▶ DAMAGE REPORT⣿ Neo Tokyo Base

[synfluxmods]

[ On the 25th of February, SYNTHIA sends a message to all of the Outsiders: ]

Greetings, Angels of LILITH. I have received a GENERAL REPORT from COMMANDER SHIRO and CAPTAIN YAMAKAWA. Please read it carefully.

Please read it carefully.
Please read it carefu█ █ ly.

█ █ █ STATUS REPORT. . . . . LOADING. . ⣿ . .

THIRD FLOOR: MOSTLY INTACT, MINIMAL DAMAGE. AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF 3.8% DAMAGE DONE. This includes the DISPATCH AREA, RENOVATED LIBRARY, SPA AREA and GREENHOUSE. Interesting$#^ reactions between RIFT ENERGY and PLANTS in the GREENHOUSE have been observed, causing DECAY of certain artificial PLANTS, but the decay is minimal. The WATER in the GREENHOUSE is reported to be CONTAMINATED and is not safe for consumption or touch.

SECOND FLOOR: DAMAGED MODERATELY. AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF 29.3% OF DAMAGE DONE. This includes the RECREATIONAL AREA, POD CHAMBEr̵̳̣̠̺͛̄͊̋̈͝, MEDICAL BAY, CAFETERIA, HOUSING WINGS, LOCKER RooMS, PHOTO WALL. The RECREATIONAL AREA is deemed NONOPERATIONAL. The POD CHAMBER is deemed ⣿⣿NONOPERATIONA⣿⣿L. The MEDICAL BAY is deemed NONOPERATIONAL. The CAFETERIA is OPERATIONAL, but UNSAFE due to toxins found in various food and ingredients. Various living quarters have received damage, please read below:

[ Here, a list of damaged rooms from all four wings is placed. Please determine if you would like your living area damaged or not and add it to the header comment below. It is completely up to you if you would like your room damaged or items missing / irretrievable. If you would like your room completely fine, there is no need to add it to the list! ]

The PHOTO WALL is miraculously intact and OPERATIONAL with minor cosmetic wear.

FIRST FLOOR: SEVERELY DAMAGED. AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF 69.0% DAMAGE DONE. This includes the SIMULATION ARENA, STORAGE, RESEARCH LAB, ADMIN CƠ̴̊̋̌̚͠NTROL CENTE̶̔̔R̴͑̏̀̿̑̈́̌͝. The SIMULATION ARENA & RESEARCH LAB are deemed NONOPERATIONAL and as they were closest to the blast, receiving most of the destruction. Most important files and operations in the ADMIN CONTROL CENTER have received min█mal damage with certain machinery requiring repairs.

The count of LILITH CREW reported injured is 57. At this time, the death report is at 0 as most of the crew evacuated to safety before the blast.%

We are happy to announce that the ORPHANAGE on the outskirts of the base has only received minimal damage on the outside of the building. Nobody was injured.

The explosion was caused by the IMUGI breaching our A.T. FIELD barrier and using the rift energy harnessed in its offspring. This behavior has never been witnessed by LILITH's team before, and neither have we ever had a kaiju penetrate through the barrier and the base itself.

[ It looks like maybe SYNTHIA has experienced some damage herself. This is a damage report and is not available for any replies, but Outsiders may use this network post to discuss among themselves if they would like.

Any threads and comments in this network post are worth 1 Point towards February AC. ]

Comments

[stonehearts]

That almost makes me wish I was one of those lower ranked IPC goons, with the time and energy to doodle "Mr. Ratio" in a notebook. Alas, even in my youth in the IPC I wasn't interested in such things.

( He laughs, tucking himself into Ratio's chest with ease. Are they still in the bath? Yes. But Aventurine doesn't particularly care who might walk in on their display of attraction at the moment, he's content with Ratio's warm chest and the warm water surrounding him. The world will continue to be a dreaded, terrible thing bent on destroying all that he holds dear, of course -- but it can wait until later for Aventurine to pay attention to it. )

And you might think you're ordinary, but you've put up with me so far. I think that qualifies you for having at least an extraordinary level of patience! Or that I'm just that charming.

