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jjba-hell · 3 years

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Repaid

Day 3 and its time for some spaghetti western shenanigans.

Listen... I don’t like Westerns but I did have way too much fun writing this so do with it what you may.

Reader stays gender neutral in this house, no real warnings save for some guns and violence. Enjoy.

The dull ache in your right eye socket is really starting to get you. You’d figured you could sleep it off if not for the scratchy material of the tavern sheets under your skin.

Wait.

How did you get to the tavern again? Last time you checked Miles was a few days behind you and he had the money. The plan was to camp.

Camp... camp... oh right camp! You sat up to look for anyone else awake- someone should be on watch but there’s no dying campfire beside you. There was nothing beside you, not even a horse to say you’d been left behind. All that stretched around you was an infinite amount of desert sand painted pale blue by the full moon above you.

“Shit.” You hiss out between your teeth as you push yourself up on your feet. Not even so much as a sleeping mat was underneath you and god this stupid eye of yours was foggy. Must be some sand caught in your eye- wouldn’t it scratch though?

You didn’t have much time to consider pondering as a shadow- that’s the best you could describe it- pushed its shoulder through you and continued a sluggish walk ahead of you to fuck knows where.

“Where are you going?” You found yourself asking with a voice much too hoarse to be your own. Not only was it hoarse but it brought awareness to just how dry and cracked your mouth and throat were. If you’d been out here since sundown or ever before that your throat was probably bleeding. Might explain the taste.

Without feeling like you had much choice you started walking after the shadow. The longer you walked the worse every annoying itch turned into an ache- the scratchiness in your throat only seemed to get worse the more you huffed a breath to continue walking. If you were following death, honestly you’d just laugh.

After what felt like hours you were no longer alone- a few other figures much like the one you were following seemed to join you in blindly walking after the leader. You couldn’t see much of them either, not that they were close enough to look at anyway. The town’s dull yellow lights seemed to brighten every step you took but it wasn’t enough to convince your body to cooperate. The closer you got, the heavier your limbs, the harder the steps until your knees gave out under you and your face acquainted itself with the dirt.

All you could remember after that was the feeling of hands clasping themselves under your arms and your feet dragging behind you.

“That’s the only memory I have of that night. I had no idea I even spoke to you.” You admitted to the man whose saddle you were slung over. “So unless you plan on selling yourselves out for a little bounty money I don’t see why this is fucking necessary.”

When you’d woken up from that night you found yourself more coddled than you’d ever been in your life- swaddled in soft sheets and even softer pajamas, wrapped up in bandages like you were a porcelain doll.

Didn’t last long and now you owed this gang money for your stay and a doctors visit. You promised you’d pay them back but you didn’t have a fucking penny on you. Their solution? Tying your hands in front of you and slinging you over the saddle of the one with the weird eyes.

“You admitted to being from the McRoys gang- that’s loyalty bonded by blood.” The gruff voice above you commented, not doing anything to qualm the painful pounding your stomach was getting from the horse’s steps.

“My sister married a McRoy for fuck’s sake, those fucks don’t mean shit to me!”

“Swear that on ya daddy’s grave?” Came the question after some audible hooves clambering to get closer to your head.

“I’ll do ya one better- I’ll put ‘em in his grave and THEN swear they ain’t mean shit to me.”

Their boss slowed down to a stop and you’ve never wanted to slide headfirst into the sand more than you did in that moment. “This the place?”

You were hauled off of the horse and onto shakey legs. True as hell you stood at the sign for the McRoy ranch and to even a bigger surprise your goddamn horse stood at the troth drinking water with your saddle on and all.

“Why you fucking- untie me right now.” You held your bound wrists at the giant man that had lifted you off.

He only gave an amused huff of air from his nose as he cut you free so you could stomp through the hot sand on bare feet.

“And you leave me? After hauling you out of your fucking mother all those years ago, I topple off you once and you fucking high-tail it?” You angrily grab the knapsack from its back to rummage through for some clothes- wasting no time to slip over your head and over your ass to replace the pajamas.

“Are you sure you were riding alone?” The brunette with the ponytails asked.

“Yeah. I don’t even remember why I toppled, let alone where or how..” You peered at the team once more. “My boots?”

They all seemed to share a laugh as the blonde coughed it up and you humiliatingly stepped straight in them.

“Right. So now that we’re all on equal footing... what do you really want from me?”

Being an outcast in any group was difficult, LaSquadra was no different. You’d have to risk your skin more than once to finally be able to earn even a bit of trust from their boss specifically and what you’d deem your cut was quickly snatched up by Formaggio for drinks until one day Risotto handed you your cut of coin and instead of quietly handing over the money, pulled a gun at Formaggio’s head- the first right move you’d pulled in weeks.

You’d soon learn each of them held a bounty over their heads- deciding to stick together instead of trying to haul each other’s asses to the nearest sheriff. And with your handiwork all over the McRoy ranch heist (clean as you’d tried to keep it), you’d find yourself with a bounty almost comparable to Risotto’s.

It was only when your place among them was solidified that you found yourself suggesting more and more outlandish schemes for a bigger cash grab.

“But we gotta start thinking logically about this- if we burn down every sheriff’s office there’d be no evidence to incriminate us.” You had jabbed at Illuso as you two ducked under an overturned table. One moment you were offering a stand off in the town square, the next thing you knew the bar was being blown sky high by some awfully desperate lawmen.

Risotto’s bullwhip slid across the shattered glass from the neighboring table and that what all signal you needed. “And all of this because ONE wanted poster showed you having a mole on your upper lip.”

“Did you not see the size of that thing??”

