[There's no point in letting something like that cut their legs out from under them. A brief glimpse of weakness means they have more to work with as they theorize and plot against the damn chicken. Bakugo's disappointed, of course he is, as he expects most people who saw the heart and dislike their captor. But letting the bird win with a quick snatch is fucking pathetic. They'll be ready to actually hit the damn thing next time.
Is he irked Scott got there twice? ... Not exactly. That's kind of admitting you got tricked twice. Or Scott was walking someone else around the basement who also got tricked. And didn't try to stop them? Yeah, he's not gonna ask too much more about his second trip because that's likely to get him yelling at the mutant teen.]
I was against following those damn voices from the start! [Though would he have gone for a second crack at the heart? Unlikely, given the way it ejected them so readily. Returning would be asking to get pissed off again.]
Affected you? [He's only aware they got thrown out.]
[A simple acknowledgement, tinged with some guilt, though that's not the point that he wants to focus on right now and luckily, it doesn't seem like Bakugo wants to either. He's focused on digging into the part that his friend didn't get to experience-- how it differed compared to their first trek down to the heart and relaying that information to him. While Scott still has some doubts if the heart is truly what they need to destroy, he's also not happy about being tricked about the voices and losing control over himself and almost hurting his friend.
Yeah, those things aren't really forgivable. But. What about the House? It's been mentioned before that they're the true masterminds behind everything, but... that's another obstacle that he hasn't even encountered yet.]
There was this overwhelming madness that overtook me. Like, I couldn't think-- couldn't focus, maybe even breathe... I just wanted to blast everything around me. And almost did.
[Bakugo is of two minds about the heart. His emotional mind and logical mind, each one wanting to destroy the heart and preserve it for different reasons. Kill it, kill the bird, everyone goes back home where they all belong. Don't kill it, threaten it, gain control of the bird, and force it to give everyone the choice to come and go as they please. Either way, they're saved, though the results are bittersweet in one over the other.
Not something he really needs to discuss with Scott right now.
The house is the peacock is the resort is the mastermind. All of it is the same being. If anything else is separated from them, it's the possible Suits. Bakugo's not sure he believes that, but he's open minded to the idea at least. He wants more evidence of it before accepting it as anything more than a rumored possible.]
Consumed by rage? Or were you eager to let your power out?
[He doesn't want to make Scott dwell on the memories, but he isn't going to simply dismiss what his friend's trying to tell him. Scott knows what he can or can't handle.]
It wasn't rage. Or at least... it wasn't just that.
[He confirms, that part at least sort of easy to admit, even if it means affirming something that might be worse in comparison? He doesn't know, maybe it's stupid to even try and quantify that in the first place. The important thing that he needs to remember is his loss of control and how close he got to hurting a close friend.
A hard pill to swallow, but Scott doesn't intend to turn away from it even if it sucks. He has to take responsibility.]
I wanted to just blast everything and everyone-- I pretty much felt everything at once. Anger, excitement, determination, the want to just... let loose and not hold back anymore.
[No longer wear these glasses and just let his powers fly out because that's who he is?? Except that was just the madness talking, right? Yeah. He's not like that. His fingers dig a little into his arm, trying to force himself to stay focused.]
[Describing feelings is difficult even for empathic people who are good at expressing their feelings. Bakugo, who is obviously Bad With Feelingsâ„¢, doesn't want to encourage Scott's further attempts at expounding on what emotions he felt. You can keep that to yourself, Shades. It was hard and weird; he gets it. What's more important is whether or not the mutant caved to his knee-jerk reaction and blasted whoever he was with. And if the influence is going to repeat itself while he's around Bakugo.
Guess he's gonna keep describing it... The blonde frowns out the "window" as he listens to the mutant vent his frustrations. Having his emotions jumbled up and unleashed would piss anyone off.]
[Now he's just tired, physically. Mentally. Emotionally. But all of that is still better than the out of control emotions that briefly overtook him. These feelings are truly his own, unlike what happened in the tunnel. At least, he's mostly sure those emotions weren't his own. It's easy to feel that way for now. Otherwise he'd have to accept that he might just hurt people close to him and not really think twice about it all for a sense of 'freedom.'
