TRAVEL LOG #3

[synfluxmods]

TRAVEL LOG #3

CONTENT WARNINGS: cult-like symbols and implications, abduction.

▶ 001. TARGU MURES AIRPORT.

In the early morning of the 1st, Outsiders will receive a message in their oculars.

"Oh, seriously? You’re putting this on my plate now when I have so much to do? Tch … Outsiders currently caring for Imugi eggs, bring them to the medical bay. I’ll take over for now. Captain Yamakawa needs everyone to report to the hangar right away. There’s been a distress call from a distant land and we’re noticing some strange readings. We need you to go investigate this.

…Put some catnip on my plate, Alex. It’ll be a long night."

True enough, a SPECIAL ALERT will blare through the implants shortly after, asking those who would be willing to help with a distress call to head to the hangar. The reward will be an additional bonus pay, as this seems to be different from detecting a kaiju. There, they will see a familiar sight: the LILITH SKY CRUISER, a spacecraft capable of carrying 80 passengers. There is little time for seat assignments, so seating will be on a first come, first serve basis (hopefully you don’t get the middle seat!) and the flight will last about 10 hours. Just like any aircraft, Outsiders may stand up and walk around once the seatbelt signs turn off. There is inflight entertainment consisting of AI movies or virtual reality games (see TRAVEL LOG #2). Characters with inhuman features are required to wear their cloaking devices.

The plane will touch down at Targu Mures Airport, Transylvania, Romania, which appears to be abandoned and desolate. There isn’t a living soul to be found.

"Most of the country was destroyed decades ago, so there shouldn’t be anyone still living here. Yet, these readings ….. And we can’t ignore that call for help. We’ll need to investigate further. My Angels, go the rest of the way on foot..."

There isn’t a data portal in Romania, and there’s just no way to transport the number of cars needed for over 60 people via plane. Let’s hope you managed to get proper rest on the way here, because the hike will take about 5-6 hours through the dense forest, with the Captain feeding directions through the ocular based on where the kaiju readings are most pronounced.

All teams will be traveling together along a treacherous terrain which will include both harmful flora & fauna. Outsiders can expect to come across brown bears, wolves, European lynx, golden jackal & wild boars. Although the forest is dense, these animals are scarce to come by, but they can appear, especially when the hike takes place at dusk and into the night.

In this time of the year, hay fever is a common occurrence in these forests. Those sensitive to pollen may be sneezing and feeling fatigue through this hike. There will be steep hills, slippery ground and eerie sounds of the night to serenade the Outsiders. It doesn't help that the further they travel, the thicker a dark fog gathers around them, making the surroundings difficult to make out. Everyone will be provided with flashlights, but those with abilities to see in the dark or cast their own light will be encouraged to lead small groups. Everyone is going in the same general direction, but giving each other some space might be helpful. There will be no time to rest, no matter how tired Outsiders may be.

Just when it feels like they might need to trek through the forest forever—is that smoke coming from a fire up ahead?

▶ 002. BRAȘOV, TRANSYLVANIA.

Wander further through the bushes, and behold, it does appear to be smoke—but not from any natural fire. It’s coming from a chimney! The Outsiders will stumble upon the historic region of Brașov, known for its Gothic architecture and medieval towns. Romania has been classified as a desolate region for a very long time, and as far as LILITH is concerned, this city should be completely destroyed and abandoned. Yet, there is smoke coming from the chimneys, fresh laundry hanging on lines and the faint chatter of children playing. There are very clearly people living here, and this has LILITH completely dumbfounded.

"So it’s true … The resilience of humanity cannot be understated. I’ll need to report this to the Commander right away. My Angels, embark on the town. We need to find the source of this distress call and investigate these kaiju readings. I know we’ve had setbacks recently, but I’ve always had my faith in you."

One thing Outsiders will notice when they step into the town is how it appears to be lost in time. The date is still 2278 as far as anyone knows, but there’s no sign of any modern technology—no computers, telephones, or any sign of electricity or plumbing. Each and every house looks like it could have been plucked right out of the 1700s, and there even appear to be horse-drawn carriages parked along the pavements.

The townspeople themselves also look plucked out of time, with the women donning petticoats and aprons, and the men sporting waistcoats and riding boots. They welcome the Outsiders with warmth, delight, and over-the-top hospitality; more than happy to show the visitors around Brasov on their carriages. With how rarely they meet anyone from outside the village, the children are full of curiosity, following the Outsiders around and poking at their technology while bombarding them with questions, such as where did you come from? Do you know how to play any games? What do you like to eat?

Outsiders will be presented with food, clean clothing, and a room to stay at the village inns (2-3 people per room). They are free to roam and explore the village, where they will find taverns, fresh food markets, shops, inns, and a church dedicated to the village god.