Risotto kicked the overturned table to slide into the crowd- leaving you enough of a gap to between the bullets to crack the whip into a couple hands- those viper venom soaked bone shards woven into the end was doing enough damage to the holder’s hand to knock ‘em out of the game for the count.

You got enough of them down to give Ghiaccio the chance to fire a few shots and Melone to bust open the window where Pesci awaited with your way out.

Risotto slid in behind your table and handed the loaded pistol for your round of shots. Not that you missed half as much as the men your travelled with.

Your right eye never did stop being foggy- Melone suspected cataracts but you saw targets much too easy with your foggy eye to cover it up completely. Maybe you were taking “deadeye” too literally though.

After 5 out of 6 rounds now lodged firmly in some lawmen’s thighs you hopped out the window last and took off after the rest of your team.

“If we have to pay for one more bar’s repairs I swear to god I’ll turn myself in for a hanging.” Formaggio huffed as he dropped onto the dusty floor beside you- fingers outstretched for the bottle of moonshine you were only passing around- that shit was vile.

“They’ve been hot on our trail for a while now- you think the townspeople are sick of us?”

“Somehow I doubt they’re willing to take their chances with Ciocolatta’s cronies, must be something else.” Prosciutto lowered himself to your other side, offering a cigarette which you did accept. “You don’t think it’s the new governor?”

“That little blonde pipsqueak? No, there’s no way- he probably got that job from his daddy and doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing, let alone getting lawmen to run us down this consistently. Illuso, you’re the one making people squeal when we stay in town, no rumors that could have sparked this?”

“Carne’s allegedly dead but he’s not big enough for the people to let their guards down now.”

“Well we might be finding out soon.” All your heads spun to Risotto as he walked back into camp from the first watch. “There’s someone coming this way.”

“I’m guessing you think we can take them?”

“Sick of running. Anyone who’d come this far after us at least deserves an audience.”

You’d packed everything up except the fire in the camp- if it was going to be a shootout, at least you’d be ready to leave. You were about to mount your horse when Risotto stopped you. “I’m gonna let you stand up front-“ he handed you his bullwhip and two more casings of ammo. “If anything goes south, you’re our best shot.”

So you nodded and led your horse to the front, the others waiting behind you as the group- matching your own in numbers- came to a stop.

“You calling the shots?” The one with long white hair cascading under the brim of his hat asked.

“Nah- just the front line. What you come out all this way for? The moonshine’s shit unfortunately.”

“Precaution. We’re not here for any arrests, though.” Mr Black Bob came to his partner’s defense- the rest only seemed to wait.

“No arrests? You say that with a lawman right next to you?” You gave a nod to Mr Moonhair.

The click of a pistol had the hairs on the back of your head stand up. You didn’t know from which side it came from but it was like a cascade of 13 other pistols pulling back their hammers.

“Perhaps we should talk before we jump to conclusions. Name’s Bucciarati.”

“Well Bucciarati it sounded like that pistol cock came from your side first. I don’t know if I can trust a bunch of snakes that lie to my face.”

It was surprisingly not Mr Moonhair that removed his revolver from its holster. It was the one with the bandana over his head.

Another cascade of metal slipping from leather as they all pointed at one another, save for you and Bucciarati. “Got some trigger-happy subordinates there, Bucci. Who do you work for?”

“The governor.” All charm had left his voice and now you were left to the stiff formalities of a man serving.

“Ah. So you ARE lawmen.”

“We have no idea what sinister grip you have over the townspeople but it will not continue like this. We’re here for an ultimatum. Disappear from your business and all bounties will drop- no lawman will arrest you and the warrant for your hangings will be dropped.”

“Mhm and if we’re caught doing our usual business?”

“Then all charges are doubled.”

You couldn’t help but give an earnest laugh as you broke the stare off between you and Bucciarati. You leisurely turned around and mounted your horse. Risotto gave you a knowing look as you did, stealing yourself to look into Bucciarati’s ocean blue eyes.

“Do yourselves a favor- go visit Reaverbrooke. Ask some questions... shit if anyone is still there... and get a feel for the service we provide. Make sure you report all of that to the little blonde boy’s boot you’re lickin’ and maybe then we can talk on ultimatums.”

The barrels lowered as you spoke, watching Bucciarati keep up his attempt at a death stare.

“But since you’re lucky, you’re dealing with the bleeding heart of this gang- we’ll lay low until you come back to us. Same time next week?”

Bucciarati wasn’t given much time to answer as you led your squad out of the camp. Once enough distance was put between you, Risotto came up beside you.

“You’re leading us to their base? What are you mad?”

“Someone’s gotta put that pipsqueak back into his place. Who better than us?”

#jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo no kimyou na bouken #la squadra #jojo part 5 #risotto nero #formaggio #prosciutto #illuso #Ghiaccio #pesci #lasquadraweek2021

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cutesuki--bakugou · 5 years

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Ancient Soul

Time Travel, Quirkless, Feudal Japan AU

“Your soul does not belong here.” Those were words you never thought that you would hear. Now, thrown into the past in feudal Japan, you must find a way to survive, all while struggling to avoid the growing feelings for one hot-headed war general. War, romance, death and love drive you forward, to find the place where your soul truly belongs.

Bakugou Katsuki x Fem!Reader

Want to start from be beginning? Check the Ancient Soul tag. New chapters released every Wednesday as long as schedule permits.

