KAIJU FIGHT #1

[synfluxmods]

KAIJU FIGHT #1

CONTENT WARNINGS: thalassophobia, natural disaster, drowning, body horror, violence, blood & gore.

▶ 001. SEAS THE DAY.

On the morning of the 1st, sirens will blare, forcing every Outsider and Neo Tokyo civilian awake. While it hasn't been activated for a while, every citizen within the city knows this alarm all too well - it wails through the city whenever a Kaiju has been detected, ordering everyone to return to their homes immediately and stay there until they receive further information. Outsiders gazing at Neo Tokyo will see the armored city in its full technological splendour for the first time today. Once the civilians have returned to their homes, machinery within the buildings will work like clockwork, sinking each and every LILITH-augmented building beneath the ground. Just in time, too, because the waves are starting to roar again, crashing beyond the shore and flooding the city once more. Observant Outsiders may note that not every building has been modified. The older ones remain standing, vulnerable to the impending flood. Does anyone live in those buildings? The answer is yes, but that's not a priority at the moment.

Every Outsider will receive a summon, ordering them to prepare for battle. The Kaiju has been identified and located. It's show time.

"Angels of LILITH. We have located the Kaiju coming from beyond the sea. A full mission brief including the information we have gathered will be sent to you immediately. For now, make your way to the bay where your transport will be waiting. Be prepared for anything, but mostly, be prepared to swim."

Waiting for the Outsiders at the bay appear to be ... expensive-looking, personal yachts? This has to be a mistake, right? It's no mistake. Through intel LILITH has exchanged with international companies, it appears that this particular Kaiju has a fondness for overturning civilian yachts, and there's no better way to attract it than to leave it its favourite bait. The goal is to attract these Kaiju towards the boats and then attacking.

The ships may look like they're outfitted for a fancy yacht party. In fact, some exploring down below deck in the lounging room, one may find caviar on fancy ritz, oyster tower, little finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off and bougie smelly cheese that nobody in LILITH's pay grade can identify. On another table, there is fancy ramen spoons filled with microgreens, crystal jelly vinegarette, and a thin slice of parmesan cheese. Some further looking may find some fine aged wine, but you're not here to drink and party, you're here to fight a Kaiju! Right? Right.

Despite the fact everything about these yachts just look like... fancy yachts... they are actual warships that are mounted with naval artillery such as swivel guns, missiles and torpedos. Spears, harpoon guns and fishing nets can also be found and used if an Outsider is more comfortable getting extremely close to the monsters. There's no time for a proper seafaring course, so Outsiders will be given a quick run down on how the controls work, and be sent on their way. They will also be given a special jewel-like implant that attaches to the skin, right along the forehead, and told to wear it if they need to go into the water. "Don't worry about it," the LILITH crew says. "But it'll be one hell of a ride if you use it."

Alongside the crew, Seok Dang seems to be also assisting (?) though he's gotten a hold of the reception food down below. Did he smell like fine wine? Possibly. But that's definitely a fancy, half eaten cracker in his hand. He's also got on a bright, neon life preserver. Maybe someone doesn't know how to swim.

"WHOOO HELLA YEAH, MOTHERFUCKERS. Don't know how to swim? Don't'cha worry. Daddy Dang has got you covered. I know CPR! I give the best CPR! 💖 I'll rescue ya. TONIGHT, WE BALL!"

Nobody uses that phrase anymore, but you know what? You do you, SD.

▶ 002. WHALE WATCHING.

Minutes into their ship's course, the boats will rock violently, as if those already violent waves have somehow come alive. There is something in the water! The mission brief would have been shared with them sometime during their trip, but maybe Outsiders want to pull up on their implant the image and debrief shared once again now that there is some action. The orca-like Kaiju trying to reach the shores of Neo Tokyo is called Shachimon, and she's been the cause of the violent waves and flooding we've seen for the past few weeks. Alongside of her and are her children orca who love to mimic everything their mother does. The biggest one, the matriarch of the pod, is over 60 meters in length - large enough to swallow a boat whole. The younger ones are smaller but just as ferocious, spanning from the size of a car to the size of a bus. The youngsters are a size small enough that they can leap out of the water, sometimes crashing down onto people and ships. Beware!

