May catch-all

[bakudan_bambino]

🧙 WHO: Gokudera and absolutely anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: Mid-May catch all (training and other stuff that comes up)
🕒 WHEN: Mid... May? Before the event
🗺️ WHERE: Multiple places
⚠️ WARNINGS: violence, mentions of past sexual slavery, language



A. Training Grounds

Larry is sitting out in the middle of the training field, blowing bubbles to contain lit sticks of dynamite Gokudera is throwing into the air. Gokudera has discovered he has elemental magic and is working on what he can with wind, trying to push the bubble back towards his familiar, or up safely away from them both. He’s not successfully done either, and has just been creating useless gusts. The dynamite explodes in the bubble, the bubble pops, and knocks him down. This is getting very very tiresome, and his gusts don’t seem to be getting any stronger or going where he thinks he’s aiming them.

“Fuck... why isn’t it working?” He glares and pushes himself back up.


B. The Red Spring

No new arrivals from Namimori, it seems. Gokudera had spent the day watching new arrivals climb the cliff, wondering if he’d see someone from home. The journey back had been familiar and helped somewhat to clear his mind. But he’s been looking forward to bathing in the Red Spring. He feels partially new to Avalon after his reawakening, gone for years, and his body aged and scarred, when he’d apparently never left Camelot. Anyone who recognizes Gokudera from last month or any time prior will see the difference. Those who responded to his network post will already understand. But for those who have never met him, he’s acting very much like a new arrival.

The teenager lowers into the spring, the trunks he’s wearing keep him decent, but there is nothing to hide the vivid burn scars and long tally-marks down his back. There’s a black leather half-choke collar about his neck, and occasionally, there is a glow from beneath it, against the skin of his neck that looks like it’s burned many times over. Despite the fact that there is electricity attached to his neck, he fully submerges for a moment, then surfaces and decides he’ll play with the more illusory side of his light magic.

If you are unlucky enough to be anywhere near him, he’ll walk right up and offer you his entire left arm. It’s not real. It’s a smoke bomb, a prank, but hey, as far as your character should be able to tell, he just took off his arm and is handing it to you.

“Hey can you watch this for me? Thanks.” And then he’ll be getting out of the water so his familiar can be amused.


C. Wildcard! Seriously. Do whatever.

Comments

[bakudan_bambino]

"Oh. Okay." The whiskers tickle, and Gokudera lifts a shoulder some to jostle the little dragon's head away from his neck. It's tender okay, and he doesn't want it to hurt.

"A dragon of good taste, then." He remarks and turns his head a bit, trying to watch where he pets so he can try to give it a more satisfying pet.

[rediscovering]

"...I've seen him eat rotten food he found on the ground in the forest before, so, uh, no, not really. Sorry, Zun."

Rude, Zuko, wow. Mean. Heartless father. He goes ahead and pulls a seat out at the table for Gokudera, and takes his own, turning his attention to the model ship at hand.

"Okay, so— check it out. This is my ship — and I mean my ship! I wanna make it look more realistic to what my Fire Navy cruiser really looked like. I made this back in Prismatica and showed up with it here, too, for some reason. It's a normal model but I painted it to look like my old ship that I used to live on during my banishment."

Ahh, nice, normal nostalgia.

"But with some modifications, it could be more authentic."

[bakudan_bambino]

Gokudera gives an honest chuckle at that. In his opinion, Zuko is hanging around garbage, so... seems he and the dragon have similar taste if they want the bomber's company.

He looks the ship over, takes his seat, and feels completely at a loss.

"Okay... so what would make it more authentic? Turning the bow into a bridge??"

i don't know ship about ships, ok lol disclaimer

[rediscovering]

"Yeah! Exactly. So on a real Fire Navy cruiser, the bow would have a long spike, like this—" He motions invisibly in the air where it should be. "The whole thing can turn into a bridge and opens into the hull of the ship. So imagine you're at the South Pole or something, if you ram the ship ashore, the bow could split through the ice, lowers into a bridge, allowing soldiers to storm out right away while creating distance between them and any enemy troops waiting on the frontlines, while simultaneously anchoring the ship ashore — all without causing damage to the ship itself. It's excellent engineering, even for an older model like mine was. It stood the test of time."