Genre: Romance / Angst Story Rating: Explicit | Adult Themes, Sex, Death, Depictions of Violence, Alcohol

Chapter 3: Travel Begins

Chapter Rating: Teen | Cursing Words: 3481

All you could do was stand by silently as the group around you prepped for departure. Arms still tied and now tethered to a tree, there was no one exactly watching you, but you could still feel the piercing gaze of the General. This Bakugou was a tall man, brawny and intimidating. From what you had seen so far, he perfectly matched the description of a leader of an army from this era, or the era you thought they were trying to depict. These people had to be reenactors of some kind or maybe activists who believed in the old ways. Whatever the case may be, they were extremely convincing, and that didn’t just include the way they acted.

Their clothing, equipment, mannerisms, and speech all matched what you had just recently learned in class, and from just being a resident in Japan. The biggest thing that struck you as odd was that you could have sworn you recognized the name ‘Bakugou’ as if it were something you had read somewhere before. Maybe this guy was trying to imitate a famous officer, taking to his role more seriously than what was probably necessary. The shattered remains of your phone before you only heightened your annoyance at these actors, and you hoped that they were represented by someone who could either give you money for it or replace it in general.

He wasn’t the only one to be taking this all so seriously. This Tsuyu woman was just as serious, currently stroking down the length of a black horses muzzle, whispering to it sweetly as the enormous creature towered over her. The tiny woman that took you down couldn’t be more than five foot tall, yet you imagined that she could hold her own against any of the men here. In total, you counted six people, two of them being women. You hoped that perhaps they would show you some sympathy, maybe even let you go to return to your friends while the leaders weren’t looking. You hoped but knew it was unlikely.

Your attention was pulled away from Tsuyu as laughter erupted from two of the other men, one with spiked red hair and the other with messy yellow locks. They both seemed cheerful and friendly, nothing like the grump of a man that stood a ways away from them, adjusting the reigns on his beautiful palomino horse. The mare was impatiently stomping her hooves into the ground, and you thought for a moment that they seemed like the perfect pair. He seemed so gentle with her, talking softly to calm her obvious annoyance and running his hand along the length of her strong neck. It was… cute.

“What is your name.” Tsuyu addressed you as she approached, leading her horse forward by the reigns. Tearing your eyes away from Bakugou, you looked at her before back at the horse, finding yourself horribly intimidated by its size.

“It’s… [F/n] [L/n].”

“Well, [L/n], we are prepared to travel now. You will be riding on my sweet Yonaka. He will watch you closely.” Tsuyu gave the horse a gentle pat on the neck, and you couldn’t help but give a small jump as the huge animal snorted in response to his name. Every inch of the horse was pitch black with just a hint of blue in the areas that were touched by the sun. A magnificent warhorse to be sure, and the thought of riding such a creature made you nervous.

“H-he’s beautiful but… why are you giving me a horse to ride? Aren’t I… a prisoner? I could just use him to get away.” You shuffled nervously on your feet as Tsuyu walked behind you, untying the rope that kept you tethered to the tree.

“That’s not possible. We aren’t going to be untying your arms, and Yonaka will not follow instruction from anyone but myself and General Bakugou. He’s the most well behaved of the group. You can try to control him, but you’ll quickly see that he’d rather throw you off than listen to you. Come.” Tsuyu took you by the upper arm, leading you over to the side. This horse was at least seventeen hands tall and how Tsuyu expected you to get on without the use of your arms was something you couldn’t quite comprehend.

“How do I… I mean, I don’t think I can get myself up without arms.”

“Well--” Before Tsuyu could answer your question, Bakugou came around the front of the horse, glaring down at the two of you in obvious annoyance.

“I said it’s time to move out, get your ass on the horse.” He hissed at you, reaching up to stroke the cheek of the animal as Yonaka sniffed his hair, nearly his entire muzzle vanishing within the fluffy blonde depths. Once again, he seemed so kind to the horse, though his words sounded like nothing but venom. You couldn’t help but to glower up at him in frustration, finding that your exhausted state shortened your patience significantly.

“I would if my arms weren’t tied. I can’t exactly pull myself up, can I- EEK!” A shriek left your lips as you were suddenly swept off your feet, your flailing body hoisted up onto the horse with ease. Bakugou’s strength shocked you in that moment as he got you settled into place on the saddle, needing very little adjustment from you, apart from swinging your leg over to the opposite side so you were sitting appropriately. “Y-You could have warned me!”

One strong hand still firmly on your thigh, Bakugou took it upon himself to tie your rope to the horse. You couldn’t stop the violent blush that ravaged your cheeks, finding that his touch embarrassed you greatly. Sure, you weren’t exactly new to a man touching you, but you had never quite had the attention of a man this attractive. Even if that attention was to throw you up onto a horse with no regard for your opinion.

“If I hear you even try to give a single command to this horse, regardless of the fact that he won’t listen, then I will kill you. Any attempt to flee or yell out will be the same punishment. Do you understand me, Demon?” Bakugou ignored your complaint, his glare making your stomach race violently. You didn’t doubt for a second that he meant every word of his threat, though it was so oddly paired with him guiding your foot into the right side stirrup. Swallowing hard against your dry throat, you managed a nod, fixing your left foot into place yourself. “Yeah, sure…”

“What a disrespectful witch.” Bakugou gave a rough final tug to the rope that tied your arms to the horse's saddle, making you wince and cry out a bit from the uncomfortable feeling, though it didn’t hurt. “I don’t know where you come from or who you think you are, but you will address me with respect. I’ve already shown you more mercy than what you’re worth.”

“Then why not just get rid of me?” You kept your glare locked with his, though your vision was blurry with tears from the verbal mistreatment. “I’ve done nothing wrong to be treated this way by you people. All I want is to find my friends and go home!”

