[CLOSED] Catch-all

[the_fourteenth]

WHO: Raidou Kuzunoha & others
WHAT: a long overdue catch-all log for various adventures
WHERE: Whenever you need him
WHEN: September and onward
WARNINGS: Threads will be marked if/when it's needed




Closed starters for Raidou Kuzunoha, from now until I say so

Comments

[Closed] Silco - Inbox continuation

[the_fourteenth]

[From here!]

It often goes haywire. Usually unintentionally, but not always.

[Raidou's tired, and really this is one of the last people on the base he wants to deal with right now. But politeness always wins out, even if it's delivered with his usual quiet monotone. He steps forward to open the base door with his wrist implant.]

Did you recently get the style upgrade?

[zauneyete]

[ A grimace, and then through gritted teeth: ]

Yes.

How do I change it back?

[ SIlco hates asking for help. It's apparent on his face. This is like pulling teeth to him, but he also literally cannot walk into the building looking like this. He can't! There's no way! What if someone else sees him? ]

There has to be a way.

[the_fourteenth]

[The even, neutral look Raidou gives him is as hard to read as ever. One that, thanks to its passiveness, can be a little too easy for others to imprint feeling on. Is it apathy? Judgement? Hard to say.]

You're by far not the first to suffer this. It'll sort itself out. Takes a few days. Has to work the kinks out itself, I think.

[Not that he's too sure. This technology is still a lot for him, even after all these months here. Raidou looks at the outfit, head tilted slightly, thinking. He wants to say that no one in the base will probably care or notice - which is true - but he'd feel pretty self-conscious too if it were him.]

Seems comfortable, at least.

[zauneyete]

[ It feels like judgment. The kind of judgment that comes from someone getting too overworked by something that should be routine.

Silco doesn't feel like it is routine. ]

Right. Right. The...difficulties.

[ His daughter could design something more stable, and she designed bombs.

He keeps his mouth shut, but not because he's accepted what causes it, but because Silco rarely speaks about his daughter. Especially around strangers. ]

It isn't comfortable, either.

[ It's not bad, but it doesn't make up for the fact that he's in this.

After a moment, he snaps: ]

Well, will you let me in, or not?

[Closed] Dr. Ratio - Okinawa

[the_fourteenth]

[Raidou's plan now was to make weekly trips to Okinawa, usually early in the week, to keep their fridges and freezers back in Neo Tokyo full. Since this was his idea, he requisitions whatever he might need on the day they're going out - tackleboxes, weapons, coolers, carts, whatever they can hold on to while coming back through the portal. He also makes and prepares bento boxes and plenty of water for whomever accompanies him, and today, it just happens to be one other.

The coolers and equipment get secured with ropes under some trees while he and Ratio go hunting, to keep pesky crabs from getting into their things while they're gone. The giant crabs are large enough that they're easy to find, so "hunting" is more like patrolling the beach until one crawls out from the water and onto land. Just a couple of the creatures would be enough to fill up their carts for the week. Raidou has brought his fire elemental sword with him - his heirloom sword is too precious for such trivial work.

Ove the last two weeks, Raidou has taken the doctor's advice to take time off. These trips are the only fighting he'll be doing this month, and he's itching for one of these creatures to show themselves, hand ready on the hilt of his sword. That, and patrolling like this is a familiar feeling, something like he'd do back home in the streets of the Capital, looking for demons that were up to no good. He's looking livelier, and maybe some color back in his complexion, though it's hard to tell with this pale kid.

As usual, he's quiet, with clipped, short sentences when he does speak. Silences don't bother him. However, something has been on his mind, as word travels fast in a small community like theirs. Raidou speaks up without taking his eyes off the landscape ahead of them.]

... Has your room been repaired yet?

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio was not often of the sort to dispense advice, as it would usually be brushed off by fools who were too arrogant to accept it. So he hadn't expected Raidou to heed his advice. Not fully, anyway.

When the young man shows up to the excursion looking much livelier and well-rested, he's surprised but pleased. Rest is a difficult concept for most to swallow, despite the average person spending a third of their life sleeping. But he's learned, after personal experience, trial and error, that one must allow their body and mind ample time to recover from work in order to perform at one's best.

Which is why it's ironic that he's been left in the same situation as Raidou, albeit involuntarily. Stripped of his ability to read, he's had nothing to do except train himself physically and reflect upon himself. It may have been needed, though he would only begrudgingly admit it if forced to. ]

No. It will not be repaired until some time in October. That is what I've been informed.