He's never wanted to use his powers in that way, even before becoming a X-Man.]
It stopped after the Heart ejected me for that final time.
[Good to know. Who the hell wants to feel like they're not in control of their own body, mind, feelings? Bakugo had thought to go down for a second shot at the heart, but realized soon enough it was futile. Not gonna waste his time when someone else got splatted against the ceiling not too far away. He assuaged himself with at least knowing his theories about the hotel being alive are true.
So long as Scott isn't afflicted with those crazy feelings in other moments... Bakugo's willing to put the mutant down if he has to (unconscious) but isn't looking forward to a negative-inspired no-holds barred fight.
He doesn't want to see Scott out of control endangering others either.]
If you feel those emotions, go to the training room and call me. Got it?
[If there's anyone that he can trust to handle him when he's out of control... Bakugo is definitely one of those people. Even if he goes all out with his powers, there's still a decent chance that his friend would be able to take him down-- something that is actually comforting. Bakugo knocking him out before he can hurt anyone else, whether it's a friend or a complete stranger. A part of him is worried about Bakugo's safety too, of course, but... he's used to fighting powered people.
He can trust him to do this.
So, Scott swallows, nodding to his offer. A part of him becomes less tense, hands no longer gripping his arms as hard.]
I know you won't go easy on me. You'll do what's needed.
[DECENT?! YOU NEED HIM TO SLAM YOU AROUND A FEW MORE TIMES TO IMPROVE THAT OPINION, SHADES?! (No, he respects Scott's ability and power, even if he's confident he can stop a rampaging Cyclops.) Considering he's never seen Scott at full power outside of some random blasts in the training room. But they've sparred and trained together enough Bakugo's aware of some tactics and habits the mutant can be counted to fall back on.
Scott's optic blasts aren't taken lightly; something that strong with "infinite" ammunition sweeping around as fast as the guy can turn his head? Yeah, who the hell's gonna think that's easy to get around? His confidence isn't only for himself; it gives Scott peace of mind if something goes down badly.
This offer/order is supposed to reinforce that.]
I'm not gonna kill you, dumbass. [Do what's needed sounds so fatalistically dour.] But you're gonna wake up with a giant ass headache and a welt.
[He almost jokes, some of that earlier tension finally leaving his body as a little sigh shudders from his form. It's just that if someone were to get really hurt, if he did end up killing someone, he would want Bakugo to stop him as quickly as possible. A sort of 'fully stop him' before things get worse. Although, he wouldn't want to saddle his friend with something like that either-- he'll just have to trust Bakugo to make the right call if something were to happen.
If their roles were reversed, he wouldn't be able to kill him. Just try and stop him the normal way, knock him out with the biggest headache in the world.]
[Competitive as fuck even now. Ignoring the spade suit's effects, Bakugo wouldn't be surprised if the hotel decided to have some stupid moral inversion event. Shake everyone up, try to knock some friendships and alliances loose. Fractured people with trust issues are much more reluctant to come together against common foes. Now with its heart known, its vulnerability known, the house likely has more notice of people plotting against it.
Scott's trained with him and fought him enough to know where to hit Bakugo despite his versatile Quirk. Run him out of sweat or somehow lower the temperate until it's cold and dry. Good ways to put an end to his blasts, though both are very difficult to come by in a general fight. He'll have to trust Scott to manage it if something happens.]
Try to do it without cutting off my hands.
[For obvious reasons. But if it comes to a choice between maiming him forever or Bakugo killing someone, Scot better be ready to make that decision for him.]
[Maybe daring to say, or even challenging if this was their normal bickering, but Scott knows how important this is for the both of them. Trusting the other to stop each other if something ever were to happen, which is very possible in this place. Yeah, sex casino, but it's dangerous as well. Always important to have plans in mind, be prepared for anything. It's how to mitigate potential hurt and everything.
