synflux | TRAVEL LOG #1

TRAVEL LOG #1

TRAVEL LOG #1

CONTENT WARNINGS: potential mentions of drugs, suspected mind-control, alcohol, and gambling, gore.

▶ 001. A RUDE AWAKENING.

On the morning of the 15th, the Outsiders will hear an alarm sound in the early hours. No matter what you’re doing, the alarm will not stop sounding, and it’s because they’re playing directly into your oculars. If one is sleeping, they may even be roused by the spark of colors on their oculars dictating an emergency. After a few minutes of this, the following message will appear:

PLEASE REPORT TO THE DATAPORTAL AT THE TOKYO BRANCH AND BE PREPARED FOR DEPARTURE.

"Captain Yamakawa speaking. You’ve done a great job in testing the data portals. Now that we are able to travel, we were sent a call for help in another city due to lack of personnel and resources abroad. You will be looking for evidence of a new kaiju around the rendezvous point. It may be a difficult journey, so prepare yourself. SYNTHIA will still be online to help you make it to the city. Report to the POD CHAMBER where we have installed an international dataportal and prepare for transportation."

Following the success of the dataportal testing, the engineering department was able to fine tune its abilities and widen the reach of the portals. The portals can connect even abroad now!

Despite their best efforts, however, they cannot guarantee that the same symptoms won’t appear, and ask all Outsiders who are utilizing them to practice caution. Additionally, through all their testing, they found that people who hold hands or make contact with others as they pass through will be hit with less issues.

▶ 002. WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS.

When one passes through the data portal, they will see the refuge city of Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Similar to Neo Tokyo, it is also rich in life and known as the city that never sleeps. Incidentally, it is also famously noted as a place of endless vice. The city is built up around a strip of land of roughly 4.2 miles. A vast majority of the city was built up over the wreckage of the old, and some fixtures were simply made new with whatever was left preexisting. The Mojave Desert has expanded towards surrounding cities, though it will take a vehicle to get there in a timely manner.

The city has no shortage of hotels and with each hotel, a casino. While Outsiders here are on a mission, there’s no stating they couldn’t participate in the fun of Vegas while LILITH crew begin their investigation. While some hotels will be clearly abandoned or less traversed, there is no end to all card tables and slot machines, all asking for your KRYPTOS.

The hotel the Outsiders are slotted to stay over the course of the next few days is one where they built directly over the hotels of the old. While it offers a decent place to sleep, it’s not without a refurbished pirate themed bed, or the columns of what appears to have been from Caesars Palace. Is that a giant clown face staring at you in the room? Don’t worry about it. The hotel offers that this is the best place to depart into the desert from. For this mission, Outsiders may bunk up with whoever they would like, and each hotel provides two queen sized beds.

Excited to venture out into the city? Even under the threat of kaiju, the city doesn’t sleep. Outsiders may venture through the Las Vegas Strip and treat themselves to a fun night of drinking, gambling, shopping, partying and circle-style performances. The Grand Canal Shoppes, a Venetian-inspired high end mall, boasts a man-made canal with gondola rides for a fee, along with many retail outlets and restaurants. There are also numerous spas and carnival-style rides to enjoy. Las Vegas was once known as the ‘Marriage Capital of the World’, and in a world besieged by kaiju, the people don’t seem to think they have anything to lose. Outsiders may spot a few bride and grooms-to-be partying in the street.

(LILITH does not have a stance on whether or not Outsiders are permitted to get hitched as long as it does not affect their performance. )

▶ 003. TROUBLE BREWING.

It’s normal for fights to break out with so much alcohol being passed around, but something … isn’t quite right with some of the locals here. Outsiders who keep an eye open might notice people acting erratically, and not just from being intoxicated. There are people ready to pick a fight from just being looked at, people falling into despondent sadness and lethargy, people wandering mindlessly and people becoming distressed from seeing things that aren’t there. Ask the locals and they will tell you these cases seem to be popping up more often the past week.

The most concerning of all are the stories of people disappearing completely. One little girl will tell you she cried as she saw her mother mindlessly walk into the desert, as if called by a voice no one else can hear. There are many other accounts of this happening. In fact, all the people acting erratically seem to disappear within a few days …

Outsiders may interact with civilians who are acting erratic and aggressive, but asking questions they may receive answers that do not make sense, are perverse and inappropriate or may trigger aggression. Any Outsider to gets into a fight and is severely injured may report to a local hospital here and will find they are pretty packed with other civilians acting strange, hurting each other and themselves. Certainly, this was the main cause for concern that got LILITH's attention anyway.

