isleofavalon | May catch-all

Entry tags:

May catch-all

🧙 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

“About…?” Gokudera asks, grinning, his tone leaning towards a tease because it’s funny how he’s making a grown man blush so he’s not just gonna stop.

“I’d assume Larry eats fish, but I’ve seen him eat all manner of things he can fit in his mouth.” Gokudera watches as his familiar bumps his head into that hand, demanding pets. The chin scratches are nice, but then, the creature would approve of attention of any kind. Nobunaga could pat out a beat on the monster’s side and it would be alright with that.

“I’ve spent most of my life on the streets of Sicily. Relations are fair and amicable.” Larry doesn’t care, reacts as much as a wet sofa to whatever Nobunaga does.

“Alexander had many lovers both while he was alive, and on Amoi. It felt like a natural progression. If you were a friend, he loved you, and would not be afraid to tell and show you.” Alexander also was a poor listener, in Gokudera’s opinion. The man just kind of immediately assumed Gokudera needed a friend, and then he was relentless with invading his space. So much so that it got the boy in trouble with his first owner.

If you tell Nobunaga that, he might indeed to try to play the familiar like a drum, just to see if it likes it. For now, he's delighted to cover it with affection!

"Sicily." So cool, Gokudera!

BUT THEN HE BLUSHES LIKE CRAZY ALL OVER AGAIN ABOUT ALEXANDER AHHHHHH.

"Right, yeah..." alksjdalksjdlaskdjalskdjaslkjd

He temporarily stops scritching Larry to cover his face with both hands. Be cool. Okay. Deep breath.

Back to hesitantly playing with Larry. "I... I was told some of Greek and Roman relationships like that..." Ahhhhh kill him with embarrassment now. "When the Portuguese missionaries and merchants were around. It wasn't too uncommon for lords and young samurai, or pages... nanshoku. But I--" He laughs and shakes his head. "I don't think I could ever be that free with... anyone." Granted, we are talking about a man who just commands people he likes to his bed, but it's different!

Another laugh and headshake. "Of all the things I would ask Alexander the Great... his battles, whether he really believed the Oracle, or just himself, Gods, why vengeance, what he thought of guns," a head tilt, "How to fix the situation you were in -- that's probably what your..." Owner. Owner. GRRRRR... "Human monster thought he was actually there for," a snort. "Of all that, I think sex might have been the bottom of my list." He laughs, but in a delighted way, not the least bit mocking. His estimate of Gokudera has gone up just for that approach, so different from his own.

"What was Sicily like? Did you ever meet a being like Larry before coming here?"

Larry is relatively still, almost like he’s spacing off while receiving the attention. Honestly, he’s a very absent-minded creature.

“That’s fine. I don’t think it’s an expectation. I’ve never met anyone as open as him. I feel like he could have loved anyone, honestly... Human monster? Oh! Fuck, sorry... I forgot to mention- [Did he? Oh well better say it anyways.] that world I was on was obsessed with sex. Alexander was a mongrel on that world, and he was a pet as well to an Elite. Most Elites who were off-worlders would be uncomfortable owning another person, but it would be necessary to ensure they had a home... and food. Unfortunately, my first owner and I didn’t really get along very well. So he helped split us up.” He takes a new sip of the sake, feeling like this conversation is much easier.

“I was homeless for a while, but then I got a new owner. He left after a few really good months...” He looks down at his left hand, at the engagement ring and gives a soft sigh. Oh well better to have loved and lost!

“It was beautiful. No I’d never met anything like Larry before. Only heard stories of something like him.”

Sure. Why not.

"Of all the traditions and barriers to break, they broke the silence around romantic relationships, and not the problems with them? Tch..."

Nobunaga just muses, his chin in one hand, and the other still playing with the spacey familiar.

"Keep in mind, before here, I've only ever seen Japan. Almost all of Japan, sure, but I've only heard stories, and almost nothing of Sicily. Were there shops? What was the architecture like? The people? Was it violent?" More playing with Larry. "Are you an expert on monsters? Cryptids? Or only certain kinds?" He's already putting together that the private request for a way to cheer up a friend might be about Gokudera, but he can't say for sure.

“I’m not so certain such traditions even existed in that world.”

