synflux | [CLOSED] Catch-all

[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

[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.]

[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.]

[Luckily their implants probably have some kind of "find a friend" feature or something that'll let Dearka pinpoint Raidou easily... That and it's easy to search from the air, when you've got both genetically enhanced eyesight and a big robot with a super powerful camera. While he's flying, he takes a second to let his boss know that he's leaving the area of operation for an emergency, and then flips back to his conversation with Raidou.]

Almost there. Try to stay awake.

[He has no idea what "sukuna" means and therefore no idea what the hell to expect, though it is a significant relief to know the kid's not in the middle of getting mauled by ants at least...

...That relief quickly evaporates when he finally gets within range and spots the incapacitated figure sprawled out on the ground. Dearka zooms one of the Buster's auxiliary cameras in and brings up the feed as a picture-in-picture window on the interior display, startling at the state of him. He doesn't know what to make of it, other than that something clearly clobbered the shit out of him?

Seeing all this, he wastes no time landing the mobile suit a safe distance back, bringing it down into a kneel so he can easily hop in and out of the cockpit without using the zipline. The hatch pops open and Dearka hops out, sprinting over to Raidou's side at once.]

Raidou!

[He kneels down, giving him a quick look over now that he's closer.]

Fucking hell... Kid, can you hear me?

[Conversely, Raidou is so relieved to see Dearka, he might be able to see it in his eyes. It's okay. Pain is temporary. Now that someone's here, they can get him back to the bunker, and they can find someone to heal him up. He'll be okay.

He can't talk and he's too afraid to try and move his head, but he can still text. Even if his implant is acting a little wonky now.]

yes

thank you

[Just a couple of hits and he was out for the count. Defeated and embarrassed on top of injured. It was foolish anyway, to think he could win. They can't kill each other, LILITH's hardware won't let them. Meaning the Black Flash he was hit with wasn't even full power.

There's a stray thought as Raidou struggles to maintain consciousness while Dearka helps him, and he gets another text.]

don
t tell Yuji

please

long storrry

i will alert Choso

[He never thought he'd say this, but: thank god for psychic texting? At least they can still communicate, even though actual speech seems to be beyond Raidou's capacity at the moment. Contacting Yuji is EXACTLY what Dearka was thinking about doing, because when he thinks about Outsiders who are close to Raidou, that's usually who's first to cross his mind.

He looks sort of confused by the request, but relents with a small nod.]

Alright, do that. We'll get you back to base ASAP, you can have him meet us in the medbay.

[His next concern is over hurting Raidou further by moving him too roughly, but... While he's contemplating options, an odd sound (or several, really) from not too far off catches his attention, making him look up sharply.

He's pretty sure he can hear odd clacking and rustling getting closer... A good indication that some ant-riddled puppets are moving in to investigate.]

Tch... We gotta make tracks. I'm gonna pick you up now, and it's probably not gonna feel great, I'm really sorry.

[Little bastards are probably being drawn to the area by the commotion of the Buster landing. Bottom line is, the situation is now untenable, and therefore the risk that comes with moving an injured patient is superseded by the need to get to safer ground. He's just gonna have to risk it, and hope that nanobots can fix any further damage that might occur.

He moves to hoist Raidou up over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. Sorry about your spine, dude.]

[Raidou's only response to Dearka about to pick him up is his breath quickening - knowing how that's probably going to feel, he can't help but worry just a little. But it's okay. Pain is temporary. Pain is temporary.

He makes surprisingly little noise when Dearka does so, despite how awful this all feels right now. Raidou is still an expert in maintaining composure, and he's also trying not to worry his savior. As Dearka moves back towards his mech, he'll be surprised to get one more message, though in this state it's even less coherent than before.]

swordd d

please

get it please please

nearby

Edited (what is formatting) 2025-03-16 03:14 (UTC)

[No matter how composed Raidou may remain, Dearka's still able to pick up on some of those more subtle signs of stress. He's impressed with his toughness, though; he's met ZAFT recruits who were far less capable of gritting their way through pain.

He starts moving back towards the Buster when the extra messages come in, prompting him to pause for a second.]

Eh—?

[Sword... Right. He recalls clocking it laying nearby when he first landed, but it'd become kind of an afterthought behind the safety of Raidou himself.]

...Alright, let's get you into the cockpit first, then I'll take a look.

[He sounds a little harried, but also, he understands how important that weapon is to Raidou. Getting him up in the cockpit is easier said than done, but fortunately not impossible for an agile Coordinator who strength trains on the reg. Somehow he manages to get Raidou up there and tucked in next to the pilot's seat, before he jumps back down to go take a look for the all important sword.