▶ 004. FOUR FOR THE ROAD.

Within a day or two, the Outsiders will once again be called to action by a blaring notice in their implant.

YOUR VEHICLES ARE PREPARED. ASSEMBLE OUTSIDE THE CITY IMMEDIATELY.

When they gather at the location provided to them, they will find a fleet of armored campervans waiting for them. Each campervan comes equipped with beds, a kitchenette, and bathroom facilities, and will fit about 4 people. Within the campervans, they will find desert-appropriate attire designed to protect them from the scorching sun. These campervans also come with some basic artillery such as a mounted machine gun. There are also supplies in the form of water bottles and MRE ration packs.

Those who have driven large vehicles in the past are encouraged to take the driver’s seat. If the group does not have any driving experience, they will be given a crash course on driving recorded by the man himself, Seok Dang. (He probably shouldn’t be doing this with the stunts he’s pulled, but the Commander does not have any time to be teaching anyone driving, and Seok Dang volunteered so eagerly…)

"Listen. If you’ve ever handled a ▄▄ before, the joystick is exactly like that. You gotta tug it, but not too hard. Gently, yeah, like that, that’s the path to ecstasy … "

If it eases anyone’s worries, the campervans are armored and highly shock resistant, so they should withstand a crash or two.

(Those who finish his course and successfully drive 100km while supervised will receive an international driving license.)

▶ 005. THE HUNT IS ON.

With everyone settled into their campervan, the large scale road trip begins. LILITH has a general idea of where the biggest energy signal is located for the rift and they will feed the coordinates to the Outsiders. The journey will take about a few days into (and around as LILITH is searching for both people & the source of the rift energy) the Mojave Desert, and Outsiders will be permitted occasional rest stops to give drivers a break and to investigate the terrain. The terrain itself is a harsh desert, with cacti and small local fauna abundant. (Those not wanting to eat ration packs can take this time to hunt the local fauna such as birds, lizards and desert foxes.) While there is nothing else around, observant Outsiders may notice signs of human life - footprints in the sand, a shoe or torn piece of clothing being left behind, and even the odd human carcass being torn apart by vultures.

The logical conclusion would be that those missing humans have been here, and the only thing left to do is find them … but Outsiders and civilians aren't all that lurk here, and time will tell what lies beneath the desert surface ...

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our very first travel log! Each campervan will accommodate anywhere between 3-5 people, with 4 being the ideal and 5 being a squeeze. Players are encouraged to connect with each other to fill up a van but the mods will not be enforcing it. If you need help finding roommates, there is a FIND A ROOMMATE header below that you can make use of.

If you'd like to test your gambling luck, we also have an IC SLOTS HEADER for you to comment to for you to see how well your character does at the slot machines. This is entirely for fun, and of course you are always welcome to have your characters winning or losing at the slot machines as much as you want in your prompts so long as they aren't winning jackpots.

Following this log, all characters who have purchased style upgrades will receive an update to their chip enabling them access to desert attire and popular styles within Las Vegas.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He's my teacher, obviously, but he saved my life, too... I guess he's a bit of a 'hero' in that way, as well.

[ To Yuji, who had been on death's door for such a long time, the six months of time as a sorcerer, there are so many people that have come to mean so much to him. Some are easier to categorise - to put into the box of 'friend' or 'enemy' or 'senpai' - and others are more complicated. People like Megumi, who he is so willing to die for, the person he is fighting with all that he has left to save and protect, to push and push until there's nothing left inside of him but his own will.

The desire to tear Sukuna apart to scratch through and find his dearest friend beating and alive inside... That's what possess him.

Closing his eyes, he basks in the touch, letting himself sink into it. There aren't that many people in the world he'd be so willing to let take care of him like this, not when he feels as though he has to do it alone, that he owes the others the chance to enjoy happiness without them, but Katsuki is one of them. He trusts his friend to carry a little of his burdens, and he hopes to do the same in the future - that if Katsuki needs someone to talk to, to lean on, Yuji can be that person.

He can carry things for him, too. ]

He was polite enough when we travelled here, just asking questions about the school. [ Sure, he might have been spying, but nothing that Yuji said was necessarily incriminating. It was just things he could find out by looking at the people here anyway. ] He used to be Gojo-sensei's friend, so I'll give him a chance for now. If he ends up being weird again then he can figure it out alone.

