't going to last - Enter Acacia, stage right.
The door swings inward, not so much opened as kicked in after a cursory twist of the doorknob. A girl in a bulky army jacket, hair streaked silver and black, comes crashing in, panting, a little out of breath. Leaning against the doorframe, she gasps, "Jiro, heard you---"
Acacia trails off, frowning. She snaps her head round, eyes landing on Gabriel.
"-You-," Acacia hisses, "what are -you- doing here?"
Kai turns to look as the door is opened. Hero types? Pah, Kai gabril is Villain! Diet Villain lite. She steadies herself and faces Acacia, wondering what problem she has with Kai. Could it be related to the Momo incident? Or any number of other things she's done.
"Acacia-san, I am pleased to see you well," Kai replies politely with a small bow, but straightens almost instantly, not taking her eyes off Acacia for an instant. She holds her hand open palmed and ready.
"Are you planning to start a fight in the hospital, Acacia-san..?"
The arrival of Acacia earns a smile from the Stray Dog, who is very happy to see her here. Jiro is smiling until she sees that she is about to show hostility towards Gabriel.
While he's normally gung-ho in regards for the idea of Acacia sackbeating the hell out of Gabriel, Jiro sighs. "Hospital. If you're going to sackbeat her, wait until she's outside of the hospital." He chuckles.
Jiro looks over towards the next room, "...Hey... you awake?" Pause. Silence.
"...Figured..." His expression falters from it's amused gazed, then he looks back at Acacia, "...Either way, Rolento sent a guy named El Gado to do this to me to send those who oppose Rolento a message. It's only the beginning."
Acacia clenches a white-knuckled fist, fingernails digging into her palm. She growls, a low gutteral sound. "They said you were crucified."
Her lips curl back, exposing her teeth, as she pushes away from the doorframe. "Hope he enjoys being -castrated-, then."
It's not clear whether she means El Gado or Rolento. Possibly both. Acacia's got enough ire for the two of them, and a rusty spoon for each.
Acacia trembles. Then grows still, turning her attention back to Gabriel. She doesn't make any move to approach the girl, nor does she say anything. But her stare, in itself, is threatening. Acacia doesn't seem to care that this is a hospital. She probably figures, well, closer to the morgue, more convenient.
Kai Gabriel stands her ground, indifferent to the conversation otherwise going on. She doesn't seem to care it's a hospital either, but she isn't going to be the first to attack, that much is clear as she has a defensive stance.
"Come now, Acacia-san, why have you so much ire for me now? Have I done something to offend you?" More like she's asking, which of the many things have I done offended you.
There's only a frown from Jiro, who heaves a sigh. "Yeah..." He looks at his wrists, then he lifts both arms from his side. He exposes the wrapepd wrists, "They decided to make me into Jiro Christ, where I get jabbed with pointy objects for their sins." He grumbles, "I'll shit beat them for their sins instead."
His eyes focus towards Acacia,s miling at her, "Lis--..Eh... Nevermind." He looks at Gabriel, who's in the room still. Well, Jiro can't tell Acacia how he feels, but instead hiseyes focus on Gabriel.
"Let's see, siding with Kurow is one place to start. Involving yourself with my brainwashing and Daigo's brainwashing is another, the list could go on, but it'd be too long."
Acacia clapses her hands together. The fingers of her left wrapping round the fist of her right. With an audible sound, she proceeds to crack her knuckles. Quite loudly, too.
She doesn't speak. She doesn't -need- to. She just tilts her head, staring at Gabriel. Unblinking.
Says it all, really.
Kai watches Acacia for a while and then looks toward Jiro. First thing that comes to mind? Tell Jiro to shut up, but she doesn't because he effectively announces all of Acacia's problems with her. Well that sort of saves her the trouble of asking, so instead she just nods a little and turns toward the door which Acacia is in the way of.
"Well I have done enough here anyway, you're alive and Mimiru-san will hear that much. She'll come for certain. I doubt even I could hold her back." Though Kai pauses a moment as though considering that maybe she could. She starts to try to leave.
"If she's smart, she won't come after her big brother.... Tell her I'll be back."
And when Kai makes her leave, the Stray Dog finally looks at Acacia, smiling at her before reaching a hand to her shoulder. "It's good to see you... I was hoping you'd visit me." He grimaces at the sudden sharp pain striking all over his joints, especially h is wrists. This is what happens when you bravely/stupidly try to remove all of the knives from the stabbed joints.
"Ugh..." He sighs, looking at Acacia, "...How are things back at the place?"
Acacia watches Gabriel go, though she -still- doesn't deign to speak to the other girl. She doesn't trust herself to be civil, after all, so holding her silence...is probably the most prudent course of action. She keeps glaring at Gabriel, though, even as she leaves. Though Acacia -does- step aside, letting the Justice student through the door.
This also brings Acacia closer to Jiro's hospital bed.
