#its so hard to capture him correctly

[haoqw]

a little gerard practice drawing :D

#its so hard to capture him correctly #also this is the first time i tried seriously drawing portraits #if you can tell #my art #gerard way #mcr #my chemical romance #gerard way fanart #mcr fanart #my chemical romance fanart #procreate #art

[hotyanderedaddies]

Yandere drider x male butterfly reader. I don't see those often and it's mostly fem reader

Yandere Drider Captures You in His Web

[Yandere! Drider x M! Butterfly Reader]

·゜·:.。..。.:·☆·゜·:.。..。.:·☆

You were flying around in the warm Spring air, enjoying the feeling of the sunbeams warming up your large, golden wings.

All of the flowers were starting to bloom, and you were looking forward to feasting on their sweet nectar. You were in awe at the sights and smells of the luscious violets, rhododendrons, and the bright red roses.

It was the roses that captured your attention the most, and you couldn't help but flutter closer to the pristine flowers, eager to taste its sweetness--

"Fuck!" you cried out as soon as you felt your beautiful wings get tangled up in something sticky that held you in place, refusing to let you go.

Out of instinct, you tried to thrash your delicate body all around, desperate to free yourself from whatever held you close-- but it was no use. No matter how hard you struggled, you couldn't get loose. In fact, it almost felt as if whatever held you was getting stronger by the second.

Your frantic eyes darted around, trying to see what held you. As soon as you saw the white, rope-like structure that held you, your heart dropped.

A spider web.

You were stuck in a spider web that was created right in front of the largest red rose in the garden that you were flying around in.

What a horrendous trap!

You tried in vain to free yourself some more, your beautiful wings completely restrained by the sticky web.

"Don't struggle too hard, Darling," a deep voice echoed out, making you freeze.

Your heat racing like crazy, you looked upwards and nearly screamed out in fear at the large drider who studied you as you were stuck in his web.

The drider's long eight legs slowly maneuvered him downwards, towards you. His eyes focused in on your terrified face, and when he smiled, you got a full view of his massive, sharp fangs that would tear through your flesh with ease.

Despite your panic, the drider's smile only grew larger as he descended, drawing closer and closer to you.

"Oh, such a pretty little butterfly that I caught in my web," the drider mused, stopping right beside you. He walked on the sticky web with ease, moving without a problem as you struggled.

He reached out with one of his claws, running the soft hand over your trembling cheek. His skin was hot to the touch, and when he touched you, you swore his smile grew in size.

"You're so pretty," the drider mused, unable to take his eyes off you.

You struggled to free yourself some more, but it was futile. You couldn't move a muscle while trapped in the web, your large wings trying to beat rapidly; but all that did was get them tangled up even more.

"I can't believe that I caught something as pretty as you in my homey, little web," the drider continued, his tongue flicking out over his bottom lip.

All you could focus on were the large fangs in the drider's mouth, and when he saw your frightened expression, the drider frowned.

"Oh Darling," he cooed gently, running another hand along your cheek in a way that was meant to be comforting, "I don't know if you know this, but some driders, such as myself, don't capture cute butterflies in our webs to eat..."

He leaned in closer, pressing his warm lips to your clammy forehead.

"...but we catch you to make you ours, forever."

"Wh-what?" you barely breathed, unsure if you'd heard the drider correctly. "What do you mean?"

The drider chuckled and began to toy with the webs some more, stretching them out over your trapped body to wrap you up into a tighter, silk cocoon. He made sure that your limbs were secured in the web at your sides, making it easier for him to lift you up into his arms, cradling you against his chest as he carried you over to the rose bush. Near the bottom was a little crevice that formed a tiny den that would hide the two of you away from the rest of the world.

"What I mean, my Darling," the drider clarified as he dragged you into his den, "is that you're not my food, but you're my love, my darling, mine.

And only mine."

·゜·:.。..。.:·☆·゜·:.。..。.:·☆

A/N: Sorry if this one wasn't that good or accurate. I've never heard of a drider before... and I am terrified of spiders lol.

#yandere boyfriend #yandere boy #yandere x reader #yandere x you #obsessive love #possessive boyfriend #asks #drider #yandere drider #drider x you #male reader #yandere drider x you

[grungiiuvu]

Redacted factor notes, i spent the last 6 hours gathering! May have missed some things

Redacted factor gets first triggered by the bath scene in chaoter 6

Decreases when: 

MQ says he doesng care about FX’s words, chapter 8 (decreases less than the protagonist satisfaction). 

Chapter 15: increases and decreases simultaneously (see chapter 15 notes in increase)

MQ calling FX useless, chapter 15

MQ says he doesn’t need romance cause he has his sect siblings, chapter 18

MQ mentions SQX, chapter 27

MQ explains the ribbon Deal to FX, chapter 29

Increases when: 

MQ wears a dress. 

FX reveals that MQ went “missing” (bandits), chapter 11. 

MQ insults FX, again, chapter 11 (also edits Feng Xin’s wiki). 

MQ shows affection to his horse, chapter 13. 

Chapter 14: FX sees MQ in a dress, hua cheng calls FX MQ’s dog, and MQ insults FX

MQ and FX “finally agree on something” , chapter 14. 

Chapter 15: MQ or rather, FX’s reaction to MQ, gives the system whiplash, saying he doesnt see FX as an equal causes the redacted role to BOTH increase and decrease at the same time, creating conflicting info and is eventually cancelled out by the system. 

MQ correcting FX’s stance, chapter 15

FX sees MQ with flowers in his hair, chapter 16

In chapter 17 but im not fully sure what triggered it. MQ refered to FX as shixiong, but also insulted him. Could be either one, or both.

Big increases when MQ is observing (ogling) FX when he’s training. Happens 3 times over, at least. Chapter 18

Two MASSIVE increases when MQ calls FX handsome (good job MQ), chapter 18.

Increases twice in chapter 20, when MQ asks Feng Xin to take a conversation seriously (did feng xin think much qing was gonna confess maybe..?) 

Big increase when MQ tells FX they’re still friends, chapter 20 (ANOTHER EDIT TO THE WIKI! But this time, Qing’er’s wiki is updated too!)

Small increases when MQ stays close to, and walks with FX, chapter 21

they hold hands! (Dear god, they hold hands), chapter 21

when fx (and pei ming) come to save Mq and Xl, chapter 22

When Mq tells Fx he can do better he just needs to try harder, chapter 22

Increases when Mq teases fx, and mq punches him, chapter 23

Multiple increases when Fx calls mq his prize, chapter 24

Mu qing smiles, chapter 25 (twice)

Mq calls Fx his dog, chapter 25

Mq calls himself an angel. Chapter 25

Mq falls asleep on fx, chapter 25 (the factor upgrades again!)

FX calls MQ a wildcat, and MQ hits FX, chapter 26 

THE ENTIRE CLOSET SCENE WITH FX’S “DAGGER”, chapter 27

MQ being bossy, Chapter 29

Updates to the factor:

Chapter 14! A side quest with a redacted title shows up! Accompanies XL’s wife plot quest. dont think that all the instances of redacted words are about the same words. its mq’s own wife plot quest?. Also, in chapter 14 the factor is upgraded, implying levels to this factor.

With chapter 15, we unlock P points, confirmed to mean Pretty Points (anqelbean being the first one to guess that correctly) They advance the redacted factor, and narrative role more than b points, so the redacted factor has some sort of beauty aspect to it. The narrative role for Mq’s beauty was, as we know, to spark insecurity in XL, but that’s likely changed 

Chapter 18! The conditions to the factor get edited, after a discussion about nicknames, and MQ says he’s hard to impress.

Chapter 21. We can probably say that its not Romantic Rival, due to how the system talks about it

Chapter 22. The Redacted side quest reappears, when MQ (and xie lian) get captured again! Im pretty convinced that it stands for Be wife Plotted or something to that effect. the redacted factor gets edited when MQ says he doesnt want to wait around to be rescued. 

Chapter 23! Big update. Quoting the system

“Achievement, ‘[REDACTED]’, has been unlocked. Plus 50 B-points! [REDACTED] Trope Convention unlocked! [REDACTED] Factor increased by 30 B-points. Excellent work, Host!! We’ll make a [REDACTED] out of you yet! q(≧▽≦q)””

A redacted achievement, a trope convention, and “we’ll make a X out of you”. (The system singing “I’ll make a man out of you” but its about the redacted factor

So many questions. And confirms that there are multiple redacted words, probably.

You also say that the whole “punching in the gut, and going “good luck, i hope you fail” is the most Redacted thing MQ has done.

Chapter 26 and 27

The factor leveld up to level 3! MQ earns two [Redacted] badges.

“Some good Redacted”

And ANOTHER Redacted badge (convinced this one is related to sexual interest because dear god the closest scene)

One of the three redacted badges levels up

Cryptic ace, chapter 6: “something like hotness”

AroVibes, chapter 11: “Plot? Drama? God potential? Angst? Sexiness?”

ButterflyDreaming, chapter 11: “FQ affection points”

otaku_lady89, chapter 11: “SECRET MASOCHISM”

reinvanteal, chapter 11: “Sexiness”

anqelbean, chapter 14, and chapter 15: “degradation kink”

oxytocarb, chapter 15: “related to how attracted feng xin is to mu qing”

hailpyre, chapter 17: “wow FX do you have a degradation ki—//bonked”

Imraekio, chapter 18: “romantic points”

anqelbean, chapter 18: “Love Interest Factor”

ButterflyDreaming, chapter 18: “Love Interest points? Or Romance Protagonist points?”

oxytocarb, chapter 18: “how attracted they are to each other?? romance sub-plot progression or smth”

thetowerofbabel, and ButterflyDreaming chapter 23: “tsundere”

SillyRinnie, chapter 23: “"wife" or "protagonist"”

Writesforfun (that’s me :3), chapter 23: Rivals to Lovers

Pink_Muffins, chapter 24: “potential love interest” “prime love interest”

OOC out of Mind (guest), chapter 24: romantic appeal

septemberme, chapter 24: "Oops accidentally turned Feng Xin on" points

Kresnik, chapter 24: waifu factor

Pink_Muffins, chapter 27: “‘eye candy’ or ‘fanservice’”

l1ls4y0, on Tumblr: “mating factor”

I..... idek what to say to this. Holy shit, bro. That's a lot of hours you've spent reading my semi-crack fic.

Actually, i might just pin this. This is incredible. Holy shit dude, I don't even have a joke for this. This is a LOT of shit you found oml

#cheap villains presentation on the importance of road safety

[thetrashywritingwitch]

“Be Still, Just for Me” Bakugo x Fem!Reader, Ch. 46

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

(all chapters are available in my masterlist!)

Summary: Bakugo Katsuki, a Pro Hero in Japan, is used to the routine: wake up, kick villain ass, rinse and repeat. He’s living his dream, soaking in all he’s ever wanted and worked for.

During the brief moment he lets his guard down, everything changes.

Tossed into a world without quirks with nothing but the clothes on his back, he’s forced to accept the help of someone who knows exactly who he is: a manga character who should definitely not exist. ---------------

Chapter length: 26k (HIGHLY recommend reading on ao3, wattpad, or quotev if you are a mobile Tumblr user and don't use Tumblr desktop because you will have a hard time with lag or app crashing trying to read this fucking long post)

Warnings: M+ for language, Katsuki-typical threats of violence, mentions of panic attack, sexual content (nothing super explicit)

Reminder that the A03, Wattpad, and Quotev links will be in a reblog so this post shows up in search results! They’re also in my profile header! <3

Co-written and plot mapped by @rose-sparks13

thanks to all my beta readers!!! @birinboom

@bananabossbitch, @dellappatca and @jems-all-in-a-wood and a few others who prefer to remain anonymous. NOTE: please ignore and forgive anytime i might’ve misspelled “Yaoyorozu” because I'll never learn how to spell her name correctly

Chapter Title: The Night We Met, Part II

_____________________________

The celebration on the other side of the outside garden grew quiet and eventually vanished as though muffled by a growing mound of indiscernible cotton. Bushes and creeping vines paused their benign swaying. As the world surrounding Katsuki gradually came to a halt, its energy seemed to seep into his bones and beneath his skin, buzzing and oscillating tortuously. 

This isn’t real, he thought in desperation as his mouth went dry, eyes bulged, and chest tightened in disbelief. There, barely three meters away from him, stood a ghost shivering under the moonlight in a dress the deep red color of blood. Katsuki blinked, expecting you to vanish like you always did… yet you remained statue-still and staring stunned right back at him. 

The glass in his hand slipped out of his trembling fingers, clattering onto the floor. Neither of you flinched as ice and alcohol stained the wood grain underfoot. 

He remembered waking up this morning. Going on patrol with Mar. Arguing with Kirishima in the agency hallway. Feeding his cat. Riding his bike over here for his stupid birthday party… No, there was no way that the entire day's events and memories could have been more than an illusory dream. 

…Then what kind of sick trick caused a hallucination of you to appear before Katsuki as if taunting him ceaselessly for six months wasn’t enough?

Voice hoarse, arid, and strained, he attempted to speak as if hearing his own voice might jolt him out of this mirage. “Are you a nightmare?” 

Could you hear him? Would you answer? No, of course not. You never did; spirits couldn’t speak. 

You winced at his words, his voice uncharacteristically brittle compared to the strong, unwavering tenor you were used to, the sound you dreamed of hearing just one more time. All you wanted to do was run to him and bury your face in his skin and bathe in his warmth and sob in his arms. But cinder blocks tied your feet to the ground. He looked almost scared, as if reaching out to touch him would splinter the tension and he’d crack beneath your fingertips; the fear and anxiety kept you immobile as the device in your shaking hands translated his words. 

Peeling your tongue from the roof of your mouth, you dared not blink as you managed to weakly shake your head in denial. “No, Katsuki… I’m not.”

More than anything you wanted to capture him, hold onto him, keep him close like a fragile treasure, but tension hung like tepid puddles after a thick rain - the kind that filled your nose and lungs with stale air and upended rot. Don’t cry, don’t cry yet. If you do, you’ll never stop. “W-why a nightmare?”

A bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck and disappeared into the collar of his pressed shirt. He quickly glanced at your hands gripped tightly around the device that somehow far exceeded the accuracy of your phone with its robotic Japanese inflection. But… your voice. It pierced between his ribs like a spear aimed with deadly accuracy to strike with poisonous memories dripping from the sharpened edge. 

Commemorating you through the keepsakes was easy; everything observed months ago, he saw again behind closed eyes or whenever he took out his hidden gifts when waves of longing nostalgia washed over him. However, sight was just a single sense out of five. The language barrier became less noticeable and cumbersome over time as he focused on the tone and inflection of your voice. Though your singing and laughter stuck with him, Katsuki lamented that they became harder to recall with every passing day. 

Dreams were satisfying and light, or comically nonsensical. The ones with you always began happily enough, and often alluded to memories he fought to remember and forget and remember and forget in a never ending cycle. But when morning came and Katsuki awoke, he knew that none of it was real and would never be real again; it might as well have been a nightmare. A looping display that haunted and taunted him knowing all that really remained of you, was just in his imagination. 

Waiting for you to disappear just as he had six months prior, Katsuki stood staring, unmoving despite the wretched hum screaming under his skin.

“Because,” he started, “I always wake up."

Not understanding the connection between you and nightmares, you managed to force your feet to move a single step towards him. "I… no. Katsuki, I'm not a dream or nightmare or anything imaginary. I… I'm real and I'm here and-" 

"You're not supposed to be here," he abruptly interrupted. The shock written across his face slowly morphed into that familiar grimace of frustration he wore like a shield. 

Your fear of rejection seemed like it might come true. 

Back inside the house, a line of people with their ears pressed up against the wall stood tense and impatient while those who had no fucking clue what was happening lingered in confusion. 

Kirishima went first, trying to see if he could hear the conversation happening outside with his face smooshed against the off-white wall. He needed to know if all their planning would actually pay off or if Bakugo was going to somehow blow his second chance at love. Midoriya followed right behind him and Kaminari, hating feeling left out, did the same even though he was only halfway in the know. 

"Jirooooouuuuu, pleeeeease? This is actually super important!" Ashido's black eyes glistened as she begged Jirou to use her earphone jacks to listen to the tense conversation happening on the other side of the sliding door.

Raising an eyebrow, Jirou said, "I don't even know what's going on? Who was that lady that went outside?" 

However, Yaoyorozu came up behind her girlfriend and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You don't have to do as she says, Kyoka. It isn't really our story to tell; that's up to Bakugo-san. The conversation happening outside is private and we shouldn't eavesdrop.” 

Ashido pursed her lips and huffed. "Spoilsport. I know you're just as curious as the rest of us," she claimed before marching over to the wall and lining herself up with the others. 

Deflating, Momo nibbled on her bottom lip as she stared at her friends’ backs. It was true - she did want to know what was happening between you and Bakugo, especially after seeing with her own eyes how much you cared about him and all the trouble the others went through to get you here in the first place. A gentle, familiar hand on hers eased Momo’s worry as Kyoka met her eyes. 

“I definitely wanna know what’s going on because I’m so lost… but if you say it’s not our business, then I’ll just wait for you to tell me later,” she conceded with a knowing smile. 

“It… is a very interesting story, that’s for sure.” 

Towards the back of the room, Sero stood next to Todoroki who loudly sipped from his cup while Uraraka worriedly twisted the hem of her shirt in her hands on his other side. “Hey dude, you know what’s goin’ on? Is this all part of the party…?”

If it were anyone else, the ice in his cup would’ve melted into shards by now, but Todoroki held it in his left hand, a fine mist of frost keeping the mostly-empty cup perfectly chilled. “Yeah. Sort of. I’m just going to watch and see what happens. Uraraka, you shouldn’t worry, especially when you’re pregnant. I think Bakugo will be fine.”

Uraraka let the breath she was holding tumble out while absentmindedly rubbing her stomach. “I know, I know. He’s just so bullheaded sometimes; I don’t want Bakugo-kun to do something else he’ll regret…” 

Off in a far corner of the main living space, the remaining guests - Shinsou, Tokoyami, and Camie - lingered around the speakers and the snack table, all just equally as confused about what was happening, both inside and outside. 

“Should we-“

“Nope.” 

“… Yes, it's probably for the best.” Tokoyami closed his eyes in agreement within Shinsou, but peeked his left one open after a moment when he heard Camie giggle. "And can you tell me why you're so enamored with Dark Shadow?" 

The sentient shadow attached to Tokiyami was laughing, too, while Camie was trying to feed it a snack. "Huh? It's like, kinda cute, ya know? Like one of those little pocket monster things except like, real and stuff. Does it like brownies?" Although she had a high alcohol tolerance, it was obvious the spiked juice was beginning to affect her much to Dark Shadow's amusement. 

While party guests bickered or wrung their hands together with worry, your staring contest with Katsuki wore on. Confusion, tension, and agitation evident in his posture rolled off him like mist. You told Uraraka that keeping their plan a secret probably wouldn't end well, and you hoped she had convinced her other cohorts to come clean… but they didn't, and now you were paying the price. 

Opening your mouth, you tried to find the words to assuage his frustration and save the night from total ruin and heartbreak. "I… Katsuki, I know I'm not supposed to be here. That we both knew that when you left, that was it. That would be the end." Although you tried to keep your voice even and strong, it cracked like brittle china faced with an angry bull ready to charge. "Your friends… Uraraka and Kirishima and some others found a way to bring me here. They wanted… they thought you might want to see me again… I wanted to see you again." 

This wasn't right. None of it was right. He'd ached and wallowed in his own pathetic misery for months before finally managing to get a hold of himself and return to a life of relative normalcy and routine. Coming to terms with the brutal truth of his inability to just be fucking honest with himself, with you, was just as exhausting and difficult as any big villain he'd faced. 

It had to be some screwed up joke to cement him in the past he'd fought to leave behind. That's what you would've wanted. That's what Katsuki wanted. Right? 

But for the first time, you answered him. You didn't just fade away like every other instance. You claimed his friends helped you get here, but that just shoved more questions into his sweaty, trembling hands. 

Maybe this really was a nightmare… or possibly some elaborate illusion based on his knowledge and memories to leave him fumbling and vulnerable. Only the two of you stood outside, but for all he knew someone unseen could be pulling the strings with Black Hole as the resurrected puppet master.

She'd wanted him to suffer, after all. 

The sad, worried look in your eyes, however… did he trust his own senses that rarely led him astray, or was there a way to know if you were truly who you claimed to be? She isn’t. She couldn’t be. 

Unsure of what to do because his so-called friends left you on your own rather than explain to Katsuki what the hell was happening and why, you began to step closer to him, but stopped when he interrupted. 

“Don’t move,” he ordered. Hearing Katsuki so uncharacteristically wary reminded you dismally of his first few days in your home: distrustful, tense, and exasperated. After everything the two of you experienced together, it hurt. Oh, it stung bitterly. “Tell me something only the real (y/n) would know. Something no one else would know.” 

Frowning, you should’ve expected something like this. Rather than come here and be welcomed warmly by the man you fell in love with months ago, you were forced to prove you were really who you claimed to be through some time-wasting test. If by some miracle this actually worked and Katsuki eventually believed you, Midoriya and the others were going to catch a nasty earful for making this already stressful situation so much harder than it needed to be. 

Ignoring that impending argument for now, you focused on remembering everything only privy to you and Katsuki. While you had no idea exactly what he’d revealed to his friends about his time with you, it didn’t really matter; you knew Katsuki in the most intimate of ways; convincing him was - hopefully - only a matter of choosing something that struck a sensitive chord. 

The bear incident was too grandiose and at least a handful of other people knew about it. You recalled the flowers you’d managed to keep alive in your apartment, but you’d told Uraraka where they came from. While the karaoke date was something you’d never forget, it didn’t strike you as the correct choice, either. The amusement park, scheduling his haircut, running into your ex… All of these flashbacks resembled down-facing cards spread out on a table with your hand hovering between them. Every card except one meant permanent defeat. 

Then, it hit you. Something you were positive he kept to himself considering he almost didn't admit it to you at all; and Katsuki gave you a hint without even realizing. 

"The nightmare," you blurted out as if worried an invisible timer would run out and yank you back into your own world at the ringing of a jarring game show buzzer. Katsuki's brows furrowed, his face still written with apprehension, but you continued. "I don't remember the exact day… but I remember waking up in the middle of the night. You were sitting up next to me and I could tell something was wrong… I just… held you and hoped I was giving you some comfort. Like you helped me after the whole bear incident. I didn't know until the next day that you had a nightmare…" 

He remembered. Whenever painful memories tortured him while he slept, Katsuki always remembered, even if he'd much rather forget. It was the first and only time someone had been there when he awoke in a cold sweat with visions of failure and blood far too vibrant whenever he closed his eyes. 

And he'd never told anyone else about it. 

Back inside the house, it felt like an hour as time and tension serenaded each other despite only a few minutes passing. More people had joined in the group pressed against the wall trying to overhear what was happening outside. 

"It's too quiet; I feel like he's blowing it." Kirishima groaned at the thought of his best friend making the same dumb mistake twice which, for someone like Bakugo Katsuki who prioritized a perfect victory every single time, was unheard of. 

Bored after doing nothing for all of thirty seconds, Kaminari had left his place against the wall and was currently leaning on Shinsou's shoulder who played off the close contact like it was no big deal despite having a spike of internal bisexual panic. 

"C'moooon guys! Just go outside and tell him he's being dumb or something-" 

"You do it then," Todoroki suggested nonchalantly. 

Grimacing, Kaminari shook his head and latched onto Shinsou's arm. "If this was less serious, then, yeah, maybe! I don't wanna piss him off again; especially on his birthday." 

Shinsou still wasn't sure what the hell was going on, but distinctly remembered Bakugo's embarrassing outburst at the bar months ago. He couldn't really blame Kaminari for his avoidance of a potential repeat. "Can someone at least tell me what all this drama is about? Ignoring it is getting tough with everyone acting weird and I'm too sober to tune it out." 

"It's… a long story, Shinsou-kun," Midoriya answered as he rubbed the back of his neck and stood next to Uraraka. "Depending on what happens tonight, maybe Kacchan can tell you himself in his own words."

And judging by the strained and hushed conversation happening in the garden things were not exactly going how they all expected. 

The silence between you stretched on far too long for comfort after you answered Katsuki's demand. What else were you supposed to do when all of this apparently rested on your shoulders alone? 

"If… if you really don't believe me or actually want me here… then I'm not going to keep trying to convince y-you." The last word came out as more of a whimper, your throat swelling with strain as you fought back bursting into tears on the spot. All those months of waiting… just to have your heart crushed all over again because of his fucking bullheadedness. I was so stupid to think this was a good idea…

It took a monumental effort to take a step back from him when all you wished for was to be as close as you used to be. Just for a while. Just for tonight. 

As you began to swivel on your heel, pain evident in your glassy eyes and stammering speech, an image he'd hoped to forget sprang forward like a memory resurfaced from the drowned, dark depths. 

That awful day culminated into a horrible night as Katsuki watched you cry and scream before disappearing out the door in a whirlwind of his own doing. He hadn't stopped you then, too stunned to react as you spat his own words right back in his face. The fear and guilt attempting to swallow him back then… it all could've ended so much worse. 

But you took him back. He didn't deserve it, but you did anyway. You allowed his effort at making amends with barely any time left to see the fruits of his redemption begin to ripen into something sweet and filling. 

If this were real… if you were real, there was no way in hell he'd make the same mistake twice. Letting you walk away once was difficult enough, but if Katsuki stood by and accepted watching you disappear, then he deserved whatever sisyphean punishment fate shackled to him for the remainder of his days; but you didn't.

As if Medusa's paralyzing grip on him suddenly vanished, Katsuki lurched forward, his hand outstretched in desperation to keep this illusion from slipping through his fingers. And true enough, he was surprised to find that he didn't phase through your wrist. 

Warmth. Soft skin. Racing pulse. He felt it all through his hardened calluses. "Wait… please."

The sudden grip on your arm tugged your shoulder back, but turning around to face him after resigning that this once in a lifetime opportunity ended in rejection was too much. Pressure behind your eyes swelled as you continued to fight off crumpling in a crying heap on the ground when he asked - no, pleaded - for you to stay. 

Just like before… Except  this time, Katsuki didn't let you run away. You stared at a vine crawling up the side of the house while trying to avoid focusing on the familiar warmth of his hand, the strength of his grip, and even the damp sweat slowly soaking into your skin. But he felt unsteady, something Katsuki never was, his fingers shivering as if freezing despite the comfortable warmth outside. 