“I don’t believe you. You’re out here screaming and yelling in the middle of nowhere, with some strange item and dressed in rags that not even a whore would deem appropriate. Until I find out what you really are and what you know, you’re not leaving my sight.” With that, the blonde left, heading back to his horse and pulling himself up onto the saddle. You could only glare after him, though you were startled a bit as Tsuyu gave a firm whistle from beside you. With that, the only horse that did not hold a rider approached her, prancing towards her in an eager manner.

This bay colored horse was smaller and incredibly agile looking, with barely anything on it compared to the rest of the warhorses in the party. Tsuyu pulled herself up onto it, even as it shifted in its spot with excited anticipation. “[L/n], I will be leaving the party to continue my duties. Yonaka will be gentle with you.”

You felt a twinge of worry at the fact that she was leaving, even though you had no real reason to feel attached or trusting of her. So far, she was the only one to treat you with some sense of kindness, and you feared more mistreatment would fall upon you without her presence. “O-okay… I have one question, though… What company are you working under?”

“Company?” Tsuyu gave a confused shake of her head. “We work for our Lord and no one else.”

“This whole reenactment thing, you have to be sponsored by some company or… program or something.”

“We are not performers. Whatever you are thinking, you are mistaken. I…” She turned her gaze back towards where you assumed the shrine was. “I cannot say anything else without the General’s approval.” Reaching across, she took hold of Yonaka’s reigns, leading him forward along with the rest of the party to exit the clearing they had been in. Your body jolting a bit with the horse's movements, you had to hold on tightly with your legs, wishing they would at least tie your arms to the front of you so you could hold on.

Though, you supposed that it didn’t really matter. You were feeling lost and hopeless at this point, with no way to contact anyone to help you and no mercy from your captors. All you had to do was try to hold out until the end, until this whole little play was over and you could drag the company of this idiotic reenactment into a lawsuit that you would surely win. Unless… this truly was something otherworldly.

Had you really been thrown back in time? Was that even something that was possible? Were you actually talking to people who had been dead for at least over five hundred years? As you exited the brush and out into the open, you felt as if the universe was giving you your answer. There was nothing there that you had recognized on the drive up the hill. Everything was flat, except for a few select sections of growing forests that were still young. The highway, power lines, and even the city in the distance were all gone. There was nothing but nature, rolling hills, and an endless beautiful blue sky, completely void of city smog.

“W-where am I?” The question left your lips without a single thought, staring out in awe at the unfamiliar landscape. Tsuyu had brought Yonaka up beside Bakugou’s horse, turning over the reigns to her General. Bakugou gave a small scoff, pulling your eyes to him.

“We're nearly a weeks ride outside of Kyoto, though that is not the direction we are going. You sure are good at playing the fool.” With a click of his tongue, he spurred his horse to move forward, Yonaka following along. You felt stunned, weak and so sick to your stomach you were sure you’d vomit if there was anything in there to begin with. Instead of verbal panic, all you could do was sit there, nearly in a comatose state.

It was nearly impossible to accept, but it was the only logical explanation. You truly had been thrown into the past. To what era, you were currently unsure, but you assumed it would be revealed to you in time.

And time you definitely had. You traveled along at a pace that was only slightly faster than casual lumbering, the entire group nearly silent except for the sounds the horses made with each step. By the time there was finally a voice that pulled you out of your deep thoughts, the sun was beginning to set, and you could suddenly feel how burning hot your skin was.

“Let’s stop here for the night,” Bakugou called back to the party, having found a safe place to rest. You couldn’t quite find the energy to bother looking around, your throat burning with the need for water and arms aching from being tied in the same position. As Yonaka came to a stop, you almost felt like you were going to slide right off the saddle, but a presence on your right side kept you up. Bakugou was working to untie your rope that kept you connected to the horse, his expression much calmer than what you had seen so far.

“Swing your leg around.” He gave a vague hand motion with his words, and with much effort, you brought you left leg up over the girth of the horse to sit sideways on the saddle. You didn’t have much time to complain as Bakugou took your hips, pulling you off the horse and onto the ground with ease. Body suddenly rushing with embarrassment at being so close to him, you took a step back, though your legs felt like jelly. “T-thank you…”

With a simple grunt, he grabbed you by the shoulder and turned you around, untying the bindings that held your arms. His movements were rough and inconsiderate of your comfort, but just the fact that he was unbinding your arms flooded you with relief. “Trust me, now?”

“No, Demon.” Bakugou kept a grip on your left wrist once the bindings were undone, turning you around to face him again. “I just know how painful sitting with your arms like that is. You seem frail.”

It was true, your arms were absolutely killing you, the tingling feeling of the blood rushing through them enough to make you want to cry. “I-I’m not frail, but that does hurt.” You could only watch as he used the same bindings to instead tie your wrists together in the front of your body, though he kept them quite loose without enough slack for you to be able to escape or use a weapon. “Aren’t you… scared I might try to run?”

“You’d be a fool.” Bakugou snarled as he worked, his glare flashing up to your face for just a moment. “You would die before you got far. There is no water source around here for miles, the heat would take you before anything else.”

“I suppose… Where is Tsuyu?”

“You just now realized she hasn’t been with us? Where she is is no concern of yours. She took Gama and will not rejoin with us until we reach the castle.”

“‘Gama’? That horse's name is a toad? He did seem quite jumpy.” Your joke had no effect on him, just an annoyed cock of his eyebrow. You gave a small sigh, following him towards where the rest of the group was preparing camp. No sense of humor, huh. Great, I’m stuck with an asshole. Why couldn’t I be found by a super handsome, sweet and caring General that would believe every word I say! Instead, I got a super handsome, grumpy and mean General that looks at me like I’m a bug.