Oh, he's on about ships and Fire Nation technology now... At least he's excitable for once.

neither do I. no judgement here

[bakudan_bambino]

"Alright. Do we have supplies to make that spike-bridge?" Or something to extend the front of the bow into a spike-bridge? Gokudera's following, but without any actual visible diagram, he's focusing on the practical sense of what can be done for the model. He's going to need guidance, isn't even going to touch this model out of fear that he'll break it in some way.

[rediscovering]

"No... We'll have to go to the store. There's a hobby shop, like, five or ten minutes away. I just didn't know what to get, wanted to ask you first. Back in Lunatia, you said you had an idea— I could take some wood to attach an extra piece to be the spike and get little chains and clasps to let it function like a bridge. And I guess we'd need paint, too..."

Suddenly this is all adding up; good thing he just got paid for a quest not long ago. He doesn't like stealing from places he wouldn't wanna be kicked out of if he were to be caught. Not that he's not confident in his stealth. But he's cautious at how much he and Azula have been pushing the patience of fate, stealing more than they actually even spend money. He doesn't wanna burn bridges at the Hobby Shop just because he's trying to build a bridge!

"A-Anyway— what do you think? Something we can manage? I can draw a picture of what it's supposed to look like, maybe."

[bakudan_bambino]

"We can get some sandpaper, too. Maybe not even wood. It might be easier to work with a plastic so it's lightweight and more similar to this model. Is it wooden?" Again, not gonna touch it. Instead, he leans forward and squints at it.

"Oh, I need to get paint anyways. I don't think I've ever been to the Hobby Shop." He's seen it in passing back when he had to help at the bookshop to repay the owner for damages caused when he was cursed to act like a dog. He hopes he put in enough time helping her, and she won't be mad at him.

Gokudera will readily cover Zuko without telling him. He still has a lot of gold from winning the tournament a while ago. He's not a penny-pincher, but he's very good with finances.

"Yeah. Seems easy enough."

[rediscovering]

"It's wooden. But as long as it all looks cohesive and it works, I don't care what it's made of. I trust your judgment. I mean, honestly, I just followed the instructions that came in the box originally; I don't know how to build shit..."

He's a prince. He can't even hammer a single shingle on a roof right. But he's very singleminded, and once he's set on an idea, he's stuck on it.

[bakudan_bambino]

"Alright then, whichever is around the size we need, then. Maybe they'll have something we can just cut a piece off of and attach? You built this, even if all you did was follow instructions. I can't even wash a dish without breaking it, Zuko."

He should not have any faith placed in him, he's certain.

[rediscovering]

"You can make bombs but you can't wash dishes?" He snorts at that; sorry, it's funny, buddy.

He stands to grab a pen and paper from the countertop nearby, and sits again to quickly sketch the shape his ship should be, even with a little illustration with arrows showing how he wants the drawbridge to drop. He figures he can bring this to the hobby shop and show the guy who works there what they're trying to achieve, worst case scenario.

"C'mon, let's go. ...Zun, get off him, we're leaving. You're not coming."

And clearly understanding the words, the dragon stands shakily, stretching a little along Gokudera's shoulders and digging its front claws in as it does, before finally shaking itself off, and sidling down his arm in something just short of a slither. It crawls onto the tabletop and circles the warship curiously, looking like a much more realistic dragon beside it by this scale, itself. Then it hops down to the ground with a little unnecessary flutter of its wings and saunters off to scratch its claws lazily on the side of the couch. This is... his life... Life with a flammable ferret. Or two. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is still slinking around the house somewhere... Leaving the two dragons home alone for a half hour can't be too bad, though, right? Right. What surprises could the boys possibly come home to?

[bakudan_bambino]

"I destroy everything." Gokudera says. "It's what I do. Storm guardian, destruction. I've got to keep up my image." He's been breaking shit long before he ever discovered dying will flames, though.

The bomber watches the dragon on him go and gives a gentle pout, then waves. "Alright. Lead the way."

[rediscovering]

"Ha! You gonna destroy my warship?" Zuko means it as a joke, having no clue Gokudera has privately been worried about this from before Zuko even opened the door, oops...

