synflux | [closed] we shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us

Stop that. You're so annoying.

[ sooooooo annoying. how about that for reading her mind.

though it's easy to forgive him, or... at least, it's not easy to stay mad. malkuth watches the ball roll around, chewing at her cheek before she exhales. ]

I trust you. You do all the hard work, and I'll keep you company -- can't have you getting bored out here all on your own. Who knows what you'll do.

And yet here you are. I suppose someone has to be able to put up with me. It sure isn't Vergilius.

[ Poor old man. The sphere bumps into a snare trap moments after Malkuth sets her eyes on it, and it goes flying up toward the ceiling before splatting into splishsploshes of water. ]

I feel like I'm gonna need to have better compensation than your company and a mashed potato sundae if I'm working this hard...

[ Back to teasing. ]

Just kidding. I prefer things this way, with you rather than surrounded by other people.

[ poor vergilius... she can only imagine the torment kaito puts him through, bumping her shoulder against him and watching the water do its job. it really is too useful, which makes her wonder just how much energy it takes. between this and all the waterdummies that help them out...

and back to teasing. though the last comment flips her stomach for a reason she can't quite, or doesn't want, to name and she remembers something march said. so malkuth'll say it too, playfully accusatory. ]

You are such a flirt. I bet you say stuff like that to everyone, just like your poor hearing. You're the kind of person who likes to get a reaction out of others, after all.

[ or so her and march have sussed... he's just playing around right now too. which is... fine, that's just how kaito is. a friendly, playful sort of guy. ]

Hmm.

[ Is he really such a flirt with everyone? If the accusation was that he was a tease, he'd have already shot back with a snarky, smarmy retort. Instead, he settles his ethereal gaze on Malkuth—and it slowly melts back to its natural* golden hue.

Then, with a flick of his head that sends his bangs over those molten pools, he flashes a stupid smile. ]

Tease is a better and more general term for it, [ he reasons, bumping his elbow against her in a playful manner. A semblance of crimson dusts the top of his ears, and this time he's consciously thankful that the dim lighting obscures them. ]

And while I do enjoy provoking the others...

[ Softer, quieter, whispered against the dead wind: ]

I feel lighter when I see how you react.

[ And at that moment, the full force of the sun shines through the amusement park, illuminating his blushing visage. It would be romantic (and maybe it still is) if not for the not-so-distant roar of a herd of kaiju lumbering in from the forest. Turns out the sun is electricity restarting all of the machinery, and from the sirens blaring in their minds, they've got work to do.

Well, shit. ]

[ bully.

he's a bully, but his face is a pleasant red like hers is starting to be until the siren all too quickly snaps her attention away and she is suddenly so thankful for work to do. it's just a tease. she just has more interesting reactions than others. there's a thousand different things for that, and he's embarrassed to be called out about it. ]

Let's use the traps to our advantage for now. Are there any you haven't set off?

[ business, business. malkuth is, as ever, perfect at professionalism; it was part of the job, and it's ever evident in matters like now, her heart thrumming in excitement of a fight to be had. ]

Man, it sure is good that no one else is ever around to see them like this.

[ Malkuth's vision illuminates with shades of aqua highlighting various active traps. Most are tripwires and mines, though there are also a few snares like the one she'd been caught in. Beside her, a few more Kaitos walk out of the original's form, each bearing knives and spears and blades wrought from sea glass. Whatever the exertion that's putting on Kaito, he doesn't show a hint of fatigue.

His voice echoes through the comm link. It's faster than talking. ]

There's our playground.
I sense three coming our way. Approximately... truck-sized.
A little over thirty feet long. Fast.

[ Three of Kaito's clones rush towards the auras he's pinpointed—and they're immediately wiped out by bursts of lightning. The genuine article grimaces next to Malkuth. ]

Fuck. Of course they're electric.
That's my worst elemental matchup.

Wow, really?
Couldn't have guessed.
To be honest, I don't have anything that stop electricity...
But I won't be caught when I catch their eye.