Close enough that he's able to reach a hand out to her shoulder. And suffer the ensuing stab of pain.
Acacia's expression changes, going from one of hostility to alarm and worry. She waves her own hand in a 'settle down' gesture, turning to Jiro. Gabriel already forgotten.
"Don't try to move," she says. After a moment's pause, she adds, "even Jesus stayed dead for three days."
It's a lame joke, but at least -some- attempt at humour. Acacia smiles, wanly. Or at least, her mouth twitches a little. That counts.
"Mn," she adds, answering the question, "okay."
A laugh is made by Jiro. Even as lame as the joke is, it's still enough to crack a smile on the bitter youth. While looking at Acacia, the young man can't help but chuckle. "Amusing. I like that... I should rest for three days until then, then rise out of nowhere to stomp Rolento and his bitches with great vengeance.
"Good." He pauses, frowning a bit. "...Listen... I want to get this out fo my chest now..." He frowns, "I just want you to promise you won't freak out on me -too much-, alright...?" He peers at her, hoping to get -confirmation- from her.
"What," Acacia replies, laconically, "should I sit down?"
Actually, she does. Hooking a foot round the chair that Gabriel was using, and dragging it over. Acacia drops herself onto the piece of furniture, leaning back. She props her left elbow on the armrest, cupping her head in her hand. Her other arm lies across her lap.
In that same dry tone of voice, she continues, "What, finally admitting your gay love for Alma?"
"Probably, yeah." Jiro looks away lightly, then he looks at the young girl wen she props herself to rest. At least she'll be prepared for it. But when her dry tone regards him about Jiro and Alma, he looks annoyed.
You know, you're not making this easier on me..." He snorts, "First off, I have no love for Alma." He grumbles, thenhe pauses with a frown, "...Actually, I have feelings towards you." He grumbles.
"I just never found a time to tell you..." His eyes shift away from her for a moment, letting the silence pass.
And it's a damn long silence, too.
Damn long.
So long it's uncomfortable, really.
Very awkward.
After a good long while, Acacia makes a little whimper. Sounds a little like 'oh'.
She lowers her head, breaking eye contact with Jiro. Staring at her lap. She's still leaning back in the chair, but she doesn't look relaxed any longer. Instead, she's tense, stiff.
Given her naturally dark skin colour, it's hard to tell...but it looks like she's blushing. Her cheeks flushed.
Acacia coughs.
"...oh," she repeats, in a marginally louder voice, "oh..."
She closes her eyes, and takes a breath.
"...was...afraid of that..."
The long, uncomfortable silence passes through the air, and this in turn makes Jiro stiffen as well. A sigh exhales from him as he finally turns to face Acacia, who not only whimpers, but looks directly at her lap.
When she speaks once more, Jiro shuts his eyes and says, "...Yeah, it... it took me a while to want to tell you... because...yeah, that was the reaction I expected." He pauses, "...Then again... I am not sure what I would of expected."
"Soap opera music, dramatic camera angles?"
Well, it looks like her sarcasm's still functioning, at least. Even if the rest of Acacia's brain is locked in conflict.
Acacia breathes a sigh, shoulders shaking, as she does so. She links her hands, resting them on her lap. With her eyes downcast and still closed, it almost looks like she's in prayer.
Maybe she is.
"Sorry, I..."
There's a catch in her voice, hesitation. She stops, then continues, after a moment, "...I just...can't deal...don't know how..."
Her sarcasm earns a small chuckle from Jiro. "This would be like a soap opera... wouldn't it? Then Rolento would walk in and claiming that both of us are his kids."
Pause.
Shudder. The Stray Dog shakes his head at the thought. He'll cleanse his mind with fire l ater. But for now, he is just looking at the nervousness of the young girl, "...It's not your fault. I'm probably shouldn't had brought it up, but... well... I figure I would need to sooner or later."
He chuckles, then he mentions, "It's... it's alright, really." His eyes shut softly, emotions giving a downcast. "Anyway, I just want to thank you for visiting. It means a lot."
"Uh...huh...I..."
Acacia cuts herself off, wincing. She's babbling. She knows that. She -hates- it when she does that. Unfortunately, she tends to descend into incoherence when caught like she is now.
She opens her eyes, just a crack, raising her head to look at Jiro. Forcing herself -not- to look away, with an effort of will. Steeling herself to keep calm, keep...
...oh, to hell with it, she's -not- calm.
Acacia chews on her lip. Things were much simpler when Jiro just...didn't say anything. Certainly, she suspected - even despite her inexperience with this whole social interaction thing, anyway. Enough to ask Megumi about it, even.
She sighs.
"Didn't think you were serious," she says, after a while, "I mean...-me-?"
Acacia raises a hand, flicking it at the wrist, indicating her dishevled appearance.
"No," she continues, before Jiro can say anything, "don't explain. Don't think I can...deal with it...now."
She stands, then, slowly, pushing the chair back as she does so. Heading towards the door.