He gets up and leads the way out, locking up behind them. As the door closes, if one looks back inside, there stands Zunyan, all alone in the middle of the room, staring intently at the closing door with its legs splayed firmly on guard — looking pitiful. It gets like this sometimes... Certain days, it's just needier, clingier, riddled with more anxious energy. These are days with more 'crazy eyes' cuddles, more scorch marks, more clawing the furniture... Why can't it come?! It wants out! It normally doesn't get locked inside! It wants to be with Zuko! So, it immediately goes on the hunt for Zuko as a surrogate Zuko, not wanting to be alone so suddenly. Even though they'll be back in like twenty minutes... Those were not twenty minutes it expected.

[unstable]

Azula returns home in their absence, peeling off clothes as she enters and leaving them haphazardly on the floor on her way to the bedroom. Zuko slithers out of his hiding spot almost immediately, wiggling itself out of the grasp of his red companion to wait patiently for his mistress while she changes into something more comfortable. Once she drapes her velvety robe over her, he leaps excitedly onto her shoulders to greet her despite the fact she's paying him little attention.

The princess flops onto the couch, her head hanging slightly over the cushions as she rests her legs against the back, upside-down as she flips through the network on her dumb little phone to pass time until her brother returns home. Whenever that'll be, she doesn't typically expect him this early.

[bakudan_bambino]

“You know what, now that you’ve spoken it into existence, it will probably happen. Maybe I’ll just focus on shaping the bow and painting it, then you can attach it. That way there’s little risk of me breaking it.”

Gokudera follows and they spend a long enough time -probably longer than they should because hobbies- at the store. He happily pays for most of it, because it was his idea apparently to customize the ship to begin with, and the walk back is easy. He’s looking through the bag so he can come up with a game plan for what to take out and set up first, constructing a little mental checklist while Zuko lets them back into the room.

[rediscovering]

"Well, the real one was destroyed by bombers, too, so... maybe it'd be suiting for you. Although—" He gives Gokudera a teasing once-over as they walk to the store. "You're not really the pirate type." Zuko's amused at the image, though. He'd only ever seen pirate men wear so much jewelry like Gokudera does, so maybe he's not so far off, after all, on second thought.

They have a fun enough time putzing around the hobby shop, marveling at all the weird new things he'd never seen before and all the tinkering toys teenage boys just tend to like so much, so Zuko's in a good mood by the time they come back, feeling a little schmaltzy after Gokudera insisted on paying. Zuko tried to fight it, but allowed him graciously after a couple tries. He's smiling and lighthearted by the time the door opens onto... a surprise. Azula and Zuko relaxing on the couch. His smile falters and falls, casting an uncomfortable glance at Gokudera over his shoulder.

"Oh, uh— Hi..."

[unstable]

Their smiles fade at the same time, two pairs of golden eyes settling onto Gokudera-- although one sibling is far less thrilled than the other to be in his company. Azula flips around on the couch, crossing one leg over the other as she cinches her robe tighter at the waist instead of using her hands to leap across the room and strangle a certain bomb boy.

"I didn't realize you were going to start bringing home strays."

[bakudan_bambino]

Gokudera's casual smile drops, but not by very much. When Zuko glances at him, he takes a breath and straightens up, shoulders back slightly. He may have been gone from this world for years mentally, but it’s not difficult to remember the hell Azula gave him. Their online conversation was almost... fun? Felt like some teasing, and Gokudera is self-deprecating enough to easily side with her.

He’s used to verbal abuse, and has gotten skilled at maintaining distance. He may need to. Yamamoto isn’t here to save him this time, and he gulps before forcing himself to relax. Azula isn’t talking to him. He’ll abide by some beaten-in manners: only speak when spoken to.

[rediscovering]

"Azula... We were here first," he retorts, very maturely. "We just ran to the store. We're staying."

Zuko steps forward, beckoning Gokudera in after him with his hand to come retake their seats at the table with his model. Zun races from the couch to fly up and lands on the tabletop, greeting Zuko enthusiastically, who runs his hand firmly down the length of his little body in one long stroke of a pet, but refuses to make eye contact with anyone.

