Guys' Night [OPEN]

[seafloor]

WHO: Dudes, dude. Bring all your dudely Outsiders, bro.
WHAT: Man I sure wish I could tell you Cracking a cold one open with the boys
WHERE: The Onsen
WHEN: 4/11
WARNINGS: Alcohol, nudity, dad jokes... This'll be updated accordingly

[ A few days after the girls have had their fun (cause girls just wanna have fun), another blanket text sweeps over the Outsiders' inboxes. This time, it's from Kaito: and he is proposing a very original idea that all the guys should come by the hot springs in a few days' time. Gossip and bathing are optional, but an empty stomach is mandatory.

Several pictures of newly purchased smokers, grills, and even a fucking pizza oven can be seen at various points throughout the message. There are also mountains of stacked beer and soda cases. Kaito's apparently going to be cooking enough to feed the whole base, or so he purports.

Where did he get all the money for this? Whatever, it's free!

He also adds in no uncertain terms that if any girls try to show up and sneak a snack, he will send them home with a stern warning and a bottle of water.

If you take him up on the invitation, welcome! It's a spring cookout and Pitmaster Kaito Nagano is going to be serving up enough barbeque to temporarily turn the onsen area into a Texan territory within Japan. Seriously, there's gonna be a metric fuckton of food and booze, and the hot springs will be right there when you're ready to get hot and hungover.

There are absolutely no plans after food. Feel free to stick around and socialize, but you will not be publicly shamed for just yoinking a plate and dip setting. Probably.

Aside from the barbeque, there are some horseshoes and cornhole boards set up (google it, it's safe, this is not a bit it's just a funny name for an american game) for dudes to try their hand-eye coordination at after having one too many drinks.

If you're feeling particularly brave, Kaito's got an ice box full of artificial fish (all the meat's artificial, let's be real) that you can try to attract a feral cat with. Good luck. ]

(( ooc: hello yes i didn't want The Boys™ to feel left out so feel free to make top levels and just get some general cookout social time in with your boyos. make it as friendly or awkward or awkwardly friendly as possible. go nuts. get naked. cause a ruckus. [ insert toxic masculinity here ] ilu ♥ ))

Comments

[the_fourteenth]

[Ah, so many people here looking at him when it's his turn to answer... Raidou isn't fond of this. He looks uncomfortable. Anyway, why should he answer when the person who asked isn't taking it seriously??]

Ah... Kuzunoha Raidou. [There's an awkward beat, then:] Strawberry.

[That's it, that's all he's saying for now.]

[eyescar]

Johei...

[ Yuji is almost shaking him... Come on... ]

You could say how your sensei was a cat, that's surprising! Or how good you are with a sword...

[the_fourteenth]

[A quiet noise escapes him when Yuji nudges him. Talking about himself is so hard...]

Ah, I suppose. I, um, I am from Shinoda, but lived for a few years in the Capital. I am unable to know if I can defeat the others here unless I tried to.

[Why would he though?]

[eyescar]

[ He can't relate... He can yap for hours, babe. ]

I bet you and me could beat Tary-san, since he said he could beat up kids.

[the_fourteenth]

I would be willing to try. I'd be glad to spar him. [And make him regret that statement.]

[eyescar]

We'll let him have a bit of time to train first, right?

[ He grins, nudging Raidou gently. ]

[blastedass]

[*ahem* Maybe you should mention why you never take your hat off?]

[Look if they all "have" to share then you're gonna fucking share!]

Bullshit. You've seen enough of people to know who you could beat or not, Shashou.

[Calling you out.]

[the_fourteenth]

[His confidence isn't what it once was, since arriving here. And definitely not after this last battle.]

... A lot of people here have abilities I can't even dream of. But I would certainly give it my best.

[A typical, polite, non-answer.]

[blastedass]

[Damn, and he thought they were building that confidence back up. Another brooding moment at the hallway window again?]

That's what I mean. You know how strong you are.

[What he can do and what he can't.]

You'll get stronger with the proper enemy.

[Theoretically...]

[the_fourteenth]

[There was a time before the last kaiju fight that he'd been feeling better about himself. Great, actually. But then, he and Yuji almost didn't make it out of that fight. Without Choso intervening, they probably wouldn't have. It was a very close call. This might even be the first day Bakugo has seen Raidou since the mission ended; he had a lot of recovery time and was frankly too disheartened to face anyone for a few days.

What will Bakugo do if he finds out that Raidou doesn't plan to fight again, he wonders. Probably give him an earful, that's for sure... For now, he's not telling anyone this plan, not even Yuji.]

Ah... I did alright this time when fighting along Choso. [They had formed a pact, like Raidou would with a demon. Lo and behold, it worked, and worked quite well.] I suppose we'll have to wait and see what the future holds.

[blastedass]

[Bakugo saw Raidou and Yuji during the gecko fight, but had trusted the two of them to be handling. He'd been yanked away without being able to see much else. While he notes the lingering residue of the battle on his friend... it's not something he wants to confront Raidou about out in the open like this. Then again, someone who's almost died twice in his life now, Bakugo can relate... to some of those feelings. But likely in reverse to what the summoner's felt.

