bakudan_bambino: (windy glance)
Gokudera Hayato | ‎獄寺 隼人 ([personal profile] bakudan_bambino) wrote in [community profile] isleofavalon2021-08-09 10:03 am

You gotta live better than you were though

🧙 WHO: Gokudera and YOU
⚔️️ WHAT: August catch-all! OTA
🕒 WHEN: August
🗺️ WHERE: New Camelot (predominantly)
⚠️ WARNINGS: Language, violence, drugs, mentions of past trauma: self-immolation, slavery


I. Healing Circle After Party

Despite most of his friends helping him, Gokudera has felt very alone since he learned of Yamamoto's absence. It's not the first time he's lost someone he's cared about. He's not being loud about his heartbreak and has seen on the network that others have lost some people important to them as well. But how often do you lose six different versions of your same friend/rival from home?

Gokudera feels a bit numb, and the strangulation he faced before is healed, but... still, there's pain. It feels like it never goes away, and on his own self-reflection, he realizes it's because he's focusing on it. He needs to use his head before his collar gets rid of it, and he can't problem-solve when it feels like his heart aches more now than it ever has before.

He collects yarrow and lemon balm, enjoying the smell and seeming almost to meditate while he gathers herbs. Once he's done, he's looking about for someone to sit with. There is no visible injury on the young man, and whatever he's going through, he doesn't want to talk about it. He'd rather just get on with the meditative healing.

Even burning the herbs seems somewhat traumatic, and so he closes his eyes and takes a steady breath, wondering why and how he suddenly became so wary of flames. The first thing he will share is fear and pain, a sinking feeling starting from the fingers and winding up the muscle of arms and causing a slight bit of panic. Sorry for sharing, but at least no one has to listen to him talk about why an explosives expert is scared of fire, right?


II. Crystal Mushroom

Gokudera gets on the quest board regularly (it's how he makes most of his money, in fact). Some manual labor feels nice, and he enjoys getting his hands dirty, literally, if only to focus on something he feels he has control over. Cleaning is one thing.

Taking care of a drug-dealer's source is another.

But still, work he can do. Gokudera's out to find Wendy, and he's dressed the part of the mafioso he is. The teen's donned a suit and he's come with the intent to threaten with dynamite, or explain that Wendy might find herself with some bad luck. If anyone stops him on his way to find her, he'll be honest.

He's going to beat up some drug-dealer. That's all they need to know. Gonna take out some aggression. Want to supervise? Help him? Hold him back? Talk him out of it?


III. Don't Treep, Man

Gokudera can be found repairing fences, looking out for fairy nests in the farm land, and helping to clean up the orchards. He has no green magic, but it's moments like these that he wish he did. The boy's very eager to be close to real, live trees. Too many years trapped in worlds where everything was either a hologram, or irradiated has him grateful to sit on fertile soil while he takes a hammer to a fence. The sun might be beating down on him a little too hard, burning at his skin, and he may appreciate someone helping him out. The fairies in the area seem to be enjoying his company, though, and are a fun distraction.]

I don't suppose any of you have tips for staying cool?

[The faeries, of course, don't respond, but just keep on gathering blades of grass and taking them back to their nest. Gokudera offers one a nail, looks it over, and then gets up to go make a sort of laundry line by pushing two into the dirt by their nest, tying a string about them, and then leaving a few sweets.]

Don't let the ants get to them, now...

[Few people have seen how tender the boy is towards the fae, and despite what he's been through, he continues to offer gifts, smiles, and any help he can.]


IV. Animal Mage Hunt - Platina Faun

[It's been... an odd couple weeks, and now, for some reason, he's woken up without his normal lower half. Gokudera's not keen on leaving the house, but he has to attend classes, has to escort the Tenth to them. His current transformation is making going out in public especially difficult. He can't wear pants, because he can't fit them past his new set of legs, and his pet leopard keeps looking at him oddly, so he can't stay inside, either. Gokudera can be found napping by the training grounds, eager to spar with anyone who wants a new challenge, or he can be found moving about the forest, foraging for food and stones.

He's keeping to himself, but can also be found walking about the streets of New Camelot, just... trying to run errands as if his cloven footsteps weren't loudly announcing his new features. His bigger concern is whether or not he'll change back. If he does, hopefully it will be in the privacy of his own home, where being without pants is at least acceptable.

Oh well, at least the little stubby horns popping out through his silver hair are cute.]
pissoffbook: (pic#14888225)

[personal profile] pissoffbook 2021-08-19 05:54 am (UTC)(link)
[It's a goal because whoever this was, they gave her a reason to live after she got her revenge. They must have accepted her.

Emil, the only other person who had, was gone. This was all she had left.

She would love to find that kind of acceptance again. Who knows, maybe even, affection someday.

Kainé looks back to Gokudera when he says that. An offer to at least know one another.]


Thanks. Maybe you just haven't found it yet

[She's trying her best to make him feel better as well as she searches her bag for that machine they gave everyone when they arrived. When she finally plucks it out she holds it out to him.]

You know how this fucking thing works? So I can contact you? That's what it's for right?

[She paused for a moment before adding another clarifying factor.]

I uh... I never leaned to read...
pissoffbook: (pic#)

Anywhere else you wanna go with this? Or end after your next tag?

[personal profile] pissoffbook 2021-08-19 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[That's one thing they would have in common. Kainé is loyal to a fault.