[unstable]

It seems Zuko is determined to stand his ground on this one, and as much as she dislikes Gokudera she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious about whatever new affliction cursed him. He's certainly acting like a stray dog Zuko just lured home, waiting for approval, being beckoned forward by the hand of his new owner. Zuko probably didn't realize the irony in the gesture, but it makes tensed muscles loosen as she sinks more comfortably into the couch.

"You had to have known I'd come back eventually," her words are sharp, pointed. Zuko perks up on her shoulder, but remains mostly still otherwise. "And now you're only insisting your little pet has an uncomfortable time."

[bakudan_bambino]

Gokudera appreciates that Zuko solidifies he’s welcome and follows him in when beckoned. He sits, quiet and looking to his friend for any further commands. It’s odd how he’s falling back into old habits, and with the way Zuko and Azula talk to each other, he feels wildly uncertain on who to listen to.

He won’t side with Azula, but she makes a completely valid point. I’d they both live here, they can’t argue over the space. There is one main thing made abundantly clear... he should leave. But, he has to be dismissed by either of them. Good thing his collar isn’t acting up yet.

[rediscovering]

“Then don’t make it uncomfortable for him and it won’t be,” he snaps back, his back turned to her. Zunyan scurries across the table to Gokudera’s spot, demanding the bomber’s attention on him by forcing itself under his hand to pet itself. The dragon has made its vote clear. Zuko wiggles an open hand at Gokudera, motioning to give him the bag so Zuko can start setting up the new stuff for their craftsmanship project.

“C’mon, Gokudera, let’s get to work on the model...”

He’s not explicitly inviting Azula to join them, nor is he explicitly not inviting her, either. Throwing the ball in her court how she wants to behave. Gokudera’s staying.

[unstable]

"Has he forgotten to speak or is he really this well-behaved now?"

She's laughing, the eyeroll the pair of them earns so exaggerated she rolls her head with it, settling it against the back of the couch in exasperation. Had he really come here to work on some dumb little toy? Zuko could have chosen somewhere less likely to be a battlefield to do such, but admittedly she's a little perturbed he wasn't more thrilled to see her. You know, in their home. Despite Azula's eyes finally off the pair, it seems her blue-scaled companion can't seem to stop staring at its namesake.

"Or maybe he's realizing he'd rather play with me instead of with some sticks and glue."

cw: mentions of slavery (sexual sort of?)

[bakudan_bambino]

"I'm fine." He says simply. Even if he is uncomfortable, this is far from the most uncomfortable situation he's ever been in. Being drugged and put up on a stage during a pet convention to see how much people would pay for him... that's kind of high on the uncomfortable list.

The dragon moving over to him makes the bomber smile pleasantly and he strokes a hand down its back before Zuko motions with a wiggled hand for the bag. Gokudera nearly rushes to hand it to him, so fast it would seem like it was way more important than it actually is.

He glances at Azula, looks her up and down as she's all but lounging. It's her place, so he supposes it's fair. "I'm right here." Just stating it. She can talk to him, or... not. But he won't talk to her, just... state for whoever wants to include him in the conversation.

"You know Zuko, I have no idea what your sister considers play. Maybe I'd be willing to spend time with her if she asked. I wouldn't assume anything." Gokudera taps the slightly disfigured fingers of his left hand gently against the dragon's back.

[rediscovering]

The comment earns an odd look from Zuko, who turns his attention away from the bag's contents and back to the mafioso with an arched brow. He pauses for a while without comment, trying to make sense of the remark, then turns in his seat to shoot the same odd expression at his sister for a moment, before finally speaking. His own comment confuses him just as much.

"...You wanna hang out with us, Azula?"

His tone is more terse than he realizes, genuinely bemused and going way out on a limb, on a whim.

[unstable]

"No."

She snaps at him before she can really even process what he asked, dramatically flopping to lay on her side with her back towards them. Zuko wasn't prepared as it was too busy being menacing, having to squeeze itself out from between her and the cushion, flopping onto the floor without any elegance. The princess pays it no mind, instead deciding to feign interest in surfing the internet again which was what she had intended on doing in the first place.

Zuko (II) slithers across the floor toward the pair of them, however, so far seeming mostly non-threatening.

"I'll leave you alone. Just pretend I'm not here."