And there's a lot of people that he actually cares about in this place. This feels like a necessary conversation.
He almost comments how it would be a shame to cut his hands off for various reasons, but Scott doesn't have it fully in him to make a joke like that. If he ever fights Bakugo outside out a spar, it will be the first time he really engaged in a fight outside of training simulators-- with the exception of those angels a while back. But even that feels a little different.] I'll do my best. Don't want that, and don't want you hurting anyone.
[Maybe they should go for a training session soon.]
[It's one of the things he likes about Scott. He knows he can trust him. When he says he will, he will. Between the potential curses, event influences, and whatever damn tricks this place has in store, turning on each other is a very real threat which could come at any time. Bakugo hates thinking about it that way, but he can't deny the potential. Knowing he's got someone who will do his damnest to stop him before he does something he'll forever regret is a comfort he can't, and won't, describe.
Unfortunately, Bakugo also has people he's come to care about here.
Somewhat risky to directly tell someone how to literally disarm his Quirk, but if anyone thought his hands weren't important to his fighting ability, they obviously got obliterated well before they could focus any time on Bakugo's battling prowess. It's pretty damn obvious.]
I'm not gonna let this shitty place change me. [He says, knowing full well that choice is out of his hands. Still, there are other options to put a stop to his Quirk without lopping his hands off. Maybe he'll tell Scott at some point.]
[He knows that Bakugo can't fully promise something like and he's sure the other teen is well-aware of that fact too, so he doesn't bother to correct him. No matter how strong willed his friend is, if the casino wants something to happen, it usually does-- they only can mitigate the damage and prepare, just like what they're doing now. It sucks though, feeling this powerless. He's not fully used to things not going perfectly well.
Maybe it's best for him to learn that now? Before he starts doing actual missions with the X-Men. Although, that feels like a defeatist mindset... he doesn't want things to ever go poorly.
But things to think about later.]
It won't. Not for good anyway. [...] I'll kick your ass if I see otherwise.
[Of course he's aware of it! Does it stop him from doing so? Hell no! Heroes will always promise what seems impossible. Crouched over a small child in the middle of a burning building, surrounded by flames on all sides, a beam crashes down beside them in a flurry of ember gouts. The hero looks into her wide teary eyes, amid imminent death. You'll be all right. Why? Because I am here! To say anything else is betraying their hope and life.
No matter if his death stares him in the face, Bakugo will refuse to stumble. I'll win! In the face of insanity! The peacock will never be able to break him. He refuses to submit to a powerless feeling.
Approaching a challenge or battle with defeat anywhere in mind is already seeding your own loss.]
Heh! Do you damnest. I won't give you a single reason for it.
[Finally, there's a flicker of a smile that returns to Scott, hearing Bakugo's loud proclamation. What else can he do but quietly appreciate his friend's determination? Well, probably a lot, but he's not going to be that asshole. He still believes in hoping for the best... while preparing for the worst. But.]
Good. [...] So, going to finish giving me this tour? One of the rooms that I can crash at later?
[No matter what this shitty peacock does, Bakugo isn't going to break down. He's far too proud and stubborn to let something like a perverted kidnapped turn him into one of it's shitty "staff" members. Or whatever it plans to do with him. And if something does happen, he's got people here, like Scott, who'll make sure to get him right back on track. Even if he'll be a snarly bitch for a while after.]
Yeah, yeah. This way. [And heading to the dining room are for Scott to take a look around. Table's completely adjustable for sizes, with leaves collapsing or rising on gears and tracks to change the size.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 6/21/25 19:08 (UTC)Is he irked Scott got there twice? ... Not exactly. That's kind of admitting you got tricked twice. Or Scott was walking someone else around the basement who also got tricked. And didn't try to stop them? Yeah, he's not gonna ask too much more about his second trip because that's likely to get him yelling at the mutant teen.]
I was against following those damn voices from the start! [Though would he have gone for a second crack at the heart? Unlikely, given the way it ejected them so readily. Returning would be asking to get pissed off again.]