"Need some air," she explains, somewhat lamely.
A frown curls from the young man's lips, then he says, "...Yeah." But when she starts doubting herself, the Stray Dog's eyes get a good look at her, "...Don't---" He is interrupted by her going 'No', not letting him explain himself. The Stray Dog frowns once more, then he sees her heading to the door.
"...Alright... Take care then." He looks at the ceiling.
"...Damnit Kyle... I wish you were awake... I could use someone to talk to about this..." He shakes his head, staring at the ceiling.
Time has passed, considering that the Stray Dog has had a chat with his friend Acacia. She left, needed time to think about what he told her. This leaves the Stray Dog to finally get started in playing a song through his harmonica. It's a gentle song blowing int heair, somber and jazzy.
Nearby, the certains are pulled off, revealing a brown skinned man who is in a coma, held alive by the IV and the meter is keeping track of his pulse.
The door to room 201 is opened with a crash, the heavy brown workboot of one Brad Pitt slamming into the door at it's keyhole, well... taking the whole damn thing off of it's hinges. And clearly, he's still in the same mindset he's been in, his hair's spiked, he's got huge pink sunglasses on, a toothpick in his mouth, and a red, flashy jacket on- nothing underneath. Did you expect something modest? Tight jeans show off good legs, an /awesome/ ass, and of course, those door breaking boots. Brad pokes his head into your room, smiles(A glitzy thing), and nods. "Ah, sweet! Right room." A nurse down the hall looks up at him, he shrugs. "Your door's broke, lady." The man steps into the room, and sets the door back into place as best he can.
A quick turn, and Brad looks around the rest of the room, before grumbling and walking over to the brown-skinned man's bed, closing the curtains. He stands there a moment, before turning back to look at you. "Put that fucking harmonica down." A finger is thrust forward, about an inch from your nose. "We have to talk."
The Stray Dog is busy playing the song for a friend, enjoying the tunes that he's working with. There is peace, there is harmony.
...Until the door breaks down.
This earns an annoyed look from the Stray Dog,t hen he peers towards the curtains shutting. Well, at least he has the decency to leave the other patient alone.
"**** you." Jiro goes back to the harmonica, playing a few more tunes. The Stray Dog finishes the tunes, then he brings the instrument to his lap.
"What do you want anyway?" He shrugs.
"Look at you!" A gesture to the harmonica. "Sittin' around, playing a HAR-MONICA in the hospital. Fucking square, kid. Square." A gesture to the EKG and other monitoring machines. "Hooked up t'machines, waitin' for Nurse Beatrice to come and give you your food?" A snicker, and he looks /down/ at Jiro. "You're just like any other patient in this place. Got no independence. Sit around and wait for your friends to come help you out, don't got a hope in the world for bein' on your own." He leans close, this time, and looks to his right. The first monitoring machine.
Brad lowers his sunglasses, and looks you straight in the eyes. Face inches from yous. "You call yourself a fighter?" Quick, his hand flashes to the wires connecting you to the machines. And rips them out of the machines. "Fuck the help. You aren't shit. You can't do /nothin/' without help, can you? Some Stray Dog you are. Yeah, I know your name by now." He throws the wires to the ground. "If you got a problem with what I'm sayin', what're you gonna do about it?"
Oh beautiful. This guy has the nerve to talk samck to the Stray Dog while he's hospitalized. This brings a nice tone of annoyance to the young man, who is narrowing his eyes at Brad Pitt. "...Uh huh...." He grunts towards Brad, leaning against the bed.
And when Brad looks directly at Jiro's eyes, the Stray Dog lifts his middle finger up to have it flick out at the man. Then, he rips out the wires, which causes the Stray Dog to growl under his breath, immediately unplugging them from his body. "...What am I going to do about it...?" He smiles wanly, then he leans forward to meet with Brad Pitt's face.
*burp*
Then, Jiro leans back, "Bitch."
"Bitch, eh?" Brad widens his eyes, stands again, and leans back on his heels, rocking a bit. Hands slip into his pockets, and the man takes his toothpick out of his mouth. "You've got a backbone, at least. That's good." The man nods to himself, looks around a bit, at the curtains, the door, shakes his head afterward. "This is absolute shit." He steps forward and in a flash of red and brown, slaps Jiro across the face with his right hand. "Now will you shut the fuck up and do something? Calling people names is one thing, but acting on what you want to do is another. If you don't have the dick to put your ideas into motion, who the fuck's going to listen?!"
Okay. So this goes as unexpected, the Stray Dog hisses at Brad Pitt, then he is given a slap across the face. When he's slapped, the young man quickly tilts his head over, not even wincing from the impact. The Stray Dog grumbles under his breath, then he shifts his head toward Brad Pitt. With an annoyed look on his face, the young man turns around, swinging the right hand to his left side.
The Stray Dog immediately swings his right hand outward, aiming to send the back knuckle across the cheek of Brad Pitt.