[ And with Aventurine unable to access his kryptos, the pair have resorted to sleeping in shared spaces, like the library and the spa lounge. It hasn't been pleasant, and it's obvious in the way Ratio looks slightly exhausted, but he intends to press on regardless. ]

[the_fourteenth]

[Raidou might be an overachiever, with a lot to prove, but one thing he isn't is arrogant. While Ratio was not even close to being the first person to tell Raidou he needed to rest, he just happened to be the first person to try a method no one's tried before, at the exact right time. He didn't resist people's advice and concern out of stubbornness, but out of a sense of duty and sacrifice he just can't shake.

Even being here isn't just some exercise and an excuse to get some fighting in. He's serious in his want to turn Okinawa into a place where they can grow and catch all the food they could need on base, and hopefully more.]

I see. Resources are always thin, I guess. Ah. I don't know if there is, but... if I can help at all, please let me know.

[Even if Ratio just needs to borrow his desk for awhile, or something, for some peace and quiet. Raidou's gone a lot anyway, and if he's not, it gives him an excuse to hang out in Yuji's room.

He's quiet for a moment, still keeping his eyes on the tide for any signs of a crab ready to emerge.]

... I've stayed out of the sims since we... talked. [Is that what that was?] The only fighting I've done is the few days I've come here.

[He's not looking for praise or even confirmation. The way Raidou states it is almost like a report. Raidou is used to doing so, either with his clan or the representative of the Yatagarasu Organization. A habit, and without someone else among the Outsiders to do it with, Ratio comes the closest. This is what he gets for being an adult who offered to be his tutor. Sorry, Ratio.

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio shakes his head. ]

Do not concern yourself with my plight. I've no need for it.

[ Sorry Raidou, he's just being his usual prickly self. And he already has a lab, which is part of the reason why he and Aventurine have to sleep out in the common areas. Had it not been converted, the pair could have just slept in Aventurine's room.

To his report, Ratio only offers an aloof gaze and raised eyebrow in return. He can tell Raidou is reporting out of misplaced obligation, but it'll be another day when Ratio attempts to train him out of those habits. ]

Have you found the break to be productive?

[ Productive in the sense that he's managed to reground himself and pursue a new route of self-improvement. ]

[closed] Yuji - late January - Okinawa

[the_fourteenth]

[Raidou has spent a lot of time working in Okinawa, travelling back and forth with many Outsiders who've offered to help with all of the tasks at hand. Thanks to that, he doesn't need to come as often as he used to, learning to trust in the help and skill of his teammates to help the groves and gardens flourish.

There is still much to be done, and there always will be. It also doesn't hurt to get away from the base for a little while; a good excuse to get some work done with Yuji and do some overnight camping while they're there. Today's task is getting bags of soil to the garden to fill up some troughs where potatoes will be planted. Before that, some perimeter fences and walls had to be constructed to keep curious kaiju crabs from walking all over everything. Other troughs have already been started and have things sprouting that need some TLC while they're there, too. One of the crops has really taken off, and that one Raidou is excited to show off to Yuji once they get to the site and set down their buckets of soil. He waves him over with an excited smile.]

Come here, take a look.

[A couple of the troughs are filled with strawberry plants, some ripe, some still flowering. Given the right environment they can really take off, and Raidou seems pleased with the results.]

[eyescar]

Coming!

[ Yuji doesn't hesitate to make his way over to Raidou, to follow after him. He's excited to see all the work that Raidou has put into making this place better, into growing more of the gardens and make it a good place to be. He's done some of the heavy lifting, but the gardening side of things isn't necessarily his area of expertise, so he's mostly just done whatever he has been told to do.

Leaning down, he looks at the strawberries, his eyes widening. ]

Woah. This is amazing, Johei!

[ Looking up, he beams. ]

You've been working hard!

[the_fourteenth]

[It's not Raidou's expertise either, but he's doing a lot of studying. There's even a mini hydroponic garden in his room now, thanks to Dr. Ratio. Something to practice with.

He looks proud, but he can't help but shake his head a little, despite the smile.]

I've had a lot of help. Most berries are pretty easy to grow. Just need to make sure the birds don't get to them, so we need to set up some of the nets today too.

[He leans down beside Yuji to look them over.]

I can make something with them for you, if you like. A cake, maybe. Or dip them in chocolate? The daifuku I made over Christmas seemed to go over pretty well, too.

[eyescar]

[ Yuji would be willing to learn more about it, but the idea of sitting down and actually doing the studying is something that makes his body feel itchy, wanting to be outside and doing things instead. Even knowing his home is safe doesn't necessarily settle him, either.

Leaning in, Yuji nudges him gently. ]

You can be a little proud of yourself, you know.

[ Settling back, he nods his head. ]

We should bake a cake together!