Ah. Just not in spandex. [Look, a lot of heroes in his world do wear spandex.] I know how that feels. All Might saved mine too.

[But he's always been Katsuki's hero. Even if Katsuki never got to have the close intimate friendships with All Might that Izuku got to have with him and Yuji got to have with Gojo. He sometimes wonders about how Yuji sees other people, since so many can obviously fit in different categories. It's not like Katsuki doesn't have complex ideas as well, ranging from rival to friend to enemy to annoyance to teacher to mentor to hero to more. Izuku falls into several, someone that Katsuki has always seen as superior to himself to the point of hated rival, yet beneath that injured pride, he still cherishes his best friend to the point of being willing to die for him if he has to. Even if Izuku annoys the fuck out of him plenty of times too...

It's really hard to massage yourself alone, Yuji. Katsuki knows what it means to let someone else take over and tend to him, willing to let them see him quiet and relaxed, vulnerable even. It's why he does it so rarely, only a handful of people permitted. As much as he's angered about Yuji taking on so much by himself, Katsuki's hypocritically doing that all the time. The problem with thinking others are owed happiness outside yourself is not understanding "you" are one of the biggest elements of their happiness. Izuku abandoned his friends in order to protect them, but didn't think about how much pain he caused them by leaving. Not until they smashed that reality into his face and dragged his ass back with them.

Katsuki has yet to reach a point where he's unable to handle a burden on his own... but when the time comes, Yuji will probably get a call. It won't be pretty either.]

That information's not going to do him any good here. [The jujutsu society, the hero society, neither of them exist here and LILITH couldn't give a shit about either of them. Unless Yuji's talking about the Neo Tokyo school, which went over Katsuki's head. Zoom. He doesn't attend in person; he takes online classes and self-taught things.] What about Gojo? He knows this guy's here too. And not the brain-swapped version.

I know. It's funny, how similar we are, isn't it?

[ Yuji can empathise, he really can. All Might and Gojo-sensei, or Nanamin, someone to look up to, to hero worship, to want to emulate... Yuji can really understand that. He knows that he and Katsuki are the same on that front thanks to their previous conversations, the way Yuji has let himself be laid bare and open in front of the other boy, being more honest than he thinks he ought to be. He's better at sharing, but he still feels...

Too much, probably.

Shaking his head a little, he sighs absently. ]

It's probably not important to know, since he won't remember when he goes back, but they're simple questions. I spoke to Gojo-sensei about it and all he said was that he was a curse user, and that he was notorious, so that's fine. I'm going to be careful around him.

[ The last thing that Yuji wants is to end up disappointing Gojo again, especially after being scolded so soundly once his operation had been completed. The idea of disappointing his mentor and teacher is one that he simply can't handle, so he shoves the thought away and focuses on the present and now, which is Katsuki and the threat - or promise - of watching a movie together.

Whenever they hang out they always get distracted... ]

What do you want to watch, anyway, dandelion?

Dunno. Some of it's kinda cool.

[There's a little curve at his mouth against Yuji's brow, teasing him a little. Yet there's depth to this, admitting those kinds of things to someone else. Katsuki was never shy about praising All Might or announcing his admiration to him and desire to surpass him. Knowing Yuji also has a heroic figure like that is amusing, but heartening as well. Finding those similarities and differences are pleasant when they pop up. Sometimes it does take opening up more to the other boy to find them though.

Katsuki occasionally wonders if there's more he should be sharing about himself to Yuji, who's already told him so much about himself. Does Yuji want to know more? Hm...]

If he's gonna talk to you about basic shit, that's your call. He would've been your senpai or another teacher if he hadn't gotten brainswiped. [Asking about the new school, how things were run, doesn't seem bad. Especially since it sounds like Geto was also a sorcerer, a good one, before his untimely end.] Wait, Monkey Shit was the notorious curse user, or the Brain was?

[Like hell is he not going to tell Yuji to be careful around this guy. Honestly he wishes Yuji would be more careful in general. Around plenty of things. If it takes a scolding from his teacher and his brother spraying blood all around the bathroom to get some of that message across, fine.

Oh right. A movie.]

I picked the movie last time. This one's your choice.

Yeah. It's both good and bad to have someone who understands these kinds of things.