Embrace the pimpslap.
COMBATSYS: Jiro has started a fight here.
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Jiro 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: K9999 has joined the fight here.
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Jiro 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 K9999
COMBATSYS: K9999 endures Jiro's Quick Punch.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Jiro 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 K9999
"Can ya hear me now?" Jiro quips out with a hiss.
A laugh. "Oh, that's more like it!" Brad is thrown back a bit, smothering the man behind the curtain as he stumbles into the other patient's bed. "I think we might have a winner, folks!" Brad's glasses are shattered by the impact of Jiro's backhand, and the older man simply laughs as he throws them to the side. "You ready for this, then?" Brad stands, shakes his head a bit, and grabs a scalpel from the drawer. "C'mon, Kasagi, make me think you're a man! I'm /sick/ of you pussy fighters relying on other people!" He rears back, and, with a cocky laugh, thrusts that scalpel forward, right towards Jiro's shoulder.
COMBATSYS: Jiro fails to counter Drill Fist from K9999 with Backlash.
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Jiro 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 K9999
Acacia has arrived.
After pimpslapping the hell out of Brad Pitt, he watches the man ricochet towards the other bed. His eyes widen. "Get the **** away from that bed you son of a bitch!" He immediately gets up, revealing to be without a pair of pants and shoes. And he's only dressed in the hospital robe.
THis is annoying. And when Jiro is aiming to lunge himself over to the hand to keep the scapel from striking the shoulder, he misses the aim of the grasp. Instead, he is caught against the arm, the blade jamming towards the spot that was healing from last night's beating and crucifixation. "ARGHH, ****!" He stumbles against the wall, holding onto his arm. "God... damnit..." More blood loss, and it doesn't look too well for Jiro so far.
Meanwhile, Nurse Beatrice immediately enters the room, "...What... what are you two doing?!" She stares at Brad Pitt, "Oh my... Brad Pitt... I.... I need you to stop fighting at once!" She looks at Jiro, "I know you're jealous of this great man, but you should not be fighting! You are injured!"
So yeah. Hell is going on in room 201.
Which makes this next comment all the more appropriate, really.
"WHAT THE -HELL- IS GOING ON?"
Acacia sticks her head through the door, followed shortly by the rest of her. She shoves the nurse aside - quite roughly, too. Poor Beatrice hits the wall, and bounces. Soliciting quite a yelp from the uniformed woman.
Acacia's a slim little girl, without much bulk to her frame. The army jacket she wears hangs loosely round her shoulders, fitting almost like a tent. But it seems she's got more than enough strength to elbow the nurse aside. That fall looked like it hurt...but Acacia doesn't particularly care. She's got more pressing concerns right now.
Like the scene playing out before her eyes. Jiro bleeding, wounded, being attacked by...
...by...
Acacia blinks. Once, twice, three times.
When she saw Jiro earlier...she left the room to get some air, to think.
Now, she glances back at the doorway.
Did she enter the Twilight Zone by accident? No. Everything's still in colour, not black and white...
Acacia scowls. Alright. So he's being attacked by Brad Pitt.
There has to be a logical explanation for this. Jiro said something about a Brad Pitt impersonator, right?
Right?
Acacia turns back to the melee, her face going hard. Doesn't matter right now.
She yells a blistering curse at the faux celebrity. Unprintable things that probably lash the disguise right off, as she stalks forward.
Brad's eyes go wide at the nurse and even wider at the little girl who thunders into the room after her. "What the hell, kids? This isn't a pay-per-view special, y'know. Us adults are talkin' here!" Brad looks back to Jiro, grins, and gives the younger guy a quick salute with that scalpel. Following which, the actor resumes his fighting stance, eyes going mockingly wide as is arms spread to either side, fingers clenched into fists. His legs are spread too.. and while it's a stance that could likely deliver powerful punches, it shows the actors absolute lack of fighting tutelage. It also shows the man's ridiculous sense of humor.
"Look at you, Kasagi! Crying over something like a puncture wound. Isn't it /great/, man? Love the blood! Live to bleed!" He moves in to grab Jiro by the collar, now, holding the boy before him, talking to him in a serious, hardass tone of voice. "It's people like you and me that move the world, kid. People who don't need all this shit. People who don't need "help". Why're you lettin' your cushy life bog you down?" Following that, if Jiro doesn't try anything stupid, Brad throws the kid into the wall.
COMBATSYS: K9999 successfully hits Jiro with Quick Throw.
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Jiro 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 K9999
The Stray Dog is busy clutching onto the wound on the shoulder, grimacing from the pain as he is staggering around. His eyes shift over towards the approach of Acacia, "..Ugh..." The young man growls at Brad, then he tightens his fist. When the man grabs Jiro by the collar and he is thrown towards the wall. There is a heavy crunching sound made as the youth is busy landing on his stomach. "****..."
