fuckinstoplights | 2 - [action]

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2 - [action]

[After the events of the revolt left him looking like he'd been in a car accident, after they'd been returned out of nowhere... he'd slipped away. As best he could, anyway, considering he was dragging a leg, and cradling a sparking arm against his chest.]

[A mechanic. He had to find a mechanic. Or an engineer. Someone capable of repairing the damage without making it worse.]

[So far? Not so good. All he's found is empty rooms, and an ever-present warning of low fuel levels. Which means he needs gasoline, as well as repairs. And he's found neither.]

[He ends up seated against the wall of the chapel, holding his damaged side, and looking up at the sky.]

[Do you approach?]

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[Yeah, slipping away as best as he could isn't nearly enough to keep Nick from following him. Nick made sure Monroe and Julian were okay, got them settled, and then took off after the robot.

He had no idea if there was anything he could actually do, but he couldn't let Kagerou go off by himself, injured.

When Nick finds him sitting against the chapel wall, he fights down a stab of worry and crouches next to him, pulling out the journal to translate.]

What do you need?

[This human is persistent.]

[He waits a moment or two before responding, shaking his head slowly. There are a lot of things he needs right now. But it's doubtful a police officer can provide all of them in most cases, impossible in another.]

Gasoline.

[That one seems more likely than not.]

[Persistent is a good word for him. Some people use much less flattering words.

Nick waits, trying not to focus too much on the obvious signs of Kagerou's injuries. He gives a slightly crooked smile at the eventual answer.]

That I can manage. Where've you been getting it?

I haven't.

[He hadn't needed to refuel when he'd arrived, and, almost immediately afterward, they'd been off on their strange adventure. There hadn't been time. There hadn't been a need.]

You... right, okay, that's slightly more problematic.

[Nick considers for a few moments, going over what he knows of the Keep, what he's found during all the exploration he's done. When he's had nothing else to do.]

There were a couple of cars in the stables. Hang on, I'll go see if they have anything.

It is. It's more important than repairs.

[Since nothing is too badly damaged to endanger his life. The fuel situation might be, though.]

I'm not going anywhere.

[Nick reaches out to set a hand briefly on Kagerou's uninjured shoulder. He'll get the robot accustomed to touching whether he likes it or not.]

I'll be back as quick as possible.

[He heads off in the direction of the stables. When he returns a little while later, he has a bucket of fuel, a funnel, and a tube that was meant more for glass blowing than siphoning from cars, but worked well enough.]

I'm not sure how much you need, but there's some more in the other car.

[And, predictably, he pulls his shoulder away again. But he nods. He doesn't have anywhere else to go. He'll be here.]

[When Nick returns, he eyes the supplies. Not... really what he was expecting, but it's not like he has a choice at this point. Another nod, since the human isn't holding his translating book. He holds out a hand.]

[One day, man, Nick'll get him not to pull away.

Also, hey, it's the best he could do in a medieval keep. Apparently they weren't planning on accommodating Japanese fuel eating robots.

Nick hands over the supplies, then pulls his book back out, in case there's something else he needs to do.]

[He doesn't say anything for a while. He's busying himself with... taking care of business. Which... entails... popping open a very awkward part of his anatomy, and sticking the funnel in.]

[And from there, it's just a matter of pouring in the gas from the bucket. Very slowly.]

[... Nick, you are so lucky there's no one around to see what's happening here, or you'd have a hell of a lot of explaining to do. And no, he doesn't see one thing wrong with any of this nonsense.]

[That is absolutely not what Nick was expecting. When Kagerou flips open that little hatch, or whatever, Nick raises an eyebrow, obviously confused.

And then he just stares a bit, because what. No, really. What.]

And here I thought you were going to drink it, or something.

[But, okay. Apparently whoever designed them was an interesting person.

Still, it looks like it's hard to do alone, so Nick's going to... try to help. And not think of how awkward it is. He puts aside the book and moves forward, slowly. If Kagerou will let him, he'll hold the funnel in place.]

[He doesn't see anything wrong with this. It's just how you do it, right? No one's ever showed him anything else.]

[Luckily, it's just refueling, so it's not as if he's going to sit there making awkward noises. Just, quietly doing what he's gotta do, and waiting for the tank to fill. Though when Nick speaks, he looks up, checking the journal.]

Drink it...?

[Nick you have no idea how "interesting".]

[He gives him a weird look. He can do this on his own. He's not incapable... why is this...?]

You don't have to do that.

[Yes. Yes that is how you do it. Apparently.

That's possibly something Nick could have gone without learning, but hey. The more you know.]

Right, drinking it would be weird.

[Sure he can do it on his own. But it'll be easier with one person holding, and one person pouring, especially with Kagerou injured.

Nick might not be able to fix him, but he can at least help with this.]

I didn't know we could...

[He wasn't around for that episode, Nick.]

[But after about half the bucket, he stops, to move it away from himself. Saving some for later would be best. He can operate on less than a full tank, after all.]

I don't know if you can either, man. I'm not sure if you should try it based on what I thought.

[Well he should have been.

But really, for all Nick knows, that could cause Kagerou some kind of harm. Which he definitely doesn't need.

When Kagerou stops and moves the bucket away, Nick pulls away the funnel, offering it to him before looking back down at the book again.]

I've got to learn some Japanese. Or teach you English, either one.