Shachimon will be fighting to knock over boats, or climbing on boats with their amphibious legs. Once they get their hands on humans or Outsiders, they pull them into the water, tearing them limb from limb to feed. Their control over the waves are no joke, either. With a powerful swing of their tail, they can conjure up tsunamis capable of overturning ships. The matriarch, if left to her own devices, seems bent on submerging Neo Tokyo to make food of all its citizens.

█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: Shachimon
HEIGHT: Younger whales are 4 - 18 metres. The matriarch is 60 meters in length.
WEIGHT: 1500kg - 5000kg
CLASS: Highly dangerous.
LOCATION: Large bodies of water
ABILITIES: Use of sonar to detect any water movement. Fast swimmer. Very sturdy body thanks to all that whale blubber. High intelligence - commonly works together as a pod to take down prey. Capable of creating tsunamis that overturn boats. The largest Shachimon can sink a city if not stopped.
WEAKNESS: Electricity (since it will be inside water), dissection, spearing its eyes or blowhole. Loud vibrations within the water can stun or confuse it.
EXTRA NOTES: Dislikes and will attempt to overturn civilian yachts. Carnivorous, eating marine life and human flesh. Sadistic personality, may play with their food prior to eating.

█ █ █ MISSION OBJECTIVE:
✖ Lead the Shachimon away from the shore.
✖ Extermination of Shachimon in the water and if they reach the shore.
✖ Protection of nearby fishermen's boats and civilians within those boats.
✖ Teamwork to destroy the matriach Shachimon.
✖ Bring back specimens (live or deceased) for research purposes.

█ █ █ ATTACHED PHOTO:

As a note, Outsiders who wish to remain on land and help civilians there may do so. There are waves flooding the city, and some of the smaller, quicker Shachimon will have made it to shore. They will need to be taken care of before they can terrorise the city.

▶ 003. OCEAN GEMS.

Shachimon are most deadly in the water and their go-to strategy is to pull others into their turf, where they have the advantage. That's where those jewel-like implants come in. These implants, called OCEAN GEMS, when attached to the skin, temporarily modify the body. Once activated, nanobots will invade the bloodstream and alter the user's lungs, giving them a set of breathable gills. Their legs will also be altered, giving them fins and the tail of a fish. This is a recent invention by LILITH ever since the first Shachimon was spotted a few years ago, and the technology is still experimental. This means that the transformation process will be significantly uncomfortable, feeling a bit like being asphyxiated and having your legs sewn together at the same time. Deactivating the gem and turning back feels just as uncomfortable, and being experimental technology, it can take a while before the user can successfully revert back. Those who want to fight in the water and lack any weapons or abilities that can be used can request Seok Dang for a weapon. There's a limited supply, but they will be given a special trident. Directly driving the spear into one of the kaiju will electrocute it, giving a higher chance for higher damage. These tridents will be handed out to those who want to use their Ocean Gem and ask.

It's up to Outsiders whether they want to use this new technology or not. Being able to fight the monsters on their own terrain is certainly an advantage, so LILITH would highly encourage it.

▶ 004. MEDICAL BAY.

Healers and those with medical experience will be placed on the warship with a red flag on it. Dr. Spim & Alex will also be present on this ship to assist any major injuries to both LILITH and civilian fisherman alike. This ship is bigger than the others, and while stocked up with the same artillery, it is also stocked with beds and medical supplies. This will be the Outsider's naval medical bay during the siege on the Shachimon and all injured Outsiders or civilians will need to be transported there. This ship will also need to be protected heavily, because once the Shachimon catch on that all the injured, vulnerable prey are being transported to the larger ship, they will start to target that ship in particular. Characters that need immediate medical help should be transported to this ship via a dataportal. Each yacht has a dataportal that can teleport anyone instantly to the medical ship. The dataportals are also located down below deck to prevent them from getting damaged.

▶ 005. THE CALM AFTER THE STORM.