She hands over the phone, dropping it into his hand. It's true, she's spent a lot of time trying to figure the damn thing out, only to get frustrated and have to hold back breaking the thing.

Kainé doesn't actually expect anything in return for the explanation. She just wanted him to know that she had a reason for not knowing how to use the device. The irony of the whole thing is that her familiar is a book-spirit.

There's another long silence while she let's him fiddle with it before she speaks.]


I'm uh... not used to cities and villages. It's not really my thing. I used to camp out in my own world while we (She and Emil) were rescuing Yonah.]

If you need to find me, I'll be outside the gates.

[That's when her familiar decides to chime in again.]

We do appreciate your assistance, Gokudera. Kainé, be sure to offer sufficient gratitude.

Yeah, yeah. Thanks.
pissoffbook: (pic#15016226)

Haha ok! That works. (I am totally gonna text with autocorrect for the audio to text)

[personal profile] pissoffbook 2021-08-20 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
[She watches, a little overwhelmed with everything, but she keeps her face straight as she takes the device back.

Kainé packs it away and sits with her chin in her hand, then glances from Gokudera to her familiar with a groan when he asks the book about themselves.]


Just some asshole that follows me around.

Oh, what a polite young gentlemen! You should take a note from him, Kainé. [Her familiar ignores the comment as it addresses Gokudera while Kainé snorts a laugh. She's known him for ten minutes but she suspects that, that is dead wrong.] I am Kai-hakase, a powerful tsukumogami scholar sent here to instruct this heathen in the ways of dark and death magic disciplines. I have hundreds of years of immortal experience for her to draw on and she should be grateful for this opportunity!

Book. How 'bout I cram your spine up your own ass!?
pissoffbook: (pic#14889448)

[personal profile] pissoffbook 2021-08-20 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
[Kainé blinks then her eyes widen. Was she wrong? Is Gokudera the polite type? Of course Kainé's familiar has to correct her, which also answers Gokudera's question.]

Kainé, how many times do I have to tell you, you will address me as Kai-hakase...

[Kainé cuts her familiar off with the wave of a hand.]

Yap, yap, fuckin' yap. You're getting 'book' take it or leave it.

[Sorry Gokudera, Kainé has a history with floating books.]
pissoffbook: (pic#14888245)

[personal profile] pissoffbook 2021-08-20 10:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[Kainé scoffs and raises an eyebrow.]

Keep that up and you'll only make its head bigger. [metaphorically]

Very good, lad.

Why don't you follow his ass around instead?

[Kainé taunts her familiar, casually dropping her hand back to her side.]

Because fortunately for a savage like you, Kainé, fate bound us together. [Unbeknownst to Kainé, because she's looking away, a face appears under the title characters, a smug expression splayed across its features.] Besides, who else is going to teach you some proper manners?

Fuck fate.

[The amusing thing is, Kainé isn't the least bit offended by being called a 'savage.' It's the part about 'fate' that gets to her, and not the fate of being stuck with the tsukumogami.

She appears to shake it off and turns her attention back to Gokudera.]


So, you got a nickname or somethin'?
pissoffbook: (pic#)

[personal profile] pissoffbook 2021-08-21 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
[The words hit her like a ton of bricks and she has to look away, choking a little in the process.]

I can take care of myself. [A small pause and another sigh] I don't hate them... it's complicated.

[In all honesty, she felt a sort of comfort with having Kai around. They really did remind her a lot of Weiss, with less emphasis on her style of dress and calling her 'hussy.' The relationship was so similar though. However, she wasn't going to let on about this. Still, it was awhile before she spoke again.]

Yeah, yeah. I get it.

[Kainé does actually need a lot of help with her magic. At least how to use it differently than her Shade powers. Affinity can only get you so far.

She leans back again. ]


Gokudera it is then.

So what are we supposed to do for cash here?
pissoffbook: (pic#14888261)

pfft, it gave me a good laugh.

[personal profile] pissoffbook 2021-08-21 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
[She's grateful for a change of subject and hands over the device again.]

Thanks.

[Kainé took it back, hoping she remembered all the things he just showed her. This quest board sounds promising, at least she can kill shit. Though she has to stop at the next thing he says and give a small chuckle.]

I'm no one's bitch.
pissoffbook: (pic#14888228)

[personal profile] pissoffbook 2021-08-21 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's more, working and being supervised, having to report to a boss. They were from two different worlds though, and she wouldn't fault him for his way of thinking.]

No, but having someone breathin' down your neck while you do your thing. That makes you a bitch.

[She waved if off. They could agree to disagree. Maybe if she changed the subject...]

Thanks though. For figuring this shit out for me. I appreciate it.

Very good, Kainé! We'll transform you into a proper lady yet!

[Kainé didn't even have a retort for that. In fact, it made her look away a little forlorn. Grandma had said she was becoming a young lady shortly before she was murdered. Was she actually living up to Grandma's expectations? What would Grandma think of her now?

Fuck that circle, bringing up all this emotional shit.]
pissoffbook: (pic#15016222)

Want to bring this one to an end and concentrate on the other?

[personal profile] pissoffbook 2021-08-23 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[That 'whatever' reminds her of herself and she has to chuckle a little.]

Anyway, I should get going. I got shit to do. Make sure you check out the food. It's fucking amazing!