Definitely give him an earful. But until that happens, the explosive blonde intends to trust Raidou's moving forward.]

Mess Head told you about his blood, right?

[Because he failed to mention that to Bakugo almost too late. The corrosive aspect? Yeah. But he's piqued that Raidou fought alongside Choso. Not to mention other aspects of the fight. Bakugo hadn't performed as flawlessly as he'd've liked.]

Tch, fucking bastards... I almost got swallowed. Twice!

[the_fourteenth]

[Previously, Raidou's failures in battle rattled him, but he trained even harder to keep up with the other Outsiders. This time was much different. The things Yuji said to him after the battle was done play through his head all these days later. He was so afraid of Raidou getting hurt that he nearly killed himself trying to keep him safe. He can't keep fighting knowing that.]

...He had. Choso's something akin to a demon. Close enough, I suppose, for he and I to form a pact like summoner and demon, anyway.

[They were a big help to one another in battle. It's probably the most Raidou has felt truly like himself again since he arrived here, fighting alongside a demon ally, using each other's strengths to push themselves as far as they could go.

in the end, he pushed himself too far, dangerously so.

Bakugo mentioning that last bit, though, is good enough to distract him from spiraling down that path again for a minute.]

... Swallowed? [Horrifying!] Ah, I'm glad it was almost? [Trying to be optimistic here.]

[blastedass]

[That... is something Bakugo would have strong opinions towards if he learned of it. Enough to certainly have some words with the two of them. Separately. But since he's in the dark about that, nothing comes of it. Know however, both sides of that commentary hit uncomfortably close to home for Bakugo. A similar situation at home... So if ever it's wanted...]

Hn. A curse and a demon. [He muses over the comparison under his breath, not able to find too much surprise at the reveal. Who knows how inter-world play works out. The second part gets a twitch of his head.]

You made a pact with him? [Why surprise?] You have to kill them with your sword for that.

[Is what Bakugo's been thinking all this time. Sword plus other summons to beat down the demon and then "convince" it to join Raidou in the battle as another summon. How very Pokemon It makes him think while Raidou responds to his exclamation. Sorry of that gets some looks around...

Oh, to this topic, huh. The memories are not pleasant and Bakugo pulls a face at recollecting.]

Tch. Cause getting puked back up was so much fun.

[Guess it was better than the other end...]

[the_fourteenth]

[Raidou shakes his head lightly, with a slight smile.]

No, not always. If a demon is willing to make a pact without a fight first, that's acceptable. It does happen.

[Defeating them in a fight is often the best way, but some demons want money, some demons just want the power, some just want the companionship.]

I had no intention of hurting Choso. [What would Yuji think??] Besides, it was even his idea.

[blastedass]

[Bakugo frowns as he leans back in the water. That's a new facet of Raidou's power.]

I take it that's not common. Why would a demon make a pact anyways?

[Weren't they just out there to tempt people and help revenge or anger in order to claim souls or some other kind of worldly monopoly? Then again, he's learned about different devils from Denji too...]

No shit. [He could tell that without the obvious statement.] His idea?

[the_fourteenth]

They benefit from my energy, and they help me in battle, or investigations, or... whatever they want to help with.

[They're his allies. His friends.]

Now Choso can use my mag-- my energy, you can say -- and use it to enhance his own abilities.

[The myriad abilities the Outsiders use seem much more effective than his own sword or firearm skills. If he can help others fight better, he's happy.]

Perhaps that means there are others here I can help in the same way. We'll have to see.

[Next on the pact list: Yuji. Of course.]

[cranekin]

(He overheard Yuji....)

Your sensei is a cat?

[the_fourteenth]

... Sort of. My sensei was in the form[He hesitates, for several reasons, but mostly because it felt strange to be able to talk about these things publicly.]

He's called Gouto-douji, but he's really the spirit of the first Kuzunoha Raidou.

[cranekin]

Gouto-douji...

(Like a demon, huh? He thinks,)

He must be quite an impressive spirit.

i'm sorry i botched the HTML and it ate half my sentence

[the_fourteenth]

He is. I would have never gotten by without him.

[He smiles a little fondly to himself. He misses his sensei, who seems to have an answer to everything and a lame wisecrack to go with it.]

He'd like it here. More people would be able to talk to him. Back home, only summoners and the like can.

oh i thought it was fine dfghjkl

[cranekin]

Well, that's how it is when you aren't human.

(Most can't see you. Most can't interact with you at all. Most don't really think much about you.)

I'm sure he was pleased with the company he had.

[the_fourteenth]

[he smiles ever so lightly.]

Yeah. Demons are often surprised when they find out I can talk to them. Usually they find it pretty amusing.

[cranekin]

That's because humans are interesting.

(He'll say it.)

They live only a short time but each life is unique. No two humans are the same. (And he might be watching Raidou, studying him just a bit,) They're full of surprises.

[the_fourteenth]

[He looks away in his usual shy manner.]

I could say the same of them.

[cranekin]

You must know some interesting spirits, then.

(So does he but well... he still thinks humans are more interesting.)