It's a bloody, soggy and gruesome battle and the seas' waves begin to calm down, the sea filled with kaiju carcasses. LILITH's clean up crew is working hastily to collect these corpses, but with the Outsiders' occupied and recovering from their fresh battle, help is limited. Search and rescue scavenges the sea to find any civilians who didn't make it or may need medical help. Meanwhile, the valiant teamwork and effort has paid off. After many hits from many different weapons, artillery, natural abilities, etc. the matriarch kaiju has been downed and sank to the bottom of the ocean floor. LILITH's team will work to retrieve the massive carcass, though it will take awhile. Those who put in notable effort will receive praise and a little extra payout. Outsiders will see an instant transfer of funds to their account: 340,000,000 KRYPTOS. This is roughly about 2500 USD.

The intense battle will have lasted several days and Outsiders are free to go from land to sea as little or as often as they like. It is all over, though, and Outsiders will be called to return to the MAIN BASE for rest and recovery. LILITH will also be searching for the rift where the kaiju came from while Outsiders recover. A message from an unknown voice will pop up an hour or so after all Outsiders have returned to the MAIN BASE. Outsiders may use this time to socialize in a commons area, wash up in the showers, get a meal in the cafeteria or rest.

"Good work."

▶ 006. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our first Kaiju log! All prompts are highly encouraged but OOCly optional. ICly, characters can choose to fight in the ocean, on the ships or stay behind on land and protect the city. At the end of the siege, characters who accepted an Ocean Gem will be asked to return it. It's experimental technology, so LILITH will need to do more tweaking before they can properly release it. Outsiders who use the gem may have whatever fish tail they like, as long as it is a sea creature.

Feel free to NPC your characters' fights with the smaller kaijus. The main fight with the Shachimon matriarch will be determined via a HP-based system (See below).

Please note that all tags in this log count for 2 reward points each. Ask any further questions below!

Below is also the month at a glance. We understand the CALENDAR has been a little inconsistent, but the mod team is sorting all of this out. Expect a FEEDBACK POST this month as well so we can check in with the playerbase and make any adjustments to the game. This log, even if the time stamp says JANUARY, will count for FEBRUARY AC.

FEB 1st: Kaiju Fight Log in LOG COMMUNITY
FEB 15th: Text Post in NETWORK COMMUNITY
FEB 25th: Mod posted MEME COMMUNITY; FEEDBACK POST is live.

Thank you all for being a wonderful and understanding playerbase!

code

Comments

aftermath

[eepy]

[ when jing yuan heads on over to the spot where he's meant to go as per the message, he's quick to find yuwon ... and reach a hand to wrap around his upper arm to keep him steady. he can tell he's not in the best shape, and for a moment, he wonders if he should've requested for the healing ability after all. ]

Sit down if you need to. The battle is over for now.

[kubricks]

Yes, that's more or less what we do. What they are and how we handle it seems to differ, but the job itself is pretty much the same.

[Monster shows up, stop and get rid of it. There's even some real oddballs conscripted to fight them here, in some respects it's like she never left Public Safety. Minus all the other differences of course, some important, some not.]

Though I do wish that I'd been consulted about salary beforehand if I was going to be doing some of the same work.

[sparse]

[ If only he could feel pity for such a creature. Monsters don't deserve such kindness.

He watches as Kafka takes down her prey with both precision and efficiency, red eyes following the collapse of the beast to the floor. His gaze lingers for just a few seconds longer before he meets her smile with a neutral expression. ]

Sure.

[ It's the only acknowledgement he gives her before lugging the other corpses overboard, letting the water swallow its dead children back home. There are a few more he has to toss over before he makes her way back to her side. ]

Are they paying extra to bring it back?

[yuwon]

[ the brag only causes yuwon's lips to curve upwards. in some ways that level of confidence was familiar to him. it's boisterous and loud... and indicative to him of someone who likely had backing to their own words. after all, mere bravado only got people so far. but, despite how used to it he is, it doesn't stop him from being contrary in return. ]

Then show me. [ is all he sends out as he he hears the "three more"— just like that he produces exactly three shots of mana, aiming it straight at them, as he jumps towards them, his sword moving up upwards to cut straight into their bellies. thankfully, the blasts he sends to them is enough to stagger them and get a good cut in. the blood coats his sword and when he swipes his blade back to his side, it leaves clear traces of red all over the deck and his plugsuit. ]