One notable aspect of the town is the fact that they appear to have fresh, non-lab grown food. The vegetables taste fresher and are vibrant in color. The meat tastes much richer than it would back in Neo Tokyo. This is owed to the fact that the people of Brasov actually tend to their own farmlands, a lost practice in these times. Venture a little out of the city and you’ll find it: acres of farmland, growing wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, grapes and sunflowers. They even have livestock!

The people of Brasov are more than happy to answer questions about their town and way of living. Outsiders who go around gathering information from the villagers will learn the following:

• Why is the land so fertile? This is all owed to their benevolent village god, the Lord of the Forest. No one goes hungry because their god takes care of them. Observant Outsiders will see a common symbol plastered around town: a canine skull.
• There was a distress call. Is everyone okay? The townspeople would respond in confusion and assure the Outsiders that nothing is out of the ordinary. They have been living peacefully for centuries and it’s because their god protects them. They don’t seem to know anything about what’s going on outside their town and the word ‘kaiju’ is lost on them.
• Who is the Lord of the Forest? The townspeople will sing his praises, telling the Outsiders about how he has been providing for and protecting their town for many years.
• Where is the Lord of the Forest? He lives in the forest and mountains that surround the village. Sure enough, if the Outsiders look around, they will see they are completely surrounded by foggy forest and mountains as far as the eye can see.
• Can they go into the forest? The villagers will look worried. While the Lord of the Forest keeps them safe, the forest is still filled with dangerous creatures. Also, the thick fog and trees makes it easy to get lost. Only the most skilled hunters venture out to catch prey like deer and bears. Characters who venture into the woods will get turned around and lost but will eventually find their way back to the village, to which others will reply it is the lord's guidance that brought them back to safety.

Outsiders can do as they please. The villagers are very friendly and will try to accommodate them however possible. There seems to be very little crime in the town and the people look happy. LILITH has been quiet for some time now. Maybe this is a great opportunity to have a well-deserved break? How can you not when the people are so kind and the food looks and tastes so delicious? In fact, the longer that Outsiders stay here, the more some of them may begin to feel like they belong here.

▶ 003. BONFIRE FEAST.

On the night of the 7th, the villagers will knock on doors inviting everyone to a bonfire party! It’s just about time to harvest their crops so food is abundant. They can’t think of any better way to use it than to prepare a feast. The bonfire will be held in the council square. Tables and benches have been set up and an impressive spread of fresh food is laid out for everyone to enjoy. Outsiders can enjoy bread, cheese, fresh pork, stew, roasted chicken, seasonal vegetables and free flowing alcohol. There are live musicians on the scene as well, playing merry tunes on their instruments. Some of the villagers have even started dancing around the bonfire and they’re pulling people in to join them! At the center of the table, a canine skull is placed, and the villagers give thanks to their god before partaking in the food.

Nothing seems out of the ordinary … Full and content, everyone will feel tired and want to retire for the night. Characters that do not need to sleep will also feel tired.

Night passes, and daybreak comes. Outsiders might notice that their numbers have dwindled; certain people have gone missing and are nowhere to be found. There won’t be a trace of the captured Outsiders aside from their belongings that they may have left behind.

The villagers do not seem bothered and everything seems normal in the village. Asking the villagers about these disappearances will result in no answers—they claim to have no clue as to the missing Outsiders' whereabouts. It also won’t be possible to contact them, or even LILITH for that matter. It is almost like communications have been cut off completely and their implants receive weak reception.

Observant characters may notice that a heavy fog has descended upon the village overnight and though it gets better during the day, it never lets up.

Captured Outsiders are as followed:

Aventurine
Choso
Dan Heng
Denji
Ereshkigal
Hiyori Iki
Kabru
Kaga
Lucy/Kaede
Maki Zenin
Makima
Malkuth
Loop
Nanami Kento
Rover
Sampo Koski
Taryon Darrington
Wriothesley
Yzak Jule
Zagreus

▶ 004. THE CHOSEN (KIDNAPPEES ONLY).

A separate log for KIDNAPPEES ONLY can be found HERE.

▶ 005. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our third travel log!

There are no assigned seats this time, so characters may sit wherever they choose. Inhuman-looking characters will need to wear their cloaking devices so as to not alarm the people of the town. A separate log has been prepared for kidnappees only. An additional prompt will go up for non-captured characters before the kaiju fight. The scheduling will depend on actions in the captive log. We will announce it on plurk.

All tags on this log are worth 2 points and will count towards October AC.

EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)

1. TARGU MURES AIRPORT: There has been a distress signal. Characters caring for eggs must leave their eggs with Dr. Spim and report to the hangar to board their flight. The Outsiders will touch down in Targu Mures Airport, and will need to hike the rest of the way through the forest.

2. BRAȘOV, TRANSYLVANIA: Romania was thought to be a desolate country but one village seems to be thriving. The town of Brasov has historic, medieval architecture and the people seem plucked out of the 1700s. They are friendly, welcoming and curious, having never seen technology like what the Outsiders have. Outsiders are provided free lodgings, fresh clothing, food and water. The villagers raise their own livestock and grow their own food, which is unheard of in these times. They don't know anything about a distress call. All around the village, the symbol of a canine skull can be found. This is the Lord of the Forest, the god of this village whom the villagers worship.

