maskormenacelogs | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

WHO: Kidou, whoever else
WHERE: Anywhere
WHEN: This month
WHAT: Open ~~belated~~ log
WARNINGS: Not unless being needlessly dramatic counts

The tire
Heropa, dated to when Endou left/before swear-in

[To look around the park close to the ImPort government housing, there’s barely any signs of winter at all; some trees lost their leaves, others seem convinced it’s fall, still others never got the memo and insist on displaying green leaves in blatant defiance of seasonal change. Those out and about tend to prefer tshirts and jeans; there’s no sign of scarves, and only a few have jackets or sweaters.

All this makes the diminutive red-cloaked figure on the hill stand out all the more.

It’s a fantastic spot, rising just high enough to look out over the treetops to the housing beyond. Someone, a long time ago, planted an oak tree here. Someone else, far more recently, affixed a tire to one of its branches with rope. Next to this stands Kidou, completely still save for his cloak fluttering in the occasional breeze.

He’s been here since a little after school let out, once he confirmed that Endou wasn’t coming back. He’ll be here for a good while more, at least if he’s left to his own devices.]

Location scouting
Any city but Maurtia Falls, between feb 6-10, late afternoons

[Kidou’s got one single mission in mind. When he’s not at soccer practice or school, he’s out exploring, looking for lesser populated areas that don’t immediately scream ‘dangerous area, keep away’. You might see him wandering the street, poking his head into the occasional alley, walking down trails through parks. At one point he explores some of Heropa’s beach, keeping an eye out towards the land to check for visibility.

But mostly you’ll see him walking around abandoned lots, unused stretches of forest inbetween housing and roads, standing at the edge of ditches; anywhere that looks like people won’t immediately see. He doesn't stray too far from the Porter in any city - accessibility is important.

Of course, a middle schooler heading deliberately out into lesser traveled or forgotten areas might look a little bit suspicious. Especially the way he stops and looks around now and then, surveying the area before moving on again.]

Intense Soccer Pong, Nonah or Maurtia Falls, either after school or on a weekend.

[There aren’t training facilities like he’s used to anymore around here, but that’s no excuse to let his own skills rust; it just means he's been creative about his methods. Today’s individual practice is going to consist of beating up one specifically chosen spot of concrete wall with a soccer ball until he either misses or a half hour passes, whichever comes first.

Until then, his additional (ridiculous) challenge for himself today is this ball is never going to hit the ground. He can't waste any time that way; every motion has to be precise and exactly controlled.

He’s picked a spot to the side of an abandoned gas station, where there’s a decent amount of space to run, and a wide stretch of wall to tackle. The abandoned property has not gone unnoticed to local gangs, who have taken it upon themselves to gleefully redecorate the walls with vaguely legible scribbles and random symbols.

Kidou’s picked a spot directly in the middle of a wide loop at the end of one of those messages, and has set one goal; no matter what, hit the exact same spot. Just like all the other times, the ball hits inside the graffiti right on target, rebounding at a slight angle away from him.

He’s ready for it. As soon as Kidou’s sent the ball back, he’s rapidly calculating where it will be in a second. By the time it bounces, Kidou’s already running, and doesn’t stop as much as plant one foot firmly on the ground to let his momentum swing his body around. It conserves energy while powering his return kick, sending the ball towards the wall at a wider rebound angle.

It's almost too wide. He just barely makes it to catch the ball again this time, and then he’s running off in the opposite direction all over again, angling for a better angle this kick. And so this goes on - interrupt him? Join in? Wait until he finally is forced to call it quits and retrieves a water bottle he’d stashed against the building?]

Wildcard
[Got something else? Go for it or hit me up at

crobatman to request a starter.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sometimes.

[While Kidou aims to spend as little money on food as possible, he's also a little too health conscious to brave most of the cheap instant mystery meals around, so he ends up only occasionally eating what counts as American food. He's really not a picky person, though. Both his upbringing and his nature lend towards him being willing to eat

When indicated, Kidou'll fall into step beside Josuke, just a half step to the side and behind.]

I don't mind that kind of thing.