So, two distrustful people waited for proof that this second chance would not slip away, one desperate for truth while the other pleaded for patience. All you had to do was turn around and face him. And you did. 

To anyone that didn’t know him, Katsuki looked exactly like you remember him. His ash-blonde hair. Those damn eyes of his that caught light like rubies. The sharp, strong jaw that framed his sharper tongue. The past six months apart just melted away as aching familiarity came bursting through the door. But, just like when he found you at the park, his face and body language betrayed his normal composure: unsure, shaken, disbelieving, desperate… everything you also felt and knew he was seeing mirrored right back. 

Without tearing his eyes away, Katsuki reluctantly let your wrist fall from his hand before cupping your face with his sweaty palms. Warm. They didn’t pass through. He was close enough to smell some faint but recognizable aroma that he’d forgotten with time. Your perfume. Only detectable when you were close enough to touch. You looked like you wanted to cry. 

“I don’t know what the fuck is going on… but I don’t really care.” Logic and reason be damned on his birthday; if you hadn’t disappeared by this point, then he wasn’t going to waste his time fighting against it anymore. “If you’re really here, then- hell even if you’re not, just listen to what I have to say.”

No repeated mistakes. 

“I don’t have a lot of regrets in life. I’m doing exactly what I set out to do since I was a bratty kid. And even though I’ve screwed up a lot, I’ve tried to pinpoint those flaws and fix ‘em.” You’ve rehearsed this a thousand times. “But I made a huge fucking mistake months ago, and I’ve been driving myself crazy trying to live with it while knowing I couldn’t make it right.” 

No more hiding. 

You knew him too well. He wished he hated that about you - how you managed to find shelter in his exposed remains after peeling through layers he didn’t even know existed - but he didn’t. 

Words gummed up his throat when the simplest answer was right here. With his clammy hands still preciously cupping your face, Katsuki leaned his forehead against yours and felt your shaky breath on his lips. 

The kiss was real. You didn’t disappear. Just…

“(Y/n)… Aishiteru.”

Barely audible. Fiercely soft. Perfectly understood. Your lip quivered and eyes screwed shut as the buildup finally overflowed. Katsuki returned your love even now, and nothing else was going to keep you apart tonight. 

The translator device bounced across the ground as you lurched forward and draped your arms around his neck, clinging to his hair, shirt, skin, anything you could reach, terrified of letting him go again. Choking out a guttural sob muffled by his shoulder, your body went limp as the compounding burdens of the day finally disappeared. You didn’t have to hold yourself up anymore; Katsuki was there to support you. 

The sudden noise outside caused Uraraka to chance a peek around the corner to make sure she didn’t need to break up any unfortunate disasters, but whipped back around quickly when she saw the two of you in a tender and intimate embrace on the ground. “Ooh! You g- ow!” 

Ashido had come up right behind her to also eavesdrop and earned them both potential head bruises as a result. “Owwww, sorry, sorry! What’s happening?!”

Ignoring the pain, Uraraka yelled and whispered simultaneously that you and Katsuki were kissing. 

“Ohmygod, really?!”

“YES!”

Kirishima and the others nearby heard this and broke out of their hiding spots against the wall to celebrate their hard-won victory. Kirishima threw a fist in the air, Midoriya slumped against the wall with flooded eyes, and Todoroki nodded in approval with a sincere smile. 

At this point, most of the other guests had wandered into other rooms of the house to enjoy a party with an absent birthday boy, though a few remained behind to observe the inevitable end of this secretive drama. 

“… And then he said they went to karaoke I think, so- oh, are they done now?” Kaminari turned towards the back door to see his friends were no longer acting all sad and weird. 

“Keep going.” Shinsou tugged at Kaminari’s shirt collar to pull his attention back to him. The alcohol was making him stupid and bold and the blonde extra attractive. “It was just getting good.” 

Cocking his head to the side, Kaminari smirked with half-lidded eyes. “Yes, sir, whatever you say.” 

The noisy guests indoors barely registered as you let Katsuki hold you. He kept your relief grounded while you tried and failed to stop crying. His warm, shaky breath on your neck and his arms tangled around your chest reminded you of the final embrace on your couch before he vanished and left you pressed against nothing but air. Only this time, you didn't have the last word; and oh, the bursting elation building in your chest at his words was altogether cathartic. 

He loves me. It's not unrequited. 

Telling the truth never felt so fucking rewarding as it did right then. The reality that none of this made one iota of sense left his mind completely as he buried his face in your skin as his eyes and throat ached with pressure. He saw you, felt you, smelled you, tasted you, every tiny thing he'd craved for six goddamn months. 

"Moushi wake nai," he mumbled while turning his head to see messy tear tracks on your cheek that he gently tried to wipe away. 

Sorry for being a coward. 

"Moushi wake nai…" He pressed chapped lips to your jaw and tasted salt. 

Sorry for leaving you unanswered.

"Moushi wake nai." Your noses brushed as you sniffled, meeting his glassy gaze briefly with bloodshot eyes before properly returning his kiss, albeit weakly as though your energy and strength was completely spent. 

Sorry for making you cry again.

“Aishiteru,” you echoed before kissing him again as if the words themselves reinvigorated you. Hearing it again in your own voice and inflection and accent rather than the embarrassing imitation from his dreams left Katsuki nearly breathless before you shifted in his lap, gripped the collar of his shirt, hands trembling, and glared at him with adoration and frustration in equal measure. Fuck, you were beautiful. 

“Baka ńe,” you bit out, your voice squeaking at the end from strain despite trying your best to rightfully insult him after six months of holding it in. All Katsuki could do was stare dumbfounded with lips parted in a foggy haze before you yanked him forward like old times’ sake to try and kiss some sense back into him, but you didn’t have to; he would’ve met you halfway. Would’ve fought off a hundred bears to hear you call him stupid every fucking day for the rest of his life. 

God, you’d shared many kisses over those last few weeks - some soft, some sloppy, some heart-poundingly passionate - but none of them compared to the satisfaction billowing through him right then. Or maybe it had something to do with the six months he survived on nothing but his own memories. Maybe they were all equally important in their own ways and trying to weigh one over the other was beyond pointless. Didn’t matter. Reveling in the desperation, his mouth chasing you like a starved man presented with a mouth-watering buffet, was more than satisfying. 

Alcohol, fire, and musky cologne. One second you were crying on Katsuki’s shoulder and the next his skin was marked with red trails left by your nails under his shirt collar while you knelt between his legs and a hand slithered under the hem of your dress to grip your thigh. The way your heart raced as your tongues fought for dominance made you forget about wanting to headbutt him for being an emotionally-constipated dumbass. 

This was like the real life version of those stupid Hallmark-esque movies with the tragically separated couple spotting each other from across an airport terminal, running through a bustling crowd, and leaping into each other’s arms in the middle with ear-to-ear grins. Except they never fucked in those movies, and if you weren’t in Uraraka’s backyard with Katsuki’s main friend group inside, then the Hallmark channel would’ve absolutely deemed this heated encounter inappropriate for their prudish audience. 

However, Katsuki seemed absolutely unbothered by potential voyeurism as he practically growled in your mouth and pulled you flush against him as if daring any higher powers watching to rip him away from you again. 

Straddling his lap, you reluctantly pulled away causing him to practically whine while trying to keep you right where he wanted you. But there were things you needed to explain and answers he no doubt wanted judging from the disbelieving comments and interrogation just minutes before. Smothering his mouth with one of your palms, you managed to keep him steady while wiping at your eyes that were still damp from the emotional deluge. 

You sat back on your heels and looked from side to side before spotting the translator you’d dropped. Leaning over to grab it across one of Katsuki’s legs, you really hoped it wasn’t busted from the couple of new scratches on the screen and one of the corners. “Shit…” 

Huffing through his nose at you interrupting your own makeout session, Katsuki took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. As he pulled your hand away from his face, he glanced up just in time to see familiar red hair and eyes peeking around the corner of the back door before quickly retreating back inside after being caught peeping. Only a small part of him was embarrassed, though. If he could finally tell you that he loved you and apologize for his past faults, then dealing with PDA witnesses was a walk in the park by comparison. 

He saw you fiddling with the device in your hand before slipping his fingers between yours and pressing a tender kiss to your palm, resting it against his cheek. Grounding. Warm. Real. The longing ache that had weighed him down for months seemed to vanish at your touch. Zoning out for a second, still pushing away all of the questions he had about how all of this happened, you kissed his other cheek before resting your forehead against his and stared lovingly into his eyes. 

If he said it once, he could say it again. So he did. Telling you he loved you was easier the second time, but no less impactful as you bit your lip and smiled sheepishly but oh so earnest and bright. Enough to rival those park fireworks. To put them to shame. He couldn’t help but smile, too. 

Feeling tired of sitting on the hard ground, Katsuki stood up and brushed dirt off the back of his pants before extending a hand to help you up, too. 

“C’mon… Please don’t be broken. Does this thing still work?” He watched you press a few buttons on the thing in your hand while The same voice from before came through just fine and you let out a relieved sigh. Right as you turned back to him, Katsuki grabbed your chin and stared down into your eyes before glancing at the device. 

“Tell me again for my own sanity that this isn’t a dream or illusion or anything, because that kiss seemed real as hell to me, and if it wasn’t, then I’m gonna lose my fucking mind.”

The tension dropped along with your shoulders as you pulled his hand away, but didn’t let go. “Yes, Katsuki. I really am here, just like I said. None of this is fake or anything. You can thank your friends for setting all of this up, but also blame them for not telling you I was coming in the first place.”

OK. Alright. So he wasn’t crazy after all. Now that he’d had a minute to readjust and most of the shock had finally worn off, your answer sealed the deal. His gut instinct to protect himself through vehement denial of the unbelievable twisted in opposition, but he forced himself to ignore the discomfort. 

Then it hit him and he scowled while running his free hand down his face. 

“Those fuckers,” he cursed, eyeing the now-closed door that led back into the house. “I knew Todoroki wasn’t telling me everything! Who all is in on it? Who do I-“

Before his annoyance levels rose too high, you shut him up with a simple gesture that he rejected from just about everyone else: a hug. You tugged on his hand and pressed against him like a shield. God, he missed this, just burying his nose in your hair and shutting his eyes to savor feeling close and wanted.

"I don't want you to fight on your birthday," you said. "Oh, right. Happy birthday, Katsuki." 

"They started it," he retorted, his eyes still closed as his hands came up to wrap around your waist. "Mm. Are you my gift?" 

Even though you couldn't see his face, you knew he was smiling. "If you want me to be, then yes." Although him calling you a gift was sweet in its own way, it reminded you sorely of his friends back inside and how they seemed to pass you around from one person to the next. You were a person, not a present, and chose to come here of your own volition. 

"Katsuki," you said, gripping his hand tighter in your own. It was heavenly being able to say his name and actually hear him answer you, again. "Why didn't you tell me back then?" 

He knew what you meant without explanation and you swore you felt the pace of his heartbeat quicken through his chest. "I was stupid. I didn't think things would go the way they did, that we'd keep growing closer, and by the time I realized what I was feeling, I didn't know what to do. It…" Katsuki hesitated and you squeezed his hand reassuringly to keep going. "It scared me. I'd never been in love before, especially not to someone I couldn't be with in the end. I could always train and learn and evolve to prepare for whatever the future held as a Hero… but I wasn't prepared for you." 

Your breath hitched as he revealed insecurities you knew were difficult to explain. Of all the things that could scare someone like Katsuki… but thinking back to everything that happened during those last few days together, it all made sense. 

"I was a coward," he stated bluntly. You knew he was frowning just from his tone. "I was angry. Back on the ferris wheel, I knew. It hit me and I knew. I was happy and you were beautiful and I just…" 

"...You panicked." Finishing his thought for him, all the pieces finally clicked together. Katsuki didn't want to leave and you didn't want him to leave, but there was nothing either of you could do about it. Fighting against the unbeatable and coming out on top was something Katsuki excelled at. Something he couldn't overcome… no wonder he lashed out. "You dummy." The annoyingly familiar pressure began building behind your eyes again. "It's OK to be scared or unsure of things. Talking it out can help, though. You're supposed to be smart…" The weak laugh at your own words hopefully obscured him from hearing you sniffle. 

His lips and warm breath caressed your forehead; the tiniest gesture was going to make you cry again from how much you missed it, missed him. "I know that now. And I won't make the same mistake again." 

I know you won't… because my time here is limited. But you refused to think about going back home without him, not when you had so much catching up to do. "You know, I was going to tell you I loved you back on the ferris wheel. I'd known for a while how I felt… but was waiting for the right moment. It was so cliché and romantic… then all the drama happened and I didn't want to make things worse with just one day left." You loosened your arm wrapped around his chest to look up at him; even under the pale moonlight, his eyes glistened like the beautiful red rubies you remembered. "So I waited until the last possible moment. I guess I was a coward, too." 

Back then, he knew. It was noticeable from the way you looked at him fondly with a coy smile that was just for show but also completely earnest. How you reached for him without hesitation. The darkness in the ferris wheel carriage couldn’t obscure what he saw backlit by city lights and fireworks. Katsuki knew, and he’d chosen to run instead. 

“Don’t,” he warned while shaking his head and holding his ground to stare down what he was so terrified of seeing six months ago. “I ran from my problems even though I would’ve called out anyone else for the same thing. There’s way more to strength and resolve than just how hard you can punch or how much you can take before going down. You did what I couldn’t.” He wasn’t afraid of your truth, anymore, nor his own. “So you better not call yourself a coward while I’m around, got it, Clumsy-chan?”

Your eyes widened and brows rose while the corners of his lips tugged into a grin. “Really? Even now, you’re stuck on that nickname?” The way you smiled through your words gave you away. 

“I’ve changed, but not that much. You’re stuck with it unless I find one I think suits you better.” He felt you attempt to tug your hand free from his pitiful rebellion, but his hands and arms were far stronger than the average person’s; it was a fight you’d never win, but the outcome wasn’t the point, anyway. 

Only now with most of his brain fog finally gone did he finally take in your appearance. Your hair was styled in an unfamiliar way, but it more than suited you. Matching earrings and a necklace that sparkled from the backyard light attached to the house. Smeared makeup circled your eyes, but Katsuki didn’t give a damn about that. And the rest…

Blinking in realization, he stepped back - hand never leaving yours - to look at the whole package. Confusion written on your face, he answered you before you had a chance to ask what the hell he was doing. “You’re wearing the red dress.” 

Yeah, he’d been right: you did look good in it. Brain dead idiot of an ex-boyfriend had as much taste as he did sense when he said it didn’t suit you. Red was always a striking color and stood out among a crowd, but you wore it well. When you realized exactly why he was staring, your posture shifted as if trying to appear more flattering to him than you already did. 

“Oh… yeah, I am. I mean, I’d only worn it once before… and I wanted to look nice for tonight. I thought about what you said about not letting anyone else decide what I should or shouldn’t do or wear. I'm guessing it was a good choice, then?" You managed a slow twirl in the uwabaki that didn't match your dress at all, the fabric flowing out from your thighs before settling back down as you stopped to face him expectantly. 

Deku's house slippers and tear-stained makeup be damned. Katsuki yanked you back towards him with little effort, catching you with an arm securely around your waist as he leaned down and caught you in a surprise kiss. The tiny squeak you let out had him smiling as you pressed against his chest and stood on your tiptoes to try and gain back some leverage, but he pulled away before you ensnared him in a willing trap. 

"You don't just look nice." The desiring glint in your eyes shifted to perplexed, but he was ready this time. "You look fucking beautiful. No extra can compare." No repeat of the "what the fuck are you wearing?" situation. 

His lack of hesitation in complimenting you must've come as a mild shock judging from the bashful way you tried to hide your smile, lips sucked in between your teeth; that, or you were still bashful about his praise. "Thank you… have you been practicing flirting this whole time Mr. I'm Bad With Words?" 

This back and forth banter was yet another thing he desperately missed; it was the small, prosaic interactions rather than grandiose displays that stuck with him the most. "No, but I've had six months to consider things I wish I'd said or done. I don't hold back with anything else, and this - you - shouldn't be an exception." 

"Glad you finally learned your lesson on that one," you concurred before leaning back and drinking him in from head to toe. "You clean up nicely, yourself. I'd almost forgotten you had other clothes besides black tank tops and jeans." Humming to yourself, you traced your fingertips lightly across the stiff collar of his shirt before trailing down his bicep. Touch-starved for close contact and affection, the small but sensual movement sent goosebumps across his skin. "Hmm, yes… very handsome, indeed. I like the jewelry, too. And… are you wearing eyeliner?" 

While you and Katsuki traded words, a small group had formed behind Jirou who had her earphone jack pressed up against the wall separating them from their friend outside. After Kirishima got caught peeking around the corner, even Jirou couldn’t hold back her curiosity as to what was going on after piecing together a rough idea through the whispered discussion of her friends.

However, it didn’t take long before her cheeks flushed and she quickly turned to disappear towards the snack table. “O-okay, their flirting really isn’t our business-“

“Flirting?! No way… but I guess he must have some game if he managed to get a girlfriend…” Ashido pondered mischievously about what in the world Bakugo’s flirting would entail as Jirou reached for her girlfriend’s hand. 

Yaoyozoru sighed. “I warned you, dear…” 

“But you totally wanted to know, too!” 

Her free hand flew to her cheek in exaggerated shame. “Oh, I know I did! I just wanted to see how Bakugo-san and Y/N-san were doing… but eavesdropping isn’t the answer. How impolite of me…”

Midoriya stood between Todoroki and Kirishima who all glanced sidelong at each other. “Do you think they’ll come back in, eventually?”

“I would think so, Todoroki-kun. They have a lot to catch up on. At least nothing bad happened…” His relieved chuckle contrasted with Kirishima’s annoyed groan. 

“Yeah, I mean I get that, but we still planned this whole party thing, y’know? And you still have Sato’s cake to bring out!”

Humming to himself, Todoroki pondered while Midoriya and Kirishima talked about cake. "But… I doubt staying at the party means more than spending quality time with his true love." 

The line made Kirishima snort. "Sounds so cheesy saying it like that, especially for someone like Bakugo, but it's also super manly to love who you love without caring what anyone else thinks! I mean, I'm not gonna cockblock my best bro-" 

"K-Kirishima-kun!" Even now as a married man with a kid on the way, Midoriya never fully overcame talking publicly about anything even mildly salacious. Searching around frantically before spotting Ochako, he decided it was the perfect time to check on his wife who was eating mochi while giggling at Dark Shadow acting like a puppy while Camie remained fixated on treating it as such. "They'll come inside when they want to and wecanhavecakethen!!" 

The redhead laughed. “I guess he’ll never outgrow talking about embarrassing stuff… but man, am I glad Bakugo didn’t totally blow it with… you alright, Todoroki?”

Still deep in thought over inconsequential details, he said, “I suppose with your quirk, you would be the best at cockblocking… like a shield…” He only came out of his trance when Kirishima doubled over with laughter. 

Calming relief replaced anxious uncertainty both inside and outside, although the current tempo of Katsuki’s heart begged to disagree.

“... Can’t believe I almost blew it.” 

Rather than stand around fawning over each other, you and Katsuki sat on a swinging porch bench situated at the furthest corner at the back of the house. You tried not to gush too much when you recognized that the earrings he wore were eerily similar to the Fantasy AU art that everyone always fawned over. They suited him well alongside the thin chain of silver around his neck and expensive-looking watch on his wrist.

It was evident he’d picked up a few pointers from his fashion designer parents when he had more to choose from than t-shirts and tank tops. 

You had finally noticed his hearing aid, as well as the newly-healed scar on his left ear. He'd reassured you that he was fine and the hearing aid was more of a safety net than necessity. It was only a matter of time before his quirk affected his hearing, but something like this would never keep Katsuki down.

“Hm? Blew what?” You leaned against Katsuki's side while he gently rocked the swing with the heel of his foot and stretched his arms across the back of the sun-bleached wood. 

Without glancing your way, he said, "I almost let you run. Half a year trying to move on and find some normalcy in my routine again. Come to terms with everything. My own mistakes. I didn't think it would be as hard as it was." 

"Relationships aren't easy," you reassured. "Especially breakups… including ones that have to happen even if no one wants them to. It was hard for me, too." Katsuki pressed his cheek to the top of your head. The weight was grounding. "Like… a piece of me was missing, and time and distractions just didn't make it go away. I mean, if I was fully over you, then I wouldn’t be here right now.” 

Katsuki remained silent as he continued to rock the bench back and forth. He knew why moving on was so difficult, thinking back to the pathetic state of self-wallowing he turned into after visiting Tartarus. Her second quirk… so, it affected both of you, then. You attributed it to intense heartbreak; and yes, while that definitely factored into it, Black Hole’s quirk complicated everything tenfold. 

Should I tell her…? Katsuki wasn’t so sure it was something you needed to know, at least not yet. 

“After months of trying to accept the mistakes I couldn’t fix and move forward with my life, you step back into it. If you were really here, then all that work I did would've vanished. Like I was back at square one, like your memory was taunting me. So, I almost let you run… but even if it seemed impossible that you were here, I didn’t want to let that chance slip away.”

You couldn’t help but frown at his words. “I told them to tell you what they were planning. Good intentions but stupid execution…” 

Katsuki moved away so he could turn to face you, his expression sincere and his eyes sharp. “How long have you known about this whole thing? How long have they been planning it? How did you even get here?”

Ah, right… you knew he’d want to know the logistics of everything considering how this all came out as a literal birthday surprise. Sighing, you fiddled with the translator in your lap and hesitantly looked up at Katsuki. “I… you know how I said I didn’t want you to be upset on your birthday?”

“I’m not mad at you. It’s not like you could’ve told me what was going on, anyway.” 

You shook your head. “No, I know that. What I mean is, you’re probably going to be upset at your friends, whether it’s me that tells you or them… “ Starting a yelling match between Katsuki and his friends seemed like an awful way to get on the good side of the people he was closest to, but he’d make them fess up either way. “I know I’m technically in the middle of all this, but I don’t… shit. Am I making any sense?”

“I see.” Why did it sound so ominous coming from him? "You don't have to tell me. But I'd rather know everything now while we're all together. If you say I'll be mad, then you're probably right. But I doubt anything they say will make you being here not worth it. They can't ruin that." The soft intensity he gave off was just as flustering now as it was back in your apartment. "And I'll try really fucking hard not to yell…" He hesitated before sighing and holding up his pinky, albeit reluctantly. "For you." 

You could've cried all over again from how adorably sappy it was to know he remembered how you insisted on pinky promises; he didn't need to know you only liked them because of how embarrassed he always looked doing something so juvenile. 

Holding up your own pinky, you twirled it around his and smiled. "I'll hold you to it. I love you, Katsuki." 

The casual way you dropped love into the conversation made his eyes widen and the tips of his ears flush pink. You said it with complete confidence as easily as if discussing the weather. How you could ever call yourself cowardly was beyond him. 

Scoffing and shaking his head, Katsuki snickered before invading your space, keeping you in place by your pinky while close enough to see his own reflection in your startled eyes. "Love you, too." Each time he said it was a little easier than the last. Besides, he couldn't let you outdo him, especially not on his own birthday. 

On that note, while he wanted to pull away to tease you just the tiniest bit, you leaned in close enough for your lips to brush. "Otanjoubi omedetou, Kat-su-ki." The slow, slurred way you tugged at his name like you knew exactly how much slack to give and take to keep him from toppling over the edge made him briefly regret wanting to go back inside at all. 

Over as soon as it began, the kiss was brief but had you smiling before hopping up from the bench, pulling him up by the hand to meet you. God, he was so fucking whipped. 

As you neared the back door where you heard the party moving on without you or the birthday boy, you slowed to let Katsuki overtake you. This was his conversation to have, not yours. Sort of. 

Katsuki paused, glanced back at you, and tugged his head towards the house before giving your hand a light squeeze of reassurance. Don't worry, I'm here. Even if they were all his friends, everyone except for Uraraka was, for the most part, a complete stranger… again, sort of. 

With a final deep breath, you turned off the translator, slid it into your small purse, and let Katsuki slide open the door and lead you inside. 

Almost immediately, you felt far too many pairs of eyes on you as the commotion and conversation died down leaving only the background music playing from the speakers. Even though you technically knew who all of them were, they didn't know you. Some were probably out of the loop completely as to what was going on judging by several confused or intrigued stares. Jaw clenched, body tense, and toes curled inside your slippers, you immediately regretted leaving the isolated safety of the backyard. 

"Oi, stop staring, you weirdos," Katsuki demanded as he kept you close to his side and glared at anyone trying to make a spectacle of the two of you. He had nothing to hide, not anymore. "This is my girlfriend. Don't make a big deal out of it." 

Scanning the various faces of everyone at that curt announcement - some shocked, some excited, some ambivalent - he stopped when he saw the four morons in charge of this so-called surprise. 

Kirishima broke the awkward quiet by strutting through the crowd towards you and Katsuki with a satisfied grin plastered across his face. However, it gradually fell as he came closer and noticed Katsuki’s obvious irritation. Midoriya, Todoroki, and Uraraka stood behind Kirishima. “Uh… happy birthday? Again? You don’t look happy even though… “ Kirishima tried to glance your way, but Katsuki sidestepped to block you from view. “What’s wrong?”

Jabbing a finger in each of their directions, he barked out an order that left no room for debate. "You four. We need to talk in private. Now." 

"What's like, happening? Is the party already over…? Bummer." A tipsy Camie squeezed past Sero and Ashido looking flushed and frustrated at the killed mood. 

Scraping a hand down his face, Katsuki's eye twitched trying to keep his composure for your sake. Fucking pinky swear… "It's not over. This won't take long. Do whatever you want; it's not my house." 

This immediately cheered up Camie who seemed oblivious to the drama unfolding before her like a soap opera. Kirishima, Midoriya, Todoroki, and Uraraka all shared a look before Uraraka cleared her throat. "Um, there's a spare bedroom down the hall we can use." 

Reluctantly, the group filed into a messy line and began walking away from the rest of the party with Midoriya at the helm. Katsuki took one step before you pulled on his arm and beckoned him closer with your finger. Judging by the reluctance written in your body language, you wanted to do this even less than he did, which meant ripping off the bandaid now would hopefully ease the soreness for the rest of the night. "Eh?" He leaned down to let you whisper into his good ear. Gesturing with his thumb, Katsuki ignored the stares from everyone else left behind as he led you by the hand down the hallway after the others. 

