IC CONTACT

[strikefirster]

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week of the 25th

[fogsong]

[ On the week of the 25th, Johnny will find a large gift left for him in front of his door. The moment he unwraps it, he'll find himself face-to-face with a painting of Rambo but... instead of Sylvester Stallone's face, it's Johnny's.

Johnny as Rambo.

A note accompanies it.

"God, that movie was lame.

- Sharon Da Silva"

But she means it with love. ]

Holiday gift delivery

[wannasmash]

Delivered to Johnny c/o Eagle Fang dojo is a gift basket of all Coors Banquet. Midoriya thinks Johnny does stupid stuff when inebriated, but... it's the holidays.

For everyone at Eagle Fang to share (Johnny knows what sharing is, right?) is a Christmas ham. It'd make some killer manwiches.

Gift delivery from K

[obeir]

[ True to his word, K has completed a new scrap metal sculpture for Johnny's Eagle Fang dojo: a majestic eagle in flight that's sporting pronounced wolf fangs that are impossible to miss just pretend they're shooped in.

It comes with a signed note from K wishing Johnny a happy holiday season. (Maybe they can just pretend that super awkward omni misfire thing didn't happen.) ]

[strikefirster]

[Johnny will return the favor with a six pack of whatever the Trench equivalent to Coors Banquet is. Along with a T-shirt that reads "Do not fist android girls dudes.]

Gift Delivery - December 25th

[survivalthroughhate]

[This year, Maul had decided to behave himself when it came to giving gifts, unlike in years past where he broke into people's houses rather like Santa himself did. All gifts are left on the porch or front step of the recipient's home for them to find in the morning.

Johnny got a bag of coal since Maul could be a petty bastard. But underneath the coal, he'd find some a small package containing some pretty badass brass knuckles since Maul has also grown a little fond of this moron. There would be a note in blocky letters wishing him a Merry Christmas signed from Darth Maul.]

Midwinter Gift

[terriblepurpose]

A polished wooden box with a winged serpent painted on the lid arrives at the dojo for Johnny. Inside, he’ll find a black leather jacket not unlike those worn in his favorite movies by only the baddest of asses, with the Eagle Fang symbol picked out in silver on its back. Inside the jacket’s front right pocket, Johnny will find a slim metal case that opens to reveal a small picture of Johnny, Gideon, and Paul sitting in the dojo after a training session, taken on the sly by Paul’s Omen. All of them are laughing.

It also, thanks to Paul’s Earth research, comes with an illustrated card showing the primary saint of the Earth winter holiday, Santa Claus, imbibing a bottle marked XXX and soaking his feet in a tub next to a roaring fire, with the message BOXING DAY written beneath it. Inside the card is the simple note: Your student, Paul.

[strikefirster]

[...Oh. Johnny is really touched by this. He sets the picture up by his bed. And then throws on the jacket to make his ways over to Paul's with a gift of his own.

Hope you don't mind a sudden visit, Paul. There's a knock on the door.]

[terriblepurpose]

[ Paul is quick to answer. He recognized the sound of Johnny's footsteps coming down the hall of their apartment building, and so could forego several of his usual security precautions before answering the door. When he does, it's clear he's been spending the day in by the casual state of his t-shirt with the old rip at the collar he mended himself paired with his second most comfortable pair of sweatpants.

His grin for Johnny only grows in size when he recognizes the jacket that he's wearing. His smile is nearly fit to split his face when he says: ]

Hello, sensei. I wasn't expecting you. Would you like to come in?

sometime in january (time is meaningless), un: kickflips, text

[strongroots]

hey. this guy im looking out for wants to check out the city everyones talking about so im going w/ him. they say itll take a few days to get there. maybe a week
thought youd want to know

[ you know, 'cause this is what dads want to know, right. ]

text

[strikefirster]

[Oh.

Johnny wasn't exactly sure he had expected this. But it makes him feel a little warm inside to see Robby message him like this.

He kind of wonders for a little if this what being a dad is actually like.]

Hey Robby,
I appreciate you checking in.
Be careful out there.
If something happens make sure to let me or LaRusso know.
We'll either come running or find someone who can.