[Closed] Dr. Ratio - Base cleanup

[the_fourteenth]

[During the base cleanup, Raidou prioritizes the med bay and the greenhouse. Currently, he's helping rifle through what's left, sorting out what can be saved and what can be scrapped. Most of it isn't in good shape, but he's determined to find what he can to take back to the bunker for their use. Even if it's something that might just need a little TLC first.

He comes across a lot of things that he's not sure what they even are - devices he'd seen used around the med bay. A lot of it technology past his understanding. He picks up a slightly busted machine, a laser used for creating incisions in surgical procedures. Currently, there is only one doctor around to ask about this. He's also gotten to the point where he's sorted through all the things he can on his own, and it's time to defer to the experts.

The whole time they've been there, Raidou has been working silently and diligently as ever. After a couple of hours of this is when he walks up to Ratio with the device, eyes cast away and voice flat as ever.]

Is this salvageable?

[curingidiocy]

[ As a doctor (not medical, but he has been studying for months now which puts him at the level of perhaps a fourth year student, which is additionally bolstered by his extensive knowledge in biology and medicine) and a practical man, clearing up essential areas of the base was a priority. Of course he was going to check on the medbay and see what he could do to restore it to its former glory.

He knew Raidou was there, thanks to the message on the network, but that doesn't deter him from going anyway, because it is the summoner that has a problem with him, not the other way around. If the young man was too uncomfortable to work with Ratio, then it was his problem.

However, he knows Raidou to be the type to push aside his own feelings for his duty, so it doesn't surprise him at all when the summoner approaches him to ask about the device. Gingerly, Ratio takes the device and examines the outer case at first before setting it down on an empty table and opening it up. ]

It appears to be intact externally, but we will need to check its internal machinery to ensure nothing has been knocked loose.

[ He continues to fiddle with the device, determining how it's been held closed and beginning to take it apart. He doesn't say anything as he works, partially to see if the silence would apply any pressure on Raidou to speak. It would be the third time he's tried this method, but this time, he has a reason not to talk. ]

[the_fourteenth]

[Raidou has caught up in many ways to living in these times that are so different from his own, since he's been here long enough, but there is a lot about the technology that escapes him. At least he was right in passing it off to Ratio, who seems to know what he's doing.

He watches Ratio work for a moment, wiping away some sweat and dirt from his forehead with his arm as he does. He'd cleared the majority of this area's larger pieces of debris himself, thanks to his nanobots. Of course, now, he's not sure what to say or do next, a ghost hovering a few feet away from Ratio. At this point, he's assuming another apology isn't going to fly. He wasn't even sure if it did last time. But he doesn't need to get along with everyone to be able work with them, right? It seems increasingly like that's going to be his lot here. Heaven knows he never got along with every Kuzunoha and summoner back home, either.

Talking is hard, trusting is harder, making people understand is the hardest of all. He'd already committed to the lonely life as the Capital's summoner. Now he was just Neo Tokyo's outsider among the Outsiders.

After a few moments, he looks behind him to a box of smaller bits of technology he was unsure about. Everything else he was sure about was sorted elsewhere.]

... There are some other things. Wasn't sure if they were good. Salvageable. Would you like those, or should I take them to LILITH?

[curingidiocy]

[ He clicks his tongue the moment he opens the device—already, he can tell that the device's most delicate parts have been destroyed and are unsalvageable. But that doesn't mean other parts can't be salvaged. With a flourished spin of the screwdriver in his hand, he gets to work, carefully taking apart the inner machinery. ]

Give them to me. I will salvage what parts I can, and rework what has been destroyed, should LILITH desire that.

[ Not to mention that taking apart the machinery will allow him to see how this planet's technology works. He's already got the device in his hands figured out for the most part, so he's confident he could replicate the device himself if need be. ]

You vanished for two days.

[ Completely unprompted, and said like a statement, rather than an inquiry. He's still focused on the device though. ]

Close to Dearka/Choso

[the_fourteenth]

[A continuation from here]

[Raidou isn't sure how long he'd been laying there, drifting in and out of consciousness. What does come back to him is that they were out here fighting kaiju, ants that will make a meal out of him if he doesn't do something. Moving feels impossible - who knows what's happened to his neck at the moment. Through the haze, he manages to pull up a contact, any contact, whoever he manages to click on that isn't Yuji.

Congratulations to Dearka Elthman. The message he receives is simple:]

📌 [X,Y COORDINATES]

SOS

[busternaut]

[Dearka's already out and about in his (new and improved) (mysteriously upsized from a measly 10 to a much more functional 30 feet tall, thank you LILITH) Gundam when Raidou's message comes in. He and the recently arrived Athrun managed to rig the mobile suits up with some makeshift water tanks and hoses in order to help flood out some of the ant nests, so he's out making quick work of them wherever he can.