Once you’d disappeared, Ashido and Yaoyorozu shared a concerned glance. They’d listened to your story earlier today. The worry regarding how things would turn out in addition to this secretive surprise nonsense and being in a totally unfamiliar world with unfamiliar people was a lot to deal with. At least the Bakugo part of the equation appeared to turn out for the better…

Sero glanced around since he realized someone was missing. “Hey, where’d Kaminari go…?”

As Midoriya opened a door at the end of the hall, Katsuki pointed to one on the opposite wall leading to the bathroom. At least those Japanese lessons with Liviya were paying off a bit. And in all honesty, you kind of wanted to let them all have their back and forth without feeling like a third wheel in the corner; trying to keep up with five different people speaking over each other in Japanese was probably beyond the little translator’s capabilities, anyway. 

Turning on the bathroom light, you took a deep breath before glancing at yourself in the mirror with a jolt. “Oh, god… I really walked back inside like this?” All that crying had smeared the makeup around your eyes and left dirty tear tracks down your cheeks. “Waterproof my ass,” you cursed while digging in your purse for the makeup wipes you rightfully assumed you’d need for some emergency cleanup. 

The last in line, Katsuki closed the door to the spare office behind him as the others stood in front of a desk littered with Midoriya's unmistakable scribblings; a habit he never abandoned even into adulthood. 

Honestly, Katsuki was glad to be alone with them for at least a few minutes because he didn't want you to observe him blowing a gasket. He rounded on the nervous group as Midoriya stepped forward with his palm out as if presenting an invisible peace offering. "Kacchan, I know you're probably confused-" 

"What the hell is wrong with all of you?" His biting cadence shut Midoriya up with a squeak as he glared down at the rest of them. "I know you take pride in trying to solve my own problems without consulting me first, but why the fuck did you think it was a good idea to bring (y/n) here without telling me? How did you even get her here?!"

Katsuki was loud, always had been. Eventually, those that knew him best learned that he was actually most dangerous and serious when he was quiet, when he didn't hide behind roaring noise and bravado. And right now, with a deep set frown and shadowed eyes, the gravel in his voice was honed enough to cut glass. 

Kirishima took up the mantle of attempting to calm him down. "What all did (y/n) say already? And I'm sorry we didn't tell you before now, but we weren't even sure this was all gonna work in the end. It was a huge gamble. Plus, y'know… birthday surprise and all that…" Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his neck when Katsuki’s grimace didn’t budge. 

“She didn’t tell me much of anything. Said it would probably piss me off, and she’s right even though you haven’t even begun explaining yet. Besides, it’s not her responsibility to fill me in because it wasn’t her plan to begin with.” He accusingly cut his eyes towards Midoriya who was the worst out of all of them when it came to acting without thinking. “So,” he continued while crossing his arms, “start talking before (y/n) comes back.”

It seemed like their plan for a happy reunion came to fruition, but good intentions didn’t excuse the underhanded tactics to get there. 

While the group unenthusiastically took turns explaining the hoops they jumped through to get their friend and his long lost love back together - researching potential quirks, pulling favors, Uraraka paying you a visit - you were just about done cleaning yourself up in the bathroom when someone whispered your name outside the door. 

“(Y/n)…? Daijoubu desuka?” It sounded like… Ashido, maybe? 

Leaving your purse and makeup scattered on the counter, you unlocked the door and peeked outside to see a black and gold eye staring back at you. You opened the door to see Yaoyorozu standing behind Ashido, both with worried expressions. 

“Oh, uh, daijoubu desu.” Before you could attempt to try and listen in on what was happening in the other room, Ashido pushed her way inside the small bathroom with Yaoyorozu in tow before closing the door behind her. Scrunching up her eyes as if you were under inspection, Ashido eventually nodded while Yaoyorozu picked up the translator on the sink and turned it on without much difficulty. 

“I believe this is… there we go. Simple enough. Apologies for intruding, (y/n)-san, but we wanted to make sure you were all right.” 

“We could tell you’d been crying outside,” Ashido explained. “Needed to make sure Bakugo didn’t say something dumb to our new friend.” Even though they’d only met you earlier today, the two of them came to make sure you were OK? “You did a pretty good job cleaning up your makeup, though.” 

You couldn’t help but feel appreciative of their concern; Katsuki was lucky to form bonds with such strong-willed and considerate people. “Thanks, really. But they were happy tears. He almost screwed up, but quickly made up for it. I don't really blame him, though, since I think it would've been much smoother if it all wasn't, y'know, a secret." 

Your reassurance that nothing terrible happened seemed to ease their concern before Ashido huffed and crossed her arms. "Thought so. Boys can be so dumb, sometimes. Don't worry, I gave Kirishima an earful when we got here. But I'll leave most of the finger-wagging to you and Bakugo." 

"Speaking of," Yaoyorozu began while glancing at the bathroom door. "If you need to rejoin the others, we don't want to hold you up if there's nothing else you need from us." 

As you started shoving makeup back into your purse, you paused. Surely they would know, right? "Actually… I have a question about certain Japanese words and phrases since I know they can be highly contextual." 

The two women nodded confidently and said they could provide some translation help. "OK, well… what's the difference between 'dai suki da yo' and 'aishiteru'? I know the latter is generally more serious… what?" 

Yaoyorozu flushed and covered her mouth with her hand while Ashido’s eyes sparkled mischievously as a pursed grin spread across her pink face. “For one,” Yaoyorozu hesitantly began, “using ‘aishiteru’ is um, very rare. It’s reserved for intense and serious situations such as a marriage proposal… It’s a term that cannot be misinterpreted and is used very intentionally.” 

Keeping her sly expression, Ashido added onto Yaoyorozu's explanation. "Mm, yep, it's a super intense term for loooooove," she reiterated while batting her eyelashes. "It's not an everyday term, you know. And some people might never use it at all." It was like this kind of gossip directly fueled Ashido's excited energy.

All you could do was stand dumbfounded. You knew way back before Katsuki left that Japanese was highly contextual and, though simplistic, the dictionary touched on it briefly. So, for Katsuki - someone who knew full well what it meant and the implications behind it - to say it first… "Oh." 

"... Oh?" 

"Did we break her?" 

At that exact moment, all three of you turned towards the unseen hallway as raised voices echoed past the doors. Remembering what was going on in the other room snapped you out of your stupor. So much for Katsuki staying calm. "Uh, guess I should get back and see what's going on," you said while picking up the rest of your things and checking yourself one last time in the mirror. "Thanks for checking in on me. Katsuki's lucky to have friends like you." 

Yaoyorozu seemed to calm down from the aishiteru discussion and gave you a warm smile. "Of course, (y/n)-san. Hopefully, things turned out for the best even if we had a rocky start." 

Ashido nodded before opening the bathroom door to find Sero trying to listen in while pressed against the wall. When the bathroom light illuminated him, he just grinned and shrugged to play it off as no big deal. "Oh, well. Was just trying to feel included is all," he joked. “So, Ashido, don’t you owe me some money?”  You heard him chuckle as Ashido pushed him back down the hall through some incoherent grumbling followed by Yaoyorozu. That left just you standing in front of the door. The voices had died down by now, but you were still a little worried for whatever scene lay beyond it. 

The tension in the office hung heavy as Katsuki glared at a squirming Midoriya. "I can't fucking-" Knock knock. Someone at the door cut him off. Before he could tell whoever it was to get lost, he heard his name on the other side. 

"Katsuki?" 

Taking a deep breath to calm himself after hearing the absolute bullshit excuse of a story they told him to try and explain away what almost turned into complete ruin, Katsuki turned on his heel, walked to the door, and flung it open. 

No wonder you were in the bathroom for so long - you'd cleaned up your makeup and seemed less frazzled than before. He just figured you needed some time to yourself, but it also gave him the opportunity to hear out the morons standing on the opposite end of the room without feeling you side-eyeing his exasperation. 

"Hey. You good?" Nodding, you let him lead you into the room before gently closing the door behind you. Although he appeared collected, the stiff way he carried himself and the vestige of various creases along his brow and around his mouth gave the truth away. Not to mention the four people now staring in your direction looking equally drained. You finally noticed Uraraka's belly, but said nothing as she looked especially apologetic before staring down at the floor.

The room, you observed, seemed like an ordinary spare bedroom that they turned into an office space. How often they actually used it was unclear, but a few framed posters of All Might and various shelves lined with books and Hero memorabilia made it feel less sterile. Of course, the room itself wasn't important; your eyes hesitantly drifted to Kirishima, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Uraraka before Katsuki stomped up to them to presumably continue where they left off before you knocked. 

"I was hoping this would be quick. Didn't think this story had a hundred different chapters to it," he bit out while crossing his arms. Katsuki glanced over his shoulder to see you leaning against the wall. The sooner he could get this over with, the sooner he could get back to what was actually important. "So, if I'm not missing anything, you," he emphasized with a glare in Midoriya's direction, "told Melissa personal shit that wasn't her damn business, then she went and told some extra that I don't even know because he had a teleportation quirk?" 

"For the most part, yes," Todoroki answered. "We exhausted our own resources while searching, so Midoriya reached out on his own. If this didn't work, then we would've been out of options." 

While the secrecy of it all was infuriating, Katsuki was honestly amazed, but not at all surprised, by the massive hoops they jumped through for his sake. No one here would dream of giving less than 150% when it came to helping each other out; he realized that back at Kamino all those years ago. "Right… and this guy-"

"Devin-san," Midoriya quickly corrected. Katsuki narrowed his eyes. 

"Devin, whatever. Is he even a Hero? How does his quirk work? Why did he agree to help you all, anyway?" All four of them shared glances as if silently trying to figure out who would do the explaining. That didn't bode well, but Kirishima was the one who finally spoke up. 

"Alright, so, one, he isn't a Hero, but his mom is or…?" Side-eyeing Midoriya, Kirishima continued when he saw a confirming nod. "His mom, yeah. She's a Hero over in America. That's how Melissa knew him since she or her dad probably worked on support items and tech over there. Apparently, Devin owed Melissa a favor, and she used it on this." Unimpressed, Katsuki stood silently and waited for the redhead to get to the point. "Uh, as for his quirk… it is a teleportation-type quirk, but it works differently than Kurogiri's." 

Those types of powerful quirks were rare; not as uncommon as they used to be when quirks were overall simpler and less powerful, but still coveted all the same. What made this guy's quirk so special, then? "Well? Tell me how it works, Kirishima." He needed confirmation of something he was unsure of last year. Something that irked him, but he lacked proof for any kind of confrontation. And judging from how hesitant Kirishima appeared to let out the full extent of the truth, this was either going to close the case or leave it indefinitely unresolved. 

Kirishima visibly deflated and seemed to resign himself to finally telling the truth. "It works by using important objects. The more emotional attachment the object has, the further Devin can teleport, including to places he'd never been before. But he had no idea if he could even go to a whole different world. The only way we could try and make it work was to have something… really meaningful." 

Tightening his jaw while staring daggers at Kirishima's sinking frown, Katsuki took a single, measured step forward until they were almost nose-to-nose. His words held dangerously steady like a dagger pressed against a windpipe. “I want to hear you admit it.” Katsuki felt your eyes on the back of his neck, watching to see if he’d keep his promise. 

At least Kirishima’s eyes looked as fearless as ever as he stared down at his long time friend with a mixture of determination and heavy guilt. “I’m really sorry, Bakugo… yeah, I took the note (y/n) wrote for you. I swear I only saw the first couple of lines before realizing what it was-“

“I should Howitzer you in the fucking mouth.”

It was one thing to defy teachers’ orders and go on a dangerous rescue mission to save his life. But it was something else entirely for them to just assume they knew what was best for him and steal his things. “I deserve it,” Kirishima admitted easily. Telling the truth seemed to dispel most of the strain he was holding in his neck and jaw. 

Flaring his nostrils like a cartoon bull preparing to huff out a stream of angry smoke before charging at a taunting red cape, Katsuki let his hands fall to his sides and took a step back before cutting his eyes to the other three. “And you all just went along with everything? It’s obvious that his quirk did work, so why the hell didn’t you just tell me everything then, huh? And-“ Something Kirishima said struck him as odd. Creasing his brows, Katsuki turned on his heel to look at you with confusion before turning back to the group. “You put the note back,” he stated while pointing at Kirishima who nodded obediently. “Which means you didn’t use it to bring (y/n) here, today. So what the fuck was it for?”

This time, it was Uraraka’s turn to solemnly raise her hand. “Um… that’d be me. I sorta volunteered to test out Devin-san’s quirk to make sure it would be safe to go back and forth since he’d never done anything like this before…” 

"Safe?" It was just one blow right after the other with this lot. Katsuki stomped over to stand in front of Uraraka, incredulity written across his face in bold lettering. "You mean to tell me you went to her world and presumably saw her and still didn't think to just fucking tell me what was going on?" Wiping a hand down his tired face, Katsuki breathed out a mirthless chuckle. Of course they had to have some kind of contact with you before this point to explain things and get you on board with their scheme, but everything compounded was just too much to take in right then and there. "Ya know what? I don't even wanna know the rest of it." Maybe he should've listened when you insisted that confronting this now would sour his mood, but he couldn't change it now. It would've eaten at him until he heard the truth, anyway. 

He hated what he needed to do, but it was necessary. Holding out his hand to Kirishima, he said, "Gimme my spare apartment key back." 

Kirishima appeared taken aback and hurt at the request, but handing over the key Katsuki gave him as a symbol of trust and friendship was just the natural consequence of his actions. Without complaint, he pulled out his keyring and slid the key off before wordlessly dropping it in Katsuki's waiting palm. 

Avoiding looking at the others, he kept his back to them and trudged over to you with his hands jammed into the front pockets of his jeans. You looked about as tired as he felt, and you couldn't even understand most of what was being discussed. While there was more he could've pried into, salvaging the remainder of his birthday by spending time with you was far more important than wasting the rest of the night thinking about all this shit. 

Katsuki angled his head towards the door that led back to the main hallway to signal he was done here, but to his surprise you weren't ready to head out just yet. You shook your head, whispered, "Chotto matte," and brushed past him to stand in his previous spot in front of Kirishima, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Uraraka. 

You didn't want to do this. You really didn't want to do this… but it was one of those unavoidable adult situations that needed to happen. So much discussion around regret and second chances forced you to confront your own anxieties about how the day didn’t exactly measure up to your expectations. Holding the translator up like a microphone, you nervously addressed the group. 

“Um… hi,” you reluctantly began. Meeting Katsuki’s closest friends and some of your favorite characters from the series would’ve been so much more exciting if the circumstances weren’t so somber. “I think you all know who I am, but I really only know one of you.” Cutting your eyes to your right, Uraraka was already staring in your direction with mixed emotions. “I know that Katsuki just talked about some things…” Honestly, ‘talked’ was a much kinder word than how Katsuki would’ve described it, but you didn’t want to rub unnecessary salt in the wound. “Still, I wanted to say a few things while I have the opportunity.” 

Deciding to start on a positive note, you brought your hands down and bent forward in a shallow bow. Staring down towards the floor, you saw Kirishima and Midoriya's feet shuffle awkwardly from your peripheral vision. "I wanted to thank you all for helping me get here to see Katsuki again. I know it must’ve taken a lot of work and planning. Me being grateful doesn’t dismiss some of the hurtful things you did, though.” Standing back up to your full height, you forced yourself to look everyone in the eyes; you wanted them to see you - truly see you - for who you were. 

"In all honesty, today didn't go at all like I thought it would. I came here unsure of who or what might greet me. I didn't know anyone and was in an unfamiliar place." You noticed as realization finally seemed to spark in Midoriya's eyes as you tried to articulate your feelings regarding their treatment of you. "The only two people I did know weren't there, and almost as soon as I arrived I was practically pushed out the door-" 

"You WHAT?!" Katsuki's raised voice would have startled you if you hadn’t expected at least one interruption. However, you didn’t need him fighting on your behalf, not when he had his own grievances to worry about. 

You held up a hand to motion to Katsuki that you could handle yourself as you watched Uraraka quietly chastise her mortified husband. “I felt like more of a burden than a guest,” you continued as the room quieted down once again. “But I’m grateful to Yaoyorozu and Ashido for helping me out even though you didn’t tell them what was going on, either. By the time I was brought back here for the party, I felt like… you all just used me as a means to make Katsuki happy.” 

At that, Midoriya wasn’t the only one appearing regretful as the consequences of their eagerness finally set in. Todoroki’s frown was small, but not insignificant if you took into account the usual calm control he exuded. Furthermore, it really pained you to see Kirishima, normally so bright and positive, looking like a kicked puppy. Even his signature spiked hair drooped as he hung his head in apparent shame. 

“I’m not a gift to give to someone. I’m a person who has just as much stake in this whole thing as Katsuki.” Only when you finished speaking did you realize your hands were shaking. Still, explaining yourself lifted yet another weight from your chest as relief washed over you. “So… while I do appreciate everything you all did, I’d like an apology. And I think you owe one to Yaoyorozu and Ashido, too.” 

Requesting an apology from Kirishima, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Uraraka wasn’t exactly on your to-do list for the day, but you knew that ignoring your feelings was the perfect way to feel terrible and anxious when all you wanted to do was celebrate the remainder of Katsuki’s birthday. 

Uraraka stepped forward first and it forced you to analyze her discomfort when you tried to avoid looking at her completely during your speech. You considered her a friend by the time she left, so knowing she’d gone along with keeping their plan a secret after you tried to convince her it was a bad idea made the hurt more personal. Wringing her hands together, she dipped into a shallow bow. “I’m so sorry, (y/n)-san. Both you and Bakugo-kun are right. We should’ve explained things once I returned, but then we found out about the baby and… n-not that it’s an excuse or anything. I will say I yelled at my husband when I realized he let you leave without telling me, first.”

Having someone bow to you was probably something you’d never get used to. They didn’t need to present some ostentatious apology for it to matter; they just needed to understand why you were upset in the first place and promise to be more considerate in the future. “Thank you. I-” Reflexively, you were about to give your own apology for dragging out this little drama party, but bit your lip to stop yourself. There was nothing to apologize for, but old habits were hard to break. "I appreciate it." 

Uraraka straightened up, allowing you to really see how her rosy cheeks had rounded out even more as the baby grew from the last time you'd seen her. "And congratulations. Really, I'm happy for you." At the very least, you didn't want to add to her existing stress of, you know, being pregnant. Smiling softly, she folded her hands under her belly and uttered a soft, "arigatou." 

Turning to look pointedly at her husband, Midoriya stepped forward with frantic speed before dipping into an excessively low bow. And another. And another. It was like he'd turned into one of those old drinking bird toys that bobbed perpetually up and down, except turned up to about one-hundred and the bird babbled out a long stream of strung-together apologies in Japanese. 

You stumbled back at his sudden whirlwind of movement, but something wide and sturdy appeared at your back to help keep your balance. "Uh-" 

"Don't make it weird. We got two more apologies to hear," Katsuki grunted out right above your head as he kept a grounding hand on your waist. So, he literally had your back on this; Comforting to know. 

Uraraka tugged on her husband's shirt collar to pull him back in line as Todoroki took his place. While he didn't bow like the others, you knew his words were sincere. "Sorry about the mess we made. I suppose good intentions don't overshadow the problems they might cause. Oh, right. I never introduced myself. I'm Todoroki. Nice to meet you." 

"You didn't even- fucking hopeless." You couldn't even argue with Katsuki's indignant grumbling. Even though you technically knew who Todoroki was, it was true that this was his first formal introduction. You kept it short and simple and thanked him for the apology. Just one more left until you could hopefully put this awkwardness beyond you…

Honestly, out of everyone you knew you might meet here, you were most excited about Kirishima. He was a fan favorite from the very beginning with his talk of manliness and friendly attitude. As the first person to really make an effort in befriending Katsuki, it was no wonder they were still close years later. Even though it wasn't technically your fault, it still hurt to see the current wedge driven between the two of them.

You felt Katsuki's grip on your waist tighten the tiniest amount as Kirishima sheepishly stood in front of you. He glanced up above your head, but even without seeing his face you knew Katsuki was giving the redhead a hardened glare. "If you didn't already know, I'm Kirishima Eijirou, but you can just call me Kirishima. And… I'm really sorry," he admitted before giving his own apologetic bow, his long red hair spreading across his shoulders. "It was all the opposite of manly. Everything you said was right and it took guts to speak your mind like that. If it's worth anything, I respect that a lot. I can see now why Bakugo likes you," he confessed while standing up to his full height which was just a bit taller than Katsuki's, excluding the hair. 

Under different circumstances, you might've felt bashful at his words, but you were tired, annoyed, and your hospitality meter was almost running on empty. "You took something important that I gave Katsuki, right?" 

Clearing his throat, Kirishima nodded. "Y-yea, I did." 

"Mmhm," you hummed, wanting to make him sweat for a moment. "That was fucked up. Don't do something like that again. Understand?" At your demand, all he managed was a slow, purposeful nod. "Good," you sighed. "OK, I'm done chastising your friends.”

Katsuki took the hint and grabbed your hand to finally lead you out of this stifling room. But as he ushered you out the door, he turned around for a final glare over his shoulder and mouthed, “I’m still going to kick your asses,” before slamming the door behind him. 

Kirishima, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Uraraka stood together in silence for a second before letting out a collective groan. Well, that didn’t go well… 

“So much for the idea that she’d protect us from Bakugo… I guess we had it coming, though,” Kirishima admitted, still melancholy over making his best friend and his girlfriend so upset. "Didn't expect her to look so intimidating…" The way you held yourself had him convinced that, despite being quirkless and a good head and a half shorter than him, you could've put him in the ground if you tried. Or maybe that was what you wanted him to think. Either way, Kirishima had no plans to make things worse for his friends or himself from this point forward. 

Once the two of you were in the hallway, you barely had time to glance back towards the living room before Katsuki grabbed your hand and tugged you in the opposite direction. He quickly rounded the corner at the end of the hall before you nearly bumped into him as he came to a dead stop in front of an unfamiliar door and wordlessly turned the knob. 

What neither of you expected to see were two figures suddenly illuminated when Katsuki flipped the light switch. 

“AGH!”

“Ow! You shocked me, Kami-”

“Ugh, gross.”

“Oooh… oops.”

Katsuki grimaced before turning the lights back off and shutting the door. All he wanted was an empty room, but those two idiots just had to be sucking face while half naked and- A dry retch escaped him before the cursed scene was complete. He glanced down at you, a hand clamped over your mouth to stifle a giggle before he pulled you further down the hall to hopefully find a room that was actually empty. 

Luckily, the next door he opened that happened to be at the very end of the hallway fit the bill as Katsuki ushered the two of you inside before closing the door. 

A light shade of green paint coated the walls while various pieces of an unfinished crib lay in the far corner. Ignoring all of the boxed-up decorations and lingering smell of paint for what would soon become a nursery, Katsuki leaned his forearm against the wall, putting you in shadow in front of him. 

"What-" 

"I'm sorry." You looked up at him in confusion as his jaw tensed. "I called you my gift earlier. I didn't know." Had he been aware of all the trouble you went through today, he would've chosen his words more carefully. To think that you'd been here all fucking day, passed around from one person to the next all for some stupid birthday surprise. The shit you put up with for his sake was frustratingly astounding. 

"Shit, don't scare me like that," you remarked with a huff and light tap on his chest. "I thought something was actually wrong. But that's nothing to apologize for," you clarified. "They were the ones treating me that way, even if they didn't mean to. You can call me a present if you want, just for today." 

It wasn't like he wanted to be irate on his birthday, not when he had you at arm's length again. He was about to switch the subject with a comment about unwrapping you to hopefully lighten the mood, but you cut him off as he opened his mouth. 

"I'm sorry, though. Not for anything I said back there, but just… " You leaned your head against his arm, still pressed against the wall. "I didn't want to put a wedge between you and your friends. And I wanted your friends to like me after all the stories you told me…" 

Putting an end to this shitty mood was his top priority at the moment, because if you were sad, then he was sad, and he'd been sad for six fucking months. "Listen," he said, leaning down close to make sure you looked him in the eyes. "Don't apologize for shit. You warned that I'd get pissed, and I did it anyway to get it over with. That whole conversation sucked, but I'm not gonna spend the rest of the night grinding my teeth over it. You shouldn't, either. And for your last point, they'll get over it. If I know them like I think I do, then you standing up and chewing 'em out made their respect for you shoot through the damn roof." It wasn't easy standing up to people you didn't know, but he expected nothing less from you at this point; it was one of the many things he loved about you. 

You sucked your bottom lip between your teeth before pushing off the wall to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. When you pulled back, you were smiling. "Thank you, Katsuki. You're still number one at motivational speeches." 

Katsuki snorted. "Of course I am." Dipping down, he smirked against your jaw before caressing your skin with his lips, feather-light and teasing. In all honesty, watching you act bossy was kind of hot if he didn’t think too hard about context. Too bad he didn't get very far before the door suddenly opened. 

Todoroki poked his head inside the room, locked eyes with Katsuki who gave him a ferocious death glare, and shut it a second later. He could hear conversation in the hallway. One familiar, whiny voice was complaining about being "interrupted". Knowing he'd get no privacy while in someone else's house, Katsuki backed away from the wall and stuffed his hands into his pockets as you suppressed a snicker. 

"Well, tell me what ya wanna do. We can stay here for a while longer, or we can leave and head to my place." He checked his watch: 9:47 PM. How the hell did it get so late? Wait- "How long are you here for? When do you have to go back?" With everything else coming to light, he'd forgotten to find out exactly how much time the two of you had together. If you only had a day and those idiots wasted it for some stupid surprise- 

“I’m here for a week.” He visibly relaxed at hearing that. While a week was much better than only a day or two, it wasn’t long enough; it would never be enough. “If that works for you, that is. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if things didn’t, y’know, go well.” 

Thank fuck he came to his senses before you walked out of his life forever. Again. “Why would it be a problem?”

You shrugged. “I mean, we’re kinda in reversed positions. I’m here unexpectedly, interrupting your life, relying on you for stuff even though I brought clothes and things I need with me…”

"I guess so," he admitted. "But unlike you, I'm technically my own boss. Unless it's an emergency, the others can take care of things for a week. They did it for a whole month, after all. But we can talk about it more later. Answer the other question: what do you wanna do?" His apartment was a much quieter and more comfortable space to talk and catch up properly, so he hoped you chose to leave rather than stick around much later. 

“I dunno why you’re asking me when it’s your birthday, but fine.” You glanced to your left at the closed door leading back to the hallway where you could hear faint voices and music. “While I definitely don’t want to stay super long, do you mind at least introducing me to your other friends first?” There was no way you were going to pass up an opportunity to meet some of the others. You’d spotted Jirou, Sero, and a few other semi-familiar faces; even if you didn’t get a chance to talk more with Kirishima or Todoroki, you wanted to be able to look back on some unforgettable memories with Katsuki’s other friends. 