[Who was he kidding? He knew he'd be the first out the door. But he was also more aware of his limitations here even if he wouldn't let them stop him.]

Show them who's boss out there.

[strongroots]

[ Did he send this unsure of the response he would get from his dad? Bracing himself for something underwhelming, changing up his sending style just so he could get it out all at once.

... but this is nice. Maybe he's being far, far too easy for what he wants, but he's never wanted more than a dad. ]

sure
my friend 2b is coming. shes an android
she could lift a car if she wanted (she wouldnt)
but shes cool. shes helped me out a lot here

you know mob right? shigeo

text; un: d.larusso (somewhere early-ish in february)

[miyagimagic]

[ Daniel probably had to talk himself into actually sending this for about half a day, but he did it. He pulled through like a champ. After all, sure, Johnny seemed okay with his feelings towards Robby when they talked about them, but if this is going to be co-parenting, Daniel does need to live up to his end of the deal...

Even if it involves texting Johnny. Always a potentially chaotic action. ]

Hey. I just wanted to let you know that Robby is staying at my place. I'm not sure for how long yet.

[ Like, yes, Daniel would very much be okay with the boy staying indefinitely, but it's obviously always up to Robby himself. ]

Just wanted you to know so you don't have to wonder where he went or worry.

[strikefirster]

[Honestly he hadn't really been expecting a text like this from LaRusso. But how can you ever expect something like this?

There is a part of that old sort of jealous tinge that bubbles up hearing that Robby had chosen to go there instead of talking to him at all. But he pushes that down. He had given Daniel his blessing to have whatever relationship he wanted with Robby and he intended to keep his word on that. That and both of them were adults and could make their decision.

This was growth.]

Is he okay?
Did something happen?

[miyagimagic]

[ See, half of his reluctance about texting Johnny had been about this - the knowledge that the other would inevitably ask what's wrong, and Daniel really isn't sure about how far to get into it.

But he'll try. It's not like he can leave another worried dad just hanging, especially when Johnny is being good and actually asking in the first place. ]

He's having a rough patch with Tory. He didn't want to stay in the same house as her anymore, so I'm letting him stay here.

set mid-to-end of january, text, un: kickflips

[strongroots]

hey dad, how good are you at making things with wood? like boxes or nailing stuff together
theres a guy who wants to try new things and we talked about making a cat post

[ never thought he would be texting his dad about making a cat post but here we are?? ]

[strikefirster]

[There is a moment where Johnny gives a thousand yard stare as he thinks back to his days doing contract work.

It wasn't exactly the best but he certainly knew how to fumble his way through a project or two.]

I know a thing or two.
I wouldn't call myself an expert or anything but I know enough to get by and do home repairs.
Making something like that shouldn't be too hard.

Have you ever done any wood working before?

[strongroots]

nope

i know how to change screws or fix hinges and door handles. about it

[ More like how to take them apart to break into shit, but dad wouldn't appreciate that. ]

but its just twine around wood right? cant be hard

just hammer in a base and top with some nails and then sand down the edges?
wrap the twine around the base?

later half of february, text (cw: death talk)

[strongroots]

[ It has to be the stupidest thing to have a talk like this over text.

But he remembers how well this didn't go when they talked about his dad's deaths (or, you know--his dad told him about them and how okay they were or whatever), and maybe this doesn't have to just be a coward's way of doing this. Or it can be that, but it's better than feeling ready to flip his shit than if he was doing this in his dad's presence.

Whether it'd be fair to, or not. He can never settle himself whenever he thinks about his dad and death, where he wants to scream about the entire thing.

So, text it is. It's like a letter, right, Tory? A letter he doesn't have to screw up the paper each time he starts and restarts, so many 'hey dads' reinserted and removed; the order he brings up points, the tone.

It takes longer to write than to read, probably. ]

i want you to tell me about your deaths. i'm not going to answer back right away and you don't have to either. this is just easier than a letter.

i know about darth maul and i know about luna and paimon. or peter. but i want to hear everything from you.

[ It feels incomplete--it is incomplete. He hates it and he wants to throw it out like all his other attempts before it.