I lost one. [ or more accurately, it saw the other two get hit and dived back under the deck.

but, just in case his text is distracting, he mentions in a low voice: ] You got him? [ he tilts his chin towards the other direction from bakugou. despite, all their prior conflict, he does seem to trust his skills, if just for what he's displayed so far.

as if preventing the two from venturing back or giving them enough time to heal, he allows the flames from his hand begin to consume them starting from where their wounds were fresh. it's not as powerful as home, but it would have to do.

at least they had repetition on their side. ]

[yuwon]

[ while it's difficult to discern from his features alone, his shoulders seem to become slightly more relaxed when he realizes the man in his arms wasn't about to suffocate from being removed from the water. relief aside, he also isn't sure how he'd feel about having to be responsible for another person's life like that. ]

I sense there are more of them down by the yacht, so be ready just in case. [ or maybe he's running on assumptions here. it's difficult to see, but he does seem to staring in that general direction, and speaking as if he had some conviction.

with that, he tilts his head. ] Should I throw you over my shoulder for now? [ is that easier...

he guesses he could sky walk over there, but he didn't exactly want to use all his mana right out of the flood gates. ]

[wheft]

I think most of us got a hefty payout for defeating the kaiju, but... [ shrugs. ] I'm just happy we're being paid at all.

1/2

[yuwon]

[ if aki had straight out attacked him... it likely would have been far easier to evade. after centuries of experience honed into his body, it would have been like second nature. yet, there was nothing remotely natural about this sudden motion, and now he feels a hand against his ... ]

...

[ yuwon wears an indiscernible expression for the most part. ]

[yuwon]

[ his mouth seems to smooth over in a line as he places a hand back on aki's mechanical one. it's clear this probably wasn't on purpose, but. ] I have to say, I don't normally get approached like this. [ he calls him out not really to shame him, but what else is he supposed to do in a situation like this.

... but, more importantly: ] Are you going to keep your hand there?

[wheft]

[ why is he being so discreet while stripping down... he's probably being a gentleman or something. this isn't the first time he's being awkward to her, and even after that incident with the octopus, it won't be the last.

nevertheless, she listens to him ramble, her tentacles just idly splashing about. ]

You ripped it out? [ she tilts her head. ] I mean, it's just a tiny implant you can put on your forehead. Then again, they didn't really explain to us the actual effects of the gems before they let us go on our way...

[ typical LILITH! (laugh track) ]

It'll probably go away in a couple of hours. LILITH is going to be in deep shit if they don't. At least you only have gills to worry about.

[ isn't izou lucky? and his question, ishmael flashes him a small, wicked smile, cupping her chin on the back of her head in an ara ara way. ]

I dunno. Maybe they do. Only one way to find out.

[ the tentacles twitch and coil around themselves for emphasis, hehe ]

medbay

[wheft]

[ she's not really here to take care of him per se. or anyone here, really; the medbay needed more people to keep the kaiju at bay, and ishmael can't risk using her E.G.O and corrode all over them again. so here she is, octopus legs and all, supervising a coughing tsurumaru and -- ]

Just give it to him. [ she shakes her head at the nurse who's been having second thoughts. ] I'll make sure he stays put.

[ she'll even restrain him with her tentacles if it comes to that. ]

[cranekin]

Boo...

(The sweets are the best part of the deal.)

If I had them, I'd get better faster.

(Not really but look, he can try.)

... Green.

[the_fourteenth]

But everyone did. It wasn't perfect, but I think LILITH did their best to organize us. The evacuation efforts - there were a lot of people left behind. I did what I could.

[Raidou had immediately headed to the buildings that hadn't gone underground, to make sure the people inside got somewhere more safe. LILITH wasn't thrilled about him leaving the battlefront, but he doesn't care. It helped get people out.]

[blastedass]

[For all the strange Quirks and characters Bakugo has met in his own world, he's still not above giving a "what the fuck" and being judgemental of other Outsiders, whether it's their powers or traits. But in this battle, at least that grouchiness is filtered through his allies' usefulness and performance. Nanami knows what he's doing, quickly capitalizing on the openings and stuns Bakugo's leaving behind in his smoke-filled wake. While it pisses him off when he misses out on a killing blow, at least it's good to know there's someone down there capable of finishing the creatures off so he doesn't have to waste his time double tapping.