With the command of a single point of a finger, you sat down where told, taking the chance to stretch out your legs in front of you. Riding such a large horse for so long was quite painful, but you had a feeling that you were going to have to get used to it. There was no way that they were going to let you go, nor were they going to take you anywhere you requested. How far is it to this castle he mentioned…? I hope it’s not more than a few days, I already feel like I’m gonna die.

After watching the group set up the temporary camp, which was literally just blankets on the ground around a small fire, you were approached by the redheaded man, who had a gentle smile on his face. “You look like you could use some water.” As he squatted down in front of you, he pulled the cork from a brown flask out with his teeth, before handing you the pouch. Carefully so as to not spill, you took it and began to drink, going slowly as to not upset your stomach. You let out a relieved sigh as the water cooled your burning throat, smiling up at the man with gratitude.

“Thank you, I did really need that.” As you took another sip, you took the chance to glance over him for just a moment. He was just as brawny as Bakugou, though he had a much kinder face. One thing you couldn’t help but notice was the fact that the colors of his clothing didn’t quite… match. It was very eccentric, and the cloth that covered his chest was adorned with two red dragons. He seems… also very familiar. As you finished with the water, you handed it back to him, watching as he popped the cork back into the flask. “Uhm… May I ask who you are?”

There was a slight, worried furrow of his brow as he took a quick glance back at his General, who was busying himself with starting a fire. “Aah, well… I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for me to tell you. Just don’t curse me, yeah?”

You gave a small giggle, finding his grin infectious. “I couldn’t if I wanted to… I’m not a witch or a demon…”

“Ah, I can’t say that for sure, but you are different. Either way, I’m Eijirou Kirishima, one of the Officers in Bakugou’s branch of our military. You’d hear most people call me Red Dragon Kirishima, though, and I have no idea where that nickname could possibly have come from.” His sarcasm made you laugh once again, especially as he gestured to the dragons on his clothing. “But, if it’s easier, you can call me Kiri. I’m not all high and mighty to demand formalities.”

“Hey, Shitty Hair, don’t be conversing with that witch!” Bakugou’s voice suddenly snapped from his place by the fire, making you both jump a bit. “She could curse you!”

Although you should be hurt by the comment, the slight roll of Kirishima’s eyes and wry smile kept you calm, glad to see that you weren’t the only one who found the outburst to be unwarranted. Still, Kirishima stood, heading towards the fire. “Yes Sir, I was just giving her some water is all, she seemed thirsty. Besides, if she curses me, I’ll just be sure to turn around and curse you!”

“Shut up! Don’t make me kill you, smart ass!”

The way the party laughed made you feel more at ease, their comfort level with each other admirable. In fact, you wished that you could be more welcomed, to not be treated like such a burden or dangerous person. The small amount of joy that you had felt talking to Kirishima faded as they all settled around the fire to eat, leaving you on the outskirts alone. Although you felt dejected, you could understand. Bakugou had to protect those in his group, and if that meant keeping you distant, then he would. You would do the same if it meant protecting those closest to you, if you were ever to see any of them again.

With a sigh, you brought your knees up to your chest, hiding your face in them. You sat in solitude for a long while until you felt a nudge to your foot, prompting you to look up, vision blurry in your groggy state. Skewered on a stick, there was some type of animal meat being offered to you by Bakugou, who was currently chewing away at his own.

“Rabbit.” He spoke with a full mouth, nudging the morsel closer towards your face. Carefully, you took it from him, the thought of eating a rabbit making your stomach churn a bit. But, you were so hungry that you would probably eat anything that was offered to you, and the fact that you didn’t know when the next meal would come lingered on your mind.

“Thank you. I’m surprised you’re wasting resources on me.”

“Tch, are you stupid? What would be the point of all this if you died? Eat the damn rabbit and then lay down. We have a long day of traveling tomorrow.” With that, he left you alone to eat, devouring his own food like he hadn’t eaten in days. You enjoyed watching the group as they ate, chatting quietly and passing around a flask which you assumed with filled with alcohol. It pained you a bit to know that all these people were long dead, but you could have sworn you recognized the two names you had learned so far.

I have to figure out who these people are… Then maybe I can become friendly with them and earn my freedom...

#bnha imagines #bnha scenarios #bakugou x reader #bakugou #katsuki bakugou #bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha fanfiction #fanfiction #bnha writing blog #xreader #personal #ancient soul

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therabidjackalope · 5 years

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Baby Mine

The doe stood firm, her flaming sword pointed at the necromancer like an accusatory finger. “This ends now, Malthamus! No more of your tricks.”

The necromancer's smile was just visible beneath his cowl, his lips like wriggling grubs. “Ah, my pet, I think you will find that I still have a few more tricks up my sleeve.” His arms suddenly shot forward and inky blackness shot from his fingers like ink. It flooded the room and swirled around the furious MidKnight. Nadirah slashed at the liquid darkness with her sword but it had no effect. Within the space of a breath she was surrounded by an empty nothingness.

Furious at losing her prey, the doe spun around, looking for something, anything, that could lead her back to her intended query. “Get back here and face me, you coward!” She screamed into the void.

As if in answer to her demand, a wooden door slid noiselessly forward from the gloom, coming to a stop a few feet from the angry doe. “Finally.” She growled, stomping to the door with her blade at the ready. Forsaking caution, she grabbed the handle and jerked the door open before stepping through.

The doe froze in confusion. Instead of cold stone beneath her hooves, a floor of soft straw and grass crackled softly beneath her weight. The darkness had been replaced by warm sunshine that filtered in through open windows. Sturdy and comfortable looking furniture decorated a familiar looking room. But it was the other occupants that gave her the most pause.