When he slowly staggers back onto his feet, he looks at Acacia, "Stay back... at least... until I collapse and not get up...I'll still be alive... I promise..." The bleeding Jiro growls directly at the taller man. "Alright... you want a piece of me...?" He crouches low, setting himself into his fighting stance.
"...I still have fight left in me..." He doesn't bother holding onto the bleeding shoulder this time. Instead, he focuses his sight at Brad Pitt. "Gimmie your best..." He staggers slightly, dropping to one knee. So he isn't in the best of condition.
COMBATSYS: Jiro focuses on his next action.
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Jiro 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 K9999
"JI---" Acacia starts to call his name. But cuts herself off, mouth going dry. She curls her hands into fists, clenching them so tight her nails dig painfully into her palms. But she also stops where she is, frozen at the edge of the tableau, between Jiro's hospital bed and the door.
She growls. Like an animal, angry and feral. If she were a cat, her hackles would be all standing right around now. As it is, she manages to give a fair impression of it anyway, what with her spiky streaked hair.
"First crucifixion. What's next, martyrdom?"
Her tone is clipped, barely coherent, voice wavering with fury.
Behind Acacia, Nurse Beatrice pulls herself to her feet, wailing something about Brad Pitt being her idol, and how Jiro shouldn't be bleeding all over him.
Acacia twitches, a vein in her forehead throbbing. Without turning, she snaps an arm out, the back of her hand making contact with Beatrice's face.
The nurse goes down again, like a jack-in-the-box.
He knows he looks bad right now, but really. Jiro just needs to come around. Fighting's not about scoring hits or getting points, it's about getting whatever release you need, and maybe even winning. In this case, Brad's got enough of a lead to let his guard down some. The man looks at Jiro, severely, and then to Acacia. A hand unclenches, and he takes the jacket off, throwing it to the side. "Shirt, kid, lose the shirt. That's not how we fight." He stands before Jiro then, barechested. Eyes on the other kid's.
"Come ON! Stand up, you pansy! There are so many other people out there who could take more than you, puss! People in China, who deal with torture /every day/ because they don't agree. And you're sitting here bitching about some wound in your shoulder? You know what, kid?" He shakes his head, seeming absolutely disgusted right now. And the man walks to the counter across the room, grabbing something from the shelf, mixing liquids... eventually coming up with a bottle... and a handful of dirty tissue. "Here. Hydrogen peroxide, and dirt. Maybe this'll wake you the fuck up."
Brad rears back, and throws a handful of the tissue at Jiro's shoulder, followed by the peroxide. The burn alone should /really/ wake Jiro up, right? Yeeah.
COMBATSYS: Jiro endures K9999's Thrown Object.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Jiro 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 K9999
"...Acacia. Do me a favor." The Stray Dog growls, "...Protect Kyle's bed. _That_ is the only thing I care about here... Just protect his bed... he's on the other side..." He glares directly at the superstar. He grunts when he tells him to lose the shirt. He wants him to lose it? Fine.
The Stray Dog immediately reaches for the shirt and he pulls it down. Instead of completely removing it, he's wrapping the sleeves around his waist, exposing his upper body. "Sorry, I don't believe in public indecency." So he's shirtless, but he's using the robes as pants. Or what eve he can use. So instead of doing anything, the Stray Dog is sprinting immediately towards Brad Pitt. He growls while he is sprinting straight at Brad.
The tissue strikes his shoulder, then the peroxide is coming his way. But see, here is the thing. Jiro leaps right into it, drawing his right fist backward, both hands erupt into violet flames. It's the same flames that Kain wields, even if his chi is weaker. Acacia would find the look similar. But while the Stray Dog is diving towards the man, he absorbs the peroxide splashing against the arm, which causes a hiss to echo from Jiro's lips.
And by the time he lands on the ground, Jiro immediately leaps up into the air, sending the scorching fist to erupt underneath the man's chin. "**** you." He hisses, then he is planning to follow through by swining his left fist out to give a flaming dunk towards Brad's face and out of the door.
As Jiro moves - so does Acacia. She doesn't respond to his request. At least, not verbally. She takes action, though. And, well, you know what they say about action - namely, its relative volume compared to poor quiet old text.
Acacia moves. Throwing herself low, in a move more lunge than run. She hits the ground, and rolls in a tight ball, crossing the melee. Vacating the doorway in favour of the other side of the room, stirring the curtain separating Jiro's half from the bit containing the other bed. And the comatose Kyle.
Rising in a crouch, back to the divider, Acacia draws the curtain back a bit. Peering over her shoulder into the darkened, shadowed half of the room. She sees the figure lying on the bed, noting his condition. It's the first good look she's gotten of Jiro's friend. Pity it has to be under such...conditions.
She turns back. Snarling. She'll protect him, alright. But only because he's important to Jiro.
Otherwise? Well. The unconscious nurse sprawled in front of the door kinda shows how much Acacia respects personal health, otherwise.