[ kaito can actually see the transformation better now, the sound of fluttering pages filling their ears as paper comes off her form and leaves green in its wake, bits of light crumbling and dissipating like embers from a fire. she's got a pair of cyan butterfly wings and a pair of backwards, large-toothed scythes in hand, sharp as can be. ]

ZAYIN, lowest level. They're fast, but I'm faster.

[ the bursts of lightning are... a concern, but there's not much she can do about that -- even a tree would be scorched by it, so she just needs to make her cuts quick and decisive.

off she goes!!! and she really is fast, not as fast as she might be with a different pair of wings but certainly gone. malkuth'll open a little feed for him to see what they're dealing with, the massive geckos getting an impressed hum from her through the implant. ]

They really are pretty big! Try not to get too sick, okay?

[ since her movement dips in towards one of the geckos and slices at a leg, though it's chunky enough that just one isn't enough; that's fine, since she works fast to saw it down with the repeated zips back and forth before the geckos can understand just what took off one of their legs.

like, it's gonna grow it back sooner over later, but malkuth rises too high for their shocks outward to matter much. this is just to get their attention anyway, let kaito get an eyeful of what they're dealing with... see the range he needs to stick away from a little better so they can plan a good route. ]

...You pull a lot more weight than you give yourself credit for.

[ Luckily for him, Kaito doesn't get motion sickness. He's able to track many little details about the geckos in real time as she flits about like a mosquito. For giant lizards, the kaiju seem to play more reserved, like control mages. Those electric shocks are like to completely paralyze a regular person, and maybe even an Outsider.

Blues flit over his shoulder, to the scars hidden by his clothes. He wouldn't handle it well, he already knows.

Still, this is plenty of information, and before long a good dozen blue streaks zoom in on Malkuth's aerial position. Kaito and his Kaiclones. ]

Assuming their anatomy is somewhat close to regular geckos, they'll start to regenerate.
And have you noticed how large they're growing, even mid-fight?
Seems like they're feeding off the electricity in the park.

[ The clones' hands begin to emit a white, smoky aura. It's cold. Frigid, even. ]

Going further with the assumptions, I bet they won't enjoy the cold.
Why don't I try to herd them away from the lights and towards a more open arena for you to fight in?
If you're confident you're faster, that is.

[ Twelve Kaitos wink her way. This is dangerous, and I don't mean the kaiju. ]

[ this is so dangerous, her cheeks hurt from the wideness of her grin -- yes, even if he teases everyone or whatever it... it's still nice, and she thinks of yuwon's straightforward question about if maybe she doesn't just enjoy being played with and.

maybe she does, a little. whether it be made a harmless fool of with a well-placed white lie or like this, maybe she does. though she doesn't think she's pulling as much weight as he is, which is why... ]

Confidence has nothing to do with it, Kaito. I know I'm faster.
It'll be just like with the bugs! Except, you know, without the plant possession.

[ haha. ha. okay. the fairy cooing will come later but it will not be half as Present as the higher abnos had been.

malkuth'll scan the area for a better spot and zip off to it, she knows he'll be fine herding now that he's got his bearings. ]

Alright, then.
Show me.

[ As if she really has to. But he knows that two word challenge would light a fire under his butt, so why not motivate her along the way. Cerulean screams across the sky and darts down towards the three kaiju. Despite its injuries, the wounded one is just as quick to react to the new food sources as its brethren—and that's when the Kaiclones thrust their hands out and roar.

It isn't a silly roleplay rendition of what a human thinks a beast's roar sounds like, either. The horrid, guttural noise resonates from each clone's lungs, as if they had all shifted into a draconic form before uttering the sound. Plumes of freezing wind erupt from their palms, showering the kaiju in frost and bites. Their screams tell all the two Outsiders need to hear, and they begin retreating from the Ice Gang towards an awaiting Malkuth.

Any strays who attempt to stray from the path are quickly lanced from above by spears of water that supercool themselves upon entry—hailed from the heavens, and by the OG Kaito who's grinning wide as he watches their plan begin at a fine pace.

Guess the first dance exhibition's gonna be happening tonight, huh? ]

[ the words get him a snort -- like she needs encouragement -- and she readjusts her grip on the scythes, watching the destruction as it rains down where they try to slip off to, herding the geckos towards her direction... it's been a long time since she'd fought such formidable foes "solo" in a sense, ever having at least one Assistant to watch her back...