[ It's not as if Yuji wants anyone to share in his grief or his pain, or to empathise with how hurt he is; if he could stop people feeling that kind of hurt then he'd do it without hesitation, of course he would. The fact that Katsuki can understand the sort of loss and longing that lies heavily on Yuji's heart is a comfort to him, sure, but if he could have made it so that hurt never happened in the first place... That would be fine too, as far as he's concerned.

He's here, at least, for anything that Katsuki might want. If he wants to share his thoughts, his feelings, Yuji will listen. He can be a sounding board and a rock, strong enough to carry that load, too. He can wait, for the times when Katsuki needs it. That's what friends are for. ]

I think a lot of things happened before that, but maybe! Anything is possible for a sorcerer, so maybe if things had been different... [ Yuji hums, sighing a little. The idea of Geto-san being Geto-sensei instead... He doesn't know enough about him to really picture that or imagine it just yet. Shaking his head, he waves his hand as he reaches for the controls of the television. ]

Geto-san was the curse user. I guess Kenjaku was as well? It's confusing.

[ He starts to poke at the movies absently. ]

Hmph. It helps you, so I'm glad I understand.

[Yuji has a bad understanding of people if he thinks that kind of mindset is going to fly while he has people he considers friends, or who consider him a friend. Katsuki wonders what makes the guy feel it's possible to be so disconnected from the very people he wants to connect with? Surely he had friends even before he became a sorcerer and had to leave that normal life behind. But by the same token, there's nothing wrong with wishing your own, or a friend's, pain never happened in the first place.

It's kind of like Neo Tokyo. Katsuki accepts the comfort of having companions here, but he'll never wish someone be kidnapped to this place even if it would bring a positive element to his life. It's not worth the price.

Eventually he'll start to open up to Yuji more than he does. It just... takes planetary alignment. You don't settle down with your friend on the bed, tracing each other's knuckles in one joined hand, watching the fan spin as you share gingersnap cookies, and then "I died before" out of nowhere. (Okay, so with Yuji particularly, that'd actually not be the worst topic.)

But eventually...]

Anything's possible, huh? [Cheerfully optimistic for a guy who at one point said death was his only ending. But he's distracted by something else and looks down at Yuji again.] Huh? What's the difference between a curse user and using cursed energy?

[Didn't Yuji and the others all use curses? Megumi's summons. Nobara's nails. Yuji's strength and blood manipulation?]

Yeah? Me too.

[ Yuji shifts on the ground, turning so that he's facing Katsuki properly, legs tucked a little under the frame of the bed. It's easier to talk like this, despite the fact that they're meant to be choosing a film to watch. If it means they can discuss all the things coming to mind now before things start, then that's okay with him - it's not as if he minds films being interrupted, but he can see Katsuki finding it really annoying.

There's happiness here, in this little bubble, and that's okay. Yuji can cling to that with all that he has, and try not to let it slip through his fingers like everything else. He's lost too much to recover from losing more here, and the idea of waking up to someone he loves disappearing again... It's unfathomable.

Reaching out, unable to stop himself, he pokes Katsuki on the nose. ]

A curse user is someone who uses it to do bad things and hurt people. Having cursed energy doesn't make you a curse user, it's the actions that are important. From what Gojo-sensei told me, Geto-san was that and a cult leader, though he said he wasn't a leader any more.

[ A shrug as he leans forward, resting his head on his palm. ]

Maybe that kind of distinction doesn't matter any more, but it means something to me, still.

[That'll make watching something harder if Yuji's not facing the TV. But are they planning on watch something now? He's not sure. Doesn't really matter. Being able to spend time with the sorcerer, whatever way they do it, is pleasant. Yuji's not wrong about Katsuki being annoyed when people interrupt movies by talking. Occasional comment is one thing. A whole conversation is another. Asking about the manners of curse workings in the other boy's world is probably not moving conversation.

Granted he'd thought to chat about it while searching for a movie, but whatever. This is fine too. Katsuki looks into Yuji's eyes, seeing all those things that linger there. Happiness. Sadness. Pain. Determination. He wishes he could save this boy from ever having to experience those bad things ever again. As a hero. As a friend. Life's not that kind, however. All Katsuki can do is be there to support Yuji however he can.

And twitches his head back at the poke on the nose. What the hell?]