COMBATSYS: K9999 endures Jiro's Rebel Spike.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Jiro 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 K9999
Jiro's display of "manliness" is met with a nod from Brad, the other man crossing his arms and giving a quick, short nod to Jiro. "Good show. That's your friend over there?" A nod to the curtained body. "What happened to him?" He's entirely uncaring about Jiro's show of rage... that's what happens in a fight, ladies. "He get the shit beaten out of him? Sounds like something you should take care of, Kasagi." And then Jiro's running at him with that Fist Of Fury... Pitt simply takes a moment to step back, fist clenched for a moment, jaw set. "Come on, kid. Show me you've got /something/ I can work with."
Jiro's fist connects with Pitt's chin, and Brad steps into the boy's attack, growling out with his own, fierce punch rocketing towards Kasagi's head. If it hits, well, they both go down. If it doesn't, Brad winds up on the floor, laughing about how great the fight was.
Blood stains his chin and nose, now, bubbling on his lips while he speaks. "What're you doing? Can't you see a teacher when he's doing the best he can to educate you?! Fuck me, Kasagi?! Fuck /this/! You DON'T NEED THIS!"
COMBATSYS: Jiro blocks K9999's Strong Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Jiro 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 K9999
The person that's in the medical bed is a brown skinned man, whose hair is styled in cornrolls. The African-American teenager looks to be around Jiro's age. His nose looks like it was broken in from being smashed by something, so it looks wider than usual. His eyes are closed, he's looking rather peaceful. Not only that, but the life monitor is blinking several times, signaling that there is still life within the young man.
Meanwhile...
Jiro is busying himself dealing with Brad. Because while Jiro and Brad are still in the air, the y oung man immediately lifts an arm up to help block the incoming strike, which hits his arms quite hard. But not as bad as the strike could of been, all considering.
Now the fighters are outside of the door. The doctors and nurses are gaping while two people are fighting in the hospital. This causes for brown skinned doctor in his fourties to come in, "Hey! You're not supposed to fight here!"
Jiro merely flips the man off, then he draws his right hand out, grabbing a hold of an unused wheel chair. What does Jiro plan to do with the wheel chair?
...He's sending it flying straight towards Brad Pitt's direction. He is staggering around, still suffering blood loss. He hasn't fully recovered.
COMBATSYS: Jiro successfully hits K9999 with Large Thrown Object.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Jiro 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 K9999
"Tell that to -Mister Pitt-," Acacia hisses, to the doctor, snapping her gaze to the 'movie star'. Just as the wheelchair flies across the hospital room, on its trajectory of death.
She seems rather gratified by that particular act, giving a little smile. But only a little. Because she's still worried about what this fight is -doing- to Jiro, given his existing injuries...
...but she holds her ground, for now. Rising, in a crouch, from the kneeling position she landed in. Standing, feet apart, her back to the curtain blocking Kyle's side of the room.
She snarls, again.
Brad doesn't even try to move. He's not attacking either. Rather, the man simply lets the wheelchair collide with his stomach, giving a harsh "whoof" and tumbling to the ground, writhing dramatically amidst a bunch of broken bottles and vases. "Ach... shit, kid.." His hand clutches at the small of his back, even while his other hand grabs at handles and countertops, an attempt to pull himself up. "When you're pissed, you know how to fight, eh?" Brad eventually regains his feet, taking a moment to recover. "...Christ, I think you might be the most interesting kid I've met yet. You ready to give up on this Sally shit, and make something of yourself?"
Brad's propositioning Jiro. "I don't know how to do that fire shit, but I'll teach you how to deal with getting hit. There's an art to it, and.." Well, he laughs, even as blood drips from his chin. The doctors are terrified. "You suck at it, boy. You could learn how to look at the world a little differently, I think. That's why I'm here."
COMBATSYS: K9999 focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Jiro 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 K9999
An irritable old man tucks his head out, glaring around and he says, "You bitches stop making such a racket and get me my sponge ba---oh snap!" He tucks his head out when the wheel chair and vases zoom past his way.
...Meanwhile...
The Stray Dog growls under his breath, crouching low while he is busy trying to keep his stance. Shirtless, bleeding, and very much in pain, Jiro collapses onto one knee, then his eyes urn to a more feral look.
"Eh...?" He grits his teeth, then he growls, "....And what the hell can -you- teach...?" He tightens his fist, slamming it against the ground while he's struggling to continue the fight. He knows that he'll collapse soon. But it'll be a cold day in hell that he'll give up.
COMBATSYS: Jiro focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Jiro 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 K9999
"...how to be a violent prettyboy?"
Acacia makes the quip with a good amount of sarcasm. So thick it's suitable for use as a bludgeon. Her frown echoes the sentiment, brow knitting as she watches the two, eyes shifting between both combatants. A dangerous impasse. She can tell. And she doesn't like it.