... and now she has a guy who can turn into a dragon if he so pleases, so maybe it's an upgrade. the first lizard bursts from the brush with a disgruntled shock, frying trees and scorching the ground as it tries to shake off the frost, and malkuth wastes little time in zipping forward to fell a tree onto the beastie, as easy as if it was nothing but a sprig, and then away again as the other two make their appearance.

oh, they don't care for their struggling companion any, they see prey and they're locked in. the chill helps to keep them from being too fast, though she only manages to blind one of them before the other's shock tumbles her briefly through the air. ]

Do me a favor, Kaito, and don't laugh when you see me. That's the one thing I'm asking today.

[ she can already feel the rise of her long hair, after all. it's gonna be such a mess. no wonder it'd begun to get tangled before... hair rises before lightning strikes, and malkuth'll use it to her advantage as an indicator for when to play keep away as she half messes, half experiments with her slice and dice action.

like any animal, the soft skin of the neck is a surefire execution. it's just dodging the snapping mouth and sharp points of their... tusks, she'd guess they are. one's side splits open as she passes it to deal with the other, entirely focused on the two and not the last wriggling from under its tree prison. ]

I'll try my best, but you make it way too easy to smile.

[ Alright. Alright. Two of his clones just give him a LOOK from ground level. Even his cinderblock-ass can't deny that he's flirting with her now. Goodness. March and the others cannot ever see this chat log. Ever.

In fairness, watching her hair levitate is pretty funny... but Kaito's a man of his word. Besides, he's got something else to laugh at now that one of the kaiju has been pinned.

As he's about to dive in and play a risky game, an alert blares over his HUD: a message from LILITH with newly gathered information on the kaiju. ]

Would you look at that.
Our instincts were on the money.
Go for head and body shots!

[ Kaito sends all but one of his clones after the two geckos she's facing down. A few of them have already been zapped out by the Yamadenkis' electricity, but there are plenty enough remaining to slow the pair down.

In the meantime, the man himself conjures a small legion's worth of glassy, watery lances. Blues lid shut as he murmurs a prayer under his breath. ]

...Sorry. Next time.

[ Gloved fingertip points downward, and the hail of spears comes rocketing down on the fledgling lizard's head. An electric burst incinerates the surrounding area on impact, but the damage is done. Its head is caved in from being turned into a pincushion, and its remaining limbs steadily curl in rigor mortis.

Now, time to focus on assisting Malkuth. ]

[ please. she's so focused right now. why does he have to say stuff like that...? at least she's professional, but there's a slight wave of irritation that comes through as she reads the brief sent out. of course her instincts were right. she wasn't the sephirah of the control team for nothing, though gebura was the one who suppressed the Abnormalities more than her own Agents. ]

Not the time, Kaito.

[ save it for later, when she's not watching his water clones be taken apart by lightning lizards as they successfully hold the pair's attention while her blades leave blue streaks of blood against the scaly hides.

... is he really okay? sure, he'd even seemed fine after showing off that draconic form of his, but... malkuth glances up at kaito for a moment, worried, before she zips by and slices the other Yamadenki's side wide open. ]

Aim for the openings! And don't kill them at the same time -- I can't without being fried, so it's all you.

[ she can only imagine what the burst might to do her up close, no thank you, especially with as much power as they've built up now... maybe if they weren't so close together, one watching the other's back, she'd feel better about decapitating her foe like she will later, but it feels like ending one's life will end with hers too.

... though cutting it off at the nervous system might be a good bet anyway. malkuth'll keep it in mind while she works at creating as much space for kaito and his clones to dig their cold hands into. ]

Time is subjective. [ He really just can't help himself.

Three clones remain, and they're all on Malkuth's side of the fight, keeping the kaiju from making any unexpected movements—oop, and one just got shocked, so that makes two. Kaito just seems to be hovering idly after having finished his one opponent. The distance between him and the brunette is enough that he can mask the slight onset of fatigue by keeping his eyes to the sky.