Affected you? [He's only aware they got thrown out.]
no subject
Date: 6/24/25 23:52 (UTC)[A simple acknowledgement, tinged with some guilt, though that's not the point that he wants to focus on right now and luckily, it doesn't seem like Bakugo wants to either. He's focused on digging into the part that his friend didn't get to experience-- how it differed compared to their first trek down to the heart and relaying that information to him. While Scott still has some doubts if the heart is truly what they need to destroy, he's also not happy about being tricked about the voices and losing control over himself and almost hurting his friend.
Yeah, those things aren't really forgivable. But. What about the House? It's been mentioned before that they're the true masterminds behind everything, but... that's another obstacle that he hasn't even encountered yet.]
There was this overwhelming madness that overtook me. Like, I couldn't think-- couldn't focus, maybe even breathe... I just wanted to blast everything around me. And almost did.
no subject
Date: 6/25/25 02:19 (UTC)Not something he really needs to discuss with Scott right now.
The house is the peacock is the resort is the mastermind. All of it is the same being. If anything else is separated from them, it's the possible Suits. Bakugo's not sure he believes that, but he's open minded to the idea at least. He wants more evidence of it before accepting it as anything more than a rumored possible.]
Consumed by rage? Or were you eager to let your power out?
[He doesn't want to make Scott dwell on the memories, but he isn't going to simply dismiss what his friend's trying to tell him. Scott knows what he can or can't handle.]
no subject
Date: 6/25/25 23:45 (UTC)[He confirms, that part at least sort of easy to admit, even if it means affirming something that might be worse in comparison? He doesn't know, maybe it's stupid to even try and quantify that in the first place. The important thing that he needs to remember is his loss of control and how close he got to hurting a close friend.
A hard pill to swallow, but Scott doesn't intend to turn away from it even if it sucks. He has to take responsibility.]
I wanted to just blast everything and everyone-- I pretty much felt everything at once. Anger, excitement, determination, the want to just... let loose and not hold back anymore.
[No longer wear these glasses and just let his powers fly out because that's who he is?? Except that was just the madness talking, right? Yeah. He's not like that. His fingers dig a little into his arm, trying to force himself to stay focused.]
no subject
Date: 6/26/25 01:53 (UTC)Guess he's gonna keep describing it... The blonde frowns out the "window" as he listens to the mutant vent his frustrations. Having his emotions jumbled up and unleashed would piss anyone off.]
Do you still feel that way?
no subject
Date: 7/4/25 00:43 (UTC)[Now he's just tired, physically. Mentally. Emotionally. But all of that is still better than the out of control emotions that briefly overtook him. These feelings are truly his own, unlike what happened in the tunnel. At least, he's mostly sure those emotions weren't his own. It's easy to feel that way for now. Otherwise he'd have to accept that he might just hurt people close to him and not really think twice about it all for a sense of 'freedom.'
He's never wanted to use his powers in that way, even before becoming a X-Man.]
It stopped after the Heart ejected me for that final time.
no subject
Date: 7/4/25 05:16 (UTC)So long as Scott isn't afflicted with those crazy feelings in other moments... Bakugo's willing to put the mutant down if he has to (unconscious) but isn't looking forward to a negative-inspired no-holds barred fight.
He doesn't want to see Scott out of control endangering others either.]
If you feel those emotions, go to the training room and call me. Got it?
no subject
Date: 7/10/25 22:39 (UTC)He can trust him to do this.
So, Scott swallows, nodding to his offer. A part of him becomes less tense, hands no longer gripping his arms as hard.]
I know you won't go easy on me. You'll do what's needed.
no subject
Date: 7/11/25 02:36 (UTC)Scott's optic blasts aren't taken lightly; something that strong with "infinite" ammunition sweeping around as fast as the guy can turn his head? Yeah, who the hell's gonna think that's easy to get around? His confidence isn't only for himself; it gives Scott peace of mind if something goes down badly.
This offer/order is supposed to reinforce that.]