Even though you saw his eye twitch, Katsuki didn’t argue about wanting to stay. “Yeah, fine.” Maybe a bit of mingling could distract him from falling back into a sour mood. Opening the door for you, he led you back down the hallway where, unsurprisingly, a small group had been waiting for your reappearance. Another upside of introducing yourself was to hopefully diminish the amount of gawking aimed your way. 

Wasting no time, Katsuki immediately honed in on Yaoyorozu and Jirou who were chatting off to the side. He steered you to stand in front of him as he quickly introduced you to Jirou and vice versa before guiding Yaoyorozu off to the side for some private conversation. Well, being personable wasn’t exactly his strong suit…

Luckily, Jirou took the lead and rolled through the initial awkwardness. Apparently, Yaoyorozu had filled her in on what was happening and who you were, so at least you didn’t have to recount all of that again. Rather than pry into your relationship with Katsuki, Jirou asked about what you did back home and your hobbies while you inquired about her quirk. 

Talking with her was easy and comforting with her chill demeanor. When Katsuki and Yaoyorozu rejoined the conversation, he blurted out that you were a good singer which prompted a sudden urge to strangle him. It was one thing to sing for yourself or for Katsuki, but Jirou’s parents were professional musicians and she no doubt inherited a ton of their music-making talent. Luckily, Jirou didn’t ask for a demonstration of any kind, and instead, just encouraged you to keep practicing if it was something you enjoyed. You thanked her and, before you could say goodbye, Katsuki was already ushering you towards a different friend group. 

“That was weird, but she’s nice,” Jirou commented once she and Yaoyorozu were alone again. “Seeing him hold hands with someone is kinda bizarre since I never thought it would happen, but I’m glad it did. Oh, what did he want to talk to you about?”

Yaoyorozu smiled softly. “Bakugo-san wanted to thank me for helping (y/n)-san earlier today. He said he owes me a favor whenever I may need it.” Jirou’s eyebrows shot up into her purple bangs and glanced over at the two of you now talking with Ashido, Sero, and Tokoyami. Getting a “thank you” out of Bakugo was rare, but having him admit to owing someone a favor was downright unheard of. “He really is a caring person. It’s unfortunate that she can’t stay with how happy he seems…” Yaoyorozu leaned down and gave her girlfriend a light, chaste kiss upon her hair, grateful for the joy by her side. 

While it was one thing to grow accustomed to pink skin and minor edits to the human bodies you were used to, seeing Tokoyami and Dark Shadow up close was more jarring than you assumed it would be. You knew there was nothing to be nervous about, but trying to make sense of Dark Shadow's sketchy, ethereal appearance proved difficult. Reflexively, you kept Katsuki at arm's length while Sero chuckled at how sad Dark Shadow looked at your hesitation to touch it. 

"C'mon, it isn't that scary-" A flick to his temple from Ashido cut off Sero's harmless mocking.

"Dummy, she said people don't have quirks where she's from," she chided. "I mean, they don't even have people with pink skin! Their loss, honestly." 

Luckily, Tokoyami didn't appear insulted; maybe he was accustomed to people finding his quirk intimidating. "I see. There is nothing to fear. However, your comfort remains most important." 

While you nodded and cautiously held out your right hand while gripping Katsuki's arm with your left, he reassured you that everything was fine. "Nothin' to be- ah shit." Seemingly out of nowhere stumbled a more-than-tipsy Camie who was looking around for "ghost doggy" whatever the hell that meant. If there was anyone here at this party with the potential to embarrass him in front you, it was Camie. And Kaminari. But he was hopefully too busy hooking up with Shinsou to cause any real damage. 

"Like, found you," she declared before confidently patting Dark Shadow like someone might pet a- oh. Ghost doggy. Duh. "Hm? Who's this huh? New bestie?" Did she totally space out during his declaration earlier? "Why's this phone talking weird?" She pointed a nail at the translator in your hand as you stood by awkwardly. 

"Go drink some water," Katsuki ordered while knowing damn well that Camie could down a staggering amount of alcohol before passing out on a toilet. "And since you have elevator music and emojis between your ears, I'll say again that this is my girlfriend." 

It seemed to take Camie a good five seconds to process that information, but when she did, Katsuki swore he saw a twinkle in her eye. "OMG, for realsies? You're like, so brave and stuff," she remarked with complete sincerity towards you while Sero and Ashido were already cracking up. "Cute dress, tho. I'm Utsushimi Camie, but just Camie is chill.”

“Uh, hi.” The translator butchered Camie’s words, but at least you caught her name. “Nice to meet you. You can just call me (y/n).”

Camie smiled before pointing her pouting lips up at Katsuki while still holding tight to Dark Shadow; Surprisingly, Tokoyami didn’t seem to mind, at least not outwardly. “Bakugoooo, why didn’t you spill that you were off the market? I thought we were fam.”

“Why can you never talk normally?” He could already feel impending bullshit creeping nearer. "And I didn't even know she was gonna be here, so don't throw a damn fit." While that was true, there wasn't much of a point explaining your whole backstory if your stay here wasn't permanent or at least longer than a week. 

Camie tilted her head with a blank stare before finally letting go of Dark Shadow and cocking her hip. She glanced down at you, winked, then held her hand up to her chin. “Don’t you fucking-”

Too late. A stream of opaque, light pink smoke poured out of her mouth and swirled into a tall cloud, effectively catching the attention of everyone else in the room. It only took a second for an image to appear in the smoke. A mirror copy of Katsuki now stood in front of you, albeit the fluttering sparkles surrounding him weren't exactly normal. Katsuki wanted to scream. 

"Hey there, beautiful," the fake Katsuki purred with a wink. "You made my birthday wish come true by being here." Ashido and Sero sputtered with laughter; even Tokoyami couldn't hold back a low chuckle. The only one in the room who didn't seem to be laughing was the real Katsuki. However, before he could blow up Camie's cloud, you paused your shocked giggles to point at the imposter's face. 

"Ahem… nice try, but he doesn't look right," you accused with squinted eyes. "The nose is off and his eyes aren't the right shade of red. Also, the real Katsuki has a way with romantic words that this fake just can't compete with." Accepting his defeat with mocking grace, the illusion huffed and shrugged with a smirk before the smoke dissipated, leaving only the smiling Camie behind. 

"Wow, you're like, pretty cool. But I think the birthday boy is broken or something." Her eyes drifted up, causing you to turn and see a glowing-faced Katsuki who refused to look you in the eye. Oops, I'll make it up to him later. 

Sero and Ashido took turns making kissy noises before being yelled at by Katsuki. "SHUT THE HELL UP! WHERE'S MY DAMN CAKE SO I CAN GET OUTTA HERE?!" 

While you were being introduced to his friends, Midoriya and the other chewed-out friends hung back and out of the spotlight to give the two of you some space and reflect on their actions. Uraraka rested her swollen feet in a recliner they'd bought once the pregnancy was announced. Midoriya stood nearby with Todoroki before heading to the kitchen in silence to bring out the requested cake since Bakugo’s voice cut across everyone else in the room. The most forlorn of the bunch, Kirishima leaned against the wall while finishing off a drink that smelled of strong alcohol. 

"Kirishima." Todoroki calling his name barely made him look up. "You should try to talk to him. Not tonight, but-" 

"Nah," the redhead interrupted with a shake of his head. "I've pissed him off enough for one day. I'll let him come to me when he wants." 

Uraraka and Todoroki shared a concerning look. While the earlier confrontation was far from pleasant and gave them much to think about, they knew Bakugo wouldn't be mad at them forever; they'd shared too much throughout the years to let this be the end of their friendship. Maybe Kirishima needed some time to accept his faults and mistakes just like the rest of them. 

"Oi, about time." Midoriya had lit the candles and carried the cake into the main room before giving Katsuki some space while the other guests crowded around the faint orange glow. "Candles? I'm not a damn kid- wait, how many are on here?! I'm not that old!" 

Kaminari poked his head out of the crowd. “Hey! You’re lucky I resisted eating some frosting before now! No one told me I had to do math today.” 

Katsuki groaned. “Counting isn’t fucking math- whatever…” Standing behind him, you grabbed his shoulders and turned him back around to face the cake to keep him from arguing with Kaminari. Grimacing at the candles - there were at least thirty - the sudden sound of a few people beginning to actually sing him a happy birthday song forced him to wheel back around and shout, “You all got a death wish?!” Only two notes made it out before he blew out the candles in a single gust like the Big Bad Wolf; a few of them even toppled over into the icing.

You sat beside Katsuki on one of the couches in the living room, a plate piled high with a large cake slice in one hand and a fork in the other. Of course, he’d given himself the first and largest slice and you the second. He didn’t even bother with a fork, opting instead to just eat it with his fingers. “I thought you didn’t like sweets that much?” 

“I don’t,” he answered before licking orange and white icing from the corner of his mouth. He missed a spot, but swatted your hand away before you could wipe it away yourself. "But one of my old classmates made it and he's a damn good baker because his quirk relies on sugar. He made most of the birthday cakes for us while we lived in dorms." 

"So I guess he knows what you like, then," you murmured before taking another bite; by the large bites he took, you suspected Katsuki's vocal aversion to sweet things wasn't as authentic as he claimed. It really was delicious, though - not as sweet as a typical store-bought cake, but still flavorful and rich. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw someone approaching the two of you, but the moist cake in your mouth kept you from greeting him properly. 

"Aren't ya gonna introduce me, Kacchan?" Hovering in front of the couch, Kaminari smirked down at Katsuki who barely acknowledged his longtime friend. 

He stuffed another bite of cake in his mouth before retoring, "Only if you lock the door before you try and fuck in someone else's house." Kaminari sputtered and spun his head around to make sure no one overheard Katsuki's jab even though Uraraka chewing him out earlier was loud enough for most of the guests to hear. "Speaking of, where's the insomniac?"

You shielded your mouth to keep icing from flying out while you attempted to recover from choking on your laughter. "Keep your- what the hell, man?!" Katsuki snorted at his incredulous face, a rare sight for someone with so little shame. "Shinsou's probably in the bathroom or something. But don't make fun of me for shooting my shot when I just wanted to say 'hi' to the girl you've been simping over for months." 

He opened his mouth, closed it, and shook his head. "Too easy," Katsuki sighed. "But one, shut up, and two, what the fuck is a 'simp'?" You had to set down your plate before it toppled to the floor as you struggled to catch your breath. Their dynamic seemed even more chaotic now than what you recalled from the anime. "Oi, you good? The hell's so funny?" 

"She knows I'm right." 

"About what?"

"That you're a major simp." 

"Stop callin' me that! If it's short for 'simpleton', then that's definitely you, not me." 

"Nope. Wrong," you managed to sputter while wiping tears from your eyes and a few final coughs as both Kaminari and Katsuki stared at you. "Katsuki, that's not what simp means. But you're not one, anyway. So, you're both wrong. Also, hi. Nice to meet you…?" 

"Kaminari," he answered while a confused Katsuki pouted through his cake slice. "And same to you. But also, are you suuuuuuure…?" 

You nodded before picking your cake back up and turning to Katsuki knowing what he was going to ask. Of course, you already knew Kaminari's name, but since you hadn't formally met yet, it was a good idea to exchange brief introductions. "I'll tell you what it means later, but being labeled a simp is an insult." He was more like a kept man mixed with a snarky house husband… boyfriend… yeah, something like that. 

He licked the last of the icing from his fingers while staring daggers at Kaminari who by this point, knew the guy was mostly bark and only mildly bitey. "You're fuckin' lucky I'm in a good mood, because I'm giving you a head start. One." 

"Head start for-" 

"Two." 

Pursing his lips, Kaminari understood and began moving away to a safe distance before bending down and whispering something in Katsuki's ear. Whatever it was sent sparks flying from his palms as he yelled and leaned over the arm of the couch trying to snatch the tail of Kaminari's shirt, but for once he wasn't quick enough and Kaminari escaped towards a very perplexed Shinsou hiding out in the shadows with Tokoyami. 

It didn't take long before the whiplash of the day finally caught up to you. A single yawn had Katsuki asking if you were finally ready to go, to which you gave an affirmative nod. "Mmyeah. Just lemme ask Uraraka something first." 

While you headed over to the recliner where Uraraka was sleepily chatting with Yaoyorozu, Katsuki scanned the room and zeroed in on the sullen redhead on the opposite side. Despite not wanting a repeat of everything that pissed him off earlier, just leaving Kirishima to simmer in his own self-pity felt… if things were switched, Katsuki knew what would happen. 

A shadow poured across Kirishima's face, cheeks tinted pink from yet another drink as he looked up to see Katsuki standing over him.  

"Huh-" 

"Kirishima. Stop drinking and listen to me." He lowered his drink and winced as if bracing for round two of the harsh-but-deserved verbal barrage cage match. "I meant everything I said, and I bet (y/n) did, too. The way you guys went about all this was shitty." Kirishima frowned, but Katsuki continued. "One thing I didn't say, though… was thanks. 'Cause I know you idiots only did it to help me out with all this stuff." The love stuff, really. At that exact moment, Katsuki cut his eyes to find you standing in front of Uraraka, but you were looking at him, because of course you were. "But don't you ever do something so fuckin' stupid again, got it?" 

To anyone who didn't know him, Kirishima's sudden blubbering could've been caused by all the alcohol he downed in the past hours. But Katsuki knew he wore his emotions, even the sappy ones, right on his sleeve. "Man, I'm still so -hic- soooooo sorry! And I super duper swear-"

"You already apologized. An' I'm still pissed at you and the others. I just didn't wanna leave without saying that your screwed up plan was worth it." He left those final words as he walked away to find his way back to you. 

"Everything ok?" Your eyes flickered between Katsuki and Kirishima as you headed to the genkan to replace your house slippers with your heels. 

"Mm, fine," he grunted while flicking a wave over his shoulder in a wordless goodbye to everyone. "What'd you need Uraraka for?" 

You leaned against the wall for balance as you slid into your own shoes; even though you loved these shoes and appreciated how they made your legs look, walking around in them all night would have been tortuous. "Oh, I asked if this translator thing needed a charger or something, but she didn't have one? That the girl who made it didn't mention anything about charging it…" Four months of Japanese lessons weren't nearly enough for conversational edification despite how hardcore of a teacher Livia was, so this thing needed to supplement your gaps in grammar and knowledge since your phone didn't work here. 

Without warning, Katsuki grabbed the translator out of your hand, turned around, and yelled over the entire room in his raspy Japanese to catch Uraraka’s attention while you fiddled with the buckle of your shoe. “Wh-?” All you caught through the barked Japanese back and forth between him and Uraraka was a name: Hatsume. 

He dropped the device back into your hand with a, “Should be fine,” as you stood at your full height plus heels. Without moving his head, Katsuki gave you a not-so-quick up and down with his eyes, pausing as he stopped to meet your own. Though still shorter than him, it was nice not to have to crane your neck so far to see him. Either he appreciated that too, or admired how the shoes made your legs look. Maybe both. Probably both. 

As he buckled his polished leather motorcycle boots, he called back around the corner to someone else, but you turned to open the door and hide a yawn. He placed a sturdy hand on your lower back while leading you outside into the warm spring air. 

“Feels weird takin’ you back to my place for a change.” You felt his fingers trace a line from your waist to your hand, his fingers lacing with yours through muscle memory. He ignored the cars parked in the driveway and stopped next to his motorcycle. “My ride. Like it?”

You remembered how he stared at the stopped motorcycle all those months ago and smiled. “Looks nice; very you. Guess you decided to give into some self indulgence for once? And does this mean I get to ride back with you?”

After a second, both of you realized that, for different reasons, you could not ride back with him and said “shit,” at exactly the same time. 

Your luggage was still in Yaoyorozu’s car, and Katsuki was not going to let you ride while wearing zero protective gear. "Not tonight. I gotta…" At that moment, Yaoyorozu and Jirou came outside, the latter holding a large slice of birthday cake in a clear reusable container. Perfect timing. 

“Bakugo-san!” Yaoyorozu waved to the two of you. "Todoroki-san said you asked for some cake to take with you. And we still have (y/n)-san's suitcase in my car. We were about to head home as well and wanted to catch you before you left." 

"Suitcase?" Ah fuck, right. You actually brought shit with you, so riding with him was out even if you had the right gear. "If you're heading out anyway, can she ride with you and just drop her and her stuff off at my building?" Yaoyorozu was smart enough to pick up on the unspoken addition to his growing list of owed favors. 

She looked down at Jirou who nodded. "Sure, it's no trouble. I think I still have your address in my texts somewhere, but send it to me again." 

"Ya fine with riding with them?" Katsuki asked, pulling out his phone. "We can take the bike out tomorrow. Show you the city, just like I promised." 

That hypothetical "what if" scenario about how much he'd spoil you if he had the chance was about to come true. By the way your eyes lit up, you hadn't forgotten, either. "I'd like that." 

Yaoyorozu glanced at her reflection in the rear view mirror as Jirou slid in beside her. "I figured today was gonna be busy, but not this much," Jirou joked while balancing the cake on her lap. "How does a relaxing bath sound when we get home? We can use that new tea blend you got the other day." 

Her answered smile was tired, but fond. "That sounds perfect, Kyoka." Both women turned to see you presumably saying your goodbyes to Bakugo as he sat on his bike, his boots planted firmly on the driveway to keep his balance steady. 

"Drive safe, OK?" 

"What, think I'll crash? Not a damn chance." 

"Just accept my concern, birthday boy." You tried to flick his forehead, but a quick hand swatted you away before easily sliding your wrist between his thumb and index finger and letting his hand slot with yours as gravity swayed it back and forth. Just a twenty minute separation was proving tough to swallow now that he had you back, temporary though it was. Like he'd speed off and arrive at his apartment only for you to never meet him there. But you knew his faraway looks by now and squeezed his fingers to make him feel just how real you were. "I'll see you there. Love you." 

He was never gonna get used to that, but he didn't want to. Each repeat was like hearing it for the first time - minus all the miserable heartbreak. But now, he could say it back. "Mm. Love you, too." 

"Aww, that's kinda cute," teased Jirou as she leaned across her girlfriend to mentally snapshot the two of you kissing. It reminded her of getting caught making out in the U.A. dorm kitchen by Sero and Ojiro. She was too embarrassed to look them in the eyes for a week. 

"Kyoka! Don't stare!" 

"You're staring too!" 

"N-no I'm not! I'm just waiting for (y/n)-san," she argued before turning away right as Bakugo was adjusting his helmet, his gloved middle finger waving in the air towards Jirou who just laughed. The two women quickly composed themselves as you opened the car back door. 

Buckling your seatbelt, you gave a small wave to Katsuki who revved his bike engine before pulling out of the driveway and disappearing down the lamplit street. 

You took a deep breath and slumped into the car seat before seeing Yaoyorozu and Jirou staring at you over their shoulders. "Uh… thanks for driving me. And everything else, today. Again." Having strangers haul you around town and depend on them for everything… no wonder Katsuki's short temper was pushed to the limit during his first few weeks staying with you. 

"It's no problem," Jirou reassured as Yaoyorozu pulled out of the driveway. "Bakugo's place isn't super out of the way. Considering we probably ask more of him than he does any of us, it's the least we can do." 

Self-sufficient to a fault. At least you felt somewhat prepared with what you brought with you. 

Most of the drive was silent. Yaoyoru and Jirou spoke in hushed voices over the phone directions as you gawked at the towering neon lights of late night Tokyo that closed in with the residential neighborhood left behind. 

The main glow of the city centered around a tall building that you guessed was Tokyo Tower. Although you appeared to be within city limits, Yaoyorozu drove along the outskirts and avoided the condensed city core. Bright neon signs embellished shop windows and jumbo screens cycling through product ads were plastered on corners just high enough to catch in your peripheral vision as you passed. Sirens cried in the distance and you wondered if a villain was causing mayhem between the maze of claustrophobic structures. The clasp on your purse became the perfect fidget toy for your twitchy fingers. 

As the car slowed to a stop at a red light, you looked out the window to see none other than Katsuki parked one lane over and one car ahead of you; the grenade on the back of his helmet made him easy to pinpoint. Somehow, Yaoyorozu had caught up with him which meant you'd probably arrive at about the same time. He must've noticed in his side mirror because he swiveled his head, headlights and neon reflecting off his helmet, to look right at the car. Even though the opaque visor, you felt his stare before the light turned green - no, blue? Either way, it wasn't long before you lost sight of him again as the bike sped off with practiced ease. 

How the hell did they catch up to me? He wasn't a speed demon on the bike, but sitting behind some old hag who should've had her license taken away a decade ago would've dragged down anyone else when he could slip through shitty late night traffic. While he didn't want to keep you waiting, not after six agonizing months, there was something he needed to pick up before inviting you into his home for the next six days. 

Rounding a familiar corner, his building stood a few blocks away on the left. All he needed to do was park in the garage, run into the konbini next door, and wait outside for you to pull up. Easy. 

Was the garage door always this slow to open?! His knee bobbed impatiently before he slid under the creaking door while ducking his head. His spot, the one he always parked in, was predictably empty. None of them were assigned, but there was an unacknowledged, collective agreement between tenants not to take anyone else's space. Besides, no one was dumb enough to park near his bike, anyway. 

Once parked, Katsuki slid off his helmet and shook his head like a wet dog to dislodge the flattened hair… then skidded back to check his appearance in the side mirror. Good enough. 

With helmet in hand, he strode through the lot and shoved his wallet against the reader before shouldering open the door leading into the main lobby. Now, all he had to do was- 

"Welcome back, Dynamight." The ever-present Takahata tossed out a greeting from his desk. Katsuki never saw anyone else watching over the building. Hell, did the guy ever leave that damn desk? Maybe it had to do with his quirk. Katsuki never bothered to ask. 

Waving over his shoulder, he stomped across the polished tile to exit back out onto the street. But no sooner had he walked ten paces when Yaoyorozu's car pulled up next to the curb, Jirou spying him through the glass. So much for running a quick errand before you arrived; it wasn't a big deal if you accompanied him, anyway. 

When the car door opened and your heels swung down to meet the sidewalk, it really, finally hit him that you'd switched places: he, totally unprepared, was letting you live with him. Share his space, his food, his routine… fuck, was his bathroom clean?! 

A honking car blazing down the road made his eyes snap back to the present, landing on you digging in the trunk for something. Way to be a good host, Katsuki. 

Before you could drag the suitcase out of the car, he leaned over you, picked it up by a handle on the side, and set it upright on the sidewalk. It wasn't heavy, but he'd packed smaller bags for longer trips in the past and wondered if you'd sat on it just to get it to zip. 

You patted his arm before waving for Jirou to roll down her window so you could thank her and Yaoyorozu for a final time. Maybe you could ask Katsuki for a way to show your appreciation with more than just words. Of course, they brushed it off as no big deal - it was a big deal - as a hand came from behind to rest next to yours on the window opening. 

He boxed you in and extended his own rare display of gratitude before Jirou held out the forgotten container of cake. Holding it close, you waved them off into the night with his chest at your back. It was just you and Katsuki now under the illuminated sidewalk. You turned to him with a tired smile, but the fancy-looking building behind him pulled your attention away. The flawless white exterior, covered balconies, and crystal clear glass entryway exuded luxury and comfort; it wasn't Yaoyorozu's mansion, but if he lived here, then his place was no doubt bigger and nicer than what you were used to back home.

"Hey." Before you could step towards the building, Katsuki slid an arm around your waist, his lips brushing against your hair before leading you away from the building. You grabbed your suitcase handle from him as you followed and wondered if your assumption was wrong before realizing he was headed towards an open shop on the corner with an orange, green, red, and white striped sign stretched across the top of the brick walls. 

The sliding doors opened with a pleasant ding while you kept pace with Katsuki. Aisles and aisles lined with boxes, bags, bottles, and baked goods all crammed in a corner store that appeared deceptively compact from the outside. Even a common convenience store held novelty while visiting an unfamiliar country. 

It was easy for Katsuki to find what was looking for considering he stopped by this konbini at least once a week since moving in next door. The last minute snacks before a long patrol or a fresh box of bandages before returning home made him a regular customer; after a while, the things he bought in regular rotation never seemed to be low in stock. 

Behind him, the sound of your suitcase wheels rolling across the floor tiles in perfect repetition set him at ease. You were within reach. While in his world, it was his responsibility to keep you safe; lucky you, saving people was in his job description. 

The late hour meant there were probably as many customers in the whole store as there were employees working. Four, maybe five, the two of you included. He only passed one person crouched in front of a display to restock a low shelf on his march down the personal hygiene aisle. Recalling the hellish embarrassment he'd felt when you'd tasked him with picking out condoms was as predictable as it was laughable. The last time he bought some was over three, maybe close to four years ago. Now, it only took him a few seconds to grab what he needed without distress - being able to read the fucking packaging did help, though. 

With his helmet still tucked under one arm, he turned to find you looking every bit like the tourist you were. Eyes scanning across completely mundane items no doubt trying to decipher what they were if the packaging didn't make it obvious, you finally noticed him staring and smiled in that same pleased way you used to whenever he untwisted his tongue long enough to say something sincere. Those tiny, silent gestures were some of the most missed.

Heading towards the register with you at his side, Katsuki paused in front of a section of savory snacks and grabbed a small bag of his favorite extra spicy chips. He felt a tug on his arm as you hooked your elbows together, keeping him in place as you looked over the snacks, too. If you wanted one of everything just to try it, he'd hand you his platinum card and keep his mouth shut just to make you happy. But no, you didn't load your arms up with everything you could carry. Instead, you picked up a canister of chocolate and vanilla wafer cookies with little dancing pandas on the label. He snickered at how predictable you were before grabbing the tin and tugging you along towards the front of the store. 

Lucky for Katsuki, the chatty older clerk that always held a one-way conversation with him wasn't around. You continued holding his arm as he tossed his things onto the counter. Condoms and snacks: the late night birthday essentials. 

The cashier rang everything up while he dug in his back pocket for his phone. He didn't need his wallet half the time since most places took quick and easy payment through phones so long as you didn't carry around an outdated brick. 

The air was crisp as he led you back outside to finally go home. All he had to do was make it past Takahata and he'd be fine.

The front doors opened for him with you close behind, your suitcase wheels skipping over the tile gaps in a quicker pattern compared to the konbini floor. Expectantly, no one was around except for Takahata who looked up to welcome him back like he always did. "Good to see you back, Dynamight- oh." Pause. "You have a guest?" Takahata was quick to slip back into his usual composed and polite self, smiling as the two of you approached the elevator past the front desk. 