3. BONFIRE FEAST: The villagers invite the Outsiders to a bonfire party where fresh food is abundant. After a night of merrymaking, they find that certain Outsiders have disappeared from their numbers and nobody seems to know what happened to them.

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Comments

now with the mental image of "look, chainsaw dick!" and getting blasted.

[blastedass]

[he knows not to give up on denji for multiple reasons. one being the boy will happily not do something taxing if he doesn't have to. two being it's not in katsuki's nature to give up on anything. unless it's pointless, because he won't waste his time on bullshit. give and take, that's their relationship. grouching at denji to pick up his room. pestering katsuki to take the night off and watch a movie. despite how he acts, or proven by it as often, the young hero's still a teenager. training is fucking annoying! if he could get stronger by sitting around doing nothing-! ... that'd piss him off because he hates cheating and hates being bored. nah, he'd rather train. but he isn't going to make it something denji hates. the lessons come from katsuki's teachers, yet he'll tailor them to include goalposts and rewards the half-devil can appreciate. like now. there's no demanding of him to produce a million saws. no craze expectations he'll form a car of blades. rather only encouraging him to try and make a smaller chainsaw from a single area, taking what denji already knows how to do and applying it to another place.

seeing the other boy's happiness and pride over his success brings a cocky sense of satisfaction (and yeah, happiness) to his chest. probably what the u.a. teachers feel when their students succeed in their challenges. as he looks at the small chainsaw on denji's finger, bakugou caught with his boyfriend's potential. what else could denji do all this time that he didn't simply because he never bothered to try, and no one was there to encourage him to look. the saw isn't ripping out like his arm saws. huh, is that because denji doesn't want it to come out any further or because he doesn't know how to extend it? katsuki's likewise come to acknowledge and avoid chainsaw man's saws when he nears him, ducking his head or tilting it to the side as he leans in to talk to him. sometimes even pushing the side of his hand against the flat of the blade to give it a shove if he's grumpy or teasing denji. it's interesting how in tune they've become around each other during battle, not touching burning hands and avoiding the blowback of dynamight's explosions while the hero dodges chainsaw swipes and knows just how far back he can safely move his own elbows when he's back to back with his boyfriend.

tch, what the hell? he's not going to yell at denji or smack him for succeeding! that's saved for someone who's not so vulnerable to such a reaction. (like grumbling at midoriya for only managing a tiny blackwhip compared to the massive rage of tendrils he did before.) denji's trying to do what he said and made it work. he gets a 'good job' for the accomplishment. no giving up here. katsuki glances through the visor slits into the half-devil's glowing yellow eyes. though he's distracted a second later when steam starts escaping denji's engine head through the vents. for a moment, he's confused, then quickly puts two and two together. fuck, seriously? that's adorable. smoke plumes from the half-devil's exhale, curling into the steam above. like a machine rumbled to life. you know, he could leave him without comment about it...]

You sap. I bet you're red as fuck under there. [he taps the back of his index finger against the chainsaw man's helm. nope! totally commenting on it cause he's a dick and this guy's his boyfriend. every bit of him. perhaps they should spend more time working together in denji's transformed state outside of battles and heavy construction. learn how to mitigate the energy inherent within the change. then again, maybe that's not a good idea... denji needs to see himself as strong too. just like heroes "feel" different when putting on their costumes. it's a statement not just to villains and civilians, but a reinforcement to themselves as well. he'll think about that one.]

Probably both. [especially when he puts it that way. so long as his ripcord's pullable and he can ingest blood, denji can come back. katsuki notices the prickles on the half-devil's other fingers. huh, so he's working on that even while they're talking. that speaks a lot to his determination.]

Hell no. [bakugou rejects the helmet immediately.] Only a few people can pull that look off. [he is not one of them. he'd prefer to have his ears and senses all uncovered, thanks.] I don't let people get close to my head in a fight. [besides, those explosive bursts out the back of his mask can provide some shielding. they're sharp.]

STOP! i hate that he will 100% do this joke if they weren't stuck in a spooky village

[nutkick]

[ bakugou is right about something; denji was never motivated enough to explore how to utilize his powers fully because past experiences gave him the illusion that it's not - important(?). it didn't come from a place of arrogance, yet it is hard to predict his limitations. it truly was 'based on vibes'. at times, getting decapitated would render denji useless, and he would need someone to either pull the cord or feed him blood to get him back on his feet— yet, while fighting the fall devil, he knew as soon as he felt the slash tear through his neck that he could fucking grab his head and pop it right back like a piece of lego. will that be the case each time he gets mutilated like that? no, and how the hell is he supposed to figure out why it was different in one situation over another? in one wild night, he decided to squeeze his brain juices and force himself to figure out the science behind this— then gave up two minutes in and then asked pochita instead. as gross as it might be, and it’s something he’s a bit tentative to share with his boyfriend, it all comes down to what he’s consuming. and it seems, getting a nice bite from a primal fear devil, like fall, might've been the trick to get his recovery bonuses at top performance. gluttony is a devil’s elixir; the better the quality, the higher the benefits. once again, as much as he hates to think of it, it does matter. there is a reason he had to feed on kaiju’s blood not once but multiple times during a mission because that shit is not nearly as nourishing. the bat devil was visibly repulsed by drinking the blood of a drunk chain smoker while openly craving the flesh of the young and chaste.