No, that's always how distinction works. What makes a hero or a villain in my world isn't whether you have a Quirk or not. It's what you do that makes you a hero or a villain. [With or without a Quirk. Granted, he's never come across a Quirkless villain, so maybe that's a moot point. Katsuki leans forward and bumps his forehead against Yuji's.] That's why I think you're a hero, and a jujutsu sorcerer.

[Because it means something.]

[ The film can wait. Katsuki has his attention right now.

The soft response is what he's starting to expect - the way that Katsuki will support him, build him up when he breaks himself down, will not let him stand for all the uncertainty and strangeness inside his own mind. There's a painful, awkward discomfort inside of him when they're together like this, because Katsuki is so supportive, so genuine, and Yuji feels unworthy of it still, but... He knows better than to even consider saying that out loud.

He's not that much of an idiot.

Laughing a little, he bonks his head back before he hums a little. ]

Even in a world where it's just us versus another curse? Sukuna is evil, there's no doubt about that. I wonder if there are even any curse users left out there, or if they all got forced into the Culling Game.

[ He shrugs his shoulders. Not much about the world makes sense to him, at least right now. It's all too much when his sole focus is Sukuna and Megumi. ]

I'm definitely a sorcerer. Still working on the hero part, no matter what you say.

[ When he saves Megumi... Maybe then he can be a real hero. ]

[Unworthy. Katsuki has realized Yuji wrestles with that, but hasn't brought it up. He respects the other boy's privacy. It's strange that someone who is so adamant in his beliefs that he'd willingly give up his life for them, would also consider himself not worth other people's affection and care. But perhaps that's also the very reason why. Virtue and conviction to the point that other people would see it as naive or straight up foolishness. Like with Izuku, Yuji sees the world and things in it differently than Katsuki can. He doesn't understand it...

Yet he knows he wants to protect Yuji, support him so he can walk that path. And hopefully defy the very expectation of his execution at the end of it. Katsuki... knows he won't be there when Yuji reaches that point. So he'll have to believe somehow a bit of the "us" they have together from here will make it back to Yuji.]

How the hell should I know? If you're all kicking his ass to stop him from doing more evil things, that makes you heroes. [He leans back before bonking Yuji in the forehead with the back of his knuckles.] Unless you're planning to secretly dominate the world once he's gone.

[Nothing makes sense once war breaks out. An army versus an army. A group versus one person. Nation versus nation. War makes everything go out the window, out of focus, until it's over.]

Hmph. You and me both then.

[Working on being heroes.]

[ How can you combat self-worth when you were made to die? Yuji is still fighting with himself over what it means, how he can live and die without regrets when he is haunted by it all, when his heart aches with the fear and heartache of everything he has to go through - but he is also getting stronger. He is getting better, day by day, and happier, moment by moment, and as time goes on he is growing more powerful, too.

Power doesn't always equal happiness, though. Yuji's seen that in Gojo-sensei.

Nodding his head, he closes his eyes and leans into Katsuki just a little, eyes closing as he hums a soft noise. He should tuck all this away, forcing his thoughts away, not letting them overpower him like this, but it feels as if it comes out so naturally in moments like this, in moments with this one person. Maybe the shared feeling makes life easier to empathise with, so it feels more natural to unburden himself.

Either way, this is where they are now.

Nodding his head, he tilts himself back with a quiet hum. ]

I'll do whatever it takes, like I said. It's fine. That's something that's at home, not here, so I need to worry about fighting the monsters here right now.

[ Even if he has nightmares. Even if he bothers Choso and Marcille, Bakugo and Raidou. Even then. ]

And we're in Las Vegas! That's pretty cool, isn't it? I'd never have been able to go here at home.

[By realizing you don't HAVE to live for what you were made for! Two villains fucking and having a child doesn't mean that child has to become a villain! Yuji is Yuji! Fuck whoever made him and their machinations! He decides for himself what he wants to be! Or that's what he should do. Katsuki will say all of that should the question ever get put to voice between them. He's never let someone else dictate for him what he is or should be. He chose to idolize All Might and become a hero. He defied Shigaraki and that shitty League of Villains who wanted him to become a villain with them. He even defied himself, maturing out of that shallow, cruel bully who didn't care about others...

Fear, heartache, mistakes, pain, sorrow, suffering... Yeah, they're all there. They don't have to define you. Unfortunately, some people let them. Katsuki looks at Dabi, the child of the No. 2 Pro Hero, who could have become an amazing hero... but he let his pain, trauma, and rage consume him and become the twisted vengeful revenant he is now. And then there's Hawks, the child of two no-name criminals, who could have been just another villain... but he idolized Endeavor and heroes and ultimately became one himself to protect people who never would have looked at him twice. Look at Choso...

