jack-switch:

Jack huffs bitterly. “That won’t be a problem.”

“Glad we agree,” Keaton said before turned from Jack and heading back to his own bed.

ichorvcined:

“And, I’m sorry I get sad so much. It’s not like I want to be a downer. I just don’t know how to deal with all of this. So much happens and I feel like I never have time to catch up,” Mikey responded, still looking at his brother. He paused for a moment and then stood up. “Maybe I should just leave you alone, I’m obviously not helping you feel any better tonight.”

Keaton instantly grabbed Mikey’s arm, gently. “No, don’t do that,” he said. “Just because of what’s happened, don’t think you can’t talk to me. I could be having the worst day of my life and I would automatically be there for you. I know it feels like everything is crumbling, but what’s happened to me, you don’t have to deal with it if you don’t want to. It’s my problem to deal with it and if you can’t handle it, it’s fine. But don’t shut me out, Mikey."

ichorvcined:

Mikey sighed when Keaton mentioned his asthma. He still remembered how it felt to have smoke filling his lungs. It felt oddly familiar and yet made him almost want to cough again right now, but he fought it off as best as he could and even cleared his throat. He dropped his hands back down into his lap and looked over at Keaton. “Okay, fine, joke about it all you want, if that’s what gets you through. But, don’t harp on me like Blue does when I get sad, okay?” He asked, dead serious.

Keaton nodded. “Okay,” he replied, softly.

jack-switch:

Throughout Keaton’s monologue, Jack battles the urge to reach out and touch him. He almost fantasizes of how satisfying it could be to clasp his hand around Keaton’s wrist and watch his bad leg crumple. Jack wonders, after all these years of despising himself for never being able to keep a friend, if his disgusting power might be worth it if he can do this one thing. When Keaton leans close enough for Jack to spit on him, Jack turns his head to the side and mutters, “So we agree.”

Keaton straightened up. “Stay away from my family,” he told him, it was more of a threat if anything. But it was probably empty, once Keaton’s anger fades, he wouldn’t be as harsh but he was so angry and this was the boy finally losing a bit of control.

jack-switch:

Jack turns to face Keaton head on. “Your sister burned my eye out, I think I know how she feels, yeah. And I don’t know what you want from me. I feel like shit, how else do you want me to put it for you? Do you wanna cut my leg off? Stick your fucking finger in my other eye, if you want. Maybe when they let me out of here, I’ll just kill myself and that’ll be sufficient for you. I’m sorry! Okay? Just leave me alone. I know how to feel pathetic all by myself, thank you.”

“Well glad to know you already know you’re a pathetic coward,” he said, harshly. “My siblings got me out of there.” He released the arms of the chair that he was holding tightly in anger. He thought back to Mikey thinking that was it for him, that he lost another brother. “We lost 3 siblings within the last year and a half and you nearly almost made them lose a fourth.” That statement felt forced, he hated admitting it, he knew he almost died in there but for the sake of Blue and Mikey he hated saying it aloud. “Sure, my sister went a bit too far and if it was me, I’d probably lose it too.” His voice was beginning to rise in anger. “I’d also advise you to not even piss me off a little bit right now because right now, I’m ready to kill you but Blue’s done enough. Sad to say it wasn’t me.” He lifted himself up from the chair, painfully, situating his crutches. “And by the way, if I wanted you dead, you’d be it right now.” Keaton got scarily closer to Jack’s face. “I don’t fucking care what others think, I think you got what you deserved.”

ichorvcined:

“Yeah, minus a working leg. That’s pretty big,” He commented back quickly at Keaton’s attempt at a joke. He didn’t want to be this way but he was emotional. He sighed and nodded, seeing Keaton’s soft smile. “I’m trying to keep it as hard as I can,” He told his brother and then listened to what he had to say. “I’m fireproof, so is Blue,” He said like Keaton didn’t already know. “We had to go in and get you. There was literally no other way. You were the priority.”

“Yeah but you two aren’t safe from falling debris or a smoke filled room especially with you and your asthma. Being fireproof doesn’t make you guys invincible,” he replied. He thought to Mikey’s reaction to his joking about his leg and he looked down at his injured leg, the place where it was bleeding and where the nerve was damage, was wrapped up in a bandage. He bit his lip a little. “Honestly Mikey, if I don’t joke about it, I’ll freak out, and I’m trying so hard not to do that right now.”

jack-switch:

Jack shrugs, unable to explain himself. “I can’t help it.” He looks away from Keaton’s direction. “It’s what I do. I’m fucked up. I’m a sicko.”

“Well that’s one thing we agree on,” he replied, harshly. “So it was all a game to you? Does sorry even matter to you? Do you even feel any regret that you almost killed me? Do you know what you put my siblings through?”

jack-switch:

Jack turns and gives Keaton a miserable glance, for the first time wishing he had his old power. “I’m sorry.”

“Well sorry isn’t going to help me is it?” Keaton replied, straight-face. Keaton felt out of place, like he didn’t want this to be real. Looking at Jack’s face, Keaton felt a little bad, but his anger covered anything close to guilt or pity. “Why?” he asked. “Why’d you do it? Think it was fun or something? Do you have no conscience?”

jack-switch:

Jack watches Keaton limp toward his bedside and feels a shiver shake his spine. His mouth contorts into a frown and for a second, Jack almost begins to cry again. He turns his gaze away from Keaton, unable to look him in the eye. Gesturing in the direction of Keaton’s leg, he mumbles, “That.”