[There's definitely a pause in Josuke's step as they start away from the gas station and he notices Kidou isn't keeping directly beside him, but rather than grill the kid about it right there on the sidewalk, he chooses to let it slide. After all, there's no harm in letting him trail behind a little, although it's certainly a behavior he's unaccustomed to. Even back home in Morioh his friends were more relaxed than this.

Fortunately, the malt shoppe isn't as far away as he thought and so Kidou isn't left to wander behind for too long. They've only time to engage in a little small talk about soccer before they finally arrive at their destination: a quaint stop on a downtown corner, its large windows decorated with hand-painted ice cream floats, fries, and burgers so tall they appear more like towers than treats to stuff one's face with.

The interior of the shop is just as eye-catching, with candy apple red seating, neon signs hanging from the ceiling and walls, a bold checkered floor polished to a shine, and a few different booths modeled to look after vintage cars. Josuke shows an open fondness for the Chevrolet Corvette in the corner detailed with a metallic paint that seems to shift depending on the amount of sun pouring in through the window next to it.

When they sit and a young woman whose name tag reads Patty comes over to greet them and take their orders, Josuke wastes no time telling Kidou to order whatever he wants...while ordering half the menu himself: a basket of onion rings, a large chocolate shake, a plate of sliders (extra cheese and bacon) with a side of extra crispy battered fries, a small salad (he claims at this point to be watching his figure, a comment which earns an amused laugh from their waitress) and some deep fried pickles and cheesy jalapenos. He's not even growing anymore, he literally has no excuse...and yet he'll probably manage to pack most of that away, if not all of it. Somehow.]

[As they near their destination, Kidou grows quiet, taking it all in while trying to bite back a bemused expression. From the bright colors, to the tacky decorations on the windows, the place wouldn't feel all that out of place in a faire or carnival. By his own admittance, he's never been somewhere like this, so he can't say if that's normal or not. For all he knows, this is just what a malt shoppe is like.

When it comes to order, he ends up turning that quizzical stare briefly to Josuke. It only lasts until he jokes about it, though; by then, the surprise has worn off and he goes back to looking at the menu to hide an amused smile of his own. By the time the waitress turns to Kidou, he doesn't order right away. Instead, he asks her what she likes here, and picks one of the options she suggested - one of the hamburgers, to add to the variety on the table - and water. Not even a shake. By comparison, Kidou's downright boring.

Patty jokingly asks him if he's sure that'll be enough, to which he says yes, he'd be too concerned about fitting it all on the table. Laughing, the waitress leaves and Kidou turns his attention back to Josuke.]

Interesting place.

[Leaning back in his seat, Josuke grabs at a packet of ketchup from a small basket on the table and idly passes it back and forth between his hands. Despite Morioh not having places like this, he seems quite at ease in the setting. But two years to acclimate to America and an open minded approach to most things are to thank for that.]

Yeah, it's not bad here, huh?

[Odd, but in a comfortable sort of way.]

There's a similar place in Maurtia Falls, not as flashy but I go there more often. Can't really say why, though. Shopping's better here, and there's the arcades.

[Grinning a little as he looks up at Kidou...Josuke then flicks the packet of ketchup in his direction across the smooth surface of the tabletop.]

[Seemingly determined to win this year's 'most boring teenager' award, Kidou stops the ketchup packet with a hand only when it threatens to slide off the table entirely.
Interesting. That's the main word for this. Who would voluntarily go to Maurtia Falls? That alone could say volumes more about the kind of man who's sitting across from him.]

If Maurtia Falls is somewhere you have other reasons to be, it would make sense.

[He then picks up the ketchup and returns it to its spot in the basket.

This is a teenager, in theory.]

[Unable to say he expected differently, Josuke just chuckles and shakes his head when Kidou refuses to return fire. The ketchup pack is returned to where it belongs and they're back to square one.

Well, almost.]

It's not all bad there, you know. Sure, it's got more than its fair share of problems, but there's a couple bright spots here or there if you know where to look. Unusual places to shop, old architecture...I got some fond memories of the place.

[Drumming his fingers atop the table, he looks at Kidou.]

I guess not everyone can say that, though.

[And even in his case, it's not as though he's been there recently to do anything fun besides accompany Hazel on a few shopping excursions. Mostly, Maurtia Falls is a place he goes to be alone with the past. With memories of people come and gone, and adventures he misses having which have also faded into a dull ache.]

