speechless

Rebecca had quickly learned that skating on your own was not a lot of fun. In fact, she was quickly learning that doing a lot of thing by herself was not as much fun as she had hoped it would be. 

Feeling more than a little glum, she had been returning her own skates, her attention occupied by her mind deciding to play memories of all those who were still ‘home’.

“Oh, sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Offering him a smile, she leaned down and picked up the skates for him. Was it just her, or did he seem nervous?

Luckily for him, she didn’t work here, and she seemed kind of...Easy to lie to. Especially being some poor, bedraggled, mute boy. Hey, sometimes his past had its perks in a place like that. Rather than a medley of people in the same situation, there were well-off people looking for someone to pity.

Not that he could blame them, he was particularly pitiable.

Rumors of an abandoned city was enough to draw Link’s attention any day- but this city left a melancholic feeling in Link’s chest as he looked around, wondering just what had happened to cause all this. Was there some sort of disaster? Had someone horrible done something? He was only pulled from his thoughts when he noticed a familiar face, walking over.

‘Same for me! I was curious about this place… it seems sad.’

[Really?] The teen walked over and kicked another nondescript rock. [I guess I can kind of get that.] The place was practically a geometric maze. But more than that, what worried him was...

Tetsuro’s batch is just macha and condensed milk…

He’s never had matcha before.

The teen’s mechanical hands were pressed against the glass of the skate zone, looking in at everyone else having a good time. Mermaid Cove mall was full of so many such things, like the trampoline park, that would be good for when the Boardwalk was close.

Too bad you had to have money for that kind of thing.

Unless you snuck in. Which was the next few minutes. Carefully, he slipped past the front desk, grabbed his size of skates.

And then bumped into someone as he was leaving, dropping the skates.

Kicking some rubble out of the way, Tetsuro exhaled. The deep fog escaping his mouth was a signal of it becoming cold again, and that winter didn’t seem to be ending very soon, and Yesteryear was a pretty good place to go kick rocks.

He shouldn’t be out too long, but the bite of metal against his skin wasn’t too bad yet. He could withstand it a little longer. If only because he had just spotted his friend.

He would choose being a normal kid with a dad who loved him.

He would choose to be Tetsuro Inui.

“i’m in the–”

he answered too late, evidently. jyuzo sticks his head around the kitchen door, his brow furrowing at the sight of the homework left abandoned on the table. sighing and wiping his hands dry with a dishrag, he tosses it into the sink and makes his way over.

“hey, you.” leaning over the back of the couch, he snatches a cookie out of tetsuro’s hand and stuffs it into his own mouth. “if you do your homework, i’ll take you to the boardwalk. how’s that for a deal?”

He jumped at his dad’s voice, sinking into the couch and busying himself with the TV. If he didn’t look him in the eyes, maybe Tetsuro could pretend he didn’t hear. No such luck when the weight on the couch was felt, and he looked up.

“Nice try, dad,” the teen sighed, “But the Boardwalk’s closed after Christmas.” He had the schedule memorized since he was a little kid. They went all summer, every summer season.

“Dad, you home?” The teenager dropped off his bag at the entryway, shivering as he took off his winter coat and hung it. This apartment was a little smaller than their last - but he was fine with it. No answer - if his dad wasn’t home, he wasn’t gonna get started on his homework right away. Taking out his notebook and agenda, he placed them on the dining room table.

And then promptly walked away.

(muffled happy sobbing in the distance)

TETSURO INUI | SUBVERSION AU

Adopted son of Jyuzo Inui from a young age. Well taken care of despite being pretty small for his age.

No robotic parts or voice augmentation, aside from having to move around a lot has had a pretty normal life.

Has a vested interest in law enforcement, enrolled in hall monitor duties in middle school and has continued that in high school.

- Noel

Was what is said. Gnawing at his lower lip, Tetsuro sat alone in his room and stared at the box. As though staring would open it up, or reveal the contents to him. After a while of pressing his ear to the box, and listening to the others in his apartment open their boxes, he finally opened it.

And nothing was there.

Dejected, tricked, he rolled into bed for the night, disappointment coloring his features. Looking out at the snow falling down from his position on the bed, his limbs felt all the more heavy for it.

When he woke up in the morning, something was off.

He yawned, sitting up, and he felt...Lighter.

It took his eyes a moment to adjust, and he saw bare hands. Blinking, he pinched his cheek, and then pinched his arm. The skin on his arm. No longer mottled by scar tissue and bolts, unscathed. He could move them, his arms and legs, not a modification to be seen. Ripping off his covers, Tetsuro stared in awe at scrawny, bare, legs looking back at him. Tentatively, he moved them, bending each knee before sliding over and placing them on the ground.

Moment of truth, he stood gingerly, careful to test for any muscle atrophy.

There was none.

“What the he-”

He stopped, hand at his throat. That was his voice. No modification. No extend. No using Harmonie. That was...His own voice. Reaching back, he felt nothing at the back of his neck. Nothing.