InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Won-won."

Zach Kitano (coalintodiamond) wrote in nosuchplace,
@ 2009-10-06 13:36:00

Entry tags:

logan nagamori, zach kitano

Tuesday: February 12, 2008
Who: Zach and Logan
When: Mid-day
Where: The Alchemy Labs
What: Zach works on something very special for Dante.

Alchemy was a very precise science, and Zach concentrated hard on the vial in his hands as he poured just the right amount of mixture to the proper line indicated in the book. The heat of the fire burned at the right temperature as far as he could tell, but the most important part was adding the correct amounts of the ingredients meant to liquefy the metal and keep it from hardening once it cooled. The alchemist had no need of a solid substance but a liquid substance, and making liquid silver was tougher than it sounded. He hadn’t ever attempted it before, and he was afraid of messing it up. Everything hinged on him getting it right.

He poured it into the mold shaped like a small bowl on the end. With the flames blazing upward, Zach slid the iron mold into the fire and let the arm rest within the hooks. He backed away from the furnace and removed his gloves to toss them onto the table. Zach wiped the sweat from his forehead, letting out a sigh, as he wondered how long it would feel like as opposed to how long it would really take. He knew the search parties would be happening soon, and he wanted to be prepared to join them.

Walking out of the room for a small break, Zach made sure to set the timer. The funny thing was his timer was an hourglass, but it was just as good as a watch timer. Too bad the batteries on his watch died recently, and he hadn’t bothered to see if he could fix it or find an old wind-up watch to replace it.

Outside of the labs, it was much cooler, and he hugged his jacket close to his body. Zach wasn’t expecting visitors today, not to the alchemy labs. People rarely came out this way, and it was a lot like a private refuge for him these days. Sometimes, though, when people couldn’t find him elsewhere, they knew to look here.

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dreammaster
2009-10-13 03:08 am UTC (link)

Logan had gone out for a walk. He found himself at the alchemy labs. He knew Zach spent a lot of time out there. They hadn't gotten to spend much time together lately. Logan had been spending a lot of time with Chris and Charlie since they'd moved in. It made him feel a little guilty, especially after having dinner with Adrienne the night before. He didn't want to bother Zach, but he thought he could at least say hello.

Not long after he'd arrived, Zach had stepped out of the lab. Logan held up his hand in silent greeting. But he cocked his head, brow furrowed deeply. There seemed to be something on Zach's mind. Maybe he'd just been concentrating hard in the lab. Logan knew alchemy could be intense.

"Is everything all right?" Logan asked quietly. He didn't want to pry, but they were friends. Zach had helped him so many times. He wanted to be able to help him in return.

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coalintodiamond
2009-10-14 04:00 pm UTC (link)

Zach saw Logan approaching and smiled at his friend. They hadn’t spent much time together lately, but with current events no one could be blamed for it. Zach’s life was a mess, and he didn’t know how to make sense of any of the pieces—let alone figure out how to put it back together again. First, he had wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear, but now revenge burned in his veins clearer than any other feeling. He wanted to get Adrienne back, and the only way he could do it was to go after Dante with the search party.

Moving to sit down on the steps outside the doorway, Zach bundled his coat around himself and dug his hands deep into his pockets. A cool wind blew across his hair and ruffled it, and he wondered how all the events of his life led up to this particular moment. It was so strange how life worked.

“No,” Zach announced in all honesty, his gaze falling towards the ground. “I mean, it’d be nice if I could say ‘yes,’ but I can’t. Everything’s . . . everything’s so messed up right now.” Zach brought his hand to his face and pressed the heel of his palm hard against one of his eyes. He rubbed and took in a deep breath, expelling it from his lungs a moment later.

“If I sound like a whiner, you can just ignore me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been like this.” Zach folded his arms across his knees and sat hunched as he looked out in the distance.

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dreammaster
2009-10-21 02:41 pm UTC (link)

There was something strained in the way Zach smiled at him. It wasn't that Zach seemed unhappy to see him. The young man just seemed preoccupied and irritated. There was a feeling of dread coiling deep in Logan's stomach. He immediately thought that tracking down Zach today probably was not the best thing to do. But then, even if Zach was in a bad mood... Zach had helped Logan out time and again. It was the least Logan could do to return the favour, to try to help out just this once.

Worrying his lower lip, Logan sat down next to Zach. He blinked at the young man, curiosity and concerned etched in his innocent features. He didn't know exactly how to help, apart from listening. But then, he was good at that. Maybe that was all Zach needed.