[curingidiocy]

[ He remembers seeing such doodles back in his high school days, for as short as he was there. Silly little scratches in wood and on bathroom stalls that he'd dismissed as infantile, utterly uninterested in the lives of his classmates as he'd been back then.

He gets it now, the urge to leave proof of their relationship somewhere visible. ]

We could get a ring with the name engraved on the inside, or perhaps a necklace.

[ He shifts in the water, leaning back to allow both of them to submerge their bodies into the water comfortably. ]

And you, me. Neither of us are the most agreeable people, my dear gambler.

[ They were a match, truly. ]

[stonehearts]

Yeah? I'd like that. A necklace, maybe, since I wear enough rings as it is. And I'd want this to be special.

( Here and at home, because he wants it in both places -- not that money is a limit to either of them in either place, as well. Aventurine wonders, with momentary glee, if their union would make them one of the wealthiest couples back in their own neck of the woods. Hah, he's worth far more than sixty tanba now, isn't he?

There is something deeper there, if Aventurine was one for self-reflection. About how Ratio provides him with a sense of security that no one else could. What could his enemies do to him that Ratio couldn't outsmart? What the both of them could do together? Sure, his luck may steal Ratio away -- and likely would -- but there's a part of Aventurine that wants to give it a run for its money.

But as he's had enough of deep self reflection for a lifetime, Aventurine simply slips his fingers between Ratio's, pressing a kiss to the other man's knuckles. )

Well, Doc, I think that makes us a perfect pair, don't you agree?

[curingidiocy]

[ Already, Ratio's mind is filling with design ideas for the necklace he wants to give Aventurine. He traces his fingers against Aventurine's collarbone, humming as he thinks. ]

What would you prefer? A collar necklace? No... perhaps a lariat would fit your peacock-like tendencies. Or we could keep it simple, since it is just meant for us.

[ He continues to gently run his fingers along the junction of the neck and shoulders for a moment longer before they drift downward and he wraps his arms securely around Aventurine's waist.

This is the truest bliss he has ever known, he thinks as he closes his eyes. He wants to burn this moment into his memory forever; capture these emotions so that he never forgets his love and commitment to Aventurine, and make it into his motivation for a better world. A world where Aventurine can live freely and safely. ]

Indeed. And I will always endeavour to complement you no matter how you change.

[ Unspoken is the hope that Aventurine, too, will meet Ratio halfway. They have sworn to be together now, so they must both commit to this. Love is an emotion, but it is also a choice. And it's a choice he hopes Aventurine continues to make time and time again. ]

[stonehearts]

( Aventurine laughs, or rather the part of him that is Aventurine, Kakavasha, and the man that Ratio loves laughs, turning his face into Ratio's warm form even more. The other man has a lot of ideas about jewelry -- as is befitting of anyone Aventurine could possibly love. And he does love Ratio, Goddess does he. )

Lariat would be nice. Just because it's kept between us doesn't mean it can't be fashionable and a little ostentatious, Doc.

( He's silent for a moment, mulling over Ratio's words. He's right, of course, and Aventurine understand what his job is -- to keep living, to keep loving, and while it is hard, sometimes, to find the reasons why, Ratio makes it a little easier. Each day brings something small; he wants to see Ratio's smile in the morning when the cats learn a new trick, he wants to watch the other man's expression when he sees what's trying to be passed off as breakfast in the morning, he wants to go to bed with Ratio's arm around him.

Those are all choices he makes. And he doesn't want that to change, he doesn't want that to go away. Life will take Ratio away from him, it always does with people he cares for, but having it now... that means something, too. )

Ratio. ( He twists in his arms slightly, to cup Ratio's cheek gently. ) Veritas. I love you.