You are what you choose to be...

How is it that people like Yuji and Izuku can love other people so much, yet seem to struggle loving themselves.

Another time he would've pulled Yuji in for a fierce embrace, but since it's not on the table, they're left to banter between them as Katsuki leans back on his hands, lazily hooking a foot around Yuji's hip because he feels like it.]

Aa. Home shit's back at home. Whatever's out there in the dessert is our next focus.

[Katsuki rolls his head to one side, cracking his neck with a few pops down the "side" of the column.]

Che, no kidding. All Might lived in America for a while before coming back to Japan. I dunno if he ever visited this place. I know Deku wants to go to America at some point.

Whatever that is! There must be a good reason for us coming here, after all.

[ The fights here, against the Kaiju, feel easier to manage. Fighting monsters is something he can do, since he was trained to fight curses, which were one and the same to the people of this world. It has occurred to him that there might be something more going on here, but the reality is that when you point and tell him to go and fight to help people, then... That's what he'll do. If it means he can save lives, he'll do it.

He has people he wants to protect here as well, so he can fight all the harder.

Leaning into Katsuki, he grins, nudging him again. ]

We're getting distracted again. You're too good at getting me to talk, dandelion.

[ Stretching his own body, he sighs softly. ]

I want to watch something cute. The kind of thing that you don't have to think too hard about, okay?

[ The idea of watching a serious action flick or some kind of horror doesn't feel good right now, not when he's feeling some kind of way. Maybe if Choso comes back... ]

... Did you ever see Tremors, from America, or that tunneling kaiju, Baragon, from the Godzilla films?

[Because that's the kind of kaiju Katsuki thinks they're going to end up encountering out there. Unless it's some strange sand dune siren luring people to their... whatever in the sand. He wouldn't disagree that the kaiju's are easier than some of the villains he's fought. Though being swallowed by that fucking gecko was too close to being smothered and absorbed by Sludge Villain for his comfort. PTSD flashbacks in there. Ugh.

During the impending fight, he'll be keeping in contact with his friends as best he can. Whatever happened last fight really messed up Yuji and Raidou. Katsuki doesn't want to see that repeated again.]

Huh? You're always a chatterbox. [Hell, it's amazing Yuji gets Katsuki to talk this much. But in private, he's a little more talkative since no one else can see and he's with someone he likes.] Hn, find a comedy or adventure film.

[Neither of those require much thought. Then they can go clubbing once it's done.]

I've seen Godzilla, yeah! You think we'll see something like that?

[ At least then it would be almost familiar, wouldn't it? Something he's seen in a film - though it will probably be different in real life. At least LILITH gives them the briefing and bios before they go off on missions, so they have some kind of chance of figuring out the best method of dealing with them before they're forced to go and dish out the damage.

He keeps reading them because Megumi will hit him if he doesn't.

The notion of getting Katsuki had crossed Yuji's mind, but he's tucked it away - it doesn't seem necessary right now, when they take good enough care of one another, and Yuji's not sure how it would be taken either way. They've found each other before and after missions well enough, so they might not really need that extra layer of protection. It'll be fine. ]

So are you! [ A nudge to his friend, then he's back on the remote, trying to find something as he flicks through the list of films absently. ] A comedy, huh...

[ He's taking this really seriously. ]

Not out in the desert, but I wouldn't be surprised in the future.

[It's the fact LILITH gives them briefing and bios when they encounter the kaiju that make Katsuki suspicious about them. Unless they're just encountering the ones LILITH tangled with before but couldn't beat... Can't say "new kaiju" and then spit out facts, so obviously these things were known to LILITH beforehand. Weaknesses included. As well as having weapons Outsiders can purchase that can usually address said weakness.

Read the damn cheat sheet, Gari Head!

Katsuki usually relies on the comm links to keep in touch with his allies back home, and the ocular devices here. But if the ocular gets zapped or some shit, you can bet your ass he'll be blasting around searching for his companions. Even if he has to yell their names like a fool. He worries, even if he won't say it.]

Like hell I am! [He keeps his mouth shut most of the time. Until his temper sparks and it blows open again. Katsuki settles back on his hands as he watches the screen flick through options.] Got any comedians you like?