I should wait, then. Until there's some way to know for certain.

[Nick. Nick do you have any idea where the funnel was. Do you?]

[He looks down, frowning. Then closes the hatch, watching Nick.]

I can learn English. I need to hear it more. See the text in context.

That's probably a good idea.

[Or at least until they know if there's someone there that can fix him.

Yes. Yes he does know. Such a unique bonding experience.]

I can do that. More than this, anyway, we can do actual lessons.

I thought so.

[He already feels a little better. Just a little. Since, you know, he's not starving.]

You really want to instruct me? Do you know anything of my language?

[...uh. Does dealing with a Wesen from a Japanese legend count?]

I've read a few scrolls in Japanese.

[Not that he understood what they were saying until he found out the information elsewhere, but still. Nick holds up the book.]

But that's what this is for.

Scrolls?

[He tilts his head. Then looks down at the ground. One finger trails in the dirt.]

Is this familiar?

[His finger forms the symbol:]

[ 影 ]

[kage : shadow]

[Then he glances up, uncertain.]

It is... not how my name is spelled... but the sound is the same. And I like how it looks. It's important.

Edited 2012-08-11 08:31 (UTC)

[Nick watches him draw, leaning in curiously, and his expression lights up a bit when he does recognize it.

It's times like this that he's grateful for memory. Of course, he remembers it from a scroll about a spider creature that comes out of the shadows at night to eat your insides, but still.]

I do know that one, actually. But now I have more meaning to put on it.

[He brightens very slightly. Someone knows it. He knows his name is spelled with an entirely different alphabet, but at the same time, this feels like it has more meaning.]

[And someone understands the meaning -- even if it's just the syllables.]

I didn't think anyone would.

[Nick doesn't have any real idea about the different alphabets, but he's more than happy to have this meaning to ascribe it to, instead of just shadows with spider creatures lurking in them.]

I'm full of surprises, man.

I've noticed.

[He goes quiet again, absently writing in the dirt. Other names. But these, he doesn't explain.]

Like the other human being in the strange place.

[He... means Monroe, but doesn't have a word for what the guy is. So. "Human being" it is.]

[He just grins at the first part, amused, and then watches Kagerou draw, absently taking in the symbols despite the lack of explanation.

Nick has to think about the other comment for a moment, trying to figure out which of the others had shown a surprise. He can only think of either Monroe, showing his Blutbad self, or Change, with... well, everything about him.]

Monroe, or the man we found?

[He's repeating the symbol for "shadow", along with カゲロ− and シャド丸, over and over again.]

[He tilts his head at the question, scanning the journal for the translation.]

Not the prisoner. The other.

[He glances down again.]

The one you spoke of, isn't he?

[Nick's just going to remember that, just in case. Not that he'll have any way to look it up, but you never know.

He nods at the first comment, and opens his mouth to reply, but stops at the question. There's a soft huff, part amusement, part self-depreciation.

Apparently he's that obvious, but then, given Leo's comments at the Lowen Games, it's not like that's really news to Nick.]

Yeah. That's him.

[These are the most important words in the universe, Nick. Whether or not they're understood.]

[At the huff, he looks up again, studying him. He tilts his head to one side.]

You're lucky.

[He's said it before, but after their little adventure, he sort of feels like it bears repeating.]

[He makes a face at first, because given his life lately - only family dying, finding out his parents were murdered, seeing things no one should see, people trying to kill him, having to kill people, relationship all but failing, getting kidnapped here - he's not sure he considers himself all that lucky.

But then his expression softens, turns slightly fond, because he knows what Kagerou means. And Nick is more than lucky to have found Monroe to help him out with all of this.]

I know.

[Then he shakes his head slightly.]

What do you need, to look at you? Mechanic, engineer?

[He looks at him, at the face he's making, waiting for an explanation. The way he sees it, this human is luckier than he knows, to have such an important person here, with him.]

[At Nick's acknowledgment, he nods. Good.]

Engineer.

That was who saw to repairs... where I come from.

[Nick is definitely luckier than he knows. Luckier than he'll admit, at least yet, though he'll admit to knowing part of it.

The part that means the person he trust the most is actually here, which is a pretty big part.

But he's somewhat relieved to move on to another topic, especially one he's worried about as much as getting Kagerou fixed.]

Okay. I'll look for one of those, then.

[He nods, absently returning to his drawings...]

[Then glances back up.]

Don't let them come alone.

Of course not. I'll be there.

[He may not have directly asked, but the implication is there, and that's enough to make Nick smile a bit.]

Do you need help to your room, or are you good here?

[He nods slightly, satisfied. He can manage with a stranger, if someone is around that he trusts.]

I... like it out here, better. I like the sky.

Edited 2012-08-16 06:38 (UTC)

[The good thing about Nick is also the annoying thing about Nick. You can pretty much always trust him to be around.

At that, Nick looks up at the sky, staring for a long few moments. It's somewhat strange, without a sun, but he has to agree that he likes it, too. It might only be the illusion of freedom, but it's better than the cells they have for rooms.]

All right. I'll let you know what I find out.

[Fake or not, the sky was... freedom. Open air. Nothing holding him down. And... something he'd shared with his other half. They both flew. It had felt so free to the both of them.]

[It... reminds him of him.]

[He nods.]

I will be here.

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