"I kinda figured," Logan managed out softly. He bowed his head. "You didn't really look like everything was all right." He wrung his gloved hands, unsure of what else to do.

Taking a deep breath, Logan shook his head. "I don't think you're a whiner. Something's going on." He reached out a slightly trembling hand and put it on Zach's shoulder. "What's wrong?" If Zach would just tell him, maybe he could really do something to help, rather than just sit there like some idiot. He felt lost and helpless as his friend seemed to fold in on himself.

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coalintodiamond
2009-10-27 09:39 pm UTC (link)

Amusingly enough, Zach was glad that Logan had noticed everything wasn’t alright. He was also glad that Logan wasn’t the pushy type, demanding to be told whatever it was that had happened immediately. He had met enough people in the past who liked to pretend things were just fine when they weren’t, and it drove Zach insane. It was just as bad when someone like his sister came along and refused to let it go until Zach admitted everything at once. Zach needed his time and his space, but he also needed a friend who could recognize when things weren’t okay.

Zach bit back on his lip to prevent the insane sort of smile from appearing on his face that threatened to come forward. It was one of those panicked smiles people did when they were freaking out. Zach felt his nerves shaking somewhat, but he tightened his jaw and stilled the erratic jumps in his muscles, nodding his head at Logan as the other boy touched his shoulder. It was just the right tone of voice Zach needed to hear, and the right measure of concern he needed from a friend.

“Adrienne’s . . . ” Zach began, finding his words trailing off, unable to want to finish themselves. “Kidnapped,” he forced out, wringing his hands together. His jaw tightened again, anger flaring like lava underneath his skin. “Dante Donovan did it.”

Zach didn’t say it was Hayate’s fault, though. That wasn’t something he was ever going to tell anyone, and not because he gave a shit about Hayate, but because he wanted the focus to be on Dante right now—he wanted to find Adrienne. Hayate was just a pawn; he wasn’t important when it came down to it. If they found Dante and killed him, he’d never have to worry about Adrienne’s safety again. He didn’t understand why Hayate did it, but he didn’t want to know. He didn’t care anymore.

He just wanted Adrienne back home safely, in one piece.

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dreammaster
2009-10-29 11:04 pm UTC (link)

Logan knew something was wrong and he wasn't going to ignore it. But he wouldn't push Zach into talking about something he didn't want to. He knew what that was like. When he was quiet, people were always prodding him to come out of his shell. He found it annoying and intrusive. But letting things lie the way Zach was acting... It wasn't healthy for him to keep it inside.

It felt like Logan's heart stopped in his chest when Zach made his pronouncement. How was that possible? He'd just seen Adrienne the night before! She'd had dinner with them! And....

"Dante," Logan said quietly. But there was no quaver in his voice. Rather, there was a hint of dark anger, a sound very uncommon for the almost mute young man. "The man who killed Kaiya." He moved his hand off of Zach's shoulder and clenched it into a fist. "The man who killed Kaiya took Adrienne."

A dark thought came into Logan's mind. What he wished he could do to Dante for hurting the woman he loved. That sparked something in his mind and he looked at Zach, eyes wide. "You're going to kill him." It was not a question. He knew the answer already. There was no way someone could get away with hurting Adrienne without suffering Zach's wrath.

There was a fierce determination on Logan's face. His expression was dark and unlike anything the young man had even shown before. "Can I help?" He asked for the sake of Zach's friendship, for the sake of Adrienne's safety and for sake of the potential love he'd lost.

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coalintodiamond
2009-10-30 06:59 pm UTC (link)

Zach understood the sudden anger Logan felt better than anyone else. It was the same thing he felt when the words came out of Hayate’s mouth, and he had taken most of his anger out on Hayate in that moment. Zach still had anger inside of him, though, boiling up to the surface and it wanted to get out like the rest of it. Hitting things wasn’t going to fix what was wrong. Bemoaning his problems and sitting on the sidelines while everyone else did the work wasn’t going to make these feelings go away either. Zach had to act. He needed to do something other than sit around and wait for things to happen to him.

Logan’s proclamation of Zach’s innermost thoughts temporarily scared the older boy into complete silence and stillness. He wasn’t sure if he could lie when it was put out so plainly like that. He could deny it, but Logan would know it was denial. Zach didn’t want to think about what his grandmother or his parents would think of his thoughts, his decisions, and the reality he was making out of them. This was supposed to remain a secret, his own dark promise to himself.