Still, his obvious surprise made Katsuki bite the meat of his cheek. "Yes," he grit out with you still close behind and none the wiser to their passing exchange. "Staying with me for a week. That fine?" It wasn't a question of permission, but one of formality. 

"Of course," Takahata answered with a nod. There was no reason for him to interrogate you, not when Katsuki had been living here for years and never caused trouble… aside from those idiots busting down his door, but that was their fault, not his. 

You waved your fingers in greeting to the man behind the front desk. The exchange between him and Katsuki must not have been important since he didn't stop to chat. No apartment you'd lived in had an on-duty security guard, so the upscale style wasn't just for show. 

Katsuki punched the elevator call button with the side of his fist, causing the metal doors to slide open. You rolled your suitcase across the threshold, yawned, and let your head rest on his shoulder before the elegant lobby disappeared behind the closing doors. 

Takahata, now alone, chuckled to himself. My, how unexpected. Quite an exciting night. Good for Dynamight-san. The Hero never had guests outside of other Heroes because Takahata had seen every single person that came in and out of the building for the past eight years without fail. So, anyone new - especially if they accompanied someone as busy and stern as the #2 Hero in Japan - stood out. 

Waiting in the elevator, you felt his free arm snake around your waist and watched his nostrils flare through your lashes. After all these months, you still remembered how to read him. There was nothing for Katsuki to worry about; you weren't a dream or nightmare or anything else that would vanish before morning. 

Only when the doors slid open did you glance at the panel to notice you were on the top floor. You wondered how the gleaming city must look from his window, envious of the imagined view compared to your own parking lot. 

He nudged you out of the elevator while you dug in your purse for the translator. Carrying a small bag meant things never got lost at the very bottom. You balanced pulling your suitcase, carrying the birthday cake, and fiddling with the translator buttons as Katsuki slid a keyring out of his pocket. Maybe you'd expended all your nervous energy earlier, but being able to finally rest was higher on your priority list than snooping through all of Katsuki's things or judging his decoration preferences. 

"Shit." As if realizing something for the first time, he hung his head with the key in the lock. "When you go in, do not wander around. Just gonna make sure it's not a fuckin' mess because I wasn't expecting guests," he said accusingly, to which you just stuck out your tongue and shrugged. "But I've got a roommate. Sorta. And she's a bitch when it comes to literally everyone who isn't me. And still hates me most of the time." 

Confused, you looked to him for answers, but he was already pushing his way inside. A… roommate? He didn't mention it earlier, and most of his closest friends seemed to be at the party, so who could it be? And why would he live with someone who apparently hates his guts? 

All your questions went unanswered as you traced his steps into the dark apartment. With the flick of a switch, the lights illuminated the genkan where he was already kicking off his boots. Well, shit. You knew his place would be nice, but it looked more like a display home set up for flattering photos than a lived-in space. 

"Just," he started as he stepped further into the living room before turning right back around to grab your suitcase and hoist it over his shoulder with little effort. "Stay here. If she comes towards you, don't make any sudden movements. And-"

"Katsuki."

"What?" 

"Calm the fuck down." For someone so self aware, he seemed oblivious to just how frazzled he was acting. "I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to make things perfect. I'm just here to spend time with you." 

His nostrils flared again, but you got your point across. If you could survive him dropping in while you were asleep in your underwear, then there should be no issues having his girlfriend stay over for a week. You watched him suck on his teeth and just out his bottom lip that threatened to twist into a smirk. "Don't move." 

God, you were so- You didn't even have to try to read him so easily and it drove him fucking crazy. But he loved it. Loved you. "Stupid," he growled through a grin as he stomped down the long hallway towards his bedroom. 

He pushed open his door and swung your bag off his shoulder to sit against the wall. A moment passed as he stared into his shadowed closet, eyes cast down where he knew your other bag - the one he'd originally taken with him - lay neatly among pressed shirts and spare gear. 

Tossing his helmet, convenience store bag, and leather jacket on the bed, he wondered briefly if his sheets were clean before remembering he'd changed them a few days prior because someone decided it was the perfect place to cough up a hairball. Next, he swiped up discarded clothes around the room to drop into his hamper. He knew you wouldn't care about something so trivial, but he cared, dammit! You were right that he was far too wound up when the hard part was in the past and all he needed to do was enjoy your company. But he was gonna enjoy it without feeling like a slob. 

He listened down the hallway for any sign of trouble before moving onto the master bathroom. While it wasn't the absolute cleanest, it was acceptable considering there was no time to scrub the whole room since keeping it hygienic was essential to prevent mold and mildew.

Japanese bathrooms were far more elaborate than the average bathroom in other countries. Temperature-controlled soaking tubs, options for dehumidifying the room or drying your clothes, heated toilet seats, and digital touch pads for all of it. Of course, Katsuki's place had all of the modern comforts plus a few extras that he didn't even use. The bathroom was a big selling point for the apartment considering he needed somewhere to unwind and relax his muscles after rough days. 

Scanning the room for anything worth hiding, he spotted an open bottle of lube on the counter. He snatched it with a curse and dropped it in the nightstand drawer next to his bed. Not that you'd care since sex wasn't the same worry it was in the beginning, but whatever; he was too accustomed to hiding all of his personal things for the sake of privacy, and Kirishima's earlier admission did little to assuage that reflex. 

"Oh, Kaaaaaaaatsuki!" 

Hearing you call his name had him realizing he hadn't seen Princess Explosion Murder since returning home. Shit. Katsuki stomped down the hallway and hoped he wasn't about to find you fighting off his-

"So, why didn't you tell me you got a cat? Hm?...What?" Just like he'd ordered, you hadn't moved from the genkan, but the whole scene made… no sense. You knelt down with your hand outstretched while his terror of a cat rubbed her face against your knuckles, her fluffy tail swishing back and forth in the air. 

He ran the pad of his thumb against his bottom lip, totally baffled at what he was seeing. "... What'd you do to-? She hates everyone."

You just looked between the purring cat and Katsuki and shrugged. "I doubt that. I just did the slow blinking thing and let her come to me. You're so pretty and fluffy, yes you are! Such a sweet kitty… your dad is just making things up, yes he is." 

To be honest, he should've seen this coming. You with your otherworldly ability to befriend the most ill-tempered person around: first him, now his demonic cat. The absurdity of it all made him snort out a laugh, but it switched to a hacking cough when you called him a "dad". "What the fuck. Do not call me her dad or any equivalent." 

Ignoring him, you stood up and gestured down at Princess. "You still haven't told me her name- wait! Let me guess… mm, Snowball is too cliché. Knowing you, it must be something ridiculous and over the top." 

"Tch. You'll never figure it out, but it fits this bratty cat perfectly." As if knowing she was being insulted, Princess leapt to the back of the couch and stared at him with what he could only describe as unfiltered disgust. He was used to it at this point, though, and sneered right back. "Gimme this," he said while taking the cake slice in your hand and walking it to the fridge. 

"Your apartment is nice." You followed him into the kitchen and soaked up what you couldn't see from standing in the genkan. Just like he mentioned, it was much bigger than your own home and could've passed for a single story house from the living room and kitchen alone. "And such a big kitchen… oh, before I forget, did you like the hot sauce?" 

With the cake put away, he closed the fridge with a shoulder lean and turned to you. "What're you talking about? What hot sauce?" 

You reached across the counter to examine one of the many spice bottles lined up on a matte black floating shelf. Despite the organized minimalism evident in his personal design choices, little details made clear exactly who lived here. "The one Uraraka was supposed to give you during the holidays. Wait, don't tell me you never got it." 

Poking out his bottom lip, Katsuki narrowed his eyes until they cut back to the fridge. He yanked it open, rattled some bottles and jars around until he pulled out a familiar bottle. "This? This hot sauce? Uraraka gave me some story about a fan wanting me to have this, but- damn, I knew something about the taste was familiar…You made this with the peppers that made me sick, didn't you?" 

"I mean, yes," you admitted without shame while stepping closer to examine the bottle that now looked half empty. "I was worried you wouldn't like it, but glad to see I was wrong. And I tasted it before giving it to her, so I know how spicy it is. I think this was the… second batch I made."

He twirled the unlabeled bottle around to mix the settled contents while shaking his head. "You're ridiculous." His eyes flickered from the homemade hot sauce back up to you, tilted grin and all. "Was she right, though?" 

You knew that tone, dipped in his own specialized brand of fiendish teasing paired with a small side of bashful consideration. Leaning back against the black marble counter, a flash of déjà vu tickled at your memory. "Right about what?" 

One step, two, three. If you were a stranger, having a scarred man with burning eyes lock you against the counter between his arms might've been intimidating. But your composure remained steady. "Are you a fan?" 

"Of the one and only Bakugo Katsuki," you began as you rested your arm against his and let your fingers fiddle with the fabric rolled snug around his forearms. "Or of you the Hero? Or both?" 

You felt the muscle twitch under your palm while he hovered as if simmering on a low, steady heat. "I'm no different out there than I am in here. No fake persona. Me an' the Hero Dynamight are one and the same." 

As you listened to the translator, something sounded unfamiliar. You tapped his forearm with a nail and said, "Dynamight? Dynamight, like the- wait, is that your Hero name?" 

"Yeah? Technically, it's longer than that, but got shortened- whatever, you know that." 

"No, I don't. You never told me."

Now, it was his turn to be confused. "I definitely did."

"Uh, no?" Incredulous, you poked him in the chest. "I would've definitely remembered considering how big a fan I am," you argued, tossing his words back in his face. 

When it came to you, Katsuki was all bark and no bite. His lip curled as he squished your cheeks with his hand. Maybe he knew he was wrong and just didn't want to admit it because he missed the pointless bickering as much as you did. Whatever the reason, you didn't mind his softening glare rimmed with crisp eyeliner. "Dummy." The way his eyes lingered on your puckered lips lined with the faint tint of faded lipstick made his intention obvious. 

Katsuki pressed his mouth to yours while he loosened his grip on your cheeks. The edge of the counter dug into your back as he stepped fully into your space, his breath tasting of mint flavored gum. You dug your fingertips into his tense forearm as your eyes closed and mouth opened invitingly. 

Calloused fingers traced the profile of your jaw down your neck, goosebumps accompanying the shiver down your spine as his canines tugged at your bottom lip. To refamiliarize yourself with his taste and touch and smell, to open the map you'd drawn from traveling his peaks and valleys in what seemed both like a lifetime ago and no time at all meant everything. His heart was finally bare, ripe, and within reach. 

Your pulse was warm and rapid between his lips and across his tongue as he pressed his hips to yours and fisted the cherry fabric of your dress. There was time for softness and patience, but that time wasn't now. Not when- 

CLATTER 

Both of you stilled. Katsuki ground his molars together and huffed through his nose before slowly craning his neck to glare over his shoulder with your fingers still gripping the top fastened button of his shirt. 

A green plastic cup rolled across the kitchen floor before stopping at the edge of a growing puddle of water. 

"Mrow."

The culprit sat staring at the two of you, the tip of her tail flicking over the edge of the counter. Katsuki sneered and you snickered in his ear. Getting cockblocked by his own fucking cat... I hate you.

"Oi," he snapped. "You know you're not allowed on the damn counter!" Twisting away from you, he hissed out a vulgar string of curses and slammed his palms down on the marble. The intimidating tactic worked, sending Princess Explosion Murder hopping to the floor with a chirp. 

"Katsuki! Don't be mean." Coming up behind him, you lightly flicked him on the side of the head before picking the cup off the floor. "She's a cat. Cats knock things over if you leave them sitting out." 

You didn't know that brat of a cat like he did. The cute and innocent act was just a front before she revealed her true nature when you least expected it. Sure, maybe she'd become more comfortable around him over time. And yes, maybe the scratches on his hands and arms had finally begun to fade. But deep down, she was still a menace, just like him. 

Not wanting to start an argument over something so small, he huffed before snatching a dish towel and tossing it over the spill. "Anyway," he said while his foot led the towel in a circle. "It's still my birthday for about…forty minutes." For the first time in years, Katsuki wasn't eager for his birthday to end just yet. "Ya want a quick apartment tour or what?" 

You swiveled on your heel and scanned the kitchen and living room. There were photos lined up on a bookshelf you wanted to ask him about. The minimalist, modern style coupled with specks of his life and personality begged to be studied. And of course, the still-unnamed cat who stared at you from a tall cat tree in the corner no doubt had an interesting backstory. But you had time; not a lot, but you could ask about all these things and more tomorrow. 

"Lead on, Dynamight," you affirmed, holding out your hand for him to take. Without hesitating, Katsuki reached across the counter and seized your fingers to pull you behind him with a small, satisfied grin. A laugh bubbled out of you as he dragged you down the hallway in his cute little house slippers. 

When he said quick, he meant it. Despite opening up just about every door leading directly to the hall, you had a generous thirty seconds to look around each room before he insisted on showing you the next. One was empty aside from one of those fancy robot litter boxes and some toys, another was an office covered in a thin layer of dust, and the most used room was filled with well-loved workout gear: a punching bag, a rowing machine, a rack of hand weights, etc. 

Even his bathrooms were fancy; not quite as extravagant as Yaoyrozu's, but certainly the nicest apartment bathrooms you'd ever seen. "Unfair," you murmured, jealous of the simple advancements that appeared commonplace in most Japanese bathrooms. "What's it like having a tub big enough to actually relax in?" 

Katsuki snorted. "Pretty damn nice. But I don't use this one much. The one attached to my bedroom is bigger.” 

“Bigger?” Did he have a jacuzzi or hot tub or what? “Seeing all this, I’m kinda surprised you didn’t complain more about my cramped little apartment.” 

He looked almost offended with matching slanted lips and brow. "I wasn't gonna complain about you givin’ me a place to stay. Maybe when I was a bratty teen, but not so much now.” 

Aside from that first stressful week, he really didn’t comment at all on your mismatched furniture or lack of space. Honestly, your apartment was cleaner when he was there compared to when he wasn’t. “Fair. But really, your place is very nice. Kinda big for just you, though.” 

You turned to find him leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking more solemn than you expected. He shrugged, the weight visible on his broad shoulders. "Shacked up with Kirishima after we graduated, and Kami was basically a roommate who didn't pay rent with how often he crashed there. But I like my own space." 

So much left unsaid. You padded back across the cool, white floor to mirror him. Under the fluorescent lighting, his exhaustion was more apparent, like he'd aged at least a year rather than six months. "That's something I like about you. Loud quirk, loud opinions, loud mouth." He couldn't argue with the truth as he rolled his eyes. "And you're still fine just, y'know, sitting with silence. I could lay on the couch and read and you'd cook and– and I really missed it. You. All of it." 

Katsuki's knee bounced as he pulled his lip between his teeth and stared, searching your face for something only he could see. "Yeah. And you're right. This place has more space than I need. Just didn't realize it 'til you came along."

The lump in your throat grew the longer his eyes lingered. "As much as I admire your guest bathroom, can we finish up the tour now?" 

He hummed before backing out of the doorway with small, slow steps. You followed him down the hall while he ignored the rest of the unexplored rooms and pushed open a final door at the end of the hall on the right. "Here's my– hey! Little fucker." 

Poking your head around the corner, you had little time to take in the one room you'd seen so far that actually looked lived-in before spotting the Unnamed Cat using your suitcase as a scratching post. "Hmm, well that's not nice." As Katsuki tried to shoo her away, she instead climbed on top of the bag and sat her fluffy butt down on the handle. "Alrighty, let's go Miss Troublemaker," you said before attempting to do the same, but even your gentle hand earned a swat that would have left a nice scratch had you not pulled away. "Wow, and I defended you earlier. I see how it is." 

Rather than fight a cat to take back your bag, you bent down and pushed it across the floor with her still sitting on top before letting it coast right out of the doorway. "Sorry! Be nicer next time!" She meowed as you closed the door with a wave. "Maybe don’t scratch my things next- what?”

Katsuki stood with a shit-eating grin, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “Told you she was a bitch," he bragged. "But if you leave your bag out there with her, she'll shred it out of spite." 

"As long as she can't get inside it, then it's fine since the bag is old, anyway. And just tell me her name so I don't have to spend all night guessing," you conceded while plopping down on the end of his bed. Your palm slid across the plush, dark comforter as you cocked your head to the side.

"Give up on guessing after one name? Weak. But fine. Princess Explosion Murder. Don't fuckin' gimme that look! She's a spoiled brat filled with malice disguised as a cat." 

Your shoulders shook as you heaved with laughter at how beautifully awful the name was; only Bakugo "Dynamight" Katsuki whose failed attempt at naming himself King Explosion Murder as a teenager would've carried on the legacy through his very first pet. "Y… you're the one who spoiled her!" Trying to talk through the giggling made your chest hurt, and his exasperated grimace just added to the hilarity. "Her collar has rhinestones on it! Princess Explosion Murder, oh my god… I love you so much." 

As you tried to catch your breath, Katsuki's hand groped the wall behind him for the light switch and dimmed the bulbs low; one of those small quality of life things he never used, but was now grateful for. His steps were quiet as he made his way to the edge of the bed before digging one knee into the mattress and shading you from the ceiling glow, hands on either side of your head. It felt like no time had passed at all as he hovered, watching your eyes crinkle and cheeks swell. How easily he fell back into old routines of chatter and jabs that often ended in delighted silence. At last, you looked up at him, smile still wide and bright and full of- 

"You swear you're real?" Despite everything, believing you were really here still seemed too good to be true. Too much of a dream for reality to uphold. 

The corners of your lips dragged down into something more solemn, but your gaze remained steady with your hands on your chest gripping the translator. "Yeah, Katsuki. I'm real. Are you?" 

His fingers clawed the sheets as he licked his bone-dry lips. "Yeah," was all he managed before you reached a hand forward with careful grace. Goosebumps pebbled his skin as you caressed his jaw, his cheek, his hair. 

“Show me,” you implored with soft words and hard eyes.

So, he did. 

While the last time the two of you were together was saturated with slow and memorable passion, you met his lustful fervor with hunger of your own. Six months of dreaming, imagining, and yearning for each other culminated in clawing hands and starving mouths hunting to whet their appetites. Knocking teeth went ignored in your fervor to grope every inch of warm, bare skin you could reach, but it wasn't enough. You swore you heard a button fly and hit the wall when he flung his shirt to the floor, desperation mixed with adrenaline to press heartbeat to heartbeat. 

The bed was unfamiliar and big. The room, too. Everything was foreign, except for him. You knew him then and you know him now and you wish with everything - more than you could ever fathom - that you would know him in the future. Every lifetime, every universe where you and he may exist. Praying with blistered hands until your knees were raw and bloody to never forget the fiery salvation of loving Bakugo Katsuki. 

Piece by piece, clothing piled onto the floor, save for your dress. He took care with the back zipper, fingers slowing to let the fabric fall away before folding it with deft hands and draping it across the back of a chair in the corner. You wouldn’t have cared much if it got a few wrinkles, but the sweetness of his consideration was endearing. The dress you hated before he came along now reminded you of his ruby eyes that you'd yearned to see one more time. He said you were beautiful in it, and now you felt beautiful out of it, too. 

Katsuki found solace in your thighs, your hips, your ass, wherever his hands could grip after flipping you over to sit right on his face. Six months? No, it seemed more like a lifetime of waiting led the fervor that surged through him while you folded your arms against the headrest of his bed and whined into the crook of your elbow. He put that sharp tongue of his to work and left a trail of finger indents behind - evidence to find tomorrow that tonight was as real as any other.

Sweat pooled behind your knees as Katsuki kept you right where he wanted you. He countered every attempt at hovering with a breathy grunt, yanking you back down as if insulted at the miniscule distance you tried to create. 

Katsuki was a sun: hot, searing, bright with energy and passion. A man made of starfire and kindling just itching to combust under ripe conditions. The way his mouth moved - without hesitation and burning with hunger - confirmed his piety. You were the idol of his worship. His devotion. His tongue pushed hymns from your lips, eyes closed in ecstatic prayer. 

"A-ah Katsuki… fuck, I'm-!" To drown in your waves was holy bliss, holding you in place with sweaty palms while your thighs squeezed and back arched. Glancing down between your legs, he was already staring up at you, eyes dark and blown wide with lust as if committing your ecstasy to memory. Of course, he wouldn't be Katsuki if he didn't throw in a smug smirk, too, boastful even when his mouth was full and messy. Panting and whimpering through your teeth as you edged towards overstimulation, you reached down, grabbed a fistful of blonde hair, and tugged so you could lift yourself from his greedy mouth. 

Eyes rolling back for only a moment, Katsuki groaned as the growing need between his legs throbbed. Even though the day had been long for him and even longer for you, the room sweltered with lecherous and passionate energy. With your hand still in his hair, you leveraged the headboard to straddle his hips and crash your mouth into his, lapping up the stickiness that covered the lower half of his face; he'd always been a messy eater, why would this be any different? 

He hissed as you slid against his length, neglected from focusing on you and your pleasure. But the way you scraped his chest, skipping the teasing in favor of wordlessly begging for more, as much as he could give. You had his love, wrapped up like red silk shibari with all of its tidy knots and careful weaving. You could have his body, too. 

Growling in your ear, he groped the crease where your ass met your thighs and decided a riposte was due, flipping your positions. You landed with a squeak as your head hit his pillow, but quickly recovered to wrap your arms around his back. He just needed-

Fuck, where is it?! Leaning up on his hands, Katsuki glanced around the bed looking for the konbini bag while you scraped along his skin, whining and trying to pull him back down. With reluctance, he untangled his legs from yours and almost dove over the side of the bed before spotting the bag and his helmet. Goddamn cat must’ve tried to score a late night snack without him noticing. 

In one swift motion, he snatched the box of condoms out of the bag and tore it open with his teeth. The box and condoms scattered onto the floor as he destroyed the foil wrapping before finally getting the condom on. And despite putting up the bottle of lube barely an hour ago, he spaced out for a good two seconds trying to remember where the fuck he put it while you slid over and tugged on his arm, eyes pleading in the darkness to hurry the hell up, already! 

When the neurons in his brain began firing properly, several things on his bedside table threatened to topple over when he yanked open the drawer to grab the bottle of lube. It dripped onto the floor and edge of the sheets before he tossed it somewhere unseen. He ran his tongue along the corner of his mouth as he lunged over you, slick hands pinning your wrists above your head. 

Your chest heaved and mouth parted below him as he slotted between your legs hanging off the edge of the bed. He felt your pulse throbbing under his palms, fingers grasping at warm air circulating around the closed room. You were so fucking beautiful and just… here. Not an obscene daydream. If you were, this would immediately go from the best to worst birthday in recent memory. The way your hips shifted urged him to come closer. 

So, he did. 

The way you bit your kiss-swollen lips begged for him to dip down and meet them with his own. 

So, he did. 

And you had to do nothing at all for his hands to slide up and intertwine his fingers with yours. This time, his love would not be silent. 

The mattress had moved off-center from the frame and slats. The sheets had all bunched up at the end, cascading down into the floor. The heavy pants, raucous moans, and salacious slapping of sweaty skin had quieted. All that remained was Katsuki's breath in your ear, his chin tucked into your neck, and slowing heartbeat heavy against your back. Katsuki wrung you dry of every speck of energy you'd scraped together after barely sleeping for the past forty-or-so hours. All you wanted to do was pee and sleep for however long he let you. 

Wriggling your arm free from under his muscle-heavy weight, you gave his backside a light tap to try and get him up. When he didn't move, you wondered if he'd fallen asleep without even pulling out. But eventually, he peeled himself from your back with a raspy grunt. Cool air sent goosebumps along your exposed skin that sounded like Velcro when he pushed himself up from the mix of dried sweat, lube, and saliva covering both of you. Hissing when he pulled completely out, you clenched at the emptiness right as Katsuki flopped next to you, arms outstretched and limp. Knowing you'd fall asleep if you didn't move, you forced yourself up on shaky arms and moved to balance yourself, but Katsuki shot out a hand to grab your arm and pull you back down so he could kiss you without even bothering to open his eyes. Like he knew exactly where you'd be. Like he'd always know. 

When he heard the bathroom door close, Katsuki sat up with bleary vision and wiped at his face. Fuck, what are wild birthday… he glanced at the clock nearby, squinting to read 12:37 glowing in the dark. He nearly slipped when standing up from the spilled lube and wrapped condoms spread all over the floor. "Fuckin'..." Too tired to bother cleaning it up right then, he grabbed a towel from the hamper and tossed it over the mess before opening the bedroom door with a yawn and promptly stubbing his toe on the bag you left sitting right in the middle of the hallway. "Shit!," he cursed, sucking in a breath through his teeth before kicking the suitcase into the bedroom, letting it roll to a stop as he stumbled down the hallway to clean up. 

Far too exhausted to do any of your normal bedtime tasks, you dragged your feet across the floor before turning out the bathroom light. You wouldn't die from not brushing your teeth or washing your face for one night. Was it terrible to sleep in makeup? Yes, but whatever. Sleep came first.

You fell into bed and grabbed the crooked sheets, pulling them up to your chin while burying your face in the single pillow that remained on the bed. Already feeling yourself drifting off, you felt the bed dip before a warm arm snaked around your middle. You buried your face in Katsuki's scarred chest and draped your own arm over his waist. Waiting six months just for the opportunity to fall asleep with him again. To smother in his scent of burning caramel and musky wood. To whisper into his skin. Yeah. Yeah, it was worth it. 

What was the… ah, right. "Dai suki da yo, Kat," you mumbled with your last bit of drained energy. With his heart pressed against your cheek, you kissed his skin stained with dried, salty sweat. Katsuki’s legs languidly tangled with yours while he buried his chin in the crown of your hair. 

“Mh. Dai suki da yo…” Quiet. Sleepy. But still, you heard it. You wished you could hear it every day. Every night. Forever.