Keaton watched Jack carefully and when he gestured to his leg, Keaton gripped the arms of the chair tightly, trying to refrain from beating up Jack himself. If Blue hadn’t gotten to him first, Keaton would’ve probably be the one to be wailing of the kid laying in front of him, right now. Keaton was staring at the person who had caused him to lose the ability to walk. Keaton exhaled a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. “You were the one who set fire to the forges?” he asked through his teeth, anger seeping through his words. “Look at me, you coward.”

jack-switch:

Jack awakens to a startled cry that is not his own. Lifting his head, his gaze meets the frightened eyes of a nurse who has flinched away from his touch. “Why is everything… So flat?” Realizing that the pain has faded from his face, Jack lifts his hands to touch his burn, but when his hand passes over his nose, it leaves his line of sight. He touches his brow bone tentatively to feel for the bandage obstructing his eye, but meets only skin. “Why—” The nurse doesn’t wait for Jack to finish to hold up a mirror. Her apology is drowned out by the cry that erupts from Jack’s throat. Across his left eye and over the bridge of his nose, a grisly, pink scar stretches over his pale skin. His left eye, which has remained intact, has become mottled grey, like tarnished silver. The nurse cannot bear to hold the mirror up for longer than a few seconds before she lays it down on the table beside him, shuts the curtain, and leaves him alone to wail himself to sleep.

When Jack awakens again, the cry that startles him is his own. He lifts his head and now meets the eyes of another camper. Jack buries his face in his hands obscuring his scar and blind eye from the other. “Don’t look at me.” Desperate for privacy, he cracks his fingers and shoots the other a glare. But when their eyes meet, the fear inducing shock Jack expects is seemingly absent. Jack drops his right hand in defeat, making eye contact for the first time in a long time. Keeping the left side of his face obscured, he groans, “What do you want?”

Keaton was out of bed originally, feeling very anxious just staying in bed. He was surprised that he feel asleep, but it probably was the medication and ambrosia for the pain that did that. But he couldn’t stop thinking about his sister and the events that apparently unraveled last night. Keaton made his way over to Jack, sitting by his bed and setting his crutches down next to him. A million things were running through his head trying to think of why Blue would do this. When Jack spoke to him, Keaton jumped, “Why’d she do it?” was the first thing that came from Keaton’s mouth, he hadn’t been the most pleasant person lately and he didn’t want to deal with some punk messing with Blue too. “She doesn’t just do stuff like this without reason? So, what’d you do?”

chatzy | now it’s contact

Date: 01/09/17 Characters: Brent Vale, Jack Switch, Jesse Teague, Keaton Arkwright About: Brent and Jesse take Jack to the infirmary.

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ichorvcined:

Mikey let his brother wrap his arms around his frame and moved his own arm to attempt to wind around Keaton as much as he could in their current position. “Good,” He responded and then moved his arm again, only this time situating the heel of his hand under his eye. “I can’t handle losing anyone anymore. It hurts too much,” He explained and then paused. “When I saw you pinned down like that, I thought that was it. I thought I really had lost another brother…” He frowned deeply. “So, you better keep that promise, okay?” He said.

“Yeah, but you didn’t Mikey, I’m alive, just minus one working leg,” he tried to joke with a soft smile. “I’ll keep that promise as long as you keep it too. I’m glad you guys ran into the forges for be, I’ll thank you for that always, but you get just go running into burning buildings. You could’ve easily gotten hurt too.”

ichorvcined:

Once Keaton was in the bed once again, Mikey was relieved and remained standing only long enough to listen to his brother complain once again. Then, he took a seat on the bed and exhaled. “I hate this too,” He sighed. “I don’t want to see you like this either…” He commented and then looked down at his lap. “When will all this bad shit stop happening to us?” He asked, and then looked back at Keaton.

“I’ve been asking myself that for a while now,” he replied and then wrapped his arms around Mikey in a hug. “I promise Mikey, I’m here to stay, I’m not leaving you.”

ichorvcined:

Continued to slip a hand under his brother’s arm even despite Keaton’s protests. “You do it by letting me help you,” He stated with a little more force in his tone now. “This is not the time to be stubborn.”

Keaton sighed, he was now in more pain than before, the medication he was given starting to wear off and too weak to protest anymore, “I fucking hate this,” he mumbled as Mikey helped him into the bed, wincing as he sat down.

bluebryn:

Flashing a grin, Blue nods. “Welcome to the club.” She watched her brother eat and unwrapped her cheeseburger. “I’ll get you a nightstand punching bag or a stress ball or something.”

“Oh I’ve got a stressball,” Keaton said, pointing to the ball that’s rolled a few feet from them. “It’s how I ended up here. I think it was making me more stressed than before.” He took another bite, waiting a moment in silence. “Hey, uh, thanks Blue, y’know for getting me out of the forges.” His voice was a bit softer than before, looking down for a moment.

bluebryn

Blue shrugged. “I figured you’re more mad about this than I am, and it’s not gonna be fun if we both sit here and sulk.”

“Honestly I just kind of what to beat the crap out of something, I don’t know,” he replied shrugging before taking a bite of his cheeseburger. “I’m not too sure what to feel.”

bluebryn:

“That’s a lie, but I’d say the same thing.” Blue rounded the bed and sat in front of Keaton on the floor, seemingly unbothered by his place there. In between the two of them she placed down two cheeseburgers wrapped in paper. “Hope you’re hungry because I got us food,” she said. “And iced tea to wash it down.”

He decided to stay on the floor right now, feeling a little too in pain to try and figure out how to actually get up. Keaton gave a soft smile, taking the cheeseburger but he had a look of confusion on his face. “Are you feeling okay?” he asked, normally not seeing Blue act this nice.