Godzilla is kind of cool, though... I'd feel bad for fighting something like that.

[ When he had been told they were fighting kaiju that is what he had pictured, but he really does like Godzilla a lot, so the idea of fighting that particular monster just didn't sit right with him. The ones they've fought so far have just seemed like really vicious and dangerous animals, which is also a little weird, but... They were hurting innocent people. That's enough for Yuji to want to get involved.

Shaking his head, Yuji fights the urge to grin, because that's so Katsuki, but... Whatever. ]

I'm okay with anything, honestly. I've never had that much of a preference, so I just watched whatever was on when I was a kid.

[ He was a television child... Thanks, grandpa Itadori. ]

Oh! This looks cute, hold on -

[ Leaning forward, he flicks back up to some kind of animated movie that has 'comedy' tagged on it. ]

So if a big scaly, bipedal reptile wades out of the ocean, you're knock out rather than kill off.

[Katsuki grins at Yuji as he nudges him with his leg, teasing the other boy. But it's not wrong. Godzilla is a cool monster and IF something like that happened, the explosive hero would have even more doubts about LILITH being the ones behind the kaiju attacks, whether intentionally or accidentally. Katsuki has his own limits, as he found out with those boar-like kaiju in Kyoto. They weren't attacking people, just living their lives. Attacking them and taking their young hadn't sat right with him, so he dismissed LILITH's orders for it.]

Gojiro is a Pro Hero whose Quirk, Toho, gives him the attributes of Godzilla. [Katsuki takes a second to grab the memory, then projects an image of Gojiro from his ocular for Yuji to see.] I haven't seen him in action though.

[He's heard a lot about Yuji's world, people, and techniques, but hasn't talked too much about his own with the other boy. So... guess he can start changing that a little. Something for Yuji to look at while he's flicking through channels.

The images blinks out once he finds an animated comedy and Katsuki gives it a quick review before nodding.] Play it. And get up here; you don't have to sit on the floor to watch it.

I'd definitely think about it!

[ Godzilla is just cool, okay! But if Godzilla was trying to kill people for real, then he'd have something to say about it, so...

Slowly, he clambers up onto the bed beside Katsuki now they've picked a film, making himself comfortable, even as he's immediately distracted by the image of the Pro Hero. There's one that has Godzilla stuff? That's so cool, and he's leaning forward to stare at the holo-image without hesitation. ]

Toho, huh? There's no one with a technique like this at home, as far as I know, so this is extra cool... Heroes get all kinds of powers, don't they?

[ Incredible!! Wiggling back onto the bed and flopping down, comfortable, he huffs a pleased noise. ]

I wish I could learn more about techniques and stuff. It might make fighting easier in the future.

[ Optimistic thinking, if he ends up being able to survive his fight with Sukuna. ]

We should focus on driving it away. If we knock it out, those bastards are gonna grab it to study.

[Katsuki's all for saving Godzilla, but that's likely if it's just by itself and not swarming the city with little Zillas. Then it's kind of "you forced my hand" situation. Good to know Yuji would feel a similar way.

There's a lot about his world he can show Yuji. (Thanks for teaching him how to do the eye projector shit, Manjoume.) Letting the guy see some of the heroes and seeing Yuji's immediate interest in them brings a swell of pride and amusement to the blonde. He's always been proud of his world's heroes. Most of them. Some are dumb... some turned out to be scum...]

Aa. Quirks are varied. A lot of them are combinations of the parents' Quirks, though some can spontaneously occur with no relation to the parents' Quirks.

[Katsuki scoots up to rest his back against the headboard, getting comfortable as the image vanishes.]

I'll show you some more later. [He's not sure how reviewing Quirks could help in a battle of cursed energy, but Katsuki's no less interested in learning about Yuji's world's curse techniques too.]

That's the kind of thing that could end up being bad for us.

[ They already had the weird fish upgrades, so if they were to make some kind of Godzilla upgrade... That would probably be awkward and bad, wouldn't it? Not that Yuji would consider getting it, since he's sworn off them for now, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be a little bit curious...

Just as curious as he is about Katsuki's world and all the heroes in it. It's strange to think that curses have only just become public, that people are only just learning about them, when they've been a problem for hundreds of years. The idea of people being heroes and stopping villains appeals to him on a basic level, but he's not sure if it would ever work in his version of the world.

A lot of his enemies were his friends, first, and even then things keep happening that are totally out of their control. More heroes might mean more people dying, and he's not entirely comfortable with that.