___________

ummmm here u go byeeee plz kudos and comment and share with ur friends and tell me how the wait was worth it so i can cry a lil :')))) please follow my tumblr https://thetrashywritingwitch.tumblr.com bc i live on tumblr, it's my main website. come talk to me, send me asks, and keep up to date with what i'm doing do yall dont think i'm dead :))))) ALSO since this has become an issue int he past year: DO NOT EVER USE MY WORK IN AI OR TEXT GENERATORS!! I don't consent to anyone "finishing" or "continuing" my fics through AI in any form!!!! AND DO NOT use my work in any youtube/asmr/tiktok videos without my written consent!!! you can mention me and link back to my work and post about how much you 💖 my fics hehhe BUT you cannot do voice overs of my fics or anything like that, esp not for ad revenue or profit!!! ok fr byeeeeeee (no the fic isn't over or done we still have like six or so more chapters until the end 🥰)

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#bnha x reader #mha x reader #bakugou x reader #bakugou x fem!reader #bakugo x reader #be still just for me #bsjfm #pro hero bakugou #bnha fanfiction #mha fanfic #my hero academia x reader #bnha imagines #mha fanfiction

[iicheeze]

IDIOT'S UGLY BOOTIFUL FAMILY

girl || Haley [Last Name]

eldest sibling of the [Last Name] family

has anger issues

also has a massive ego

likes to takes selfies but somehow hates getting her pictures taken without permission becuz it 'captures her bad side'

very selective when it comes to men

realized she's a lesbian when she almost had sex with a guy

what happened to guy you ask?

she slapped him and went off to get dressed and yelled that she's a lesbian becuz of him

poor guy

also has a girlfriend named Yuriko

Yuriko's a transfer from Japan and they met when they were working

is Yuriko nice?

i guess u can say she is cuz she's very wifey

will Haley ever propose?

probably

boytoy || Mark [Last Name]

youngest sibling of the [Last Name] family

narcissist

he's pretty and he knows it

sucks ass at sports tho

would be a lady hooker if he can, but [Name] taught him to be a woman respecter since apparently their mom isnt there to teach them how to

is bisexual

sucks at cooking so he always relies on [Name] to cook for him when their dad ain't home back in middle school and high school (since Haley only cooks for herself)

basically relies on [Name] a lot but not so much since he can work fine alone

he just likes companionship

degrading kink haver || Lila [Last Name]

the Aunt of the [Last Name] family (dad's side aka dad's sister)

yes she does have a degrading kink

just lives at a house right next to the [Last Name] residence but stops by often cuz bitch ass Haley won't take care of her siblings correctly

tried teaching Mark how to cook but ended up roasting the egg and its now stuck to the pan

yes

is a gambling addict

but when she wins some big money she'd invite Haley, Mark and [Name] to new amusement parks, shopping, etc etc

other than that a decent aunty

often asks Mark if he scored a lady's cooch cooch

he doesn't

hes a virgin

and Lila is very disappointed in that

dad || Jason [Last Name]

Father of the [Last Name] family

works as a car engineer

is NOT good with words

hated cats but when [Name] visited him with a cat in their arms, immediately bonds

is confused why [Name] is the only one with a Model husband instead of Haley or Mark having a spouse

(tbh he never expected the menace of the family to be happily wedded but good for u)

would be father of the year if only he just be truthful abt their mom

other than that hes a decent dad

cooks for the family, works for the family, (although grocery shopping would be hard but hes trying), and doesn't destroy his kids' mental health

good dad

(his pfp is from [Name], they sent him a cute cat named Maxwell from the internet and he kept using that pfp for almost a year straight)

TAGLIST || @stellakito @crueldinasty @hysteriablues @hoesaria @dreamsofminnie @caffeine-mess @alatusorrow @lunaeclipsethesimp @lxkeeeee @myaaones @withloveminnie @shewolfniko @aeongiies @qwnelisa @liliumaraneae @candlebathwater @seirin-eyy @feiherp @nxsh30 @loivre @imdeadlyboredhelp @hotgirlshit5 @worldhardtibbysoft @mitsu-moshi @mono1606 @zomzomb1e @vvyeislazzy @crucnhice @omlxlaure @iethairs

@ownedbythescribe @mishtae @aloflapse @divinechicha @thefandomcrow @d4y-dr3am3r @tjjjrsj @certaindreampost @minninr @angelkazusstuff @zyilas @lumpywolf @haruaikawa @xiaosonlybeloved @reconaiise @yuyan @myoreiii @lordbugs @theaudacitiedmentose @scaravibe @exphhoria @venusflwers @ohmyfinggod @niyaiiz

BOLD MEANS I CAN'T TAG YOU! IF THERE ANY SORT OF CHANGES TO YOUR USERNAME, PLEASE TELL ME!

SUMMARY II in which, a sassy and bitter househusband, and his beloved, idiotic streamer of a lover got married! what a lovely occasion. now, for the married life in a newer, and bigger apartment.

PAIRINGS || Househusband Scaramouche x Gaming Streamer GN Reader

MASTERLIST || IDIOT GAMER!

FUN FACT !

this story takes place in China, Beijing.

the reason [Name]'s family names are American-styled, it's because Jason is a transfer from America to China for college. He met [Name]'s mom, Lian Hua, by being roommates.

since Lian Hua left the family to pursue her dreams, Jason decided to name his children by American names, solely because he wants to cut any Asian ties that's connected to Lian Hua herself.

he even moved from Shanghai to Beijing because of it.

#idiot gamer series #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin impact x gender neutral reader #genshin impact x male reader #genshin impact x female reader #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin x male reader #genshin x female reader #genshin x gender neutral reader #genshin smau #genshin scaramouche #scaramouche x you #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche #genshin scara

[athanasialove]

♥𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓟𝓵𝓪𝓷♥

Paring: Professor!Lucifer x Demon!Reader Genre: light angst/comfort. Summary: You've got the plan to get your man! Word Count: 1.6k  Past chapter

You sit in the grand lecture hall of the Royal Academy of Diavolo, your mind drifting back to the day you first entered its prestigious halls. It was a moment etched into your memory, a turning point in your life that had led you down a path of unrequited love and constant struggle.

---

You remember the feeling of awe and excitement as you stepped through the imposing gates of RAD for the first time. The grandeur of the academy took your breath away, its towering spires reaching towards the sky like the claws of some ancient beast. You couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and anticipation bubbling inside you as you walked through the courtyard, taking in the sights and sounds of your new home.

But it wasn't just the impressive architecture that captured your attention. No, it was him. Lucifer. Even then, on that very first day, his presence loomed large in your mind, drawing you in like a moth to a flame.

You remember the way your heart skipped a beat when you first laid eyes on him. He stood tall and imposing, his dark hair swept back from his forehead, his eyes sharp and piercing as they swept over the crowd of new students. There was an air of authority about him, a sense of power and confidence that made your knees weak and your cheeks flush with heat.

The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, you found yourself falling deeper and deeper under his spell. You hung on his every word in class, soaking up his knowledge and wisdom like a parched desert flower drinking in the rain. You admired his dedication to his work, his unwavering commitment to excellence, even in the face of adversity.

But it wasn't just his intellect that drew you to him. No, it was the little things, the way he would smile ever so slightly when you answered a question correctly, or the way his eyes would soften just a fraction when he thought no one was looking. It was the way he would linger a little longer than necessary when handing back your assignments, his fingers brushing against yours in a fleeting touch that sent sparks flying through your veins.

And yet, for all your admiration and longing, you knew deep down that your feelings for Lucifer could never be anything more than a hopeless fantasy. He was your professor, your mentor, your superior in every way. To him, you were just another student, another face in the crowd, destined to fade into obscurity once your time at RAD was over.

But still, you couldn't help but dream, couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to have him look at you with something more than just professional courtesy, to have him hold you in his arms and whisper words of love and affection into your ear. It was a dangerous game you played, a game of desire and longing that threatened to consume you whole.

And as you sit in the lecture hall, lost in your memories and daydreams, you can't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, there's a chance for your love to be reciprocated. But deep down, you know the truth. Lucifer will never be yours.

The sound of Lucifer's voice snaps you back to reality, pulling you out of your reverie and back into the present moment. You glance up, your heart pounding in your chest as you meet his intense gaze.

You can feel the weight of his stare bearing down on you, his eyes boring into your soul with an intensity that leaves you breathless. You swallow hard, trying to ignore the fluttering in your stomach as you focus on his words.

"Ms. [Last name], would you care to share your thoughts on the topic we've been discussing?" Lucifer's voice is smooth and velvety, but there's a hint of impatience beneath the surface, a warning that you ignore at your own peril.

You blink rapidly, trying to gather your thoughts as you rack your brain for something intelligent to say. But all you can think about is the way his eyes seem to see right through you, stripping away your defenses and laying bare your deepest desires.

"I, uh..." You stammer, your voice trailing off as you struggle to form a coherent sentence. But before you can embarrass yourself any further, Lucifer cuts you off with a wave of his hand.

"Never mind," he says dismissively, his gaze already moving on to the next unlucky student. You sink back into your seat, feeling a hot flush of embarrassment creeping up your neck as you avoid making eye contact with anyone else in the room.

Embarrassing

As Lucifer's attention shifts to the next student, you let out a silent sigh of relief, grateful to have escaped his scrutiny unscathed. But the embarrassment still lingers, weighing heavy on your shoulders as you try to focus on the rest of the lecture.

—----------------------------------------------

The hours pass slowly, each minute dragging on as you struggle to concentrate on the material being taught. Your mind keeps wandering back to the humiliating encounter with Lucifer, replaying the moment over and over again in your head like a broken record.

Finally, the bell rings, signaling the end of the lecture and the start of lunch break. You gather your belongings and make your way out of the lecture hall, eager to put some distance between yourself and the uncomfortable memories of the morning.

As you navigate the crowded halls of RAD, you catch sight of your friend Solomon chatting with a group of demons near the cafeteria. Relief floods through you as you approach, grateful for the distraction from your own thoughts.

"Hey, Solomon," you greet him with a forced smile, trying to push aside the lingering embarrassment from earlier. "Mind if I join you?"

Solomon looks up, a warm smile spreading across his face as he nods in welcome. "Of course, [Name]," he replies, gesturing for you to take a seat beside him. "What's on your mind?"

You sigh, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders as you settle into your seat. "It's just... Professor Lucifer," you confess, unable to keep the frustration out of your voice. "He called me out in class today, and I completely blanked. It was so embarrassing."

Solomon's expression softens with sympathy as he listens to your plight. "Ah, the infamous Lucifer," he says with a wry chuckle. "He certainly has a way of keeping us on our toes, doesn't he?"

You nod in agreement, grateful for Solomon's understanding. "I just wish I could figure out how to get on his good side," you admit, frustration seeping into your tone. "It feels like no matter what I do, I'm always falling short in his eyes."

Solomon's gaze softens with understanding as he reaches out to place a comforting hand on your shoulder. "Listen, [Name], I know it's tough, but don't be too hard on yourself," he says gently. "Lucifer may be intimidating, but he's also fair. Just keep pushing yourself, and eventually, he'll see what you're capable of."

Not exactly what I want him to see

You giggle at your thoughts before You offer Solomon a grateful smile. "Thanks, Solomon," you say sincerely. "I needed to hear that."

As the two of you continue to chat, the weight of embarrassment and frustration begins to lift from your shoulders, replaced by a renewed sense of determination. You may not have all the answers yet, but with Solomon's support and encouragement, you feel confident that you'll find a way to win over Lucifer's approval, one way or another.

—--------------------------------

R.A.D ends and you make your way to your dorm. Inside your room you take out a notebook placing it on the desk in the front of your room. Grabbing a pencil you flip open the notebook, you begin writing..only for the lead on the pencil to break.

“Fuck!” You slam the pencil down before getting up and grabbing a pencil sharpener out your supply closet, searching the closet you look for the pencil sharpener only to find it not there. 

Searching your room top to bottom you can’t find the pencil sharpener. ANY pencil sharpener. After about a good 15 minutes of endless searching, You sit on the floor with a huff, staring at the walls in your dorm before you mentally sigh and stand up. You walk over to your desk and open the middle drawer before you find the case of pencil sharpeners.

Why the fuck didn’t I look here in the first place?! You mentally curse yourself before plopping down on the seat once more.

You finally start writing.

—-----------------------------------------

4 Ways to seduce your professor.

1. Be a good student. Pay attention in class and act interested in the material being taught. Participate in class discussions, answer questions, and take good notes. Stay off your cell phone and avoid daydreaming. Look truly interested in every word your professor is saying.

2. Look good in class. Try to look more elegant and mature than your peers: a vest instead of a hoodie or a nice knee-length skirt for girls will make you look more professional and equal to your professor.

3. Use body language. Smile at your professor in class, and try to hold their eye contact whenever you can. Nod slightly whenever you think they make a great point, just to show them that you’re listening and agreeing. Be a little shameless– if you know you have a great physical feature, find a way to discreetly show it off. Bend over to grab a pen, adjust your clothing to give a little peek, or simply take your time walking to your seat before class begins. The goal is to get their eyes on you.

4. ONE ON ONE TIME!!

The plan was set in motion. Maybe Solomon's words did help. It was time for you to get your man.

Next

#lucifer #obey me lucifer #obey me scenarios #obey me x reader #obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me lucifer x reader #unrequited love #light angst #no comfort #demon x reader #female reader #im obessed #obsessive love #one sided love #professor x reader #student reader

[marinaiguess]

For request: tails (or nine) noticing sonic has a concussion while hes running around and fighting?

Okay, you did say Tails or Nine but I took the latter and ran with it, even though I’m a bit unsure about whether I can write him correctly. Doesn’t hurt to try, I guess.

Thank you for the request!! Hope you like this <3 (turned out to be way longer than I expected but that's a good sign actually :) )

He shouldn’t have been out here; it was wrong and he didn’t like it one bit. He was exposed, he felt vulnerable, he knew this was definitely not a safe tactic in order to survive in the city, yet he kept on fighting, the gun on his hand shooting out bullets faster than the wind as they all pierced through their targets successfully.

Beside him, that blue hedgehog, who had managed to draw attention to them (despite warning him not to) seemed to enjoy every - spin attack he called them? – that he landed on the robots, smashing them to pieces with ease as though he wasn’t running at supersonic speeds. This power, was it actually his? It was raw, very impressive and potentially hazardous, especially in the wrong hands, but his control over it showed how much capable and experienced he was.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the hedgehog, who he was, what he was, how he got here, why he got here out of any place he could have travelled to.

And how ever since his arrival he effectively changed everything about this city.

Everything he knew about this city.

The Chaos Council never had any trouble eliminating their opponents. In fact, they never used these specifically designed battle robots they were mass producing to begin with because they didn’t need to. Whatever resistance the citizens had hopelessly brought to life, clearly wasn’t enough to fight against the conquerors and creators of this damned city.

So, one hedgehog was all it took to change fate, to spark hope?

He would rather die than admit it out loud but the reckless speedster had sparked the tiniest bit of hope inside of him. What he wouldn’t give to live in a huge and not polluted valley, surrounded by trees and grass and birds…To have friends, to be loved and cared for and-

His eyes flicked to Sonic just in time to witness him jump on a bigger mech this time. He wished he had a hero, someone to look up to, someone who would have protected him when he needed him the most, just like the Nine Sonic knew. He scrunched his nose as he tried to remember what he had called him; it wasn’t too hard though. Tails. It sounded like a dream; too good to be true. And Nine was certain it would be impossible for him to live the life he wanted to, the one he deserved to live.

A chuckle escaped him. “That’s just as unlikely as a fox flying.”

Still, he couldn’t help but fight alongside Sonic, his newly found hope urging him to move forward and search for the life he’d always wanted. Maybe supporting him would help him in the long run as well. Just maybe.

He had been ignoring all of Sonic’s remarks so far, all the: “You’re doing great, Nine!”, “Nice shot, Nin- is that a fucking gun?”, (he had rolled his eyes at that) “Keep it up, their forces are weakening!”, let alone all the witty ones directed to the enemies. There were too many to keep count of.

They were actually doing pretty well and Nine was surprised they made it this far without being captured by any of the bots. But it seemed like all of their efforts were futile as a new machine made its appearance in the battlefield: the egg baby robot.

“Hey, who invited the party pooper?” Sonic’s smug grin was plastered on his face as he turned around to look at Nine, pointing at the massive robot behind him. “Get it? Because it’s a bab-” He never got the chance to finish his joke, he was cut off by his own yelling as the mech had taken ahold of him and was squeezing him inside of its palm.

Nine had reached for him but wasn’t able to get him out of harms way in time. “Fuck.” He growled as he took aim, a new plan forming in his head as he started shooting at the robot’s feet. His attacks didn’t change a thing, Sonic was still wiggling inside of the mech’s grasp, brushing off the incoming bullets like they were made of paper.

“So, uh,” what was the idiot doing, talking to the baby when he was clearly trying to make a diversion, like any smart person would, “still sore about my butt kicking?”. He could hear the nervousness in his voice, despite the confidence his face was emitting, him trying to stall was his final resort.

Too bad it didn’t help at all.

The mech took a step forward as it shifted its entire weight to its arm, the one holding the helpless hero, despite his protests.

Everything that followed happened very fast.

Nine could only watch as Sonic was sent flying backwards, unable to do anything but wait for his fall which was interrupted by hitting his head on a pole. Hard.

“Sonic!” Nine rushed to him, an unexplainable force pushing him towards his direction. Using his metallic tails as a shield against the robot’s attacks, he was soon by Sonic’s side.

“Ughh, my head hurts.” So, he was in pain? And hadn’t acknowledged his presence next to him. Not good. Maybe if they got out of there, just in case they found a safe place he would be able to help. Just a tiny bit though, he was no doctor, despite his high intelligence. He kept his eyes on him, noting how he was hardly standing on his feet so he easily concluded that the hedgehog was in no place to keep on fighting.

“Sonic?” addressing him once more seemed to do the trick as Sonic turned around to face Nine, forcing a smile as soon as they looked at each other. “You need medical aid.”

“Ha! Me? I’m fine buddy!” he said, clearly lying. He kept losing balance and seemed way out of it. Nine was sure that if he held three fingers up, he wouldn’t be able to tell how many they actually were but he refrained from trying that and so, he remained justifiably not convinced.

But why was he so…worried?

Right. “Sonic you cannot fight like that, you’ll endanger us getting captured.” It was for the mission and for the sake of staying (relatively) safe in this hell of a city. They didn’t have the luxury to get caught by the Chaos Council, it would only cause troubles he did not really want to deal with at the moment. Yeah, for…for the mission.

“What you see is what you get!” Sonic stated (what exactly did that mean?!) as he curled himself into a ball and readied his spin attack, locking on his target. Which he missed by a large margin. How hard did he hit his head anyway?

Nine would not just stand there and watch the so-called fastest thing alive get up and try to punch the robot just to fall back on the ground without even having completed his poor attempt. Running as fast as his tails allowed him to, he was (once again) headed towards Sonic. But a gasp that escaped him made him stop dead on his tracks, as he watched the claw of the robot on its way to smash its opponent, possibly ending him forever.

Two seconds was all it took for him to run, jump, take Sonic and let his seven fully functional tails carry him as he turned around, taking aim and shooting at the cockpit with whatever ammo he had left, still moving backwards. That didn’t immobilize the enemy though and Nine quickly reloaded his gun. The next bullets that he shot found their target with ease just like the previous ones. Only this time, paint was splattered across the cockpit, blocking the baby’s eyesight.

He grinned. He knew paint balls would come of use one day.

He used a smoke bomb to completely rule out the chance they would be found. At least for a while. It would save them some time, all the time he needed to make sure Sonic is okay.

After a lot of running and taking turns, Nine found a narrow road where no cameras were detected. They’d be safe. They should return to his lab however, as soon as possible, yet without being followed.

He let Sonic on the ground, slowly and careful not to hurt him any further or make his current situation worse. He kneeled beside him, taking his head on his hands ready to examine him. That is until the hedgehog opened his eyes and looked at him with the most loving and caring expression he’d ever witnessed. He was surprised, conflicted, in pain. Yet, he found himself yearning for more.

“Heh, Tails, what are you doing bud?”

Tails. Of course. He should have expected it. “I’m Nine. Get it right.” he scoffed, disappointed in himself for believing someone would smile at a creep like him, someone would care about him. “Now stay still, I need to check your injuries.”

“Aww, Nine, you’re worried about me!”

“No, I’m not!”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m n- and stop getting on my nerves or I’m gonna hit you.”

He was hoping Sonic was still feeling a bit dizzy (as it seemed like he was before) to save himself from the embarrassment of someone else noticing his reddened cheeks. Ignoring Sonic’s smug smile, he kept on searching for any serious injuries while simultaneously trying very hard not to lose focus.

“Just as I expected”, Nine sighed, mostly out of relief for breaking the deafening silence between them, “you have a concussion.”

He was waiting to see a surprised look on his face, a concerned one even but that wasn’t the case. “Pftt, that’s nothing, I’ve dealt with it before.” Sonic got up, a beaming grin appearing on his muzzle but faltering as soon as he lost balance. Despite playing it off as him posing - when he was actually supporting himself on the wall to not fall down- Nine was no idiot and was having none of his bullshit.

“Since you’ve dealt with this before as you say,” he got up, holding Sonic by his shoulders and pushing him back on the ground, forcing him to sit down, “you might also know how it should be treated.” His voice was even and calm, dangerously calm, partly because he knew that Sonic’s answer wouldn’t be one that he’d like.

“Chili dogs and kicking robot ass?” And, there it was, his innocent looking (which was also a nervous one according to Nine’s judgement) smile did not help at all.

“No.” It was his turn to smile, Sonic’s frame shrinking slightly, probably afraid of what he knew he would hear next. “Resting for three days.”

The following reaction was most definitely an unexpected one for the young fox. An overexaggerated gasp and a thud later, the hedgehog sat up once more. “Please, please, please, you can’t do this to me. I-” he paused, looking away from his eyes for a brief moment, “I need to save my friends.”

Nine wasn’t sure if he felt confused, amazed or jealous. How dumb was he to prefer neglecting his health in favor of his friends? How much did he care about them? “Listen, you’re not saving anyone in your condition.” He’d help him find them. But not for Sonic! He was sure he would gain something from that and that’s all he cared about; himself. “You will in fact put the whole city in danger if you act recklessly.” Not that he cared about the city, he just happened to be one of the people who lived in it.

Sonic crossed his arms and pouted, acting like a bratty little child wouldn’t work on Nine.

“Okay, how about,” alright, it might have worked actually, “two days?”

“One.”

“One? That’s just exploiting my kindness.”

“One give or take.” He looked serious for the first time since he met him. “As I said, I’ve dealt with this before, one day should be enough.”

Nine seemed to consider it for a while but understood it was the best option he could have right now. “Alright, one day.” He extended his hand to Sonic. “Glad we agreed on that.”

Sonic eyed his hand, reluctantly taking it so he could stand up. “Yeah, but it doesn’t mean I will like it. Not running feels like hell to me.” He groaned as he leaned against Nine in an attempt to support himself.

Nine chuckled at that, using five of his tails to help him move forward, allowing Sonic to wrap an arm around his shoulder, not exactly unwelcoming to the touch. “I’m sure we’ll find something interesting for you in the lab.” He side-eyed him while looking at his watch to determine how far from his home they were.

“The way you say it, it makes me feel like you’ll be giving me lab equipment to test out.” He rolled his eyes, he really seemed to hate being used as a guinea pig and who wouldn’t? “FYI, I’m not a hamster ball guy.” They started moving forward, Sonic managing to walk beside Nine thanks to his tails.

“I don’t have one.”

“Oh, thank Chaos, I was seriously getting worried.”

#sonic prime #amirite? #sonic prime spoilers #just in case #srsly thank you for the request :) #sth #sonic the hedgehog #miles tails prower #miles nine prower #nine the fox #fanfic #sth fanfiction

[gh-woah-st]

Kitty Dew Tidbits

Some important little things @sphylor, @divine-misfortune, and I have said that probably won't make its way into a post on its own.

This got long so there's a second post with puppy Mountain here

So Sphy did end up talking about the hats thing but I had already compiled this list so instead have some pictures of kitty Dew's hats

Also mentioned in that post is the shark onesie, which kitty Dew LOVES. It was originally Rain's so it's a bit big on him, but that makes it even more perfect because it smells like Rain and the sleeves are long enough to flap around

This one is a direct copy and paste because no summary will capture it correctly

Rain does that thing where he'll stick his tongue out a little when he's focused and Dew always mirrors it "oh its time for bleps now? ok!!" Rain: :p Dew: :p

Dew is captivated by videos of birds at bird feeders and sits as close to the TV as possible to bap at the birds

(one time they had to replace the TV because he tried to pounce on a bird and broke it)

(The first time he saw a bird outside the window he nearly got a concussion by pouncing at it head on)

Rain and Dew also sometimes watch ocean documentaries in bed on Rain's laptop, and Rain has to keep his arms around Dew to keep him from trying to attack the fish. Maybe also to hold a cuddly kitty, but mostly to keep him from pouncing... definitely

Speaking of sleepy kitty Dew, he has a very specific bedtime and if he and Rain aren't cuddled up in bed by that time he will meow incessantly at Rain, even herding him to their room if he's tired enough or Rain takes too long

He also never sleeps normally. There's a shared photo album with all the ghouls specifically for pictures of Dew in the oddest, most uncomfortable looking positions ever. Conversations in which Rain says "idk, I've gotten used to it" or Dew says "ooohh. So that's why my back hurts so much" are very common

He likes to sit in freshly made laundry, just napping the day away. It's warm and smells like his pack, so why wouldn't he nap there?

Every once in a while, really just often enough for it to not lose its novelty, if someone accidentally runs into kitty Dew, someone else will recite the Miette post for Dew

That's normally only when Dew didn't even notice he was bonked into. When he does, he puts on the biggest show of being hurt for attention, kisses, and cuddles. He does that every time he falls over, plays too hard, or anything else that could "hurt" him. If they had to pay infirmary bills Dew would be the cause for all of them from that alone.