He nods, understanding and then feels even more confused. Nobunaga knows about robots, but almost nothing about Sicily? “Yes, there were shops. I would say it felt a little more like Camelot minus the literal magic, and the landscape is not so flat. There’s a lot of water, since it’s an island. The architecture...” he’s never really described it. “Winding? Compact... the people?” He gives a soft chuckle, then thinks to compare them to the Japanese people he’s met. “Loud, and not very violent. I’d call it more like... a community, very personal and warm. I spent a good many years on my own, so my experience isn’t what most would use to describe it, I think. Food and family I think are most important to the people...”

Gokudera blinks in stunned silence when he’s asked about his expertise. He shakes his head. “I uh... I’m far from an expert, but I am a mystery hunter! I’d say most any unidentifiable, mysterious animal is what I like best. I’d love to learn more, since it’s the hunt to uncover those mysteries surrounding them.” His eyes seem to sparkle a bit as he works himself up.

“It’s more... an excitement to learn! Not a goal to become an expert.” He nods, accepting that okay maybe this isn’t super cool to be into. He’s weird, but he’s long since accepted it, and apparently some people find this passion of his endearing?

A solemn nod.

Gokudera, look around you. Of course Nobunaga tried to catch up on the idea of cyborgs. Also, he literally told people he didn't have to worry about his pancreas, he would replace it with robotics. They tried to convince him it doesn't work that way.

"That sounds fun!" Nobunaga laughs. He wants to see it! "Are there any movies with it? Food and family, huh?" Happy smile, just thinking about it.

"Mystery hunter! Ohhhhh I like it." Nobunaga offered his a fist for a bump. He doesn't know if he's doing the gesture right, but you learn by trying! "I used to hunt oni. And mountain gods. And kitsune. I just got annoyed that I couldn't find any. Now I wonder though. Kitsuno is a kitsune princess. So I can't say they aren't real. Not completely. Are there any mysteries here you're hunting yet?"

Gokudera is at least comfortable talking about... well.. anything. Thank you, alcohol, and thank you Nobunaga for working magic on it to make this all so much easier.

“Maybe? I’ve never sought out any movies with it...” maybe he should. He could show Zuko.

He smiles at Nobunaga, happy that he approves, and then bumps his fist readily. “Even if I never see one, I feel like on this world, it’s possible. Aliens used to interest me, too... but if you think about it, every off-world here is an alien. I’m not sure what mysteries this world holds... haven’t heard talk of any mysterious creatures that a native is unable to prove exists.” Maybe if he heard of something truly crazy to the people of this world, he’d be interested, but when everything crazy to him is easily explained by natives of Camelot, it kind of takes the fun out.

"I want to see such a movie. I love the Godzilla movies destroying modern Japan. They're so funny! It gives a clear picture of what life is like to my future, and then the embodiment of nature fighting back against industrialization. Very amusing." Of course he loves it.

"I also like the gladiator movies, but they aren't as dramatic as operas.
I know Rinaldo was Italian. I think a lot of opera are? I'm not sure, it's all very new to me, still," Nobunaga nodded.

Oda's eyes sparkled with the prospect of the adventure of the unknown. "Definitely possible. I was going to duel Kimon, but Kitsuno interrupted me. I thought she was a ghost like in the Atsumori," - a Japanese song about a samurai being haunted by a young flute player he killed, "I had a lover named Kitsuno before. They look nothing alike. Kitsuno here looks like a small cross between a kitsune and a red quince." He gestured to the mokko Oda clan crests on his shoulders so Gokudera knew what flower he meant. "I swear she even smells like one!" he laughed and shook his head. "But she negotiates with the fae a lot, so I know this world has many creatures never seen by humans before. Are there any in particular you want to see more than others?"

... “Japan has such good movies and legends. I’m far more taken with it than my own home. I’ve lived there... for a year? It’s been so long since I’ve been home.” He says, and then realizes that they could watch The Godfather movies, which he’s only ever heard about.

“Are you a fan of the opera?” Gokudera wouldn’t call himself a fan, but he also does not dislike it.

“Kitsuno? Is that another person here?” He hasn’t met her if that’s the case. Gokudera has been keeping to himself for the most part. He is indeed the person Tsuna is wanting to cheer up.

“I...” he looks down, clearly stuck until he looks up at Larry, who stares right back. “Mermaids. Legitimate mermaids. I’ve met some interesting sea monsters and creatures in this world, but I’ve never actually met or seen a mermaid. Or a uh... merman.” Why does he feel embarrassed admitting this?! He mutters “probably someone has one as a familiar, but it’s not the same thing...”