( The words come out easier than he thought this time, even if his voice catches on the u. But he does it, he manages it. And that's something, too. )

[curingidiocy]

[ The ostentatiousness is an irrevocable part of Aventurine, as the IPC executive, and, he thinks, the man behind that mask. He likes pretty jewelry and likes looking good, just as Ratio does. Truly, they are a match for each other. ]

Then it will be a lariat.

[ The ideas that come to mind already excite him, even though he's hardly ever designed jewelry before. It'll be a fun little project, free of the weight of lives and credits that usually accompany his work, and maybe that's what he's looking forward to most.

He zones out as Aventurine falls silent, lost in the excitement of planning in his mind, and blinks back to focus when Aventurine calls out to him.

I love you.

Those words echo in his brain and sink deeply into the flesh, imprinting itself like a brand. I love you, says the man who fears his fortune taking away what he loves in payment. I love you, says the man who is prepared to love and lose all at once. I love you, says the man who is ready to gamble his life on this relationship, because it's all or nothing and he is ready to desire it all.

It's— he'd known that Aventurine loved him, as it was evident in his every action, oozing with affection and adoration and more. But he also knew he wouldn't hear those words for a long time. It didn't matter, he'd thought to himself, and really, it didn't.

I love you, he says and something deep in Ratio finally, finally settles down and grows quiet. ]

I— [ He stops, words choking in his throat for a brief moment. ] I love you too, Kakavasha. Thank you.

[ And he gathers Aventurine into a warm, loving embrace. ]

[stonehearts]

( Aventurine knows that admitting as much is going to make Ratio a target for his karmic retribution, but when Ratio pulls him into his arms and holds him, it's the furthest thing from his mind. This isn't temporary; Ratio wants and loves him as much as Aventurine does. His arms tighten around Ratio as he returns the embrace, burying his face once more into the warmth of the other man's neck. They're going to find a way to have this back in their own universe, too, so Aventurine never has to have a moment without Ratio there until the moment his luck decides its had enough of Aventurine escaping its demands. )

I should be the one thanking you, Veritas. It's not going to be easy, you know, loving me. I said so before and I'll say so again. Just because you've done it for nearly a year doesn't mean it's going to get easier.

( And it will be different back in their own world, when they're apart for so long. Not that Aventurine would ever even think of asking Ratio to give up his good work just to set Aventurine's mind at ease. Ratio does good work, he helps people, and all Aventurine does is make things as good for the IPC as possible and damn whoever is caught in the crossfire.

He's good at it. He likes his work, and he likes matching his wits against people who underestimate him or who's greed blinds them to the reality of his work. Perhaps it's not fulfilling in the way that Ratio's must be considering how much he's contributed to the galaxy as a whole, but he's good at it.

They'd never make each other compromise on that, and he's unsure of what that will mean for them back in their own universe. But Ratio is willing to marry him, he's willing to bind his life to Aventurine's. And they'll... figure it out, somehow.

But it won't be easy. Aventurine knows what he is: barely a person, an empty shell, a loser who keeps living in spite of his best efforts. One day Ratio will see that, no matter what he says and no matter what he's seen here, too. )

Promise me this one thing, Ratio. Don't stay with me for my sake if you want to leave in the future. ( Don't shackle himself needlessly to Aventurine for the sake of Aventurine's health, because he thinks he can fix him. Don't let Aventurine drain him of the goodness in his heart, that makes up all of Ratio's being. There is nothing he would want less -- to drag Ratio down into the mire and the darkness that Aventurine thrives in, that is the emptiness of his heart and his soul. ) You know me, I can survive anything life throws at me.

[curingidiocy]

[ Ratio knows what Aventurine fears. He knows that he believes there is a price for his luck, paid by the blood of others but never him. It's hard to shake that belief when all whom you've cherished have ended up dying in the end.