Yeah.

[Kidou doesn't elaborate or let that sentence linger too long. Folding his arms, he lets a few seconds pass, arranging the topic change in his mind before he jumps to it. Small talk doesn't seem to be a skill Kidou's ever picked up or even tried to learn.]

I've been wondering a few things. About that power of yours, specifically.

[Before Josuke can reply, Patty returns with their drinks and a promise that Kidou's food will be ready soon. Josuke's, on the other hand, will likely take a little longer and require being served in portions. The appetizers will be ready the soonest.

She doesn't stay to chat after that, not as a young couple enter and she spins around to go and promptly greet them, by which point Josuke's already fiddling with the straw in his shake and watching Kidou. Sharply.]

You really saw it, huh? Not everyone can.

[Which means that Kidou likely has a power very similar to his own, or similar enough by this world's standards. If he didn't already trust Kidou, he'd be suspicious about anyone asking about his power without him offering the information first, but after what they went through, well...]

I guess I owe you an explanation after everything. So...what do you wanna know?

[There's no reply, but a small nod of confirmation at the initial question. Whatever that was, he definitely saw it. Kidou looks generally as thoughtful and serious as ever, eyebrows creasing a little more as he reaches for his water, taking his time to tilt some of the cold - what was with America's obsession with ice - water into his mouth bit by bit.

How to phrase all the things he wants to know? 'What is it' seems too nebulous. 'How can it serve multiple purposes' or anything along that nature was eating at him, but it too closely described his own hissatsu. Clearly, that was too narrow a mindset to use when approaching this.]

What does it do, exactly?

[Josuke raises a brow.]

What, you couldn't tell?

[Ordinarily he'd make a joke about those goggles the kid wears obstructing his vision, but something about Kidou's serious air must be infectious because he refrains.]

The short version is that it fixes things, but it's a little bit more complicated in that there's very specific rules to follow.

[To save Kidou the trouble of asking, he volunteers the answer to the next question himself. He's told enough people by now that it's not a secret, but... Well, there is someone he doesn't want to know his limitations. Which means he'll have to make a request afterwards.]

We call it a Stand back home, and my nephew named mine Crazy Diamond. It's fast, it's strong, and mine can fix just about anything that's broken, but it can't restore something that's been erased from this world, it can't be used to 'fix' my own injuries, and I can't use it to bring people back from the dead. None of this is a secret, but...if you're gonna tell anyone, I'm gonna ask you to run it by me first. Can you do that?

[It's a little late asking that now, but apparently Josuke has that much confidence in the kid's ability to hold his tongue.]

[Fix anything that's broken. That nicely fits everything he saw it do, except for the time it stopped him. Curious, that. The 'fast and strong' part of this hints at a lot he's already seen - it can act in other capacities. Back home, if there was somehow a hissatsu that could 'fix' something, that would be all it did. It fascinates him to no end to consider something that's not quite so limited.

Strange to think of hissatsu as limited. He never had before, not as a whole group. And it'd seemed to him that all powers were similar - they did one thing, specifically.

Kidou simply nods his head at the question, though he looks a little surprised by it. That wasn't his to share, so why would he?]

Of course.

[It was far more than Kidou would allow anyone to do with his powers, in general. What he did, he wanted full control over people knowing or not knowing.]

Why can't everyone see it?

[If Kidou thinks about it long enough, he'll realize Josuke had to ask for a very simple reason. Of all the powers in the world that exist, there's one type that should be shared with other people: those that can be used to restore.

And Josuke isn't opposed at all to anyone knowing he can heal their injuries, or the injuries of their friends and family. He's had people come to him before to do just that. He's unfused an arrow from Annie Leonhart's midsection, and healed up a vicious shoulder wound that Ken Amada had. Being able to do this for people is something he's grateful he can do. But the limitations of his abilities are something that can hurt him if they fall into the wrong hands.]

To be honest, I don't really know. But back home, only other Stand users could see them. That's just how it is.

[Meaning it wasn't a gamble when Josuke called upon Crazy Diamond to fight those thugs at the school. They weren't imPorts and he knew they wouldn't be able to see his Stand. But it had been a risk in Kidou's presence.]