There's something about this Outsider that's nibbling familiarity in his mind, but Bakugo can't place it, irritating him. WHAT THE FUCK?! Don't get that damn picture of him in your head, stupid wage puncher! One, that way of fishing is ILLEGAL and his track record in that aspect of life is sparkling clean! Punching a fish, however... well if it was asking for it, yeah. Like a shark coming in for an attack. They're big fish. And fuck you, he wrestles villains, not sharks. Though a shark-Quirk villain likely isn't far off. They have an orca-Quirk hero after all. Anyways, meta aside, Bakugo's not going to stand around and spin time figuring out who Nanami is.

There are shachimon to deal with. Light and smoke blast in the air to pop Bakugo a few feet above the deck before he ignites larger ones to propel himself.]

Urusei, Shachiku! [There's your new nickname, unknown!Nanami.] I'm haven't touched the fucking boat! [And should Nanami actually inspect that claim, he'll notice that Bakugo has never once cracked the deck with a shachimon's body, nor has his explosions ever left a scorchmark on the surface of the ships. Always toning down his blasts and detonating or aiming them high enough to avoid contact with the ship surface itself. Even while it seems like he's blasting away like a madman. This kid's a genius after all. He needs the footholds as much as other Outsiders.

As soon as the two creatures try to double team Nanami, Dynamight appears overhead, both hands white hot with a charged handful of concentrated cluster of explosions. KA-BO-BOOM-B-B-BOOM-BOMB!! Almost inverting himself, he pounds both creatures on their heads with a rain of blasts, focusing the entire round onto their skulls and blowholes alone. Well enough to drive them down onto the floor in a twitching, smoking mess for Nanami to do the fine-tuned coup de eta.]

[blastedass]

[Bakugou grunts at the gratitude, merely accepting it as he takes point beside Manjoume's gun and faces out into the choppy waters. At least it's choppy just from the mass of monsters, not because they have to deal with inclement weather along with this bullshit. It could be a fucking storm out here, but it's simply cold and clear.

He narrows his eyes as Manjoume plans the course of attack. Yeah, the distraction could work, but as he said, just luring one away would leave the other two free to do as they please. But if these three bastards are coming at them together...]

They're smaller than the last one. Don't distract them. Use your monster to lure them close. I'll keep them caged in and focused into a straight line. When you get the shot, take it. You should be able to skewer at least two of them in one go.

[It's risky, but he's opting to put his trust in Manjoume's aim and the artillery gun's sheer power. Bakugou intends to get the three close enough that the duelist will have a better advantage in aim, but it's going to cut down on Manjoume's timing. Despite the tone and statement, he waits for the guy's agreement, rejection, or compromise to the plan.

They have a minute or two for discussion.]

[the_fourteenth]

[Raidou looks a little embarrassed at the suggestion, face reddening slightly. As if being in this form and getting knocked out of the water like a tennis ball wasn't embarrassing enough.]

No, I-- I'm fast in the water like this. I can head over and meet you there.

[He looks that way as well.]

The one that hit me might not be far off, either.

[blastedass]

[at least yuwon takes the more mature and impressive result from listening to bakugo brag. instead of thinking it's hot air, he realizes it's confidence that can be backed up. points to this bastard for recognizing it. even if he might (rare as fuck) miss the mark he claims he'll hit, bakugo never allows a loss to take him out, and always returns to hit it next time, proving his skill. that said... HE WASN'T ASKING FOR YUWON TO TEXT HIM IN THE FACE AS A COMPETITION, YOU SHIT!!]