It's merely survivor's guilt and a fundamental misattribution of occurrences in his life, Ratio would say to that, from his safe and cushioned seat in the castle of his sheltered life. He does believe that, still, but he isn't so callous as to say that now. Not without plenty of evidence that disproves it. And what better way would there be to disprove such a belief than live, against all perceived odds, and be the one constant in his life that is never taken away?

Ratio has always valued his life and would have always picked any choice that would keep himself safe above all, but now, it is no longer a choice. It is an imperative. ]

It will be easier if you stop trying to dissuade me from doing so. Know that you cannot stop me from choosing as I desire, and I desire you. So cease your protests and save the trouble for the both of us.

[ More than ever before, Ratio can see clearly how he wants to live his life. It does not involve throwing his life away the moment he is forced to choose between all that he's worked for and Aventurine. No, it starts with a complete change in everything—moving pieces now so that he will never be forced to make such a choice. To build a world where Aventurine and his work will never come in conflict; to build a life where Aventurine no longer feels the need to run and hide from unknown enemies targeting him every second of his life.

Yet here Aventurine is, already assuming Ratio will want to leave him in the future. If he wasn't so aware of the man's lack of self-esteem, he would be offended. He's still a little offended, in honesty.

So he pulls back from the hug to give Aventurine a nasty pinch of the cheek. ]

You offend me with those words, Kakavasha Ratio. Have you no faith in me whatsoever, to ask this of me immediately after my proposal? Or do you think me foolish for proposing in the first place?

[ The words may be harsh, but he speaks them gently. It is a reprimand, but it is not meant to make Aventurine feel terrible. He only wishes Aventurine would stop assuming he'll leave one day. ]

[stonehearts]

( Hey!

Aventurine attempts to pull away from the cheek pinch but fails because he'd still like to be wrapped up in Ratio's arms if it's all the same to the other man. Rubbing his cheek once Ratio lets go, Aventurine frowns up at him, though it's an exaggerated pout rather than real offence.

Besides, how can he be mad when Ratio called him "Kakavasha Ratio"? )

No! That's not it at all! I just-- you're the sort of person who sees a problem and wants to fix it, even to the point of risking your own wellbeing for it. And you being able to do what you do is important. To the universe and to me. And it would kill me to see you sacrifice all that, to have you stay with me because you feel obligated to, and not because you want to, you know? ( This is a lot of talking about feelings, about Aventurine's worries and insecurities, but also his desires and what's important to him. He doesn't like it, but for Ratio's sake? He's going to try. ) Don't ever stay with me just because you think I won't be able to survive without you. Stay because you love me.

[curingidiocy]

I haven't sacrificed more than sleep in an emergency, and only endanger myself if the risk is low, or can be mitigated. What makes you believe I will sacrifice more if I did not desire to be with you? When have I ever done anything out of obligation?

[ Except when he chased after Nous' gaze, a desire that had been borne out of an obligation to please the masses, he's learned to stay true to himself and his own desires. Though most may call him altruistic because his desires align with the betterment of the world, make no mistake—he is selfish, through and through. He is greedy, and he wants the impossible and more.

Aventurine isn't just a whimsy he's soon to discard. He wants Aventurine—wants his love, attention, happiness, safety and more. What he wants of, and for Aventurine, is practically an impossibility—but it is an impossibility he considers a challenge, rather than a deterrent. ]

Kakavasha. I have told you many times over that I will always choose to be with you. Unless you decide otherwise, I will choose to be with you until we have both passed in old age. I will not choose it out of obligation, but because I love you, and actively choose to love you every day. There may be days where we will be at each others' throats, and perhaps where we do not wish to see each other. There may be moments where we question our bond, and perhaps come close to letting it shatter. Even so, I will always choose to love you, and choose to come back to you. Is that not what a vow of matrimony is?

[ He pulls Aventurine close, looping arms around his waist and pressing his forehead against the other's. ]

You are the one I have chosen. The only one I have ever chosen, and the only one I ever will. Your absence hollows my life, and your presence enrichens it. I will be devastated if you are unjustly taken from me, for you possess my heart, and I shall never be whole without you again.