.........

...The puppets arrive on scene, just as he manages to spot it. Dearka swears and books it back to his mech at once; he could fight them off on foot, but he has a better idea.]

I'm not leaving it—!

[He says that aloud, just to reassure Raidou when he abruptly comes back empty handed and starts buckling himself into his seat. His fingers fly as he punches buttons, flips switches, grabs one of the control sticks and brings the mech back to life. Some of the puppets have closed in on the mobile suit already and are starting to hack and bash uselessly at the it's feet with their farm tools and cleavers. Phase shift armor reactivating, the Buster stomps the ground hard enough to knock them over, and then reaches for it's hose.

The shrub that Raidou's sword is resting in gets a quick hose down to make extra sure that any ants that might be hiding inside get flooded out. And then the Buster's big chunky robot hand just, reaches down and yanks the whole damn thing up out of the ground, plant and sword both.

And then they're airborne, Dearka hastily messaging ahead to warn Dr. Spim he's coming back with someone injured, then sending a quick update to Yzak on the situation. As a big chunky artillery unit, the Buster isn't the fastest mobile suit in LILITH's little Outsider fleet... But it'll still get them there a lot faster than the other means they have available for returning to Kyoto.]

[Smart move. Last thing they need is to take off only to find out they've got an ant infestation inside the cockpit.

Raidou never would have forgiven himself if his sword got left behind. He can sense it, thanks to the powerful magic it contains, but it would still be incredibly difficult to find out here. When he can sense that it's with them as they're airborne, Dearka gets one last message before Raidou falls unconscious.]

sorry

than.k yu

[When they get to the bunker, the med team will of course want to know what happened, though Dearka won't have answers for them. Dr. Spim is always concerned with how often this kid is dragged in here a mess. While a great fighter, he's always so reckless, and overworking himself. Something Yzak was just lecturing him about recently, too. So have several others.]

[Dearka wishes he had answers. The only thing for him to do now is wait around in the medbay, keeping Raidou company and hoping that some explanation might be forthcoming once Choso arrives.]

[ There are two things that are true: Yuji has a ring that connects him to Raidou, and he has a good enough sense of cursed energy to recognise when a Black Flash goes off, especially when it's one he's been victim to enough times. Being hit with a Flash by Sukuna hurts, and that twinned with the echo of the pain that comes through their tracker rings gives him no illusions; Raidou did something stupid.

It's not as if Yuji can blame him. He does stupid shit all the time, but... It's Sukuna.

It doesn't take long at all for Yuji to run through the halls and rooms and slam the door of the medbay open, shoving it aside. He's not even breathing hard, but his eyes are wide and wild, something deeply on edge about them as he walks forward. He is usually such a casually relaxed kid, but right now there's a kind of aura about him that is, frankly, a little frightening. ]

Johei!

[ Luckily, Dr Spim seems to be fond enough of Yuji to forgive the brashness of his entrance, even as the boy himself walks over and almost shoves Dearka out of the way - but he does at least give a little sign of apology. ]

What did you do?!

Edited 2025-03-22 12:36 (UTC)

[...Oh dip. That's not Choso.

Well. So much for Raidou's request to not tell Yuji... Also, this whole scene feels way too familiar to Dearka, even despite the fact that HE was the one who was laid up and barely conscious when Raidou healed him up back in Seoul. Yzak had been in Yuji's shoes then, the one fretting at the bedside of his infirmed partner, anxious and angry.

...But even Yzak's towering temper and anxiety couldn't hold a candle to the kind of vibes Yuji is putting off right now. In any case, Dearka doesn't take the way he barrels past him to get to Raidou's side personally at all; he'd probably be doing the same.

He cuts in to answer, since Raidou isn't immediately fit to do so himself at the moment, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.]

That's something I'd also love to know. I got his distress call out of the blue a bit ago, but he wasn't able to give me much of an explanation for what happened to him other than "not kaiju" and... Uh...

[He glances at Raidou again, awkwardly trailing off as he realizes too late that he's already said too much. Would it be betraying Raidou's trust to keep conveying this info?

(Also, Johei...? He's never heard that name before...)]

I bet I know what it was.

[ Yuji knows what a Black Flash feels and sounds like, after all. He's no stranger to it. Looking at Raidou now, it's almost too obvious what happened to him, but Yuji doesn't want to put those pieces together. He doesn't want to imagine that his partner would do something so foolish, so ridiculous, as trying to deal with Sukuna entirely on his own.

Instead, he steps over and reaches to offer Raidou his hand with a frown. ]

He did something he shouldn't have done. I know I'm right.