Every time he goes outside, kitty Dew finds a rock to add to his collection. These rocks range from a piece of sidewalk that chipped off to something actually beautiful, and they are equally important

He also likes to steal buttons off people's clothes without them noticing. He stashes them under his bed, then after a while (when he remembers about the stash) Dew will put them in a box specifically for his buttons

The abbey only has door knobs, which kitty Dew can't figure out how to use, so Rain installed a handle for their bedroom door

"How to interact with Kitty Dew," a guide for new kids (Phantom)

1. Actually get close to him and let him cuddle up to you 2. He likes being scratched behind his horns 3. If you can't tell what he wants just sit or lay down and let him curl up to you, entertain himself, or direct you to what he wants 4. If he stretches to expose his belly this is NOT an invitation to pet him there. It is actually a dastardly trap (Proof: Swiss has scars) 5. DO NOT upset him you might actually die 6. Stop tensing up whenever he goes near you he's literally a cat what is he actually going to do 7. He really likes trying to catch your tail if you swish it across the floor 8. You gotta let him catch your tail eventually though otherwise he'll get stressed and WILL bite you. Also make sure to give him lots of praise when he catches it 9. Do not give him caffeine. He will get zoomies² and you will move up on Rain's hit list (Proof: Swiss has scars from that too)

He tried to fight the tinsel on the Christmas tree once. He was found with the smuggest face and tinsel everywhere on him

If he's feeling extra silly he likes to roly poly around (links to twitter)

Dew constantly bonks Rain's mouth to ask for kisses then just looks up at him expectantly. After he gets his kiss he holds little mousey out so it can get a kiss too

Sometimes when Rain goes to kiss Dew he will lightly bite Rain's nose instead, giggling like crazy when he pulls back

Rain reads to kitty Dew a lot. Mostly kids chapter books so that Dew can follow along

Rain often wakes up to kitty Dew staring at him, inches away from his face

Though if Dew gets tired of waiting for Rain to wake up, he'll start playing with Rain's plushes and slowly start batting them closer and closer to Rain's face to "accidentally" wake him up

Sometimes when Dew plays with his toys he makes quiet chirping sounds to himself, like he's talking to them or making them talk

Mountain going puppy triggers Dew's kitty brain and vice versa. This causes a lot of problems when one of them has work to do

#kitty dew #kitty dew and friends #dewdrop ghoul

[forecast0ctopus]

how do you use references when you draw fanart or figure out how to draw irl characters?? it's just that i've been looking through your art and i feel like you ability to capture a character's idk essence, in vibes + appearence, are just unmatched! they're all so dynamic and like them i just <33

aaa thanks so much!! im glad to hear that since i honestly dont watch a ton of live action? i generally have done a lot more fanart for animated things so thats nice to hear haha anyways though!! i have far too many words that may or may not make sense to say so i'll put how i use references and figure out live action characters below

the main rule i like to keep in my head is that i am drawing the character, not the actor, if that makes sense?

this is all taking arthur as an example, to show what kinds of things i look for!! if i were talking about merlin any other live action character like. bobby briggs or something all the details would be super different haha a way i like to familiarize myself with a live action character at first is tracing which i must preface by saying TRACING ISNT BAD!! its a tool and it just needs to be used correctly. tracing is a great way to figure out a method to drawing things, so its really valuable in studying. im not gonna address using tracing in finished artwork rn bc thats where it gets a little dicey and i would talk about it too much.

i dont really need to do this for arthur anymore but it was a fun exercise lmao

sorry the images are so crunchy i always forget i work on small canvases, anyways in capturing a likeness i like to emphasize and exaggerate a little which features make the character most recognizable to me.

he's got a sharp nose which is bumped at the bridge and a little bit upturned at the bottom. when he's smiling his eyes crinkle a lot and his cheek muscle becomes more pronounced and connects into the corner of his mouth

very square jaw. his brows are thicker near the center and don't have much of an arch. his cheeks are hollowed with neutral expression and the muscles on the sides of his mouth (depressor anguli oris, if i remember correctly lol) are obvious when the corners of his mouth are downturned

the corners of his mouth fold in a lot when he bares his teeth if hes angry or agitated, its a different type of fold when hes relaxed or smiling

his masseter is rather pronounced when he's talking or agitated, and i usually connect the line of it to the line that goes down from the inner corner of his eye. i forget what the word for it is rn but its different from eyebags (though i do like to draw eyebags)

but none of these details work if whatever hes doing in the drawing isnt in character, yknow? like he could look like arthur but he wouldnt really feel like arthur if hes not acting like arthur. idk it s hard for me to put to words im sure u get what i mean enough

body shape and language are also super important to think about, these are some things i keep in mind with arthur - hes shredded but not like marvel movie dehydrated shredded (good for him) - hes very broad and his shoulders slope down because of his trapezius muscles - he takes up a lot of space! he hardly ever curls up or sits with his feet up in his chair. even when hes sleeping hes pretty sprawled out - his "closed off" body language is crossing his arms or raising his left hand to twist his index finger ring with his thumb (worried/thinking gesture) - he moves with a lot of purpose usually and isnt often clumsy (unlike merlin lmao) - he moves his shoulders a lot when he walks (see top left image)

honestly think body language is just as important as facial features if not more, for the purpose of creating personality and character

i probably sound like i think way too much about this stuff which i. i kind of do but not in so many words i dont need this many words when its all in my brain. but yeah thats how i figure out how to draw a live action character i guess? anyways this was kind of a mess haha

#ask #anon #i worry a lot about my art not reading correctly as the characters im drawing so its really good to hear that its somewhat working haha #long post #long fucking post!!! god. sorry about that #how i draw

[kalimsgirlfriend]

𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺

chars; Elizabeth Liones, King, Diane, Arthur

genre; just pure fluff

A/N; just simple hc’s, i might not be too good at capturing their characters though so im sorry if its inaccurate :)

Elizabeth

my sweet girl :(

she’s always been very kind, and you were no exception as, in Elizabeth’s eyes, everyone deserves love.

due to the amount of time she spends at the boar hat, working as a waitress, sometimes it tires her, and on this particular day, she tired herself out a little too much

upon noticing, you decided to swoop in and help her, after all, she’s always been there for you in times where you needed someone so the least you can do is repay the favor, right?

when you managed to sneak off with Elizabeth, you took her outside to get some fresh air, poor girl was working so hard as of late and you felt bad for her.

when you had sat down next to Elizabeth, she quietly thanked you for your gesture and gave you a smile, a sweet and genuine smile—she’s glad to know that there’s someone so attentive to her and you’re glad to have someone like her around, someone so genuine yet determined, it’s caused you to harbor some love for the princess.

soon though, you’re snapped out of your thoughts when Elizabeth, after a few minutes of silence, asks why you took her outside, genuine curiosity laced within her voice. taken aback by the sudden question, you hesitate a bit before answering her question with honesty, telling her that you love and care for her and would rather she get some rest rather than work herself to exhaustion.

though you couldn’t see her face, Elizabeth’s face flushed lightly at the admission of your love and care for her, as her light blue eyes trail towards you and after gaining her composure, she turns her body towards you, taking your hand in hers and in a happy tone of voice, Elizabeth says, "I love you too!"

King

when King returned to the fairy king’s forest, as a fairy you were shocked. he has been gone for so long and now he comes back? and with two guests too, if you remember correctly they’re called "Jericho" and "Ban" and both of them appeared to be humans.

however that shock turned into pity when you saw your fellow fairies throw rocks at him and reject him as their king—you understood why they acted in such a way, he turned his back on you all in a way but you can’t help but feel bad for him, but this is because you used to be one of his close friends, aside from Helbram.

eventually, you found yourself looking around for him, flying around in search of him after he disappeared into the forest after the fairy’s rejected him, and eventually you found him sitting on a branch, helmet over his head and tears seemed to be running down his cheeks but you can’t see his face.

you landed next to King quietly, not making a single sound as you waited for King to remove the helmet on his head and when he did, he flinched and scrambled back a little, wiping his tears away and speaking in a surprised tone, "(name)?!". out of all the people King would’ve expected to see, he didn’t expect to see his old friend.

when you sat next to King, he didn’t know wether he should scoot closer or allow you to sit at your preferred distance. King would awkwardly fiddle with the sleeves of his sweater, before you eventually broke the silence and asked him why he came back.

"…Ban told me that the forest was restored, and i didn’t believe him so i followed him here." King says, admitting the reason he returned. when he returned to the fairy king’s forest, it was burned down, and when Ban told him that the forest was restored, he didn’t believe him so he followed him only to be shocked that it was indeed restored.

"are you mad at me?" King asks after a bit of silence from his end, looking over at you and praying, hoping to whatever God that you aren’t mad at him or holding grudges against him, he wouldn’t be able to handle it if his only other close friend hated him—not after he just lost Helbram.

but much to King’s surprise, you shook your head, showing that you weren’t mad at him. initially you were but eventually came to terms that he had his own reasons for leaving. however when you tell King that you were only worried about him because you love him and wanted him to be safe, which made his cheeks burn a bright red.

King stared down at the grass below before deciding to eventually reply to you—he’s never been verbally told "i love you" by other people before so this is a first for him, with a slight twinge of shyness in his voice, King eventually replies to you with, "…I love you too, and thank you for worrying about me, i’m glad you’re my friend, (name)."

Diane

you never understood why people were afraid of Diane, yes she’s a giantess but she’s a very sweet and cute one, she can be very fierce whenever she wants to be too and it always upset you whenever someone mistreated her, knowing she would never do the same to them.

when Diane had managed to shrink down after receiving pills from Merlin, you spent your time with her picking out human sized outfits for her to change into and try on—and whenever Diane showed you a new outfit she tried on you always hyped her up, knowing how much she had been yearning for the moment she’d be human sized.

you had also taken Diane around Liones, buying food for her to taste and try out, and she seemed to enjoy all of them—sure, it may have been expensive but you forgot all about how much you spent whenever you saw the look of pure joy on Diane’s face. you were glad you could make her experience so great.

when you both were walking back to the boar hat, you both had decided that she’d be spending the night in your room, to have a girls night, something she had never really had been able to do before because she could never fit into your room. you had insisted on carrying all of Diane’s bags for her, you really didn’t mind, it’s the least you can do for her—the giantess who always saved you whenever you needed it.

you did have to clarify with Meliodas thay Diane will not be working that night, though you did promise to make it up to him eventually. when Diane finally stepped foot into your room for the first time, the first thing she did was lay down on your bed, feeling the comfort of the mattress and bed sheets and you followed shortly after, sitting next to her as she laid on the bed.

"thank you for making today such a great day for me, (name)!" Diane said with a smile, looking up at you, purple eyes showing pure happiness at the moment, and you couldn’t help but return her smile, shaking your head and saying she didn’t need to thank you, that you did it because you love and value her as a friend.

hearing the word "love" fall from your lips had stunned Diane for a second before she sat up and hugged you gently, almost as if, despite no longer being the height of a giantess, she still fears she might hurt you if she holds you too tightly. with Diane hugging you gently, she replied to you without hesitation with an "I love you too! you’re the bestest friend ever, (name)!"

Arthur Pendragon

(i love him so much it’s not even funny, nnt Arthur come home </3)

being the friend of a young king meant you couldn’t see him too often, but Arthur would always do his best to make time for you, his best friend. Arthur cares deeply for you, that much shows when he tries his very best to make sure you stay happy and that he does his best visit you when he’s free of his duties.

you know Arthur as a kind boy, and deep down, you feel as though he’ll be a great king one day, you’ve told him this plenty of times before and every single time, his face flushed a bit red and he seemed flustered. it was always funny to see but to be expected, after all—he was only a young boy at the time so naturally he would grow flustered sometimes when praised, especially by you.

one day, when a spring festival had occurred within Camelot, Arthur had asked you to go with him, as he wants to show you the joy that festivals bring people, and you agreed to go with him, not needing a lot of convincing as he’s your best friend. you had expected only to be tasting the food, watching the people mingle but much to your surprise, Arthur had pulled you onto the dance floor and only then do you realize why he told you to get all dressed up and why Merlin had delivered you new dresses—Arthur had been planning to dance with you all along.

Arthur didn’t seem to be nervous, rather he seemed to be a bit confident in himself as he danced with you in his arms, and you wonder, how long has he been planning this? last time you tried to help Arthur learn to dance, well, he wasn’t exactly the best yet now he seems to be better at dancing, he doesn’t step on your toes nor does he stumble, he seems more balanced and capable when it comes to dancing now.

you seemed to notice that, as he danced he was slowly but surely leading you away from the crowds of people before eventually twirling you into his arms, now somewhere less crowded and more quiet, but you can still faintly hear the music being played by the band from afar. you were about to ask Arthur what he was doing before he grabbed your hands, enveloping them with his own, and he looked at you with a smile.

"i haven’t been making enough time for you lately, (name), and since it’s the anniversary of the day we became friends ten years ago, i thought of dancing with you like how we did all those years ago!" Arthur said with his usual cheery tone, not noticing the slight flush rising against your cheeks—you didn’t expect him to do all this just to celebrate the ten years you two have been friends. you felt flattered, to know someone cared enough to remember when you both became friends.

Arthur did feel a little guilty that he didn’t have enough time to spend with you as of late so he chose to make up for it by setting up the festival and having you dance with him, and Arthur’s face became as red as a tomato when you thanked him, told you how much he means to you and how much you loved him for all he’s done for you.

though shaking his head, snapping out of his flustered state, he offered a boyish grin as his hold on your hands tightened a little, but it didn’t feel painful, in fact it felt gentle but Arthur has always been gentle with you. Arthur has always been waiting for those three words to leave your mouth, and after all that waiting, he was rewarded since that day finally came!

"I love you too, (name)! i’ll always cherish you, okay? don’t forget that!" Arthur said, smile softening slightly and warm gaze set on you, promising to always cherish you. he felt tempted to say more, to say he’ll always be there for you, to say he’ll always protect and love you but Arthur felt that he should save that for another time, after all, you two have a festival to get back to!

that’s it! i hope it was good and hope that my fav isn’t obvious :3 if you want more hcs, feel free to request! i’m open to writing for any fandom :D

#nanatsu no taizai #elizabeth liones x reader #king x reader #Diane x reader #arthur pendragon x reader #seven deadly sins x reader

[ufo-driver]

Could Ty-Lee be considered an energy bender?

I wouldn’t doubt if someone had already considered this theory before, but I tried finding if anyone had this idea. Nothing came up, so I guess I have to talk about it!

This semester, I have a TV in my dorm room, and a cool roommate to watch ATLA with. He has never seen the show, and quickly fell in love with it. Through his eyes, I’ve been seeing it all for the first time with new thoughts…

Introduction:

I know that Aang discovers energy bending at the end of the show. This is, of course, how he removes Ozai’s fire bending, rendering him powerless.

While energy bending is shown and described, very little detail is given in terms of its limitations, leaving me with many questions;

Is the Avatar the only person who can be an energy bender?

Is energy bending only accessible via Lion Turtle, or can it be inherited like other methods of bending?

Is the level of energy bending displayed by Aang only representative of a fully realized energy bending master combined with the power of the Avatar?

If methods of bending are learned from nature- fire from dragons and the sun, air from flying bison, water from the moon, and earth from badger moles- then energy bending must be granted from lion turtles. Does this mean that all other creatures can theoretically gift a human with bending abilities?

With all these questions left unanswered, it is hard to give a concrete answer to the nature of energy bending. What makes this even more complicated is the abilities of Ty-Lee.

Ty-Lee and Her Power

There are already many theories that debate Ty-Lee’s ancestry and its connection to Air Nomad Refugees. I am not opposed to the idea that she could have air bending abilities, but it would only be consistent with the canon if she was unaware of them; hence why she only “seems” to air bend. However, this can be explained as many years of practice and strength training that allows her to defy gravity.

The power that captured my attention in my latest re-watch is her unique ability of chi-blocking. Before, I accepted this as a form of general martial arts that she had learned over time, as being connected to Azula would easily grant her access to higher levels of self defense training.

However, I then compare her abilities to Aang. Ty-Lee has the ability to temporarily remove someone’s bending, something that she calls “chi-blocking.”

If I recall correctly, the entire concept of Chi is that it’s spiritual energy that flows everywhere. Ty-Lee, most likely unaware of her ability, is literally energy bending.

Of course, this would be the case assuming that not only the Avatar can energy bend, along with confirmation that full removal of bending is only possible at a level of energy bending mastery with the power of the Avatar.

Ex) while toph is powerful, I doubt she could move tectonic plates and create a separate island like Kiyoshi did

Another thing that makes Ty-Lee’s “chi blocking” interesting to me is her canonical ability to see people’s auras. Because she is able to manipulate chi, she can go as far to **physically see** the chi (or energy) that surrounds people’s bodies.

Of course, it would be easy to brush off as a metaphor, or even just Ty-Lee being a bit kooky. However, the latest rewatch made me realize that she says it so matter-of-factly, as if she has been able to do this her entire life, as if this is her normal.

I also want to point out that her ability to see auras could be similar to how Toph is able to earth bends: they can feel and “see” the medium they are bending, thus making it easier for them to bend.

It could be explained that her ability to disable someone’s bending is just another form of her ability to disable someone’s use of their arm (see when she fights Sokka). However, those are genuine pressure points, and this method of fighting has been studied scientifically.

This is not at all like the method of temporarily disabling bending. There are no physical signs of this; no muscle weakness, atrophy, or numbness. All that happens is the loss of bending, which can be seen as well when Aang defeats Ozai.

Of course, for this to be true would also mean that bending is of another energy that would inevitably cause a deficit once removed, causing physical weakness.

Because Ty-Lee is not on the same power level of Aang, assuming that his power is what allows him to remove bending, she can only block chi. Of course, it is possible that Ty-Lee unknowingly has this ability and just never has the necessary situation to use it.

This would explain why Katara, only having her energy disconnected temporarily and not removed, would not experience any physical effects as there would not be an energy deficit.

What Would this Mean for Ty-Lee’s Character?

If Ty-Lee is an energy bender, it raises many questions of her origins that could be important to the overall writing of ATLA.

Although the children born of the previous Avatars only have been seen to bend what their original bending nation was, it could be possible that Ty-Lee inherited her energy bending from relation to previous Avatars.

Whether this is because she is related to a distant air nomad Avatar or even Roku (which could explain how she had the possibility of meeting Azula in the first place, as she could be of a noble family).

In the show, Aang faces every kind of bender, many of them being more advanced in skill than Aang. The threat of Ty-Lee’s potential energy bending would seem powerful and impossible to overcome. This makes Aang’s mastery of energy bending more satisfying!

This could also explain why Azula confront’s Ty-Lee in the beginning of season 2. Knowing of her ability, Azula would absolutely monopolize it in case it needs to be used on the Avatar. Azula could have gotten any skilled fighter to accompany her, and yet she chose Azula.

You may ask, “well then why is Mai there?” In my opinion, including Mai is just a method for Azula to manipulate Zuko (knowing of their romantic history) and use Mai’s presence as psychological warfare. Her skill, although apparent, is irrelevant to fighting in general. This is its own separate theory, though.

Is Ty-Lee the Only Energy Bender Seen in ATLA?

The more that I analyze the show, I think of how Ty-Lee is very connected with spirituality. When I observe other “spiritual” characters, I also think of Iroh.

It is important to note that Iroh was jaded for his entire life by the programming from the fire nation. Assuming that Iroh has only began his spiritual journey after his failure at Ba Sing Se, he has not put much time into practicing this.

Ty-Lee has spent her entire life fine tuning her skills, unlike Iroh.

I think that energy bending, unlike other bending methods, could be learned. Considering chi is constantly flowing and is everywhere, it is inherently more available than other types of bending.

While Iroh can’t bend energy, he is tapped into chi and spirituality in general. He seems to know things that others don’t, somehow being able to say the exact thing someone needs to hear.

This is something that Ty-Lee can also do. She is often needing to read emotions, and placates Azula when she is at her most stressed. This is basically the much unhealthier version of Iroh and Zuko’s relationship.

So while the level of energy bending shown from Ty-Lee is not matched by other spiritual characters, it does seem that it can be learned over time while others have a higher predisposition. If anything, I’d compare it to midi-chlorians allowing people to have a higher sensitivity to the Force.

As far as canon from the show alone goes, Ty-Lee seems to be self taught, the show implying that only circus training could teach her this fighting method. Color me not-convinced.

Note; I do believe that there are energy benders alone in LOK, but I haven’t seen the entire show as it didn’t do the same thing for me that ATLA did. I know it’s important to consider all sources, but this is what I have! Feel free to reblog with explanations/thoughts that correct anything in this post.

#avatar the last airbender #avatar zuko #katara #aang #princess azula #uncle iroh #atla iroh #atla fanart #atla theory #legend of korra #ty lee avatar #avatar #if this is canon I’m so sorry #i spent too much time on this #I should have been doing homework #why do I have the ability to write an essay on ATLA and not my actual coursework

[frodo-with-glasses]

This is a post about Ghân-buri-Ghân and the Woses, or the Wild Men.

Full disclosure: When I was a kid, I pretty much skipped this part. I was already getting very lost with the logistics of the Rohirrim’s movement, and I was very impatient for Merry and Pippin to be reunited already and Frodo and Sam to be done with the quest and back on home turf. I was having a hard enough time telling the difference between Gondor and Rohan (every other race in Middle Earth only gets one country that’s very important, but for the most boring race of them all I’m supposed to keep track of two?? preposterous), and having yet another group of humans pop up out of nowhere just to disappear after half a chapter left me baffled and annoyed.

After all, the Wild Men are pretty much disconnected from everything else in the story, aren’t they? They aren’t related to any of the characters we’ve met already. They’re not personal friends with any members of the Fellowship, or even friends with the friends of the members of the Fellowship. They have very little to do with Rohan and Gondor, and nothing at all to do with elves or dwarves or ents or hobbits or wizards or anything else that Little Me thought were the Important Parts of the story. If you took your cue from the movies, this opinion would only seem reinforced: the Riders of Rohan reach Minas Tirith with no complications greater than a Mumakil, and the Wild Men aren’t mentioned even once. If you didn’t know better, you might think the Wild Men are little more than an extraneous detour.

But it’s exactly because they seem extraneous that I think we need to pay them extra attention. Tolkien is not a careless storyteller; he’s long-winded, for sure, and has a knack for descriptions in excruciating detail, but he’s not careless. Every word, every sentence, every line of dialogue and narration and poetry exists in the story for a reason. If Tolkien didn’t have to put the Wild Men in the story—if they weren’t strictly necessary to the plot, save to solve one problem that (let’s be honest) kinda looks like it was invented just so they could fix it—that means he wanted to put them there. He wanted them there, because he wanted to tell us something.

I think it behooves us to listen.

So what is Tolkien trying to say? I have no idea. The man’s dead, and I can’t ask him. But the message I’m getting here has two parts:

1. The World Is Big

If nothing else, the Woses serve as a reminder that Middle Earth is much, much bigger than even Lord of the Rings makes it out to be. That’s saying something, because LotR isn’t a small story! This is a grand legend that stretches across nations, from one horizon to the other in an epic trek, and yet it still fails to capture Middle Earth in its every detail. Entire nations and kingdoms get lost in the wash, or are only mentioned in passing, and some names we only see in the maps at the back of the book.

Remember, Tolkien’s framing device for LotR is that it was an eyewitness account, a history written by the hobbits and supplemented with accounts from their friends. The POV characters we’ve had so far—if I’m remembering correctly—are Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Fatty Bolger, Bilbo, Aragorn, Gimli, and a sort of omniscient narrator that seems to represent “hearsay” or “local gossip”. If any of these characters didn’t witness something and come back to report it, then it didn’t make it into the story. If they didn’t go someplace, or meet some people, and come back to tell about it, then it didn’t make it into the story.

But just because the unnamed peoples of Middle Earth don’t get into the histories doesn’t make them any less important. Just because we don’t learn their names doesn’t mean they didn’t suffer under the fear of Sauron, or rejoice when he was defeated. Just because we don’t know them doesn’t make them any less…well, for lack of a better word, human, or any less important.

The War of the Ring mattered just as much to the Wild Men as it did to Gondor or Rohan or the Shire. Because the War of the Ring was about saving their world too.

2. A Treatise on Treatment of Native Peoples

Again, I’m only trying to reiterate what I can see of Tolkien’s opinion in this passage. I happen to agree with a lot of what he says, but we’re talking about him, not me.

The Woses are, as far as I can tell, the closest thing to an indigenous or native people group in the southern region of Middle Earth. Obviously they must have come from somewhere—anyone who’s read the Silmarillion could probably fill me in on that—but Ghan-buri-Ghan says himself that “Wild Men live here before the Stone-houses; before Tall Men come up out of Water”. The Wild Men preceded the settlement of Gondor, and inhabited the land even before the Numenorians; they were here First, and still they remain.

So, how does Tolkien portray this native people group? Well, the first thing he does is to say—hilariously and pointedly—that the Wild Men are anything but stupid. Ghan warns, in his broken speech, that Mordor’s forces outnumber the Rohirrim, and Eomer challenges this assertion—“how do you know that?”—to which Ghan says, if I may paraphrase, “boi I’m not a child I can count as well as you can”. The first point made is that, though the Wild Men may seem ugly and primitive and are clad only in grass skirts, they are as shrewd as the tacticians of Rohan, and maybe even more.

The next thing that happens is that Ghan strikes a deal: he and his people will lead the Rohirrim to Minas Tirith by long-forgotten roads, and in exchange, the men of Rohan must battle to drive off the Darkness so that the Wild Men may go back to their lives in peace. Of course, this arrangement benefits both parties; both are in danger, and both have a common enemy. To see the end of the Darkness would be infinitely valuable to them both.

This is fascinating to me, because you can’t really say that one party here was “using” the other, or that one benefited at the other’s expense. Yes, the Rohirrim gained the guidance of the Wild Men, which furthered their goal; but in the end, it only put them one step closer to possible death on the battlefield against a great Enemy. Yes, the Wild Men get to sit back and watch the Horse-Men risk their lives in open war, but if they should fail, what then? By helping Rohan, they are establishing themselves as an enemy of Sauron; whether Ghan realizes it or not—and personally, I think he does—this single act of defiance is putting a target on the backs of his people, should the Enemy emerge victorious. Sure, they can hide in the forests for a while—as long as there are forests. But not forever. I think that’s why Ghan takes his stand now; he knows there might not be another chance.

Ghan has established that he is shrewd, straightforward, and honorable. He even vows that he will lead the Rohirrim himself, and that they may kill him if he steers them wrong; he’s that willing to stake his life on his word. But when Theoden promises to handsomely reward Ghan for his help and his faithfulness, Ghan only asks for one thing in return: “if you live after the Darkness, then leave Wild Men alone in the woods and do not hunt them like beasts anymore”.

There’s something in me that kinda…twinges, when I read this. Like I’m half-remembering a bolt of anger from Baby Me before I checked out of this passage entirely. How dare this book imply that these kind, noble horse-people would be so cruel and barbaric as to hunt other human beings like animals? Wasn’t this the same people whose king accepted Merry like a son, and who provided Gandalf with the best horse in the world? These are the GOOD guys! They wouldn’t do something like that! The book doesn’t know what it’s talking about, clearly. I wish I could get back to the hobbits again.