that aside, bakugou is helping him learn to fight without depending heavily on feeding, to fight without losing too much blood along the way, to fight a lot smarter, to be creative with his powers, and to avoid getting himself hurt in the process. there are ways to win a fight without self-harm; denji shouldn't end up cutting himself in half or get gutted by a sword to finish a kill. until he reaches that point, they will still have to depend on chainsaw man's relentless cycle of feeding, recovering then fighting again. alas, he does have a proposal that will not repulse his boyfriend (hopefully), but it is something he should've done months ago-

- he wanted to bring it up if it wasn't for the teasing. of course, his boyfriend would call him out like that. of course! but hey ... it’s fine. the whining that slipped out of his mouth was nothing but a playful surrender to getting exposed, and chainsaw man lowered his head in shame, coughing out one last whiff of smoke. ]

You don’t smile often, but when you do ... it’s like a stab to the heart. In a good way. [ here. have some poetry and a confession as payback. he leaves his partner's side to go collect the notebook he left behind near the bush, careful in lifting it up after getting rid of those little daggers as they sink inside his skin again. he then pats it clean, ready to return to their little hunting trip and find their next herb. ]

You do look good in a helmet ... [ your motorbike, katsuki. the personalized helmet looks pretty badass, but he kinda gets why the hero isn’t into it. not that he had ever seen any of the previous kaijus get close enough to snatch the boy by the neck; those explosives made him hard to seize, and it cemented the hero as one of the fastest in their team. ] Though, if we’re talking about making me a lot, uh, better in missions ... I need your help to figure out how to carry a blood source. Kinda like how you store your sweat in the armpiece? I need to find a way to carry my own fuel.

[ he’s not asking katsuki to help him accumulate blood each night before a mission, put on the gloves, and help him drain the liquid to some containers; that gory process will be denji’s sole duty, and what a unique visual for a fellow everlight to catch him in the middle of the night in all that mess. yeah, that's denji's problem, and so will the tedious cleaning session that follows. he's hoping bakugou will have an idea of how to make it happen. design-wise, how can they create a compatible mechanism to keep the substance fresh, portable, and durable from busting open during the action-packed mission, and more importantly— easy access for the half-devil mid-battel?

yeah, it's a lot. but he has faith in the hero. ]

it'll have to come later, ohoho!

[blastedass]

[ooc: just a heads up, i'm in the path of a hurricane right now, so if i lose power, no telling when i'll get it back up. apologies for the delay ahead of time!]

[he doesn't look down on denji (now) for not exploring his powers. the guy got by well enough with hack n slash to win. given denji's strength and resilience, he doesn't exactly need to be a flashy creative person to win his battles. hell, most of bakugou's prompting to explore his devil abilities is out of sheer nerdy curiosity and wanting to see what else denji can do. besides, if this is the reaction he's going to get, with his boyfriend being happy over making progress, that's simply one more benefit to pushing chainsaw man's abilities. while he hasn't gotten to the point of carrying around a few tiny blood bags/vials to pitch into denj's mouth during battle, he doesn't discount the guy's regenerative powers either. not... quite sure he wants to go exploring the limits of those, however. it feels weird to blast the guy he likes into pieces. katsuki's human after all.

the more denji's able to wield his chainsaws to proactively defend himself and end a fight faster, the less they have to rely on his regenerative powers needing to stand up to limits they don't know. given what he's seen of denji, however, those limits are fucking high. anyways, flexible chainsaw powers are more interesting than regenerating your wounds. he's seen that shit before. katsuki's accepted fighting, injury, feeding, recovering, back to fighting, is the cycle of chainsaw man's battling. he means to make that even more efficient if possible.

eh, no apologies for making denji blush. when the half-devil lowers his head like that, he reaches up and rests his hand atop his helm, giving it a slight rub to make sure the guy knows it's nothing to be ashamed over. (while bakugou's the one that shoves his own face into a pillow whenever denji embarrasses him in bed.) another cough of smoke earns a slight "heh" in amusement.]

Huh? I smile plenty of times! [yeah, newsflash bakugou; denji's not talking about the cocky smirks, bullying grins, or slasher leers of a villainous dervish ready to blow up anything standing in his way. he lets his arm drop while the other boy heads to collect the notebook. probably should get back to the reason they're out here. leaving denji with the book, katsuki starts scouring another area, peering around the tree trunks and occasional jutting boulders. not a lot of felled trees... or any now that he's actively looking for them.]

