video. username: s.cougar

[radicalspeed]

Ah, to be young and alive! Breathe in the air, enjoy the scenery, get to know the people...

Let me tell you a little philosophy...

[The young man in the video — he's such a character in hair alone (what on earth is going on with it) — sits in his rented hospital wheelchair in his simple apartment space on floor 14 (needs a little work, he thinks, not nearly enough reading material or flashy bits). In one hand, he's got some silly romance novel that's clearly forgotten, and he looks a bit weary, a bit hollowed out from battles not yet mentioned, but he's clearly so very jazzed about the opportunity to be here in Riverview. After all, he'd thought he'd be a dead man, and though he's hardly out of the woods entirely, he has more time to keep going! More time to really go the extra mile -- literally! Ahahahaha!

Oh, yes, the philosophy. Ehem.

At this point, his mouth is moving a mile a minute.]



That's the fun of travel, and there's no better travel than hopping worlds; think about it...! Of all the universes and all the galaxies, you were extended a hand to this place — a one in a trillion chance, perhaps more, to be among the stars! Or perhaps to shoot across time and space like one...! More time to chase after longevity, to meet records, to dash down the sin of sloth. We all have the right to free will! Free will to fall in love, to learn and grow and develop new and interesting hobbies and ideas and concepts of what it is to be our own individual self; individuality is key! [He's balancing on one wheelchair wheel, spinning in a circle. Stop him. STOP HIM.] But what's the point of all that if you're too slow to get around to it, huh?! Don't let yourself hold you back!! If you want something, reach for it, so you know what that means—?!

[He stops. Drops back onto all his wheels, so tickled.]

Anyone interested in wheelchair racing?

[Sometimes (most times) he just can't help himself.]

Comments

[radicalspeed]

Huh? That's Radical Good Speed, of course.

[He glances over from his seat, confused.]

But died's a little dramatic, don't you think? I'm way better than you're giving me credit for.

Besides, what's life without a little adrenaline?

[OH GOD THE WHEELCHAIR CAR IS MOVING AGAIN --

... The speed limit, very relaxingly.]

[relieable]

[Osomatsu braces for MOVEMENT... but finds they're not going at super sonic speed again. okay]

Adrenaline's one thing, I thought my heart was gonna leap into my throat.

[but he's not that mad. anymore, at least]

The name's Osomatsu.

[radicalspeed]

The name's Cougar — pleasure to make your acquaintance.

And I gotta say, you have a healthy pair of lungs on you. Have you ever considered taking up opera?

[He's being a little shit. But a pleasant one.]

[relieable]

[ah, a joke... well, Osomatsu can appreciate that, at least. he grins slightly]

Have you ever considered go-kart racing?

[radicalspeed]

You know, I would've, but most of my colleagues back home knew better.

[Ahaha~!]

I do plenty of racing on my own; you know, it never hurts to shrink time a little. Gives you more time to do everything else...! Even a few seconds more to go about your life instead of traveling from point a to b is a blessing, right?

[relieable]

Sure, I can see your point. [heh] I think I'm almost the complete opposite, though... I'm a huge time-waster who likes to take things slow.

[too slow, sometimes]

But I do get impatient every now and then.

[radicalspeed]

Then you needed that pick-me-up!!

It's no good, wasting time. Before you'll know it, you'll be on your last few minutes wondering where you put all that time at.

[He gives a mild smile, looking where he drives. And god, this must be the oddest looking shortcar.

Is that the word for it??]

But you also have a point. Racing through life, sometimes you... miss things in the rush.

[relieable]

[now that they are driving at a normal speed, Osomatsu's going to look around, enjoy the view from the shortcar]

Yeah, I don't wanna miss anything. [honestly, Osomatsu's pretty good about jumping into things face-first. he'd shown that just now, hadn't he?] You ever miss somethin' by going too fast?

1/2

[radicalspeed]

[Oh, absolutely. He's missed all sorts of things, in his youth. Crucial relationships, love, a home, a decent way of living. He missed a lot of things that made life worth living, that made the end of a life more filling. He drives for a moment, thoughtful, looking back with a little smile.]

Who, me...?

[radicalspeed]

I've probably missed a few decent road trip games, to say the least...!

It's hard to play I Spy when everything's a blur and your passengers never participate!

[relieable]

[oh... that's a good one! Osomatsu laughs]

I Spy isn't that fun anyway! In fact, it's kinda stupid, so you're not missin' much.

1/2

[radicalspeed]

[He glances over with a friendly little smirk. Not a bad guy, then! And heck, he recovers quickly from being absolutely terrified, to boot; Cougar's gotta admit, it's not too shabby, that personality of yours. Maybe you're sturdier than you look. (He just won't mention the high shriek you had all that while.)]

I like the way you think, Oromatsu--!

[radicalspeed]

[... Ah. A sharp pang runs up his legs and spine, and he winces a little; Osomatsu's seatbelt dissolves, followed by the ceiling over his head, and then one of the cool spikes on Cougar's side of the weird car-hybrid. As it slowly pulls over, it all just abruptly dissipates, leaving Osomatsu to tumble a short fall onto his butt to the sidewalk while Cougar plops back into a once again (albeit mildly dented) wheelchair.