BASTARD!! [there's no time to fight him, only time to fight with him. as those mana shots fire off towards the trio of monsters, dynamight launches himself forward with an explosion behind him. moving alongside yuwon, he capitalizes on the mana impact and the man's sword swipe, crashing twin explosions hard into the kaiju's upturned heads as they wail in pain from getting their stomachs gutted. between the one-two-three impact of mana punch, blade rip, and exploding uppercuts, the two monsters sail backward through the air, a trail of blood and smoke following them in an arch before the hit the deck on their backs. more than enough stun and injury to leave them at the mercy of yuwon's flames to work their magic.

dynamight's not even paying attention to those two, already rebounding off another blast to send himself the opposite direction. he saw the third one bail and already clocked its location. the second it emerges from the other side, intent on a surprise attack, it's met with the young hero's charged-up attack, a twisting sky-dive crash that slams momentum and collected oxygen into the kaiju's face for a resounding explosion. small-scale semi-instant version of his more powerful howitzer impact.] EAT THIS AND DIE!!

[yeah, he got him, yuwon.]

[cranekin]

(He will absolutely overwork himself. He can't help it. It's his nature as a spirit named after the hardworking crane. As for Raidou's offer, he smiles. )

Will you watch my back? Not everyone can take care of me!

(He sounds amused. As he asks, the ship jolts to the side. The matriarch is recovering and beginning to take out her frustration on the boat.)

[nutkick]

[ everything escalated into pure anarchy, and for what seemed forever since their mission started the intensity eased down into an eerie lull. the kaiju underneath denji stopped squirming around, head now slit into two with all its remains splattered around the ground. the chainsaws slowed down to a halt, and the half-devil breathed out, slowly pulling both blades out before he jumped off the disfigured carcass. he's certain the other kaiju is probably fried into a crisp fish after that blow, so he didn't need to check up on the other. it's a fucking miracle bakugou didn't set the entire ship on fire with that attack. the hero had an insane amount of control over his quirk ... like a proper weapon. that's not easy to achieve with such a destructive power.

it only took him a single step forward before a sharp unknown pain made denji flinch, that's when he glanced down to notice the ugly stab wounds the monster left back then. a jab so deep his intestine was about to leak and it made him feel a bit lightheaded. with a miserable groan, tired of the nasty fish taste, he lifted one of his blood-drenched chainsaws to his mouth and smothered his tongue over the blade. ugh, delicious. yummy. whatever! get in his system so his guts stay where they belong— inside his fucking body.

he takes a bit of time to glance over the waters, turning his head left and right, surveying the wreckage and their kill while keeping an eye out for any further aggression. nothing so far. was it over? did they fight off every single one of them? that's unlikely. denji knew the other teams were still out there having their own struggles, but none of the kaijus were coming their way. this ship is seemingly secure and the medics can finally work in peace.

he cursed, whether it was out of solace or frustration is unclear. he then attempts to find his teammate, careful in his footing. the waves as just as strong, still rocking the vessel with such force. perhaps it was a good idea for them to get inside and take a break. ]

I think we're safe for now, captain. [ taunting, but also serious. ] Come on, let's find a better medic for your busted shoulder.

[blastedass]

[he's not the first person to notice that. aizawa had immediately called bakugou out on his collateral damage once he got into u.a. and ever since then, the blonde has worked to hone his quirk to avoid the destruction it causes, too proud to allow something like that to slide once he got chewed out for it. some collateral is expected in any fight, but bakugou manages to keep his to a minimum by pulling his blast's power until it's right in the target, aiming just above the surface of the ship, narrowing his blast radius to avoid his allies around him, and being annoyingly skilled with his quirk to leave a swatch of dead monsters around while everything else (important) is left more or less untouched.

he's not apologizing for blowing one of these creature's heads up and getting fried brains splatted against the deck cabin's door. that's not fucking "damage"; that's just expected mess. it's not like denji over there, leaving geysers of blood and gore all over. then again, what'd you expect from a guy shoving chainsaws into guts and brains? the fact denji hasn't plunged his chainsaws into the deck itself and left gouging holes all over the ship speaks a lot to his own aim and battle instincts.

bakugo glances over to check on denji just in time to see the other hero (used lightly) licking blood off his chainsaw. ugh, that's hardly hygienic, but knowing how the half-devil fuels his healing, he expects it to happen now. it only takes that glance to notice the damage on denji's body, thus providing the reason for his lascivious licking.

the raging battle comes to a calm for the time being and bakugou punts one of the carcasses over the railing. doesn't need that shit being in the way as people start coming out on the deck to gather the injured and take them inside. others begin to man the guns, clean the artillery, refuel the bullets and harpoons, and otherwise get the ship back into defensive order during the lull. bakugou clears a few more monsters off the deck via grabs and throws as he makes his way over to denji, who's apparently looking for him. some of the waves splashing over the side of the ship help to clean the blood and gore, but it'll take more effort to get rid of all of it. good thing some other outsiders staked out on the boat are helping with that.]