This isn't too bad. Not yet. But it'll be a pain to create more clones, so he's gonna have to pull the strings himself. At least, that's what runs through his mind as Malkuth's words resonate in it. Slowly, steadily, the empath tucks his arms into his sides and curls his hands into fists. A deep breath fills his lungs with air to the point they might burst. He's got one good shot at surprising the kaiju while they're distracted.

'C'mon, Yuki. You make it look so easy.' ]

Alright, get back!
Further back!

[ That warning is all Kaito allows for as his form melts into glowing liquid. He reconstitutes himself right at the side of the deeply injured gecko—and way, way closer than what's about to be safe. His head's reared back, and the air around him seems to be warping under the weight of something.

He lets all the pressure loose at once, snapping forward and screaming a draconic roar that cuts across the fairgrounds. The resonance of his voice and the magic he's been building up in his lungs explodes outwards in a flood of supercooled water that flits between liquid and frost as it careens through the air. All that volatile magic forces itself into the Yamadenki's wound, and as his jaws snap shut, the liquid freezes and explodes, tearing the kaiju apart from inside out.

And then he just hovers there, seemingly idle. No, rather, he's stunned from the use of his own magic, blood trickling down the corners of his lips and freezing on his skin. The slain lizard's body illuminates as its now unregulated electrical currents prepare to burst—but Kaito had planned for this. Both of his clones appear and shoulder tackle him in Malkuth's direction, shielding their creator from the blast that follows.

The end result: a success... of sorts! Kaito goes rolling across the grounds towards his partner, and upon closer inspection his whole body is covered in a thin film of frost that breaks and melts off in the seconds following his landing. Nice shot!

...Mostly nice. If the Outsiders care to look (well, if she looks, since he can't move yet), the remaining kaiju is gorging on its sibling's residual electricity—and it's already doubled in size as a result.

A few remarks appear on Malkuth's HUD. ]

Haha, shit.
Let me guess.
Brother eating his sister?
I'll be good as new in a few seconds.
And I'm not as out of it as I look.

So what's our game plan?

[ he is as stunning as ever.

impressive and strong, versatile in a way she could never be -- her pages are good, are useful, but the drawback they have aren't something she's used to handling on her own. the blast that downs one and ends with kaito by her leaves her breathless, as if the chill had stolen it away, and she is one second from fussing at him for a whole new reason

when yes, they have bigger problems, and she groans out loud. ]

First off, [ yes she's speaking this, her tone needs to be heard, ] you're a idiot. Don't think you're getting out of an earful, Kaito.

[ ... and secondly, game plan. malkuth chews at the inside of her cheek, watching as it gets bigger by the second, before she huffs. ]

... But I'll spare you just once, since I'm pretty sure you'll think this is a stupid idea too.
Freeze it when it opens its mouth for me, okay?
I think I can fit inside.

[ and it's way softer in there. ]

K-Kettle... [ His voice is as hoarse as if he'd spent the whole night at a rock concert screaming the lyrics to his favorite ~~T Swizzle~~ songs. Kami above and below, he still doesn't know how Yukito never gets a sore throat doing this...

But the mirth is there, and with it his spirit. His voice is much more collected over the comm link, clashing against the shaky form with which he clambers to his feet. A wave of heat rolls off his body, and he finally wipes the blood away from his mouth. ]

I don't think it's stupid.
Only reckless.

[ As he speaks, water wicks off his body to create another clone. He doesn't bother making this one look like him, leaving it an amorphous humanoid blob. The double quickly deforms and becomes an aura of swirling liquid orbiting Malkuth's body. ]

I'll do it. It's highly unlikely the thing's insides are shockproof.
The immunity likely comes from glands that are deeper in the tissue.
So you've got one clear shot.
Give me a cue, and I'll have the double teleport you out before things get crazy.

[ A shriek pulls at the Outsiders' attention. Looks like the last Yamadenki's finished eating. It's easily tall enough on all fours to stand over some of the trees. Yikes. Kaito plants a cold hand on Malkuth's shoulder and squeezes, all reassuring-like. He's smiling. ]

When we get home, you owe me three potato sundaes.