COMBATSYS: Jiro fails to counter Grab and Chop from K9999 with Bull Fist.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
K9999 1/------=/=======|
COMBATSYS: Jiro can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
K9999 1/------=/=======|
Brad sprints forward, grabbing Jiro by both shoulders, and holding him up like a father would hold his son. "What can I teach?! I'm not gonna teach you anything." He shoves Jiro against the wall, now, hard. "What do you think the point of fighting is, huh?" He shoves him again. "To beat the other guy? To prove you're better?!" Another shove, this one shaking the TV across the room. "You're not in this, Jiro, to prove who's best or to defend honor or to make a point or anything! You've got ideas! You've to passion and hope and truth and whatever else! And what do you DO with it, Jiro?!" Brad throws the kid onto his bed, and looks down at him, shaking his head. "I'm fucking sick of you newage fighting kids. Think everything works better with fire, think that the only point to a bout is to show off." A heavy kick is delivered to Jiro's side. "It's about the pain, kid. It's about expressing yourself, and letting whatever comes your way cleanse you of your sins and worries. I'm a bad man, you're a good kid. We've all got problems, we pay for 'em somehow. You don't know /anything/, Jiro, until you LEARN that nothing you do matters!" Another heavy kick, and Brad turns to face his audience. "What do you want?!"
Jiro is aiming to attempt to keep the man from grabbing his way, because Jiro has his fist ready to slam against Brad very hard. But unfortunately, he is taken off-balance by the shove towards the wall. A very painful crunch echos into the air as he is a grinding against the wall hard. Blood comes out from Jiro's mouth, and the shoulder. He is suffering major blood loss at this point.
His vision is starting to wan, but he can hear Brad. Then he is slammed back onto the bed. It doesn't help that he's given another kick to the side, which causes blood to come out of the mouth. "Eghnnkkk..." He'sgiven another kick while he's on the bed, his face not looking too hot.
Then, he growls under his breath, twitching. "....To be strong.... to survive....and..." He groans out while the bloodrunning to the bathrobe-turned skirt. "U...ghnnk.... to keep bitches..like you... from taking what friends I have...." And Jiro collapses into the land of unconsciousness.
Acacia's eyes glint, as Jiro answers. The man wearing Brad Pitt's face asked a very tough question. What do you want?
He was demanding it of his audience. Yelling at the doctors and nurses, the patients, everyone staring at the chaotic scene through the hospital ward's doorway.
But none of them seemed inclined to respond. So Jiro did.
"I agree." Acacia's voice sounds strange. Distant. It's soft, quiet, the syllables barely audible as they slip from her lips.
She's hardly an imposing figure. All of five feet in height, ninety pounds soaking wet. Her baggy clothes and oversized army jacket actually emphasize the lightness of her build, instead of hiding it.
But when she slams her fist into the wall, it -cracks-, plaster shattering all the way to the brick beneath.
Acacia pulls her hand away, skin unmarred from the blow.
It didn't do much to vent her anger.
"You hurt him," she says, in that same tone, "so..."
The quality of her voice changes, then. Her intonation growing fluidic, with an undercurrent of an accent. Not the vaguely Metro City inflections that usually colour her voice, but something else. Something from another language. Not English.
"...I break you."
But angry. Definitely angry.
Then, Acacia moves. Without warning. Like a spring uncoiling, tensed muscles releasing their energy. Throwing her forward, leading with her fist. Blazing past the hospital bed, where Jiro lies. To 'Brad'. Leading with her knuckles.
COMBATSYS: Acacia has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 K9999
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits K9999 with Mass Driver.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/------=|=======\====---\1 K9999
He turns just as Acacia's running towards him, throwing a blanket at Jiro as the boy slumps into unconsciousness. "Fucking useless. You don't need friends, kid, you need drive." And Acacia's fists catch him right across the jaw, sending blood flying across the hospital room... landing on some nurse's pristine white outfit. Brad hits the ground hard, but comes to a knee within a moment or two, those pearly white teeth of his gleaming white amidst the blood in his mouth. "Two, eh? Well, fine. I can take two, if you come in fuckin' pairs." He gets up to a standing position, and whirls his arms around some, doing the very best he can to look like, well. Some kind of kung fu expert. "Wa-taaa!" High-pitched, Brad yelps as he throws a sheet at the girl, bringing it around with whip-like motions. The goal is to obscure her vision and confuse her.
COMBATSYS: K9999 successfully hits Acacia with Dust Wave.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/--=====|=======\======-\1 K9999
She can't believe this. She just. Can't. Believe this.
Acacia's eyes narrow, as she unleashes a wordless gutteral scream. Charging at "Brad". But that doesn't stop her from getting ensnared in the sheet, the sheer speed and force from the throw slamming her in a tangled mass against the wall. The impact -hurts- too, her redirected momentum doing...rather nasty things. She manages to leave -another- fresh crater in the wall, a spiderweb of cracks working its way out from where she hit.