When do I- [oh. right, his motorcycle helmet. the responsible boy who shoves a helmet at denji as well whenever they go out on his motorcycle. activating his plug suit, he reaches into a bush and gently moves the branches aside, looking for anything growling alongside or beneath it. yeah, he'd rather not get a skin irritant pawing through shrubbery.] Che, that's different.

They have blood bags and vials. Bags would be better, since you could throw the whole thing in your mouth and they come in different sizes. [no, it's not like bakugou's ever thought about this before. already running out suggestions for his boyfriend's ability in battle.] You can wear them on a holster or a belt, fitted under or over your clothes. [not at all. there's another idea taken from a villain in his world, but katsuki's not sure he wants to fit denji out to run around with that blood bitch's needle-suction device.] You wouldn't be able to refuel them in the middle of a fight unless you have blood drawing equipment.

[actually katsuki hasn't had a problem helping accumulate blood for denji. if the guy asks him, he'll put away some packets for his boyfriend, provided they do it two days in advance, since he's not about to give blood a few hours before a battle. might mean it'll be cold when denji gets it, but that's up to him, whether he needs it fresh or if he can handle it a few days old. he'll also make sure it's not messy. they'll do it in the shower or bath or something. but with the iv and a healer nearby, it'll be fine. katsuki's already planned on that happening if denji ever wants him to. keeping the blood fresh in the middle of battle, however, will be more a challenge. again, it depends on how "old" denji can still maximize its effects. they can easily keep it from being contaminated though.]

deal 👀

[nutkick]

[ ooc; oh noooo!! i hope you and your family/friends stay safe!! this is some scary shit. please take care of yourself!

bakugou would be able to feel the heat emitting under his fingertips, which gives another impression of how flustered chainsaw man is. he does, however, lift his chin up to seek further solace in the gentle pat. ah, yes. it also implies he’s enjoying the attention. bakugou makes an excellent mentor without even trying; he knows when to push, when to relax, when to reward denji's efforts, and when to blast him away. if he weren’t so sedated by being a big smitten kitten, he would’ve elaborated further on the smile comment. while there are different flavors of a smile; altering between menacing, threatening, cocky, and sincere - there is a rare sighting of a soft, gentle one that denji doesn't get to see so often from his boyfriend. it compliments bakugou's natural charm, highlighting his good looks from another perspective, but it is also so warm to the gaze and in his heart. yeah, no one can blame denji for blushing the way he did. it's justified.

as they began scanning the area, he returned his attention to the notebook – and only then did he notice it was nearly impossible to read through anything with that massive blade in between. he might stab through the pages bakugou worked so hard on, can’t let that happen, and with that— chainsaw man retires for the day, the slime-like substance slides down his skin, leaving behind some blood stains from the initial slit through his skull, tainting his blonde locks in red. eh, he’ll rinse it off later. ]

I thought about that, too. Like a cool belt added to the suit. [ totally not cheating from dynamight's hero suit. ] But let’s test it out when we get back to the base, yeah? I don’t know, fill them up with juice or something at first. I feel that if I get tossed around, those bags will pop and spill all over.

[ he flips through another page, turning his attention to every mass of herbage along their way, mindful of anything unique in shape or color; the majority of the options they are trying to collect have interesting patterns. considering their medical benefit, surely they will not be so exposed and easy to find, so they should dig around. and denji does so when they come across a huge, ancient-looking tree harboring many bushes, taking the time to sink his hands in and separate the branches for a deeper inspection. ]

Blood drawing equipment? Don’t think I’ll need that ... I’ll just bite the fucker instead. Some kaijus are hard to get close to, though. Like those electrical ones. They kept frying my brain.

[ ah, he found a mushroom hub! it looks— exotic. the dots covering the head seemed to change colors depending on the reflection, and the tiniest shake prompted a dust-like mist to come out. yeah, let’s throw that the fuck away. unless katsuki thinks they might be useful. ]

This is gross, and you don’t have to be part of it, but I’ll try different types of blood. See what works for me best. The kaijus so far all tasted like shit. Animals would be better ... maybe get something from the butcher shop and see.

[ this should clear out any doubts that denji would ever ask his boyfriend to donate his own blood. that's pushing the limits and it's hella risky to the hero. they both agreed to do this when the situation begs for it, otherwise— he'd rather inhale fish blood than drain his beloved dry. additionally, the idea of getting used to drinking human blood felt like playing with fire. he didn't want to get used to it or end up developing a picky taste. yeah, a trip to the local butcher would be fine. ]

[blastedass]

[ooc: me and mine are safe and okay. i was out of power most of the weekend. asides from that and some plant debris, nothing major. thanks for your patience!]