But now that I’m older, I think it’s more telling that Rohan isn’t spotless and blameless in this transaction. They have wronged the Wild Men in the past; out of ignorance, maybe, and out of prejudice, perhaps, and out of fear, almost certainly. We all fear what is foreign to us and what we don’t understand. But Ghan is putting that aside for the moment. Ghan chooses to extend forgiveness. For once, his people and Rohan face a greater evil, and they unite against a common enemy. All of the sudden, Rohan has an opportunity to make amends for all their wrongs, by “driving away the bad air and darkness with bright iron”.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you about the historical treatment of native people groups in our real world. The archetypal example, of course, is the European settlers and the native tribes of North America; but we see the same thing in Central and South America too, and that’s not even getting into the British Empire’s other affairs in Egypt and India and China and Oceania. I could talk about the Spanish conquistadors; I could talk about the Dutch in South Africa and apartheid. But it goes even further back than that. It’s what the Roman Empire did to the Germanic peoples of Gaul; what the Islamic Empire did to the entire Middle East and much of Northern Africa; what the Babylonians and Persians and the Mesopotamian superpower of the week did to their vassal states on a regular basis. Standard practice in Babylonia was to invade a place and immediately ship all the smart, strong, and wealthy people off to Babylon to be assimilated, leaving behind the weak, poor, unlearned, and destitute to till the land and keep their heads down. Can’t have a rebellion if everyone’s too dumb and starving to organize it.

(Incidentally, the Roman Empire is what gave us the word “barbarian”; the speech of the Germanic peoples they conquered was unintelligible to them and sounded like “bar-bar-bar”, so they named them after it. The fact that the word they coined now refers to a ruthless, stupid, uncouth person should tell you a lot about the Roman Empire’s opinion of these folks.)

Anyway, the point is that throughout history, there’s always been a pattern: up comes this people group who’s smarter and more advanced than anybody else, and they think that gives them free rein to go wherever they want, do whatever they want, and use, abuse, and extort the people they see as “beneath” them. The Romans had figured out indoor plumbing by the time of Christ, and they thought they were such hot stuff that they took over the Mediterranean and taxed the living daylights out of them. (Some estimates put the tax rate at about 90%. 90!! Imagine keeping only a tenth of your paycheck every month. I know it already feels like that, but still!)

We’d do well to address the question that Baby Me probably thought when I read this for the first time: “Why can’t the Wild Men just be Men of Rohan?” Why can’t they put on real clothes, and pick up spears and swords, and get on horses and ride into battle and make a real contribution? Why do they insist on going back to their primitive lives? Perhaps part of the reason the Men of Rohan felt justified in hunting the Wild Men is because they saw them as more crude and less advanced people; “they live in the forests, clad only in grass, hunting and sleeping under the stars like dangerous wild animals, and therefore must be treated as such”.

But let me ask you a question: Aren’t the people of Rohan primitive too? Aragorn describes them as “unlearned, not writing any books but singing many songs”; how is that any different from the songs that may be passed down by Ghan-buri-Ghan’s people? Isn’t Rohan crude and simple in its own way, at least in comparison to some others? Just because they build houses of wood and speak with fair, beautiful speech doesn’t mean they are better than those who don’t. If Rohan had the right to treat the Wild Men as they wished—because, as “civilized people”, they were so much smarter and more advanced—then Saruman had the right to treat Rohan as he wished—because, as a Wizard, he was so much smarter and more advanced.

I want you to get this. If Rohan does not check itself here and humbly accept the Woses as equals, then Rohan is no better than Saruman.

Thankfully, Rohan does pass the test. One of Theoden’s greatest traits is his humility, and it serves him well here. A deal is struck, a path is cut, and the Wild Men make their contribution and disappear into the forests, with only a lingering portent that the wind is changing, and maybe the times with it. The book says that they were “never to be seen by any Rider of Rohan again”; by which I take it that Rohan’s side of the promise was upheld, and the Wild Men lived on, in their own ways, unmolested, in the Druadan Forest until the end of time.

I don’t have a way to end this, but maybe that’s appropriate to the subject matter; like the Wild Men themselves, this post will appear out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly as it came. I just think the Woses are fascinating—both for in-universe and meta reasons—in spite of, and perhaps because of my initial annoyance all those years ago.

We will return to your daily crack post tomorrow LOL

#ghan-buri-ghan #the wild men #lord of the rings #lotr #lotr meta #my writing #there are no tags on tumblr for ghan-buri-ghan or the wild men or anything like that #literally no one is talking about these guys #they are the cryptids that they were always meant to be #in which i wax eloquent about the roman empire and history nerd stuff for WAY too long

[phlurrii]

Alright, ALRIGHT, I’VE ALMOST GOT IT DANGIT I ALMOST *HAVE* IT. So everyone analyzing the edgy Noe animation bust out our notepads and cork boards because I have INFO TO SHARE.

Okay, so, we’ve already got the first captive of Noe established: Dialga, the Temporal Pokemon.

The next captive is hard AF to freaking see, but if you zoom in enough you see the anti-matter space worm snake dragon thing known as Giritina, the Remegade Pokemon

So Noe captures both the god of controlling Time and the personification of antimatter, two of the 3 creation trio.

As for the one he is facing…let me just say…the lack of images of legendary pokémons’ backs made this borderline maddening because I STILL CANNOT SAY FOR CERTAIN, **BUT** I believe the one whom Noe wishes to be is actually the space Barney known as Palkia, the Spatial Pokemon.

I ONLY GOT A SIDE VIEW BUT I THINK ITS CLOSE OKAY? It’s not Meau, that’s for sure, and I really don’t think it’s Arceus based on the head shape but it might just be a perspective issue.

Now, the only powers we’ve seen know use are appearing from the shadows and duplicating items (berries and tea), and we know he deals with “errors” (which could mean a lot of things physics-wise) but not ghosts (which are incorporeal and thus lack matter). So, despite their appearance, they may be more connected to Palkia than we may have been lead to believe.

Palkia is known to have powers to warp space, travel to faraway places or other dimensions, connect dimensions through dimensional portals, DESTROY SPACE ITSELF, and even be able create a new universe BY ITSELF or with Dialga. And, unlike a glitchy Noe, it is said that space becomes MORE STABLE with Palkia's every breath.

The implications this holds are wild and not fully understood. Was their role originally like Palkia’s but something went wrong? Did Giritina create Meau as an attempt to make something like Palkia and/or Meau to create and later populate its own universe with its own kind of pokemon but something went terribly wrong? It’s very hard, and might even be too early to say what the source of this identity crisis is for Noe, especially since he isn’t directing it at Meau, but what do y’all think?

Why did Noe need to take control of time and antimatter? Why Palkia? Where’s Arceus when his kids are fighting like this? I know the truth will be revealed eventually, but I love playing around with the ideas for what it may be.

Roll OUT the red carpet you have NAILED IT.

Noe is indeed holding Dialga on his left and Giratina on his right, while facing down Palkia. Why he is doing it, what he wants from Palkia, what his motivations are, what brought him to this point, where Arceus is, where Meau is, and everything else about this situation will be revealed in Noe’s eventual origin arc! But both you and @givemeuniversalcrossovers guess this correctly! With @mel-the-pirate breaking down that first gate with the Dialga guess! Good job you three ;0! Also everyone else who sent in theories, ya’ll each got tidbits here and there correct, genuinely impressed by it!

Given I purposely doodled that animatic to be misleading as all heck, round of applause and head pats to everyone ;D! As I get closer to moving I’ll probably slow down a lot on the story till everything’s sorted, but we’ll be spending some quality time with Mewtwo and the mews for a bit! Then once I’ve established everything I wanted too, we’ll move on to Noe’s arc and ya’ll will finally get your answers! But I’ll still drop lil animatics of him here and there to feed the flames, as well as continue to sprinkle hints throughout. A lot of Noe’s arc is being sketched on and worked on alongside the current story as otherwise it’d take forever to actually get out lol

#oh the plans I have for him #there’s gonna be alot of content warnings on that arc XD #ask #puzzled zebra #Mel the pirate #givemeuniversalcrossovers #clap clap ya’ll!!

[vacantgodling]

🙅, ☎️ , 😘 ,🎚️, and 🦺 for Hya and Amon 👀👀👀

HENRIKEEEE <3 thank u for asking also i miss u sm weh 😭

🙅 Do they have any hard-no’s that someone wouldn’t expect?

hya: honestly, probably not. i feel like most people who were to genuinely guess his kinks would assume them correctly (unless they assume (1) he doesn’t have sex cuz they’re not wrong it’s only amon that actually ignites hya’s sex drive (2) you’re erecia who was SOOOO convinced hya was a bottom that she still doesn’t believe he’s not pfff)

amon: honestly amon doesn’t have many hard no’s, but actually until hya, bondage was a hard no for him, but he trusts hya WAY more than he trusts random gang members or people he was just in a fight with (which are the kinds of folks he usually had sex with before hya) so you can kind of understand his reasoning. the thing about hya and bondage as well is hya doesn’t tie him up in any way that amon couldn’t get out of if he didn’t want to—it’s almost more symbolic to the power hya has over him that makes amon stay in place. the ropes are more… symbolism to him and in a weird way, hya also understands that. it’s the power play, not that amon can’t legitimately get out; hya tends to enjoy tying amon up “prettily” (borderline shibari tbh) and less of the “yeah i’m actually capturing you/holding you down” shit. it’s one of the weird unspoken things they kind of just Get about each other.

☎️ Oh no, the phone is ringing in the middle of sex! What now?

hya would answer the phone of course, and unsurprisingly it would be tagetes, as they’re the only one who actually would Call hya. hya’s voice would stay perfectly controlled even as he was guiding amon to suck on his dick and honestly, the entire situation turns on amon so much he may start dripping through his pants. he really is attracted to the power hya has over him (even if he also views bottoming as a sort of power in its own right)

😘 They get a sultry look from a partner at a public event. What’s their next move?

i’m just gonna leave a quote here from chapter 9 specifically bc this technically happened and what did they do? they snuck off and fucked 💀

Hyacinthus glanced over his shoulder, only slightly; not enough to draw attention to it. The voice that rang in his ear was but a passing whisper, smokey like an open fire, and sent that same warmth chasing through Hyacinthus’s gut. In his peripheral, he caught sight of a plain black crow mask. In the dim electric light of the room, it glimmered with embedded black gems, only just so to give it the illusion of motion. It was a half mask like his own; the slow smile that came to the person’s face when they realized Hyacinthus was looking was far too telling.

“Shall I invite you to a dance?” The stranger asked, sliding behind him. They were taller than Hyacinthus, their shoulders broad yet dwarfed by his own. Familiar black gloves crept like vines up Hyacinthus’s waist, featherlight and not truly grasping but the tease that they could was there. Hyacinthus was thankful that most by now seemed to have lost interest in trying to speak with him, leaving him to focus on what he truly came here for.

Hyacinthus wasn’t sure he cared who saw them at this point.

“The less we are seen the better.” Hyacinthus still said on principle, and he pressed back into the figure, his voice low like the rumble of the tide. “The drawing room in the South Wing I have instructed to be purposefully unoccupied. We rendezvous there.”

“Then consider this adieu,” The stranger breathed against his neck. “Until we soon meet again.”

🎚️ Are they loud during sex? Do they like a noisy partner?

hya: he’s actually quite quiet during sex; yes he’ll talk dirty and tease and command, but his voice (in general) is more of a deep rumble/growl that’s reserved for whoever he’s speaking with’s ears. when they’re actually getting down to business he does moan but it’s again a deep thing and not something you’d be able to hear through walls. loud enough to light amon’s spine ablaze with desire but you probably wouldn’t hear it unless you were in the room or the walls were very, VERY thin.

amon: loud as fuck and he’s unashamed about it. if it feels good the whole world is going to know; and he knows that hya loves hearing him even if he won’t admit it out loud.

🦺How brazen are they about wearing kink gear in public?

hya: i’d say like a 4/10, however, if you count anything resembling lingerie AS actual lingerie then like an 8. he likes wearing clothing that accentuates his assets and sure that’s definitely tight tops and silk dresses, but it can also be things that show his cleavage or midriff etc. in a modern au it’d be an 8 all the time probably but he’s got a slightly different aesthetic than modern times so like; wouldn’t be against it generally speaking but yknow. fashion comes first for him.

amon: i mean, during aforementioned scene from chapter 9, amon had a butt plug in the whole night so pretty much brazen as fuck 💀💀 he’s very good at acting as though nothing is amiss but in a modern au if they had access to a remote controlled vibrator he’d be the one begging hya to use it on him versus the other way around. he does have an exhibition kink among his many others so HFHFHF

#s: paramour #they’re dumb i love them

[fullscoreshenanigans]

Norman ratri fuckery or maybe Norman in lambda scenario if im understanding this right!

For an AU with greater canon divergence, I like tinkering with the idea of Peter being more hands on in interacting with Norman to better contrast with Emma and Ray getting Lucas and Yuugo for father figures.

22194 has been a child of interest since he scored a perfect 300 on his first test at age four. Potentially even earlier than that, if, like Ray, the demons kept track of his pedigree and his mother was also a full scorer. Regardless of exactly when it started, he continues to capture the attention of researchers and the demon nobility alike, so by the time Legravalima gives approval for him to be sent to Lambda so she can avoid handing him over to the demon god, Peter was already aware of his general existence.

He's thrown for a loop when he meets him in person though. The only potential photographs he would have of Norman would be from when he was an infant at headquarters. His incredibly light/white hair on its own wouldn't have been enough to give him much pause, but now that his features have had more time to develop, Peter's a bit startled at the Ratri ones he can pick out.

(@bon-nii's comparison of James and Norman from chapters 173, 152, 126, and 154)

(Chapter 74)

There's a bit of vanity in him saying he's too young to be Norman's father (never mind he was eighteen when Norman was born), but combined with the boy's looks, the phrase sits at the back of his mind, nudging him until he can't ignore his curiosity any longer. He looks into the genealogy records at Grace Field headquarters until he can't find any recording of a sperm donor, which isn't more than a few generations back. Odd, given that Grace Field is the top premium farm, but sometimes such documentation snuck through the cracks, and it wasn't unheard of for the occasional scientist to consort with the Sister candidates prior to the refinement of artificial insemination.

It's one of Norman's blood samples that confirms someone from the family—either from the main one or the branch Andrew's from—fathered a daughter with a Sister, and that daughter went on to have a daughter who then bore a son.

Pulling this bit from an earlier post:

…I still have trouble wrapping my head around the idea of Peter knowingly and willingly [putting a Ratri child in the farm system] on the basis of viewing them as an extension of the clan rather than as individuals, so it’s almost like it’s a worse reflection on him not being able to restore the honor of this wayward branch of it by “salvaging” the traitor’s children and raising them “correctly.” He places such great value in being a Ratri and displays such disdain when speaking of the cattle children as food, it’s hard to see him sullying the line in any way by condemning a member to the fate of the latter as opposed to just outright killing them, even if said member was an infant. That’s still Ratri blood—his blood—that would be going into the farm system, and he would never let anyone as lowly as food have any sort of claim to such a noble and prestigious status. […] However, I’m more inclined to entertain the idea of another family member taking advantage of their position as a Ratri to have a dalliance with a Sister candidate, as @officersnickers brings up in this post. It’s not something Peter would ever approve of, but what’s done is done, and importantly there was no explicit denouncement of the clan in this act, which I feel he would take personal offense to. There’s nothing he can do to save these children—the one-drop rule thoroughly entrenched in his mind, and their blood is thoroughly tainted—but maybe their Ratri lineage will win out and they’ll be able to rise above their pitiful status, so he does keep tabs on both as he approves of them being sent on their separate ways in the system.

This is where one has to make the concession that Peter cares more about having an heir and/or believing a child's Ratri heritage trumps their fate of being born into the farm system. Shirai never confirms if he has a partner, but regardless, no mention is made of biological children of his own or if he knows of any potential ones on the way.

And maybe that's getting to him as the thirty-sixth head of the Ratri clan who's going to turn thirty next year, along with this boy looking so much like James. He knew his brother had no children, and despite his traitorous ways knew he'd never father one with a Sister for a variety of reasons. Yet here is this distant relative whose genes were still so prominent even after being diluted with multiple generations of cattle blood (him being vain enough to include Norman's intelligence as being another gift of Ratri inheritance). He decides to take it as a sign and as a duty to reclaim and "salvage" this wayward line of the clan.

Norman knows something's off when he doesn't receive all of the drugs he normally does for the day. Everything else proceeds as routine until dinner, when he's escorted not by scientists or demons, but men dressed in suits to an area of Lambda he's never been to before. They arrive in a lavishly decorated room with Peter seated at a relatively small but well-furnished dinner table. Norman's never seen so much food meant for one person, but as Peter invites him to have a seat, he realizes it's meant for two people.

There's some small talk regarding the spread, Peter's recommendations and whether Norman's favorite dish is there. By sheer coincidence there is some chickpeas and meat stew present, and while Norman is still wary of the entire situation, he doesn't refuse the bowl placed in front of him by the butler. It's the most delicious thing he's ever tasted. Peter makes sure to clarify one of his personal chefs made it.

This segues into a brief discussion about the daily tests Norman's been taking at Lambda. He confirms they're harder than the tests at Grace Field, but he enjoys the challenge, the tiniest bit of smug pride seeping in in the event Peter had any ego tied up in his being bested by one of these tests. The proud tone in the response throws him off before his brain registers the words "as to be expected of a Ratri." Peter then apologizes at the small but still noticeable change in his expression, lamenting how he probably should have started out with that to ease any of Norman's worries.

He goes on to explain how he discovered this, interpreting Norman's silence as positive before moving on to provide a brief overview of how the Ratri clan came to be the mediators between two worlds and then explaining how his life will change now that he'll be staying in the Ratri visitors' quarters for the remainder of his time at Lambda. The process to remove his tattoo and brand will begin the following day, and he'll be weened off the remaining drugs he's been given.

Norman knows it's beyond his consideration, but he still can't believe the gall of this man.

As for what [being a Ratri] would mean to Norman, he’s never indicated any sense of loss related to not knowing members of his immediate birth family or fretting over his origins, but for him to be related to the clan that’s perpetuated this system of abuse over a millennia and with how his rigid sense of morality lent itself to the idea of exterminating every single demon, if he was in a particularly negative thought spiral, it might eat at him on some bad days.

Where Peter expected rapturous or reverential awe at being a long-lost member of the clan, he felt sick. He never knew his birth mother or other forebearers, but imagining everything those women had to endure after seeing what it turned Isabella into, all being said so casually without a hint of guilt over the horrors his clan perpetuated like he's discussing the pedigree of a thoroughbred animal instead of a human being, it's nauseating.

And his neck tattoo…the Lambda brand he wouldn't give a second thought to losing, but the tattoo has this paradoxical sense of kinship attached to it that I briefly go over in this post regarding the children still keeping their tattoos years after being in the human world. Even with it being a horrible symbol of their dehumanization under this system, it's been a familiar sight to him since his earliest memories. It's one of the physical markers of his connection with Emma, Ray, and the rest of his family, and this man will be flippantly erasing that. How easy it is for him having never bore the grief that comes with it.

This is already long but a tangentially related conversation to this eventually comes up with Peter asking about Emma and Ray. On the surface it's to connect with Norman and learn more about his life at Grace Field, but the ulterior motive is to see if there's any information he can glean about these kids to find and capture them quicker. Norman will give it to him for having the tact not to slip and refer to them by their numbers like he's sure he wants to do, but he's still incensed at their names in his mouth. There's also the chance that Peter might reveal a crumb of information himself about their status (because Norman can't see why he would be asking unless he had something to gain from it, so that has to mean their escape was a success and they were all alive. The alternative would kill him), so he entertains the conversation. He tries not to give any tells, but when he talks about them his thumb might have grazed the spot where his number used to be before covering it up with a cough.

Norman's never taken in by Peter's seemingly genial demeanor, but it's odd how personal and almost…amiable the man can be with him. Still, the love he's offering is contingent on Norman's continued assistance at Lambda (Peter sees it as their shared duty to solve the conundrum of faster high quality meat production) and at least the appearance of respect toward the clan. It's not unconditional like Lucas' and Yuugo's.

The clearest hint of this might be Peter mentioning how much Norman resembles James one night at dinner, building his brother up with the same admiration he displays in chapter 173 before lamenting his fall from grace, stressing the sacrifice he had to make by murdering him but still ultimately going through with it because the clan and balance between two worlds takes precedence above all else.

Alternatively, another scenario that's easier to work into canon is the Ratri clan realizing Norman's lineage when the cattle children arrive in the human world, also prompted by the databases at Grace Field sparking further investigation with a DNA test. Once it's confirmed, they keep pestering Norman about leaning into this kinship and actively working for them, along with having his family and friends seemingly on good terms with the clan for some PR optics. Norman finds the idea insulting and revolting, but he can't ignore the benefits that would come with it.

Like some other fans, I greatly dislike Norman becoming a CEO during the final major timeskip, as well as Lambda sickness being conveniently treated with no chronic aftereffects and absolutely no issues with them integrating into human world and being welcomed with open arms by everyone. I understand Shirai wanted to wrap up the series on his own terms after years of dealing with the strain that is weekly manga publishing, and he needed an explanation for how the kids could easily fund their expeditions to search for Emma, but oof, do I hate it lol. All of these remain a concern for the cattle children here, and while the Ratri clan wouldn't outright abandon them if he refused, Norman wouldn't put it past them to drag their feet on certain matters. Their finances and prestige shield them from any misguided resentment some people may hold for them. Their connections are a boon for securing future educations and careers. And god would it expedite the search for Emma.

I like to imagine a late night benefit-cost analysis between Norman, Ray, Don, and Gilda taking place at some point after they've settled in enough. The other three reaffirm that if Norman felt it was going to kill his soul to work for the Ratris, his friends and family would stand by his refusal, but they would be remiss not to acknowledge the pragmatism in further solidifying the relationship (particularly poignant coming from Ray, though not completely analogous situations). The conversation drifts off for a bit before Norman, looking exhaustedly across the table they're seated at with his hands on his knees, states, "I want her back with us."

Working with the clan would be odd in so many ways with how they would laud his status as a cattle child and how he was taking the lead on amending relations between the Ratri and the cattle children while never wanting to fully interrogate what that meant. There's a hierarchy with Norman at the top and the mass production farm children at the bottom in many of their minds. At one point in private after a publicity event someone says offhand, "you can cover that up now, you know," referring to his ID. Even in the winter he tries to make a point not to wear scarves or turtlenecks when he knows he's going to be around them.

I hate the idea of there being one good and upstanding Ratri member that befriends him just because it's too convenient, and if we're being real Norman would never let down his walls enough and let them into his personal world after everything he's been through, but I do like the thought of him maybe getting along with a few scattered members, probably younger, who recognize the terrible fate that befell the children from another world and are genuinely amiable with him without beholding him to form a meaningful friendship with them. A small attempt at a personal level of atonement that he can recognize and appreciate while still maintaining that mental distance. I also think he'd appreciate the very youngest children of the family who could give him insight into what the adults might really think of him and his friends with their uncensored commentary lol.

#the-music-note-system6 #The Promised Neverland #Yakusoku no Neverland #TPN #TPN AU #YnN #TPN Fanfic #TPN Norman #YnN Norman #Norman #Norman Ratri #Peter Ratri #Ratri Clan #FSS Chatter #FSS Asks #Search for Minerva Arc #TPN 074 #Human World Arc #TPN 179 #Long Post #Read More #anyone know of any fanfics like this or where Peter just interacts more with Norman in general hmu #the occasional odd AU of him being Norman's dad or more typically his bastard uncle? delicious #he's never going to prioritize this kid over the honor of his clan as a whole #but i do like him entertaining the idea of some familial relationship for funsies and the optics #and Norman having to balance his hatred with playing along and hey he gets some info along the way #including how to deal with Peter because he will eventually break free of him #also it might seem counterintuitive to kill Emma and Ray if he wants to engender love for him in Norman #but the sentiments are Norman would have eventually outgrown them anyway so it's fine and he'll get over it lol #Norman at being offered Lambda brand removal two months into his stay there: well why tf did i have to get it in the first place then

[josefavomjaaga]

Junot about Soult

Another thing I stumbled across. But this time the Junots are at least in it. To be precise, they have a conversation about the marshals' talents, while on their way to Spain. (From the memoirs of the Duchess of Abrantès, volume 12)

[…] I remember that it was on this journey from Bordeaux to Bayonne, and in connection with a particular letter from Bayonne, announcing the capture of Seville, or, more correctly, its occupation by Marshal Soult, that Junot spoke to me at length about the latter, and rectified my judgement of him. I knew very well that he was skilled; but, being used to hearing constant talk of Lannes, Lefebvre, Masséna and Ney, I placed nothing above them; I was therefore surprised at first when Junot told me that Soult was, without any comparison, the most competent man in the French army: "His talents," Junot told me, "are of such a superior nature, that I do not understand how the emperor did not give him positive authority over everything that was going on lately in Spain." "But he could not command Marshal J.," I said, with one of those convictions instilled by childhood prejudices, sometimes as absurd as they are mistaken. I seemed so convinced of this that Junot laughed so hard he almost swooned. "Marshal J.?" he said at last; "but, my poor Laure, don't you know why he is a marshal?" I opened my eyes wide, "But because, because..." "You don't know, do you? Well, neither do I. Because if you got to be a marshal for what he did, the whole army could claim to be one. But hell! Soult, that's another matter! He is, after the Emperor, the most capable man in all the French army." I had this conversation with Junot on arriving at Mont-de-Marsan; it stuck in my mind as further proof that men think and act contradictorily. This was indeed Junot's view of Soult. Well, he was like the others in Spain when Soult was appointed major-general in place of Marshal Jourdan: he almost always refused to obey [...]

I find this interesting on several levels. Laure Junot was a rather important member of the French court, her opinion was in all likelyhood that of most people in Paris. So, the important marshals in her book, those who "counted", were Lannes, Lefebvre, Masséna, Ney. Those apparently had a reputation, a "name" at court. As had Marshal Jourdan, (whom I of course assume to be "Marshal J."), simply because he was, like Lefebvre (?), an icon of the Revolution.

I wonder who else was in that group. Murat most likely as a member of the Imperial family, possibly Bessières due to being closest to the emperor in his day-to-day work?

Others, like Davout and Soult, are notably missing, despite undeniable achievements in the last campaigns (Austerlitz and Auerstädt). I wonder why. Sure, they rarely ever were in Paris but were even kept outside the country by the duties assigned to them. But seeing them and their merits ignored to the point that Laure even by 1810 is astonished about the talents her husband ascribes to Soult still seems a bit curious.

Also, both were at some point suspected of trying to grab a kingdom for themselves (Davout in Poland, Soult in both Portugal and Spain).

#napoleon's marshals #all of them #jean de dieu soult #laure junot #jean andoche junot