But Robby does opposite and sends it, and keeps his word by shutting off his omni for a time.

(And he won't throw it into the canal, as tempting as the idea is.) ]

Video File

[strikefirster]

[Johnny had a feeling these messages were coming, he had heard from Daniel and Tory about the situation. He had been nervous to actually reach out and talk about it himself, he felt like he had been indirectly messing up his son's life again and hadn't known exactly how to deal with it.

But having Robby come to him like this, dealing with something head on. That was something he was more comfortable with. He stares at the message briefly and thinks of the best way to answer this.

Eventually Robby will receive a video file in lieu of an actual message.]

Hey Robby.

I'm sending you this message because well- knowing my luck it would get blasted on the network. So I asked a student to help me get this set up so I could check before it went out.

Plus I think it's better to actually say this shit than type it to you. This is kind of important and I don't want to screw it up.

You don't have to respond like this- but just let me get this off my chest.

But well- So this all goes back to the first day I got here. It was fucking cold as balls and everyone who washed up was having a hell of a time transforming into their humans. Or whatever they are when they aren't squids.

I started practicing karate and that actually helped me regain my shape so I started trying to help other people do it.

So then Maul shows up and someone on the dumb phone had told me about how he paints his nails. I make a comment about that shit and his mom and it apparently sets him off. We get into a fight and well- Shit I had no idea how in over my head was with that one. It's not exactly pretty and I'm not too fucking proud of what happened there but that's how it goes.

[There's a pause and he let's that sit for a little. He breaths in, and then he breathes out before he continues.]

Second time around well- Paul came on the network and warned us all about this giant monster that was coming to town. ...And that we all had to do our part to protect it. He was my student and I wasn't about to let him go into that shit without me. That's not what a sensei does.

So I offered to help out and do whatever training I could. I met Gideon and a few other kids during that. We ran training drills, watched fucking Rocky to keep morale up. And I just did what I could to help. It felt like I was a part of something and I was doing the right thing.

Then the actual fight came around and I honestly don't know how I managed to survive as long as I did. But I got there- And then I saw that freaking son of a bitch swallow Paul.

I stopped thinking- I just started moving. Gideon's dad made me a ramp of bones, and a little cadre of skeletons and I went to give that thing the ass kicking of it's life. Didn't get far- But I tried.

[Okay. Another breath. Shit. This is harder to talk about than he thought it would be.]

Next time around was with Luna and Peter- Paimon? That's the king dude inside of him, right? Well I didn't know about that guy at the time. But I was pretty wasted when all of this happened. Those two were corrupted up to their fucking eye balls and were attacking people random people around town. I don't know if they got anyone important but they definitely went after the regular joes.

I was pretty fed up with all the people around here flaunting their powers. So I fucking hucked a beer bottle at them and told them to knock that shit off. It was pretty much your average bar fight but I was fighting fucking teenagers with magic powers. Managed to get the wand off the girl but after that I remember burning to a fucking crisp.

[Don't mind him as he cracks open a beer after he talks about dying while drunk. He doesn't down the whole can, but he does take a big sip.]

Last time was close to the same. One of chicks who lives at the Cockhouse isn't one of my biggest fans. Her and Faith, one of my students were out causing some fucking trouble. Girl decides to come at me with all her magic bullshit. Well- Faith comes in to try and protect me because we're tight. And I guess she knows I can't defend myself from that magic shit. Well her friend isn't a fan of that and she starts to go apeshit on her too.

So I knocked Faith out of the way and took the brunt of that shit too.

Like the whole Paul thing- I wasn't going to stand around and let someone get hurt because of the mistakes I made. Not one of my students.

That's just not in me.

...I don't know. That's about the just of it. If you have any other messages just give me a text back or some shit.

I'm here all day. Lay 'em on me.

1/2

[strongroots]

[ It's a lie that Robby takes around an hour to look back at his omni--he takes nearly two, with some of that involving holding onto it and refusing to turn it back on. Sitting so weightless in his hand, and he doesn't want to think about what's waiting for him when that's all that's on his mind.

It's in his omni too, a file waiting to be viewed. Robby opens it, holding his breath longer than he should between the sips of air he needs to take.