[ Energy swells in the air around him once more, and he rockets off towards the kaiju. There's no ice in his lungs, or a plan to freeze the monster from a safe distance. No, those options have been expended. It's time for a bit of old-fashioned crowd control. The creature sees food and eagerly lumbers long, stomping on trees and searing its surroundings with that aura of lightning.

It's a gamble on both their parts... But Kaito knows his partner. Their brand of confidence comes from the experience of falling down, over and over again, all in the pursuit of perfection.

So when he meets the Yamadenki, he rears his arms back before hurling them forward. Light consumes his limbs, shifting them into massive appendages that can just match the kaiju. Even as the first jolt of electricity rockets through his body, even as he wants to stop and scream, Kaito powers through, slamming his transformed hands into the gecko's snout before prying them open. In its surprise, the creature flails about, quaking the ground around it. Yet through the tremors throwing his balance, through the electricity burning his skin and nerves, he grits his teeth and holds. ]

All...
Yours...!!!

[ the nice thing about her wings is that, of course, the tremors don't affect her flying form.

the second thing is that they're so dependable, even as the keening voice of the Abnormality begins to complain in that passive-aggressive way that it's hungry, haven't they helped enough, where's their reward, and she ignores the grumbles in favor of waiting for a good moment to shoot in, readjusting the grips on her scythes and really hoping that, as reckless as this plan is, she can still do her job as the former sephirah of the control team and execute it perfectly.

there's no room for mistakes in her role, then or now. there's no room for hesitation or weakness.

he's trusting her, just as she's trusting him not to keel over as she flits past him (don't blink!) and into the maw of the beast, serrated blades finding purchase in the soft, slimy flesh as she tears from the back of its throat down.

no, she doesn't know how badly she needs to damage it 'til it bleeds out. but malkuth knows how long it takes for it to charge up, what static climbing across her plugsuit and to the ends of her hair feels like, and the gecko shudders around her in the way she's seen twice now. ]

!

[ the quickest thing she can send as a cue, sorry it's nothing cute. they'll have to work on their signals the more they partner up -- for now, she's gonna come out covered in thick blue blood, so he'd better be prepared for that. ]

[ There she goes. This level of pain isn't unfamiliar to him, but Kaito's starting to lose his grip from the numbness that's crawling through his body. He's probably got a few more seconds left in him before this damn thing gobbles him up like a piece of gyoza... But those few moments are all he needs. He feels her signal milliseconds before his HUD lights up, and cerulean light consumes both Outsiders before warping them back to their starting point.

And right on time. A third explosion of electricity consumes the field they're fighting on, scorching everything in a wide radius to ash. Kaito appears on one knee—with his arms missing. Malkuth manifests from the water a few feet next to him. The stench of the kaiju's blood would normally drive him to flee, but right now he's got his eyes screwed shut as he focuses on his missing limbs.

They're not truly gone. His own regenerative properties are not unlike the trio of geckos they've just felled. Within a few seconds, water begins to flow out of the stumps (and thankfully it's just water...), sculpting itself into the man's missing limbs—though they're bereft of any cloth or the elastic of his plugsuit. He's gonna need to get the latter repaired when they return to base.

The process takes a solid minute, during which he's completely silent, focused only on his own breathing and the exertion of his healing factor. Eventually, Kaito completes the process of restoring his arms—and when he looks up to Malkuth, he flashes a cheeky grin and speaks in a hoarse croak that could woo a toad. Blues shimmer with that patented mischief of his. ]

Don't look so blue. We did great.

[ it's a quiet, tentative minute while she stills and watches him, trying to hold in her worry and failing; the fluttering of pages fall off her into the familiar embers of light and she hesitates, hand reaching out for a moment

before he's all in one piece again and it pauses, relief swelling tears at the corners of her eyes as she very much kneels down to throw her arms around him. enjoy that smell you sucker. this is punishment. ]

You sound awful.

[ is all she chokes out, half a laugh and half something else. the adrenaline winds down with the thump of her heart, it and her arms squeezing tight before relaxing again. idiot. ]

Sorry. I didn't mean for your arms to get all blown up and stuff. However that works, waterboy. Did it hurt? Can I do anything for you? I'm not that good at massages, but...