I'm not gonna kill you, dumbass. [Do what's needed sounds so fatalistically dour.] But you're gonna wake up with a giant ass headache and a welt.
no subject
Date: 7/13/25 18:24 (UTC)[He almost jokes, some of that earlier tension finally leaving his body as a little sigh shudders from his form. It's just that if someone were to get really hurt, if he did end up killing someone, he would want Bakugo to stop him as quickly as possible. A sort of 'fully stop him' before things get worse. Although, he wouldn't want to saddle his friend with something like that either-- he'll just have to trust Bakugo to make the right call if something were to happen.
If their roles were reversed, he wouldn't be able to kill him. Just try and stop him the normal way, knock him out with the biggest headache in the world.]
I'll do the same for you, if it happens.
no subject
Date: 7/13/25 19:17 (UTC)[Competitive as fuck even now. Ignoring the spade suit's effects, Bakugo wouldn't be surprised if the hotel decided to have some stupid moral inversion event. Shake everyone up, try to knock some friendships and alliances loose. Fractured people with trust issues are much more reluctant to come together against common foes. Now with its heart known, its vulnerability known, the house likely has more notice of people plotting against it.
Scott's trained with him and fought him enough to know where to hit Bakugo despite his versatile Quirk. Run him out of sweat or somehow lower the temperate until it's cold and dry. Good ways to put an end to his blasts, though both are very difficult to come by in a general fight. He'll have to trust Scott to manage it if something happens.]
Try to do it without cutting off my hands.
[For obvious reasons. But if it comes to a choice between maiming him forever or Bakugo killing someone, Scot better be ready to make that decision for him.]
no subject
Date: 7/15/25 12:26 (UTC)[Maybe daring to say, or even challenging if this was their normal bickering, but Scott knows how important this is for the both of them. Trusting the other to stop each other if something ever were to happen, which is very possible in this place. Yeah, sex casino, but it's dangerous as well. Always important to have plans in mind, be prepared for anything. It's how to mitigate potential hurt and everything.
And there's a lot of people that he actually cares about in this place. This feels like a necessary conversation.
He almost comments how it would be a shame to cut his hands off for various reasons, but Scott doesn't have it fully in him to make a joke like that. If he ever fights Bakugo outside out a spar, it will be the first time he really engaged in a fight outside of training simulators-- with the exception of those angels a while back. But even that feels a little different.] I'll do my best. Don't want that, and don't want you hurting anyone.
[Maybe they should go for a training session soon.]
no subject
Date: 7/16/25 00:44 (UTC)Unfortunately, Bakugo also has people he's come to care about here.
Somewhat risky to directly tell someone how to literally disarm his Quirk, but if anyone thought his hands weren't important to his fighting ability, they obviously got obliterated well before they could focus any time on Bakugo's battling prowess. It's pretty damn obvious.]
I'm not gonna let this shitty place change me. [He says, knowing full well that choice is out of his hands. Still, there are other options to put a stop to his Quirk without lopping his hands off. Maybe he'll tell Scott at some point.]
no subject
Date: 7/17/25 12:51 (UTC)Maybe it's best for him to learn that now? Before he starts doing actual missions with the X-Men. Although, that feels like a defeatist mindset... he doesn't want things to ever go poorly.
But things to think about later.]
It won't. Not for good anyway. [...] I'll kick your ass if I see otherwise.
no subject
Date: 7/17/25 21:11 (UTC)No matter if his death stares him in the face, Bakugo will refuse to stumble. I'll win! In the face of insanity! The peacock will never be able to break him. He refuses to submit to a powerless feeling.
Approaching a challenge or battle with defeat anywhere in mind is already seeding your own loss.]
Heh! Do you damnest. I won't give you a single reason for it.
no subject
Date: 7/22/25 22:56 (UTC)Good. [...] So, going to finish giving me this tour? One of the rooms that I can crash at later?
no subject
Date: 7/23/25 02:40 (UTC)Yeah, yeah. This way. [And heading to the dining room are for Scott to take a look around. Table's completely adjustable for sizes, with leaves collapsing or rising on gears and tracks to change the size.]