Show him the Godfather, he will love it. And put beheaded topiary animal heads in landlords beds as a declaration of war.

"I am! There is a young lady here, Lucy and Nyuu, she is an exceptional performer and introduced me to it. Although I haven't had much chance to see many of it. I get the feeling it doesn't have nearly the same resonance when not performed live."

Nobunaga nods his head. "Princess Kitsuno is my lover here," the damn blush is back.

"Oh! We have a merman person here. Not a familiar. He is a businessman. Azul. They do not eat humans or live forever as in Japanese myths, however." A small smirk. "He was very confused why manatees could get mistaken as mermaids."

He would, but Gokudera has not even seen it. Obviously there needs to be some kind of movie night to fix this issue.

“Oh, I’ve met them both. I didn’t know she was a performer...” he feels a bit like a fool for not having known that but feeling like a friend. A lousy one.

“Right. A lot of performances are best live.”

He looks confused. “I thought you said this Kitsuno here and your lover look nothing alike. Are they one and the same? Two different versions of the same person?”

“Is he really a merperson, or just claiming to be?” He looks uncertain, but if this guy really is a merman, he may become someone worth observing and taking note of. Gokudera isn’t very forward when it comes to uncovering mysterious, unidentified animals.

Absolutely.

A slow nod. "Different versions of the same person. The one here is a kitsune princess. I cannot say for sure there are no kitsune in my world, but the Kitsuno who died was not an Oracle of Sawa, that's where the Kitsuno here comes from." He picks up Larry and tickles under his chin more! Playing with the familiar is a good distraction so it makes it easier to put these thoughts to words. "There are many many versions of me, for every timeline Earth diverges. Perhaps you have met people from timelines with superpowers, or that nearly are destroyed by interplanetary aliens? There is even another version of me here. With long hair. The differences are obvious, but--" he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Kitsuno the Princess was betrothed to the Demon King of her Realm. He made a pact with the human version of me and gave him my name. Our name, I suppose," a slight eyeroll. It's his name, and he has no trouble fighting for it. Even himself. "Her father was Mitsunari Ishida, my youngest tactician. They do not seem much the same beyond names. Kitsuno neither, but certain things remain. Apparently it doesn't matter which version of me exists, the Demon King is always arrogant like this." It takes a special kind of arrogance to openly say that about yourself too. Proudly. Defiantly, even.

"I am fairly certain he is actually a merman, yes. He has a certain attitude that would not make sense otherwise. But as with Kitsuno, or other demons here, all those bound to a familiar lose certain magics, whether part of their biology or not. Curses too. For better or worse. So he doesn't look too much the part. But then, I don't come across much as the Demon King of 6th Heaven either, do I? Maybe if I had the horns like Lucy and Nyuu. Oh, but he can tell you much of the culture under the seas. And some of their misconceptions about humans."

Larry makes a low warbling noise of complaint when he is picked up. Being as large as he is, this is unusual and he flails a bit like a walrus would. Clearly, he wants down and if he is not set down, he’ll turn entirely to marbles and make a mess all around them.

Gokudera looks on with concern, but listens. He understands. “I have met six different versions of a friend. The world I was on before this, we got engaged. He is here on Avalon and does not remember that... or seem to have any of the feelings we shared.” There’s the main reason he has been so upset. The bottom line to why Tsuna has seen him so down. Every day he wakes up and has to pretend like his heart isn’t broken.

“I’ll see what I can learn from him, then.” He seems less excited at the prospect of a humanized merman, of limits thanks to this world. Still, he may see what he can find out about Azul from other people.

Cute! But he sets him back down, "Sorry Larry!" With a small laugh.

"Six?" Well. That... okay.

"I kind of want to murder her version of the Demon King, ah, but not the one here, he's kind of punk rock." He's lowkey jealous, but not as much as the actual demon shrouded in darkness version. "Were any of the versions you met at the same time?"

Larry stares at Nobunaga, then turns to slide back into the Spring.

“Yeah.”

He looks confused. How can there two versions of the Demon King here...? And yet Takeshi is stuck on a radiated planet alone. “No.” Gokudera is back to being visibly disheartened, staring at the sake as if it should help him, as if it would just make him disappear or forget everything.

Ugh. Confusing. "Do any of the versions want to kill you? Or well, I suppose, one of them might remember helping you die on Amoi? But they don't anymore?"

Drink it, Gokudera. He stuffed it so full of healing magic, it has to do something!