They were calves. Tarous calves. A pair of young males wrestled on the floor while a female sat on one of the chairs playing with a doll. Near her feet, a milk calf gnawed an old kordox bone that had been cut and smoothed into a teething ring.

“Hi Mamma.” The young female greeted her, waving her doll in the air before turning her attention wholly back to the toy.

“What... what is this?” Nadirah muttered to herself. She turned her head and saw that the door stood closed behind her, sunlight leaking in around it's imperfect edges. “What trick are you playing now? Where am I?”

A soft thump against her hoof pulled the MidKnight's attention downward to the teething milkcalf. He was looking up at her with wide brown eyes, slapping his tiny hand against her foot to get her attention. She bent to pick up the tiny infant, holding him at arm's length to study him more closely.

The calf giggled as he was lifted and wiggled all of his limbs happily. He was covered in a coat of soft red downy fur, the edges of his hands and feet showing hints of grey that would turn to black as he aged. A single pink smudge on his nose was the only other marking he bore. “Ah-ma!” He cried with another giggle, short, pudgy arms reaching out towards the MidKnight. “Ah-ma!”

“Ah-ma?” Nadirah replied softly as she looked at the youngling. “Mamma?”

“Ah-ma!” The calf said again, beginning to kick his feet in an attempt to propel himself forward.

Nadirah's face softened, her scowl falling away. Slowly, she pulled the calf to her chest, cradling the infant carefully in her arms, her eyes fixated on his own. “Ah-ma.” She said dreamily. The calf giggled and stretched out a tiny hand, resting it softly on her nose, between her large nostrils. Slowly, as if she had forgotten how, the MidKnight smiled.

Her heart, which she had thought as long dead as the rest of her, swelled with pride and love as she stared down at the tiny calf. Her calf. Her son. “My little baby boy.” She whispered to the calf.

“Ah good, you're home.” Came a new, yet familiar voice. “How was the market?”

The MidKnight snapped her head up, twisting her body reflexively to protect the infant from whatever new threat had just presented itself. Bracing the calf with one arm she reached for her sword but grabbed only a loose flap of leather.

The grey-furred bull watched her with amusement, his eyes falling to the giggling baby in her arm. “He's getting so big, isn't he?”

Nadirah blinked in disbelief, but the bull was still there. He wasn't a mirage. “Jorthon?” The name was both question and accusation.

“Yes?” He replied, his gaze returning to her face with a loving smile.

“But... How are you...”She paused, a stirring of memory pulling at her. He looked older than when she had last seen him, a spear run through his chest and death in his eyes. But even as she tried to delve deeper into the memory, it faded like a dream. Had he somehow survived his wound? Yes, she thought, he must have. They were mates now and these were their children.

The MidKnight didn't know where those thoughts had come from. It was wrong, somehow. She was supposed to be somewhere else, facing some enemy. She looked down at herself, for some reason expecting armor instead of the decorated dress she wore.

She looked back up at Jorthon and frowned, shifting the infant to her other arm. “What's going on?” She asked him. “Why isn't anything making sense anymore?”

Jorthon just continued to smile at her, his expression changing from affection to patience. It was another voice that answered, one she felt she should recognize, and yet the familiarity was just beyond her grasp. “This is what could have been.” The voice whispered in her ears. “What could still be, for you. Just stay by my side, warrior, fight for me and I will give it all to you, once I've remade the world.”

“Stay?” Nadirah repeated, looking around her for the source of the voice. It alarmed her that her mind was growing fuzzy, full of half-memories and disconnected thoughts.

“Yes.” Jorthon said, moving closer and placing a hand on her shoulder. “You do want to stay with us, don't you, my love?”

The calves all stopped their activities to circle her, the twin males tugging at her skirt while the female grabbed her free hand. “Yes, mamma! Stay with us! He'll make things alright again! You'll see!” They chanted up at her. The infant simply gurgled and placed his tiny hand back onto her nose.

Nadirah looked around her at her small family. Jorthon, her mate, her daughter Terthan, the twins, Raynoh and Keython, and the milk calf in her arms. She knew them all. They lived with Jorthon's tribe and everything outside of their life together was but a fading nightmare, finally escaped. Nadirah had found the peace and love she had always been searching for since the loss of her own tribe. She felt...happy.

Somewhere in her mind she felt a lingering presence slither away, leaving her alone at last with the family she adored. A gift. And it was all hers, she merely had to accept it. Accept what, she thought to herself. What gift? Why did everything feel so wrong when it was absolutely perfect?

Gazing down into the large brown eyes of her milk calf, her precious little baby boy, she felt a tear crawl from the corner of her eye and slide silently down her muzzle. She wanted nothing more than to embrace them all. Embrace her wonderful, perfect life and simply live. She could finally rest. But why?

Gently pulling her hand free of Terthan's grip, she slowly reached up and grasped the infant's chubby wrist, holding his hand in place as she softly brushed her nose across his palm. Inhaling deeply, she reveled in his scent. Her precious baby boy. She closed her eyes and let out her breath slowly.

A spark of anger flickered to life deep in her chest.

As she opened her eyes again, she turned her gaze back to the large, inquisitive eyes of the infant. He looked up at her with a mixture of innocence and adoration. He had known nothing but love and safety in his short existence. But as she looked down into his eyes, his large brown irises began to fade to white, then his bleached eyes began to glow with necromatic magic. His baby fluff fell away in patches, grotesque chunks of skin began to peel off and flake away, exposing bone and rotting muscle underneath.

The spark caught and began to grow into a flame.