[why the hell are you trying to read the notebook with your headblade sticking out?! sometimes his boyfriend can be a complete dumbass. he glances to the sloughing sound, noting the way the helm and chainsaw melt away down his skin. interesting that sometimes the blade(s) retract into denji's body and sometimes they seep off like liquid. both ways leave the guy with his usual emergence injuries until he heals up. maybe he should get a band to shove the half-devil's bangs back when he transforms. that way he won't come out looking as much like a horror film survivor. in battle? no problem. times like these? yeah...]

I wasn't planning on doing it here. [there's no technology to even make it happen, unless they want to use a bunch of clunky jars used to store sugary fruit and oiled vegetables in. hell no. using substitute liquids in their tests is a good idea, seeing if anything leaks on top of how sturdy the actual containers are.] Half-n-Half carries little metal capsules on his hero costume. Those won't break or burst as easily as bags or vials.

[but they're also harder to get into compared to throwing a proverbial ketchup packet into denji's mouth or breaking into a vial. then again, using them would be a conscious decision and katsuki knows the half-devil could bite right through the metal if he absolutely had to. they could take a beating without getting destroyed. lilith wouldn't have much issue crafting something like that for him; or they'd better not struggle with it...

bakugou crouches beside another patch of greenery, separating weeds from the shrubbery around them. he narrows in on a group of flowers and reaches for them. it's one from the nightshade family. toxic, but used in medicine for several reasons. a lot of plants fall into that category. he pulls out a bag and the knife again, then starts working on taking the plant from the ground. not a shrub this time, so he'll need to take the roots as well. once dug up and freed, he packs the bag with soil and inserts the plant, then closes the bag up, pokes some holes, and adds the bag to his collection in the sack. he rather doubts he'll be finding any opioids in this place.]

You should work on your long-range options for those fights. [whether that's lashing them with his bladed chains or even separating his chains completely to avoid getting shocked through them. but even using the chains as a flail would collect blood from afar. katsuki comes over when the mushrooms are called into question. he flips through the notebook, but there's nothing in there about this kind of growth, and the lady at the apothecary didn't say anything about it. yeah, he'll at least collect a sample or two for whatever reason. there are plenty of spores to use later.]

I'm your boyfriend, idiot. I'll be with you when you experiment. [granted that means collecting the blood will likely be worked into some chores they're doing anyways, but katsuki's going to be there for the checking. work that into training as well, so denji can see how quickly and efficiently the blood works on his recovery. even if it means popping out his chainsaws and sucking them back in multiple times. still, he's glad denji is leaning towards animal/beast blood rather than asking for a steady supply of human blood. it's fine in the heat of things for emergencies, but if it can be avoided, yeah.] Since it's better fresh, you can't use puddings.

[nutkick]

[ ooc: i'm glad you're okay! welcome back ♥

half and half. now that’s an easy one to connect the dots, and denji snaps his fingers as he thinks, ‘shoto!’. slowly but surely, he’s learning bakugou’s language, and he takes great pride in it. as he watched his boyfriend survey the plants, he found himself mimicking his posture, crouched down and watching him up close as he pushed through the bushes, and between all the shades of green they come across more dazzling colors. this time flowers. honestly? he thought the concept of this mission wasn't nearly as entertaining as their previous outings together, yet he knew it was something bakugou had wanted to do ages ago. it didn't mean denji was equally invested or keen to spend a day getting lost in a forest, but ...

but-

it’s a bit therapeutic, isn’t it? the peaceful asmr of katsuki's hands digging through the bag, the rustle of leaves, and the clip of his scissors, every step was organized with a knowing touch, and denji couldn't look away. the genuine interest is growing; he started asking questions, he’s observant, he’s helpful- or, trying to be. he even asked to be the one collecting the sample next time, promising his boyfriend he had memorized the process by now. he got this. when they face each other again, there is a purplish flower nestled over the curve of denji's ear. don't ask why, and play along. he's in a mood. ]

It shouldn’t be hard to find or make something like that, right? I know some outsiders are asked for a boost or extra weapons. We’ll figure it out when we get back.

[ it would save him the time and stress about feeding, and maybe he’d be able to come back home without getting assaulted by the cleaning crew and end up coming out of the mission with few stains on his clothes instead of dry gunk from head to toe. and then, casually- as if he just thought about it. a brain fart, one might say. ] Or ... blood pills? I wonder if that will work ... something to toss in your mouth and yeah.

[ it would be a lot easier and less messy to just pop a pill, and with the magic of science, it might burst/melt inside his mouth, giving denji the boost to keep going. then again, bakugou mentioned it should be fresh, and that earned him a ... wide-eyed stare. he can't put the finger on it, but that terminology was eerily accurate and perceptive from bakugou. it felt like he was talking to an experienced public safety official, someone who always knew the laws of devils better than denji himself. true, it had to be fresh and full of life, so maybe a pill wouldn't be the smart choice. still, there is something uneasy about how comfortable bakugou is talking about ... this. uneasy, yet fuckin flattering too. what a wild twist of emotions it was to coexist with each other at the same time. ]

... I guess I'm still trying to get used to that. [ the boyfriend thing? no. the fact bakugou isn't disgusted by him, even when he wouldn't blame him if the hero wanted to skip off the gory side quest of their relationship, but he'd never once felt shamed by it. even the occasional 'ew' from the hero came off more comical than genuine repulsion. yeah, he will never get used to it anytime soon, to feel this accepted. he closed his eyes, all smiles, all flustered— the ear holding that flower is a lot redder than normal. yeah, that's a growing rash. another toxic friend is discovered. ]

Alright, deal. Operation blood tasting is a go once we reach the base. Let's see how long we can get away with it before the other everlight folks ban us from the kitchen. Heh ...