“No. And I didn’t die on Amoi. I died on the same world I got engaged to him in, called Anchor. They don’t remember it. He only remembers what happened at home. No other worlds.”

He would drink, but he’s too busy being glum at the moment.

Nobunaga nodded solemnly. "When Kitsuno died in my world, I didn't think I would ever even notice another woman. I'm not sure how much it's written about, but I've had to deal with assassins constantly since I was a child, and that hasn't changed as my ambitions grew larger. So to allow another woman close to me is a vulnerability I cannot often let myself expose. Just before coming here, I was rescued from the fire of Honno-Ji by a woman who didn't even know who I was. I sought to amuse her, but upon coming here, seeing another version of Kitsuno was... daunting."

He quietly sips his own sake. "I wanted to test her mettle. To scare her off completely, but she's more fearless than the Kitsuno of my world. More like me herself, actually."

Nobunaga waved a hand at the sake. "By all means, grieve for what is lost, but do not make the mistake of missing opportunities should they present themselves. I never wanted a second chance with Kitsuno. But upon being offered one, how could I refuse and still call myself the Demon King?"

A quiet snort over his sip of sake. "A lover of Alexander the Great should carry himself with as much fervor and excitement about hunting opportunities for romance, as proving cryptids, and other monsters yet undiscovered to be true."

Gokudera won’t want to mention his role in the mafia, how he shouldn’t be in the sort of relationship he’s in because there is no time... he should focus on keeping his boss safe, and little else. But... his boss wants his happiness. Gokudera is having a difficult time finding that.

“But she is your lover. This version of her, and the one from your world as well, right? Does she know that?”

“Tch if it’s offered by him, I will take it. But... it’s not something that is appropriate. I doubt my boss would approve.” He might, though. Gokudera’s position as his boss’s right hand is more important than trying to rekindle a nonexistent spark.

“I don’t want to be known as ‘A lover of Alexander the Great!’ Or a lover at all!” He glares. “I’m done with that.” Thinking of what he’s done on Amoi makes him feel disgusting.

"Yes," he laughed, "She knows. I told her long before she allowed me to sit with her and attempt to test her limits of concentration."

A head tilt. "Ah, that's easy to say, but those who would pervert such a thing...." his eyes narrowed. "One of the first things I learned here was the true depths of depravity of the word: fuck. A most violent, vulgar, reprehensible rape. While it's encouraging to know such a thing is so taboo, even the word representing it is despised, to know that romantic intercourse and such pleasures can be so commonly distorted from their original purpose, is also disconcerting."

How does he explain it?

"It may not be an alternate version of your lover, or any lover at all. Then again, who can say what such a strange alternate versions of events will hold, yes? The trick is not to be so confounded by life's wounds to miss out on an alternate life's enjoyments. Seize them, while you can."

"Okay so there's a big difference there. My idiot lover has no clue." He points out. Hard to convince Yamamoto that they are lovers when the baseball idiot only has brains for baseball.

Listening to Nobunaga pick apart the word 'fuck' does not sit well with him. Coming from a world where he needed to have sex to survive... it all just makes him feel worse.

"And if he hates me for it, then there will be no enjoyment." Here he goes, living again beneath fear of what could happen without bothering to take the chance to confront his feelings. It's a big risk, and if he really were to think about and break down why he's so scared, he'd realize that loving Takeshi is worth it. It's probably never going to stop for him. If the baseball idiot thinks less of him, that will just be something that will not change his life. It will hurt. The Tenth knowing... that needs to be handled more carefully.

Nobunaga tilts his head. "I do not mean... perhaps different versions of the same person, were Kitsuno from my world to arrive here and not remember me... I would not wish to tell her a damn thing."

Definitely not.

"Rather, don't pine for the past. Something better might come along, so long as you keep your head up to not miss it -- as impossible as that seems now." He gets it, of course it seems impossible, but after so many impossible things, how can anything truly be?

"Why would he hate you?"

Gokudera nods vigorously at that. Not telling Yamamoto a damn thing is exactly his current course of action.

"Something better..." he pouts. But... he and Takeshi are engaged, and he can't imagine being with anyone but him, honestly. Amoi had him with so many different people, and he was finally ready to settle down. Maybe he should stop focusing on the relationship so much and work on his current ones with the circumstances of this world in mind.