I guess it's different here, but not even every imPort can see it, either. Usually, it's just those who've got a power that's pretty close in nature. They can see spiritual energies or control them or something.

[Needless to say, just the fact that Kidou could see the Stand has told Josuke a little about the kind of power he possesses.]

Spiritual energies, huh?

[Kidou allows himself a secretive smile, mulling that over.

There's only one thing that could possibly describe. Hissatsu was part of the one who made it, to a large degree. It came from them, or from something very close to them. It was always personal, and.. well... he couldn't say it wasn't spiritual. You could see someone's soul through their plays. By sharing hissatsu with someone, you linked them to you. They became a part of you as you became a part of them.

But that does mean that Higashikata has a clue about him, too. Not much of one, all told. From the lack of focus on soccer in the world, and how little anyone ever understood back when he still tried to explain this... he doubts it'd be ever guessable.

He'll give one more non-hint hint out, just because he can't resist the comment.]

Interesting way to phrase it.

Oh yeah?

[His smile is faint, and quickly hidden as he takes a drink from his shake to process that remark. It's confirmation of a sort, but just barely. Kidou has a power that works on a similar level to his own, and that's all that it means. What that power can do...he has no way of telling. Just like he'd never be able to tell what someone else's Stand could do unless they showed him or told him. The possibilities are simply limitless.]

I'm not really sure how else to describe it. A Stand is...a physical manifestation of someone's fighting potential. But it's also unique to the Stand user, too.

[Or at least, it is in the case of most people. Dio Brando had been able to use Hermit Purple...and now, thanks to the Porter, Jonathan also possessed the ability to use The World. To say the least, the rules had been complicated. But maybe they were more like guidelines all along, anyway?]

It's a little like fighting with everything that you are, I guess. All your inner strength, and your desires. My nephew said mine... [He shakes his head with a small laugh.] ...he said mine reflects a gentle nature or something like that.

Cheesy, huh?

[Yeah, he can't deny it. He loves that about his Stand.]

[As Josuke describes this further, Kidou firmly links them in his mind. He could have explained hissatsu with that same description, perhaps substituting 'fighting' for 'soccer' - a long time ago, when he was absolutely desperate to find someone who could understand true soccer, he had taken the risk and done just that on the network. Although he stopped short at explaining just what he could do, he'd given plenty of people an overview. By now, he's turned secretive over it.

It truly was not a surprise at all that he'd been thought of as similar enough to see it. And Kidou couldn't argue that not everyone could. He'd intuited that back during the fight, staring ahead instead of watching what Higashikata's Stand did.

It made sense despite being cheesy, but that doesn't mean Kidou's not going to give him a hard time for it.]

Definitely cheesy. ...Despite that quality, it's interesting to me. If I understand this correctly -[if this is really all about fighting] - yours being like that would make you an outlier, wouldn't it?

[There's uses for someone being unexpected.]

[That offhand remark earns Kidou a quiet bark of laughter and a sheepish shake of Josuke's head. To think some middle schooler could have such a smart mouth.]

I don't know that I'm really any kind of outlier, though. There are other Stands with abilities that can heal, they just work in ways that are radically different from Crazy Diamond. And all Stand powers can be used to fight in some way if the user's creative enough to think of ways to apply and reapply them to different situations.

[He taps his chin thoughtfully, and then adds...]

Although, I guess I'm the only one I've met who can fix stuff other than people. It's really come in handy more times than I can count. But...why's that interesting?

[Of all the things to be interested in, the kid focuses on that? It's curious to say the least.]

No reason in particular.

[Tons of reasons in particular, all of which to do with his trained instinct to always seek the tactical advantage in anything. If Higashikata's power was a rarer one, then it would give him a distinctly strange advantage. Sure, he couldn't heal himself, but that kind of power in the middle of a group would be a force multiplier. Kidou was fairly certain he couldn't even grasp all the implications behind what that could do, and for that he was honestly glad.

And if it wasn't common, then it would never be suspected. If people couldn't see it, then no one would know to target Higashikata. And if no one targeted him... could his entire group be stopped? Hm. Kidou's letting himself start projecting into scenarios that he isn't all that happy contemplating, already. And ones that he never would have jumped to before he came here. Just one of the things this place has done to him, he reasons. It's corrupting him, he can tell. But he's not sure that can be avoided without risking even worse happening.