Settling down beside Katsuki, he smiles. ]

I'll show you some stuff from my world too, if you want, dandelion.

No shit. But do you want LILITH getting their hands on Godzilla?

[Granted the electric geckos were the reason they could even teleport out here in the first place. So not all the kaiju research was ending up in some weird freak lab making chimeras for sale. Katsuki doesn't want his friends coming out of the hospital with new upgrades either, sporting fucking spine fins that channel plasma energy for a breath blast attack.

... he will not mention that.

Katsuki will likely give Yuji a history on Quirks too, as they've only been around in his world for a few generations. What would Yuji's world be like if there was a public understanding of curses and a less-corrupt version of the jujutsu leadership? Where sorcerers were treated more as heroes rather than shadowy operatives trained to fight and die like tools. Nanami was right about not liking how the older sorcerers ran their operations.

The problem with heroes of any kind is that fighting means a risk of death. Heroes did their damnest not to kill the villains they fought, despite the villains certainly not giving the heroes the same concern. It's something to consider.]

Sounds good. [He likes learning about Yuji and his world.]

No way. That would be crazy.

[ Even if a mouth laser would be cool.

Yuji has enough to worry about, trying to learn more about his blood manipulation while he has the chance to grow and learn with it, working with both Choso and Gojo-sensei to get stronger. Maki-senpai is here now too, and she's definitely going to kick his ass as much as she can if they ever end up fighting with one another, sparring to keep their strength up. He thinks he could take her now, but it'd be touch and go. She's... So good.

Impressively so, he's always thought so.

Kicking off his shoes, Yuji settles down and flops against the pillows, sighing softly. ]

Whatever you wanna know, I'll tell you. You've figured out the most anyway, and I've told you more than other people.

[ Reaching out, he nudges Katsuki as they settle into the movie. ]

I don't mind talking to you about things.

Uh-huh.

[Yuji. No. You're not going Dragon Ball in this world.

Katsuki continues to focus on his own skills and training, sparring with Todoroki and Midoriya when he can because he's not about to let those two get soft sitting around doing jack all. But other Outsiders have also been dragged into the mix, as Yuji himself well knows from their own spars. Katsuki enjoys competing against the different techniques and skills, pushing himself to counter them and sometimes pushing his opponents to think of things outside the box.

That was actually the last encounter he had with Nanami... helping the man look past the box he put around his Ratio technique and branch into a new method of utilizing it. Someday, he'll talk to Yuji about that. He just doesn't know when's a good time.]

Hn. I know. [It's not flippant either; Katsuki acknowledges the sensitivity of the things Yuji's confided in him and has kept them secret as promised. He rocks a bit with the nudge, then bumps back, taking one of the sorcerer's hands in the process.] There's a lot more I want to know about you, and your world. [Personal and nerdy data. He squeezes Yuji's hand.] You can ask me anything about me, or my world, if you want.

[It's rare as fuck he'll ever give someone carte blanche to himself, but if anyone's earned it, Yuji has.]

[ But he wanted to Kamehameha so badly...

Yuji wants to keep practising and honing his skills, because he didn't have enough time to do that back home. He had a handful of weeks between figuring out their plans and starting to train, and even though he'd been able to work with Yuta-senpai and Kusakabe-sensei, he hadn't really been able to do the kind of work and effort he'd have preferred. Sure, he can use Reverse Cursed Technique and Simple Domain now, but he doesn't think he's worked hard enough at either.

Blood Manipulation, too, but Choso is here for that. They can work on that together, even if Choso sucks at explaining things.

The hand in his own is comfortable and familiar now, and he lets himself enjoy the comfort of it, squeezing back gently. It's just nice, to be able to be close to someone like this, to be understood. He has Megumi, of course, and there's no denying that he trusts him and Raidou too, but there's something dangerous about unloading. It feels bad, sometimes, and he feels guilty - and, obviously, he can't tell Megumi the whole truth.

It would break him. ]

I'll start thinking of some good questions for you.

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blastedass - 2024-05-25 20:12 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TRAVEL LOG #1

▶ 001. A RUDE AWAKENING.

▶ 002. WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS.

▶ 003. TROUBLE BREWING.

▶ 004. FOUR FOR THE ROAD.

▶ 005. THE HUNT IS ON.

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

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me not thinking sukuna and kenjaku = pinky and the brain

omfg but... you're right

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