[blastedass]

[most of his nicknames are related to someone's physical appearance, ability, or personality trait that's fairly obvious. if someone knows the person he's talking about and thinks about it a little, bakugou's childish names are easy to figure out. he's simply not nice enough to use people's real names even if he's talking to a complete stranger. at least until they bitch about it and call him out, forcing his hand half the time. much to the guy's annoyance. these damn extras can be such wusses. at least his boyfriend's not a wuss. a sap and a half, but not a wuss. over there mimicking his posture as he looks through plants, obviously not having the time of his life, yet still accepting the outing for katsuki's sake. it means a lot to him.

when denji begins to ask questions, he answers with far less of his usual brusque manner. explaining why bushes and similar plants can be regrown from cuttings, bakugou shows denji where to locate the nodule on the branch and how to use the scissors and knife to make a cut that won't kill the plant's limb. of course, there's a difference in other plants that lack the bush-like hardiness which need samples of the roots or the entire root collection itself. these he shows denji how to dig them up gently and transplant them into the bags, letting the other boy get his hands dirty with the actual extraction. "somehow" a purple flower ended up being the half-devil's ear...]

It shouldn't. They can repurpose containers they already made. [lilith obviously works with high-tech devices and chemical sciences that would utilize metal canisters. sparing some for one of their outsiders shouldn't be difficult, especially since it's to make the mercenary more effective. denji's come up with a good idea to refresh himself in the middle of battle without having to resort to dining on the kaiju or his allies. katsuki's pretty damn sure they've got no chance coming out of any kaiju fight looking fresh and clean, but his partner could prove him wrong...] That'd be a lot of pills for how much blood you can drink.

[denji doesn't guzzle it outside of rampages and a messy need to regenerate a shit-ton of damage, but even spilling a leaking handful into his mouth would be more than ten large pills, and that's being low end estimate. besides, he'd have to carry the pills anyways, returning to the bag vs pillbox vs metal canister decision. but it's an idea to consider and katsuki files it away in his mind for later investigation.

oy, what the hell is that look for? he's been with you for a while, ripcord pec. he knows fresh is best when it comes to blood. never once has he seen denji scrape dried blood off a wall or person and crunch away on it. that's just dry, saying nothing of old blood long ago. blood is proof of life. why would life-giving blood not require it to be full of said life? a pill could work, since blood can be frozen, refrigerated, and otherwise stored for later use without it "spoiling" fast. that's why there are blood banks and storage for it in hospitals. as for his comfort with the topic... 1) blood itself isn't gross. 2) denji's chainsaw man powers are as "quirk" as any quirk in katsuki's world, meaning his nerd side finds it eternally interesting to explore. and 3) he knows of three people in his own world who use blood for their own quirks; one of them is even a hero, the homeroom teacher of class 1-B himself: Sekijiro Kan, aka the Blood Hero: Vlad King.]

Keep trying. I won't stop even when you are. [he'll always hold denji in positive regards, regardless of how gory his life and power get. that doesn't mean he won't try to clean him up and avoid the gore when he can, but that's because he's a neat freak who likes things a certain way. cue those occasional face twists with a "gross" coming from his lips. denji should know by now it's nothing personal; his boyfriend's a jerk. a smart one, since he notices the half-devil's ear is getting redder. is that a blush or is his skin reacting to the flower's oils?]

Oy. [katsuki indicates denji's ear via pointing at his own.] Your ear's getting red.

[calling out his boyfriend's blush or allergic reaction, that's up to the other boy to decide.]

No one's banning me from the kitchen.

[nutkick]

[ with grabby fingers, denji asks for his turn; even when bakugou has already collected a sample from the same herb, he still wants to bring along a second one because it's his turn to do it. and, surprisingly, denji had some skills with mimicking — while it was slow and less of an experienced touch, he did manage to follow bakugou's steps with enough care, harboring a useful sample and gently placing it inside the bag with the rest. he takes a mental note of his little plant between the others, trying to memorize the shape of its leaves (or trying to) because that's the one he will take care of when they return to the base. ah, are they going to grow their own plants, or will bakugou have to give them up to the authorities? denji didn't consider that part— it would be a shame if someone tried to take his little buddy ...