[Raidou has been drifting in and out of consciousness, but when he feels Yuji approaching, the reality of the situation snaps him awake. The oppressive feeling of the aura he's giving off is unmistakable, even in this state.

There's not much he can do in the situation, still unable to move very much, or talk. It's not fear he feels when Yuji arrives on the warpath, but shame, one deep enough that perhaps Yuji can feel it thanks to their rings.

Having Yuji be this angry and upset with him hurts much more than any Black Flash.

He turns his head away when Yuji offers a hand, squeezing his eyes shut. After a few moments of silence, though, his hand shakily lifts off the cot towards it. A message finally pops up on his text screen.]

i
m
sorry

[Dearka glances between the two of them with a frown. He feels like maybe he should step out and give them the room for a bit...? But his concern for Raidou as a friend has him wanting for answers of his own. So he lingers, just a bit longer.]

...What kind of "something" are we talking about here?

It was Sukuna, right?

[ For all that he's frustrated and a little angry, Yuji is more concerned for Raidou than anything else. No one should have to deal with Sukuna alone - he hadn't, and even Gojo-sensei had... Well. He has to bite his lip to stop himself from letting out all those emotions, even if he's sure Raidou can probably tell how he's feeling anyway, both because of their rings and since his face is as honest as his heart.

Slumping down, Yuji sighs. ]

You should've stayed away from him. I've told you enough about him that you should've realised that.

[His head is still turned away, but the hand holding Yuji's squeezes it just a little.]

i knowbut

once i found him

felt him

it was lllike seeing all i could se was red

thinking of what hed done to you

toyour allies and city

wondering why lilith would bring him

like a cruel joke

[Last time this happened to Raidou, when he lost control, his feelings were used against him and caused his downfall. Now it's happened again, though this time, he'd escaped with his life. He thought he'd learned his lesson with Seimei. What a failure he was.]

...That... Was definitely the name he mentioned in his text...

[Dearka kind of trails off. The break in any response from Yuji has him concluding that Raidou must be talking to him via text, and therefore he's only getting half the conversation. So. He shuts his mouth again for the time being.]

He's a curse from my world. My job was to defeat him.

[ Yuji is still mad, and still upset, and frustrated, but...

He squeezes Raidou's hand gently. ]

I know why you did what you did, but please stay away from him. You have to.

newly arrived outsiders are weakened

i had my sword

thought maybe there was a chance

im sorry

i will

i hope you will too but we can only avoid him for so llong

[The fact that Sukuna is stuck among them all now is something everyone needs to deal with, not just those from Yuji's world. After a moment, Dearka gets a message too.]

don't approach him warn others to stay away

he can look like yuji but with tattoos and different voice. be vigilant

[Fucks sake. If he's as bad as he seems, or as bad as both these guys are saying he is, why in the hell would LILITH bring this Sukuna guy in in the first place!? This organization continues to be a headache and a half...

Dearka glances between the two of them, his gaze lingering particularly on Raidou for a moment. Just what the hell did you get yourself into, kid? Finally, he heaves a sigh and nods.]

Gotcha. Feels like I should maybe ask you a few follow-up questions that your answers just raised, but... They can probably wait.

[He gives Yuji a reassuring little pat on the shoulder as he turns to step out: not that he's not worried about Raidou, but he's done what he can in here. Right now it feels more important to give Dr. Spim more space to work, and give these two some relative privacy.]

If you need anything, ring me; I'll just be in the hangar nearby... Triple checking the Buster for ants.

You can message me about him later. I can answer any questions you have.

[ If there's anyone here who's going to be an expert in Sukuna, other than the curse himself, it's probably Yuji. The others have fought him too, and Gojo-sensei might know more, but Sukuna had been inside him for months. There's no escaping that fact.

Grabbing a chair, Yuji finally sits down with a soft sigh. ]

I'll take care of Raidou for now. Thanks for helping him.

[Hearing that Dearka is leaving, Raidou gives him one more message.]

sorry about this. thank youu

[He feels guilty having Yuji here to heal him, fixing him up despite his stupid mistake. As much pain as he's in, as much has he doesn't want to be alone right now...]

you don't have to stay

i'd understand

I'm not going anywhere.

[ Yuji sighs, lifting a hand up to kiss the knuckle gently. ]

I'm mad at you, but I'm not abandoning you.

[Raidou lets out a soft noise at that, head still turned away, too shamed to look at him.]

You're too good to me

[CLOSED] Catch-all

Close to Dearka/Choso

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

slams into here (literally)

Ohhhh Yuji SWEET BOY

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)