Shoot, and they were getting closer to the apartment on such good time again. Cougar wipes a sleeve across his brow, feeling a headache at his temples and a slow weariness grow in his limbs; his doctor's gonna chide the hell out of him, he just knows it.]

Oops. My bad.

... Maybe not the best time for me to shrink... Well. Time.

[Go figure, the guy in a wheelchair wasn't at his strongest at the moment.]

[relieable]

[eh? What happened? Where did the fancy mini car go? Osomatsu lands on the sidewalk, not too roughly, but not gently, either. He's not in any pain, though he looks confused as anything]

...Huh? [he blinks, then turns to stare at Cougar. He'll, uh... he'll correct the name later] what was... That?

[radicalspeed]

[Cougar lays his glasses to sit on that long, strange sliver of hair that he can't seem to get slicked back; it works out in his favor, right? But he also looks a bit tired, like he'd been when he'd made the broadcast. Still! No reason to be down on yourself; he looks proud, actually.]

That was my Alter, of course! Radical Good Speed, I call it.

I can turn anything with wheels or wings into a thing of beauty.

[Among other talents. But he usually keeps that all hush-hush until he really needs to use it; after all, he prefers not to get too carried away with the legwork. Life's shorter than it was when he was 15 and darting all over the land like some whirlwind warrior.]

Buuut I guess I need to keep my work to a minimum, until the rest of me can catch up.

[relieable]

[hold up. Cougar can turn anything with wheels or wings into something else? bad ass]

That's so cool! [he shouts from his seat on the ground, clenching his fists as he looks up at Cougar] Is that normal where you come from? Can people just turn things into other things?

[radicalspeed]

[God, he looks so smug, don't feed his pride, Osomatsu.]

I wouldn't say normal, no. Iiiit's a pretty small pool globally, in the grand scheme of things. [He folds his glasses and contentedly puts them away in his pocket, smiling sharply, almost defiantly.] To the outside world, we're dangerous criminals capable of inconceivable destruction — awful mutants that need to be controlled and contained, before they cause too much chaos.

Pretty grim, wouldn't you say?

[relieable]

[no way! this as like some movie, or something. poor misguided mutants!]

But you're not a criminal, right? You're a hero, obviously!

[radicalspeed]

[Well, Cougar's not about to explain the complex social norms that is the Lost Ground. But that said, he's always had a decent understanding of right and wrong, even if he always got himself into scraps with others; taking from others, it's not really his thing, but he's had plenty of 'illegal' fights with others, among other things... Like property damage. Hell, it's how HOLD caught up with him and took him in.]

Something like that, sure. I prefer to be the driver and leave the punching and kicking to the others...

[His body hadn't really that well off to be getting into big fights, anyway.

Leave that to the young guns with their unrefined Alters.]

... but... being a hero isn't too bad a deal, when I need to be; we really gave some of the villains back home a run for their money. Not too shabby, even if the others weren't nearly as cool or fast as me.

I even got to defend the woman I loved from peril! Pretty great, right?

[relieable]

[Osomatsu likes to leave the heavy lifting to other people, too! let him come up with the ideas, and let other people fight for him]

That's super great! Man, I wish I had super powers, or even a little magic. Then I'd be, like, 'Pow! Zoom!' And stuff! Savin' everyone.

[radicalspeed]

Yeaaah, it's no fun being powerless.

... But at the same time, it's not always what it's cut out to be. Power, that is.

Back home, you'd be seen as a mark against society if you were an Alter, you know. Hardly someone any 'normal' person would want around them, even to protect them. Human nature can be pretty terrible that way, right? So many good qualities, but then you've got those ugly angles to it that shatter your hopes and expectations.

Better not to feel that kind of isolation, either.

It tends to make your bitter.

[relieable]

[ah... they got into a heavy conversation all of a sudden. Osomatsu listens, still seated on the sidewalk. when Cougar finally stops talking, then he gets to his feet.

he would hate to feel isolated, from anyone. but... he kind of is already, sort of? at least, the NEETs were social pariahs back at home. here, now, he feels isolated because his brothers are branching out. it's rough. that's why Osomatsu is in such a hurry to find friends of his own]

...Being an outcast sucks. [he finally says, tucking his hands into his pockets] ...Well! I think you're cool, at least. I'm nothing special myself, but I hope it makes you feel a little better!

1/2

[radicalspeed]

[Suddenly Cougar just laughs, loud and sharp, before elbowing the guy in the side.]

Ahaha! I'm just messin' with ya!

But I appreciate the compliment, Matsuoso.

[It only got worse, the name. But hey, he gives him some finger guns.]

[radicalspeed]

... Besides, more seriously - we all have something 'special' about us.

Someday, your nothing-special-ness might be the special thing that saves us all. You never know.

[relieable]

[matsuoso was fine? it was better than Oromatsu]

Yeah, right. When that happens, I'll be sure to let you know.