He shoves that thought back. So, it wasn't that unheard of, which was... good. He liked that. Healing not being a rare power was only a good thing, when people could really get injured.]

It just struck me as different.

[Tactically useful, he means. Even though he instantly denies that's his first thought.]

Edited 2017-03-16 19:02 (UTC)

[For a few moments, Josuke watches Kidou intently and says nothing, unsure of whether or not he believes the other boy is asking purely for curiosity's sake. Back at the school in Nonah, he had seemed a lot more purposeful in his way of thinking. Josuke hadn't imagined that.

So he's leaning now towards Kidou's questions having been asked for a very specific reason...albeit, maybe one Kidou doesn't want to tell him about? It's possible, Josuke realizes, the other boy might not trust him quite as much as Josuke's been willing to trust him.]

Mm...you know.

[He leans forward and props his chin on his hand, his stare still unwavering.]

Back home, and even here, I think...there's an unspoken rule about Stands. Seems the users are drawn together like it's fate or something. I don't know if I believe it, but the number of times I've found myself thrown into situations against and with other Stand users makes me think it's not totally baseless.

So...telling someone else what your Stand can do, it's something people avoid doing unless they really trust each other. Which is fine, but I wanna know just to be clear...is that why you haven't said anything yet about what you can do?

[Through most of this, Higashikata was watching Kidou just about as closely as Kidou was watching him. Though as he continues his thought, it's clear that he's willing to bring that to a direct point.

And... Kidou can't say he's wrong. He hadn't volunteered any information about himself; by habit now, he never did anymore, not even as an overview. But he'd let first curiosity, and then a deeper need to understand and plan guide his questioning. Being called on it makes him beyond uneasy, but that's exactly the point.

His eyes narrow behind his goggles, head tilting down just a bit as he mulls that over.]

My soccer. That's the power you're wondering about.

[Another smaller, but nonetheless dramatic pause. He considers this one more time before deciding to take the calculated risk. Either he refuses to tell him and puts a wall between them, or... he lets him in, and puts himself in a potentially very dangerous position. In the end, he finds that he really does find it easy to trust him. He's not only seen his ability and the explanation behind it - to heal and fix things being part of his nature - but he's seen what he's willing to do for a school he's not part of, and people he's never met. It doesn't make it any less nervewracking to say this now.

It was so odd, really. He'd been willing to talk about this in the first while he'd been here. Soccer was something to share with others, not to hide away. But necessity had hardened him back to a state of sad paranoia. It's not surprising to him, but it's really harsh to be faced with the fact of what he's slowly let himself become here. And now he's given the choice: what kind of person is he, really?

It's no choice at all. He starts in.]

Hissatsu techniques and Stands are not the same thing, but it's similar enough that you could describe them in the same terms. They're a way of putting yourself and your team directly into your plays. One reason that you wouldn't have seen me use anything is all but one of mine are combination plays.

[Which is something he doesn't like admitting at all. It makes him incredibly vulnerable to flat out tell someone that, alone, he's pretty close to defanged. Normally, talking with other ImPorts meant that you're always dealing with an unknown variable; maybe they did nothing, or maybe they were capable of a lot of things. Kidou was both at the same time.

But it meant that he's admitting he'd gone into that school, faced down Josuke, and then two hardened criminals with nothing but his nerves, training and his reflexes.]

I guess we were both pretty fortunate we ran into each other when we did, huh?

[His power wasn't dependent on the participation of others, but his plans always seemed to run more smoothly when he had help. In fact, he's fairly certain that if he hadn't befriended at least half of the Stand users he'd encountered as enemies first, he wouldn't have been left in one piece to track Kira down back in Morioh.

Which isn't to say he doesn't recognize the risk Kidou took, because despite there being similarities between them, it's indisputable that the younger boy was the most in danger. But Josuke doesn't believe in being overprotective of his friends or family. People don't get stronger by being sheltered. They need to be given room to grow on their own. Making his rightful place at the side of people like that. Supporting them, not slowing them down.]

Still, I never really thought of using a power like that for soccer, or any sport, really. Does that mean everyone who plays soccer where you're from has.......