He gets far on the first attempt, in his defence. 'Remember burning to a fucking crisp--' is what finally pushes him to shut down the file, fling the thing at the wall and to fight the urge to tear apart the room he's in. Mainly because Mister LaRusso would hear it, and he doesn't need him involved in this right now. He doesn't need a sensei, he needs to fucking kick the walls down. Except he can't even kick them weakly, Mister LaRusso would hear that too, so seething on the bed it is.

Remember to breathe, some voice always tells him, when calming down is the last of what he wants to do. But with nothing but the anxiety eating at him, and he doesn't want to go for a walk, Robby knows needs to listen. Fucking breathe. Fucking listen to your dad talk about dying over and over.

Robby goes at it again, take two. Finds where he let off at, skips burning to a fucking crisp the second he hears remember. Fortunately, there isn't much more from that point, and there's details lacking in how he went out. It ends, an open invitation for questions, and Robby--he returns where he started before, staring at his omni, unsure of what to do.

He doesn't walk, for one, and he doesn't throw or think about breaking anything. He puts the omni down instead and lays in bed. Has a cry he doesn't mean to, and then stares at the wall for a good while.

And he considers what it is he wants to know. ]

[strongroots]

[ It takes five hours in total for Robby to send another message after his first one. ]

i want to know if you had people who gave a shit about what happened to you. i want to know you've had people who cared

maul killing you was bullshit. luna's a shithead. peter/paimon wasn't corrupted but paimon does whatever luna wants.

trying to help people isn't wrong. punching a monster that ate someone you cared about isn't wrong. but if you're going to do that you need to learn to protect yourself too. i dont care if it doesnt feel natural. nothing here is natural. if you die again you better die having a way to fight against actual monsters and magic

make it your own. make it fit who you are. find a way to stop magic from touching you. i don't care, just think. drink less.

i trained with maul soon after i got here. i wanted to learn to use a weapon and i wasn't talking to mr larusso and you had made that post. i never knew he killed you. i never would've trained with him if i did.

i'm sorry

[Voice]

[abornfighter]

Hey, checking in to make sure you're all right after all that shit went down in Crenshaw.

[Voice]

[strikefirster]

Hey.

Yeah, I'm okay here.

Ground shook and knocked down some shit. Got some debris kicking around outside the dojo.

And there's one hell of a dent in my car that I'm going to have to buff out.

But I'm alright.

How are you holdin' up, kid?

[sometime in april] time for Teen

[strongroots]

[ Welcome to having a teen in your life, Johnny. It starts with a text (sometime after this mess):

can i come over for dinner and spend the night there? i want to train w/ u tomorrow

Surely, it's a sensei dad's dream come true. A panicked dream, maybe, or perhaps Johnny's getting used to this sorta-regular contact with his son and him staying over more. But it seems he wants to stay over early, and even plans to stick around after, though he won't really explain why over text except for 'i want to'.

And so he is. As if there isn't any other reason for him doing so.

But a teen can't hide when they're in a mood. Even if they try and act casual, fine from the get-go, it becomes obvious in how they carry themselves. Robby will set himself up in the room he uses whenever he visits until dinner is ready--is it takeout? A Johnny Lawrence special?

Robby's not one to judge regardless, since he'll eat whatever. But he'll definitely have the signs of a Sulking Teen, where he does some small talk, but after the basic 'what you been up to's, his gaze is low and he's simply eating.

Do you dare ask, Johnny Lawrence. ]

[strikefirster]

[Johnny was getting a little less surprised whenever he heard from Robby. He had put a solid effort into well curbing some of of his more extreme impulses and be there for the people he gave a shit about.

But nothing could quite prepare him for the text he received. Robby wanting to spend the night with him? Wanting to train? If Johnny had the capacity to consider it, he might think that something else was up. As it stood, he was still a little starved for quality time with his son, and he was happy to take whatever he could.]

Yeah. Sure. I'll get everything cleaned up before you get here.

Is there anything you feel like eating?

LaRusso isn't going to get too jealous that you're stopping by, is he?

[There is a pause before he feels the need to add in.]

That's a joke. I promise it's a joke.