Gritting his teeth as he tried to figure out what to say or do, Zach found himself once again surprised when Logan asked if he could help. Zach glanced up, the awe shining clear in his eyes and evident on the rest of his features. Logan wanted to help. To be honest, Zach never would have expected such a question out of his friend.

Instead of speaking, Zach merely nodded his head. He got up from his seat on the steps and led the way back into the alchemy labs, beckoning Logan to follow him. Zach walked into his particular lab, rounded the furnace, and looked over at Logan from the other side. “I’m making liquid silver,” he said, and his voice sounded so quiet above the low hum of the sizzling fire.

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dreammaster
2009-11-11 07:29 pm UTC (link)

Logan couldn't think of a time when he'd been more angry. There was a bitter taste in his mouth. The bitterness of a love lost, never given the chance. Kaiya had agreed to go out with him, to try to recapture what they had in her dreams in real life. Then, he'd found her and her best friend brutally murdered. And for what? For the thrill of murdering two innocent people?

But Logan knew he wouldn't be able to help much. His powers were limited to the dream world. Not to mention-- unlike Zach, who lived with only a roommate-- Logan was watched closely by his sister. Certainly Mitsuko wouldn't put up with him charging out to take on a killer.

So he would settle for just helping Zach. Making sure he had everything he needed to take on Dante and bring Adrienne back to safety.

He didn't try to get Zach to own up to his desire. It was unnecessary. Logan already knew the answer. And he could see such a thing being hard to admit aloud.

Silently, Logan followed Zach into the lab. He knew nothing about alchemy, only the few basic things Zach had told him in the past. He bit the inside of his cheek and stood there, watching Zach work. He would help out with what he could and hope Zach was ready for what he was going to embark on.

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coalintodiamond
2009-11-15 04:55 am UTC (link)

“It’s hard making liquid substances out of solids,” Zach explained quietly to Logan as the furnace burned on in the background. The alchemist’s eyes were trained on the furnace door, staring it as if he wasn’t really seeing it. “If something’s solid at room temperature, melting it isn’t enough. You have to mix with other ingredients to prevent it from solidifying when it cools, and that requires breaking everything down and combining it.” He wasn’t sure why he told Logan that, but he didn’t see why he shouldn’t have either.

An amused huff from Zach’s lungs broke through the tension in the room. Zach’s dark feelings had permeated the air and clouded up the area around them with tension. Even if nothing was actually going on, it was clear as day the things radiating off of that boy. “I don’t even know if it will work,” Zach admitted, shrugging his shoulders carelessly at the out loud realization. He hadn’t had much practice with things like this, and often he mucked something up.

“I have to remove it in a little bit and test it,” Zach said to Logan, looking up at his friend. “Do you wanna help me with it?”

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dreammaster
2009-11-22 04:31 am UTC (link)

Logan wasn't sure he really understood what Zach was saying. Science was not really his strong point. He understood a bit of it, but alchemy was something completely beyond him. It was so different from his own powers. He had an admiration for his friend. WIth his powers, he just needed to feel things out. But there seemed to be a lot of study attached to Zach's.

As angry as Logan was at the idea of Dante being loose and having Adrienne, his stomach still twisted in knots from nerves. Zach could end up getting hurt or even killed if he went after Dante. Worse than that... What if he actually did manage to kill the werewolf? Killing had to change you. Even the aura that surrounded Zach now frightened Logan. What if he was changed forever with what he planned to do?

But he needed to support Zach. He gave a nod. "All right," Logan said quietly. "What do you need me to do?"

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coalintodiamond
2009-11-25 05:37 am UTC (link)

The only sort of test to do was to take out the liquefied silver concoction and pour it out into something, allowing it to cool at room temperature. If it turned into a solid, he pretty much failed to get the ingredients just right. That was the annoying thing about alchemy. Precision was so important. It was a lot like mathematics in a way. All it had to be was the slightest bit off by the tiniest fraction imaginable, and the whole equation went to shit.

“Well,” Zach said with a faint smile, “you can start by putting on some gloves.” He brought out some gloves of his own and slipped them on, showing Logan where the rest of them were. He got out an iron bowl and set it on top of the iron-wrought workplace just off from the furnace in the corner of the room, and then he went to open the furnace door for Logan. “Take that handle carefully and pull out the bowl without tipping it. Then, bring it over to that counter and pour it into the other bowl.”

Logan might as well get to try some hands-on alchemy.

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