[ His eyes flutter shut and the arms around Aventurine tighten just a fraction. ]

Please... please believe in me. Have faith in me. I will always stay, because I want to be with you.

[stonehearts]

( Because it's Ratio. Because Ratio can't help but care and can't help but to want to help. Because he's scared that one day he will be too much for Ratio to want to help, no matter how much he swears he wants to be by his side, wants him. Aventurine goes willingly when Ratio pulls him close, rests his forehead on his and tries to focus on the other man. On his words.

He's crying again, isn't he? His shoulders shake with it, even as he buries his face into Ratio's shoulder. Why does someone love him this much? What has Aventurine ever done to deserve the love of this man? Nothing, nothing, he's done nothing -- a sob is caught in his throat, his grip on Ratio's shoulders tightening. )

I don't know how to, Veritas, I don't know how to do... to do any of that.

( Does that make him unworthy? He feels that it does, he feels that his inexperience with love, in the face of the depths of Ratio's affection and loyalty comes up too short, too wanting to justify it. )

What if I never know how to? ( He swallows, attempting to push forward into territory he avoids, territory he has no idea how to navigate: ) Spending every day knowing that you want me has been-- it's been the best thing that's happened to me. I don't want to lose you, I'm terrified of what would happen if I did. But everyone else has left, Ratio, that's the curse of this luck of mine.

( Through their will or the universe's. )

[curingidiocy]

[ Aventurine will never be too much, not for a man who has helped the entire cosmos several times over. What is one man compared to that? But that is not to diminish his importance. Rather, it shows how dedicated Ratio is that he is more than willing to use all of that brilliance for Aventurine, just so he can see his love happy and free.

Aventurine may feel like he's done nothing to deserve Ratio's ardor, but that's just the thing, isn't it? One doesn't need to do anything to deserve love; especially not Ratio's. Despite his accomplishments, he's just an ordinary man. He does not want to be with another extraordinary genius. He wants someone he can enjoy a life of domesticity with, who can comfort him, and who he can comfort. An ordinary love, for an ordinary person. ]

You fool. You know what my response is.

[ If you don't know? You learn. And there is no such thing as never learning how to. Especially not with Ratio by his side to guide him. ]

I am the same. I am just as new as you are to all this, and I too, fear losing you one day. That is just life; no one can know the future, barring Terminus THEMSELF. But you had survived against all odds, and I too, have accomplished beyond the odds. What is the future to either of us?

[ The 'curse' is something Ratio can't tackle, because it is an irrational fear, but, there's one thing he can promise. ]

I promise to you, my dearest, that I will fight that 'curse' of yours with every fibre of my being. Even if I should fail, know that I fought to the bitter end, because you are worth that effort and so much more.

[stonehearts]

( Aventurine clings to the other man as if his life depended on it, terrified and awestruck by turns that Ratio would pick him, over and over again. At the chiding, Aventurine can't help but chuckle through his tears. Trust Ratio to find the right words, even if they're insults. He sniffs once, annoyingly loud in the quiet, and pulls back enough from Ratio to show him that his tears are slowing down, stopping.

Aeons, he loves this man. To a terrifying degree. )

You'd better. Or I'll find a way to haunt you once I've died, Ratio, I swear.

[curingidiocy]

[ He doesn't mind Aventurine's tears; far from it. To Ratio, the tears symbolize his trust in Ratio, because he's willing to reveal the emotions he keeps locked up deep inside him. It's breathtaking and beautiful.

With a gentle smile, he wipes away the tears with his thumb, cupping his face with the rest of his hand. ]

You will not find yourself disappointed, for there is rarely anything I do not succeed at.

[ ...they've been sitting in the bath for ages now, haven't they? He shifts away as the heat finally registers, and he finds himself somewhat overwhelmed. ]

We ought to return to our room, dear gambler.