Call me that again and I'll shove your ripcord down your throat. [growly growl. right, he's still injured. it was a patch job with internal healing at best. he frowns at his shoulder.] It's taken care of already. There are people worse off that need their attention. [he can move it, it's not bleeding, ergo, it's fine.]

[the_fourteenth]

[Looks like he grabbed another weapon just in time, using the spear to keep himself from getting knocked off his feet on the wet deck.]

I'm the protector of the city. The Capital or Neo Tokyo, civilians or Outsiders.

[Serious as ever. Raidou holds up his spear at the ready.]

I watch everyone's back. Including yours.

[stresspoint]

[ Nanami had tried to help the people left on shore too, doing what he could to help before they had set off and trying to find those he could between the voyages out to battle the kaiju, but ultimately he had to focus on the fighting. He covers his eyes with one arm, flinching as a sudden wave of pain hits enough to make his breath catch. And it's not from the physical injuries he's bandaged up. ]

You did all you could...

[ A curse nearly escapes his lips, but he bites it back. ]

[eyescar]

[ Yuji and Bakugo aren't necessarily similar in that regard, at least; Yuji would never be able to say that someone couldn't keep up with him unless it was a fight he truly believed only he could win. It's difficult for him when he wants to do things alone, when he wants to carry all of that weight himself, mostly because he knows he can handle it. It's not about thinking they can't keep up, it's... Wanting to make sure that they're safe, taken care of, cherished.

It's a difficult line to walk, but he does his best, as stupid as it might be.

Yuji doesn't want to rely on his friends, not because they're not strong enough, but because he wants them to live more than he wants to save his own life; wants them to live above his own survival. He doesn't matter, in the grand scheme of things, but they do. They've always mattered most to him.

Nodding his head, he sighs softly. ]

Yeah. We're going to do whatever we can to stop it. I have to figure out how to free Gojo-sensei, and then we can deal with the rest of it, just... A little bit at a time. It's not much, but that's the only thing I can do right now. It's not much, but that's what I had.

[ Looking over at Bakugo, he twitches, trying not to laugh. This is the guy he knows, not the catlike one who made him feel a little softer, and he has to force himself to calm down. ]

Look, I know it's hypocritical! [ Yuji scoffs a little, nudging him back. ] I know I'm lucky, that I get to see Nanamin again, and spend time with Kugisaki. It's just... If I have the power to protect someone and take care of them, shouldn't I be allowed to do that? If my strength is that much, now... I should use it to protect people, like I promised I would.

[ Yuji might not get to die on his own terms any longer, and he can't say that he's going to be able to die without regrets, but... He already hates himself for all the things he's done, already can't forgive himself. Nothing will change that. ]

[lifeprice]

That's the kind of thing that children say.

[ But he says it fondly enough; Aki slips away, and there are a few moments of blissful since. The nurses seem to want to leave Tsurumaru alone until Aki can deal with him.

Eventually, he comes back, a cup of green tea in his hand that he offers out with a tilt of his head. ]

What about your... Sword? Need anything for that?

[lifeprice]

[ This is utterly mortifying. Aki's hand jerks back, and he pulls it up, gripping it against his chest. The horror that he feels is plastered all over his face, and he takes a slow, careful step back, as if Yuwon is under threat.

He isn't, obviously, but - he's blushing, glancing away. ]

Sorry. It's got a bit of an... Issue.

[lifeprice]

[ Aki did land the final hit on the matriarch... Though he doesn't brag about that. ]

I expect the missions to be regular. There wouldn't be much point bringing that many of us here otherwise.

[ That's what Aki thinks, at least. He rubs his hand over his metallic arm and fights the urge to sigh. ]

Thank you for the coffee, even if I ruined it.