She looked up at Jorthon, her beloved mate. His own eyes had become miky white. His casual jerkin and loincloth had been replaced by battered old training armor. A crude spear stuck out of his body, although he still smiled at her.

The flame became a blaze.

The cheerful sunlight began to fade as she looked down at her other children, their bodies as ravaged as the infant's, their glowing undead eyes staring up at her pleadingly. “Stay with us, mamma.” They repeated, their sweet voices becoming croaks and hisses as the air passed through ruined throats and rotted jaws.

The blaze of her anger turned black with hatred.

“Malthamus.” She whispered. The necromancer's image floated up through the haze of her hidden memories. Slowly the fog began to evaporate, taking away the cheerfulness of the vision. The sun quickly faded away, becoming an inky darkness. A sickly fog rose around her feet, turning the soft straw of the floor to a slimy black rot. The warm, comfortable dwelling crumbled away, covered in dust and mold.

“Malthamus.” She said again, louder as she took strength from her fury. More memories came welling up from the darkness of her mind. Jorthan, once her only ally, the only friendly face in a cast of hostile strangers, her only friend, lying dead on the grass because of her carelessness. Her death wish had been granted to the wrong soul.

“Malthamus!” She yelled, clutching her undead infant tightly to her chest as she saw her own resurrection, brought back with no will of her own. Trapped in a body she could not control, her world reduced to pain as she was forced to commit atrocity after atrocity with only the necromancer's voice as constant company. His venom dripped into her ears.

“He'll make it all better, mamma.” One of the calves said. “You'll see.”

Nadirah softened and looked down at her brood, smiling sadly at them. Her emotions blazed brightly, her hatred and anger fueling the bonfire within her. “No, my loves.” She said softly. “He won't, because he doesn't know how.”

The blaze grew higher until it threatened to consume her from the inside. Around her was the tattered remains of her dream. Her most secret desire. That the necromancer had taken it from her and corrupted it to use against her only deepened her need for vengence.

Closing her eyes, she gently kissed the tiny milk calf on his forehead, her lips brushing against exposed skull, and bent over to set him down on the floor. Her armor rattled softly as she knelt to hug each of the older calves, then she rose to face her dead mate. She reached out and stroked his cold cheek, accepting what could have been.

Nadirah felt the weight of her decision as she turned away from them all to face the door once again. Inside, her love for her imagined family shone with the brightness of the twin suns. Hidden deep inside, she had nourished the dream, fed it with scraps of hope and longing. With a tenderness reserved for precious things, she grasped it and lifted it from the depths of her soul. “I love you all.” She said softly to her imagined progeny. “And I'm sorry that I can't stay.” With her message delivered, she closed her eyes, and threw everything into the inner fire.

The fire erupted within her. Throwing back her head, she let out an anguished roar that shook the room. “I'm coming for you, Malthamus!” With one mighty kick, the door was reduced to splinters, and the last of the illusion fell away into nothingness.

#For RM #Still a WIP

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operationrainfall · 5 years

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Title Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom Developer Game Atelier Publisher FDG Entertainment Release Date December 4th, 2018 Genre Metroidvania, Adventure Game Platform PC, PS4, Switch, XBox One Age Rating E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol Official Website

Though I had never played the original Wonder Boy series, I was excited to try out the latest successor, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. I had gotten that itch for classics with a fresh coat of paint with the recent release of Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap on the Switch. Both games were inspired by the classic Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap, and both featured polished new graphics and updated interfaces. Unfortunately for the new Wonder Boy, while it was an attractive package, it was held down by an adherence to archaic controls and hardcore difficulty. It’s no exaggeration that I found myself unable to beat the first boss of the game and gave up in frustration. But after seeing some coverage of Monster Boy at PAX East, I had a hopeful feeling this one might fare better. After all, unlike Wonder Boy, which was a straight up action platformer, Monster Boy was more akin to a Metroidvania. Given my love for that genre, I was willing to give this second successor a try. The question is, were the shapeshifting adventures here worth raving about? Or should I stop getting nostalgic about series I never played back in the day?

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One of the things that instantly caught my attention about Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom was the plot. Jin is just minding his business fishing when a crazed drunkard riding a “nectar” barrel goes on a rampage transforming everyone in sight into creatures. (Fun fact, apparently the original subtitle for the game was set to be And the Wizard of Booze. Sometimes censorship even makes me sad.) Best of all is that he’s none other than Jin’s Uncle, Nabu. While it’s not clear where he found a magic wand nor why he’s going berserk, it’s apparent someone needs to stop him. So off Jin goes, on a quest to discover what’s happening and put an end to it, with only mild narrative points offered by a small supporting cast, including his transformed younger brother, Zeke.

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While the game is mostly linear, you will be left to your own devices when you get stuck. The general flow is, get introduced to a new area, find your way through it, beat a boss, get a new ability or item, rinse and repeat. It’s not always that simple, and it’s worth noting that some areas are quite difficult to get through, but the basic momentum is fine. After beating the first boss, Jin is transformed by his loony uncle into a pig, depriving him of the ability to equip armor or weapons, due to being overweight and having hooves instead of hands. Though you’ll eventually get the ability to turn back into a human, you should get used to spending 80% of the game in the form of an animal. I was fine with that, since each animal form has unique skills, useful for both puzzle solving and combat.

It’s hard out here for a pig.