[Wait a minute. Wait a minute! He brings his hands down hard upon the tabletop, eyes wide with a certain realization.]

Oi, Yuuto! Are you and Koujirou from the same place?

[He means Genda, but in the midst of his eureka moment, the proper name slips out instead.]

[It can't be helped, can it. Higashikata's just going to call Kidou 'Yuuto' and it's now awkward to correct him about it. Because no sooner has he said Kidou's given name than he uses another name that cuts out any chance at saying anything.

The slam on the table gets his eyebrows to raise up in surprise, and then his mouth to drop open for a few moments.]

Kouji-

[It's a rare moment. Kidou stops in mid-sentence. And stares.]

Genda Koujirou?

[He speaks slowly, eyes never leaving Josuke. It has to be Genda that he's referring to; this guy's already shown his preference for referring to people by their given names. If anything, it's trained Kidou to just introduce himself by surname only. That was a final straw of sorts.

But more importantly, that begs another question - How does this guy know about Genda? Unlike Kidou, Genda's been keeping to the shadows completely. And to know to connect them through this... that'd mean he'd have seen something from Genda.

What does he know?

After a pause, Kidou confirms that, even though simply knowing the name would be a pretty strong hint.]

... Yeah, we are.

[The emphasis Kidou administers to Genda's surname stalls Josuke's answer. He recalls Genda's preference that he not be addressed by his given name, a not altogether uncommon thing in Japan, but certainly not a practice Josuke and his circle of friends ever seemed to follow back in Morioh. Or, in many cases, even here on this side of the Porter.

He has to wonder, if Kidou and Genda are from the same world and probably even the same school, would the boy sitting across from him be just as uncomfortable with Josuke calling him Yuuto like he's been doing? They both seem to exhibit a militant sense of propriety, and while Kidou was definitely the less rigid between the two, Josuke saw the same determination to be perfect in both of them. The way Genda had approached playing a simple game and the way he'd performed...wasn't very different from the way Kidou had been practicing soccer outside that old gas station.

It explains a lot.]

Genda, right.

[Calmer now, he sits back in his seat again.]

He had some cool moves up his sleeve when we went to an arcade in Nonah, said he was a goalie. I didn't think much about it at the time, but after seeing how you played and hearing about hissatsu...it's starting to make more sense. You guys aren't your average players at all.

[Which may sound cool, but even Josuke can put two and two together.]

I don't imagine there's a lot of people who can keep up with...your soccer, was it?

[It's difficult to not jump to conclusions, though that's exactly what Kidou already knows he shouldn't do. Could it be that Genda's done something? But that wouldn't make sense. He couldn't see Genda being reckless. Unless, perhaps, there's been incidents he doesn't know about already-

But all that guessing is just him trying to figure out the answer before he gets it. None of it's spoken aloud, and there's no reaction from Kidou as Josuke continues. Kidou's too busy listening. He's surprised to hear that Genda would be in an arcade of all things - what manner of arcade could attract his attention, he wonders? How exactly did that hapoen? There's a good chance there's a story behind that revelation, and an even better chance it's not one Kidou will ever hear.

It won't stop him from wondering, but he won't wonder about it aloud.

The last question does finally get more reaction out of him. Some of Kidou's intensity ebbs away from his expression, and his voice loses a little of its volume.]

No. Even among ImPorts, I haven't found many.

[He reaches for his water again.]

But you have found some.

[Josuke wouldn't call himself an optimist, but he is. His never-give-up, always sunny attitude has helped him endure a lot, including how startling it was to go from being surrounded by friends who knew what Stands were and could see Crazy Diamond, to only having a small handful of people be capable of grasping their nature and abilities.]

That's a start, right?

[He smiles a little, a gentle expression that doesn't fade when he keeps talking.]

You know, Kidou...you could scout for people who play or would like to learn. ImPort sports isn't something I've seen here and it'd be pretty awesome to have.

Mm.

[There's not an easy way to say this, really. The thought's occurred before, of course. It hadn't been him scouting or trying to assemble this at the time, admittedly, but.... well.

If Endou failed at this, what possible chance would he have?

Kidou doesn't let himself hesitate to answer longer than the time it takes to set his water back down and look back up to Josuke.]

It's been tried before with little success.