Good Cop Bad Cop: Chapter One

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One week. Asher has to be mean, Kay has to be nice. Whoever gives up first has to write a story for the winner. Should be... interesting.

Asher tried very hard to not look amused. Kay was so close to the breaking point, and it was both terrifying and funny. He got to work stitching Esk's cut once it was clean.

Esk kept his hand as still as possible and honestly was pretty grateful for the distraction of his irate brother. This hurt like hell.
He hissed softly and grit his teeth.

Kay finished mopping and cleared up.

Matt looked awkward and quite unsettled, clearly waiting for a lecture that hadn't yet come and wondering when the storm was going to hit.

Kay took quiet satisfaction in how upset and scared Matt looked, though it didn't help ease his annoyance. He wanted to know why he'd been juggling, but he knew if he found that out he'd just be angrier.

Asher finished fixing up Esk's hand and looked over at Matt. "All right, so why exactly were you juggling bottles?"

"Okay so... " Matt looked sheepish again. "I was trying to amuse the kids... and... I kinda misjudged and took too many things."

"he flung his glasses into the wall as well, it was pretty funny." Esk examined his hand.

"Yeah somehow they didn't break, am I lucky or what!?" Matt grinned, then looked coy. "uh... " He shuffled.

Esk looked down at his bloodied shirt. Good thing he usually wore dark colours huh? "you owe me a new sketchbook." He muttered.

"I said I was sorry about it!" Matt protested.

Kay sat down at his desk and took a few deep breaths. Damnit Matt... just.. damnit.

[Are you alright?] Kay wrote at last to Esk.

Esk nodded. "Just glass, it'll be fine. He's lucky he didn't hit a kid."

Matt stared at the floor. Damn... that was a good point.

Kay closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, trying to stay calm.

Asher facepalmed. Okay, it actually wasn't too hard to be mad at Matt this time. "Matt," he said quietly, "If you wish to entertain people, do so with juggling balls or something else that isn't heavy and won't break into dangerous shards if dropped. You should know better than that by your age. Goofing off isn't bad, but hurting innocent bystanders definitely is."

Matt didn't look up, he just mumbled a vague apology.

Esk looked smugly satisfied.

[Go finish tidying up Matt, please.] Kay wrote. Much as he wanted to throw something at him, because he'd damn well deserve it, he couldn't. Damnit.. not even a pen?
gah.

Esk hopped off the bed and walked over to Kay's desk, studying his face critically. "I dunno, maybe you should give this up, i'm no doctor but that twitch can't be healthy. Think of your blood pressure."

Kay squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth, he wanted SO badly to glare. No he was better than this, he was stronger than this, he would not rise to Esk's antagonism. [Try... to keep your hand clean and dry. The stitches should dissolve on their own in a week or so. Try not to scratch at them, even though they itch.]

Esk smirked, nodding and went over to Matt. "Come on, you still have a floor to mop."

"the bots were dealing with making sure the floor was safe..." Matt still looked rather deflated. "They're better at that than I am.."

Esk paused, looking at Asher and very quietly saying "thanks." Nodding, and then leaving the room.

Matt scurried after him, eager to get as far from both the medics as possible omg.

Asher smiled slightly at Esk as he left. The guy could be a bit of a jerk, but he was sensible in general, and Asher liked that.
He turned to Kay once the two were gone. Wow, he did look pretty mad. Oops, maybe this was a dangerous idea.

Kay's expression softened slightly as everyone left and it was just him and Asher again. His eye was still twitching though. He frowned. [Can we disown Matt?] He wrote. He wasn't serious of course, but damnit damnit damnit brother. How could he be the eldest here and still the most freaking stupid? [and am I allowed to break or throw something now?]

Asher laughed quietly. "Only if you throw something that isn't important, and isn't dangerous," he said. "Need a break? It's been a rough week."

Kay looked relieved, opening the drawer to take out a pen and hurl it pretty forcefully across the room.
It wasn't as satisfying as something breakable or heavy though.
He looked unimpressed.

[It's certainly been eventful. Do you think they just save up hurting themselves so they can do it all at once and piss us off or what?]

Asher watched Kay throw the pen, sort of feeling sorry for the guy. Poor, poor Kay, this hadn't been his idea at all! "Yes, they must plan this. How could there be so many people at once if it was all just random chance?"

Kay nodded. [Jerks.] He threw another pen, it was just as unsatisfying at the last one. Damnit. [We need heavier pens.]

Asher looked amused at that. "I think that would defeat the purpose of throwing pens instead of larger objects, don't you? Maybe there's a cardboard box you can trample to feel better. Or maybe you should just admit defeat."

Kay's eyes narrowed. He flicked a pen at Asher. [You're struggling just as much! ]

Asher dodged the pen, and picked it up, pocketing it."Yes, but my blood pressure is still normal." He looked pleased with himself.

[You don't even HAVE blood] Kay retorted. Ooo that smug look. He picked up another pen.

"Well that explains it, I suppose," Asher said sensibly. "I don't have to worry about my blood pressure, but you do." He eyed the pen.

Kay took aim, and flicked the pen at Asher. [My blood pressure is fine.] That was a lie, but damnit, Asher was not winning this on health grounds! That was cheating... somehow. Using his non organicness to win grrr grrr.

Asher dodged the pen again, hastily. "You're being awfully violent about this, it worries me," he pointed out, not especially worried.

Kay tilted his head, smirking oddly. [This isn't violent, they're only pens. Now stop moving.] He lined up another pen.

Asher gave Kay a look that tried to be mournful, but was mostly just amused. "Well if it makes you feel better, then go ahead," he said, holding still so Kay could actually hit him with a pen, "This is almost as traumatic as that time with the tax forms though."

Kay tried not to laugh as he flicked a pen at Asher's shoulder. The damn tax forms. [Throwing things at Matt would be more satisfying.] He admitted. [27 years old and he still acts like a child, eugh.]

"That would definitely be bad though," Asher told Kay gravely, letting the pen hit his shoulder and fall to the floor, "You just can't throw pens at patients in you're the good cop. It's that simple. Your brother is startlingly foolish sometimes though," he agreed.

[How about if he's not a patient?] Kay set his last pen down on the desk. [That said, your scolding him seemed to work much better than mine. He's far too used to me telling him off. I think he just tunes it out now.]

Asher picked up the pens off the floor, smugly pocketing them all. "Hmm, I don't know. You'd still be angry with him for health related reasons, right?" He smiled, "The best thing about being nice all the time is how people take you more seriously when you actually get mad. You should try it."

[I think if I had to be nice all the time I really would have a stroke.] Kay remarked, his eye had stopped twitching at least. [And besides, i'm not mean ALL the time. Only when people actually deserve it for being stupid or unreasonable or stubborn. ]

"They still expect you to be scary though," Asher said sagely, "Whereas when I tell off Matt, it's a shock." He laughed, "I can't imagine you being nice like this all the time though. It just isn't right."