I’ll give a quick rundown of what they can all do. The pig, despite his shortcomings, has a powerful butt stomp that can stun enemies, as well as the skill to sniff out hidden clues and eat truffles, which increases your number of attack items and magic spells. The snake is the weakest, but is able to scoot through narrow passages, break rocks with a dash, spit venom and cling to moss covered surfaces. The frog revolves all around his tongue, which can not only devour smaller enemies, it can also eat up and spit out items such as enemy projectiles and bouncy blocks. He also is the only creature able to swim without worrying about his oxygen supply. Then there’s the beastly lion which can dash through walls and over dangerous surfaces, and eventually able to do an air dash upwards. Up last is the dragon, which when fully powered, can fly forever and breathe an unlimited supply of fire. They all have their uses, though it is worth noting that the final 3 forms I mentioned can also equip upgradeable armor and weapons, some with fantastic special effects like walking on clouds, while only the pig and human form are capable of using attack items and magic spells.

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As for how it all controls, it plays pretty intuitively. Quick note that some controls do vary by transformation, but in general they work like this: Y is attack, B is jump, with X and A as skills. For example, as a snake, X spits poison and A dashes forward. L / R brings up your magic / attack items, ZL / ZR buttons bring up the transformation wheel, + brings up your inventory to equip things and – brings up the world map. One quick note is that initially you can just press L / R or ZL / ZR to quickly shift between your items or transformations, Mega Man style, but once you get more than 3 of either, it instead turns into a wheel and requires you use the joystick to select what you want. That was a bit disappointing for me, but not a serious complaint. It just slowed down my game flow a bit.

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While the combat mostly flows well, I did notice a frustrating tendency for foes to try and dogpile me. Also frustrating was when I was climbing vertically and a flying enemy would zero in on me before I even saw it, which happened multiple times with the damned mosquitoes. Other than those, I mostly enjoyed fighting things, just so long as I didn’t let myself get overwhelmed. More challenging are the various boss fights, which pretty much fall into two camps – boss fights you can muscle through and boss fights that you puzzle through. The latter were in large part my favorites, though there’s a couple late game that were really frustrating. Special mention goes to the mechanical ruins possessed by bats and a fight against the mighty Big Venom. Thankfully, if you have a really hard time with any of them, there’s a feature where little dragon bro Zeke will start appearing dropping extra hearts mid fight to help you out. Or if you prefer, you can always buy elixirs to revive yourself from death from the item stores.

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Besides all the fighting, there’s also a lot of exploring to do in Monster Boy. While I wouldn’t say the game world is huge, it’s definitely bigger than I was expecting. I spent a grand total of 16 hours beating the game, though some of that time came from getting lost. To be fair, this was a problem that I mostly ran into in the last third of the game, while the first two thirds were pretty delightful and fast paced. Part of the challenge or fun, depending how you look at it, are all the puzzles. Put simply, there’s a shit ton of puzzles in the game, ranging from simple ones to real head scratchers. There’s still a couple I have no idea how to beat, including one nasty one in the Volcano area. If anything, I’d call the puzzles a mixed bag, but the majority are inoffensive, other than the one time a puzzle glitched out on me in the Forest area, forcing me to restart. Just be prepared to scream a little when you get to the Haunted Mansion, as that has the most difficult trials of the entire game.

Uh oh, the game is getting Meta on me!

Visually Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a treat. It’s colorful, cartoony and utterly bursting with personality. Small touches like the snake’s forehead creased in pain while carrying a giant gear in his stomach or the look of utter shock on the frog’s face when damaged just add to the fabric of this world. The animated CG sequences are also fantastic, and made me wish there was a full blown animated series. The game world is a place of lighthearted humor and good fun, despite all the supernatural occurrences plaguing the kingdom. While I wouldn’t say any of the creatures in the game are mind blowingly creative, other than maybe Ketz, they all do a good job of being distinct and having unique attack patterns. On the topic of sound design, while there was nothing that I found offensive (except maybe the Muzak in the elevator sequence), there also wasn’t anything that wowed me. I was hoping for a dynamic ear worm, but the best I found was the soothing tunes of the HUB town. That said, the sound effects do their job well and drew me into the adventure.

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For the most part I really enjoyed Monster Boy, but I do feel obligated to mention one segment that bothered me. Earlier I alluded to the last part of the game being more difficult. It’s full of super challenging, obscure puzzles, fetch quests and irritating boss fights. But for me, the cardinal sin of the last part of the game takes place in the final dungeon. I won’t reveal the nature of the dungeon, but even without that I can mention the biggest complaint. You reach a point in the final dungeon where you come across jet black cubes in your path. You have to destroy them to get to the final boss, but there’s one catch. In order to be able to destroy them, you need an optional Legendary Weapon that you can only find by thoroughly searching other parts of the world map. To be fair, the developers hint at this with a giant map that has Legendary fragments displayed on them in the last dungeon. While it’s true you can warp out of the dungeon, my issue is that I feel you should always find the keys to defeating a dungeon in said dungeon. Maybe I had this instilled into me by years of games like Zelda, but I was really upset with this design. Worse still, the game gives you no hint that you’ll need this item to progress before you enter the final dungeon, so some players may be grinding their gears for a while until a FAQ or guide is published. I frankly got lucky that I was able to figure this out without needing to ask for help from the developers.

Despite some problems I found with the game, I did enjoy Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. Though it’s not a deep or particularly compelling story, it’s still a fun nod to games of the past with some new bells and whistles. There’s a lot of replay value if you want to 100% the game, including solving all the puzzles, finding all the items and upgrading all the equipment. The charm mostly shines through, and I’m still happy to see games like this on modern consoles. It’s also worth noting this was far more enjoyable than Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, as far as successors go. For $39.99 you’ll get a meaty adventure with lots of platforming, boss slaying and drunken wizardry. So long as you can look past the rough last part of the game and some frustrating dungeons, you’ll get along with Jin and company just fine.

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”3.5″]

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REVIEW: Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom Title Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

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