Coordinators are incredibly good at multitasking though, so it doesn't break his stride any to have his ocular light up with... Well. A deeply concerning notification.

Dearka's a soldier. He doesn't fuck around with SOS messages from teammates when he's out on an operation, especially when the message in question is from a teammate who's as level-headed and responsible as he knows this one to be. If Raidou's sending out a distress call, there's almost definitely something seriously wrong. He sends a reflexive:]

?

[...In reply first, but it's almost instantly it's followed up with,]

OMW. ETA 3 minutes. Sitrep?

[He's already back up in the air and moving the Buster towards the coordinates provided, an ominous feeling gripping his chest.]

[the_fourteenth]

[A wave of relief hits him when the call is answered, and he tries to relax. Easier said than done, but he's already drifting in and out of consciousness.]

S

ukuna

Not kaiju

Can

t move

[That's all Dearka gets until he arrives. Raidou is alone, thankfully with no kaiju currently in sight. He lays on his back on the ground a few feet away from his sword, which has been tossed halfway into the bushes. While he took several bodily hits, his head has taken the worst of whatever happened. Broken jaw, blood running from his mouth and nose. Probably a few fractured vertebrae. He can only hope right now Dearka can spot him from his mecha.]

[closed] for Noctis

[the_fourteenth]

[It's two weeks after Noctis made his offer to Raidou, but, surprising even himself, he shows up at the arcade on a Monday in the early evening, alone. Finding time for something like this is tough to fit into his schedule, but it's more evident than ever lately that he needs to. Whether or not he actually does any talking, just a night of goofing around with games isn't the worst idea ever either.

Taking a slow walk through the games, Raidou browses the games while he also looks for where Noctis might be inside. Quiet as he is, he has a bad habit of sneaking up on people even when he's not trying to.]

... Hey.

<3 <3

[fessus]

[ It's late enough now that he isn't at the counter in the back which doubles as a bar, meant to dole out pizza and beer in equal measure to those old enough to partake. No, now he's making the rounds in the dim, blue lit arcade, circling the corner of one line of machines before he comes nearly face to face with his newest acquaintance. ]

Oh, ah– [ He fumbles his words at first, far more reserved in person than he is over text, that's for sure. ]

Raidou. You actually showed up – I was starting to think maybe you were gonna' blow off the offer. [ Don't mind the rolled up sleeves, with a cloth in one hand and a bottle of disinfectant in the other. He's got standards to meet. ]

[the_fourteenth]

Ah. Sorry. It's been--

["Busy" would be the understatement of the year.]

Always a lot going on. Hope I'm not interrupting.

[Raidou looks around briefly, the bare hint of a smile on him.]

Looks like a cool place.

for Yuji - backdated to March 20

[the_fourteenth]

[Since his run-in with Sukuna, Raidou's been scarce. Taking a few days to heal up, and feeling too ashamed to talk to most people, he's keeping to himself more than ever. Not great.

He manages to get himself together in time for the 20th, because today is all about the person he cares most about here. He'd made some plans, but kept them light, since their lives so easily get interrupted. The morning of the 20th, Yuji will get a text.]

Meet me tonight outside the Neo Tokyo portal. 7:30. Casual dress code.

Happy birthday. 💜

[When Yuji gets there, Raidou is waiting outside on his motorcycle. Leaned against the handlebars, he's wearing the hoodie Yuji gave him, recently rescued from the base in one piece. He fidgets with his fingernails nervously while he waits. Could he blame Yuji if he really didn't feel like going out with him?

When Yuji appears, though, he smiles. It's not much, but it's genuine.]

... Hi.

[eyescar]

[ Yuji can't deny that he has been anxious and nervous sine Raidou as hurt, but he seems better now - and that's enough. It's hard to scold him and tell him to leave Sukuna alone when he had done the same thing, gone and fought the curse as soon as he realised he was here, but... Things are different for him. It's not that Raidou isn't strong, or fast, or good enough, it's just that Yuji is naturally designed to best him.

That's how things are.

So he worries, but he gets himself together enough to go and meet his boyfriend, trying to shove all those worries and concerns aside so he can focus on the happiness of being able to spend time together. ]

Hi. How're you feeling?

[the_fourteenth]

[Between Yuji's healing and LILITH, Raidou is good now. Physically, anyway. Otherwise? Well, he doesn't want to think on it right now.

He sits up on the bike, sitting sideways, holding out his hands to take Yuji's.]

Good. I'm okay.

[He looks well, anyway, even if his words aren't the most convincing.]

Get any good gifts today?