[ Ugh. The smell is awful, but... Well, if it isn't apparent by how his (newly reformed) arms immediately snap around her waist and pull her in tight, or by how he buries his face in her shoulder, blood be damned...

Yeah, this is punishment. But he was worried out of his mind too. ]

Not as awful as you smell, [ he retorts, voice muffled but still bright and warm. Warmth wreathes both of their forms—it's water, washing away the blood and grime in a manner that leaves them behind nice and dry and all too conveniently clean. That's a pretty good way to describe his powers, sometimes. All too convenient.

Either way, he only lets off enough that he can meet her gaze again. Blues finally fade out to gold. He kinda slumps against her immediately afterward. ]

No apologizing. It hurt like hell, but that's normal. We were fantastic. I will not accept any criticism from anyone else.

[ A beat. He smiles against her shoulder, a bit dopey. ]

...Carry me home? I'm still a little numb.

[ sure, she started it

but this is a lot of contact in a short time and it leaves her thoughts fumbling, the wash of water startling her enough to let them reset into something less panicked, less... no, still the same sort of bashfulness, and her neck warms as he slumps back against her.

... what's she supposed to do, it's different than hugging march or being hugged by her, she nearly feels like she's suffocating; she isn't, but she is, and after a moment malkuth finds her voice, strangled as it sounds. ]

As if. [ wings she sounds terrible. why. she's clearing her throat. ] You're gonna have to walk it off, Kaito, we're not done until LILITH says we are.

[ so, so sorry, but he's being dumped onto the ground so she can stand, turning away to pull at her hair again. it's so static-y still... ishmael and rodya are gonna have it rough too, huh? maybe she should ask them for some advice if they manage to make it without frizzling up.

the last bastion of her comfort, truly. why doesn't the plugsuit protect her from the phantom feeling of his arms around her waist. maybe there's still electricity in the air still with how it's still tingling. ]

... You can just, you know. Lay there for a bit. I'll keep an eye out.

[ The adrenaline finally ekes away, and Kaito's left to consider his own thoughts, Malkuth's emotions, and the fact that he's clinging to her like he's almost lost his most important person all over again. His stomach twists into a knot, flips twice, and lands on a lego piece.

But he can't stop smiling. Idiot. He doesn't want to let go, but he also doesn't want her to feel too uncomfortable. A part of him is thankful that she eventually dumps him like a sack of potatoes. ]

Oof.

[ He's a ragdoll by now, falling off her more than being dropped. ] You could have at least laid me out nicely. I look like I belong on a crime scene.

[ And he does. He's splayed out like he's been shot. It's actually kinda funny. ...But how did his hair avoid frizzing up? It's not that short. ]

No. We should... go. LILITH wants us to kill the generators, and there are three in our immediate... area...

[ His fingers twitch. Kaito considers using his magic to maneuver his body around in lieu of actually moving, but that's kinda creepy.

—So that's exactly what he does. Azure ignites in his eyes once more as an aura wraps around his body and floats it up. OooooOOOOoOOoOoOoooooOOOO. At least he can move his head, so he doesn't completely look like a reanimated corpse. ]

Race you to the first one?

[ so creepy... malkuth smacks his back to push him along. ]

Sorry, wish I could, but if there's more of those things out there then I have something way important to do than kick around a few generators.

[ like protect yesod and netzach, who absolutely cannot defend themselves and are at the forefront of her mind. she breathes in, breathes out, and re-assumes the page from before, cyan wings bright against the greenery around them as she takes off into the air.

this, she can focus on. easily. ]

Keep safe, okay? Try not to get shocked too much. I'll catch you when I do.

[ He's weightless. Or playing at it.

Kaito sighs as she ascends, but that's better for him anyway. He can appreciate some time alone while he goes after the generators. Alone. And thinks about how warm she was, alone.

Tsk. Well, at least the feeling is starting to return to his extremities. He wiggles a bit, then straightens up. ]

Fine, fine. Leave me to do all the work again, [ he teases, knowing full well that that misconception was shattered a while back. ]

Don't miss me too much, okay?

[ A single wink—and he vanishes into motes of water, off to seek out his first distraction. ]

[closed] we shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us

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