"Because thinking romantically about him might make him uncomfortable? If he's not interested in me, but say... a girl in this world, and he thinks I won't support him because I'm engaged to another version of him, that would put a lot of strain on our relationship." Right? He's basically saying it would ruin their friendship, but that's never been the right word to describe how they interact.

"Right..." Nobunaga shuddered and rubbed his temples, sitting upright instead of his normal lounging like a big cat.

"I don't have equals. I never have. There is much written of my relationship with my page, Ranmaru, but I haven't seen him since the fires other versions of me died in at Honno-Ji. It's easy to say I wouldn't do this or that, but again, I have no equals. If I had a relationship with Mitsuhide or another vassal, on this world, or another, only to travel and they forgot it, it'd be easy for me to ignore it and start over. But they would never broach such a thing with me if I forgot, because of the position of politics and my rank as Demon King."

A quiet huff. "All I can say is don't look back. I don't mean it to be fatalistic, merely, regret nothing, and don't let it hold you back from enjoying now. I'm not doing anything the same with Princess Kitsuno as the one from my world. In part because it'd be boring, but also because it can never be the same. As similar as we are, I've grown, and circumstances here are so much freer than it could be for me back then, or her with her demon king to her future."

A distant gaze. "It's true, if she left now, came back without remembering me, then I'd want to try to kidnap, and romance her all over again." A shrug. "But it is different. She knows her betrothed Demon King has been seeking her power since it came through her, and I'll always dedicate myself to her freedom."

Nobunaga nodded. "You've certainly grown from your offworld experiences and you should cherish all of that and the strength it gives you. But he hasn't grown with you. Whether you tell or not, that's up to you two. I think it'd be easiest if you either explain you don't expect things to be the same, or simply that you've changed. But remember, it can't ever be like those other worlds, because the circumstances have changed again. And that sounds a lot like it's for the better."

An additional thought occurred to him, and he held up a finger as he drank yet more sake. "I should add, at first I called the Kitsuno here an evil spirit because, as I said, I thought she was haunting me. And then I downright refused to say her name because it always brought to mind a grave for me. She earned back her name by showing me the differences. So that I no longer thought of what was, but I was able to see her for who she is, in front of me, here and now. Part of me was even furious with her for sharing her name and similar circumstances. Mitsunari is her father's name, my youngest tactician, her brothers have similar names, her Demon King, all of it. When she invited me to her home, neither of us had intentions to take things so far, but as the Demon King, I do try to corrupt everyone." He shrugged. He had a point to all this, what was it again? "So maybe start off by acknowledging, they're not the same. It's easier for me because they look different, act different, are different, but it's a little more like Lucy and Nyuu for you I think. Only without even the communication by notes with each other. So whatever you tell him, make sure he knows that. He's not the same, he can't be, and keep looking forward."

And then he's a little distracted mentally sorting into boxes the differences in Kitsunos, and what it is he likes about the new one, and carefully leaving the old one's boxes sealed and buried along her grave.

"The traits will still be there, so that's different from Lucy and Nyuu, but the memories and circumstances aren't there. And you're different too. The Demon King from before knowing any Kitsuno is vastly different from this one." A shrug. "You'll do fine," he lightly shoved Gokudera's arm like he would have to Hideyoshi.

Gokudera listens and doesn’t feel he’s living with regret. He may, if he keeps on acting out of fear and avoiding his boss and this new baseball idiot. Nobunaga makes some very fair points, and surely, if this Yamamoto were to return his feelings or even bring them up ahead of Gokudera, he’d seize them.

Then there is the manner of what Amoi had him do, how he feels so very defiled based on that life he had. Coming back from it is possible, not easy, and he definitely is not unscathed. It isn’t like he will try to bed anyone or be promiscuous on habit, but now there are needs, and longing, and pining. He’s loyal, though... faithful. It’s just that none of it is easy.

Maybe, after all of the hell he’s been through, and all of the struggling, that will make each reward he’s given that much better. Being on this world is a reward and punishment all at once.

Still, the advice he’s being given is wise, and Nobunaga hasn’t even been too invasive in his questioning. Gokudera does feel better having spoken with him, and he looks up to him, a dim smile on his face until the man shoves him, and of all things, his collar reacts. It jolts pain right into him and he moves to turn away, shoulders raised, hand at the straining muscle of his neck. But turning away only makes it worse, so he drops to his knees and bows, forehead to the damp earth that surrounds the springs.

“Thank y-you!” He says through obvious strain, and then the pain just as suddenly as it came stops.

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