Acacia rips the sheet aside, lungs heaving, as she gasps for air. She grits her teeth, jaw grinding. Okay. She was mad earlier. Now she's just even more so.
"Now," she growls, "who's fucking showing off? Mister goddamned MOVIE STAR?"
She dives forward. One arm shooting out, latching hold of the end of Jiro's hospital bed. Dislodging his patient chart in the process, but she doesn't seem...particularly concerned about that, no. Using it as a pivot, swinging her body round, feet flashing into the air. Booted heels driving for Mister Pitt's beautiful bloody jaw.
COMBATSYS: K9999 blocks Acacia's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Acacia 0/-------/--=====|=======\=======\1 K9999
Heh, the girl's furious, isn't she? Brad gives an impressed nod as she recovers from the sheet to the head, and resumes his Totally Not Accurate fighting style, waiting for Acacia to strike back. When she does so, he throws an arm down, eyes narrowing in a manly way(Nurse Beatrice would get all fluttery), and deflects her foot easily enough. "Showing off? Sweetheart, sometimes it's good to show people what the right way to do things is. Kasagi doesn't understand how to fight, that's all. Maybe he'll dream of us."
Then he lunges forward, fingers grabbing for Acacia's head and neck, an attempt to pull her down into his rising knee. It'd hurt like a bitch when it hit, sure, but he could deal with that. After all, it wasn't like he wasn't hurting all over.
COMBATSYS: Acacia endures K9999's Sudden Slam.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Acacia 1/------=/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 K9999
"He'll dream of -me-," Acacia spits back, eyes flaring behind stray, sweat-slicked strands of silver hair, "-you-...well, he's not -gay-, sorry."
Even as she makes the quip, the raging machine of violence calling itself Brad Pitt...is already grabbing hold of her, vice-like fingers closing round the base of her head. Dragging her down, into the path of a painful knee.
It must be painful, anyway. Certainly, it draws a gasp of horror from the gathered onlookers, the doctors, nurses, and patients lucky - or unlucky - enough to witness this spectacle.
A gasp from them. But Acacia, herself? She doesn't make a sound. No. She just -smiles-. A serene little smile, heedless of the knee driven into her skull.
Then?
She moves.
Because, Acacia's always lived by one simple principle. If they pull you close to them...
...they're close to you.
She snakes one arm.
Down.
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits K9999 with Immovable Object.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Acacia 0/-------/-------|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 K9999
...and grabs hold, between his legs. One slender hand closing round Mister Pitt's family jewels.
And?
Squeezing.
Hard.
Very hard.
Very, very hard.
Brad just grunts as his boys are grabbed, dropping to his knees, eyes wide. "Jesus, Susie.." The man stays there a moment, gasping, and pushes her back, getting to his feet. Brad Pitt, while he is obviously insane, is very good at dealing with pain. He can't much fight anymore, his body's about to give out, but he'd be /damned/ if he were to be caught here. Rolento still needed help in this city thing, and it'd make the SAG look bad if they didn't do what they could to save their actors. So what does Pitt do? He lurches to his feet, groaning, blood drooling from his slashed lips, and moves towards the door.
Just as he's there, though, the man holds up a finger(a shaking finger), and moves back to the bed he threw his jacket on. "Forgot this." It's a very pinched voice he uses. "You've got a good grip." He turns once more, and starts to leave. As he passes Acacia, though, the man manages to throw a quick, weak punch to her stomach. If it hits, though... well, the resultant /BOOM/ would be enough to set a few of the patients in the adjacent rooms to wakedness(Note, the armcannon is a chi manifestation, so his arm doesn't necessarily shapeshift. It's just a loaded punch)
COMBATSYS: K9999 can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Acacia 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: K9999 successfully hits Acacia with Armcannon Blast.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Acacia 0/-------/---====|
"Nnngghh," Acacia manages, pulling herself out of...well, -yet another- Acacia-shaped crater in the much-abused hospital wall. In the -next room-. Having been thrown completely through the wall of Jiro's ward, into the next one. The two patients in there look more than a little shell-shocked about having a girl come crashing through the way she did.
Acacia's not too happy about it, herself. She hauls herself out of the crater, plaster dust and bits of shattered brick cascading from her clothes as she does so.
With narrowed eyes, she regards the direction in which the faux movie star walked off.
"Movie star, my ass," she mutters, out loud, shaking her head.
Rubbing her sore midsection - damn, that's gonna leave a bruise in the morning - Acacia stumbles to her feet, and makes eye contact with a doctor. Not for herself, though. She points a trembling finger at Jiro, still lying bloody and beaten on the bed.
"SOME HELP, HERE?"
And, she stands and glares until Jiro gets it.
Not many people are willing to argue with a fighter like Acacia. Especially since she's snarling like a rabid animal.
COMBATSYS: Acacia has ended the fight here.
Log created by Jiro, and last modified on 17:25:52 09/06/2005.