again, he's a bit baffled with the details coming his way. yes, they do spend a lot of time together on missions, and logic begs that someone as sharp as katsuki will do the math on his own, but it was still impressive. shame on denji for not noticing that cute little obsession with bakugou and analyzing different powers— if he'd known, he would've asked him to figure out ways to enhance his abilities a lot faster. he wonders if there is a hidden notebook summarizing the abilities of all the outsiders, kinda like the one deku carried around. well, it wouldn't be surprising since he's holding one of bakugou's creations as he speaks, the one covering all the herbal details. cute. super cute.

more importantly, it felt like they had a solid plan for their future missions; a few ideas were shared, and they were all worth testing. they usually had a few weeks between each mission, which was enough time to test out adding more garments to his suit and maybe try out the blood pills. anything would be better than depending solely on getting close enough to an aggressive kaiju for a bite. as for the long-range techniques, it didn't seem possible ... then again, he didn't think he could grow mini chainsaw from his finger either. it was getting a bit exciting to see how far he could go. he flips through another page, unsure why he got called out for blushing as if he didn't get this flustered over the tiniest things when he's around his boyfriend. yeah, he figured that's what bakugou was talking about and nothing more serious. which explains the dumb grin on denji's face as he answers. ]

That's called ... being smitten. A more scientific term is 'blushing'! You only do it when we're fucking, but I experience it when I think you're being adorable!

[ yes, talking about them squeezing out blood from raw meat in the middle of the night is adorable in denji eyes. subconsciously, he reached up to nudge the flower, and the slightest brush of his finger over his agitated skin urged him to — scratch it a bit. except, he kept scratching. the shade grows darker under his nails, and it spreads to his cheekbones. ah, he can feel his face warming up, but not in a normal way. a blink, and then denji picked up the same flower, taking a closer look at it. his skin is on fire, even when the half-devil doesn't seem to be in panic over it. ]

.... do we need this one?

[ he drops it to the ground, not willing to let bakugou touch it if that's the kinda reaction it triggers in people. maybe they can collect another one without touching the petals. as for his ear, yeah - it's fucking red. denji knew he shouldn't, but it felt sooooo good to fall into the temptation of that itch. more scratching. ]

Fuck, do you have some water? I need to wash this off.

[blastedass]

[bakugou's not going to turn down the request for a turn and passes the knife and spade to denji for his shot. he scoots to the side and opts to watch his boyfriend work on the plant. despite the half-devil's poor background, the hero's never thought the other boy was stupid. he's lazy and sporadic with some priority issues, but has a good instinct and intelligence that he never got a real chance to use. he learns quicker when he's invested in something and enjoys it, and he's pretty damn good at copying movement and actions from physical lessons. fuck giving these up to LILITH; he's collecting them because he wants to and apart from showing them to the "border patrol" upon going back, they're his (and denji's) to utilize. noticing his boyfriend trying to map out the plant in the bag, bakugou cuts a little notch out of the upper right side. there, now it's marked.

no, he does not have a nerd notebook with creepy notes about all of his outsider teammates like a certain green-haired shitnerd who's way too obsessed with writing down everything. it was just recently confirmed deku wrote down ideas and dreams about what kinds of things he'd do if he had his classmates' quirks, like a fanboy writing fanfiction. midoriya's a vault of hero and quirk trivia that's honestly freaky in ways. he won a hero trivia quiz game once and scared the audience with his fervor. all that said... katsuki does have some notes about his allies, though they're limited only to people he's actively worked with or sparred with, and focus on their skills and powers. improvement ideas, curiosity questions, training suggestions, weakness point outs, and other things. ...huh, guess that does sound pretty creeper nerd. and yes, denji has his own chapter.

katsuki's expression flattens when denji retorts in that way. smitten? really? of course he knows he's smitten! the guy makes that clear almost all the time they're together. usually tolerated, sometimes less patiently than others. that big happy grin does a fantastic job of making his chest feel all fluttery and coloring his face from embarrassment over feeling fluttery, dammit.]

I KNOW WHAT BLUSHING IS!! I DON'T BLUSH WHEN WE FUCK EITHER!! [yes he does and they both know it; hell, he's getting hot in the cheeks even now.] I said "ear"! One! That one! [specifically pointing to the one that's far redder than the other one. dammit, denji has to turn this into a mortifying flirt, doesn't he! until denji starts to rub at his ear like that.] Oy! Don't scratch it!

[holy shit, he's having an allergic reaction to it this quickly? bakugou quickly moves forward to pluck the flower from denji's hand and flick it off his ear, keeping his plugsuit on so there's no contact with his skin, but denji's too fast for him and drops the thing first. however, he doesn't go for the water. instead, he quickly hunts around for a plant he saw recently-- there! and snaps off an aloe plant leaf. one strip of the knife fillets the green covering off and he squeezes the gel out into a napkin-like cloth.] Stop scratching at it. You're gonna make it worse.

[either denji's allergic or the plant has an oil-based compound to elicit the reaction. meaning water won't do anything but spread it. he presses the gelled cloth behind denji's ear and against the side of his cheek, smothering the irritation.] Don't touch anything else with that hand.